The adaptation of Minoji Kurata's Apothecary Diaries manga, titled Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Maomao no Kokyu Nazotoki Techo (The Apothecary Diaries: The Palace Cloister Mystery-The Notebook of Maomao), will be on hiatus due to the illustrator being on leave for time maternity leave. Kurata gave birth in January 2024 and assured readers that she would return to work by the summer.
The announcement was revealed in the manga's bonus chapter author's note on the Sunday Webry website:
This is Kurata. I gave birth in January and am currently on maternity leave. I'm slowly preparing for my return in the summer, so please wait a moment while I read and re-read the original work.
The Apothecary Diaries Manga Hiatus Kurata's announcement
Minoji Kurata's The Apothecary Diaries is published in Shogakukan's monthly magazine Sunday Gene-X and digitally on Sunday Webry. The manga has over 70 chapters and 18 volumes. This is an alternative manga adapted from the light novel series by Natsu Hyuga. It is separate from the Square Enix adaptation of Nekokurage, which also began in summer 2017.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Maomao no Kokyu Nazotoki Techo (The Apothecary Diaries: The Palace Cloister Mystery-The Notebook of Maomao) previously announced plans to go on hiatus in March 2024 following the release of Volume 18 of the manga.
Kurata wrote on the blog that she had prepared in advance so there would be no problem with maternity leave and serialization while the anime was airing. Her last published chapter was on April 1 when the series was nearing the climax of the Shi Clan Arc in the light novel's fifth volume. She added that this was a strange place to stop the story, but encouraged fans to look forward to the story's anticipated conclusion.
The Apothecary Diaries Manga Volume 18 by Minoji Kurata
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Apothecary's Diary is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Toko Shino. Shunfunotomo's Hero Bunko is currently publishing the light novel series, J-Novel Club is publishing the English digital version, and Square Enix is publishing the novels in print.
TOHO Animation and OML animated the anime adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries series in 2023, available for streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll. The second season of the anime is scheduled to release in 2025.
Source: Sunday Webry website, Minoji Kurata's Blog
© Shogakukan, Imagica Infos, Hyuuga Naruto, Kurata Minoji, Shinotouko