薬屋のひとりごと

KUSURIYA NO HITORIGOTO

MANGA

STATUS
RELEASING
VOLUMES
Not Available
RELEASE
Invalid Date
CHAPTERS
Not Available

DESCRIPTION

Maomao, a young woman trained in the art of herbal medicine, is forced to work as a lowly servant in the inner palace. Though she yearns for life outside its perfumed halls, she isn’t long for a life of drudgery! Using her wits to break a “curse” afflicting the imperial heirs, Maomao attracts the attentions of the handsome eunuch Jinshi and is promoted to attendant food taster. But Jinshi has other plans for the erstwhile apothecary, and soon Maomao is back to brewing potions and…solving mysteries?!

(Source: Square Enix)

Note: Won the Grand Prize in the Printed Manga category at the Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Award 2019.

CAST

Maomao
Jinshi
Gyokuyou
Gaoshun
Rifa
Aaduo
Lakan
Pairin
Meimei
Riishu
Lihaku
Rouran
Ruomen
Joka
Xiaolan
Fenshen
Fuyou
Hongniang
Yarite Baba
Koutei
Lingli
Guen

CHAPTERS

RELATED TO KUSURIYA NO HITORIGOTO

NOVEL DramaKusuriya no Hitorigoto

Cover Art for Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Maomao no Koukyuu Nazotoki Techou

MANGA DramaKusuriya no Hitorigoto: Maomao no Koukyuu Nazotoki Techou

ANIME DramaKusuriya no Hitorigoto

REVIEWS

Cookiefudge
90/100
More than meets the eye.
Coming into this manga I already had a preconceived notion that it would be your average detective fiction with a slight twist, only to be proven the complete opposite. It's been a long time since I have come across a manga that on the surface level seems straightforward while simultaneously delivering a complex tale of a somber reality. This manga is an adaptation made from the original light novel. I have not read the source material and will not make parallels or comparisons to it in any way.

The Apothecary Diary is set in an Asian feudal era and follows the herbalist and poison enthusiast Mao Mao that gets abducted. She was then sold and forced to work as a servant in the emperor's court among the countless other servants and concubines. Hoping to be released from her service in the nearest future Mao Mao tries to be as inconspicuous as possible. This proved to be more difficult than anticipated after she secretly helped cure the imperial heirs with her medical knowledge got found out, leading to her appointment as a food taster.

What then follows is the brilliant interlacing of comedy, tragedy, and mystery. At first glance, the manga can be experienced lighthearted, almost comedic, which it certainly is at times but the main topic in my eyes is the overarching serious theme of the female pressures in society. The mystery element complements it admirably, as more is understood about the main subject as the mysteries are slowly revealed through the story. Every arc explores a new mysterious incident that shows further insight into the royal court. What's amazing is that it also manages to string everything together into one larger plot that connects all seemingly small and irrelevant issues that occur. The most impressive part is that the author hides these serious topics in plain sight with the dynamic, jovial characters, subtle implications, and appropriately placed playful moments.

Many different works include concubines and larger harems, often as fanservice, and in other cases as an uncreative harem. The Apothecary Diaries, deep-dives into the perspective of the concubines and the world that they live in. Other than keeping appearances up to a certain standard, concubines require other qualities to survive in such a competitive environment. Intelligence, elegance, etiquette, or some skill that can be used to entertain like dancing or board games are required to reach the top. Although the high-class concubines receive the preferential treatment they can still be removed and punished for a simple mistake. Living conditions depend on the favor of the emperor, leading to a constant ruthless rivalry between the concubines. Consequently, this breeds frequent hostile plots amidst themselves, often leading to atrocities. Further, it is interesting to see how the servants of high-class concubines function and participate in the hostilities, usually directed towards other servants, concubines, and sometimes even their own master. On the other hand, some servants become obsessively loyal, and actively work to elevate their master up the social hierarchy. Each facet of this environment creates an exceptional showcase of jealousy, betrayal, loyalty, and ambition.

The brilliance of this manga doesn't stay within the palace walls. When at occasion it's taken outside the royal court the story continued on the same topic but instead turned towards the pleasure district. Asides from being an important part of the main protagonist's childhood, the district depicts much like in the court, a conflicting reality of the workers there. On one side the women that work in brothels are alike caged birds, who at times suffer at the hands of the customers or diseases. On the other hand, the brothel is a safe area unlike other parts of the pleasure district where pretty women risk getting assaulted, kidnapped, or worse. On top of that not, every courtesan sells their bodies, some choose to sell their talents. Comparable to the inner court, with reputation and skill comes greater autonomy and quality of life. The most beautiful and skillful courtesans can earn money equal to a whole year's salary over a cup of tea. In admiration of these women, many come aspiring to be one of them, but of course, it is no easy feat to achieve. Even the young live-in apprentice's aren't guaranteed success in the future. The characters presented here are very real and human, some have become broken over the years, some still have childlike dreams, while some are in between joy and desperation. These conflicts show in the interactions, gestures, and expressions, and the character's contentment is often left for interpretation to the reader, which makes it so much better.

Mao Mao: our main protagonist is the decisive factor that makes this storytelling come together almost seamlessly. Growing up in the pleasure district and experiencing various things has made her very mature for her age. Besides being very intelligent, perceptive, and amusing she possesses an abnormal obsession with poison and medicine. This developed obsession could be explained to work as a distraction, a way to keep her going and find purpose in her existence in the harsh, unforgiving surroundings. Mao Mao's official job is being a food taster at the royal court but when her medical expertise is required she functions as a consultant and detective. Her deductions and observations give room for some consideration on the reader's end, in some cases even presenting multiple theories on the matter. Frequently, the motive in the crimes is left unclear. Mao Mao tries to appear distant to avoid trouble but is very caring and compassionate, regularly helping people she doesn't need to help. She is often conflicted when ordered to point out someone for a crime because she doesn't want to feel responsible for their punishment. So when she provides all the necessary information involving the case except the name she feels like a coward and a hypocrite. To keep things shorter, she is a well-rounded character well complemented by the rest of the side cast around her making Mao Mao shine even brighter.

The art in the manga is versatile, serving to shift between different atmospheres. Whether it wants to be cute, eerie, funny, or beautiful it manages to capture all of those emotions perfectly. There are few scenes depicting architecture or nature whereas the character designs are where the art truly excels. There is extra attention and variation to the clothing and accessory of all the different characters adding additional charm and exclusivity to every character. There is not much more to say, it is easy on the eyes and does what it's supposed to do.

In an effort to summarize my thoughts about this piece I can never seem to be quite satisfied with the result. My intent with this review was to clarify a bit more to myself why I loved this manga, and although I had more things that I would've liked to bring up I figured it would be better to keep it shorter in case somebody is interested. While others might not have the same experience that I had, I hope that they still give it a try and hopefully find some enjoyment in it. I look forward to future chapters!
Continue on AniList
Benkei
88/100
Spoiler-free review of Kusuriya no Hitorigoto. An unknown manga with everything you would expect from a popular manga.
════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Considerations ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ ● __This is a spoiler-free review.__ ● __80+ in my rating means very good media.__ ● I've got to read this work on a friend's recommendation. I read a bit of the synopsis and the herbal medicine mention got my attention, and that's what gave me the last push to read this work. ● As this work is still being released, I would like to start off by saying that at the time that I'm writing, we are at __chapter 66__. If things change drastically with time, I will come back and rewrite or edit this review. ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Story ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The story is centered on Maomao, a 17-year-old pharmacist who lives and works near a red-light district. One day, while gathering herbs in the forest, she gets kidnapped and sold as a slave. She ends up working at the emperor's palace. Her knowledge attracts the attention of Jinshi, an eunuch with high rank who assigns her the role of food tester for a high-class courtesan. The story of Kusuriya no Hitorigoto is really well told. It has several arcs that differentiate the style. Sometimes you have arcs that are more investigative, others focused on a SoL (Slice of Life) style, while others are done exclusively for character development, uncovering backgrounds and such. As Maomao is a pharmacist and gets assigned as a poison tester, you get to see a lot of rudimentary medicine. While at times they also take a liberty, using more complex solutions for problems than you would expect at the time, those moments have an "excuse" in the story and also create better puzzles for the reader to think about. ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Art Style ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ __The art of this work is absurdly good.__ That was the first thing that caught my interest because it is not a popular manga, but I was greeted with a drawing quality similar to that of more popular works such as Kaguya-sama. With further reading and specially on volume 4 extras, I was able to see that there was actually a big team of assistants, which explained the quality. The characters are very well designed, with different heights, hair-styles, and clothing characteristics. There's even commentary talking about how they aim to grow Maomao's hair as the volumes progress. Backgrounds, shadows, lightning, and everything else are very well done in this matter. No complaints. ‎ ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Characters ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ There are a fair number of characters in this manga; Maomao, her family, Jinshi, a giant number of courtesans, officials, and the list goes on. In my personal opinion, they're very unique; each one has a different mentality and things they aim for. Of course, the manga has a lot of mystery, but with time you start to understand more about the characters. In the main character department, Maomao is absolutely sublime. She behaves as if she is the point far from the curve, sometimes being very "tomboy". She is also very rational and funny. For a main character, her personality just makes everything else shine as her interactions with other characters give an extra flavor to the series. ‎ (Sometimes she's so cute!) ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Conclusion ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ If you're like me, you skip everything and read only the conclusion because you don't want to get spoiled with other themes. So I will try to be brief on this point: __Read it.__ Kusuriya no Hitorigoto has everything you would expect from a popular manga. Amazing art, characters, and story with a lot of genres in a single work. Mystery, drama, slice of life and more. I can't wait to see this work get an animation.
Continue on AniList
Krankastel
80/100
The dose makes the poison.
As I grow up, I realize I value harmony increasingly much, in various aspects. One is anything that composes myself being in perfect tune; body, mind, emotion all streamlined to minimize internal discord and optimize my energy and mood towards creative pursuits.

Another is tied to peace in my external environment; I crave that my surroundings are tranquil, allowing me to recharge in peace from hustle-and-bustle and any other tests of life.

And yet another is tied to appreciation of art, be it music, fictional works or even culinary arts; I appreciate a lot when anything I consume, metaphorically or literally, leaves my senses pleased or unsettled yet never disgraced, only to be digested smoothly and leave me with an impactful impression for ages to come.

For fictional works, I translate this into their elements being in a sort of “internal harmony” not unlike the first aspect; perfect balance within their own framework. Well then, how is my review related to that? Long story short, this work is a prime example of achieving such harmony.
__Note:__ this review is spoiler-free.
__[1. First, on setting…]__
It should be made crystal clear that the setting is not in ancient China by any stretch, unlike what some pages claim. It is set in an Asian fantasy nation, apparently a mishmash influenced by real-life Imperial China during multiple dynasties.

For example, the custom of foot binding is referenced, yet is not as commonplace in Kusuriya no Hitorigoto as it was during certain dynasties in China. Also, certain plants (e.g. cocoa) were not present in China, not at least before the Columbian Exchange took place.

Either way, the primary setting is a huge palace complex, perhaps not unlike the Forbidden City, with a clear difference being the presence of trees. The secondary setting is the world outside the palace, the protagonist’s hometown specifically.
__[2.Okay, but what of harmony?…]__
Time to elaborate. But first, I must point out the lynchpins of this manga: mystery and Maomao. Without either, the manga would be half-full. Mystery is its most prominent genre, with multiple layers of both episodic and overlapping mysteries.

The first are the most commonplace, often involving some medicine-related issue, with quite some counterexamples to break the mold and prevent the work from becoming formulaic and stagnant. The second are tied to characters' personal history, politics or even intrigue.

Now on to the next most prominent genre, it is probably drama. Often, it involves gritty realism on hardships people have to endure, especially women, but also court politics. However, primarily thanks to the unique perspective and antics of the eccentric protagonist, much slice-of-life and comedy is sprinkled alongside its mature and down-to-earth drama that prevents the work from becoming too sober, yet without degrading it to excessively silly.

Overall, as long as one is interested in the premise and is not alienated by the heroine, they can hardly find anything sticking out like a sore thumb. Mystery, drama, comedy, slice-of-life all meticulously ground in a spice mix pleasing the senses without upsetting the stomach.
Nonetheless, this is only one side of the coin. To conclude my point, it is imperative I elaborate on the protagonist and the rest of the cast.

__[3. Maomao, court and town…]__
It will become readily apparent the story is told by the perspective of its heroine, Maomao, and a lot of internal monologue is included, showcasing her thoughts and opinions. And her internal world is rich to say the least.

Looking like a plain teenage girl, she is actually more like a hyper-perceptive and intelligent… mad scientist, with a nearly obsessive like of anything potentially medical. “What does not kill you makes you stronger” could have easily been her motto. She is also quite complex, even paradoxical. Oddball with little social grace, yet confident and humble at the same time. Apathetic and insensitive, yet also surprisingly compassionate when push comes to shove.

Maomao aside, the male lead, Jinshi, is an equally hyper-perceptive and intelligent so-pretty-it-could-kill head eunuch. He is also quite a gadfly yet also social gracious, cunning and courteous. He is surrounded by mystery, one that is explored within the narrative.

Other denizens of the court include the emperor, his consorts, their ladies-in-waiting and other maids, guards and eunuchs. Outside the palace, the reader also gets to meet Maomao’s family and other familial people, among others. Not all characters are fleshed out, more so since Maomao holds the reins in this manga, but all play their given roles accordingly and glue together drama, comedy and mystery in one grand tapestry, one which is possible exactly thanks to Maomao's perspective being dominant here.

And that was "short story made long" on why this manga is a prime example of a work achieving internal harmony. I look forward to more chapters being released.
Hope you enjoyed my review!
Continue on AniList