The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Why People Love Cats?

The first episode of The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 was as good as I expected. Let us see how this episode turned out.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Overview

The Apothecary Diaries began as an online serialization on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in 2011 before being picked up by Shufunotomo, which published the first novel volume in 2012. The story later evolved into a light novel series starting in 2014.

In 2017, the series was adapted into two separate manga. The first, illustrated by Nekokurage, is serialized in Monthly Big Gangan under Square Enix, while the second runs in Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday Gene-X. In North America, J-Novel Club offers light novels in digital format, while Square Enix publishes physical editions and manages the manga’s licensing.

Directed by Norihiro Naganuma, the anime features character designs by Yukiko Nakatani and a score composed by Satoru Kōsaki, Kevin Penkin, and Alisa Okehazama. Theme songs for the opening and ending sequences include performances by Ryokuoushoku Shakai, Aina the End, Uru, and Wacci.

After the first season concluded, a second season was announced, debuting in January 2025 under the direction of Akinori Fudesaka. The anime is globally available on Crunchyroll, with Netflix streaming it in select Asian regions. Blu-ray releases for the initial season are planned for early 2025.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 1 Review

The intrigue, mystery, and wonder of palace life are back with Maomao and her daily adventures. In this episode, we see her ordering more adult books from the brothel for the entertainment and knowledge of the court ladies. This has quickly become a trend since Maomao successfully introduced these items to the consorts. However, the funny part is that Jinshi finds out about it, and rather than being wary of it, he carefully inspects what is written and drawn there. He also inquires about the very skillful printing method used for these books and asks the name of the shop, getting funny looks from Maomao in return.

But nothing happens for no reason in this anime, and we see that the reason why the emperor and even Jinshi allowed such indecent books to ladies of good upbringing is actually genius. Many women in the harem are illiterate, so how do you inspire them to read? The answer is simple, introduce stories that captivate their interest. By offering literature that draws them in, their curiosity for the narrative naturally leads to an eagerness to read.

This tactic actually bears fruit when we see Xiaolan wanting to learn reading and Maomao helping her actively. In this episode, we also saw another very impressive change in the palace. A new member joins the royal household when Princess Lingli gets herself a stray cat.  Interestingly Maomao tries to catch it, but another person does it for her, who will definitely be a very important character later in the story.

The latter half of the episode revolves much around a cat that will have a deep connection with Maomao and Jinshi. Watching this episode felt very fulfilling as we were fed lots of information. You would also love the obvious interest Jinshi shows from time to time towards Maomao. The way he relates his interest in Maomao to a cat owner’s love for their pet was hilarious. It perfectly highlights how Maomao’s aloofness mirrors that of a cat, something cat owners often find irresistibly charming.

Verdict

I absolutely love this episode and have no doubt that this season will also be a great one. In the next episode, we will see two more interesting characters, and I have a feeling that the mystery will thicken. We will get to know more fascinating tidbits about the palace life and see Maomao in action.

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