The 33rd episode of the TV anime " The Apothecary Diaries " based on the light novel by Natsu Hyuga, which was born from the novel submission site " Shosetsuka ni Naro ", depicts the Empress Dowager An's past. The Empress Dowager's past is complicated, and she has many thoughts, making the 33rd episode a shocking one. We spoke to Mamiko Noto, who plays the Empress Dowager, about her thoughts on "The Apothecary Diaries" and what went on behind the scenes of the recording of the 33rd episode.
◇The impact of "Well" in the first season
The light novel version of "The Apothecary Diaries" is published by Hero Bunko (Imagine Infos), and its comic adaptation has also gained popularity. The original series has sold over 38 million copies in total. The story is set in a glamorous harem on a certain continent, where a young poison taster named Maomao and a handsome eunuch Jinshi become embroiled in an incident that takes place in the harem, which is full of conspiracies and rumors. The first season of the TV anime aired on Nippon TV from October 2023 to March 2024. The second season is currently airing on Nippon TV's anime slot "FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT (Fura-ani)" every Friday at 11:00 PM.
The Empress Dowager, played by Noto, appeared only once in the 22nd episode of the first season, "Blue Rose." Although her only line was "Well," it left a big impact, thanks to Noto's acting.
"When I rewatched the first season, the only word I could say was 'well.' I poured my heart into that one word. It was only one word, but people would say to me, 'You were in it, weren't you?' and I felt that I was lucky to be involved in such a popular series. I knew about the series, and when I first saw the key visuals for the anime, I got goosebumps. I could feel the overwhelming beauty of the images, the attention to detail... and the energy of the staff."
"The Apothecary Diaries " has been much talked about, with Aoi Yuki , who plays Maomao , being perfectly suited to the role. Noto also said that he felt that Yuki was "amazing" while acting with her.
"It's like all the miracles have come together. It's a wonderful approach that makes you think, "I never thought of this before." Maomao can be a bit blunt, but she's a really charming and amazing actor. I've worked with her on other productions, so I knew she was a great actor, but I'm really impressed by what an amazing actor she is. I really respect Ao-chan, who plays Maomao."
◇The Difficulties of Being an Empress Dowager
The Empress Dowager played by Noto is mysterious, intelligent, and has a hidden inner self and complex emotions. I feel that Noto's acting brings out the depth of the Empress Dowager's character.
"Episode 33 has a lot of monologues. In a discussion before the recording with Director Norihiro Naganuma, I learned about Naganuma's deep interpretations. Yasu is a character with many layers and many different faces, and there is a lot that is contained between the lines of the monologues. It was very difficult to express that in a monologue, but Naganuma opened up the drawers for me. It was a very exciting recording session."
The Empress Dowager is certainly a complex character, and in episode 33, it becomes clear why she had to be so complex.
"The 'curse' that Yasu cast on her becomes unimaginably terrifying, something that even she did not intend. Her outward appearance is different to her inner self. On the inside, she harbors hatred for the former emperor, and wants to be loved but is not loved back, and then for a moment she does love her... she is plagued by love and hate. She has complicated feelings, but she is a person of high rank, so she does not get too emotional. Even when I was reading the script, I thought it would be difficult, and it was indeed difficult. During recording, I was able to express more hatred and anger than when I was rehearsing."
In episode 33, she played the role of the Empress Dowager at age 10, age 30, and the current age.
"Rather than being overly conscious of my age, I was conscious of the soft impression I give to the outside world and the white and dark sides of my inner self. In the scenes where I'm 10 years old, I'm a child, but I know my place in the world and I have a bit of an adult side to me. I tried not to just be an 'innocent 10-year-old.'"
After finishing the recording of episode 33, Noto said, "It's a really amazing world... I couldn't stand it," and added, "The keyword 'curse' came up in episode 32, but this is unraveled in Mankai. I think you'll get to see how Yasu-sama lived her life, surviving even though she thought she would die." We hope you'll enjoy watching the complex life of the empress dowager played by Noto.
