The Apothecary Diaries

"The Apothecary Diaries" is one of those rare anime that has mystery and historical human drama. It is an adaption of Natsu Hyuuga’s light novel. The anime has drew attention for it's unique concept of intelligent storytelling. Which is standing out more than the action series. The story is not about a tale of sword fights or magical battles but it is about intelligence, monitoring, and survival in a dangerous palace world.

The story beings with female lead Maomao, she is a sharp-minded apothecary who was kidnapped and found herself working as a servant in the imperial court. In the beginning, she intends to keep quite and serve, but her strong and uncontrollable emotion for medicine and poisons soon dragged her into the palace. It started with the even of emperor's children and she cleverly started to solve the mysteries, for this reason her reputation began to spread, and in secret she becomes the part of the investigations on politics alongside Jinshi who is the male lead of the story. The anime truly builds it's charm through Maomao’s deductive brilliance.

I would say the the greatest strength of this anime lies in its protagonist which is Maomao. She is not the typical heroine which is seen in other animes. She is very bold, idiosyncratic, brilliant, and fast forward to the point and sometimes it looks rude. but her curiosity and organizing thoughts, makes the audience captivated to keep watching. She's not like the other servants in the palace who lives in fear, it is seen that she often solves mysteries with the help of scientific fascination.

Her chemistry with Jinshi the beautiful and mysterious high-ranking eunuch it adds another layer to the story. Their relationship balances humor, tension and subtle warmth. I love their pair and I would love to see some more of their relationship. I want to see their relationship development because I love to see them in one frame. The writer does not like Jinshi but I really like Jinshi as a person and wish to see him more with Maomao. I know he is possessive and I like this this type of characters the most. It's not too hard to dislike a character but it's really rare to find something good in them to support them. Even though Jinshi's flaws I still admire his character very much. I think he can develop in the future but it will eventually happen because of Maomao, he might not get rid of possessiveness but still they would make a good couple. Both are opposite from each other but I feel they fill up each others void. For that reason in my opinion they are the one of the cutest couple that will ever exist.

To be honest visually the art direction brings the anime world to life by their incredible costume designs, also the detailed interiors, and vibrant yet restrained color palettes. The animation is not that great in action sequences, but it is exceptionally amazing in small gestures, such as lingering glances, and the facial expressions which carries a lot of weight. Mamao sometimes has crazy expressions which will make you laugh so hard. I often find myself smiling because of Mamao's face expressions. She is truly an entertainer, her sarcasm makes things extra funnier. I always feel that she's the best female lead I have encountered so far. But still I am a new fan of anime so there's a lot of anime I still need to finish watching till than Maomao is the best to me.

The anime’s soundtrack and music deserves equal praise as the other things of the anime. The opening song and ending song are so catchy and captures the elegance and tension of the setting. I have noticed they often uses traditional instruments as background music, which deepens the historical immersion. Voice actors has done another great job and it is a highlight because of Maomao’s sharp tone and playful sarcasm which perfectly delivered, on the other hand Jinshi’s calm voice which adds to his allure.

What makes this anime apart from many others is that the main focus of the story is on mystery and court politics, it does not rely on flashy battles, the story builds suspense through poisoned food, hidden enemies, and the constant fear of falling out of favor. Each episode felt like a puzzle that Maomao solves gracefully, and the satisfaction comes from watching her putting all the clues together is just can't be explained. This truly makes the show feel fresh and provokes curiosity, this kind of thing is rarely seen in mainstream animes.

In conclusion, The Apothecary Diaries anime is a refreshing gem. Because it offers constantly and is creating a distinctive mood story which being carried by a strong female lead. Those who appreciate subtle character development, and mindful storytelling might find it deeply rewarding to the soul. It is about knowledge, survival, and the power of observation. I will suggest you guys to watch it if you're into some good plotline.

Here is the trailer have a glance of it.

_{The images are taken from IMDB and thumbnail source.}

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