Tag Archives: Review

The Apothecary Diaries, episode 23

Rating: A The Apothecary Diaries is undeniably Maomao’s series, though Jinshi has increasingly had his viewpoint represented of late. That makes episode 23 a major aberration, since not once during the episode is Maomao’s perspective used. However, despite our adorable little freak being limited to what essentially amounts to a supporting role, and despite theContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 23”

The Apothecary Diaries, episode 21

Rating: B+ Though The Apothecary Diaries has been set up almost from the beginning to ship Maomao with Jinshi (and Jinshi is clearly starting to see her romantically even if Maomao is still repulsed), romance is not a major element in the series. It is not entirely devoid of romance, but those elements are locatedContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 21”

Winter ’24 Mid-Season Round-Up, part 2

In Part 1 last week, I covered series that have not been getting episode reviews at Anime News Network. In this installment, I will be offering my take on series that I am following that are getting week-to-week coverage. In most cases, these are the season’s more popular and/or noteworthy productions, so it’s not aContinue reading “Winter ’24 Mid-Season Round-Up, part 2”

The Apothecary Diaries, episode 20

Rating: A The Incident may be over, but the mysteries surrounding it aren’t, and as this great follow-up shows, they may not be for quite some time. Jinshi has always given the impression of having far more on his plate than Maomao was ever aware of, and this episode only codifies more clearly how broadContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 20”

The Apothecary Diaries, episode 19

Rating: A+ This episode represents the biggest dramatic peak in this part of the story. It is the culmination of everything that has happened so far this season and some details going back to last season, too, all bound together into one grand scheme, one greater even than the schemers who are active parts ofContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 19”

The Apothecary Diaries, episode 17

Rating: A There have been other strong episodes in this series, but this one is a microcosm of what makes this series stand apart from most other series out there. Its brilliance is in the balance it achieves in its execution; while mostly a fun, light-hearted episode about Maomao helping Jinshi to pass as aContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 17”

The Apothecary Diaries, episode 13

Rating: B+ After a week off, the second half of the series begins, shifting the adaptation into the territory of the second light novel and the 5th manga volume. This also marks a significant change in the setting: instead of being in the Rear/Inner Palace, Maomao is now working in the Outer Palace, directly underContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 13”

2023 in Review: The Best and Strangest of the Year

As we say good-bye to 2023, it’s time to take a look at the highlights of the year as a whole, rather than just individual seasons. And my, this was a very full year, with over 190 series either debuting or getting new installments this year! The Fall 2023 season was the biggest and deepestContinue reading “2023 in Review: The Best and Strangest of the Year”

The Apothecary Diaries episode 12

Rating: B+ The situation at the heart of this episode is one quite familiar to any fan of romances with class-based complications. The higher-ranked man wants to be respectful of the lower-ranked woman’s wishes by not forcing her into a situation she may not want (and which he has reasonable evidence to that end, basedContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries episode 12”