What time period is The Apothecary Diaries anime set in? The hit series' setting, explained

The Apothecary Diaries has recently caught the attention of the manga and anime community with the release of the new anime adaptation. At the time of writing, the series has aired three episodes. The anime adaptation is produced by TOHO Animation, which gave rise to some beautiful visuals.

Ever since the anime adaptation was released, fans were intrigued and wanted to take a look at the source material. This series was actually a light novel that received two different manga adaptations, and after that, the anime adaptation was announced.

Given how visually pleasing the frames were, fans were quite intrigued by the setting of The Apothecary Diaries. Furthermore, the series is not set in Japan, which was refreshing for avid anime and manga consumers. While the series did not specifically mention the setting, there are certain hints that we can look at, in order to assess the time period and the place it was set in.

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The Apothecary Diaries: Understanding the place and time period in which the story is set

A shot of the palace where Maomao was forced to work (Image via OLM, TOHO Animation)

Straight away, one can assume that the series is set in China. The architecture, the style of attire worn by both men and women, and the decorations seen throughout the city are solid hints. However, there are two pieces of information that could provide us with an accurate timeline. First, the viewers are informed that only concubines and eunuchs are allowed within the castle. Aside from them, only the closest members of the emperor’s family are allowed.

We can see the clear image of the castle in episode 1 of The Apothecary Diaries. During this shot, we get a rough layout of the entire castle, and it resembles the Forbidden City situated in China. The construction of this castle was completed in the 15th century. Another interesting aspect of this castle is that it was Emperor Ming’s residence during the winter season.

An image of a concubine shown in the anime series (Image via OLM and TOHO Animation)

Furthermore, the clothing worn by women in 15th-century China is very similar to the ones worn by women in the show. Therefore, one can assume that The Apothecary Diaries could be set in 15th-century China. As the show progresses, the protagonist’s approach to medicine only strengthens the hypothesis posed by this article. This is the perfect time to take a look at the series’ plot in brief to better understand the story and what fans can expect.

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The Apothecary Diaries plot in brief

Maomao as seen in the anime series (Image via OLM and TOHO Animation)

Maomo, a young 17-year-old girl and the protagonist of The Apothecary Diaries, was kidnapped and forced to work in an imperial palace. She was a low-level servant in that castle, which only allowed concubines and eunuchs. Her interests never changed as this curious girl continued to conduct various experiments on herself, in an attempt to have a better understanding of medicine and diseases. While she continued to carry out her work diligently, she heard rumors about the emperor’s infants falling ill. Her goal was to treat the infants while remaining anonymous.

However, her efforts were noticed by Jinshi, who is one of the most important eunuchs in the castle. Maomao received the opportunity to work in the Inner Court. Her quirky personality and her in-depth knowledge of medicine could make her one of the most important concubines in the castle.

Stay tuned for more The Apothecary Diaries anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.