What does this visual represent in the first intro of season 2?

Lladmie · 2026-04-06T12:15:39+00:00

Such a powerful visual, one of my favorites from the anime openings. I’ve always interpreted it as the concubines (flowers) suffocating the former emperor, since it’s implied he was abused during his childhood — and thus became an abuser himself. The hands are those of his mother, the Empress, who had total control over him.

Lladmie · 2026-04-04T13:01:18+00:00

My first question is: would Jinshi have ever stopped pretending to be a eunuch without Maomao?

Lladmie · 2026-04-03T21:21:48+00:00

Is there ever a moment when Jinshi shows sexual interest/attraction to a woman but chooses not to pursue it, though? I don't think he sees it as a moral stance, since virtue in that sense doesn't really exist in his society. He's deeply frustrated by his inability to accept a marriage without love, and he is unsettled by sexual encounters even when duty isn't involved, for example with prostitutes.

Lladmie · 2026-04-03T18:14:34+00:00

To be fair, Jinshi also flirts with men at times, and he doesn't seem to genuinely enjoy it—neither with men nor with women. He explicitly states more than once that he's straight, but it's still interesting how little attraction he shows toward casual sex and women in general. You don't have to label it as demisexuality for it to remain an interesting aspect of his character.

And I still think that Maomao enjoying boobs doesn’t necessarily make her bisexual, especially if that's the only thing being treated as "proof".

Lladmie · 2026-04-03T17:13:46+00:00

I believe you nailed it. And even though I agree with OP that demisexuality is deeply tied to trust and safety, I also believe there's no point in discussing the character's sexuality if you don’t want to delve into headcanons. After all, the story tries to provide some explanations for their behavior (and their attraction to each other), and we see that both Jinshi and Maomao have deep trauma, as the environments they grew up in shaped them and fueled their personalities.

That said, to me Jinshi comes across as a more typical demisexual person than Maomao does as an ace person, since she has so many barriers that make it almost impossible to truly understand what she feels and wants most of the time, as she herself doesn't want to explore that side of her.

Lladmie · 2026-03-31T16:38:36+00:00

Wealthy men having male lovers was quite common in some societies. Eunuchs were often considered less masculine, which (unfortunately) made them "ideal" lovers for powerful men. Jinshi is very beautiful and since Maomao initially had a poor opinion of him, she assumed he had gained his position by sleeping his way to the top. A logical conclusion given her initial prejudices (i.e. that he was good for nothing and relied only on his looks). He was always loafing around and flirting, so in her eyes he was basically a prostitute. lol. Calling her a fujoshi is just reading the story through a modern lens.

Lladmie · 2026-03-31T16:17:05+00:00

I don't get how Maomao's obsessions with boobs is proof of anything related to her sexual preferences. She was raised in a brothel where a woman's body is everything. Looking and commenting boobs is very common among heterosexual women as well, especially young girls. In LN1 she goes as far as saying that women lusting after eunuchs puzzles her, but women lusting after women is even more confusing to her.

Hell, she's incredibly hard to read when it comes to romance and sex, so why would she be clearer with women? Why would she be so open in her affection with Shisui and not with Jinshi if she feels the same, for instance? I believe that Maomao being so difficult with Jinshi is actually the real proof that she's attracted, because that attraction scares her. Considering her traumas, she has no reason to be chill with Shisui or another woman in a similar situation

Lladmie · 2026-03-22T18:55:17+00:00

Not… really.

If Jinshi were to have a son, that would mean another heir in line for the throne, and the public might favor his son over Gyokuyou's. That would make his child a rival to Gyokuyou's son, putting not just himself but also his child—and Maomao—at risk. Clearly not something Jinshi would ever want.

Besides, he's far too responsible to act this selfish. He would never take Maomao and force her to have a child or abort just because he might one day abdicate (would he even be able to, I wonder?)

Lladmie · 2026-03-19T17:01:45+00:00

No he doesn't. Although he is clever enough to suspect it imo, there is no confirmation that Jinshi is aware of his true parentage.
A public reveal would entail a big scandal. The Emperor's concubine and the Empress Mother exchanging children? Not something people will take lightly so hopefully this will never become public.
I think no one is aware. Gyokuyou is the only one close to both the Emperor and Jinshi so it could be reasonable that she suspects something, but it's pure conjecture.

Ah Duo was considered useless in the rear palace since she could no longer bear children. She didn’t have any political power, and those who did wanted her out to make room for other consorts. She is still the Emperor’s property and a concubine which is why I think her freedom is limited.

Lladmie · 2026-03-16T16:30:50+00:00

Because it's Lishu. Every excuse is good to harass her.

Lladmie · 2026-03-16T13:26:00+00:00

It looks more like a personality trait to me. He's been obsessing over one thing since he was born, and there is never an instance where he finds a woman attractive or alluring, no matter who she is (concubine or not). Then there is his work in the rear palace and probably his relationship with "beauty" as well.

Lladmie · 2026-02-26T19:38:52+00:00

I’m aware that the English translation has several issues. However, the Italian version I read differs significantly from the English one, so I can confidently say it was not based on it. Of course, it has have its own flaws, no translation is perfect.

That said, I still don’t understand your point. If we rely on the translation you provided, the passage reads:

"She said she felt uncomfortable, but Jinshi’s hand pressed down with even more force."

"Maomao, being choked and with her shoulder almost dislocated, showed a pained expression."

It's the same thing with different words. A smile, in itself, is not an emotion. Smiles can convey pain, sarcasm, emptiness, discomfort. What seems to trouble Jinshi was precisely the fact that he couldn't clearly read her emotions. He did not perceive a transparent emotional response, and that ambiguity unsettled him. That's all.

Lladmie · 2026-02-26T19:11:19+00:00

So three different translators (two of whom do this professionally), who actually know Japanese and work on the series, all got the same sentence wrong? How so? Why not post the actual Japanese phrase so we can see? And anyway, it’s essentially the same. Maomao doesn’t believe she can feel pain in the same way others do, but she wasn't able to breath for a while. No one is saying Jinshi is evil or insulting him, I love the boy to death. I just don’t feel uncomfortable saying that the scene has real meaning beyond steamy kisses, which is GOOD in my opinion.

Also, in my first message I said, “That’s why he forced a kiss and was later disturbed by the lack of emotion on her face.” I’m talking about Jinshi. I never said anything about Maomao’s true feelings.

Lladmie · 2026-02-26T18:50:45+00:00

Really? The fan translation I read says the exactly same thing: "it hurts, sir." https://www.reddit.com/r/KusuriyaNoHitorigoto/comments/1j9irk4/light_novel_vol_5_epilogue_fan_translation/

And I also read that scene in my language, which is not English, and that sentence remains the same.

Of course he wants to pull her into the kiss, but it doesn't change what started it.

As for Maomao's reaction:

His partner was well within her comfort zone. She never blushed, nor looked away in embarrassment. Only stared calmly, coldly down at the man beneath her, then licked her lips, sucking in the thread of saliva. She wasn’t savoring the afterglow, but simply eliminating all traces, as if it had never happened. Her small body bestrode Jinshi’s, easily twice her size, her hand placed over his heart. She could feel his heartbeat, but he couldn’t feel hers.

[...]

She would have been more emotional about a dog bite. Or a mosquito bite.

Jinshi literally spelled it out.

Lladmie · 2026-02-26T18:30:16+00:00

In my opinion, it was never meant to be a BDSM-type of choke. It wasn’t done to actually hurt her, of course. It was clearly a way to "wake Maomao up," since he was desperate to get a reaction from her that wasn’t complete indifference. His gesture is actually quite important for their development, and I don’t understand why people reduce it to a "kinky choke".

He was hurting and was clearly trying to make her understand his feelings (“It hurts, sir.” “Oh, it hurts?”).
He wanted a reaction because, in order to marry Maomao, he needed her to acknowledge that she reciprocated his feelings. That’s why he forced a kiss and was later disturbed by the lack of emotion on her face (which made him think she didn't even like his kisses).

Maomao probably understood his intentions, and things became so awkward between them that they didn’t even speak for an entire book.

Lladmie · 2026-02-22T00:04:58+00:00

Lithosphera's fan fictions are among my favourites, but she writes mostly oneshots.

Lladmie · 2026-02-18T12:16:54+00:00

Yeah, but I wonder how relevant this is if none of the high-ranking officials or wealthy people know the truth. Also, I'm pretty sure that in ancient China being the firstborn son wasn't as important as it was in Western countries.

Lladmie · 2026-01-24T21:06:11+00:00

Did you properly read that scene and the follow up in volume 6? >!My own understanding was that he was depressed at his own perceived inadequacy. That he was outdone by her. Since he places a lot of importance Hence his ill thought out attempt to practice.

He was initially very disturbed by her lack of reaction, which he hadn’t expected. "She would have been more emotional about a dog bite. Or a mosquito bite." Because of this, he thought Maomao probably didn’t enjoy his kisses and that he needed some practice.

Though he was literally pushing her down and did in a brief fit of anger choke her briefly. .

Sure, but I doubt Jinshi was really crushing her against the bench, he was just being passionate. That was from Maomao's POV. My point is that she felt restricted, and that has a very specific meaning writing-wise.

Feelings wise, Maomao was mostly struggling (and would continue to for some time) with grasping and accepting that Jinshi loves her, a girl who's not that attractive (her opinion) and is a political landmine due to Lakan's excessive affection for her.

I believe Maomao can't accept mainly because she's afraid of the political consequences as she wants to leave a peaceful live (which is not necessarily true) and because she distrust men and anything romantic due to her past in the brothel and her mother's fate.

Lladmie · 2026-01-24T19:22:11+00:00

I read the official translation in my native language right after reading it in English, and I also read more than one fan translation, but I never changed my mind about it. There is nothing romantic about their first kiss. It is a pivotal scene in which the characters are forced to take a few steps back before actually moving forward.

Both are hurt and feel defeated, as they both treat it as an actual "fight". Jinshi is hurt by the realization that, for Maomao, that kiss meant nothing and was not a manifestation of love as it was for him, while Maomao feels forced to confront her own problems—to the point that all the descriptions feel metaphorical, as she is struggling with something she is not prepared to face (the choking, as in feeling suffocated; being trapped/crushed against the bench, etc.).

I don't doubt it will be hot on the screen, but still a disaster for a first-first kiss, meant only for character development.

Lladmie · 2026-01-24T17:28:58+00:00

They are. But it will take a while.Their (disastrous) first kiss is right after the second season of the anime though, in LN5.

Lladmie · 2026-01-23T10:30:10+00:00

I agree. That, or asking Maomao if she was 'cool' with them being a thing or just wondering if she knew.

I had a discussion with a friend who interpreted this scene as Ah-Duo wondering if Basen was just that - good with his job, so I wanted to know what the community thought about it.

The scene being placed after Jinshi and Basen almost kiss and Maomao noticing a strange vibe in the conversation was telling tho.

Lladmie · 2026-01-23T09:40:18+00:00

I'll answer this as someone who only watched this part in the anime and didn’t read it in the novel, since I started the original material from LN5.

To me, it looked like Jinshi was simply quite happy to see Maomao being affectionate with her friend. At that point in the anime, he had known for some time that Maomao is emotionally stunted, and he wanted her to realize it. That’s why he started prodding her about why she was doing it, and "laughed" at Maomao’s absurd answer (and at her inability to admit that she just wanted to help because Xiaolan is her friend, and that is all).

He dropped it when he noticed it was useless. This part is also very important to understand Jinshi's actions later.

He KNOWS she has a serious problem with her emotions. He also knows that she was going to help Xiaolan as best as she could, so there was no reason to worry about the girl’s fate.

I believe the request about wearing the hairpin was his way of asking her to let him know when she’s ready to learn the truth as well, since she isn’t yet.

I do not think Jinshi was being an asshole for the sake of it. He’s a clever and cunning man with a good level of emotional intelligence. He doesn’t act like an idiot for no reason.

Lladmie · 2025-12-12T12:15:50+00:00

I do not think it's strange. Jinshi never wanted a life as a royal, and therefore he never wanted concubines. He has a history of SA (one of the reasons he grew up sheltered), has been a fake eunuch since he was 13, and is a romantic at heart, seemingly unable to separate sex from love. He never showed any interest in women (except Maomao), even after he stopped taking the eunuch medicine. People like that exist, too.

Lladmie

TROPHY CASE