2025’s Best Shojo Anime Secretly Has One of the Worst Manga Adaptations
For many hardcore anime and manga fans, it’s rare to find an anime series that outshines its manga source material. One of 2025’s best shojo anime, The Apothecary Diaries, broke into the mainstream with its absolutely gorgeous animation and historical story — but many anime fans don’t realize that the series actually has two manga adaptations that have failed to capture the anime’s magic. Originally a light novel series by Natsu Hyuga, The Apothecary Diaries follows a young girl named Maomao as she works as an apothecary in a red-light district and later, solves mysteries for the royal court.
The Apothecary Diaries‘ anime has been able to sell itself because of its three complementary strengths — namely, a strong foundation thanks to its impeccable voice cast and their chemistry, as well as animation that really highlights the gorgeousness of its medieval Chinese setting and writing that closely follows the light novel’s slow-burn pacing. These production choices have made the series a commercial and cultural standout, allowing The Apothecary Diaries to emerge as a worldwide hit. Unfortunately for fans of the anime, if they’re looking to the manga to dive deeper into the story, they won’t be rewarded for their curiosity.
The Apothecary Diaries’ Two Manga Adaptations Have Failed to Meet Expectations
Natsu Hyuga’s light novels have been serialized online since 2011, and it’s only been fairly recent that the series has been released in English. Just last month, the fifteenth volume of the translated light novel went on sale, and a sixteenth volume is still awaiting its translation after being released in Japan back in May. As the series continues to be published, fans of The Apothecary Diaries have many ways to stay engrossed in Maomao’s story, but the light novel remains the top choice beyond the anime adaptation.
The first manga adaptation was originally published in Japan in 2017, with its English translation following in 2020. It continues to be published, with the fourteenth volume being released in English earlier this month. Unfortunately, this manga adaptation fails to convert Maomao’s light novel adventures into sequential art in the way that the story deserves. Fans have often complained about the manga versions for numerous reasons, namely because they condense long investigations into compressed chapter beats. This strips the story of its intended slower pace and rids it of important character relationships and nuance, especially between Maomao and Jinshi. The first Apothecary Diaries manga covers too much ground too quickly.
An alternative manga version, The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Notes from the Inner Palace, also began serialization in Japan in 2017 and has been collected into twenty volumes at the time of writing, but it lacks an English release. As a result, the franchise sadly has two unsatisfying experiences for global fans, with the manga adaptations feeling flat and inconsistent, especially compared to the anime’s cinematic quality and unparalleled pacing. Both of the manga adaptations have been criticized for editorial changes to the story that go beyond just aesthetics; core moments are often condensed or watered down — and that feels like a major oversight when it comes to a franchise built on small observational details being crucial to its worldbuilding.
The Apothecary Diaries is a rare example of a shojo anime that is actually difficult to adapt properly into a manga format. Manga as a medium typically relies on relatively quick pacing to keep readers’ attention, and this doesn’t mesh well with The Apothecary Diaries‘ slow-burning mystery and court politics. To make the story fit the medium, the manga artists have had to heavily alter the pacing — and it unfortunately reads more like a rushed melodrama as a result.
The Manga Adaptation Can’t Compete with the Anime’s Storytelling Format
Taking a closer look at The Apothecary Diaries‘ intricate story makes it quite easy to see why any manga adaptation would struggle to match the anime or light novel’s levels of quality. Anime studios plan their stories well in advance and typically have fixed episode counts, which helps the storytellers maximize pacing and deliver the most important beats in the story at the appropriate times. The light novel, as the story’s source material, is also able to take its time with each chapter, building up tensions and allowing multiple story threads to linger.
On the other hand, manga serialization comes with much more strict guidelines, including tighter page limits that restrict the amount of story that can be told as well as editorial deadlines. Manga publications tend to favor steady chapter output to meet fans’ demands, and that just doesn’t match The Apothecary Diaries‘ slow and contemplative flow. Luckily, the anime and light novel are able to provide the story with what it requires, though sadly, the series has multiple manga adaptations that just aren’t hitting the mark.
It’s as if the pressure for the manga to match its anime and light novel counterparts has manifested itself on the pages. The manga can’t reasonably slow down its storytelling, or it could risk falling out of favor with its magazine publishers. As it compresses the story, it loses the novel’s rich texture. The result is a lose-lose situation, and it sadly impacts fans of the series more than anyone else.
The fan backlash surrounding The Apothecary Diaries‘ manga adaptations comes largely from newcomers who find the anime first and then want to spend even more time with Maomao. If they’re expecting a similar experience in the manga, they’re unfortunately set up for nothing but disappointment. The anime feels like the true entry point for the franchise, and the manga is a lackluster counterpart — something that many anime fans just aren’t expecting, especially when numerous other stories only get better when making the jump from anime to the manga source material.
The Apothecary Diaries Fans Should Treat The Manga as Bonus Reading
The contrast between The Apothecary Diaries‘ anime and manga versions is really more of a testament to how adaptations have different demands and expectations, rather than an actual criticism of the story itself. The light novel remains the most intense and fulfilling version of Maomao’s adventures, and it’s presented in exactly the way that the creator intended it to be explored. The anime managed to bring this to life with delicate intricacy, elevating Maomao’s world with relative ease. The unfortunate realities of the manga industry put too many restrictions and limitations on the story, making it a subpar adaptation that just can’t compete.
To date, The Apothecary Diaries anime has aired two seasons, with the most recent episode airing in July 2025. A third season has already been confirmed to be on the way, but it will be quite some time before fans get to enjoy where the story goes next. Season 3 will be released in two cours, with the first arriving in October 2026 and the second following in April 2027. That’s over one year of waiting — which definitely makes turning to the manga a compelling idea for fans who are feeling impatient. It just won’t be worth the time and effort, especially considering the light novel is also still being published.
Fans who are looking to dive deeper into Maomao’s world should first enrich their experience with the light novel that launched the series. In print, six volumes are currently available in English, and a seventh will be released on Nov. 4. Those who enjoy reading digitally can enjoy even more of the light novel in English; fifteen translated volumes have been released by Square Enix. The light novels may not have the sequential panel art that fans would expect from a manga, but they do include illustrations by Touko Shino, making for an even more enjoyable experience.
Fans who have already binge-watched The Apothecary Diaries anime and are caught up on the light novel’s publication can certainly check out the two manga adaptations if they are still craving more of Maomao’s mystery-solving skills. What they will find is a vastly different interpretation of the story: one that is still adapted with love for the characters but finds itself restrained by its medium. The manga is far from perfect, and it’s a testament to how different adaptations can result in wildly different storytelling. The Apothecary Diaries just isn’t quite suited for manga as a medium, but its lackluster adaptation shouldn’t damage the franchise’s glowing reputation. Fans should experience Maomao’s medieval world in motion first, then dive into the light novels, treating the manga chapters as an enjoyable side trip into her universe rather than the core route to the heart of the story.
