The Apothecary Diaries (2023-2024)

[薬屋のひとりごと]

Season 1

Director: Norihiro Naganuma
Studio: Toho ANimation Studio, OLM
Starring: Aoi Yuki, Takahiro Sakurai, Kenjiro Tsuda
Episodes: 24

Synopsis:
The daughter of an apothecary is kidnapped and sold off as a servant in the imperial palace, where she puts her medical knowledge to use amid a web of intrigue.

Impressions:
Cross medieval Chinese palace intrigue with a medical detective story? Sure, sign me up. If you watched last year's Raven of the Inner Palace, you get a similar feel here, only that we rely on science rather than the supernatural to solve mysteries. Our protagonist Maomao is an amusing oddball, a bit on the stoic and sardonic side until something manages to stir her interest. Opposite to her is the suave Jinshi, whose charms don't have much effect on Maomao, making her an object of interest. The supporting cast is strong, with a lot of them showing a fair bit of depth that you may not expect from first impressions. There's intrigue aplenty and though Maomao realizes the risk to her own neck by getting involved, she has a hard time helping herself. There is a good variety of cases and the flow of the story is well-timed to close on an excellent stopping point. This was one of my favorites (and so far the only one of my top three that I've currently bought all the manga for) and I highly recommend adding it to your collection.

Rating:
Own It