The Apothecary Diaries

Template:Nihongo is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsu Hyūga and illustrated by Touko Shino. Since 2011, it has been serialized online on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. In the following year, it was acquired by Shufunotomo, who initially published the series as a novel with a single volume in 2012 and then as a light novel series in 2014.

It has been adapted into two manga series in 2017, with one published by Square Enix in Monthly Big Gangan, and another one published by Shogakukan in Monthly Sunday Gene-X. The light novel is licensed digitally in North America by J-Novel Club and in print by Square Enix. The manga illustrated by Nekokurage is also licensed by Square Enix. An anime television series adaptation produced by Toho Animation Studio and OLM aired from October 2023 to March 2024. A second season is set to premiere in January 2025.

Premise

Set in a fictional country based on Imperial China during the Tang dynasty, and often referencing knowledge closer to the late Ming Dynasty. The series follows Maomao, a young girl working as an apothecary in the red-light district, who was kidnapped and sold to the Imperial Palace as an indentured servant. However, she still retains her curious and eccentric personality and plans to work there until her two years of servitude are over, without drawing the attention of anyone. One day, after hearing rumors that the emperor's newborns and concubines are critically ill, she begins to investigate the cause. Using her experience as an apothecary she successfully solves the mystery of their illness. Even though she intended to remain anonymous, her actions eventually catch the attention of Jinshi, an influential eunuch, and soon she finds herself solving various mysteries for the royal court.

Characters

Main characters

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The plain-looking daughter of an apothecary who lives on the outskirts of the city who provides her services to a brothel in the capital and its courtesans. After being kidnapped by bandits who sell her to the Imperial Palace, she is accidentally dragged into palace intrigue, using her knowledge of poisons, medicine, plants, and basic chemistry to become an unofficial forensic pathologist, in addition to becoming a lady-in-waiting and poison taste-tester for one of the Emperor's concubines. While Jinshi is in love with her, she does not reciprocate at all, often looking at him with disgust, resenting his ways of involving her in palace intrigue. Instead she prefers to spend time testing out different poisons and medicines on herself. Even so, she often helps him solve whatever mystery he brings to her attention.

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A eunuch who runs most of the administration of the rear palace, where the Emperor's concubines and their respective staff reside. Both men and women alike are attracted to his visage, but he finds himself attracted to Maomao, the only person he has met who does not unconditionally love him. Later it is revealed that Jinshi is not an eunuch, he merely pretends to be one to hide his identity as the Emperor's younger brother while consuming anaphrodisiacs on a daily basis. Behind his face lies a shrewd mind that tries to balance his duties to the Emperor while improving his own station within the Imperial Palace.

Imperial Palace

The Emperor's Concubines

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Known as the Precious Consort, she is one of the Emperor's four high-ranking concubines. She has bright red hair and brilliant jade green eyes and is the mother of an infant daughter and later a son. She took Maomao as a Lady-in-waiting as thanks for warning her about the poisoned makeup. She is also one who supports Jinshi and Maomao. She resides in the Jade Pavilion in the Rear Palace.

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Known as the Wise Consort, she is one of the Emperor's four high-ranking concubines. She has dark blue hair and gave birth to his heir. However, when she ignored Maomao's warning about her poisoned makeup, her infant son died and she herself nearly passed away. After Maomao later nursed her back to health, she became more friendly to her. She later gave birth to a healthy son. She resides in the Crystal Pavilion in the Rear Palace.

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Known as the Virtuous Consort, she is the youngest of the Emperor's four high-ranking concubines. Due to political reasons, she becomes the mother-in-law of the older Pure Consort. She has food allergies but her ladies-in-waiting think she is just picky with her food, making it a point to subtly bully her until Maomao suggests death from food allergies is as bad as poisoning and could lead to the execution of those responsible. She resides in the Diamond Pavilion in the Rear Palace.

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Known as the Pure Consort, she is one of the Emperor's four high-ranking concubines, who resides in the Garnet Pavilion in the Rear Palace. She has a close relationship with Lishu. It is implied that she is the mother of Jinshi. She would later leave the rear palace to live in a detached palace in the south.

Loulan

Ah-Duo's replacement as the Pure Consort. Behavior-wise, she is aloof and seems not to care.

Other members

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Jinshi's loyal attendant, often supporting him and Maomao more quietly.

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Guen is the palace's doctor, whom Maomao refers to at first as a quack. Though he was a bit hesitant around Maomao, he comes to accept and befriend her later.

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A soldier who happened to give Maomao a hairpin during the garden party. She requested him to escort her outside of the palace walls in exchange for time at the Verdigris, which caused misunderstanding on Jinshi's part.

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A servant at the rear palace who is Maomao's close friend. Whenever she and Maomao comes together, she sometimes share the latest gossip and intel from all over the palace.

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Ah-Duo's lead lady-in-waiting whose family owns an apiary. Despite her showing as an exemplary and respected lady-in-waiting, there is a secret behind her, which could be the reason Lishu fears her, even with just the mention of her name.

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He is said to be a tactician of the emperor's army. This monocle-wearing official is the head of the La clan, to which Maomao belongs, as he is her biological father.

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Suirei is a former court lady in the outer court. She is the first daughter of Shishou, Loulan's half-sister.

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A subordinate of Lakan who is sent to become Gyokuyou's aide.

Empress Dowager

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Others

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One of "The Three Princesses" of the famous Template:Nihongo, a super high-class brothel where Maomao grew up in and around, and treats Maomao as a sister.

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One of the famous "Three Princesses" and the most popular courtesan of the Verdigris House brothel who also acts like a sister to Maomao when she visits. It is later revealed Pairin breastfed Maomao as a baby so at times her sisterly affection for Maomao is more motherly than the other princesses.

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One of the famous "Three Princesses," a courtesan of the Verdigris House brothel who also acts like a sister to Maomao when she visits.

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An old woman who owns the Verdigris House brothel and offered Maomao a place to work, treating her like a granddaughter. She has a deal with Maomao not to make her a courtesan as long as she sends the princesses plenty of rich customers from the rear palace.

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Maomao's adoptive father. She later knew from court records that he is a former court doctor who was banished from the rear palace. He is revealed to be one of a rare few to have been sent abroad by the empire to study medicine.

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Formerly the Verdigris's most valuable courtesan, she contracted a disease due to the nature of her profession, which made her of no use to the brothel. She is Maomao's biological mother, who once nearly killed her in her infancy, and whose attack is the reason for Maomao's crooked little finger. Maomao visits her regularly to help manage her disease through Luomen's medicine.

Shishou

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Loulan’s father who is also an influential politician.

Media

Novel

Originally, the series was only published by Natsu Hyūga on the user-generated web novel site Shōsetsuka ni Narō in October 2011. The publisher Shufunotomo acquired the series and then published it on their Ray Books imprint as a novel with a single volume on September 26, 2012, illustrated by Megumi Matsuda.

Light novel

In 2014, Shufunotomo began to publish the series again, illustrated by Touko Shino. This time, it was published as a light novel in their Hero Bunko imprint, which is mostly made of acquired Shōsetsuka ni Narō titles. Since then, the series continued to get more volumes with the story continuing, unlike the previous novel version which had just one volume. J-Novel Club announced in November 2020 that it had licensed the light novel series. In October 2023, Square Enix announced that it would release the light novels in print starting in May 2024.

Manga

A manga adaptation by Itsuki Nanao and illustrated by Nekokurage began in Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan on May 25, 2017. Square Enix has compiled its chapters into individual Template:Transliteration volumes. The first volume was published on September 25, 2017. As of September 25, 2024, 14 volumes have been published.

In November 2019, Square Enix announced the English language release of the manga in North America and began publishing it in December 2020.

An alternative manga adaptation, titled Template:Nihongo, illustrated by Minoji Kurata, began in Shogakukan's Monthly Sunday Gene-X on August 19, 2017. Shogakukan has compiled its chapters into individual Template:Transliteration volumes. The first volume was published on February 19, 2018. As of March 19, 2024, 18 volumes have been published. The manga has been licensed in Southeast Asia by Shogakukan Asia.

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced on February 16, 2023. It is produced by Toho Animation Studio and OLM, with Norihiro Naganuma directing and supervising the scripts, and Akinori Fudesaka serving as assistant director. Yukiko Nakatani designed the characters, and Satoru Kōsaki, Kevin Penkin, and Alisa Okehazama composed the music. The two consecutive-cours series aired from October 22, 2023, to March 24, 2024, on Nippon TV and its affiliates. The first opening theme song is Template:Nihongo, performed by Ryokuoushoku Shakai, while the first ending theme song is Template:Nihongo, performed by Aina the End. The second opening theme song is Template:Nihongo, performed by Uru, while the second ending theme song is Template:Nihongo, performed by Wacci.

After the airing of the final episode, it was announced that the series would be receiving a second season. The season will be directed by Akinori Fudesaka and is set to premiere on January 10, 2025, on the Template:Ill programming block on Nippon TV and its affiliates.

Crunchyroll streamed the series worldwide outside Asia, in addition to the Middle East, the CIS, and South Asia. The first season's first cours is set to be released on a Blu-ray Disc set on January 28, 2025. Netflix has streamed the series in select regions of Asia.

Reception

Sales

The Apothecary Diaries was the sixth best-selling light novel series in 2019, with 461,024 copies sold; the fifth best-selling light novel series in 2020, with 527,950 copies sold; and the third best-selling light novel series in 2021, with 496,626 copies sold.

By November 2023, the franchise (including the light novel and its two manga adaptations) had over 27 million copies in circulation. By January 2024, the franchise had over 31 million copies in circulation. By September 2024, the franchise had over 38 million copies in circulation.

Critical response

In her review of the first novel for Anime News Network, Rebecca Silverman gave it an overall grade of B, writing: "It's an enjoyable read, one that gets better as it goes on, and if its pacing is a little too fast, it makes up for it in the way the characters interact and the story unfolds", though she criticized it for lacking in mystery elements despite being of the mystery genre. Silverman also gave the second novel a B grade, describing it as being "still an engaging read" and writing: "Maomao is a wonderful, if at times abrasive, heroine who takes no garbage from anyone, and watching her become more and more involved in the life of the court is interesting."

In his review of the first volume of the manga adaptation for Anime News Network, Theron Martin gave it an overall grade of B+. He praised the art, characters and the use of historical details, and noted several similarities with The Story of Saiunkoku. Silverman gave the second manga volume an overall grade of A−, writing: "The Apothecary DiariesTemplate:' manga adaptation continues to be an excellent read. The art is beautiful, Maomao's the sort of female character who's actually strong rather than just being a Strong Female Character, and the story has nice continuity."

In 2019, the manga adaptation by Nekokurage ranked ninth on AnimeJapan's "Most Wanted Anime Adaptation" poll. The manga adaptation won the Next Manga Award in the print category. It also ranked fifth on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2020". In 2024, the light novel and manga adaptation by Nekokurage won the Piccoma Award in their respective categories.

External links

• Template:Official website at Shōsetsuka ni Narō Template:In lang
• Template:Official website Template:In lang
• Template:Official website at Monthly Big Gangan Template:In lang
• Template:Official website at Monthly Sunday Gene-X Template:In lang
• Template:Official website at Square Enix Manga & Books
• Template:Official website Template:In lang
• Template:Anime News Network