The Apothecary Diaries: Does Maomao have a love interest?

Yūto Tsukuda and Natsu Hyūga's The Apothecary Diaries is about Maomao and how her life changed after she started working in the imperial palace. A low-ranking servant in the palace with a background in herbal medicine, Maomao captivates the audience through her eccentric personality and her slow-burning dynamic with the high-ranking official Jinshi.

As the series progresses, fans have speculated whether Maomao has any love interest. The answer is - Yes. All signs point to Jinshi as the man who disrupts her clinical detachment and draws out feelings she doesn’t fully understand. But calling this a full-blown romance would be premature.

Maomao is a kind of protagonist who is neither idealized for her beauty nor romanticized for her status. She is a commoner and does not try to run behind fame or power. In the series, she is sharp-witted, blunt, and obsessively drawn to the study of medicine. Maomao has also solved multiple cases. She has never shown any interest in romance; rather, she often acts with clinical detachment, noting symptoms of illness or psychoanalyzing others.

Jinshi is her supposed romantic interest in The Apothecary Diaries, described as an almost otherworldly beauty. At first, Maomao is unimpressed by Jinshi’s beauty and courtly status. In fact, she is visibly annoyed by his presence as he tends to provoke her a lot.

On the other hand, Jinshi is almost immediately intrigued by Maomao. Unlike the many women who fawn over him, she treats him with irreverence, even scorn, calling out his theatrics.

Initially, Jinshi appears to have the upper hand in their interactions. He often teases her or tries to give her some task that would keep Maomao working around him. All because he is fascinated by how impervious she seems to his charms.

Unlike Maomao, Jinshi is more transparent about his feelings from the viewer's point of view. His actions speak volumes: the way he uses his authority to keep her close, his jealousy when other men show interest in her, and his repeated attempts to bridge the distance she maintains.

The reason why fans have not been able to distinguish whether it is companionship or hints of romance is that the series makes no overt romantic moves early on. But that’s part of what makes their relationship so layered. But labeling their relationship as mere friendship does not feel right. There’s too much tension, too much longing veiled behind sarcasm and strategy.

And now that Season 2 of The Apothecary Diaries is airing, fans are hoping to see a slight change in their dynamic and hoping for some development in their relationship.

What do The Apothecary Diaries Light novels and Manga suggest?

For those following only the anime, The Apothecary Diaries may seem more ambiguous. But readers of the light novel and manga know that the romantic tension between Maomao and Jinshi continues to build. There are more intimate scenes, more direct emotional confrontations, and even moments where both characters are forced to reflect on their feelings for each other. Without giving away major spoilers, it’s safe to say that the light novels have given a proper answer, but for it to be animated might take a while.

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In conclusion, Maomao does have a love interest in The Apothecary Diaries, and it is Jinshi. But both of them are the type not to fall in love easily. They are suspicious, overthinking, and constrained by duty. For them, love isn’t fireworks, it’s subtle, invisible, but constant.

The series has chosen not to rush into romance, which allows Maomao and Jinshi to evolve at their own pace. It reminds us that love isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it hides in unspoken glances, shared silences, and half-finished sentences.

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