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Minoji Kurata's The Apothecary Diaries Manga Adaptation Goes on Hiatus After Artist Gives Birth

Shogakukan's Sunday Webry manga website announced on Monday that Minoji Kurata's Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Mao Mao no Kōkyū Nazotoki Techō (The Apothecary Diaries ~The Palace Cloister Mystery-Solving Notebook of Mao Mao~) manga — an adaptation of Natsu Hyūga's The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) light novel series — will go on hiatus to take a childcare leave, after giving birth in January. Kurata plans to resume the manga this summer.

Kurata launched the manga in Shogakukan's Monthly Sunday GX magazine in August 2017. Sunday Webry started publishing the manga online in December 2018. Shogakukan published the manga's first compiled book volume in February 2018, and the 18th volume on March 19. Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Mao Mao no Kōkyū Nazotoki Techō is a separate manga adaptation of the original light novel series from Nekokurage's manga adaptation titled The Apothecary Diaries.

Nekokurage's The Apothecary Diaries manga adaptation launched in Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine in May 2017. Square Enix published the manga's 13th compiled book volume on March 25. Square Enix Manga publishes the series in English.

Natsu Hyūga began serializing the original story on the "Shōsetsuka ni Narō" (Let's Become Novelists) website in October 2011. Shufunotomo began publishing the novels in print volume with illustrations by Touko Shino in August 2014.

J-Novel Club publishes the novel series digitally and describes the story:

In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there. Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That's her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao's façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor's favorite consort... so she can taste the lady's food for poison!

The light novel series inspired an anime that premiered on October 21 with the first three episodes, and aired for two cours (quarters of a year). Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan and is also streaming an English dub. The anime is getting a second season in 2025.

Source: Sunday Webry via Yaraon!