Set in an ancient kingdom, The Apothecary Diaries follows the story of an eccentric apothecary named Maomao. On her way home one day, Maomao is kidnapped and sold as a maid in the Inner Palace, where the king’s consorts live.
While in the inner palace, Maomao hears rumors of the king’s children being afflicted by a mysterious disease. With her sharp wits and experience as an apothecary, Maomao cracks the case. Her ability to solve cases doesn’t disappoint, and Maomao’s straightforward deduction makes the show satisfying to watch. Her intelligence gains her the praise of many and the immediate recognition of a beautiful eunuch named Jinshi.
Manga readers and anime fans would know that even if the plot involves mystery and darker themes, Maomao’s silly personality makes everything lighter. Although funny and highly intelligent, Maomao is also humane and compassionate toward other people in the series. She isn’t stereotyped as a cold genius, despite having the moniker of “mad scientist” for experimenting with medicines and poisons at the cost of her wellbeing.
Jinshi’s hopeless pining for Maomao also makes the story fun and hilarious to follow. If not for the mystery, you might be convinced to watch the show for Maomao and Jinshi, who are both frustratingly oblivious to feelings and romance.
There are several platforms that stream The Apothecary Diaries. Netflix only has the series available for fans outside of the United States. Those who subscribe to Amazon Prime Video can watch The Apothecary Diaries if they add Crunchyroll to their subscription bundle for an additional $7.99. Crunchyroll subscribers can watch all the episodes of The Apothecary Diaries, like many other anime from Fall 2023. If you don’t really want to commit to any streaming service, the anime is also available for purchase on Apple TV for $16.99.
(featured image: Toho Animation/Crunchyroll)
