The Apothecary Diaries is a unique anime because of the way it accurately depicts the happenings of ancient times. With an uncanny precision, it delivers into the core of the dark realities of court politics and power dynamics in the palace.
For instance, when we watch the series and the conduct of the previous Emperor is found to be despicable and repulsive, with child marriage being prevalent, it is not just him that is the threat or the evil.
In fact, the story reveals that the true danger wasn’t just the Emperor for his horrible preferences but the entire system of nobility that enabled such practices.
The true villains in the Empress Dowager’s story
It is not just in Empress Dowager’s (Anshi’s) generation that women have been treated as tools to gain power for noble families. The purpose was to send the females to curry favor with the Emperor and gain power and status through that connection with the Emperor.
Women had no freedom or rights; they were trained and instilled with the mindset of being a good wife or a consort and marrying for the betterment of the family. Empress Dowager was the same.
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At a very young age, she was sent to the palace. So much so that she is only eleven years older than her eldest son, showcasing the horrible realities of what nobles can do to increase their power.
It is not just the former Emperor; he was deranged and despicable. But the families who sent their daughters into a life of pain, confusion, and misery just to gain a few advantages in the court or a closer connection to the Emperor are the ones who are the true villains.
The harshness of power dynamics
The Empress Dowager’s fate was sealed the moment she was deemed suitable for the palace. And she was not the only one—Lishu, too, was sent at the age of nine; it seems that the younger the girls they could send, the nobles believed they would gain greater advantages from the twisted Emperor.
Even with a new ruler on the throne, the fundamental nature of the court has not changed. They still use women as tools to curry favor with the Emperor. The Emperor is a much more benevolent ruler compared to his father.
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The methods may have changed when it comes to him, but the concept remains the same. The influential or noble families still send their most promising daughters to increase their connections to the throne.
The court and the palace may seem tranquil, but they have dangerous undercurrents. There are always conspiracies going on, and the idea of arranged marriage in ancient times meant that the daughters had little to no choice once they were deemed eligible. Such is the harshness of the ancient period.
The Apothecary Diaries is available on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
