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薬屋のひとりごと [Kusuriya no Hitorigoto] #1
Zapiski zielarki #1
Maomao, ambitna młoda zielarka, zostaje porwana i trafia do haremu cesarza jako służąca. Aby nie pogarszać sytuacji, w której się znalazła, zataja swoje umiejętności, a nawet fakt, że potrafi czytać i pisać. Tymczasem nowo narodzone dzieci władcy umierają na skutek tajemniczej klątwy. Zielarka szybko orientuje się, że to nie magia, ale trucizna jest przyczyną śmierci niemowląt. Decyduje się ostrzec księżniczki, podrzucając do ich komnat wiadomość o powodach niezwykłej choroby ich dzieci. Dziewczyna nie przypuszcza nawet, jak bardzo ta decyzja zaważy na jej losie. Tym bardziej, że znalazła się w miejscu, w którym nikt nie może czuć się bezpieczny...
178 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2017
1029 people are currently reading
14780 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,035 reviews
February 20, 2025
This manga is titled "Kusuriya no Hitorigoto", or "The Apothecary Diaries". An official English version is coming before 2020 ends, so take that chance to get on the ground floor of this manga.
Let me say this simply; this manga is so good. It's hard to pin down everything good that's going for it, but I'll try to list a few things why this series has quickly become one of my favorites.
This manga is originally based on a light novel, but for me, it works better presented as sequential artwork. It scratches that Sherlock Holmes itch that I can't get from comics.
1. The Holmes comparison is intentional. The main character, Maomao, like Conan Doyle's detective, is into pharmacology (or chemistry), and has almost no interest for other fields of common sense. Both are astute observers, and excellent in the art of disguise. However, without elaborating further, Maomao has the better backstory and a more interesting personality.
2. This series is a piece of historical fiction, set in Imperial China or a facsimile of it, in the Inner Palace of the Emperor's harem. It is certainly an interesting setting and period for me.
3. The mysteries and puzzles are well conceived and original. It's a joy to see one in every chapter.
4. I just can't get enough of it. I'm in the midst of a re-read so soon after my first. It is that good that I wished to savor it again.
Easily, 5 stars.
Let me say this simply; this manga is so good. It's hard to pin down everything good that's going for it, but I'll try to list a few things why this series has quickly become one of my favorites.
This manga is originally based on a light novel, but for me, it works better presented as sequential artwork. It scratches that Sherlock Holmes itch that I can't get from comics.
1. The Holmes comparison is intentional. The main character, Maomao, like Conan Doyle's detective, is into pharmacology (or chemistry), and has almost no interest for other fields of common sense. Both are astute observers, and excellent in the art of disguise. However, without elaborating further, Maomao has the better backstory and a more interesting personality.
2. This series is a piece of historical fiction, set in Imperial China or a facsimile of it, in the Inner Palace of the Emperor's harem. It is certainly an interesting setting and period for me.
3. The mysteries and puzzles are well conceived and original. It's a joy to see one in every chapter.
4. I just can't get enough of it. I'm in the midst of a re-read so soon after my first. It is that good that I wished to savor it again.
Easily, 5 stars.
September 12, 2025
4/5
Find yourself a man who wants you even though you look at him like he's some kind of insect.
Find yourself a man who wants you even though you look at him like he's some kind of insect.
July 22, 2024
okay, you were all right - this was an amazing volume one and i absolutely cannot wait to continue on with this story! i really love this, and maomao is such an amazing protagonist. i can’t wait to read more about her and her adventures!
in this volume one, we are introduced to our main character, maomao, who was kidnapped and sold to the empire, and is now a maidservant in the inner court. but she soon gets a promotion when her apothecary talents are discovered, and her aid is needed in solving the mystery of the deaths of the heirs born from the consorts in the inner palace. and then… she becomes a food taster and starts to help with more apothecary needs - from chocolate making to solving another mystery of a ghost dancing atop the palace!
trigger + content warnings: kidnapping, talk of child death, poisoning
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
in this volume one, we are introduced to our main character, maomao, who was kidnapped and sold to the empire, and is now a maidservant in the inner court. but she soon gets a promotion when her apothecary talents are discovered, and her aid is needed in solving the mystery of the deaths of the heirs born from the consorts in the inner palace. and then… she becomes a food taster and starts to help with more apothecary needs - from chocolate making to solving another mystery of a ghost dancing atop the palace!
trigger + content warnings: kidnapping, talk of child death, poisoning
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
April 14, 2020
This is the manga I didn't know I needed.
Sassy female protagonists are my weakness.
Sassy female protagonists are my weakness.
December 26, 2023
I will always support a girl who’s like 😐😒🙄 (especially with a man)
3.5
3.5
May 22, 2024
Okay, I'm hooked! This is the first volume in a manga series following a young woman who is kidnapped and sold as a servant to the palace courts, just as she officially became an apothecary. In this first story, the fact that she is literate and knowledgeable about medicines is discovered and she is moved into the inner court. It has a little bit of a mystery element and I loved the main character. Excited to read more!
November 7, 2022
This was such an pleasant surprise! I absolutely adored this volume and I'm so glad that Shae sent it to me. The Apothecary Diaries follows a character by the name of Maomao who has been kidnapped and sent to work as a lowly servant in the inner palace. While there, she discovers that the emperor's children keep dying of a unknown illness. Due to her experience in herbal medicine, she's able to figure to figure out what's going on. This leads into a even more complex and fascinating plot that really had me intrigued. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but Maomao is such a strong character in terms of attempting to provide herself with better circumstances without putting money into the pockets of those who sold her into servitude. This is such a well rounded and interesting manga with amazing artwork. It's definitely one that I can see myself learning a lot from as well. I'm looking forward to diving into vol. 2
December 11, 2020
How now, Maomao? Maomao has been sold into servitude at a young age and now toils away as a lowly palace servant. She, however, is far more than she first appears. With her ability to read and write and her skill as an apothecary, she soon gets herself a promotion and all the headaches that come with it...
Wow. Just wow. I do love a mystery and I certainly love a little palace intrigue now and then. It’s telling that this book doesn’t shift its setting once and you still feel by the end that there are tons of stories left to tell. From medical mysteries to poisonings to aphrodisiacs to the supernatural (cough), there’s a lot of variety here.
So big points for such a unique setting, but the real winner here is Maomao herself. She’s an atypical manga heroine in that she’s clever, has agency, and is defined by her abilities and personality rather than pining after some guy. She just happens to be stuck in what is very much a man’s world.
Watching her evolution and learning just how typical a scientist-who-would-be-the-scourge-of-an-ethics-committee-if-one-existed she actually is? Pure delight. I really respected her reasoning for not trying to do any better at court too - I like how it makes sense in that society (and another character’s clever solution).
Then you have a stellar supporting cast. Jinshi is one hell of a foil for our heroine (although if he turns out to actually be a eunuch I’ll eat my... hat...) and while he gets a little too in her space, Maomao certainly doesn’t take his crap. They’re a great double act.
Oh and the art’s amazing too. Maomao’s got a great look (and the sort of sloppy style that I would attribute to somebody more concerned with their work than appearances). This manga also makes a strong argument that the line between bishonen and eunuch is very indistinct.
Yes, I thought this was a perfect manga. The last story could be more mysterious, sure, but this engaged me from start to finish and it has some fantastic characters and a strong, resourceful heroine. It will be hard to top this week.
It reminded me a lot of Snow White With the Red Hair, both being set amongst royalty and with strong heroines, but this is off to an even better start than that series and I like the setting a ton.
Wow. Just wow. I do love a mystery and I certainly love a little palace intrigue now and then. It’s telling that this book doesn’t shift its setting once and you still feel by the end that there are tons of stories left to tell. From medical mysteries to poisonings to aphrodisiacs to the supernatural (cough), there’s a lot of variety here.
So big points for such a unique setting, but the real winner here is Maomao herself. She’s an atypical manga heroine in that she’s clever, has agency, and is defined by her abilities and personality rather than pining after some guy. She just happens to be stuck in what is very much a man’s world.
Watching her evolution and learning just how typical a scientist-who-would-be-the-scourge-of-an-ethics-committee-if-one-existed she actually is? Pure delight. I really respected her reasoning for not trying to do any better at court too - I like how it makes sense in that society (and another character’s clever solution).
Then you have a stellar supporting cast. Jinshi is one hell of a foil for our heroine (although if he turns out to actually be a eunuch I’ll eat my... hat...) and while he gets a little too in her space, Maomao certainly doesn’t take his crap. They’re a great double act.
Oh and the art’s amazing too. Maomao’s got a great look (and the sort of sloppy style that I would attribute to somebody more concerned with their work than appearances). This manga also makes a strong argument that the line between bishonen and eunuch is very indistinct.
Yes, I thought this was a perfect manga. The last story could be more mysterious, sure, but this engaged me from start to finish and it has some fantastic characters and a strong, resourceful heroine. It will be hard to top this week.
It reminded me a lot of Snow White With the Red Hair, both being set amongst royalty and with strong heroines, but this is off to an even better start than that series and I like the setting a ton.
July 16, 2024
excited to binge this
November 15, 2025
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
╰› (⭐5)
⋆｡°✩ 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍
i ADOREEEE the anime of kusuriya no hitorigoto, or the apothecary diaries. it's literally one of if not my top one favourite animes ever. there's just something about it that's so addictive, and it definitely is present in the manga too! i love the setting, the characters, the plot - everything!! just absolute peak 🙂↕️
⋆｡°✩ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝘮𝘢𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘰 ⭑.ᐟ 🌿
maomao is such a cutie omg don't even get me STARTED 😭🩷
she's a lil odd but that's okay, i still love her <3
the way she's so resourceful and intelligent omfggg 🙏 if anyone deserved that promotion, it was DEFINITELY her xx
also ugh the way she didn't want to earn more money out of spite for her kidnappers... u are my petty vengeful idol maomao
𝘫𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪 ⭑.ᐟ 🍫
FINE SHYT FINE SHYT OMG
i love my men when they look a bit like a girl 👅
jinshi is so silly i absolutely adore him, just inject him into my veins already i need him so badddd 😭💞
no but seriously, where is he getting all this free time to annoy the shit out of maomao 😭 bro is NOT doing his job 💔
⋆｡°✩ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
lowkey wanna blast through the entire manga series as i'm still waiting on season 3 of the anime (october 2026 better watch TF out, first the conan concert and now apothecary diaries s3 part 1? i'm gonna be FERAL.)
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
╰› (⭐5)
⋆｡°✩ 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍
i ADOREEEE the anime of kusuriya no hitorigoto, or the apothecary diaries. it's literally one of if not my top one favourite animes ever. there's just something about it that's so addictive, and it definitely is present in the manga too! i love the setting, the characters, the plot - everything!! just absolute peak 🙂↕️
⋆｡°✩ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝘮𝘢𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘰 ⭑.ᐟ 🌿
maomao is such a cutie omg don't even get me STARTED 😭🩷
she's a lil odd but that's okay, i still love her <3
the way she's so resourceful and intelligent omfggg 🙏 if anyone deserved that promotion, it was DEFINITELY her xx
also ugh the way she didn't want to earn more money out of spite for her kidnappers... u are my petty vengeful idol maomao
𝘫𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪 ⭑.ᐟ 🍫
FINE SHYT FINE SHYT OMG
i love my men when they look a bit like a girl 👅
jinshi is so silly i absolutely adore him, just inject him into my veins already i need him so badddd 😭💞
no but seriously, where is he getting all this free time to annoy the shit out of maomao 😭 bro is NOT doing his job 💔
⋆｡°✩ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
lowkey wanna blast through the entire manga series as i'm still waiting on season 3 of the anime (october 2026 better watch TF out, first the conan concert and now apothecary diaries s3 part 1? i'm gonna be FERAL.)
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
February 18, 2024
3.75 ★
IF YOU HAVENT WATCHED OR READ THIS THEN WTF ARE U DOING
IF YOU HAVENT WATCHED OR READ THIS THEN WTF ARE U DOING
May 26, 2025
"Hinter dieser Schönheit...verbarg sich also Liebe. Wenn Liebe Frauen schön macht...um was für eine Arznei handelt es sich dann dabei?" 💛🌙
Nicht ganz leicht, in die Geschichte von Maomao reinzukommen, man muss sehr aufmerksam lesen, sonst verpasst man einen Zeitsprung und verliert den Überblick. Nichtsdestotrotz eine spannende Geschichte und ein wunderschöner Zeichenstil!✨
Ich freu mich auf die weiteren Bände 🧡
Nicht ganz leicht, in die Geschichte von Maomao reinzukommen, man muss sehr aufmerksam lesen, sonst verpasst man einen Zeitsprung und verliert den Überblick. Nichtsdestotrotz eine spannende Geschichte und ein wunderschöner Zeichenstil!✨
Ich freu mich auf die weiteren Bände 🧡
December 23, 2020
Historical fiction set in the Inner Palace of the Chinese emperor with stealth feminist messages about how few options were available for women at the time? Yes, please!
EDIT: Still great on a second reading!
EDIT: Still great on a second reading!
April 14, 2022
“If love has the power to make women more beautiful, I wonder what else it could cure”--MaoMao
The Apothecary Diaries is an adaptation of a novel primarily by the illustrator, focusing on a woman MaoMao, who is kidnapped and sold to the Emperor, forced to work as a servant in the inner palace. It has a few things going for it, depending on your tastes. MaoMao somehow became an apothecary, in other words a chemist/pharmacist. She attest to having medicine as her primary area of knowledge. None of the harem of the Emperor knows how to read, kept in their place as slaves have been historically by this means. MaoMao could “move up” to concubine status, but never could achieve the highest rank of the most beautiful and well-dressed women of the inner palace.
So as with any of these stories there’s always a hint of salacious details and insider politics, jealousies, and so on. And then some of the women and/or their babies are dying, apparently being poisoned! Some people discover she knows how to detect poisons and can read, so she quickly moves up the power ladder. She attracts the attentions of Jinshi, a beautiful man who hires her as a food taster (and would seem to be a bisexual?). Jinshi asks her to make an aphrodisiac, about which we learn the ingredients (chocolate is your secret ingredient, surprise, surprise!), which when made seems to make some of the inner palace wild.
So that’s a fun diversion, but the weight of the story is really on MaoMao’s scientific knowledge, her ability to read, and how she can help one inner palace slave, Lady Kyo, (also known as The Cotton Rose, driven insane by being helped captive by the Emperor when she loves another man, We dancing every night on the roof.
The nit I have is that MaoMao, an apothecary, as in most manga, looks ot be about nine years old. Not all the characters are thus infantilized in this ways, though. The art is great; there’s romance, intrigue, great swirling artwork, and a smart woman who seems to be poised to solve an inner palace medical mystery.
The Apothecary Diaries is an adaptation of a novel primarily by the illustrator, focusing on a woman MaoMao, who is kidnapped and sold to the Emperor, forced to work as a servant in the inner palace. It has a few things going for it, depending on your tastes. MaoMao somehow became an apothecary, in other words a chemist/pharmacist. She attest to having medicine as her primary area of knowledge. None of the harem of the Emperor knows how to read, kept in their place as slaves have been historically by this means. MaoMao could “move up” to concubine status, but never could achieve the highest rank of the most beautiful and well-dressed women of the inner palace.
So as with any of these stories there’s always a hint of salacious details and insider politics, jealousies, and so on. And then some of the women and/or their babies are dying, apparently being poisoned! Some people discover she knows how to detect poisons and can read, so she quickly moves up the power ladder. She attracts the attentions of Jinshi, a beautiful man who hires her as a food taster (and would seem to be a bisexual?). Jinshi asks her to make an aphrodisiac, about which we learn the ingredients (chocolate is your secret ingredient, surprise, surprise!), which when made seems to make some of the inner palace wild.
So that’s a fun diversion, but the weight of the story is really on MaoMao’s scientific knowledge, her ability to read, and how she can help one inner palace slave, Lady Kyo, (also known as The Cotton Rose, driven insane by being helped captive by the Emperor when she loves another man, We dancing every night on the roof.
The nit I have is that MaoMao, an apothecary, as in most manga, looks ot be about nine years old. Not all the characters are thus infantilized in this ways, though. The art is great; there’s romance, intrigue, great swirling artwork, and a smart woman who seems to be poised to solve an inner palace medical mystery.
February 9, 2022
WOW! This was SUPER enjoyable! Pretty sure I laughed almost through the whole thing!
Maomao is SUCH a fun character to follow! She doesn't put up with anything and her no-nonsense attitude made as a whole made me eager to devour more of this story. (Her expressions are always so on point and really enjoy her internal dialogue!) Throw in this "mystery" element and I was totally sold!
Plus, Jinshi!!! Their banter is EVERYTHING!! I want to say I ship them, but I never want that banter to be lost because it was absolutely hilarious! He is definitely one of my favorite characters as well as his aide because like Maomao, I do feel bad for the aide. LOL!
Going back to the mystery element, I enjoyed how Maomao was trying to solve things that were going on and how it pushed the plot forward. I think it's more episodic-like then an actual plot but each chapter seems related even if they could probably be read on their own without the previous chapter.
Overall, this read truly surprised me! I laughed so much more then I expected and just found myself having a really good time! (I will note there was one scene that I don't really feel was needed.) Everyone is a really interesting character and deeply enjoyed the setting!
Definitely looking forward to the next volume!
Maomao is SUCH a fun character to follow! She doesn't put up with anything and her no-nonsense attitude made as a whole made me eager to devour more of this story. (Her expressions are always so on point and really enjoy her internal dialogue!) Throw in this "mystery" element and I was totally sold!
Plus, Jinshi!!! Their banter is EVERYTHING!! I want to say I ship them, but I never want that banter to be lost because it was absolutely hilarious! He is definitely one of my favorite characters as well as his aide because like Maomao, I do feel bad for the aide. LOL!
Going back to the mystery element, I enjoyed how Maomao was trying to solve things that were going on and how it pushed the plot forward. I think it's more episodic-like then an actual plot but each chapter seems related even if they could probably be read on their own without the previous chapter.
Overall, this read truly surprised me! I laughed so much more then I expected and just found myself having a really good time! (I will note there was one scene that I don't really feel was needed.) Everyone is a really interesting character and deeply enjoyed the setting!
Definitely looking forward to the next volume!
January 12, 2021
Maomao has been kidnapped, and sold to the palace. Though she would love to send money home to her actual family, she is unable to. She has been trained as an Apothecary, with the abilities to read and write. She didn't make it known in the palace, because she didn't want her kidnappers getting more money.
When two of the emperor's consorts, as well as their infant children are ill, she leaves an anonymous note about poison, and is found out by the beautiful Jinshi, and he decides to use her talents in his favor, to make some political moves of his own.
The art and story both in this one are absolutely fantastic! I expect that this will be one of those series that I won't ever shut up about.
When two of the emperor's consorts, as well as their infant children are ill, she leaves an anonymous note about poison, and is found out by the beautiful Jinshi, and he decides to use her talents in his favor, to make some political moves of his own.
The art and story both in this one are absolutely fantastic! I expect that this will be one of those series that I won't ever shut up about.
April 26, 2024
Maomao is a low level maid in the Chinese imperial court. However, due to her skills in medicine and her ability to read, she gets promoted to being one of the attendants to the emperor's favorite consort. A lot of the humor in this series comes from Maomao, a woman who is not interested in romance and the intrigues of the court at all, being thrust into a world where these are the primary concerns. I came to respect her for being true to herself. She makes no efforts to appear to be someone she is not. That kind of bravery in a world where image is everything is something to be admired.
January 17, 2024
Completely in love with the MC h. She’s cute, but not in an adorable way and she isn’t a beauty. She SMART, but doesn’t flaunt it. Her head’s not turned by a pretty face and I LOVE that about her. She’s calm and rational and I love the disdain that she has for the Pretty Boi.
5, trying really hard not to buy the rest for my eReader right now as I have the next few volumes at home in real book form, stars.
5, trying really hard not to buy the rest for my eReader right now as I have the next few volumes at home in real book form, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2024
This is a review of all volumes and chapters published so far (note that the artist, Nekokurage, is currently in jail for tax evasion (I won't comment on that cause like seriously 😒... But I wanted to point this out because I don't think there will be new chapters in the near future).
This manga is an absolute delight 🩶 It's fun (with a good dose of humor) and entertaining; the mysteries are exciting and not straightforward like in other manga.
May I interest you in:
🌿 a smart, no-nonsense apothecary in Imperial China
🐍 a poison-obsessed and experiment-driven apothecary living at the Imperial Palace (first, she had no choice, but later, she chose it)
🌿 intricate mysteries that span over two chapters (crazy ah? Manga readers will know what I mean)
🐍 unrequited (or maybe not?) love 🐸
🌿 a bunch of fun and well-developed supporting characters 🩶 (the red light district's princesses, the adoptive father, ...).
This manga is an absolute delight 🩶 It's fun (with a good dose of humor) and entertaining; the mysteries are exciting and not straightforward like in other manga.
May I interest you in:
🌿 a smart, no-nonsense apothecary in Imperial China
🐍 a poison-obsessed and experiment-driven apothecary living at the Imperial Palace (first, she had no choice, but later, she chose it)
🌿 intricate mysteries that span over two chapters (crazy ah? Manga readers will know what I mean)
🐍 unrequited (or maybe not?) love 🐸
🌿 a bunch of fun and well-developed supporting characters 🩶 (the red light district's princesses, the adoptive father, ...).
May 3, 2024
Ok I LOVE this. The poisons. The brewing. The investigating. The banter. Yes, yes, yes.
August 2, 2021
Un premier tome intriguant qui nous plonge au coeur des complots de la Cité Impériale de la Chine ancienne.
L'histoire est passionnante, les personnages mystérieux et les dessins sublimes.
Hâte de lire la suite !
Ma chronique : http://unjour-unlivre.fr/les-carnets-...
L'histoire est passionnante, les personnages mystérieux et les dessins sublimes.
Hâte de lire la suite !
Ma chronique : http://unjour-unlivre.fr/les-carnets-...
October 14, 2025
3,5 ⭐️
Wstępnie to mi się podoba, zobaczymy jak będzie dalej. Jestem bardzo ciekawa relacji pomiędzy Maomao a Jinshi.
Wstępnie to mi się podoba, zobaczymy jak będzie dalej. Jestem bardzo ciekawa relacji pomiędzy Maomao a Jinshi.
July 18, 2025
It was fine. It's saving grace was the pretty boy. Ending came out of nowhere. I am not really sure what the plot was supposed to be either. I won't be reviewing.
September 30, 2023
I am already in love with this series because I am in love with Mao Mao. What a fucking legend, she is so sassy, blunt, and smart she's such a great protagonist. The fact that she referred to her kidnapping as "most inconvenient" speaks volumes of who she is as a character. Also, she's just really fucking funny. She knows when to hold her tongue, but her inner monologue is so savage and blunt, it's incredible!
Moving on, I really love how rich and sumptuous the artwork is. The way the characters are designed, as well as effective use of heavy lines, shading, and lighting, really sells their nobility and status. That being said, the artwork/ art style is fluid and flexible enough to accommodate dramatic moments, cute/ heartwarming moments, or comedic moments. Also, the characters are super expressive and anyone who knows me knows I'm absolute trash for that.
As for critiques, while I'm not fond of some of the things said (such as men becoming more "feminine" when their "manhood" is removed) I understand that it is trying to be historically accurate so I'm willing to give it a pass. One thing that does bother me is that there isn't always an explanation as to why something was a problem. For example, in the first chapter it's discovered that a face powder the consorts were wearing was poisoning their children, thus causing them to die sooner. While I inevitably came to the conclusion that the children were getting poisoned from being in close contact to the powder, such as being held to the consort's face, thus the powder rubbing off on them, that was never really explained. You just have to draw your own conclusions, which is weird considering this is a mystery series and the mysteries should at least be thoroughly explained after the reveal. It obviously wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment, but I felt the need to address it.
Rant aside, I had a blast reading this and have already started volume 2. I really love this first volume and highly recommend it!
Moving on, I really love how rich and sumptuous the artwork is. The way the characters are designed, as well as effective use of heavy lines, shading, and lighting, really sells their nobility and status. That being said, the artwork/ art style is fluid and flexible enough to accommodate dramatic moments, cute/ heartwarming moments, or comedic moments. Also, the characters are super expressive and anyone who knows me knows I'm absolute trash for that.
As for critiques, while I'm not fond of some of the things said (such as men becoming more "feminine" when their "manhood" is removed) I understand that it is trying to be historically accurate so I'm willing to give it a pass. One thing that does bother me is that there isn't always an explanation as to why something was a problem. For example, in the first chapter it's discovered that a face powder the consorts were wearing was poisoning their children, thus causing them to die sooner. While I inevitably came to the conclusion that the children were getting poisoned from being in close contact to the powder, such as being held to the consort's face, thus the powder rubbing off on them, that was never really explained. You just have to draw your own conclusions, which is weird considering this is a mystery series and the mysteries should at least be thoroughly explained after the reveal. It obviously wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment, but I felt the need to address it.
Rant aside, I had a blast reading this and have already started volume 2. I really love this first volume and highly recommend it!
August 24, 2021
Maomao is a young girl who used to be an apothecary before she was abducted by slavers. At first she's subcontracted to the imperial palace as a food taster to the emperor's favorite concubine, and later she starts working with the court's physician when her literacy and talents as an herbalist come to light.
This manga, based on a light novel or series of light novels, is a sequence of short stories, a couple of which have very light mystery elements. Maomao is surrounded by a number of fun characters, including Jinshi, a sort of supervisor in the palace (actual role unclear), who develops a bantering relationship with Maomao where he flirts with her and she ignores it.
The story avoids going into much detail about herbalism, which was a mild disappointment. We see Maomao's excitement at being allowed into the physician's herb storage room, and very little of what she's actually getting excited about.
Some details are somewhat questionable. For example, Maomao is the only literate maid, but the laundry she and the other maids deliver to the concubines' rooms is marked with tags that can't be parsed by an illiterate person. The effects of the "aphrodisiac" in the second story are more a matter of psychology than physiology, but they are presented as the latter. And the little I know about eunuchs isn't in line with how they're presented here.
I can easily see this as a sort of alternate-universe Story of Saiunkoku with herbalism rather than civil service as the hook. Shurei and Maomao have a similar arc (one I rather like!) of a young woman in an imperial court who makes her way into a position unusual for women of the time, through her own talents and strength of character. There's certainly the foundation for an interesting series, here, though it's going to need more "oomph" in some respect--whether science, mystery, court intrigue or character building--to keep me reading for much longer.
This manga, based on a light novel or series of light novels, is a sequence of short stories, a couple of which have very light mystery elements. Maomao is surrounded by a number of fun characters, including Jinshi, a sort of supervisor in the palace (actual role unclear), who develops a bantering relationship with Maomao where he flirts with her and she ignores it.
The story avoids going into much detail about herbalism, which was a mild disappointment. We see Maomao's excitement at being allowed into the physician's herb storage room, and very little of what she's actually getting excited about.
Some details are somewhat questionable. For example, Maomao is the only literate maid, but the laundry she and the other maids deliver to the concubines' rooms is marked with tags that can't be parsed by an illiterate person. The effects of the "aphrodisiac" in the second story are more a matter of psychology than physiology, but they are presented as the latter. And the little I know about eunuchs isn't in line with how they're presented here.
I can easily see this as a sort of alternate-universe Story of Saiunkoku with herbalism rather than civil service as the hook. Shurei and Maomao have a similar arc (one I rather like!) of a young woman in an imperial court who makes her way into a position unusual for women of the time, through her own talents and strength of character. There's certainly the foundation for an interesting series, here, though it's going to need more "oomph" in some respect--whether science, mystery, court intrigue or character building--to keep me reading for much longer.
February 9, 2024
I love stories about healer/apothecary types that geek out over random herbs and plants ❤️ the main character is so funny and is constantly making 🙄🤨faces at men. I’ll be continuing this series.
November 29, 2024
omg i love maomao sm
May 16, 2023
Etwas wirr geschrieben aber sonst ein super Einstieg ☺️
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