One of the main reasons why The Apothecary Diaries is such a massive hit within the anime industry is because of its protagonist, Maomao. Her character development in The Apothecary Diaries is quite unique, and she manages to portray herself as the ideal Seinen protagonist who is carrying the pressure of the entire story on their shoulder.
Even though Maomao is unquestionably the ideal main character for The Apothecary Diaries, she is unable to avoid the one characteristic that has an unfavorable effect on the character development of almost every single anime protagonist within the industry. This trait is the plot armor that creators generally use to protect their main character from an unavoidable situation.
The Apothecary Diaries might not outright portray the plot armor, but there are some significant elements within the story that make it quite obvious. The biggest one in Maomao’s case is definitely her uncanny ability as a poison taster that has helped her crack many dangerous cases within the Imperial Palace.
The plot armor in The Apothecary Diaries is becoming quite obvious
When the first season of The Apothecary Diaries came out, fans instantly developed a connection with Maomao and her plethora of struggles in life. However, as the story progressed and Maomao’s character developed, the one thing that became obvious was the plot armor that constantly saves Maomao from the most dangerous situations ever.
Although it is understandable that Maomao’s skills as a pharmacist from the pleasure district make her the target of many medically dangerous situations, her affinity to poison and her role as a poison taster is something that is dragged too much. While she might have resistance to a lot of poisons because of her constant experimentations, there is no way that she gets it right every single time.
From saving the consorts to saving the Emperor himself, Maomao has cracked some of the biggest cases involving poisons and other medical accidents in The Apothecary Diaries.
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But her constant success within the storyline removes the vulnerability from her development and thus affects her character as the protagonist of the series.
The Apothecary Diaries needs to tone down the plot armor
There is no doubt that The Apothecary Diaries is one of the greatest Seinen anime series fans have ever seen. From the story to the characters, almost everything about the series is perfect, aside from the very obvious plot armor around Maomao’s character. Maomao is the protagonist of the series, and thus her development within the series needs to be absolutely perfect.
The only issue with her progression is the plot armor that makes her invulnerable and thus, in some ways, removes the thrill from the narrative. Granted, her role as a medical professional and investigator requires her to be absolutely perfect in almost every situation, but the fact that it is hurting her development could affect the success of the series.
This is why the creators of The Apothecary Diaries need to make some changes in Maomao’s character development, especially in her immunity to poison. Once it happens, The Apothecary Diaries might even surpass the level it is currently on and become one of the greatest anime series.
The Apothecary Diaries is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
