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Reviews tagging 'Death'
The Apothecary Diaries, Volume 1 by Itsuki Nanao, Nekokurage, Natsu Hyuuga
6 reviews
bookcheshirecat's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
➽ I was pleasantly surprised by The Apothecary Diaries! I wasn't sure if the setting would work for me, but Maomao stole my heart! The story is set in a world based on Imperial China during the Tang dynasty and takes place in the inner palace, where the Emperor's concubines reside. Maomao is a lowly servant who was sold into servitude and used to be an apothecary. I immediately liked her whip-smart commentary and cynical nature. She really stood out as an authentic, intriguing protagonist. Maomao is very clever but used to downplaying her skills as they'll only make more work for her and her kidnappers still get a cut of her wages. I understood that she didn't want to admit that she can read and knows about medicinal herbs, as being unseen in court can sometimes be better. I just found her so endearing and loved her darker humor!
➽ When Maomao helps out one of the most coveted concubines Gyokuyō, she finds herself as the new food tester. Despite wanting to fly under the radar, she is now in a much better position and helps solve mysteries inside the court with the help of her apothecary skills. She can finally experiment with concoctions and herbs again! There are a lot of serious topics in the Manga, but Maomao's different expressions and commentary definitely lighten them. I'm intrigued to see what'll happen with Jinshi, an eunuch close to concubine Gyokuyō as he's still quite mysterious. Maomao's not sure about his true intentions and it'll be interesting to see what he might be hiding!
➽ When Maomao helps out one of the most coveted concubines Gyokuyō, she finds herself as the new food tester. Despite wanting to fly under the radar, she is now in a much better position and helps solve mysteries inside the court with the help of her apothecary skills. She can finally experiment with concoctions and herbs again! There are a lot of serious topics in the Manga, but Maomao's different expressions and commentary definitely lighten them. I'm intrigued to see what'll happen with Jinshi, an eunuch close to concubine Gyokuyō as he's still quite mysterious. Maomao's not sure about his true intentions and it'll be interesting to see what he might be hiding!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Grief, and Kidnapping
peachani's review
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual harassment and Death
paulawind's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Fun and I love the detective-ish plot lines
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death and Death
alyssa_s10's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I like this series bit more than I thought I would. I love the main characters intelligence and cunning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Medical content
Moderate: Grief, Child death, and Self harm
Minor: Lesbophobia, Body shaming, and Death
emmaopaline's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death and Death
noellelovesbooks's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
4.25
Cute start to a series!
I've been hearing a lot about this manga and wanted to see what all the hype was about. I used to read any and all manga I could get my hands on when I was younger so I figured it would be nice to reignite that love...and this book did not disappoint.
I already love our main character as she's smart and funny and I'm interested to see more side characters come into play.
I've been hearing a lot about this manga and wanted to see what all the hype was about. I used to read any and all manga I could get my hands on when I was younger so I figured it would be nice to reignite that love...and this book did not disappoint.
I already love our main character as she's smart and funny and I'm interested to see more side characters come into play.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Child death, and Death
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