blog counter Jinshi and Maomao Break the Most Common Shojo Tropes in ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Because of His Beauty – Cure fym

Jinshi and Maomao Break the Most Common Shojo Tropes in ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Because of His Beauty

The Apothecary Diaries introduces Maomao and Jinshi, two dynamic characters who are unique in their own rights. The series has attempted to break the pattern of several commonplace Shojo tropes and succeeded. In fact, Maomao and Jinshi are proof of the same.

Maomao stands apart due to her obsession with herbs and medicines. Jinshi, on the other hand, is a beauty with the brains. Somewhere along the way, fans realize that both characters have taken up their stance against the most stereotypical tropes.

The Apothecary Diaries puts its own spin on a major Shojo trope

Jinshi in The Apothecary Diaries
Jinshi’s beauty subverts a major Shojo trope | Credits: Toho animation, OLM

Shojo anime is filled to the brim with female characters who are extremely beautiful but full of insecurities. Thus, she spends her life thinking she is lacking. Enter the hero, and suddenly, the equation changes. He finds her to be extremely beautiful and pursues her.

A similar trope is seen in The Apothecary Diaries, but the roles are reversed. Jinshi is an eunuch who is so good-looking that he has consorts of the inner palace falling head over heels for him. He charms everyone with his fake smiles, which have no effect on Maomao.

Thus, Jinshi is led to believe that Maomao does not even consider him attractive. But little does he know that Maomao has intrinsic thoughts about just how beautiful he is. In one particular scene, Maomao’s internal monologue stated that she believed Jinshi’s beauty could cause wars. She even thinks that she could use Jinshi as an aphrodisiac.

Jinshi is Maomao’s Helen of Troy

Maomao thinking about Jinshi in The Apothecary Diaries
Maomao contemplates the power of Jinshi’s beauty | Credits: Toho animation, OLM

The beauty of women in Shojo has started multiple love triangles over the decades. They are often portrayed as damsels in distress who need men to save them. These tropes are overused and simply do not work in the current era anymore. Thus, The Apothecary Diaries put its own spin on the trope.

In the series, Jinshi is made to take the place of the beautiful character. Maomao thinks that the eunuch can start wars, and she might be right. When a foreign convoy visits the country, Jinshi has to pose as a moon fairy/goddess. This was done to maintain a good relationship with the foreign convoy and the country.

Maomao and Jinshi in The Apothecary Diaries
Maomao is often lost in Jinshi’s beauty without expressing it on her face | Credits: Toho animation, OLM

Thus, Jinshi, rather than toppling nations, gets to maintain peaceful relations. Maomao, on the other hand, is the secret admirer of Jinshi’s beauty. She is in awe at his gorgeous and elegant stature and face, but there are several boundaries between them that cannot be crossed. Needless to say, two characters belonging to different societal classes is another trope that the series uses to its advantage.

The Apothecary Diaries anime is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

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