It’s not every day you see a series challenging the generalized norms of typical anime and still coming out better than the rest. Especially in the romance genre, a lot of clichéd character tropes often dominate the plots. However, ever since The Apothecary Diaries anime came out, it was like a breath of fresh air for viewers.
Undeniably, a major credit for that goes to the series’ exceptionally nuanced character writing. While Maomao, of course, brings charm to the entire storyline of The Apothecary Diaries as the main character, it’s nearly impossible to neglect Jinshi’s imposing aura that makes the show several times more enjoyable.
Jinshi redefines the way male leads should be done in the romance genre
Jinshi quite literally breaks the mold of the classic Byronic hero, and that’s exactly what makes him so compelling. He’s not tailored to fit the expectations of some specific male or female gaze.
Instead, he exists on his own terms, defying the typical tropes of dark, brooding, and mysterious characters that we often see in the romance genre.
He always appears to be genuine about his feelings, at least to Gaoshun, despite also having a multifaceted personality. Unlike many popular male leads who come across as one-dimensional and unengaging, Jinshi is a breath of fresh air.
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inKusuriyaNoHitorigoto
He’s not the strong, silent type who needs to be chased; instead, he’s the one who’ll take the first initiative for you. And not just toward Maomao, even to everyone else, he is so proactive and genuinely invested in the people he cares about.
It’s crazy how, with each passing episode, more of his personality and backstory are revealed, despite the fact that we are already near the end of Season 2! And it’s safe to assume there’ll be much more to look forward to about his character.
Jinshi is more than just Maomao’s shipping interest
No one’s arguing about how fundamentally well-written Maomao’s character is in the series. She quite literally redefined the female MC-led shojo genre, coming off as a significantly nuanced character than in any new-gen romance.
But what makes her character stand out even more is her subtle interactions with Jinshi.
Often, in Shojo anime, male leads are only drawn in an Ikemen-esque way, while their personalities may feel like dry cement. Such stoic, nonchalant character tropes may have their own charm, but with their overexploitation, they’ve become a bit too boring for the female demographic.
That’s why Jinshi’s ever-so-caring personality, while always secretly thinking about Maomao and taking initiatives to interact with her, is extremely well-received by the community. He’s not just Maomao’s shipping interest for fans; he’s the perfect man for her.
With the ongoing arc in the anime, following the Maomao kidnapping incident and the potential war that is about to come, we’re getting blessed with even more Jinshi moments that we weren’t familiar with. At this point, other new-gen romance series must learn a thing or two from The Apothecary Diaries about how to write a compelling male interest.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 is currently airing on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
