薬屋のひとりごと 13 [Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 13]

薬屋のひとりごと [Kusuriya no Hitorigoto] #13

by Nekokurage (Illustrator), Natsu Hyuuga (Original Creator), Itsuki Nanao (Composition)

機転を利かせて、美味しい氷菓。
壬氏が正体を隠して参加した狩りで、飛発による襲撃を受けた壬氏と猫猫。逃げ込んだ洞窟で壬氏の秘密を知った猫猫は、李白の協力で犯人を捕らえ、襲撃事件の背景を推理しますが──…!? そして、後宮での勤務に戻った猫猫に、また新たな謎解きが依頼される第13巻!!

Genres: Manga, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Romance, Graphic Novels, Seinen

174 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2024

Reviews

[aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

[cr chapter: 74]

Maomao is the strongest soldier because I would not survive the flirty, touchy, and smiling-only-at-her Jinshi. I would melt on the spot.

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

No thoughts, just Maomao cuddling with her bezoars. ❤️🐈‍⬛

[Paula ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ✨ stars

I need next volume like now

[Reem ₍ᐢ..ᐢ₎♡̷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

read 7 or 8 volumes is one sitting. this is how good this manga is. but on a serious note…I NEED THE NEXT CHAPTER IMMEDIATELY OR I WON’T SURVIVE

[DianaRose · Rating 4 out of 5]

i need things to pick up the pace, and for jinshi to spill his secret!!

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need the next volume or chapter😭
The Apothecary Diaries became one of my favorite manga series💚

[mikaela (spinebreaker) · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh

mY

GOD

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The continuing story of the frog prince, ahem, and the young woman who is pretty much totally aromantic.

Another strong volume of intense politicking, shrewd mystery, and a shocking amount of bare butts. All mixed up with changing society and Jinshi’s attempts to get the attention of somebody who has no desire to have any desire.

That has been the bread and butter of this series for many a volume and there’s no real reason for it to change when the results are so dang good. A perpetual favourite of mine continues to be a favourite, basically.

The mystery is a little basic and the stakes are low, but it lets Maomao and Jinshi tag team an older attendant with a mean streak along the way, which makes it a pretty satisfying adventure.

Watching Jinshi tie himself in knots trying to get Maomao’s attention while she desperately attempts to avoid his affections, reading them as something entirely other than that, because Maomao, is pretty fun.

I mean, Maomao might be more amenable to all this when Jinshi blatantly spells it out for her, but I think I like her being this way, honestly. It’s not a character type we get that often and she has enough going on without.

There’s a lot of politics and aforementioned intrigue this volume and it’s satisfying watching Maomao navigate such a complicated environment. She’s shrewd and clever, but her tendency to dismiss the social side of things often leads her into trouble.

Seeing her bounce off so many personalities during the bathhouse section is terribly fun, although those period outfits leave little to the imagination in the most workmanlike way possible, hilariously. Feminine hygiene has rarely seemed more terrifying.

Even the whole science display with the ice is pretty fun, although I can have a low tolerance for these sorts of ‘invention shows up out of nowhere in an unusual manner’ stories. Still, if anybody can pull that off, it’s Maomao.

The way that times are slowly changing in the palace helps the setting take on a life of its own. The oblique discussion on how eunuchs are created and how that whole practice has been ended was really interesting. Learned helplessness indeed.

There aren’t major story arcs here, but it’s a lovely look at the characters and the series that shines a light on several things and all of them are pretty good, while a couple are excellent. Long as you aren’t addicted to long form storytelling, I think this one’s a winner.

4.5 stars - it’s not the best volume seen yet, but great characters and a fascinating setting can shine even when things aren’t at their best. Still a fantastic manga.

[Poliana Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Capitulos del 73 al 76
Se ha quedado muy interesante pero toca esperar a que vayan publicando más episodios para saber que pasará con Maomao

[inès · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un tome incroyable comme d’habitude !! L’attente va être longue jusqu’au prochain 🥲

[Deb]

c’est vraiment trop bien

[Nathismyking · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est vraiment super, j'ai hâte pour la suite !

[Sweet Girl Era · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est donc ça de vivre ???

[Khadija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time she mentions a 🐸 I die on the inside

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the frog 🐸😭

[Sylvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai pas le mots ! Une lecture de qualité ça ne change pas ! Je suis contente de me rendre compte que j’avais raison sur un point même si je pense que l’histoire nous réserve encore quelques surprises, j’ai trop hâte vraiment alors que le tome vient juste de sortir ça promet 😮‍💨

[Munehito Moro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I'm up to the latest volume of this series, I'm thinking of the time before I learned about this manga series.

A few years back, someone from Serbia (!) told me about this manga. She is into anime, and she informed me of Kusuriya no hitori-goto. That person was using the anime version to learn Japanese, which I found rather...strange.

I am not a voracious manga reader, despite being Japanese. It's a myth that every Japanese is a manga lover. Yes, I have read some manga. I do love some anime, especially those directed by Mamoru Oshii (Mobile Police Patlabor movies and Ghost in the Shell are among my favorites). However, I'm not a fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion. I couldn't really get the charm of Demon Slayer.

I would always prefer Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Demon Slayer.

So it was a fresh surprise to me that I have found The Apothecary Diaries captivating. Maomao is a great lead. She grew up in a red-light district, having been taken care of by classy courtesans and a hard-driving owner of their brothel. Her "father" used to be a court doctor who got banished after an unfortunate incident. She is addicted to (learning about) drugs and using them whenever she can.

Maomao is probably one of the greatest, the most unique female detectives Japan has created.

Also, the English translation of the title is ingenious. The Japanese word hitori-goto means "monologue" or sometimes "gibberish." In the manga's context, it could mean "private case files" without sounding too detective novel-ish.

To translate that word into "diaries" was a great choice, as it captures both "monologue" and "case file" meanings. Whoever came up with this choice, I commend them. I have been reading this series in the original Japanese version, but I guess the translation of its content must be fantastic, too.

By the way, the Serbian person who first introduced me to this manga works at a cosmetics store. We should all wait for the potential release of The Serbian Cosmetician's Diaries!!!

[Alanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anime Jinshi = cutie pie. We love him. Manga Jinshi = 🤤🥵🔥 He could tell me he committed felonies and I wouldn’t care. AT ALL.

[BreAnna (Bre'sBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh no, the anime's caught up with the manga!!!

[Sahra Aksoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhh, Jinshi Sama.... I love you so much ;)

[Effie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je ne me lasserai probablement jamais de cette série! C'est toujours un réel plaisir de retrouver les personnages principaux tout comme les personnages secondaires. Beaucoup de questions et d'hypothèses autour de ce tome, je n'ai qu'une hâte: découvrir la suite!

[Caro Mélu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je mets que 3⭐️ car l’intrigue principale est leeeeeeente, j’en peux plus des histoires anecdotiques annexes. Surtout que l’héroïne qui est si perspicace sur TOUT n’a tjs pas compris l’identité du personnage masculin (hum !).

[Sibil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was nice and fun, nothing major maybe (aside from the bexoar! finally, she got them and she couldn't be happier. She is the cutest!).
The scenes in the bath were funny too, and it is nice to see Maomao with her friends!
But I need more!!

[Jaye Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again I must say that Maomao is next level because if Jinshi was doing all that flirting to me, I'd fold like a lawn chair. Bro is so majestic.

This volume was so much chiller compares to the last one but still entertaining. Maomao now thinking about Jinshi's frog is the realest.😭

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'attendais si impatiemment ce nouveau tome, mais pourquoi est-ce que ça se lit aussi vite, hein ? L'intrigue avance, mais j'ai BESOIN de savoir ce que mijote Jinshi par rapport à Mao Mao, ça prend trop de temps, là. Plus on en sait, moins on comprend, tellement l'intrigue est plus complexe qu'il n'y parait... Toujours cette pointe d'humour et les personnages attachants, notamment les amies de Mao Mao. Bref, à quand la suite ?

[Karina Catellan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foi bem leve esse volume =)
Gosto da amizade da Maomao com a Xiolan e a Shisui <3

[inouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much, even if it was calmer than the last one it announces so much for the next ones!!! I love Mao Mao as a character and her interactions with the others are always so funny

[Jess Shumaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

love love love

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga just keeps getting better and better. I love mao mao so much!!! Such an epic character. I cannot wait for the next one!!! I need to start reading the light novels next I think 🤔

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will I ever love another series as much as I do this one?