Did The Apothecary Diaries anime fall off? Decline in popularity, explored

Modified Mar 09, 2025 12:53 GMT

Did The Apothecary Diaries anime fall off? Decline in popularity, explored (Image via TOHO Animation Studio and OLM)

The Apothecary Diaries anime's season 2 is currently airing in the Winter 2025 Anime Season, and it will extend until the end of the Spring 2025 Anime Season. Despite being one of the most anticipated anime for 2025, the series isn't taking the spotlight over the internet, as the fans haven't given it the same love they gave season 1. This has led fans to wonder if the anime's popularity declined over time.

While it might be hard to question the series' popularity, given how it is still at the top of every anime database, the current plotline might be the reason behind its unsung nature on the internet. Compared to the first season, which featured engaging stories and introduced every character, season 2 might be a slow burn and would require some time to build hype.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from The Apothecary Diaries manga series and has the author's opinion.

The Apothecary Diaries anime: Exploring the reason behind the series' decline in popularity

Maomao as seen in the anime (Image via Toho Animation Studio and OLM)

The Apothecary Diaries anime is a mystery-drama series that started airing on October 22, 2023. Animation studio OLM (Odd Taxi) and TOHO Animation Studio (new studio) animated the anime series. Quite surprisingly, the series soon reached a point no one expected it to, and it was all due to its clever writing and impeccable animation quality.

Sadly, the series' first season had to come to an end after 24 episodes. Fortunately, a sequel was announced immediately after the prequel's last episode aired. So, the hype was over the moon as The Apothecary Diaries anime was to return after almost 1 whole year. However, things turned out way differently than expected.

Maomao and Gaoshun as seen in the anime (Image via Toho Animation Studio and OLM)

The sequel started with a lukewarm reception from the fandom compared to the prequel. The series was hardly talked about on the internet, meaning that the anime's hype might have died down during its 1-year break. So, what might have happened that resulted in the decline in the popularity of The Apothecary Diaries anime?

Firstly, the anime's ratings and popularity are more or less the same on every anime database, meaning that there aren't any issues with the series' animation or production. The biggest change between the anime's prequel and sequel might be the narrative progression, which might have the anime-original fans struggling to keep watching the anime.

Jinshi as seen in the anime (Image via Toho Animation Studio and OLM)

The Apothecary Diaries season 1 introduced new characters and followed a simple plotline that focused on Maomao and how she took care of everything inside the Imperial Castle. The Apothecary Diaries season 2 diversified the plotline and introduced the politics of the Imperial Palace and the origins of Jinshi, the male protagonist.

While the latter might sound interesting, it is more or less related to the former. So, The Apothecary Diaries anime might be a 'slow-burn' sequel at the moment, building its plotline by dropping the necessary elements right now. This might be the only reason why fans might.

Final Thoughts and A Possible Change in the Future

As much of a "slow-burn" the anime might be currently, things might get hyped soon with the adaptation of the "frog scene." The scene is already hinted at in The Apothecary Diaries anime's season 2 anime opening song.

While calling the anime's popularity "declined" might be extreme in some sense, it might be true that the series is hardly beingtalked about in the community. However, the anime's true fandom is enjoying it and awaiting the adaptation of the "hyped" scenes.

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Edited by Madhur Dave