[Rewatch] Countdown to Season 3 - Episodes 1-3 Discussion Thread

Season 1, Episodes 1-3 (watch on Crunchyroll | Netflix)

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Summary

• Episode 1: Maomao. An apothecary in the pleasure district is kidnapped and forced to serve in the inner palace. One day, she hears about a curse on the emperor's heirs.
• Episode 2: Chilly Apothecary. Maomao becomes Gyokuyou's food taster, but her sympathetic fellow servants don't let her do other work. Jinshi asks her to make a certain stimulant.
• Episode 3: The Unsettling Matter of the Spirit. The inner palace is abuzz with rumors of a ghostly woman seen dancing atop the castle walls. Maomao, Jinshi and Gaoshun set out to investigate.

Discussion Questions

1. Which scenes did you enjoy the most?
2. Was there anything in the first three episodes that hooked you from the beginning?
3. What early themes of the story and/or characters stood out to you on rewatch?
4. How do you interpret Maomao's final line of Episode 3:

If love makes a woman beautiful, I wonder what sort of medicine it would make?

Spoiler rules

Be warned that each discussion thread will contain full spoilers for the entire anime series! Tag spoilers for comparisons to other media and other shows.

The next discussion thread will be on Wednesday, August 12 @ 9am CDT / 2pm UTC and covers episodes 4-6.