No villain in The Apothecary Diaries is as repulsive and disgusting as this character. The series, which is celebrated for its intricate storytelling and rich character development, has very few characters who seem as visceral as Lady Shenmei. Oh yeah, we’re talking about that psychopath. Why does Lady Shenmei stand out as The Apothecary Diaries’ most repulsive and loathsome villain when the anime is filled with figures much worse than her? The answer is a single scene that takes place in the second season of the anime.
The scene depicts her as a product of pure malevolence and cements her as a truly despicable character. Let’s see what that pivotal moment is, and how it lays bare her cruelty, showcasing her psychopathic tendencies and masterful villainous design.
Lady Shenmei’s sadistic display of power in The Apothecary Diaries
While there are several scenes that we can look at to discuss Lady Shenmei’s villainy, the scene where she strikes Suirei, her step-daughter, is the one we choose. The scene is enough to surpass a few others as the one with the most amount of unrestrained violence. Not only does she strike Suirei on her forehead, but she goes a step further by licking the blood off her forehead (disgusting) and spitting it out.
This is a scene that is as shocking as it is revealing. You don’t need to see any other scene to understand her character, because this one scene encapsulates her sadistic nature and reveals that she is someone who revels in the suffering of those beneath her. What’s worse is that Shenmei’s violence isn’t just a means to an end. It’s an assertion of dominance over those who cannot fight back.
Kyou-u being there as a witness to her brutality only amplifies the horror. While any other person would have stopped her psychopathic behavior after seeing that a child is in their vicinity, Shenmei only continues to badmouth Maomao (definitely the worst villain our precious Maomao ever faced).
If you think that this scene is merely about physical violence, then you’re dead wrong. This scene is, in fact, a window into her psyche. It reveals a woman who derives pleasure from the pain and humiliation of others. While we hate to admit it, the blood-licking moment, in particular, is a masterstroke of characterization.
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The scene’s perverse nature pushes Shenmei into a realm beyond that of a standard antagonist. It makes her feel like something far more sinister. We’re sure that everyone watching that scene was left reeling, and their disgust is a testament to how effectively this scene conveys her depravity. We can’t even imagine how the wise and caring Shisui is around her.
Lady Shenmei is repulsively villainous
Design plays a huge role in conveying the personality of a character, and Lady Shemei’s design in The Apothecary Diaries is just as ugly as her character. The first glance you take at her screams that she is a villain. While we don’t condone judging people by their appearances, Lady Shemei’s appearance, as stated by Loulan (poor Shisui) in the latest episode of The Apothecary Diaries, is pretty ugly. Her cheekbones are visible, her skin is pale, and she looks like the stereotypical villain.
This appearance of hers is only made more menacing due to the clothes she wears. Her washed-out pink cloak with the black fur on it is a menacing signifier of villainy. She is meant to be an elegant noble, but she just comes off as an ugly woman, and this makes her actions all the more jarring. Her presence is suffocating, and it’s almost as if she exudes an aura of dread.
The Apothecary Diaries does a great job of conveying her “evil vibes” through such cues. She seems like a dominating individual who is calculating. It’s almost as if she’s always one step away from unleashing her wrath, and this is exactly why she is a good villain. The nausea she inspires is because we know that she could be real, a predator hiding in plain sight. No wonder a few fans are calling her the greatest villain of The Apothecary Diaries.
The Apothecary Diaries is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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