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meteordustMaomao is the daughter of an apothecary. She was kidnapped by bandits and sold as a servant to the royal palace, where she is currently working off her indenture. However, her knowledge of poisons and medicines leads her to figure out why the imperial heirs keep dying. Soon she is asked to use her expertise to investigate whenever strange events occur, and she finds herself becoming deeper enmeshed in palace intrigue.
This manga is part mystery-of-the-week, and part about the lives of the concubines and other inhabitants of the inner court. I enjoy the puzzle-solving aspect of it, even though in the ruthless corridors of power, the puzzles are sometimes dark and tragic. But Maomao is smart, determined, and obsessed with being able to use her apothecary skills. And there is kindness and friendship to be found.
As the story unfolds, we learn more about the secret history of the palace, and the secrets in Maomao's own backstory, and unexpected connections beween them. It definitely has me hooked.
I should mention Jinshi, the head eunuch, who takes a great deal of interest in Maomao, and gives her many of her assignments. He's handsome, flirty, and enjoys pulling her strings. I think I would have been completely charmed by him when I was younger, but now I just find him kind of annoying. Still, I am resigned to him being the endgame love interest, and probably not actually a eunuch.
The Apothecary Diaries was originally a web novel, and has since become a novel, a light novel series, two manga series, and now also an anime. The manga I've been reading is the Square Enix one: story by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, compiled by Itsuki Nanao, and character design by Touco Shino.
This manga is part mystery-of-the-week, and part about the lives of the concubines and other inhabitants of the inner court. I enjoy the puzzle-solving aspect of it, even though in the ruthless corridors of power, the puzzles are sometimes dark and tragic. But Maomao is smart, determined, and obsessed with being able to use her apothecary skills. And there is kindness and friendship to be found.
As the story unfolds, we learn more about the secret history of the palace, and the secrets in Maomao's own backstory, and unexpected connections beween them. It definitely has me hooked.
I should mention Jinshi, the head eunuch, who takes a great deal of interest in Maomao, and gives her many of her assignments. He's handsome, flirty, and enjoys pulling her strings. I think I would have been completely charmed by him when I was younger, but now I just find him kind of annoying. Still, I am resigned to him being the endgame love interest, and probably not actually a eunuch.
The Apothecary Diaries was originally a web novel, and has since become a novel, a light novel series, two manga series, and now also an anime. The manga I've been reading is the Square Enix one: story by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, compiled by Itsuki Nanao, and character design by Touco Shino.
