Kusuriya no Hitorigoto
The Apothecary Diaries
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Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

Alternative Titles

Synonyms: The Pharmacist's Monologue
Japanese: 薬屋のひとりごと
English: The Apothecary Diaries
More titles

Information

Volumes: Unknown
Chapters: Unknown
Status: Publishing
Published: Aug 29, 2014 to ?
Genres: Drama Drama, Mystery Mystery
Theme: Medical Medical
Serialization: None
Authors: Hyuuga, Natsu (Story), Shino, Touko (Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.731 (scored by 29302,930 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #532
2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #1568
Members: 13,486
Favorites: 761

Resources

8.73
Ranked #53Popularity #1568Members 13,486
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Synopsis

In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there.

Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That's her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao's façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor's favorite consort... so she can taste the lady's food for poison!

At her lady's side, Maomao starts to learn about everything that goes on in the rear palace—not all of it seemly. Can she ever lead a quiet life, or will her powers of deduction and insatiable curiosity bring her ever more adventures, and ever more dangers?

(Source: J-Novel Club)

Background

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto has been published digitally in English as The Apothecary Diaries by J-Novel Club since February 14, 2021, and in print by Square Enix since May 14, 2024.

Characters

Maomao
Main
Jinshi
Main
Gyokuyou
Supporting
Gaoshun
Supporting
Lihua
Supporting
Ah-Duo
Supporting
Pairin
Supporting
Lishu
Supporting
Meimei
Supporting
Loulan
Supporting

Reviews

Jun 25, 2024
Preliminary (6/? eps)
Definitely worth reading, currently at volume 12, love how everything takes a new perspective and start coming together each time, the plot twists make the story really enjoyable. Sometimes you might find what is happening a bit slow, just to realize everything had a purpose.
The new characters included now and then really surprise you when you least expected, the mystery or simplicity behind someone is never an indicator of what is about to come. The presence of strong female characters continues throughout the development of the narrative, which I personally really appreciated, especially considering the time period in which the story is set.
Every interaction between ...
Dec 20, 2023
InformativeInformative
Preliminary (7/? eps)
This series is great at telling an over-arching narrative. It has some soft mystery vibes and a large focus on political intrigue.
It's probably the best LN I've read in terms of narrative focus. It's hard to really put in words, since in the first place, the purpose of writing is to take the reader from one point to another in a coherent way. I think all I can really say about it, is that it's well-paced and leaves just enough for the reader to be satisfied but still wanting more. Which sounds bad, but I mean it in the best way possible.
Despite being mostly slice ...
Jun 3, 2024
Preliminary (1/? eps)
I highly recommend reading this series to anyone who liked the anime. I've currently read five volumes, and it still remains very interesting. It initially caught my interest after watching the anime, and the novels feel much the same. If you liked the anime, then you'll probably also like the novel. The novels are structured as a collection of short stories that follow a detective format, centered around medicinal themes. While the short stories might seem disconnected at first, they each subtly contribute to and advance the main plot. This makes for nice stopping points, but it can sometimes be a bit frustrating not to ...

Interest Stacks

49 Entries · 75 Restacks
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