Underplayed Gems

The Apothecary Diaries (2023)

The Apothecary Diaries poster
Original title
薬屋のひとりごと
Genre
animation, drama, mystery, Drama, Mystery
Country
Japan
Length
2 seasons, 24 episodes
Rated
TV-14
Rating
8.6 of 10 from 599 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A young woman trained in medicine is sold into work at the emperor's palace in a fictional ancient Chinese court. She uses her knowledge of drugs and poisons to solve medical mysteries and navigate palace politics.

curiousmysteriousclevermethodicalintriguingunderstatedslow-pacedattentive

What happens

The Apothecary Diaries (Japanese: 薬屋のひとりごと, Hepburn: Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) is a Japanese anime television series based on the light novel series The Apothecary Diaries written by Hyūganatsu and illustrated by Touko Shino. Set in a fictional country inspired by Imperial China, the series follows Maomao, a young woman trained in medicine who is sold into service at the Emperor's palace. The first season aired on Nippon Television and its NNS affiliates from October 2023 to March 2024, followed by a second season which ran from January 10 to July 4, 2025. Internationally, Crunchyroll licensed the series for streaming outside of Asia, with Netflix also carrying the title in various regions. On October 22, 2025, during a special second-anniversary event, a third season was announced for an October 2026 premiere as a split-cour broadcast. Additionally, an original anime film entitled The Deceased Empress' Treasure written by Hyūganatsu is set to premiere in Japan on December 11, 2026. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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