Apothecary Diaries is one of the most popularanimeout there, and there are so many reasons for that. It has a slow build romance, mystery, great characters, and beautiful writing. It meshes genres in a beautiful way that makes the anime perfect for a variety of fans.
Once you finish the show, you’re left with a Maomao-sized hole wondering what to watch next. If you’re hoping to fill the time with an amazing next show, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to find your next mystery, historical, or romance anime.
8Raven Of The Inner Palace
Royalty
Raven of the Inner Palace is about a consort who is living deep in the inner palace. She has the ability to do certain arts and will oblige any favor that she’s asked, no matter how dangerous or detrimental it may be. The show’s catalyst is the emperor requesting a favor.
If you appreciate strong female leading ladies like Maomao from Apothecary Diaries, you’ll love the Raven consort. She solves her own mysteries and does favors, very similar to how Maomao operates. It also surrounds palaces, emperors, and consorts.
7The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent
History Repeats
The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent is about an office worker who is transported into another world where they are desperate for a saint to help save them. Her aptitude for potions and science makes her a quick asset to the kingdom, even if she is mistaken as an accidental transfer instead of the saint.
This anime is very similar to the Apothecary Diaries.There’s a brave womanwho’s thrust into a new situation who is into science (and magic), a slow-burn romance, and a great group of side characters.
6Nina The Starry Bride
Mystery
Nina the Starry Bride surrounds a young girl with beautiful sparkling eyes who replaces a dead princess. She’s used as a political pawn to marry a prince from a neighboring kingdom to bring peace and prosperity. She learns how to be the perfect princess while trying to unearth secrets about those in power to better understand her position.
This anime has everything - political intrigue, mysteries, a love triangle, and a bubbly lead. Both Nina and Maomao are commoners who work their way up and fight for answers. If you love the mysteries in Apothecary Diaries, try Nina next. There’s so much left to unravel.
5Snow White With The Red Hair
Politics
Snow White with the Red Hair is a much lighter anime than Apothecary Diaries, but it has similar themes. It surrounds a young girl who is ordered to be a concubine and chooses to run for her life and make a new home for herself.
The main character, Shirayuki, also works in medicine and apothecary and becomes a court herbalist, which is very similar to Maomao’s arc. There’s also an underlying romance that’s fun to watch, and politics at play that affect the plot.
4Yona Of The Dawn
Strength
Yona of the Dawn follows a young princess named Yona who is forced to flee after her father is killed. She works to take back her throne by collecting the dragon spirits and fighting against the people who usurped her father.
This show is similar to Apothecary Diaries because it has adventure, politics, an underlying romance, and an awesome female lead. Yona is a verywell-written characterwith a ton of growth, which makes her worth rooting for. The anime is only one season, but the manga is still going if you’re looking for a long and epic fantasy to read.
3Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady With A Lamp
Sciences
This show surrounds Elise, a reincarnated doctor who wishes to continue her craft in the 19th century instead of becoming a royal fiancée. She’s a kind woman who believes in bettering her nation’s health and developing the sciences to support the doctors of the nation, and becoming one of the only women to pass the medical exam.
This overlaps with the Apothecary Diaries because of royal intrigue as well asthe female protagonists’love for science, even if their interests vary. Both women are highly revered as the best in their fields and are often pulled in to fix problems, whether it be mysteries or surgery.
2Gosick
Gosick is about two outcast students who form a mystery-solving team. Most of the cases in Gosick are criminal, and there is even a follow-up show where the two students are a couple who own their own detective agency.
Gosick is similar to Apothecary Diaries because it’s a historical show that surrounds solving mysteries. The show is also episodic, like Apothecary Diaries, though there is an underlying plot in Apothecary Diaries as well.
1Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast For Spirits
Romance
Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits follows Aoi, a young girl who is forced to be engaged to a demon ogre to pay off her grandfather’s debt. She decides to open up her own restaurant to pay him back instead, refusing to marry the ogre. However, over time, she falls for him anyway.
This show overlaps with the Apothecary Diaries in a variety of ways. There is a romance where one person develops feelings much earlier than another, a fearless protagonist who is witty and morally sound, and a treacherous palace world.
