All the References in The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Cour 2 Opening
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 just dropped its new opening, featuring “Kusushiki” by Mrs. GREEN APPLE. The opening theme is filled with elegant and vibrant visuals, all timed in perfect beat to the music. China (known for their work on The Apothecary Diaries episode 4) is the opening's storyboard artist and unit director.
Like the previous themes, the Season 2 second opening also shows us snippets of the events around Maomao and the people who cherish her, all while hinting at what's to come in the second cour of the season. What makes this theme stand out, however, is that behind its pretty art and animation lies a strange tone of foreboding.
Set to a fox mask motif, some first-person shots from the first cour that capture Maomao from several viewpoints, nostalgic stills of the cast, and an exquisite sequence of visuals — the opening is a treasure trove that every fan would love. That said, after watching this many times, I have compiled and made a list of all the references I spotted, as any rational fan would do.
I've also marked the spoilers, so I hope you will find this list enjoyable and join me in fangirling! And so, without further ado, here are all the references I spotted in The Apothecary Diaries Season 2's second opening.
Point-of-View Shots
One of the most noticeable things about the opening are the first-person shots. These sequences are absolutely delightful, evoking both familiar and curious feelings. They mainly reference the interactions Maomao had back in the first cour; from Shisui catching the stray cat and insects, Xiaolan studying and hanging out with the other girls, and the mystery behind Jinshi's identity.
I want to point out how fun and interesting Jinshi's POVs are. The others were already endearing, but how Jinshi sees Maomao simply pushes my fangirling heart to another level. My favorite part was seeing how he held her closer during the jump from the waterfall.
Major Plot Point References
At the 0:25 timestamp of the opening, some shots of the anime's major scenes flash quickly. Half of them are callbacks to the first season, while the other half are hints at the upcoming episodes. Needless to say, they are important moments in the upcoming arcs.
For the first season references: Ah-Duo holds her son before the secret baby swap. Her son grows up as the imperial prince, while the Empress' son dies from honey poisoning. The blue rose bouquet ( meaning "mystery and unrequited love" in flower language) represents Lakan's story arc, where we also discover Maomao's lineage. Meanwhile, the portrait of the child in yellow is the young Empress Regnant, painted by the previous Emperor.
Lishu's heirloom mirror is from the chapter where we learned about the young consort's grief and longing for her mother. And then there's the grave of one of the ladies from the clinic (spoilers are at the end of this article).
And then, of course, we have the most iconic piece from the first season: Jinshi's hairpin. Put simply, this hairpin signifies just how much the apothecary means to Jinshi. As was explained back then, the hairpin represents that you are favored, appreciated, protected, or that it's a romantic gesture.
The Fox Mask and Arc Teasers
If you're a manga or light novel reader (or someone who just intensely followed all the mysteries so far), then these must have been exciting hints to see. The fox mask covering the characters' faces is obviously an interesting clue, while the shift into the watercolor animation bears a deeper meaning for the upcoming arc. What's for sure, though, is that Maomao is at the center of it all.
This opening of The Apothecary Diaries anime gave us enough to keep us on the edge of our seats. After all, this is the most momentous arc in the light novels. If you're curious for a little bit more details about the fox mask, the woman behind Shisou and Loulan, and the emphasis behind the trio's friendship, I've written some spoilers at the end of this article.
Stills of the Cast
More shots that go by quickly are Maomao's family, friends, and the places she's become familiar with. They are how she sees them.
The Jade Pavilion is livelier now with more maidservants and Princess Lingli, as well as Gyokuyou's pregnancy. The Crystal and Diamond Pavilion is also there, together with Ah-Duo (who has a mother-daughter relationship with Lishu). If you pause and look closer, you can also recognize the maidservants (whom Maomao terrorized) from the past episodes.
The members of the Verdigris House are also there, with a special appearance by Lihaku and the young girl from Season 1, Episode 7. This is followed up with Gaoshun, the quack doctor, and the La clan's leader, Lakan. Meanwhile, Luomen, Maomao's adoptive father, gets his own solo still as he stands by their apothecary home.
The finale for this sequence is none other than Jinshi himself. With three seconds of screen time, he gives off a mysterious aura while smiling thoughtfully, under the moon, if I may add. It's as if the opening is directly confirming the anime's most intriguing mysteries. Literal fangirl goosebumps!
Maomao, Xiaolan, and Shisui
If you haven't noticed, the second arc of Season 2 has been showing us a lot of heartwarming moments with Maomao, Xiaolan, and Shisui. It's honestly a nice, refreshing pace amidst all the scheming in the rear palace.
The opening highlights their moments in between, especially the ice cream that they made in Episode 14. It's one of the best references here because Nekokurage's manga actually featured it on the cover of Volume 13.
As a reader myself, this opening has put me into a bundle of emotions. I love it wholeheartedly (unlike the depressing ending theme). If you want to know more details about the other parts I didn't mention, like the fox mask, the woman behind Shisou, or the emphasis behind the trio, here's what they actually reference.
What the Opening Really Hints At (Light Novel SPOILERS)
The upcoming arc about the Shi clan is the culmination of everything that has happened so far in the series. This arc is THE stage that has been setting up for over 30 episodes, and where everything will be revealed. I've written them as lightly as possible (so you still have a lot to look forward to), but again, MAJOR SPOILERS beyond this point.
In this arc, Suirei (the eunuch with the mask in 0:23) enters the rear palace to take away Maomao and Loulan to the Shi clan's territory. You must be wondering, "Why is a fox mask everywhere in this opening?" For one, an actual fox village appears, but metaphorically speaking, it represents deception— Jinshi as the Moon Prince, Loulan and Shishou as participants in the rebellion (sort of), and the eunuch as Suirei. The reason why the cat also has a fox mask is that the mystery of how it got into the palace is also a huge revelation later. Lastly, Maomao feigns ignorance and underplays her connection and value as the sole daughter of one of the most influential clans in the country.
The watercolor sequence also features the nail clip of the Shi clan's head's wife. This woman is the one who plots against the emperor and the moon prince (assassination attempts in Season 1, Episode 19 and Season 2, Episode 11) and the one who gathers feifa guns for their upcoming rebellion.
The watercolor insect is Loulan, surviving all of this. There is also Suirei; the grave of her grandmother (the storyteller and the woman mentioned in Season 2, Episodes 9 and 10) is inside the rear palace, which is shown in the opening theme with the Japanese lantern plant (used as offering to help guide the souls of the dead) and daisy.
Of course, the emphasis on the friendship between the Maomao-Shisui-Xiaolan trio bears a heavy meaning as well; this is because they don't meet again. After the chapter where they make ice cream, Maomao and Shisui suddenly disappear into the Shi clan situation, and the unaware Xiaolan gets the favor of a lower consort after her contract ends in the palace. The last scene in the opening theme where Xiaolan and Shisui push Maomao forward, as well as the two being in the dark, implies how they will eventually disappear from the apothecary's story.
Lastly, the hairpin is highlighted twice because Maomao wears it (and uses it to protect herself) throughout the Shi Clan arc. Forced to survive in a foreign place, she looks back at the "family" she had. A new character is also teased behind Lakan — this is Lahan, another genius from the La clan, who greatly contributes to the war ahead. What war, you may ask? When Jinshi stands atop a castle-looking roof and below the moon, this references the part where Jinshi, the moon prince, ultimately decides to remove his eunuch mask to lead the military in bringing down the Shi clan's schemes and, well, bring back Maomao.
And that's all I've got! Which part was your favorite? Did I miss anything? Comment on them below, and let's fangirl together.
The Apothecary Diaries is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix (Asia). New episodes are released every Friday.
© Natsu Hyuga/Imagika Infos Co./The Apothecary Diaries” Production Committee