Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 2nd Season

I thought I loved apothecary diaries before, but man season 2 showed me I hadn’t even scratched the surface of what makes this series so special. In short, this season is an improvement in basically every way on what was already one of the best ongoing LN/anime series around. The way Hyuga-sensei paid off so many of the plot points that she’s been building up to since the first season made this an awesome weekly viewing experience. Every little detail, seemingly meaningless interaction or character, they all come together in the climax of this season making for one of the best payoffs I’ve seen ina long time. The worldbuilding in this series is truly second to none and while some episodes might seem a little slow, they’re all building up towards a very satisfying and emotional payoff at the end. If you liked season 1 of apothecary diaries, you haven’t seen anything yet. This is where the story really gets going and almost feels like a prologue ending. This is Maomao at her best, the political intrigue becomes a much bigger focus, PLUS our romance really starts to take shape here. I thoroughly enjoyed all 24 episodes here and I cannot wait for season 3 and to continue reading in the books! So for me there’s 3 big things that make this season better than season 1. First off, Maomao’s character development. Now we all know our girl is a bit slow when it comes to other peoples’ emotions and that makes sense because of her upbringing and the emotional issues she has. In this season, we got to see her really grow as a person and truly open up to others. This is a huge theme as it made the last arc so much more impactful than it would’ve been with season 1 Maomao. The second thing being the political intrigue and manoeuvring. Now for some people this might be a little boring, but I absolutely love seeing people pull strings from the shadows and make moves like it’s a chess game to gain power, get revenge, change the culture of the kingdom, etc. I really liked how much of a slow-burn it was as well. It’s like every episode there’s something happening in the background that you might not think is important, then it’ll be referenced 3-4 episodes later and it all just snowballs into this massive conspiracy that forms the overarching narrative of the season. That same conspiracy causes Maomao to grow as a person and brings she and Jinshi closer. That brings me to my third point, Jinmao! You can’t really talk about Apothecary Diaries without its main ship and for good reason, Jinshi and Maomao are one of the best written ships in the medium. It is the perfect slow burn relationship and Hyuuga-sensei makes a point to make sure both of them understand themselves as individuals and one another before progressing it. It makes the relationship feel so much more authentic and earned than what you typically get in this medium and I think that’s reflected in the sheer amount of fans this ship has. It’s beloved for a reason and this season really shows you why. From the iconic “frog” scene to the finale episode, it’s just a nonstop roller coaster with them and as a romance enthusiast and massive fan of the ship, I loved every second of it. I felt like the story overall in this season was way stronger than the first. While we started out with some seemingly unrelated minor cases for Maomao to solve, it quickly became apparent that everything was part of a wider conspiracy that slowly came together over the course of the first cour and really got going in the second half. I for one love all the lore about the royal family, learning about the previous emperor and his transgressions, trading dynamics with other countries and the other political players within the kingdom itself. It generally felt like the world got way bigger AND dangerous in this season. We also saw way more of the world. I’m really a fan of authors slowly expanding the world, almost drip feeding you, and making you want more information as soon as possible. It’s just a testament to how interesting the story and characters are that you crave more of it and every week I was dying for the next episode because of that here. Without going into too much detail because of spoilers, another thing that really took this season to the next level for me was the relationship between Shisui and Maomao. Genuinely one of the best written friendships you’ll see and it’s actually probably the biggest catalyst for Maomao’s development in the story so far. Every interaction with them was gold and I love how they come to see each other as sisters, helping one another deal with trauma. It’s really the foundation of the second cour and plays a pivotal role in the emotional climax of the season. If you enjoy seeing well written female friendships with a nice sprinkling of yuri vibes, you’ll enjoy this one. You can’t escape Shisui fan-art online for a reason, she’s amazing and one of the best supporting characters of the year. Production values were top notch as usual, but the seiyuu performances in the second season were probably even better than the first. Partly due to the story just being better, but I think Yuuki Aoi and Seto Asami and Otsuka Takeo were immense. Really drove home the powerful emotional moments. Apothecary Diaries season 2 was an absolute joy and made 6 months go by in the blink of an eye. Started a little slow, but truthfully I even enjoyed those slower moments because I love Maomao and this story so much. Once it got going, though, it was a nonstop roller coaster with tons of twists, lore drops, reveals, character development. This has all the makings of an all time great story and the craziest part is this was basically just the prologue ending. The final episode title of “the beginning” is so apt because only after the finale are we finally really going to get going here. I cannot wait to see what comes next. Apothecary Diaries season 2 gets a very easy 10 frogs out of 10.

This season is worse than the previous one. Season 1 Maomao seemed like an intelligent capable heroine solving problems around the palace. However, in season 2, the plots get much more convoluted and frankly, much more confusing, involving way too many characters we barely see. Honestly, I like shows with political intrigue normally, but the fact that Maomao is literally the only capable person in the series and solves every single issue and escapes unscathed each time is a bit unrealistic. The ending is an extreme let down. I won't spoil it, but it's incredibly unrealistic and frankly, makes a lot of exposition and tension inearlier episodes pretty pointless. I can't decide if this is a children's anime from their unwillingness to deal with heavy themes, or an adult anime from their frequent sexual suggestiveness. As with season 1, the worst character by far is rapey Jinshi. He is so incredibly rapey I can't believe the manga was written by a woman. He always forces himself onto Maomao, despite her clearly indicating her unease or disinterest. He acts like a petulant child and sulks whenever he doesn't get his way, it's so revolting to watch. I honestly can't see any redeeming qualities from him. Any scene with him in it is just ruined. I said in my Season 1 review that I predicted he would not actually have been castrated, because no way they have the courage to write a leading man who doesn't have the parts. Well I wasn't wrong.. Which makes him so much more rapey, hanging around the rear palace by choice despite not being a eunuch, ignoring his real responsibilities

One of the best anime this year, I might say even better than 1st season. If you got here hoping for continuation of the 1st season in all of it's glory - you are in luck. Animation and sound - simply beautiful. Animation was fluid and consistent from start to finish and the music was such a joy to listen to. Not much else to day, it was a treat for both eyes and ears. Characters: Continuing from 1st season we still have our old gang back. Mao Mao is hilarious and never cease to amaze and Junshi is still cool and collected official who is slowlymaking his gains. Shisui and Suirei get the most character development this season, you can say that this season revolves around them. The rest of the characters get minor development, but overall each episode was thrilling and full of excitement. Overall characters are fun and you can really invest in some of them. Story - Solid continuation from 1st season. Half of the story is centered aroudn new development and half of it is filled with tension, drama and tears. The rest is either random events (which are always funny) and single serious plot with frog (those who know - know). Overall the story will not disappoint and it will leave you in tears and wanting for more. Overall grade: 10. Well deserved to that. I highly recommend, if you liked the 1st season you will like this one as well.

I'm gonna finish my review shortly. First I'll say, such a wonderful and unique storyline really well written. This season had a lot more mysteries and plot twists than last season and It can also be a bit emotional. We will know a lot about some characters in this season. What I like most is that, along with Mystery and a bit of romance, the medical theme is given a lot of importance. I really liked Maomao love of making medicine and her research on poisonous substances. Also the way she finds solutions to every mysterious problem like a detective is truly mind-blowing. To behonest, this anime will never bore or disappoint you for sure. Btw, There is nothing new to say about the animation. Like the first season, the animation was impressive again. And the two opening and endings of this anime were also so beautiful. Specially the second opening was too good. I've never watched a anime like 'The Apothecary Diaries' and I really don't think there are any other anime like this.

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