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Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Announced!

by Geek March 26, 2024

written by Geek

The first season of The Apothecary Diaries anime just finished airing, and fans are already buzzing with excitement for season 2, set to premiere in 2025. The announcement came with a brand new teaser visual that has everyone talking!

The first season kicked off on October 21 with three action-packed episodes. The season lasted for two cours, which is like two quarters of a year. You can catch all the episodes on Crunchyroll, either in Japanese with subtitles or dubbed in English.

Behind the Scenes

The first season was brought to life by director Norihiro Naganuma from TOHO Animation and OLM. He’s known for his work on The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 1 and also supervised the scripts for The Apothecary Diaries. Akinori Fudesaka was the assistant director, and Yukiko Nakatani designed the characters. Shōji Hata took care of the sound direction, while the music was composed by Satoru Kousaki, Kevin Penkin, and Arisa Okehazama.

About The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries is a popular Japanese light novel series written by Natsu Hyuuga and illustrated by Touko Shino. It started as a web novel on Shoetsu ni Narou and was later picked up by Kadokawa. The light novel series officially launched in December 2017.

The story is set in the imperial court of the fictional empire of Tianliang and follows Maomao, a clever young woman who ends up working in the palace after being sold into slavery. Her medical skills catch the eye of Jinshi, the head of the imperial medical office, and she gets caught up in the political drama of the court.

Source: Anime News Network

March 26, 2024 0 comment

The Mystery of the Hairpins in Apothecary Diaries Deduced

by Denueve C. November 27, 2023

written by Denueve C.

In previous episodes of The Apothecary Diaries, we caught a glimpse of what they called the Garden Party. Here gathers all of the other concubines of the emperor in a big feast together with their lady-in-waiting and other higher ranking officials. Safe to say, it’s an event important to royalty in the setting.

Starting the events at Episode 5, our main character Maomao has received hairpins from Lady Gyokuyou and Jinshi. However, this turns to a mysterious item as Maomao doesn’t even know what the hairpins signify. Next in Episode 6, a rising official, gives Maomao another hairpin. She also receives a hairpin from Lady Lihua, as if that wasn’t enough. Maomao is now rather perplexed as to the meaning of these hairpins. But then in Episode 7, the meaning of hairpins is then relayed by Maomao’s friend Xiaolin but was still kept secret from the viewers.

After some details portrayed in the events of the previous episodes, I guess it is safe to conclude that there are two possible interpretations of the hairpin, depending on who offers it.

A Hint of Romance

A male employee’s love interest in a female lady-in-waiting is shown if he offers her a hairpin. The lady-in-waiting may also be able to depart the palace for a quick excursion with the person who gifted her this hairpin.

A Royal Privilege

However, it is considered a gesture of gratitude when a higher-ranking individual, such as a high-ranking consort, presents a lower-ranking individual, like a lady-in-waiting, a hairpin. It’s akin to saying, “Thank you for your hard work, and I look forward to seeing more from you in the future.”

There you have it, then! At last, the enigma behind the hairpins in Apothecary Diaries is cleared up. We can now decipher the underlying implications of these apparently straightforward items.

Care to comment your thoughts in this mysterious tradition?

November 27, 2023 0 comment

Apothecary Diaries Trailer and Casts Revealed

Anime

History and Medicine: The Apothecary Diaries Reveals Trailer and Casts

by Geek October 5, 2023

written by Geek

The likes of Vinland Saga, Samurai Champloo, and Rurouni Kenshin are exceptions to the rule, but in general, historical anime doesn’t garner as much attention as other genres unless it includes some action-packed components. Conversely, there is a dearth of actual medical-themed anime. Cell at Work!, which became popular a few years back, is the only one of note so far.

But what if we mixed the two types of stories together? What Apothecary Diaries accomplishes is precisely that. The story of Maomao, an apothecary at the court of the Emperor of China in ancient times, is the focus of this anime. Drama is a major aspect of the show, which sets it distinct from other medical anime.

Exciting Developments in the Apothecary Journal

After the show’s announcement on February 15, 2023, air dates were quickly set. The debut of Apothecary Diaries has been set for October 22, 2023. In addition, did you know that… In fact, the first episode will air all three episodes at once!

But before that happened, the official published what could be the last anime trailer. The amazing musicians who will play the show’s intro and outro have also been revealed.

Trailer for “The Apothecary Chronicles”

On October 1, 2023, Apothecary Diaries’ promotional video (or PV) premiered. It shows us how the plot will develop. A lowly royal servant named Maomao, with the help of a powerful man named Jinshi, investigates the cause of a disease plaguing the inner court.

And that’s not all: we also get a sneak peek at the show’s opening and closing themes! The opening theme has a fantastic rhythm that captures the sense of urgency in uncovering the mysteries, while the closing theme is peaceful and reminiscent of other historical anime.

Apothecary Diaries Trailer and Casting Revealed!

Members of the Apothecary Diaries Cast and Crew

Officials have unveiled more cast members alongside the new trailer. Maomao will be spoken by Aoi Yuuki, and Jinshi will be voiced by Ootsuka Takeo. Fourteen additional great actors will be listed as follows:

Katsuyuki Konishi as Gaoshun
Atsumi Tanezaki as Gyokuyou
Yui Ishikawa as Lishua
Hina Kino as Lizhu
Yuuko Kaida as Ah-Duo
Megumi Han as Meimei
Ami Koshimizu as Pairin
Hiroki Nanami as Joka
Kimiko Saitou as Madam
Hiroshi Yanaka as Luomen
Kenji Akabane as Lihaku
Misaki Kuno as Xiaolan
Mitsuaki Kanuka as Guen
Sumi Shimamoto as Narrator

Norohimo Naganima, best known for directing The Ancient Magus’ Bride at TOHO Animation Studio and OLM, is in charge of the series. Character designs are being handled by Yukiko Nakatani, best known for her work on Go! Princess Precure.

The music is composed by Satoru Kousaki (Beastars), Kevin Penkin (Made in Abyss), and Alisa Okehazama (Jujutsu Kaisen), and as sound director is Shouji Hata (Spy x Family).

The opening theme, “Hana ni Natte,” is performed by Ryokouoshoku Shakai, and the closing theme, “Aikotoba,” is performed by AiNA THE END.

Apothecary Records: A Memorable Narrative

The setting is the ancient Chinese imperial court. Maomao, a young woman of seventeen, is abducted and made to serve in the imperial palace. She works hard every day in spite of her situation, and she plans to keep going until her slavery is finished.

The news that the emperor’s two infants are seriously ill changes the course of her life forever. She does everything she can to assist them behind the scenes using her pharmacy skills from her days in the red-light district and manages to succeed!

However, Jinshi, a powerful eunuch, finds out about her anonymous act of compassion. Maomao’s abilities are recognized, and she is given a position as a pharmacist in the inner court. Her fame grows as she uses her medical expertise to uncover the causes of puzzling illnesses.

October 5, 2023 0 comment