The Apothecary Diaries 01 (Manga)

Bys: Hyuuga, Natsu and Nekokurage

After breaking a curse on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated period mystery series

Maomao, a young woman trained in the art of herbal medicine, is forced to work as a lowly servant in the inner palace. Though she yearns for life outside its perfumed halls, she isn't long for a life of drudgery...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1646090705
• ISBN13: 9781646090709
• Release Date: December 2020
• Publisher: Square Enix Manga
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

"The way she glances at me as one might a Caterpillar."

Maomao is my kind of girl, she's a bit of an odd ball but very intriguing. I believe her character is going to develop a lot in the following volumes, and her inner thoughts are about others and her surroundings are entertaining. She doesn't pull punches, another reason I like her. While it's not blatantly stated, the story is set in China in a former era. There are no modern indulgences and everyone's way of doing, including in the rankings of denizen in the inner palace are dated, yet it still has a modern feel to it. It's nice because the women aren't condescended to and while everyone knows their place, they still have ways about them to do what is right without pushing the status quo. The art is really pretty, especially the palace scenery. I was not expecting the mystery solving element, (I didn't read the back, oh well,) so I was pleasantly surprised as Maomao felt like a petite Sherlock Holmes. Her Watson was a kind attendant to the annoying, pretty boy Jinshi, that brings her case after case, along with giving her what she truly wants and is well qualified for: apothecary duties. This is such a fun and well written manga that I look forward to reading future volumes of.

Pleasantly Surprised

I have never purchased a manga series that wasn't action oriented and am very used to a "shonen" style story. That being said, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this calm and relaxing story. Beautiful artwork and unusual characters. Might not be for everyone, but I definitely recommend it.