Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 2nd Season

Using her wit and vast knowledge of medicines and poisons alike, Maomao played a pivotal role in solving a series of mysteries and conspiracies that plagued the imperial court. Having recently come to with the secrets of her parents, she returns to fulfill her normal duties on behalf of the emperor's highest-ranking consorts. Maomao also works alongside the eunuch Jinshi to better the consorts' many ladies-in-waiting, including helping them learn to read.

However, with the arrival of a merchant caravan comes a new wave of intrigue. A pattern of strange coincidences involving the visitors and their wares unsettles Maomao, driving her to investigate the puzzling circumstances behind the convoy. As dangers from both outside and within threaten the balance between the imperial concubines, Maomao continues to utilize her cunning and medical expertise to keep the women safe from harm.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Maomao Main

Yuuki, Aoi Japanese

Jinshi Main

Ootsuka, Takeo Japanese

Loulan ing

Seto, Asami Japanese

Shisui ing

Seto, Asami Japanese

Gyokuyou ing

Tanezaki, Atsumi Japanese

Kan, Lakan ing

Kirimoto, Takuya Japanese

Gaoshun ing

Konishi, Katsuyuki Japanese

Xiaolan ing

Kuno, Misaki Japanese

Lihua ing

Ishikawa, Yui Japanese

Meimei ing

Han, Megumi Japanese

Morishita, Katsuji Producer

Okamoto, Junya Producer

Fujimura, Tomoko Producer

Yazawa, Izumi Producer

Reviews

Jun 1, 2025

bigbodybenz

Recommended

Preliminary (20/24 eps)

Currently watching The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 on Animyne!

The Apothecary Diaries returns with its second season, continuing Maomao's brilliant detective work in the imperial court with even more intrigue, medical mysteries, and political machinations. This season deepens the relationships and conspiracies that made the first season so addictive, while introducing new cases that showcase Maomao's sharp intellect and unconventional methods.

What stands out most is how the storytelling has matured. The mysteries are more complex, weaving together medical knowledge, palace politics, and personal drama in ways that feel fresh and unpredictable. Maomao remains one of anime's most compelling protagonists—her intelligence, dry wit, and hidden comion make ... every scene she's in a delight. The dynamic between her and Jinshi crackles with even more tension this season, balancing professional respect with unspoken emotions.

Visually, the show maintains its exquisite attention to detail, from the lavish palace settings to the subtle expressions that reveal hidden motives. The animation brings both the medical procedures and the courtly intrigue to life with equal precision. The soundtrack complements the tone perfectly, enhancing both the lighter, comedic moments and the darker more suspenseful scenes.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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May 4, 2025

MrSlamboni

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (15/24 eps)

Season 2 carried over all the downsides of the first season but not all of the upsides. The setting and premise are still nice. It's still entertaining. However, it's still very clear that the show isn't very good at setting up interesting mystery plots or making the world coherent. In the first season, that was covered up by the fact that there was a lot of buildup still happening. This leads you to ignore questions like "Is chocolate really a powerful aphrodisiac?" and how a lot of things get simplified and stripped off any nuance.

Season 2 brings the show's faults to full display. A lot ... of the mysteries are really obvious. The villains are obviously villains not because of any deduction on my part, but because of the very obvious way they introduce these characters. They shine the spotlight on characters the story has no reason to care about. There's no alibi or justification to why they warrant screentime, so you're left with no choice but to recognize that they must be future villains.

A lot of the revealed "secrets" are something that should have been obvious to Maomao an entire season ago. The show revolves around her doing these elaborate deductions. But when it comes to very obvious facts, she acts completely oblivious and devoid of any thought.

The second season is very obsessed with "tell don't show." They don't want to show you Gyokoyuo's willpower, they really need Maomao to have an internal monologue about "Wow so this is what it means to be a high ranking consort wow shes so strong." The internal monologuing in general is just off the charts in the second season.

The first season suffered from Maomao being able to do everything. However, at least there seemed to be an attempt to tie this all back to "Maomao knows a lot about poison and medicine." The second season completely gives up and makes Maomao a detective for everything. Not only is she a poison expert, but also an expert on mirror manufacturing, construction, color blindness, politics, history, etc. It feels like the writers are just aching to give up on their setting and do a crappy modern detective story.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Apr 6, 2025

Ammp96

Not Recommended

Funny

Preliminary (14/24 eps)

Hi!! I'm not a native English speaker, in case there's something misspelled or something...

This has been a real disappointment. The first season was great, I loved it, but the pace of this second season and how irrelevant what happens generally isn't... it's impossible for me to enjoy it all. Maomao's development is null. Just when it seemed like it was getting interesting, everything just stays the same, a waste of time.

I watched 14 episodes, there's no way I can continue. I've already lost interest. Slow pacing is one thing, nothing happening is another... I'm really sad about the drop in quality.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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