Anything wrong with one of the main characters?
Summary:
- There are not many characters in The Apothecary Diaries.
- Maomao charms Jinshi with her unusual personality.
- Young eunuch seems to be one of the most useless characters.
Unlike many other titles, there are not so many characters in The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto). The plot mainly focuses on Maomao and her difficult life in the royal palace, but there are several other major characters. One of them is the eunuch Jinshi, who is the second main hero in the story. But it's not so obvious…
Mysterious eunuch
Jinshi enters the story almost immediately. After Maomao was kidnapped and sold to the palace, she accidentally helped one of the emperor's concubines. She was noticed by his subordinates, especially Jinshi. Jinshi is the administrator of the palace and keeps order. Although he is a eunuch, he draws attention because of his handsome appearance. Maomao immediately attracts Jinshi with her unusual character. Of course, she is not affected by his charms!
It seems like this story could have been about romance, but not! Eight episodes have already been released, but Maomao and Jinshi's relationship still hasn't developed. If the girl is the main driving force of the plot, Jinshi doesn't have a special role yet. So why is he necessary?
Insufficient screen time
It may seem that the young eunuch is one of the most useless characters — he doesn't have much screen time and doesn't have a particularly well-written story. However, some viewers admit that his infrequent appearances are enjoyable. Of course, his unknown personality adds mystery to the plot, but so far the character has not had a chance to show himself. Now, viewers only see his comedic moments with the main character, hints of sympathy for Maomao, and... perhaps that's it. It's definitely not enough to be called the main character, because the protagonist should have at least some impact on the story.
It's hard to say if this character will be important in the future, since only 8 episodes out of 24 have been released. However, at the moment it seems that the story wouldn't change much with Jinshi's absence. Now he doesn't even have any special features and could easily be replaced by another male character. Will this situation change? Or will he remain a secondary character? It seems that only manga readers know the answer!