The Apothecary Diaries Cosplay Highlights Maomao

The Apothecary Diaries was one of the quiet anime hits that fans will definitely remember when it comes to best of the year conversations, and one awesome cosplay is helping to highlight why with Maomao! The Apothecary Diaries first made its debut last Fall, but didn’t quite get a ton of attention right away. This all changed with the second half of the anime’s run that aired earlier this year as not only did the series pick up even more speed with its central mystery, but word of mouth among fans helped to catapult it to a whole new level of popularity and acclaim. 

At the center of the anime was Maomao, the titular apothecary that fans saw work her way up through the political rankings of imperial China to the point where she’s having direct conversations with the emperor. Solving deadly mysteries and figuring out the trick behind certain poisons (and maybe sparking a romance along the way), Maomao became one of the standout characters to watch this year overall. Now there’s another reason to love Maomao as the character has come to life through some perfect cosplay from artist syokupan_natto on Instagram. Check it out: 

What Is The Apothecary Diaries? 

Based on the original line of light novels from Natsu Hyuga and Touko Shino, The Apothecary Diaries’ first season ran for 24 episodes overall. Directed by Norihiro Naganuma for TOHO animation and OLM, Yukiko Nakatani designs the characters, and Satoru Kousaki, Kevin Penkin, and Arisa Okehazama are composing the music behind the episodes. The anime has confirmed that a second season of the series is on the way for a scheduled release some time next year, so there’s plenty of time to catch up with it all. 

If you wanted to check out the anime for yourself before the next season hits in 2025, you can now find the anime exclusively streaming with Crunchyroll. They tease what to expect from The Apothecary Diaries as such, “Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!”