50 Fun Facts About The Apothecary Diaries
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Take the 50-question quizWhat is the Japanese title of The Apothecary Diaries?
It literally means 'Apothecary's Soliloquy', which is why the season two ending theme is called 'Hitorigoto'.
Who wrote The Apothecary Diaries?
Touko Shino illustrates the light novels; Nekokurage and Minoji Kurata draw the two manga versions.
On which user-generated novel website was the story first serialised in 2011?
Shufunotomo picked it up in 2012 and relaunched it as a light novel series in 2014.
The story's fictional country is mainly inspired by which period of Chinese history?
The author says she took the most interesting parts of a thousand years of Chinese history and adds that 'technically, it is not set in China'.
How does Maomao end up working in the Imperial Palace?
She plans to keep her head down until her two years of servitude are over.
How long is Maomao's original term of servitude at the palace?
Her plan to stay anonymous collapses the moment she solves the mystery of the sick imperial infants.
In the public eye, Jinshi holds what position in the rear palace?
Both men and women swoon over him; Maomao is the one person who does not.
Who voices Maomao in the Japanese anime?
Yūki also voiced Maomao in the earlier drama CD.
Who voices Jinshi in the Japanese anime?
Takahiro Sakurai had voiced him on the drama CD.
Who voices Maomao in the English dub?
Kaiji Tang voices Jinshi in English.
Maomao grew up in which renowned brothel, whose Madam treats her like a granddaughter?
Its owner, the Madam, treats Maomao like a granddaughter — and may actually be one.
What is the name of Maomao's adoptive father, an apothecary and former court doctor?
Court records reveal he was banished from the rear palace and was one of the rare few sent abroad to study medicine.
Which high-ranking consort is known as the Precious Consort and is the Emperor's favourite?
She has red hair and jade-green eyes and lives in the Jade Pavilion.
The Precious Consort's residence is named after which stone?
Maomao becomes her lady-in-waiting and food taster.
Why does the Precious Consort take Maomao on as a lady-in-waiting?
The face powder was poisoning both the consorts and their babies.
Which 'Wise Consort' loses her infant son after her lady-in-waiting ignores Maomao's warning?
Maomao nurses her back to health and she later has a healthy son.
Lishu, the youngest of the four consorts, has a residence named after which stone?
Her ladies-in-waiting bully her, mistaking her food allergies for fussiness.
Lishu suffers from what, which her ladies-in-waiting mistake for pickiness?
Maomao points out that death by allergy would look like poisoning and get them all executed.
Ah-Duo, the Pure Consort, shares which unusual bond with the Emperor?
She bears a striking androgynous resemblance to Jinshi.
Who replaces Ah-Duo as the Pure Consort?
She secretly wanders the palace dressed as a servant girl called Shisui, fascinated by plants and insects.
Who is Jinshi's loyal attendant, voiced in the anime by Katsuyuki Konishi?
His straight-laced son Basen also serves Jinshi.
Maomao refers to the palace doctor Guen by what unflattering label?
His family supplies high-quality paper to the palace.
Who is Maomao's biological father, revealed to be the monocle-wearing, face-blind military tactician?
He is Luomen's nephew, making Luomen Maomao's great-uncle.
Maomao's mother Fengxian cut off the tip of Maomao's little finger as a baby to do what?
Fengxian was once the Verdigris House's most valuable courtesan.
Who is Maomao's gossip-loving servant friend in the rear palace, and the subject of a spin-off manga?
The Apothecary Diaries: Xiaolan's Story began on Square Enix's Manga Up! service in March 2025.
Which soldier gives Maomao a hairpin and later takes up with the courtesan Pairin?
Pairin, the eldest of the Three Princesses, was once Maomao's wet nurse.
The 'Three Princesses' of the brothel where Maomao grew up are Pairin, Meimei and who?
Maomao regards all three as sister figures who raised her.
Who is the dutiful head lady-in-waiting serving the Precious Consort, and Maomao's boss?
Shin is her jealous counterpart in the Crystal Pavilion.
Which studios produced the first two seasons of the anime?
Season three is being produced by OLM alone.
How many episodes were in the anime's first season?
The second season was also 24 episodes.
On which Japanese network did the anime air?
Season two ran in Nippon TV's Friday Anime Night slot.
Who performed the first opening theme, 'Hana ni Natte'?
The title means 'Be a Flower'.
Which band performed 'Kusushiki', the second opening theme of season two?
Lilas Ikuta sang the first season-two opening, 'Hyakka Ryōran'.
Who directed the anime alongside Akinori Fudesaka, and also wrote it?
Satoru Kōsaki, Kevin Penkin and Alisa Okehazama composed the score.
The first manga adaptation, drawn by Nekokurage, runs in which Square Enix magazine?
A second manga by Minoji Kurata runs in Shogakukan's Monthly Sunday Gene-X.
The second manga adaptation, by Minoji Kurata, carries what subtitle in English?
Viz Media is publishing it in English from October 2026.
Which company licensed the light novels digitally in North America in 2020?
Square Enix handles the print editions of both the novels and the first manga.
The author's original concept for the story had what kind of protagonist?
She switched to a teenage apothecary because she thought the original idea would not be well received.
By August 2026, roughly how many copies of the franchise were in circulation?
It had passed 27 million by November 2023, just as the anime began.
Which two consecutive instalments were Japan's best-selling light novel volumes of 2024 and 2025?
Sixteen light novel volumes had been released by May 2025.
The Nekokurage adaptation won which prize in its print category?
In 2019 it also ranked ninth in AnimeJapan's 'Most Wanted Anime Adaptation' poll.
Which theme park hosted an attraction based on the series from July 2025 to January 2026?
Guests helped Maomao and Jinshi solve the mystery of a panacea.
What is the title of the anime film announced for a December 2026 release?
Season three was announced for October 2026, split into two cours.
Anime News Network's reviewer noted the manga's similarities to which other Chinese-inspired series?
Reviewer Theron Martin still gave the first volume a B+.
Under which imprint did Shufunotomo first publish The Apothecary Diaries as a single-volume novel in 2012?
The light novel relaunch came in 2014 under the Hero Bunko imprint, which mostly consists of acquired Shōsetsuka ni Narō titles.
Who illustrates the light novel volumes of The Apothecary Diaries published from 2014?
Nekokurage and Minoji Kurata draw the two separate manga adaptations; Matsuda illustrated the original 2012 novel.
The alternative manga by Minoji Kurata began in 2017 in which Shogakukan magazine?
It began in August 2017; Viz Media licensed it for North America with a first volume scheduled for October 2026.
Which two anime joined The Apothecary Diaries in Crunchyroll's 2026 event 'The Loop'?
The event ran at the Westfield Topanga Mall in Canoga Park, California, from August to October 2026.
Where did The Apothecary Diaries rank among Japan's best-selling light novel series in 2021?
It sold 496,626 copies that year, after placing sixth in 2019 and fifth in 2020.
What is the title of the free-to-play browser game announced for the G123 platform in 2025?
In the simulation game players train Maomao and take on cases around the palace.
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