I first found this anime through a Youtube channel that was dedicated for anime, in which the creator would often discuss about different kinds of anime. While the creator uploads videos of his reviews and analysis of the animes that he has watched, he was more well-known for his shorts where he quickly recommends and summarizes different anime titles. I don't remember his name, but I thank him for this recommendation because this was a big fresh of air for me.

I've been watching anime and reading manga since I was little, though it only truly became an interest when the pandemic hit. I used to watch a few episodes of niche, popular animes like Naruto, Dragon Maid, Inuyasha, and so on so forth. During my early stages of liking anime during the pandemic, I had watched a variety of anime, and Apothecary Diaries was like no other.

Having an anime set on Japan or a fictional country is very common. But having an anime set in China, more precisely during its imperial days, was not often heard of. I'm no history nerd, but I do know that Japan and China didn't have good relations with each other because of their history, I was firstly quite shocked that there was an anime with the setting as China in the good ol' days.

One thing that had drawn me into the series was the main character, Maomao. She is charming in her own ways, with her witty and pragmatic yet humble demeanor as well as her uncharacteristic excitement when it comes to poison.

Due to her growing up in the red light district, she was well-acquainted with the world of sex workers, though she never became one due to her physique not fulfilling the standards. She is a very practical and flexible, easily adjusting to new environments and routine. When Maomao was kidnapped, she seemed quite nonchalant about it, adjusting with her life as a mere worker at the palace, despite not being too fond of it. She approaches her daily tasks and problems with straightforwardness and logic, believing that it is the best way to get through life. Despite so, she seemed to have a strong sense of justice and compassion and mixed with her neverending curiosity, leading her into solving many mysteries within the palace and getting into the problems of other people.

The story sets a great balance in things, from characters (design and personality), dynamics, visuals and music. Of course, the animation can't be considered as high tier, but it's pleasing enough to the eye, balancing out the mystery and critical problems that often becomes the main theme of the episodes. The story changes every few episodes, introducing new problems and characters, exploring the crevices of their personality. The traditional Chinese music, often mixed with modern music does a great job on setting the mood. The mystery, drama, with sprinkles of comedy here and there makes the perfect mix of an anime, at least for my taste.

Overall, The Apothecary Diaries is a great anime. By the start of watching this anime, most of the series that I liked had ended or the next season was still on progress. It affected greatly on my excitement for anime, causing me to not watch it for quite sometime, or I was unable to focus on watching other animes. But Apothecary Diaries brought my excitement back to life, making my weekends feel less bland with a new hyperfixation.