The Apothecary Diaries: Jinshi’s and Maomao’s Relationship Explained – Do They End Up Together?

The Apothecary Diaries is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsu Hyūga. Originally published in 2011, the work was adapted into a manga series published in May 2017. An anime produced by Toho Animation Studio and OLM has been broadcast since October 2023. The focus of the series is the heroine Maomao, the titular apothecary, and her daily activities on the court, but the series also heavily depicts interpersonal relationships. In this article, we are going to discuss the most important and most popular ship in the series – the one between Jinsh and Maomao – as we are going to explain the true nature of their relationship to you.

Maomao and Jinshi have a professional relationship, but there is a hint of romance there

As far as the characters of The Apothecary Diaries are concerned, the two most important ones are Maomao and Jinshi. They are the two protagonists of the series, with Maomao being the principal heroine of the series and Jinishi being the male protagonist. The two of them are working closely in the series, although their relationship is quite complex. This is quite usual for romance anime series, as it adds an extra layer of intrigue to the already interesting interpersonal aspect of the series. So, what is the exact nature of the relationship between Maomao and Jinshi?

Well, on a superficial level, they have a very professional and somewhat friendly relationship. Both of them are close to the Court and play an important role in the hierarchy of the Imperial Court. Jinshi is a royal eunuch and one of the most important people on the Court, who oversees many aspects of the Court’s activities. In that aspect, he has to work closely with Maomao, who is the royal apothecary, which is how the two of thm became so close.

Now, Maomao considers Jinshi to be beautiful, but despite his (not so) subtle advances, she doesn’t reciprocate them. She tries to keep a professional distance between them and is, as far as the series reveals on a superficial level, even bothered by his advances. She has a good working relationship with him, and she often solves mysteries for him in exchange for rare herbs and medicines, but she tends to keep their relationship strictly professional and somewhat friendly, although that aspect is still evolving as of the time of writing.

On the other hand, Jinshi openly likes Maomao, and the series has made it clear that he likes her. His advances are sincere, and while he does have his own goals in mind as well, it is not that he is seducing her simply for the fun of it. He does like her and sees her as a potential romantic interest. But Maomao is unsure for several reasons. Jinshi’s role in the Court is one major reason, as it is sometimes difficult to distinguish whether Jinshi is a self-centered character who just wants to advance in the hierarchy or if he is actually sincere and caring.

On top of that, Maomao has to think of her own professional evolution, as he primary goal is to become a brilliant apothecary, whereas an active relationship at this point in the story could be an issue in that aspect. Plus, there is the fact that she was actually kidnapped and taken to the Court against her will.

As you can see, the situation is quite complex and layered. It is obvious that Jinshi likes Maomao, and while she tries to cover her emotions for him, it is quite obvious that she also likes him deep down but is fighting it. We have listed the main reasons why that is, but as far as some traditional romance tropes go, Jinshi and Maomao should become a couple by the time the light novel ends. We might not see their relationship bloom, as it might be the very ending of the story, but the chances of them ending up together are pretty high.

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