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A review by cruella
The Apothecary Diaries, Volume 2 by Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Natsu Hyuuga
5.0
In Volume 2, Maomao returns to the palace as Jinshi's attendant after the intervention of Gaoshun (even others are shipping the two together), continuing to solve various mysteries. This is where the overarching plot of the series begin to come together, and Maomao realizes the mysteries she solved may have not been relatively harmless but are hints of a conspiracy threatening the palace. Meanwhile, a peculiar military man begins to disrupt Jinshi's daily life, bringing dark hints of Maomao's past.
The previous volume's mysteries were fairly lighthearted, and much of the mysteries in this volume at first sight appear to be the same, but this volume is where the series becomes memorable, with clever mysteries leading to a dangerous conspiracy, and shows the series' heart in its character writing and development.
The characters are allowed to be flawed, making mistakes in their arrogance and overestimation of themselves, and suffer the consequences of their actions, but here is where the story shines compares to other stories. Instead of ending with their consequences, the author asks us for empathy and understanding for these damaged people.
The previous volume's mysteries were fairly lighthearted, and much of the mysteries in this volume at first sight appear to be the same, but this volume is where the series becomes memorable, with clever mysteries leading to a dangerous conspiracy, and shows the series' heart in its character writing and development.
The characters are allowed to be flawed, making mistakes in their arrogance and overestimation of themselves, and suffer the consequences of their actions, but here is where the story shines compares to other stories. Instead of ending with their consequences, the author asks us for empathy and understanding for these damaged people.