Part court drama, part medical procedural, and part detective mystery, The Apothecary Diaries is the sort of anime that easily handles multiple genres and does it so well. With the insatiably curious Maomao investigating certain court ailments as a poison tester, it naturally creates a new mystery of the week, all deduced from her apothecary beginnings and her life in the red light district. It’s also integrated well into the main plot, as Maomao’s whole promotion starts from her sense of justice, with each mystery carefully revealing the court dynamics, various motivations each player has, and how the overall world of this Imperial China-inspired court operates. The Apothecary Diaries ties it all together with excellent writing.
Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she's making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!
After being plucked from her peaceful life, apothecary’s daughter Maomao is now merely a maid in the lower echelons of the imperial palace, and hopes to avoid any unwanted attention. However, after hearing the emperor’s infant children suddenly getting ill, Maomao deduces that it could be poison, which causes her to be promoted as lady-in-waiting to the emperor’s favorite concubine Gyokuyou.
The anime just looks so good, even better than the manga, having consistent high quality character designs, backgrounds, and animation. It’s just so gorgeous.
Can I gush about how well-written the female characters are?
