The Apothecary Diaries

"Great period piece anime. It has a very interesting storyline with some humorous bits. "

"I really enjoyed this anime! It had comedy, romance, mystery, and very likable characters. I can’t wait for season 2. "

"It's a unique show that captures your attention from the get-go. Yet, in truth, it's incredibly calming to watch. I feel relaxed seeing it play out. It's strange. The main character is surprisingly different. At first, I saw her as completely uninterested in everything. Except she actually shows she does care. It's a contradiction that works and makes sense. Then the main male. He's kind of fun to watch. He progresses in very predictable ways, but his background will surprise you at least once. When the revelation comes you expect it. Just not in that way completely. And if you do, don't worry, he isn't done revealing himself yet. I do like the back and forth between him and the main character. It's an interesting dynamic that only gets more intimate and enjoyable to watch playout. They start to understand one another on a deeper level and it makes for some surprisingly cute interactions. As for the side characters, they quickly grow on you. When the show progresses, you miss seeing certain ones as much. You even hope to see more of ones you didn't think you'd care for. One in specific I hated upon first watching her (despite understanding her circumstances) but she soon became an exciting addition for me. Anytime I'd see her on screen I couldn't help but be a bit happy. I'm honestly surprised how much throw away characters kind of stick with you here. Normally, I'm ready for the pesky ones to leave. But not with this show. Even the antagonists here are shown to be more than originally thought. Except it's not in a "surprise Disney villain" way, it's actually done well. You can start to suspect certain things from the antagonist, then be thrown for a loop at the best possible moment. The show is very split into 2 seasons in 1. You can kind of tell and almost suspect you ended up watching season 2 after the first 13 episodes too. I'm also not joking about that calming nature to it. I am surprised by how relaxed I feel when watching it. It's hard to explain. "

"I didn't know much about this before I started it and thought it was going to be a cheesy romance anime. I was so wrong. It had a depth that hooked me like I've never been hooked before, the plot and subplots, the character development, the revelation of what everyone was going through as a reflection of the times, and that ending, it was everything! Even the frequent partial nudity didn't feel like fan service to me (I don't think I've ever finished an anime with that much in it before) since you knew they were doing it because they were raised and taught in that lifestyle. And they confirmed Season 2 straight up! I'll be waiting!!!"

"I await the newsletter episode each Friday with excitement. Love the characters, plot and art style. Can't wait to read the manga as well! 9/10. As of 2025, this is still updating regularly and I normally prefer to watch completed anime so it is rare for me to be so encapsulated by an ongoing anime."

"A truly excellent and enjoyable story. I liked the various different story aspects (romance, comedy, mystery, procedural, etc) coming together in this story. I also thoroughly enjoyed having a female main character who is decidedly not a starry-eyed romantic and would literally rather ingest poison, thank you very much. Season 1 just ended, and I already can't wait for Season 2."

"Loving this so far, would love to see more anime’s like this!"

"Waiting for the new season, I absolutely loved this show. "

"It's so refreshing to see a main character that's as confident and strong as Maomao. Can't wait for s2, I'm tempted to start reading the manga."

"I love this series , so unqiue and breath fresh air . It one those animes that so good I ended getting the manga because I can't wait for more of it . It does stay close to the source to."