Summary
- Apothecary Diaries was a surprise hit in Japan, ranking high in popularity polls and topping streaming services in 2024.
- Maomao's authenticity stands out in a sea of typical anime girl archetypes, making this historical anime adaptation unique.
- The second season of The Apothecary Diaries will likely cover volumes 3-4, premiering in January 2025 with 24 episodes.
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Apothecary Diaries Premise
The Apothecary Diaries was perhaps an unexpected hit for many. Although the novel has already been able to gather quite a large number of fans – it is usually in the best-selling novels every year, and it topped the annual Oricon chart this year) – a large part of international anime fans are more interested in not only manga, without shounen manga. So this was a hit that some might not have seen coming.
But Pharmacy diaries was, at least in Japan, one of the most anticipated anime adaptations (it was ranked 9th in AnimeJapan's “Most Wanted Anime Adaptation” poll of 2019). The manga adaptation of the original novel has also been highly praised by critics.

Family
Apothecary Diaries: Why Maomao Is a Prominent Female Protagonist in Recent Anime?
In a genre often saturated with typical anime girl archetypes, Maomao stands out for her authenticity and richly detailed personality.
Regardless of what people expected, Apothecary Diaries was one of the hits in both Fall 2023 and Winter 2024, running two consecutive races. It may have gotten a little more attention in Japan than internationally, because popular streaming U-Next just revealed that it topped its 2024 anime categorybeat series like The Suitor: Beyond Journey's End (3rd place) and even the insanely famous ones Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc (2nd place, but it's important to note that some viewers may prefer the TV experience over streaming).
What is the U-Next streaming service
U-Next hasn't shared any numbers on how many times each series was streamed, but it's an impressive result nonetheless. For those who don't know, U-Next is one of the largest streaming platforms in Japan, with over 4.3 million subscribers. They not only offer audiovisual content, but also e-books. Due to licensing agreements, access and content may be geoblocked, but users find ways to sign up anyway. Check out the 10 most streamed anime on U-Next this year:
- Apothecary Diaries
- Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc
- The Suitor
- Mashle: Magic and Muscles
- The time I was reincarnated as a slime S3
- Oshi no Ko S2
- Kaiju No. 8
- Jujutsu Kaisen S2
- Exquisite in Dungeon
- My Hero Academia
Apothecary Diaries Premise
The story has a historical setting, but does not try to be historically accurate when it comes to characters and events. It is inspired by Tang Dynasty China (618-907 AD) and the story revolves around a girl named Maomao. She is, as the title suggests, a pharmacist. Before she was kidnapped and sold to the Imperial Palace, she used to work in a red-light district.
Now living as a servant, she spends a few years unnoticed by bigger players, at least until many Imperial children and concubines suddenly start falling ill – using her apothecary skills, she can solve the mystery. After that, she is constantly called upon to solve many other mysteries and conspiracies.
The second season will likely adapt volumes 3-4, starting where the first left off. Akinori Fudesaka is responsible for directing the new season, and this is his directorial debut. The former was directed by Norihiro Naganumawho is still part of the staff, but as head writer (he wrote and directed the first season). Studios Toho Animation Studio and OLM animate the series. The series will return with 24 episodes and is scheduled to premiere on January 10, 2025.
Apothecary Diaries
available to stream on Crunchyroll, subbed and dubbed.
Source: OtakuUSAMagazine

Apothecary Diaries
- Throw
- Emi Lo, Kaiji Tang, Alex Horn, Molly Zhang, Jim Foronda, Trina Nishimura
- Creator
- Natsu Hyūga