© Naruto Hyūga, Touko Shino, Minoji Kurata, Shogakukan
Shogakukan's manga website Sunday Webry announced on Monday that Minoji Kurata Notebook of Mao Mao's Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Mao Mao no Kōkyū Nazotoki Techō (The Apothecary Diaries ~The Palace Cloister Mystery-Solving) manga — adapted from light novel series The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) by Naruto Hyūga — will be on hiatus to take care of his children after giving birth in January. Kurata plans to continue the manga this summer.
Kurata launched the manga in Shogakukan magazine's Monthly Sunday GX magazine in August 2017. Sunday Webry began publishing the manga online in December 2018. Shogakukan published the manga's first compiled book volume in February 2018 and the 18th volume on March 19. Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Mao Mao no Kōkyū Nazotoki Techō is a separate manga adaptation of Nekokurage's original light novel series titled The Apothecary Diaries.
Nekokurage's The Apothecary Diaries manga adaptation launched in Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine in May 2017. Square Enix published the manga's 13th compiled book volume on March 25. Square Enix Manga is published by Square Enix Manga. series in English.
Natsu Hyūga began serializing the original story on the website “Shōsetsuka ni Narō”(Become a Novelist) in October 2011. Shufunotomo began publishing the novels in print with illustrations by Touko Shino in August 2014.
J-Novel Club publishes the novel digitally and describes the story:
In the East was a land ruled by an emperor whose concubines and maids lived in a large complex called the harem. Maomao, a modest girl raised by her apothecary father in a modest town, never imagined a harem would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service. there. Although she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick intelligence, sharp mind, and extensive knowledge of medicine. That's her secret, until she meets a palace resident at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao's appearance and turns her into a maid who is none other than the Emperor's favorite consort… so she can taste her food for poison!
The light novel series inspired by an anime series premiered on October 21 with the first three episodes and aired for two seasons (quarters of a year). Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan and is also streaming the English dub. The anime will have a second season in 2025.
Source: Sunday Webry via Yaraon!