Having grown up in a household filled with family that loved Chinese period dramas, they were virtually inescapable for me. Someone in my family was always watching the hottest new period drama, and eventually, I also began to watch them with my family, and I got hooked on them quickly. At this point, the tropes in those shows were all too familiar to me, so count me surprised when I watched The Apothecary Diaries, and almost immediately thought of what a breath of fresh air this was. It has probably the best female character of 2023, and while it definitely was overshadowed by a certain other heavy hitter, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, this anime still had enough going for it to merit a lot of discourse in the anime community, and in my opinion stood up to its opponents in both the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 anime seasons very well.

This series has very riveting mystery elements, while staying light-hearted and comedic at times, and all encapsulated in a fictional inner palace, modelled after a Chinese setting. As I have mentioned earlier, I am no stranger to Chinese period dramas, and I always find it interesting how gender is portrayed in these shows. In the older Chinese dynasties, the Imperial Chinese harem system was very prevalent and common, and the inner palace, babymaking and the objectifying of women, with them being handled and passed around as gifts, was what life was dedicated to. For that reason, I find it intriguing that in this portrayal of the inner palace, we see the perspectives of women with agency, solving problems, being involved in the politics of the palace, all in quite a thoughtful way. Also, the existence of a particular character in the show as a test of loyalty to the emperor struck me as a different twist to the whole system, a unique take on this fictional Chinese setting.

The mystery elements were done well, as it was interesting to see how this series introduced a lot of mysteries, but didn’t outright provide the answer, or culprit to the viewer. We get the reasons why people were caught up in issues, or in some cases, how they ended up dying, but the viewer gets left questioning whether or not the intuition of the main character was actually accurate. Things are not answered right away, but eventually, the series calls back to those mysteries that the viewer might have forgotten, and weaves them together for a great pay-off. Some of the episodes, especially in the early parts of the second half, were not as interesting when I first watched it, but knowing how it set up for the pay-off, in hindsight, it did made a lot more sense, and that indeed, every moment, even the duller ones, had some effect on the bigger picture.

The main protagonist, Maomao, makes the entire show for me, and was the main reason I enjoyed this anime as much as I did. She was such an endearing, captivating main character that had a really dynamic personality that could range from her not giving a bother about getting kidnapped at the start of the anime, yet throughout the series, really investing herself in the mysteries of the palace setting, and through her endless thirst for knowledge (and poison), we got to see her go to great lengths to achieve whatever goal she set out to achieve on any given day. Her voice actor, Aoi Yuuki, performed spectacularly to bring out the varied tones to match up with her multi-faceted personality, and she really made Maomao come to life in the best way possible. She reminds me of other protagonists I have seen in Chinese period dramas, but her character writing was more unique compared to any others, and I am glad she had her own ambitions she was able to achieve, rather than just being a tool for the emperor or her superiors. All the other characters also shined in their own ways, and even the ones that only show up briefly, end up being memorable.

The art and animation in this show was not flashy, but still very highly detailed and intricate to really flesh out the setting. The character designs were varied and were unique while staying true to its Chinese identity. The more subtle movements were handled with care, such as the little mannerisms that befit the Chinese setting. The covering of the mouth with their sleeves as they enter a room, and how the characters eat their food are just some examples of that in action. Little details like that really impressed me, as it showed how much care the staff put in to making sure they stayed true to Chinese culture. The music further elevated the material to new heights. Sure, the overall visual quality isn’t at a level of the powerhouse shounen anime, but with the resources the staff had at their disposal, they did a phenomenal job.

Overall, this was a fantastic series, along with one of the best main female characters I have seen in a while. While not every mystery or every episode hit as deeply, whenever they did, it was excellent, riveting, even bone-chilling. If you have any interest in Chinese dramas, or even if you don’t, there will likely be something you will find that intrigues you. With a Season 2 confirmed for next year, I couldn’t be more excited to see more of this wonderful series.