The Apothecary Diaries Was Never Meant to Happen, According to Its Creator

WhenThe Apothecary Diariesfirst began airing in late 2023, it quickly set itself apart from the usual anime landscape. While most breakout titles tend to follow action-heavy, shonen-inspired formulas, this one took a different route. Set in an ancient empire reminiscent of Tang Dynasty China, it followed Maomao, a sharp-witted young woman with a talent for herbal medicine and a nose for mystery. Asthe anime adaptation picked up steamand the novels and manga continued to sell, viewers around the world were drawn in by the show’s elegance, clever plotting, and rich, slow-burning storytelling.

But according to the series’ original author, Natsu Hyuga,The Apothecary Diarieswasn’t supposed to happen at all. Ina recent Japanese interview, Hyuga revealed that she never intended to become a novelist. In fact, the story’s earliest version was completely different. It was centered not on a teenage girl in the imperial palace, but on a trio of single mothers in a mining town. And it all started, she says, from a moment of boredom in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The Apothecary Diaries

From Pocket Money to Phenomenon

A Mother’s Tale Reimagined

“I didn’t think of myself as a professional writer,” Hyuga said. “During university, I wrote short stories just to make some pocket money. I even entered a contest once, hoping for prize money. I managed to scrape a little together as a poor student.” After graduation, she settled into life as an ordinary office worker. “I grew up in a cautious household. I once wanted to be a police officer, but I wasn’t tall enough. I thought about becoming a farmer too, but we didn’t own any land, so that wasn’t going to work.” It wasn’t until Japan’s earthquake disaster in 2011 that she wrote again.

Hyuga revealed that she never intended to become a novelist. In fact, the story’s earliest version was completely different.

In October 2011, Hyuga began serializingThe Apothecary Diarieson the website “Shosetsuka ni Naro.” Her initial idea was very different. “What I originally had in my head was a mystery set in a mining town, where three mothers discover someone who has died from poisoning,” she said. “But I figured no one would want to read that.” She realized that younger protagonists were more popular on the site and decided to pivot. That decision gave birth to Maomao. “If I made her a teenager, she couldn’t be like a seasoned mother of three. But if she were an apothecary, I could give her expertise. And a glamorous palace setting made plots about poison easier to believe.”

Crafting the Potion Master

Plot Threads and Future Endings

Hyuga wasn’t deeply invested in mystery fiction or heavily researched medical knowledge when she began writing. “I’m not a huge mystery fan. Some of my writer friends read dozens of books a month, but I don’t. I’ve readThe Twelve Kingdomsand a few novels by Natsuhiko Kyogoku.” As for Maomao’s pharmacological skills? “Honestly, most of it is basic stuff that people probably already know. I got really into Empress Wu Zetian in school. She ruled during the Tang Dynasty. I kept researching her, and from there I picked up a lot of herbal medicine trivia.” The idea of a girl with sharp observation skills stuck and became the series’ beating heart.

The story’s layered mysteries and palace politics give the impression of a carefully plotted master plan. ButHyuga admits that she’s still figuring it out as she goesalong. “I write the web version as a kind of plot draft. When it gets turned into a book, I rearrange events, trim or add scenes, but the core remains the same.” She originally thought the story would end around Volume 11. “I wrote as if it was wrapping up there. But I ended up continuing, so now I’m searching for the next ending. I want each volume to feel satisfying. If readers stop after one or two, that’s fine. But if they want more, it’s there.”

WithSeason 2 of the anime airing nowand over 40 million copies of the novels and manga in circulation,The Apothecary Diarieshas become a quiet juggernaut. Its central relationship, between the stoic Maomao and the ever-enigmatic Jinshi, continues to evolve and keep fans invested. But even with success in full bloom, Hyuga still isn’t sure where the story will ultimately go. “I think it will continue a little longer,” she said. “I’m doing my best to find an ending that everyone will be satisfied with.” Until then, Maomao’s strange, poison-laced journey through the palace isn’t over just yet.