The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 1 by Natsu Hyuuga * * * * *

This is the first book of a series, and that matters. I do not plan to review every volume, because with a story like this it would very quickly become impossible to say anything meaningful without drifting into spoilers. Instead, this feels like the right place to talk about what the series is, what kind of reading experience it offers, and whether it is worth starting at all.

I picked up The Apothecary Diaries because I watched the anime first. I loved it. Loved it enough that it firmly landed among my favourite anime of all time, and strong enough to pull me back into anime after a long break. I have been watching anime since childhood; the original Sailor Moon was my first obsession. I did not want to wait years to see where it was going, so I went back to the source and started reading from the beginning rather than jumping ahead.

If you are coming from the anime, there is no shock waiting for you here. The adaptation is remarkably faithful. Scene by scene, beat by beat, this is essentially the same story. There may be small adjustments, but nothing that changes tone, character, or structure in any meaningful way. Reading the novel often feels like watching the anime again, only slowed down and filtered through internal thought rather than motion.

One important difference, though, lies in perspective. While the anime is told almost entirely through Maomao’s point of view, the novel gradually opens up to include chapters from Jinshi as well. At first these are occasional, almost tentative shifts, but they become more frequent as the story progresses. This changes the experience in subtle but meaningful ways. Jinshi is far less opaque on the page. His motivations, frustrations, and self awareness surface earlier, and as a result some reveals that are held back in the anime arrive sooner in the books. 

The story itself follows Maomao, a young woman trained as an apothecary who ends up working within the imperial court. She is sharp, observant, stubbornly practical, and deeply uninterested in courtly nonsense unless it intersects with poison, illness, or human foolishness. The mysteries are small and contained at first; a rash here, a strange death there. Yet they slowly assemble a larger picture of palace life that feels lived in rather than ornamental. It is domestic intrigue, medical curiosity, and rigid hierarchy pressing in from all sides.

This is a light novel, and it wears that label honestly. The prose is simple and functional. It will not win awards for literary style, and it does not try to. Personally, I do not mind this at all. When I read, I see scenes rather than sentences; the words disappear unless they are actively bad. Here, they are not. The writing stays out of the way and lets the story move. That makes it ideal evening reading; tired, but still wanting a story. 

If you liked the anime, this works beautifully as a reread in another medium, with the added bonus of deeper access to Jinshi’s character. If you have not seen the show, the book still stands on its own as a calm, engaging introduction to its world and cast. I would recommend starting the series if you want something absorbing but not demanding, clever without being heavy.

It does not need to dazzle. It just needs to keep unfolding. And it does.