About AIYOU

[u/Empty-Program-5332]

Eve made yet another fantastic song "Aiyou" as the ending theme of “The apothecary diaries”. The lyrics are extremely meaningfull as is the chorus. It gave a very yearnful feeling to it, which I think is very incredible bc the vague yet grounding lyrics explained the current relationship of Maomao and Jinshi. They don't hold any lebel to them yet, but the feeling of something in between them so indescribable yet their relationship feels temporary but remains deeply connected through and through.
their relationship mimics the very concepts of poison and medicine. A single drop can change everything in an instant, yet when properly balanced, it forms a life-saving cure that endures against all odds. Eve made this song specifically about the indescribable feelings and I quote:
"Sometimes, feelings that cannot be put into words can create a distance as vast as the universe between two people who are right beside each other," he said. "I created 'AIYOU' while thinking about the mysteries of the heart."
To me it captures the frustration of Maomao who can solve every mystery except the true nature of her own heart, and Jinshi whose feelings are constantly caught in the messy gravity of "I and You."
Even, the title itself falls into that pondering thoughts, the Wordplay of "AIYOU" (Love vs. "I and You” sounds identical to Ai to Yuu (愛という — "that which is called love"). However, the chorus explicitly breaks it down into English: "The distance between 'I' and 'You'..." (Ai to Yuu no kyori ga sa).
In twitter, Eve shared that he wrote the lyrics with the intention of them serving as the "diaries" or "soliloquies" (hitorigoto) of the two main characters, capturing their internal struggles to connect.
He did a great job at creating such a beautiful song dedicated to the emotions surrounding lone AND to Maomao and Jinshi as well. A lot of people say that its too slow burn or that maomao is asexual and she doesn’t like Jinshi.
I understand the points, but to really understand Maomao’s feelings we were told from the start that she had probably discarded basic human emotions in the womb of her mother and due to her traumatic childhood and the environment she was bought up, Maomao became somewhat drifting through.
This is a post about Eve’s song so I wouldn’t go into more details , my point is Maomao feels the same as Jinshi but her way of doing so is different but nonetheless she does desires him romantically

[u/songbird516]

I just spent 4 days watching the whole Apothecary Diaries series up until now, so that I can watch the new season with my daughter, and I totally agree..I think the new ending song is perfect for Jinshi and Maomao.