kendallm21 's review for:

The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 1 by Natsu Hyuuga

4.0

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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I love Maomao. I read this after season 1 and part of season 2 of the anime and definitely think seeing the characters and knowing them helps get into this book. Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I didn’t have that background but I definitely loved it and will keep reading. Maomao as a narrator can be somewhat unreliable which I think is so fun. The amount of times she calls Jinshi beautiful or nymph while pared with her looks of disgust/ boredom (or as she would put it like a worm) is so funny. I loved their dynamic through out and can’t wait to read more. I also loved each problem/ mystery Maomao had to work through and feel like the multiple “stories” give such a cozy vibe even if the content is more sad or dark. Anyway! Can’t wait to continue with the next volume and definitely recommend the anime or manga along with the light novels for more context.