Beginning as a novel series, in 2011, by Natsu Hyuga, The Apothecary Diaries tells the story of a young pharmacist who is taken in to work for the emperor. From there, the plot thickens as the young lady discovers a mystery involving the children; for some reason, they continue to get sick despite her treatment, and she tries to learn why.
Following the success of the novel, which is still releasing new chapters, a manga was introduced in 2017. Adapting the original story, the manga has been helmed by Itsuki Nanao and Nekokurage and published in the pages of Square Enix's Big Gangan magazine. Minoji Kurata launched a spin-off manga that same year in the pages of Square Enix's Sunday GX magazine.
Recently, an announcement came that the current manga series will be going on a 1-month hiatus. No specific reason was given for the break except for "various reasons." Thankfully, the wait should not be long, and the manga will return to business as usual.
For now, it's a great time to catch on on any missed chapters from any of the series in the franchise. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
The story follows Maomao, a pharmacist from the pleasure district who finds herself working as a servant in the palace of the emperor. She hopes to quietly fulfill her contract at the palace without ever receiving a "visit" from the emperor. She comes to discover that the emperor's children suffer from short lifespans and begins to investigate the cause as the only two remaining royal children continue to get sicker.
The Apothecary Diaries will continue in one month!