The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 08

The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 08

After breaking a “curse” on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster…and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series!

The truth of Maomao’s birth is revealed?!

Sly tactician Lakan’s attempts at provocation lead to his own downfall when Maomao challenges him to elephant chess, only to outplay him in a game of wits!

In a stupor from drinking “poison” as punishment for his loss, Lakan dreams of a long-lost past, his affair with a beautiful courtesan, and meeting her daughter for the very first time.

Upon waking, he finds himself at Verdigris, where he is pressed to buy the freedom of a girl of his choosing and take her home as his wife! But will any of the flowers there catch his eye when his heart is in love with a memory?

Biographical Notes:

Natsu Hyuuga is the author of The Apothecary Diaries light novel series.

This is Nekokurage’s first manga adaptation of a light novel series.

Title Notes:

TOP MANGA FANS WANT ANIMATED: At Anime Japan 2021, The Apothecary Diaries was voted into the Top 10 Manga We Want to See Animated Ranking at #10!

BIG SELLER: The first volume of this manga adaptation has sold over 600,000 copies in Japan!

BASED ON A HIT WEB NOVEL NOW BEING PUBLISHED IN THE NA MARKET: This series is an adaptation of a popular web novel that was serialized in 2011 on one of Japan’s main open-source creator platforms. From there, the novel was published as a single volume, before being republished as an ongoing light novel series due to its popularity. The novel is being digitally released in English by J-Novel Club, with Vol. 5 going on sale in May 2022.

STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST: Palaces might normally come with princesses, but an eccentric, pragmatic servant with a face full of freckles and her wits about her takes center stage in this series! Forget Sherlock; the great detective of the inner palace is born…and her name is Maomao! Female-fronted fantasy manga with sprawling ensemble casts and lots of political intrigue have gained a bigger audience in recent memory.

FAN FAVORITE: This series generated a lot of buzz following Square Enix’s new manga title announcements at Anime NYC 2019, and it continues to be brought up in social media conversations about new manga in 2020.

SERIES LENGTH: Series is currently at 10 volumes and ongoing.

AGE RATING: Teen – This material is suitable for readers ages 13+.

More details on Nekokurage & Natsu Hyuuga:

Natsu Hyuuga’s Twitter Page

Nekokurage’s Twitter Page

More works by Nekokurage

More works by Natsu Hyuuga