What age group is The Apothecary Diaries anime suitable for? Series' themes and events, explored

The Apothecary Diaries anime was one of the best series of the Fall Anime Season of 2023 that continued till the Winter Anime Season of 2024. The series takes place in ancient China, where a girl with knowledge of herbs gains a high spot in the Imperial Castle.

The Apothecary Diaries anime series portrays ancient Chinese culture and the traditions that were followed hundreds of years ago in native China. The attire people wear, the way jobs are distributed among the masses, the norms, and everything else is based on that time.

But what age group is this series recommended for? Although the series' main focus is on mystery and drama, there is a touch of some explicit themes, which makes the series better for an adult audience.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed here solely belong to the author.

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Age group The Apothecary Diaries anime is suitable for

Maomao as seen in the anime (Image via OLM & TOHO animation studio)

The Apothecary Diaries is a mystery-drama anime series that started airing on October 22, 2023, and is comprised of 24 episodes. The series is animated by Studio OLM and the TOHO animation studio. It is based on a light novel series of the same name, written by Hyuuga Natsu and illustrated by Shino Touko.

The series follows the story of Maomao, who is kidnapped and taken to the Imperial Castle as a worker. As she starts working there, she notices a lack of hygiene among the castle officials due to their ancient practices every day. As a person intrigued by the mystery, she decides to meddle in some matters, which doesn't go unnoticed.

Jinshi, a eunuch of the Imperial Castle, notices her expertise and offers her a higher place under one of the King's concubines. She accepts but requests that her expertise remain undisclosed. As the plot progresses, Maomao develops a more deep understanding of what happens inside the castle and makes some considerable changes. The question is - will she be able to remain unnoticed?

Pairin as seen in the anime (Image via OLM & TOHO animation studio)

The Apothecary Diaires anime series follows 'historical' and 'medical' themes, according to MyAnimeList. The main premise of the series lies in ancient China as Maomao shares her medical knowledge with others to make their lives more hygienic or solve their problems.

The age group recommended for this series is PG-13 (Age 13 or older), according to MyAnimeList. Crunchyroll doesn't recommend any specific age group for this series, so is this show could be suitable for teenagers to watch. While this anime is not entirely focused on is explicit content, some aspects could make it solely for adults.

As mentioned in the synopsis of the series, The Apothecary Diaries anime also depicts everyday life in the Entertainment District, which was also a part of Demon Slayer season 2. This became a part of controversy before its airing, even though the show is R-17. It also shows some explicit scenes during some events.

So, even though the series has an age rating of R-13 on the internet, it should be recommended only for adults, since it does follow some explicit themes. Anyone who is not an adult should exercise discretion.

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Final thoughts

The Apothecary Diaries manga volume 1 cover (Image via Square Enix)

Even though the source material for The Apothecary Diaries anime series is its light novel, the manga adaptation could also be taken as a reference for this case. It also depicts visuals just like the anime adaptation.

The Apothecary Diaries manga series is titled a 'Seinen' manga series, which usually has an age rating of R-18+ (Age 18 to 40). So, considering the manga series is labeled for adults, the anime should also be considered suitable for the same age group of people.

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