The Apothecary Diaries (2024)

The Apothecary Diaries (薬 (くすり) 屋 (や) のひとりごと, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto^?) is a Japanese media franchise that started with a web novel written by Natsu Hyūga and illustrated by Touko Shino. It was serialized online since 2011 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. In the following year, it was acquired by Shufunotomo, who initially published the series as a novel with a single volume in 2012 and then in 2014 began to publish it yet again, this time as a multi-volume light novel. Later in 2017, two manga adaptations started serializing, The Apothecary Diaries in Monthly Big Gangan from spring of that year and then The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao's Rear Palace Mystery-Solving Notebook in Sunday Gene-X from late summer.

As of September 2024 according to MANTAN WEB, the light novel and two manga series had published over 38 million copies worldwide.^[1]

1 Plot
2 Light Novel
- 2.1 List of Light Novel Covers
3 Manga
- 3.1 List of Manga Covers
4 Anime
5 References
6 See also
7 External links

Plot[]

There is a certain large country in the central plains of the mainland. In the imperial court of its emperor, there is a girl. Her name is Maomao, a pharmacist from the pleasure district, currently working as a maidservant in the inner palace. The girl, surely not considered a beauty, is keeping a low-profile waiting for her contract to end. She was confident that she would not be 'visited" by the emperor. During that, she learned about the short lives of the children of the emperor. Maomao, hearing that the two surviving children are critically ill, begins her investigation for the cause—.

Set in the middle ages of the East, the “Food Taster” girl continues to solve difficult cases in the imperial court one after another.

Light Novel[]

See The Apothecary Diaries lightnovel (薬屋のひとりごと, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto)...

In 2014, Shufunotomo began to publish the series in their Hero Bunko imprint, which is mostly made of acquired Shōsetsuka ni Narō titles. Since then, the series continued to get more volumes with the story continuing, unlike the previous novel version which had just one volume.

List of Light Novel Covers[]

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

Art Book

Volume 1Release date: August 29, 2014

Volume 2Release date: January 31, 2015

Volume 3Release date: June 29, 2015

Volume 4Release date: September 30, 2015

Volume 5Release date: April 30, 2016

Volume 6Release date: November 30, 2016

Volume 7Release date: February 28, 2018

Volume 8Release date: February 28, 2019

Volume 9Release date: February 28, 2020

Volume 10Release date: January 29, 2021

Volume 11Release date: April 30, 2021

Volume 12Release date: July 29, 2022

Volume 13Release date: February 25, 2023

Volume 14Release date: September 29, 2023

Volume 15Release date: March 29, 2024

Manga[]

See The Apothecary Diaries manga (薬屋のひとりごと, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) and The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao's Rear Palace Mystery-Solving Notebook manga (薬屋のひとりごと～猫猫の後宮謎解き手帳～, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto：Mao Mao no Kōkyū Nazotoki Techō)...

It has received two manga adaptations in 2017, with one of the same name published by Square Enix in Monthly Big Gangan from May 25, and another published by Shogakukan in Sunday Gene-X from August 19 titled Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Maomao no Koukyū Nazotoki Techō (薬屋のひとりごと~猫猫の後宮謎解き手帳~ "The Pharmacist's Monologue: Maomao's Diary of Solving Mysteries in the Inner Palace").

List of Manga Covers[]

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

Volume 1Release date: September 25, 2017

Anime[]

See The Apothecary Diaries anime (薬屋のひとりごと, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto)...

On February 15, 2023, an anime adaptation of the novel was announced. It premiered on October 22, 2023 and ran for 24 episodes to March 24, 2024. On March 23, 2024, a second season was announced to premiere via the official website and TOHO Animation's YouTube channel. On October 22 2024, the anime was confirmed to release on January 10.