Kusuriya no Hitorigoto – Episode 38 Review

「 踊る幽霊」 (Odoru Yūrei)
“The Dancing Ghost”

Unlike the ghost story around the charcoal fire episode, this latest installment of “there’s a ghost!” had a Scooby Doo ending, which of the two, I definitely prefer. To be honest, while I was expecting a natural cause behind Lishu’s apparition, I did not foresee that ending. I had anticipated it being some sort of trick on the part of her bitchy ladies in waiting. The way they berate Lishu for what she saw, that certainly seemed like a cover up to me.

I do appreciate Jinshi’s sensitive shrewdness, seeing the maids’ jig for what it is and using it against them the way he did in order to support Lishu. It was nice to see that maid get her come uppance when Jinshi threw it in her face that the real unsightly one is not Lishu, but her, parading around with an ornament that’s above her station. It’s been a long time coming, and this provided the perfect opportunity Jinshi had probably been looking for to subtly squash the problem. Jinshi really is like a cat that purs whilst sharpening his claws. It was also good to see Lishu fight back for the first time, grabbing her mirror out of the maid’s hands. Seriously, don’t piss off the quiet innocent ones- if they snap, it could get real bad.

Speaking of mirrors, I find it interesting that that seems to be a common thread throughout this season. First the mirrors gifted from the embassy, then Gaoshun’s thought experiment with the twins and the mirror, and now Lishu’s mirror. I’m not sure where this is all leading too, but there’s some sort of connection here.

Watching this, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Lishu, who really was dealt a shitty hand. For one, her maids bully her. We’ve known that for a while, though I’ve wondered just how much Lishu caught on to that, what with her naivete and all, but apparently even she notices. On top of that, her maids don’t have a lick of sense, unlike the ladies in the other palaces. Instead of critically analyzing the mold situation in the bathhouse and getting rid of it, they just turn it into a storage room to cover it up. Which is part of the explanation behind the dancing ghost in the bathhouse. Mao Mao’s analytical mind latches on to the situation quickly, grasping that the waterways beneath the bathhouse degraded the wood, through which vapor rises up, resulting in the illusion of floating robes.

The last part of the puzzle was the face itself, which turns out to be a “magic mirror”, an heirloom from Lishu’s mother. What no-one realized until now was that it was not just a mirror, but one in which an image of her mother was carved, which gets transmitted under the effect of reflected light. I found that bit to be clever, though sadly and understandably traumatizing for Lishu. Once again, I pitied her, watching the girl break down, afraid that her mother was taking vengeance against her for “ruining her body” after childbirth. It seems like the poor child has almost everyone against her- isolated at the palace due to her peculiar concubinage situation, mistreated by her ladies in waiting, filled with terror that her beloved mother hated her. A mother, which Mao Mao muses must’ve been the girl’s way of coping with life, from the way she treasures that old mirror.

I really don’t think the magic mirror was her mother’s way of executing vengeance on her daughter by visiting her from beyond the grave via that magic trick. With how easily human memory fades and perhaps knowing the hardships her daughter might face, she might have intended it as a way for her daughter to always feel that she had her loving mother near her, like a dog-eared photograph.

You get the sense that this is another life lesson for Mao Mao, teaching her about the way the other half lives, those who have affection for their mother, something she never understood or experienced, not having grown up with a mother herself. I like when we get small glimmers of self-reflection like this, a “naru-hodo” moment for her. It spoke volumes about Mao Mao’s character, and not necessarily in a good way, that in the whole scene where the maid was demeaning Lishu and trying to bully her into giving up her heirloom, Mao Mao did nothing. She just sat back and observed, like watching a private performance. Jinshi at least stepped in and did something. I’m not sure if it’s because Mao Mao just plain doesn’t care, if she doesn’t understand how to show sympathy, or doesn’t want to overstep her position, or a mixture of all three.

Mao Mao’s internal dialogue when it comes to Jinshi is also endlessly fascinating, like a chess-player observing her opponent’s moves. Unlike the other ladies, Mao Mao sees through his ikemen courtesies, and almost seems to enjoy analyzing his moves. Unless it comes to her favorite blind spot. As expected, she’s reached the point of no return- what’s been seen (or felt), can’t be unseen, and it’s nagging at the back of her brain, to the point where she even asks the Quack about eunuch certifications to enter the palace. This is the first time she’s asked about something related to Jinshi and his case (I mean, why else would she ask about verification). The light is clearly dawning on her intelligent brain- if he’s not a eunuch, then the other alternative is royalty. As frustrating as it is watching this develop at the pace of someone dragging a stubborn mule, the stage is being set for when Jinshi does make his full reveal, especially now that she’s forced to recognize the only explanation for who he is. What’s thought can’t be unthought.

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