Manga Review: The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 2 & 3 by Natsu Hyuuga

Title: The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 2-3
Author: Nekokurage (Artist), Natsu Hyuuga (Original Story), Itsuki Nanao (Composition), Touco Shino (Character Design)
Genre: YA Manga / Fantasy
Publication Date: December 8th, 2020
Publisher: Square Enix Manga
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“When word of her accomplishments falls on the ears of His Imperial Majesty, Maomao finds herself tasked with a direct request from the throne. Turning down the emperor is out of the question for the former(?) apothecary if she wants to keep her head! But while acquiescing to the emperor is expected of all subjects, Maomao is about to discover that ladies-in-waiting have still more taxing duties to which to attend, as preparations of the garden banquet get underway! Concocting an aphrodisiac might be second nature to Maomao, but smiling prettily for the officials of the court could prove far more difficult…” (Goodreads)

I am happy to be back reading this series! It’s so cool to see apothecary and mystery be wrapped into one.

In a lot of ways Maomao reminds me of other characters I have read. She is smart and cunning, which are also probably her top qualities. I love seeing how her brain works and understanding the process of solving who is poisoning who.

There hasn’t been any romance between her and any of the other characters but I feel like it will be inevitable at some point. I could be wrong though.

I am still very curious about some of the characters and hope that they will get more page time later on.

Overall, this series is still going well and I can’t wait to continue on.

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