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kochou1331's profile picture

kochou1331's review

4.5
lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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bree_h_reads's profile picture

bree_h_reads's review

5.0
lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I so quickly fell in love with the show I KNEW I had to pickup the manga or light novels. I’m so feral for the show.

I like how complex all the characters feel. Maomao starts with hidden depths and implies the same for everyone acting in court. I get the sense everyone has more to them and that they’re hiding something. Either a big secret or something small to hide their plans and machinations. I also like all their relationships. Maomao is such girls girl and I love how quickly everyone around her takes to her. It’s sweet and endearing and it warms you up to Maomao because she wouldn’t have a million people that would commit crimes for her if she were insufferable.

I think that the mysteries were also handled very well. You could follow what was happening and it was fun to try to sort out what was happening in Maomao’s head. I think you (mostly) could follow the mystery and solving it yourself. I never felt like an answer was just dumped on me with no build up. I also think the quick and snappy pace of the manga was pretty well done and balanced everything with the more slow moving nature of time and life.

Overall, check it out! I loved it and I think it was super cute. All the characters are delightful and I’m dying to see where the story goes.

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nat_kiverse's profile picture

nat_kiverse's review

5.0
emotional funny informative reflective tense fast-paced

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emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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jaydarjoker's profile picture

jaydarjoker's review

3.75
funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I adore the anime adaptation of this manga so I just had to give reading it a shot! I love the art style in the manga and it's always really cool to see comparisons between the adaptation and the manga. I still adore the story and I'm so excited to read through the manga and see what lies ahead!

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morgain's review

4.75
adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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alyssa_s10's profile picture

alyssa_s10's review

5.0
funny mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I like this series bit more than I thought I would. I love the main characters intelligence and cunning.

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ashlikes's review

3.5
adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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rorikae's review

4.0
adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

'The Apothecary Diaries' by Natsu Hyuuga is a fascinating peek into the life in the inner court of a palace. 
Kidnapped and working as a servant in the palace, Maomao's life takes a turn when she solves the mystery of a curse that is affecting the emperor's heirs. Promoted, the inner court utilizes Maomao's knowledge of herbal medicine to cure ails and solve apparent mysteries that are circulating. 
'The Apothecary Diaries" blends a historical story with intrigue and mystery. Maomao is a sympathetic character who we are slowly getting to know better. This first volume introduces her and a hint of her backstory while also weaving her into the life of the inner court. I have a feeling that this story will continue to explore the political intrigue in the palace and how Maomao's knowledge can help solve different issues. I'm intrigued to see where this story goes next. 

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