“I Found Myself Crying”: The Apothecary Diaries Director Talks Season 2’s Emotion Changes

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 is one of the biggest hits among the Winter 2025 anime lineup. Set in an ancient Chinese-inspired imperial court, the series is based on a light novel by Natsu Hyuuga and Touko Shino. The first season ran for 24 episodes, adapting two volumes of the light novel. Considering the second season is listed for the same number of episodes, it’s likely it will cover Volumes 3 and 4. The story continues Maomao’s daily life at the Inner Palace as she finds new mysteries to unravel. The second season kicks off with Maomao trying to help the girls in the Inner Court learn how to read and write.

Later, she finds a stray kitten and ends up taking care of it for the sake of Princess Lingli. The story soon moves on to the liveliness brought by the caravan. The Inner Court welcomes the annual caravan, a traveling group of traders, merchants, and workers who transport goods between regions or even different nations. Fans are especially anticipating some exciting moments between Maomao and Jinshi in the upcoming episodes. The second season was released less than a year after Season 1’s conclusion, which may have proven to be difficult for the animators. However, that was the least of their worries, as the series’ director, Fudesaka Akinori, sheds light on the challenges.

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The Apothecary Diaries Director Said the Storyboard Corrections Had Him Crying

In an interview with Mantan Web, Season 2’s director Fudesaka Akinori, who was also the assistant director in Season 1, talks about how he focused on portraying the character’s emotions.

During the interview, Akinori shares, “The idea is that we’re capturing that with the camera. In order to accurately convey the events and emotions that are occurring, I try to convey that through camera angles, colors, backgrounds, filming processing, and sound.” Akinori further adds, “Accurate may sound easy, but it is also difficult. The Apothecary Diaries tries to convey the characters’ emotions accurately.” In his statement, the director highlights the struggles to create a layout conveying the character’s feelings and thoughts. Akinori also comments on how the beautiful visual expression moves him emotionally.

The director expands to say, “I found myself crying while correcting the storyboard (laughs). The story is well-woven with attractive characters, so I’m trying to show the emotions and thoughts of the characters and connect them together.”

Akinori further explains, “By properly showing the relationships between the characters on screen so that there’s no disjointedness, I want viewers to feel like this world and space really exists, and immerse themselves in the experience.”

The anime has vibrant, detailed backgrounds seen through its intricate architecture, luxurious clothing, and furnishings that bring the imperial palace to life. Character designs are elegant and expressive, which is essential for this show where subtle expressions matter. Since the story thrives on strong character interactions, the animation captures subtle emotional shifts in Maomao and others with precision.

This is why focusing on the characters’ emotions is a difficult yet necessary part of the production. By the end of the interview, Akinori also teased that the ongoing season will have a lot of dramatic developments. Hence, he’s trying to convey the appeal of the original version without overdoing it.

Source: Mantan Web