The Apothecary Diaries 01 (Manga)

Maomao is my kind of girl, she's a bit of an odd ball but very intriguing. I believe her character is going to develop a lot in the following volumes, and her inner thoughts are about others and her surroundings are entertaining. She doesn't pull punches, another reason I like her. While it's not blatantly stated, the story is set in China in a former era. There are no modern indulgences and everyone's way of doing, including in the rankings of denizen in the inner palace are dated, yet it still has a modern feel to it. It's nice because the women aren't condescended to and while everyone knows their place, they still have ways about them to do what is right without pushing the status quo. The art is really pretty, especially the palace scenery. I was not expecting the mystery solving element, (I didn't read the back, oh well,) so I was pleasantly surprised as Maomao felt like a petite Sherlock Holmes. Her Watson was a kind attendant to the annoying, pretty boy Jinshi, that brings her case after case, along with giving her what she truly wants and is well qualified for: apothecary duties. This is such a fun and well written manga that I look forward to reading future volumes of.

I have never purchased a manga series that wasn't action oriented and am very used to a "shonen" style story. That being said, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this calm and relaxing story. Beautiful artwork and unusual characters. Might not be for everyone, but I definitely recommend it.