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薬屋のひとりごと [Kusuriya no Hitorigoto] #4
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 4
MAOMAO STUMBLES ONTO AN EVEN BIGGER MYSTERY...
The trail of the garden banquet leads Maomao to the Garnet Palace! Aiming to uncover the identity and motives of the culprit who nearly succeeded in turning the festivities into a tragedy, the young apothecary-turned-lady's maid temporarily takes up there at Jinshi's behest. Home to Lady Aduo—the consort with the longest tenure in the Emperor's affections—the Garnet palace harbors many intrigues, some more shocking than even Maomao could have imagined! Will solving the mystery at hand lose Maomao her job...and maybe even her life?!
The trail of the garden banquet leads Maomao to the Garnet Palace! Aiming to uncover the identity and motives of the culprit who nearly succeeded in turning the festivities into a tragedy, the young apothecary-turned-lady's maid temporarily takes up there at Jinshi's behest. Home to Lady Aduo—the consort with the longest tenure in the Emperor's affections—the Garnet palace harbors many intrigues, some more shocking than even Maomao could have imagined! Will solving the mystery at hand lose Maomao her job...and maybe even her life?!
194 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2019
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1988 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 654 reviews
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February 4, 2024not to be one of those people who only talk about the romance but im sorry there is no better m/f dynamic than apathetic annoyed woman x pathetic simp man
this one felt kind of weirdly paced with the main mystery being solved way before the end, and also the Aha! lightbulb plot twist moment coming out of nowhere. but im having fun and this series is the only thing i am actually consistently reading with my busy semester so i am happy
this one felt kind of weirdly paced with the main mystery being solved way before the end, and also the Aha! lightbulb plot twist moment coming out of nowhere. but im having fun and this series is the only thing i am actually consistently reading with my busy semester so i am happy
July 28, 2024
4/5
I love how this manga is basically about Maomao being a girlboss, saving everyone, while Jinshi is constantly simping over her and trying to win her over.
I love how this manga is basically about Maomao being a girlboss, saving everyone, while Jinshi is constantly simping over her and trying to win her over.
October 24, 2023
The intrigue! Wow what a marvelous series. The majority of this volume highlights the conclusion of the mystery that we see take fold in previous volumes. I’m not sure I was expecting the shock I felt at the reveal of who was who. I never saw it coming, but it was a wonderful build up. This series is everything I’ve wanted and more and I’m interested in the second arc of the story!
April 27, 2022
The fourth volume of this Sherlock Holmes-inspired series that is also a kind of revisioning of "Victorian-era" sexuality. I mean, we know that something was going on behind (I didn't say underneath! I'm not crass!) the world of parasols and layers and layers of clothes! This manga series is a kind of CSI mystery series where a young woman comes in Prince-and-the-Pauper fashion to a harem from a world of brothels from which she was kidnapped and sold to the Emperor. She cooks healthy food, she's the Emperor's (food) taster, and she solves crimes within the closed doors of the harem.
But while sex work is always a popular topic--scandalous!--ooh, but what are they wearing? Who's the prettiest of them all?--in literature, author Hyuuga makes it clear that the choices given to women in this period are at the very least limiting, and often abusive. Oooh, I can work up the ladder from streetwalker to courtesan, or be the favorite consort of the Emperor! This seems to be the height of women's ambitions in such a social and cultural system, pitting women against each other in jealous competition. Oh, and all the most elite courtesans and consorts seem to have huge breasts (!).
Yep, dig a little under the surface of this world and we see the ugly realities, including a maid with "bound feet"--broken, forced into wooden shoes, hobbled for the sake of dainty, tiny feet supposedly for the infantilizing pleasure of men--who apparently throws herself over the tower wall into a moat and drowns.
This is a great volume. We finally solve the mystery of who attempted to poison Lady Lishu. We solve another mystery regarding Lady Adu. And MaoMao both leaves the Emperor's inner court to go back to work in the"pleasure"--some people might call it Red Light--district for a time, but the Emperor's eunuch wants Jinishi her back in the inner circle!
Gender-bending note: Jinishi looks like a beautiful woman, and (aging) courtesan Aduo looks increasingly masculine. In one image they face each other and look very much alike.
But while sex work is always a popular topic--scandalous!--ooh, but what are they wearing? Who's the prettiest of them all?--in literature, author Hyuuga makes it clear that the choices given to women in this period are at the very least limiting, and often abusive. Oooh, I can work up the ladder from streetwalker to courtesan, or be the favorite consort of the Emperor! This seems to be the height of women's ambitions in such a social and cultural system, pitting women against each other in jealous competition. Oh, and all the most elite courtesans and consorts seem to have huge breasts (!).
Yep, dig a little under the surface of this world and we see the ugly realities, including a maid with "bound feet"--broken, forced into wooden shoes, hobbled for the sake of dainty, tiny feet supposedly for the infantilizing pleasure of men--who apparently throws herself over the tower wall into a moat and drowns.
This is a great volume. We finally solve the mystery of who attempted to poison Lady Lishu. We solve another mystery regarding Lady Adu. And MaoMao both leaves the Emperor's inner court to go back to work in the"pleasure"--some people might call it Red Light--district for a time, but the Emperor's eunuch wants Jinishi her back in the inner circle!
Gender-bending note: Jinishi looks like a beautiful woman, and (aging) courtesan Aduo looks increasingly masculine. In one image they face each other and look very much alike.
January 10, 2022
When a young maid is found dead, it seems like a suicide. But for Maomao, erstwhile apocathecary and professional meddler, things seem a little too obvious. And solving this case may bring her too close to several things, not the least of which is Jinshi…
Within a few pages, a suspicious death has occurred and Maomao is already pointing out how unlikely the place of death was, is revealing that she’s not allowed to touch the dead because she’s too likely to snatch bits for medicines, and is discussing foot binding. It’s like an immediate summary of everything this series does well.
Maomao is (still) one of my favourite manga heroines ever - she’s smart, clever, and headstrong, but also trying to desperately keep her head down and avoid trouble in life. The way this clashes constantly with her natural curiosity to keep throwing her in the thick of things is great.
It’s also great at making her strong, but believably so. Jinshi may think a great deal of her, but she’s still in a man’s world at this time and because this is a historical work, she’s not exactly about to smash the patriarchy, sadly. Still, she’s nobody’s fool and ridiculously easy to root for as a consequence.
The mystery spans a large chunk of this volume, neatly taking into account several historical bits of trivia, and, while the culprit may not be subtle, it definitely uses the era to have some fascinating repercussions and has a lot more going on than it seems. Mixed with the usual courtly intrigues it proves very satisfying.
The attention to detail helps this really come to life and makes it more than just a regular romance with a mystery element. The set-up of the courts and how the rules of etiquette are followed help this feel a bit more special, since behaviours can be harder to predict. Well, in most cases; make no mistake, Maomao and Jinshi are on one very slow-moving collision course.
Oh, Jinshi’s a eunuch? Ah, right, pull the other one (cough). It’ll be a massive shock if the convoluted chain of events that Maomao postulates towards the end of the mystery arc doesn’t actually concern Jinshi - it all makes perfect sense (and Maomao’s immediate dismissal of the very idea makes it about, hmm, ten times as likely).
The last arc is actually a bit of fallout from the mystery that ends up with Maomao in a very different set of circumstances that shows both her and Jinshi in new lights. It’s interesting to see what happens when they’re both out of their comfort zones for a bit - Jinshi is definitely at his least unflappable.
As usual, this one’s a delightful blend of intrigue and mystery and the merest hint of romance. The art remains joyously expressive and the only down side to the whole affair is that honey finger scene that is kind of icky for any number of reasons. Small ding though.
4.5 stars - this is a near perfect series and my biggest complaint is that it doesn’t come out frequently enough. That’s how I know I’m enjoying something.
Within a few pages, a suspicious death has occurred and Maomao is already pointing out how unlikely the place of death was, is revealing that she’s not allowed to touch the dead because she’s too likely to snatch bits for medicines, and is discussing foot binding. It’s like an immediate summary of everything this series does well.
Maomao is (still) one of my favourite manga heroines ever - she’s smart, clever, and headstrong, but also trying to desperately keep her head down and avoid trouble in life. The way this clashes constantly with her natural curiosity to keep throwing her in the thick of things is great.
It’s also great at making her strong, but believably so. Jinshi may think a great deal of her, but she’s still in a man’s world at this time and because this is a historical work, she’s not exactly about to smash the patriarchy, sadly. Still, she’s nobody’s fool and ridiculously easy to root for as a consequence.
The mystery spans a large chunk of this volume, neatly taking into account several historical bits of trivia, and, while the culprit may not be subtle, it definitely uses the era to have some fascinating repercussions and has a lot more going on than it seems. Mixed with the usual courtly intrigues it proves very satisfying.
The attention to detail helps this really come to life and makes it more than just a regular romance with a mystery element. The set-up of the courts and how the rules of etiquette are followed help this feel a bit more special, since behaviours can be harder to predict. Well, in most cases; make no mistake, Maomao and Jinshi are on one very slow-moving collision course.
Oh, Jinshi’s a eunuch? Ah, right, pull the other one (cough). It’ll be a massive shock if the convoluted chain of events that Maomao postulates towards the end of the mystery arc doesn’t actually concern Jinshi - it all makes perfect sense (and Maomao’s immediate dismissal of the very idea makes it about, hmm, ten times as likely).
The last arc is actually a bit of fallout from the mystery that ends up with Maomao in a very different set of circumstances that shows both her and Jinshi in new lights. It’s interesting to see what happens when they’re both out of their comfort zones for a bit - Jinshi is definitely at his least unflappable.
As usual, this one’s a delightful blend of intrigue and mystery and the merest hint of romance. The art remains joyously expressive and the only down side to the whole affair is that honey finger scene that is kind of icky for any number of reasons. Small ding though.
4.5 stars - this is a near perfect series and my biggest complaint is that it doesn’t come out frequently enough. That’s how I know I’m enjoying something.
January 2, 2022
I loved this volume! I am so impressed with how well this series handles its subject matters and characters. I love how it discusses how, despite living in a patriarchal society, the inner chambers is effectively a woman's world and is equally as harsh; but rather than focus on how brutal and spiteful women are to each other, it focuses on the relationships the women have as a whole, good and bad. It shows the pettiness and cruelty (like with Consort Lishu), the admiration and devotion (like with Consort Aduo), and the fun and sisterly bonds (like with Lady Gyukyo). Its difficult to do, but Hyuuga pulls it off spectacularly and I am thriving off it.
I don't want to say much more for fear of spoilers, but believe me, this was an incredible volume. I am so glad I picked this up, easily one of the best, well-rounded series I've read in a while.
I don't want to say much more for fear of spoilers, but believe me, this was an incredible volume. I am so glad I picked this up, easily one of the best, well-rounded series I've read in a while.
March 2, 2023
The covers are really eye-catching!✨
There are many funny interactions, but there are some uncomfortable ones too.
I know Jinshi cares for Maomao, but some of his jokes really went too far.
And it is a heartache to read the fate of those ladies in this era in the manga, even those of lower status.😞
Well, at least Maomao has a new job and a home she can always return to.
Reading this is worth it!😁
There are many funny interactions, but there are some uncomfortable ones too.
I know Jinshi cares for Maomao, but some of his jokes really went too far.
And it is a heartache to read the fate of those ladies in this era in the manga, even those of lower status.😞
Well, at least Maomao has a new job and a home she can always return to.
Reading this is worth it!😁
September 29, 2025
Yeah okay I'm officially in love with this series and Maomao.
July 7, 2025
3.75 🌟
If Lady Tan’s circle of women was a chibi… 😀
If Lady Tan’s circle of women was a chibi… 😀
October 29, 2022
KOCHAM!!!
Nie czytałam może aż tak wielu mang, ale to jest zdecydowanie mój #1. Tak dobrze napisana historia, tak pięknie narysowana! ♥
To był chyba mój ulubiony tom ze wszystkich. Nie mogę się już doczekać 5!
Polecam, polecam, polecam!
Nie czytałam może aż tak wielu mang, ale to jest zdecydowanie mój #1. Tak dobrze napisana historia, tak pięknie narysowana! ♥
To był chyba mój ulubiony tom ze wszystkich. Nie mogę się już doczekać 5!
Polecam, polecam, polecam!
Read
December 11, 2023the court politics had me tearing up but the romance had me giggling and kicking my feet
A+
A+
February 14, 2025
Sa théorie est vrai non ? Gnééé
Je suis trop hyped sur la tournure que ça va prendre
Je suis trop hyped sur la tournure que ça va prendre
October 28, 2023
4,5 ⭐
super jest wrócić do Mao Mao
super jest wrócić do Mao Mao
May 8, 2024
No. Sparkly Jinshi Supremacy
March 6, 2025
Ben artık love istiyorum😭😭
August 8, 2025
jinshi i want your mom real bad
March 4, 2025
Мені терміново треба ще 🥹
January 28, 2024
Bir yandan da animesini de izliyorum. Keyifli bir manga ve anime. Birebir gidiyor aslında :)
Dönem mangası. Sarayda haremağası olan çook güzel bir adam var, tabii onunla ilgili bazı gizemler var.
Kızımızın da üvey babası doktor, eczacı gibi bir şey o dönemde işte. Kız da babasından bir sürü şey öğrenmiş, zehirlerle ilgili vs. zamanında zehirleri kendi üzerinde çok denediği için de bağışıklığı yüksek. Ayrıca genelev bölgesinde büyüdüğü için de genelevdeki kadınlara abla diyor, birçok şeyi biliyor. Bir gün kızı kaçırıp satıyorlar, sarayda haremde çalışması için işe alınıyor, çeşnicibaşı vs. gibi. sonra da giderek yükselmeye başlıyor. Güçlü bir kadın karakter.
Erkek karakterle aralarındaki dinamik çok komik :)
Dönem mangası. Sarayda haremağası olan çook güzel bir adam var, tabii onunla ilgili bazı gizemler var.
Kızımızın da üvey babası doktor, eczacı gibi bir şey o dönemde işte. Kız da babasından bir sürü şey öğrenmiş, zehirlerle ilgili vs. zamanında zehirleri kendi üzerinde çok denediği için de bağışıklığı yüksek. Ayrıca genelev bölgesinde büyüdüğü için de genelevdeki kadınlara abla diyor, birçok şeyi biliyor. Bir gün kızı kaçırıp satıyorlar, sarayda haremde çalışması için işe alınıyor, çeşnicibaşı vs. gibi. sonra da giderek yükselmeye başlıyor. Güçlü bir kadın karakter.
Erkek karakterle aralarındaki dinamik çok komik :)
November 21, 2024
Following the attempted poisoning at the garden banquet, Maomao investigates to find who is responsible for it and becomes a sweetly sick turn as the suspect is a real surprise. Later after the outcome of it, she gets a bit of a shift centering on her future. A (100%/Outstanding)
June 26, 2022
It says something about how good a series is when both the original and the manga adaptation are excellent.
August 27, 2021
Ce quatrième tome clôture l’histoire du premier roman et constitue une fin partielle satisfaisante. Mélange d’enquête et de vie personnelle de Mao Mao, il boucle les intrigues en cours même s’il reste plein de choses à développer.
June 28, 2022
Banger encore une fois je me pose pleins de questions j'ai hâte de lire la suite
March 3, 2024
I claim to not be a romance connoisseur, but then some happens and it’s the only thing I focus on
February 10, 2024
Jakoś pamiętałam to nieco inaczej, cieszę się, że dałam "drugą szansę" tej serii
November 1, 2025
uhm hello I’m obsessed? Not even just the romance but how much was happening plot wise this volume. I can’t wait to know more about everyone!
June 29, 2024
nmg sie doczekac az przyjdzie mi 5 tom
May 20, 2025
4.5 stars rounded
April 4, 2024
I knew it!
August 24, 2024
Перші чотири томи - це перша арка про Маомао. Ми знайомимось з героїнею, разом з нею розслідуємо загадки та вивчаємо правила життя у внутрішньому палаці, де живуть принцеси. Дівчина стає особистою дегустаторкою одної з принцес та через цікавість до отрут та медицини постійно опиняється у нових пригодах.
Я одразу закохалась в історію Маомао. Бо:
🍃Обожнюю неординарних, розумних, щиро захоплених своєю справою героїнь. А Маомао саме така!
🍃Мені дуже сподобалась атмосфера манґи: тут головні таємниці та інтриги, але вони не драматичні, не токсичні для читача (хоча може й отруйні, тут нічого не обіцяю😉).
🍃Імператорський палац, як локація, це щось абсолютно нове для мене. А тут ще й світ побудований на основі Імператорського Китаю, чим я раніше взагалі не цікавилась.
🍃Мені сподобалась хімія між Маомао та Джінші, і це зовсім не про кохання (наразі, не знаю як там далі буде), а про "притирки" на шляху до взаєморозуміння.
🍃Манґа здатна дивувати сюжетними поворотами, новими персонажами, новими деталями з біографій героїв.
🍃А ще це дуже гарно намальовано (та видано), я просто у захваті!
І найцікавіше, що я почала читати манґу вже після перегляду першого сезону аніме. Я знала всі сюжетні повороти, адже екранізація дуже точна, але мені все-одно було цікаво! І навіть якось затишно, бо Маомао кумедна та чудна.
Я однозначно раджу цю історію! І сама з нетерпінням чекаю продовження😉
Більше відгуків на моєму книжковому YouTube-каналі: Boklys blog✨
Я одразу закохалась в історію Маомао. Бо:
🍃Обожнюю неординарних, розумних, щиро захоплених своєю справою героїнь. А Маомао саме така!
🍃Мені дуже сподобалась атмосфера манґи: тут головні таємниці та інтриги, але вони не драматичні, не токсичні для читача (хоча може й отруйні, тут нічого не обіцяю😉).
🍃Імператорський палац, як локація, це щось абсолютно нове для мене. А тут ще й світ побудований на основі Імператорського Китаю, чим я раніше взагалі не цікавилась.
🍃Мені сподобалась хімія між Маомао та Джінші, і це зовсім не про кохання (наразі, не знаю як там далі буде), а про "притирки" на шляху до взаєморозуміння.
🍃Манґа здатна дивувати сюжетними поворотами, новими персонажами, новими деталями з біографій героїв.
🍃А ще це дуже гарно намальовано (та видано), я просто у захваті!
І найцікавіше, що я почала читати манґу вже після перегляду першого сезону аніме. Я знала всі сюжетні повороти, адже екранізація дуже точна, але мені все-одно було цікаво! І навіть якось затишно, бо Маомао кумедна та чудна.
Я однозначно раджу цю історію! І сама з нетерпінням чекаю продовження😉
Більше відгуків на моєму книжковому YouTube-каналі: Boklys blog✨
March 7, 2023
<< *Every single person in this world can view a work of literature and have completely different thoughts and opinions. My opinion is not meant to offend you. If you do not want to see a review criticising your favourite book (or a book you enjoyed), then I recommend not proceeding with reading this review.>>
I'm not 100% all for Jinshi and MaoMao, but they did have their cute moments.
What I liked
-[Maomao's strong personality]
I love that Maomao is so honest about her opinions. She is very clear about what she is comfortable with and what she is uncomfortable with. Her obsession with poison and her intelligence make her an interesting protagonist. I enjoy watching her figure out the mysteries step by step with different techniques.
-[Consort Aduo]
Consort Aduo was such a likeable character. She was such a strong woman who overcame hardships but never stopped showing kindness. She was portrayed as a brave and confident person who decided to pick a new path in life. I love how she loved herself despite hardships and didn't let others dislike of her affect what made her who she is.
-[Jinshi and Maomao]
While I'm not 100% onboard with their romance, I thought they had some really cute moments. Jinshi's concern for her is obvious, and it's great to see them interacting. Some of my concerns about their relationship are that Jinshi sometimes grabs her shoulder jokingly, forces her to eat honey, or backs her up against a wall, all of which make her extremely uncomfortable and irritated.I just hope he can ask for consent when he touches her, but other than that, he's sweet and caring!
What I didn't
-[Jinshi's relevance to the plot]
Jinshi is a character I am slowly growing to like. In my opinion, I do feel like he doesn't seem to do much throughout the plot. His actions don't seem to have a huge impact on the plot either. I really hope his character can take more game-changing actions and play a bigger part in the plot than just existing and not having much impact on anything.
_________________________________
In conclusion, I am curious to see where the series will go.
I'm not 100% all for Jinshi and MaoMao, but they did have their cute moments.
What I liked
-[Maomao's strong personality]
I love that Maomao is so honest about her opinions. She is very clear about what she is comfortable with and what she is uncomfortable with. Her obsession with poison and her intelligence make her an interesting protagonist. I enjoy watching her figure out the mysteries step by step with different techniques.
-[Consort Aduo]
Consort Aduo was such a likeable character. She was such a strong woman who overcame hardships but never stopped showing kindness. She was portrayed as a brave and confident person who decided to pick a new path in life. I love how she loved herself despite hardships and didn't let others dislike of her affect what made her who she is.
-[Jinshi and Maomao]
While I'm not 100% onboard with their romance, I thought they had some really cute moments. Jinshi's concern for her is obvious, and it's great to see them interacting. Some of my concerns about their relationship are that Jinshi sometimes grabs her shoulder jokingly, forces her to eat honey, or backs her up against a wall, all of which make her extremely uncomfortable and irritated.I just hope he can ask for consent when he touches her, but other than that, he's sweet and caring!
What I didn't
-[Jinshi's relevance to the plot]
Jinshi is a character I am slowly growing to like. In my opinion, I do feel like he doesn't seem to do much throughout the plot. His actions don't seem to have a huge impact on the plot either. I really hope his character can take more game-changing actions and play a bigger part in the plot than just existing and not having much impact on anything.
_________________________________
In conclusion, I am curious to see where the series will go.
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