The Apothecary Diaries mostly focuses on the internal politics of the kingdom and the inner palace. Though romance is present, it does not overpower the rest of the plot. In fact, the romance is slow-paced and takes its sweet time to develop, which has become a point to complain about for many.

However, it was season 2 of the anime that made me realize just how much I adore the slow-burning romance in the series. In fact, the cliched tropes that it employs have been executed to perfection, and make me want more of it from other romance-centric anime.

The Apothecary Diaries Brilliantly Uses Cliched Romantic Tropes

The Apothecary Diaries uses some of the most clichéd tropes of the romance genre. The first thing that I noticed, and honestly, everyone else did too, was the slow-burning romance. The love story of Maomao and Jinshi unfolds gently and gradually with absolutely no rush. The series focuses on their individual arcs and the revelations of secrets between them.

Related: Natsu Hyuga Made a Big Mistake With Jinshi if She Didn’t Want ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ to Be a Romance

The romance rarely ever takes the focus away from the plot but rather remains as a subtle element in the background, raring to show up its head every chance it gets. Jinshi and Maomao are alone very less, but when they are, the atmosphere is so tense and charged that every fan can feel it. Jinshi’s soft eyes when he looks at Maomao, and the latter always offhandedly praising Jinshi’s beauty, are some of the best moments of the series.

Subtle misunderstandings are also a part of their story. Maomao is too focused on her work, and Jinshi needs to keep his identity a secret at all costs. Thus, there are moments when they inevitably look at each other with suspicion, but thankfully, the anime never drags it out too much.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Is a Lesson in Romance

Jinshi is protective of Maomao | Credits: OLM, TOHO

There are plenty of romance tropes that are considered overused or clichéd, but The Apothecary Diaries took them in and perfected them. One of the clichéd tropes used in romance anime is the ‘he falls first’ trope. Jinshi is clearly head over heels for Maomao within just a few episodes of season 1.

Related: The Apothecary Diaries’ Biggest Criticism Also Makes It the Most Relatable Romance Story in Anime

Maomao never responded to his advances and pretended not to understand the hints so she could stay out of trouble. In season 2, it becomes apparent that she also feels the same about Jinshi, but she cannot give in to her feelings. The social gap between the two is far too wide to be covered.

The anime also uses a subtle version of the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope. Maomao at first feels a kind of animosity towards Jinshi. His position and fake smiles keep her on edge, as she did not have a good first impression of him. His ethereal beauty did not help much either. As the story progressed, Maomao realized that Jinshi is not a bad person and slowly warmed up to him.

Jinshi is also extremely protective of Maomao and keeps a constant lookout for her. The finale of season 2 proved just how much he cared for her. Even after Gaoshun’s repeated warnings, he could not help but personally check on her. These tropes might be clichéd or overdone, but The Apothecary Diaries showed me that they never get old, especially when executed perfectly.

The Apothecary Diaries anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
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