The Apothecary Diaries unveiled the incredible cover of volume 15

The official cover of volume #15 of the light novel “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto” (The Apothecary Diaries) has been presented to the public in the official media of the Japanese printing house “Hero Bunko“. Additionally, the publisher Shufunotomo confirmed that this volume is scheduled to be released for sale in bookstores in Japan on March 29th of this year.

But that’s not all, as the printing house “Hero Bunko” has reported to the public that the popular literary franchise “The Apothecary Diaries” managed to surpass the staggering figure of 33 million copies in circulation. It is worth noting that this figure corresponds to the copies of the original light novel volumes and their respective manga adaptations that are currently in print.

The Apothecary Diaries light novel The Apothecary Diaries unveiled the official cover of its volume #15

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, also known as The Apothecary Diaries in the West, is a popular light novel written by Natsu Hyuuga and illustrated by Touko Shino that began publication at Shufunotomo Publishing House’s Hero Bunko imprint as of August 29, 2014. As some may guess, the work is still in publication and Shufunotomo Publishing has released a total of 14 volumes + 1st limited edition of the work.

The Apothecary Diaries light novel has a manga adaptation by illustrator Nekokurage. Said manga adaptation began its serialization in the Gekkan Big Gangan magazine of the Square Enix publishing house since September 2017.

However, the original work also has another manga adaptation, entitled Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Maomao no Koukyuu Nazotoki Techou, which is in charge of Minoji Kurata and was first published in August 2017 in Gekkan Sunday Gene-X magazine of Shogakukan publishing house.

Thanks to the good public reception of Natsu Hyuuga and Touko Shino‘s light novel, an anime adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries was announced in February 2023. The anime series premiered on television in Japan on October 22, 2023 and is currently airing.

Animation studios OLM and TOHO Animation Studio are in charge of the production of the series and it is being broadcast legally through the Crunchyroll platform, which is producing an English dub. Another detail to highlight is that the television anime The Apothecary Diaries will be composed of a total of 24 episodes in total.

“The Apothecary Diaries” is a captivating novel that immerses readers in the intriguing intricacies of the Chinese imperial court. The story follows Maomao, the daughter of an apothecary, who is torn from her peaceful life to be sold and turned into a mere servant on the lowest rungs of the palace.

Despite her humble position, Maomao skillfully hides her vast knowledge of medicine, trying to avoid any unwanted attention. However, her fate changes drastically when the emperor’s young children begin to suffer mysterious symptoms, setting off a chain of events that will lead her to unravel dark secrets.

As Maomao solves the medical riddles that afflict the imperial court, her insight and skills do not go unnoticed, earning her recognition and promotion to lady-in-waiting to the emperor’s favorite concubine, Gyokuyou. With her pharmaceutical knowledge, Maomao becomes an indispensable figure, facing palace intrigues and challenges that will test her wit and courage.