[Apothecary diaries] Maomao ability fix

[Crimsonobu]

Maomao currently has photographic memory with this as the justification

(She claims that she learned what she knows of Apothecary with her foster father by "watching him doing it".[1] There was also more than one time that remembering small details from past events she got problems solved, like when her friend Xiaolan broke an ice block and, because she "saw someone do it once", she prepared fruit ice cream from scratch,[2] or when she saw a poisonous stone in Jinshi's childhood's toy box which ended up in concluding that the former emperor, unadvertedly, painted his wall with self-poisoned ink[3])

But these are just intelligence feats. Here are Novel statements on her memory

The truth was, Maomao didn’t like studying, and was probably less adept than average at remembering things she wasn’t interested in. Drugs, herbs, and medicines were one thing, but why would anyone bother to learn history? What good would it do them? And as for the law, it changed constantly. What was the point of memorizing it? Maomao, sadly, was incapable of investing much effort in that direction. It was only natural she should fail the test. —Volume 2 Chapter 1: Serving in the Outer Court

And

She didn’t have much memory for faces, and the man’s appearance was altered by his hollow cheeks, but she was almost sure he had been at the fortress. He was the one who had been guarding her room, the one who had helped her escape from the torture chamber. The one who had interrupted her delicious meal of snake meat. —Volume 5 Chapter 2: Ukyou

And Maomao struggling to remember things

No, Maomao thought, this was an appropriate time for an apology. Nonetheless, what Ah-Duo had said teased at something in her memory. What was it? What was it?
She tried to think back. Something that had happened in the fortress? Or perhaps before that... Before that, in the rear palace. Or at the medical office? No, no. It must have been... —Volume 6 Chapter 6: The Last Volume

But she should get enhanced senses due to the quotes below

Maomao’s sense of smell was especially sharp, honed in the service of distinguishing medicinal from poisonous herbs. She had detected Jinshi’s perfume the moment she entered the room, and that was what had caused her ill humor. Suiren had probably perfumed the outfit, trying to be helpful —Volume 2 Chapter 6: Makeup

She was feeling lethargic and tired. Not only had they packed more than ten people into a small room, everyone was wearing copious perfume, maybe self-conscious of any body odor. Maomao, with her keen nose, was getting a little tipsy on the aroma. — Volume 3 Chapter 15: Scary Stories

And a small weakness that her nose is sensitive to smell and it can cause her physiological effects.

 

[Nonynho]

First i'd like to thank OP for calling me.
Makes me feel good to be remembered by my work and this one i'm quite proud of

But these are just intelligence feats.

I disagree with this interpretation, because it is quite literally her being able to remember stuff she saw someone doing once

And Maomao struggling to remember things

This scene has her taking a second to remember the exact detail she wanted to, can't recall the exact episode but that's the case

Here are Novel statements on her memory

Those at max justify a weakness saying her memory, much like basically her whole personality and every other thing she does, revolves around what peaks her interest and she won't recall or do what doesn't... That's central to certain plots, like her doing what Jinshi needed more than once because she'd have exquisite prizes like the Ox Bezoar lmfao

But she should get enhanced senses

And a small weakness that her nose is sensitive to smell and it can cause her physiological effects.

With that i fully agree

 

[Crimsonobu]

First i'd like to thank OP for calling me.
Makes me feel good to be remembered by my work and this one i'm quite proud of

No problem!

Those at max justify a weakness saying her memory, much like basically her whole personality and every other thing she does, revolves around what peaks her interest and she won't recall or do what doesn't...

Maomao can take interest in things but even she needs to make active effort to encode content she is interested in her brain which isn't the case with people for photographic memory

“And this is the kind that are expected to proliferate this year,” she continued. “It’s this variety that causes a plague of insects.”
Jinshi was perfectly capable of reading the text himself, but Maomao still wanted to say it out loud. That helped the information lodge in her mind and made it easier to remember. Jinshi didn’t stop her; perhaps he had the same idea. — Volume 5 Chapter 6: The Last Volume

And her learning from her father seeing her do it once is a just really high learning feat which doesn't need photographic memory. In parts beyond the anime its shown that Maomao can learn things exceptionally fast.

 

[Crimsonobu]

No problem!

Maomao can take interest in things but even she needs to make active effort to encode content she is interested in her brain which isn't the case with people for photographic memory



And her learning from her father seeing her do it once is a just really high learning feat which doesn't need photographic memory. In parts beyond the anime its shown that Maomao can learn things exceptionally fast.

Also for the ice cream feat the novel never mentions how she learned to do it so it seems the anime took discretion here

“As you can see. Ice cream.”
If she’d had more time, she could have added eggs, or maybe some herbs to give it a nice fragrance. But she hadn’t had time, and that was all there was to it.
“How did you do it?” Xiaolan asked.
“We can talk about it later. Right now we have to get moving, or we won’t be in time.”

Maomao just puts it off for another time.

 

[Nonynho]

Hm, yeah, the anime changes are really what led me to think so, but the novel should be primary evidence so i drop the point

 

[Lilybitdun]

This looks good