Wrapped up in beautiful animation and having an overall light-hearted feel to it, The Apothecary Diaries offers gut-wrenching storylines to fans by surprise. There are many aspects of the anime that are dark and feel uncomfortable to sit through. However, there are also plotlines that might not be as dark, but are definitely too sad and sob-worthy. Fengxian’s character arc fits the latter description.
Her beauty and pride were her defining traits, but they led her to the path of ruin to some extent. Maomao’s childhood was sabotaged by Fengxian, but her tragic life still evokes immense sadness. She deserved much better than what she got and what’s worse is that ‘this better’ might have been within her reach at multiple points.
Fengxian and her devotion to Lakan in The Apothecary Diaries
For Maomao, Fengxian didn’t even feel like a mother in The Apothecary Diaries. She never cared for Maomao or extended herself as her primary caregiver. Her character arc explained where her actions stemmed from. For the longest time, the only things she treasured were her pride and her art. The first time we see her feeling the same emotions towards a human was during her interactions with Lakan.
She started caring deeply for Lakan and was willing to leave behind everything to have a life with him. Her pride never allowed her to be honest about her intentions. She got pregnant in order to be with him forever, which never happened. However, she also lost her career as a courtesan in the process. The bitterness she felt towards her circumstances ended up ruining Maomao’s childhood.
Not having the same stature and respect as a courtesan anymore stripped her right to choose. She was exposed to syphilis as a result, which ruined her life forever. It’s true that some of her tragedies might have been self-inflicted but life was never kind to her. She was often dealt the worst hand possible.
The puzzle pieces never fell into place for Fengxian
Before contracting syphilis, all she needed was Lakan. Having him by her side would have made things easier for her. However, it took him too long to come back. Syphilis took away her beauty and made it physically difficult for her to sustain herself. Luomen could have easily cured her, but he wasn’t trusted enough at that time.
And, when he finally had access to Fengxian, her condition was already beyond his control. If only Luomen had been allowed to tend to her at the right time, her life would have looked a lot different.
Every solution that could have made her life better was like puzzle pieces that could never align in the right way. Sometimes, the timing was off and other times she prioritized her pride over her needs. Her life was truly tragic, as no matter what she did, things simply never panned out the way she wished.
The Apothecary Diaries is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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