The Apothecary Diaries team responds to original content connections to the novel.
The Apothecary Diaries team spills the beans on their anime adaptation!
When The Apothecary Diaries burst onto the scene last year, it quickly rose to the top of the anime charts as one of the most popular series of 2023! And now, thanks to its phenomenal success, a second season has been greenlit. We were beyond excited to sit down with director Norihiro Naganuma at this year’s Anime Expo to dive deep into the creation of the first season.
As comic book fans, we’re no strangers to adapting beloved source material into visual form. But what happens when the starting point is a novel? That’s precisely the case with The Apothecary Diaries, which originated as a 2012 novel before morphing into manga and light novel forms. So, how did the anime creators balance their commitment to the original story with adding their own flair?
Director Norihiro Naganuma shared some insider secrets with us: “The novel provided the underlying story, and to enhance it, we created some new content. We wanted to make sure our adaptation had a unique visual tone and color palette that does the original justice. And when an exciting event unfolds, Maomao’s reactions and emotions come to the forefront – that’s key to telling this story.”
From Page to Screen: The Apothecary Diaries’
Usually, anime adaptations draw from manga, light novels, or a combination of these sources. So, when you think of a novel-based adaptation like The Apothecary Diaries, it’s a rare breed. This series has had its origins as a novel since 2012 and branched out into manga and light novels.
If you haven’t caught up on The Apothecary Diaries‘s first season, streaming is now available on Crunchyroll! The series’ description on Crunchyroll goes like this: “Meet Maomao, a resourceful young apothecary, as she navigates the dangers and intrigues of the palace in the name of herbal medicine! Join Maomao, accompanied by her handsome eunuch confidant Jinshi, on her quest to uncover the mystery and drama lurking beneath the palace walls. And don’t forget – our very own Team Anime has the latest updates and exclusive scoop on The Apothecary Diaries!