I didn’t have enough books in October to bother doing a haul at the end of the month, so this haul combines the manga from both October and November. All of these books are in new condition. Two of the manga are Amazon purchases. The rest are from a local store. I prefer to buy locally if I’m able.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10
I highly recommend this series. It’s become one of my favorites. I keep up with the series pretty closely, so reviews of most, if not all, of the volumes can be found in the index section. Volume eleven is scheduled for release in March of 2024.
There is an anime out now. I’m not sure how accurate to the manga it is, because I have not yet seen it. It’s on my list of things to watch.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.
Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3 & 4
I’m building up a buffer for this series to hopefully read it for fall of 2024. My first exposure to the series was the anime. I’ve only seen the first season, but I absolutely loved it. I hear the manga is a little bit different, but I expect to enjoy it just as much.
What is it?
An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.
My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 & 4
Volumes one and two already have reviews available.
I’m excited to read more of this series. The first two volumes are great. These two catch me up to current release. Five was supposed to be out this past October, but I think it got delayed. I think it’s slated to be released this coming January of 2024.
There is also a light novel version of the series, which I plan on getting eventually. I think that has more volumes out than the manga, so it is probably a bit farther into the story.
I haven’t seen the anime, yet, but I’m excited about it.
What is it?
A Cinderella inspired historical romance with paranormal aspects.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 8 (volumes 22-24)
I love the anime for this, but unfortunately it’s one of the many that were never finished. The manga is apparently supposed to be darker than the show, but better. I’m looking forward to reading this series. It’s just a matter of figuring out when. I’ll probably start it on a whim one of the days when I’m not sure what to read.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.
This haul is a mix of purchases from a local store, an order from Amazon, and a gift from a friend.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 9
I highly recommend this series. I can’t get enough of it. The review for this volume is already available, and you can use the index to find reviews for all of the volumes that came before it.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.
Fangs, vol. 1
I stumbled across this when the release was new. It got thrown onto my wishlist and forgotten for a while. The series only has two volumes at the moment, and I’m unsure if it will be getting any more than that.
What is it?
A vampire BL romance.
Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1
A friend of mine had an extra copy, so this book was a gift. I don’t know much about it, but I’ve heard good things.
What is it?
Sounds like a sci-fi action series involving fighting off Kaiju. The description gives me Attack on Titan or Fire Force vibes.
My Hero Academia, Vol. 3
I mostly bought this to fill in a gap. My collection for this series is far behind current releases. I haven’t even started reading it. Before getting this volume, my collection only had one, two, and four. This series is not a priority for me. It’s long, and it has multiple spin-offs, so I’m not quite ready to delve into reading it. I plan on building a significant buffer before taking the plunge.
What is it?
An action manga themed around a school for super heroes, in a world where it’s normal for everyone to have a super power, except for a very minute portion of the population.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 9 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga) Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance Intended Age Group: Teen Publisher: Square Enix Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64609-135-5 Rating: 3.5/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleCrunchyrollThriftBooks
Description from the Book
A festive atmosphere descends upon the Inner Court with the arrival of a long-awaited merchant caravan and its myriad wares. Though the excitement is contagious and even Maomao looks forward to making purchases of her own, she soon cottons on to something potentially sinister about the innocuous goods for sale. Before Maomao can tease out any evidence, however, her attention turns to mushrooms when Jinshi asks her to root out any poisonous varieties on the grounds. But is this request just a bit of landscaping, or does it have anything to do with the rumors about a missing court lady?
Personal & Info
I’m glad this volume released rather quickly after eight. Six months was a long wait, so the short time between the two newest volumes was nice. Three months isn’t long to wait for the tenth book, either, but I’m still sad I have to wait.
Characters
Maomao, my favorite character in the series, continues to be eccentric in all the best ways.
Jinshi is ever present in this volume, assigning various tasks to Maomao as per usual.
Shisui is Xiaolan’s new gossip friend and fellow laundry maid.
Other character also appear, like the Lady of Verdigris, the physician, Gao Shun, the ladies of the Jade Palace, etc. but they play smaller roles.
Story & Thoughts
This volume is a little more chill than the others. Maomao goes back to handling unique tasks for Jinshi. As usual, doing her best to prevent potential disasters that nobody else would notice. But, don’t let my description fool you. There’s still plenty of intrigue.
Maomao returns to speculating with her own silent theories. She’s unable to determine if things are coincidences or another plot to unravel. It’s understandable to be at least a little paranoid after the culmination of events from volume six. All she can really do at this point is voice her concerns and hope for the best.
The way Maomao works, we must often settle for hypotheticals. She never wants to interject where she knows it’s not her business or station. She’s also adamant about not giving anyone an answer about anything without evidence. If possible, she’d rather people work out the answer themselves with the information she provides. These are things long taught about her character at this point. So, don’t be surprised if there isn’t confirmation on the results of some mysteries. Maomao is usually correct, though, so you can probably assume her speculations are accurate.
The last chapter, The Moon Fairy, is part one of a multi-part episode. Unfortunately, the next book does not release until November. Based on the implications of what is to come, I’m looking forward to it. It’s likely to be humorous.
Maomao is what keeps me reading. I love her character so much. She’s eccentric and often has her own goblin mode when it comes to poisons and medicines. Seeing her just be herself is always the highlight of reading this series. A laugh or two is guaranteed just by having her in the story, and her interactions with Jinshi tend to have their entertaining moments.
I was expecting to barely have enough books to even do a manga haul this month. My self control obviously needs work.
The books in this haul are a mix of Amazon orders, new and used, and purchases from my local store.
Comics
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift
This is the fourth omnibus in the recommended reading order for the Avatar comics, at least as far as I know. I think this is the library edition. For most of the Avatar comics, the paperbacks seem to be the individuals, and the hardcovers tend to be the omnibus library editions.
What is it?
A comic omnibus of The Rift that continues the story from the TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
This book is a danmei, which is a genre that is exploding in popularity right now. Danmei is essentially the Chinese equivalent to Boys Love. I generally love stories with BL couplings, so I got this book to try some danmei.
I specifically chose this one to try, because it’s rather short as a series. It only has four volumes in total. The series is a trilogy, with a fourth book that covers content for both past and future. So, if I like the series, it won’t be a huge commitment to finish it.
What is it?
From what I can tell, it’s a historical isekai BL romance.
Manga
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8
The Apothecary Diaries is a fantastic series and I highly recommend it. The review for this volume is already available. Volume nine will release on August, 15th.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance.
Flame of Recca, Vol. 18, 19, & 22
Flame of Recca is out of print, but I started my collection in middle school, so I want to finish it. The remaining volumes are higher in price, so they likely will not be seen in my hauls very frequently. I also will be purchasing them out of order from here on out, because it’ll be entirely based on what I find at reasonable prices based on availability.
What is it?
An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 5
I love this series. I’m a little behind on the English releases, but I’m trying to catch up. My goal is to catch up to the current releases before I watch the anime. There’s still time before that airs.
At the time of this post, reviews for the first four volumes are available. Five should be up in the near future.
What is it?
A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.
Inuyasha VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 5
I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often. Reviews for this series will likely wait until I feel like doing a re-read, which will probably be a good while.
Recently, I’ve also started getting the sequel series, Yashahime. I haven’t read any of it, yet, but reviews for it will be up eventually.
What is it?
A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 6 (volumes 16-18)
I’m getting these as they release, and I have plenty to get started on whenever I feel like it. This series is one of the manga I’m looking forward to reading the most. I just haven’t found the right time to start it.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.
Tail of the Moon, Vol. 15
This is the final volume of the Tail of the Moon series. It completes my collection, so after all these years, I can finally finish reading it. This series will be on the short list for manga I will be reading.
What is it?
A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga) Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance Intended Age Group: Teen Publisher: Square Enix Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64609-134-8 Rating: 4/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleCrunchyrollThriftBooks
Description from the Book
Sly tactician Lakan’s attempts at provocation lead to his own downfall when Maomao challenges him to elephant chess, only to outplay him in a game of wits! In a stupor from drinking “poison” as punishment for his loss, Lakan dreams of a long-lost past, his affair with a beautiful courtesan, and meeting her daughter for the very first time. Upon waking, he finds himself at Verdigris, where he is pressed to buy the freedom of a girl of his choosing and take her home as his wife! But will any of the flowers there catch his eye when his heart is in love with a memory?
Personal & Info
I keep a close eye on the release dates for this series. This volume was originally planned to release in May. Unfortunately, it was delayed until July, so it’s been a full six months since the last book. Things have been rather hectic for me lately, so I didn’t have time to re-read the previous volumes. Hopefully I remember enough to keep up with the story.
Characters
Maomao, my favorite character in the series, continues to be eccentric in all the best ways. We learn more about her origins in this volume.
Lakan is probably the most unlikeable character in the series. Despite previous hinting, he’s not as terrible as implied, but he’s still pretty bad.
Jinshi, always intrigued by Maomao, realizes he is a cat person.
Other characters also appear, but these three consume most of the screen time.
Story & Thoughts
The book starts off by diving into Lakan’s backstory. There is a preview of this at the end of volume seven, so I was expecting it. None of it justifies anything he does, but it gives some insight into understanding why he does things. It’s weird to see him more humanized after the series painted him to be an insensitive jerk of a tactician. I get the feeling the story is trying to emphasize that he’s not really a bad person, just different, and often misunderstood.
Out of the six chapters, four of them focus on backstory. Maomao and Lakan are the main focus of the volume, and their connection finally gets an in depth explanation. We even get to see Maomao’s mother. Most of the information has been hinted at throughout the story, so these chapters just solidify everything. The part that got me was the reveal of who Luomen, Maomao’s Pa, really is. That was something I never saw coming.
I’d been wondering about Maomao’s nightmare from an earlier volume. That’s one of the things that gets an explanation in this book, so I’m pretty happy about that. Maomao has certainly had an interesting childhood.
The last two chapters are more fun. There aren’t any blatant mysteries. It’s just life getting back to normal after the Garden Banquet.
Maomao and Jinshi seem to have what could be a moment in this volume. It lasts for maybe a second. They seem to have potential romantic moments scattered throughout the series, but they never last long, and quickly devolve into comedy. I can’t help wondering if one of these times one of those moments will be different.
I did notice an issue that confounded my brain. There was a sentence in the book where, I’m not sure if it’s a translation error or editing problem, but the text was confusing. The wording was strange enough that I didn’t exactly understand the intended meaning of what it was trying to say. I muddled through, but I had to re-read the sentence multiple times and guess at the intention.
This haul includes the manga I received as holiday gifts, as well as what I purchased on my own through Amazon and my local book store.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 7
I love this series. Unfortunately, volume eight doesn’t come out in English until May. I have already read this book, and you can read the review here. If you’d like to start from the beginning, the reviews for volumes one through six are also available.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance.
Chi’s Sweet Home, Vol. 1 (Japanese)
This is the Japanese print of Chi’s Sweet home. It’s supposedly a good series to read for beginners of the language. I found it highly recommended from several sources, so I’m looking forward to using it for some language practice in my Japanese learning journey.
What is it?
A cute series of adorable cat adventures and shenanigans.
How to Train Your Devil, Vol. 1
I added this to my to-read list this past summer. I don’t know much about it, yet. The description implies hero surrogate mother to a perverted baby Devil King.
Update: The review for this volume is now available.
What is it?
It’s supposed to be a lewd and funny fantasy.
Inuyasha VIZBig Edition, Vol. 3
I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often.
What is it?
A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.
My Monster Secret, Vol. 1
I added this to my list around the same time as How to Train your Devil. It appears to be about a girl who is secretly a vampire. I won’t know any more than that until I read it.
Update: The review for this volume is now available.
What is it?
It’s supposed to be a funny romance from what I can tell.
Noragami Omnibus Vol. 2 (volumes 4-6)
I’m building a bit of a buffer before I delve into reading these. The anime is great, so I’m excited to start the manga. It kind of reminds me a little of Soul Eater, because people can become weapons or objects.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world, but also a bit silly at times.
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1-3
This is a great manga, and a great anime. Of course, the anime ends long before the manga and deviates a bit. A friend of mine was collecting the series back when I was in middle school when the series was still new to the U.S. I was able to read most of it back then, but not finish it. I’m looking forward to completing my own set and giving it a full read.
What is it?
A gender bend, slice of life, comedy, romance.
Skip Beat! Vol. 36-42
This fills the chunk I was missing. My collection is now up to current, and I can start reading them to review whenever. I’m looking forward to it.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 7 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga) Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance Intended Age Group: Teen Publisher: Square Enix Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64609-120-1 Rating: 4/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleCrunchyrollThriftBooks
Description from the Book
Proving herself indispensable yet again by saving Jinshi from a horrific fate, Maomao is given the chance to explain her rash behavior during the holy ritual. But when she continues her investigation into the foiled plot, a bizarre outcome awaits, leaving the plucky apothecary impressed by the sheer nerve of the culprit behind it. But admiring the exploits of another won’t get Maomao very far when Jinshi tasks her with a feat of her own – to present him with blue roses at the needling of the eccentric La Kan! How will Maomao respond to this provocation from the man she despises the most?
Personal & Info
I wasn’t able to get this on release day, but I was able to get it before a major snow storm hit. I didn’t read it during the storm, but I had the option. It’s not terribly late, though. This review is only posted a little over a week after the release. It’s a little later than I wanted, but the site was down on my usual post day.
Volume eight doesn’t come out in English until May. That’s a big sad gap with no Apothecary Diaries.
Characters
Maomao is still her eccentric amusing self. She is one of the reasons I love this series.
Jinshi feels like a solid character at this point. We’ve seen enough of him to have a good grasp on his character and his general feelings about Maomao. It’s unclear if it’s romantic or platonic, but it’s clear he cares for her.
Lakan is getting more depth as we learn more about him and his past. It doesn’t change how unlikable he is.
Lihaku is becoming regular enough that I think he and Maomao can be considered friends.
Other characters from earlier volumes appear here again as Maomao returns to the inner court. It’s nice to see them again.
Story & Thoughts
This volume starts off with Maomao waking up after the events of volume six. She explains her suspicions of the culminating events to Jinshi and Gao Shun. As the drama of the attempted murder comes to a close, the group looks into a possible suspect, and the methods used in the disaster. This only takes up the first chapter.
The mysteries for this volume aren’t as elaborate as most of the ones before. They are mostly observations Maomao notices and resolves, or unusual tasks that turn out to be rather simple, though time consuming.
For the most part, this volume seems to focus on character backgrounds. Jinshi’s speculations about the past, Gao Shun’s family history, Lakan, even the physician in the Inner Palace. After the exciting events of the previous book, this one can be considered a bit of a lore dump.
In Chapter 34, we learn more about Gao Shun and his relationship with Jinshi. Gao Shun is more closely connected to him than just an assistant. One could consider them honorary family based on their history.
Jinshi also spends time speculating about the past regarding consorts and the royal family. There have been possible hints about Jinshi’s identity in the series up until now, but the story isn’t going to give us any solid answers about who he is, yet. We will have to speculate a while longer.
We start to learn a little more about Lakan and why he is the type of eccentric he is. It doesn’t justify anything he does, but it helps to understand him better. Based on the preview at the end, it looks like the next volume is going to show us more of his history, and our first look at Maomao’s mother.
I’ve been over spending the past couple months. This haul is still bigger than my usual. I’m endeavoring to get better at taking pictures, but I have shaky hands and I’m not good at composing artful arrangements.
I am aware Inuyasha is not a book, but I got him this month, and thought he should be in the picture. He is a PopUp Parade figure, and I highly recommend that brand for quality affordable figures.
Light Novels
Spice & Wolf, Vol. 5
I love this series. Unfortunately, I discovered it a bit late, so I’m about twenty volumes behind the current releases. I’m sure I’ll catch up eventually.
Reviews for this series are already in progress, so feel free to check those out. I’ll include a link to volume one for people who’d like more information.
Update: The review for this volume is now available.
Manga
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 6
After having to wait a couple weeks for volume five, I’m making sure to get these as close to release day as possible. I love this series. It’s currently one of my favorites. This volume came out around September, 13th, and I already have a review done for it. I can’t wait for volume seven. Why does it have to be so far away?
If you’re new the the series, here’s a link to my review for volume one.
Black Cat, Vol. 8 & 9
I absolutely love the Black Cat anime. I saw the anime before I read any of the books. Initially, I borrowed the first few volumes from a friend, but I didn’t get very far at the time. There are about twenty volumes, and I’m currently in the process of obtaining them for myself. Most, if not all, of them have to be purchased used these days. If you’ve also seen the anime, be aware the manga is a bit different.
I can’t exactly recommend this series since I haven’t read it all myself, yet, but if you like gunfighting characters, this might be right up your alley. The main character is a former assassin turned bounty hunter who uses a pistol as his primary weapon.
If you like stories about secret organizations, super powered people, and human science experiments, this might also be for you.
Flame of Recca, Vol. 8 & 9
This is another of which I’ve seen the anime first. I love the anime because it is drastically similar to Yu Yu Hakusho. It has the same story formula, while being unique enough to capture my interest.
I have not read any of the manga, yet. Maybe volume one and two forever ago, but that’s about it. I have no idea how similar it is to the anime. My plan is to binge read all thirty three volumes once I have them. These are also generally only available used.
If you like Yu Yu Hakusho, and want a similar experience, consider checking this series out. You’ll likely have better luck finding it digitally, though.
Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 18
I’ve already read the entirety of Fullmetal Alchemist years ago. I absolutely love it. It’s one of my all time favorites, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
I never got to own the whole series before now. This volume completes my collection. Before this, I think I had volumes one through four of the regular editions. I found these gorgeous hardcovers around the time I was considering purchasing more of the series, so I decided to upgrade instead.
I recommend this series to everybody. It’s absolutely amazing.
His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1
I already have a review for this. I grabbed it at my local bookstore because the cover caught my eye, and also because I saw the word library in the synopsis. Sometimes I choose books for purely impulsive reasons.
Maids and housekeepers have always been popular in anime and manga. I haven’t tried many with that theme, though, maybe a couple. This is definitely the first I’ve purchased. I saw a couple episodes of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, if you want to count that.
This is a rather wholesome isekai compared to the norm. Check out my review for more information.
My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1
I have a review for this typed up and ready to go for Wednesday, October, 5th. Because of that, I don’t want to say too much here.
I saw this book popping up in my social media feeds and at the bookstore, so I decided to buy it and give it a try. It released around the same time as The Apothecary Diaries volume 6, and it has a light novel version as well. Normally I would choose the light novel, but the manga was right in front of me at the store. The light novel is also fairly new, so it didn’t really matter which I started with.
Noragami Stray God Omnibus 1-3
I had heard of this series for a while, and only recently, sometime this year, got around to watching it on Hulu. I love the anime. It’s unfortunate it doesn’t have a real ending. It just kind of drops off and doesn’t get any more seasons. Regardless, it was enough to make me want to own the manga.
I did a little research on the manga before getting invested. Apparently, it’s better, but also darker, than the anime. That just further intrigues me.
The timing for this omnibus worked out great. It released the same day as The Apothecary Diaries volume six. I saw it on the shelf at my local book store and had to have it. Omnibus editions will probably make it so much easier to collect and read the series. The only downside is I have to wait for each volume to release.
SpyxFamily, Vol. 3 & 4
I have not started this series, yet. I’ve heard such good things about it, though, so I just went ahead and started buying it. My list of things to read is long, but I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 6 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga) Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance Intended Age Group: Teen Publisher: Square Enix Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64609-086-0 Rating: 5/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleCrunchyrollThriftBooks
Description from the Book
When the ever-luminous Jinshi asks for her help in disguising himself to see to a matter beyond the palace walls, Maomao must dig deep to mar her employer’s divine allure! And to make the ploy believable, Maomao herself is roped into a spot of theater right alongside her master. But the “business” at hand takes the pair right to the gates of the Pleasure District, leaving Maomao to wonder if all her hard work has been for a mere assignation or if there’s yet another mystery afoot…
Personal & Info
I made sure to get this one on release day this time. No repeats of what happened with volume five. I’m going to try to get them quick every time.
Every volume I am reminded how beautiful the art is. The cover image, the gorgeous color page at the start, and all the panels, seeing them fresh with a new volume makes me feel like Maomao when she sees a rare medicinal plant. If this ever gets an anime, I really hope they live up to the art of the manga.
Characters
Maomao is still her eccentric amusing self. She makes me love the series so much. We learn some important details about her.
Jinshi is as important as ever, and he sees a face on Maomao he hopes he never sees again. No spoilers. Make of that what you will.
Lakan, the “odd duck” tactician always pestering Jinshi. We learn a lot more of his significance.
Other characters from the previous book are also present, but they don’t play significant roles.
Story & Thoughts
This volume is amazing. There are so many huge story bombs being dropped, some suspected, others not. Events from the entire series so far culminate to a climax so enthralling, I hung on every panel. I am so upset I have to wait until December for the next book.
Any-who, this one starts off funny. As the synopsis says, Maomao is asked to change Jinshi’s appearance. She has a little too much fun with it, but totally worth every second.
Seeing Jinshi shirtless for the first time is…well, let’s just say I’m not complaining.
Jinshi works his way around to asking Maomao the question Lakan wouldn’t answer. There appear to be all kinds of motives and strings all over that. It’s cruel of Lakan to have Jinshi ask, but I understand from a storytelling perspective.
As far as mystery goes, I think there’s only one in this volume. The whole thing encompasses one solid plot. There are some small questions and curiosities throughout, but definitely just the one big mystery as far as I can tell.
I want more information on Maomao’s nightmare. There has to be more information coming on that in later volumes. I will be surprised if there is not.
There’s sort of a cliff hanger ending. It’s not a blatant cliff hanger. It’s more of a dramatic, “okay, crisis over, now what,” kind of thing. I hate that I have to wait to see what happens next, but it could be far worse.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 5 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga) Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance Intended Age Group: Teen Publisher: Square Enix Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64609-074-7 Rating: 3.5/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleCrunchyrollThriftBooks
Description from the Book
Forced to the leave the Inner Court, Maomao finds herself in the employ of none other than Jinshi, the seemingly ever-present thorn in her side. Immune to her new master’s charms, Maomao instead sets her mind to her work and to learning the ways of the Outer Court, where government ministers and military officers go about the daily business of running the country. Far from being fearful of her new surroundings, however, Maomao has her insatiable curiosity piqued by the forbidden, soldier-occupied East Wing. And when yet another mystery beckons, Maomao is unable to resist…
Personal & Info
At this point, I’m most definitely hooked on the series. I tried to buy this volume on release at my small local bookstore, because I prefer to shop there when possible, but someone had already taken it by the time I went. I had to wait a couple weeks for more copies to come in.
Characters
Maomao has a new job, in a new place, with new bullies. Women always seem angry because of her presence, even though she makes the extra effort to look bland and scrawny.
Jinshi and Gao Shun come and go. Jinshi appears to be very busy, but he still makes time to be nosy.
Suiren is Jinshi’s head maid. She is in her fifties, and apparently tends Jinshi’s residence by herself.
Ba Sen is a military officer Gao Shun assigns to escorting Maomao in this volume. I have some suspicions about him. I won’t say what they are in case they prove to be correct.
Li Haku, the soldier whom originally gives Maomao a hairpin in volume two , is around. The military quarters is not far from where she works.
Loulan is the new Pure Consort. We know nothing about her, but my impressions are she is aloof, bored, and indifferent. She is the same age as Maomao.
Lakan is a tactician whom apparently visits Jinshi regularly, despite Jinshi’s distain for the man. I have a feeling he is a story villain getting his introduction. He certainly does not sound like a good person.
Story & Thoughts
Maomao starts her new job in the Outer Court. She is back to being a maid, because she fails an aptitude test, and it’s apparently hard to get back into the Inner court after you are let go. She does briefly get to go back as a teacher for a day, though. That part is rather amusing.
The first mystery of the volume is in the third chapter. The first two chapters consist of Maomao getting comfortable in her new position, and fulfilling a request to teach a class for the Principal Consorts in the Inner Court. The last three out of five chapters all have their own individual mysteries to solve, only one of which involves poison of any kind. The series definitely has that Detective Conan/Case Closed vibe comfortably established.
I keep thinking Maomao should speak her mind more, but then she does, and it gets her into trouble. Maybe she needs to learn what to say out loud, and what not to, instead.
I keep forgetting to say it, but I love how Maomao is always portrayed as a cat.
Maomao is absolutely obsessed with the caterpillar fungus Jinshi presented her upon buying out her contract. She keeps circling back to it with renewed excitement after work and mysteries are complete. It makes her so happy to think about, that she accidentally smiles full on at Jinshi, and it appears to be a traumatic experience for him, considering the way their relationship works.
Lakan leaves us with a bit of a cliff hanger. He chooses not to finish telling his story, and instead implies Jinshi should ask Maomao for answers. This certainly can’t lead to anything good. I’m almost positive Lakan is going to be a new villain for the story.
This volume feels like a slight dip in rating, but it’s understandable because Maomao is in a new place and meeting new people. I’m sure it will find a good rhythm again once everyone important has their introduction done.
