MariaDB JSON_ARRAY_APPEND Object instead of it's string representation - arrays

Question

I am receiving quoted string values in an array instead of an array of objects when I use JSON_ARRAY_APPEND() to insert a string that represents an object.
I need a way to force the value inserted to the array to be the object instead of it's string representation.
Server:
10.2.18-MariaDB-log
MariaDB Server
Linux x86_64
Here is a sample I am trying to get work:
set #NewArrayItem = '{"item2": "value2"}';
SELECT JSON_ARRAY_APPEND('{"SomeData": "SomeValue", "AnArray": [{"item1": "value1"}]}', '$.AnArray', #NewArrayItem ) as outval;
The second element in the array ($.AnArray[1]) is a string instead of an object.
I am expecting:
{"SomeData": "SomeValue", "AnArray": [{"item1": "value1"}, {"item2": "value2"}]}
But I actually get:
{"SomeData": "SomeValue", "AnArray": [{"item1": "value1"}, "{\"item2\": \"value2\"}"]}
I see that the following works, but my constraint is that value #NewArrayItem is a properly formatted string from another application:
SELECT JSON_ARRAY_APPEND('{"SomeData": "SomeValue", "AnArray": [{"item1": "value1"}]}', '$.AnArray', JSON_OBJECT('item2','value2') ) as outval;

Answer 1

I solved this with a combination of JSON_SET, JSON_MERGE, and JSON_QUERY:
set #ExistingData = '{"SomeData": "SomeValue", "AnArray": [{"item1": "value1"}]}';
set #NewArrayItem = '{"item2": "value2"}';
SELECT JSON_SET(#ExistingData, '$.AnArray', JSON_MERGE(ifnull(JSON_QUERY(#ExistingData, '$.AnArray'),'[]'),#NewArrayItem) ) as outval;
As a bonus, it also works for the case where the array does not exist:
set #ExistingData = '{"SomeData": "SomeValue"}';
set #NewArrayItem = '{"item2": "value2"}';
SELECT JSON_SET(#ExistingData, '$.AnArray', JSON_MERGE(ifnull(JSON_QUERY(#ExistingData, '$.AnArray'),'[]'),#NewArrayItem) ) as outval;
Still looking for a more simple answer.

Answer 2

I try this example
SET #json = '[]';
SELECT #json; // []
SET #json = JSON_ARRAY_APPEND(#json, '$', JSON_OBJECT("id", 1, "name", "Month1"));
SELECT #json; // [{"id": 1, "name": "Month1"}]
SET #json = JSON_ARRAY_APPEND(#json, '$', JSON_OBJECT("id", 2, "name", "Month2"));
SELECT #json; // [{"id": 1, "name": "Month1"}, {"id": 2, "name": "Month2"}]