The author of "The Apothecary Diaries" said that the background of the story has nothing to do with any Chinese dynasty.

I wonder if any of you have watched the anime "The Apothecary Diaries"? The background and costumes in the anime are very Chinese-style. When I saw it, the editor thought that The Apothecary Diaries was a Chinese anime. Unexpectedly, it was adapted from the work of Japanese light novel writer Natsu Hyuga. The Apothecary Diaries became very popular after being adapted into an anime. The first season received quite good reviews. However, it also attracted much attention because of its style of painting and storyline. Many Chinese fans will ask the author what the story of The Apothecary Diaries is. Which dynasty in China? Too many people asked about it. The author was troubled and personally stated the background issue about The Apothecary Diaries. At the same time, Natsu Hyuga also hoped that everyone would stop asking her this question. The Apothecary Diaries was different from any other Chinese dynasty. It doesn't matter the dynasty.

"The Apothecary Diaries" is set in an imaginary oriental country. The protagonist, Maomao, is a pharmacist working in brothel. When she went out to collect medicine, she was kidnapped and sold to the palace to become a lower-level female official. Maomao relied on her professional knowledge to solve various problems among the officials. Mysterious cases and reveal the intrigues and secrets of the harem. The recent announcement that a second season of The Apothecary Diaries anime will be released in 2025 has many fans looking forward to it.

While everyone is looking forward to the arrival of the second season of The Apothecary Diaries in 2025, a topic related to The Apothecary Diaries has been constantly raised. Because the costumes, buildings and story background of The Apothecary Diaries are full of Chinese style, many fans have been asking the author Natsu Hyuga "Which Chinese dynasty does The Apothecary Diaries come from?", which means asking which China Natsu Hyuga refers to. The work "The Apothecary Diaries" was created only during the dynasty.

In response to this, the author Natsu Hyuga clarified on X that "The Apothecary Diaries" is actually just a fantasy world that integrates Chinese culture, clothing, food and other elements." It is essentially the same as Ninja Slayer.

いまだに薬屋は中国のどの時代ですかと言われるけど、中華風の文化とか衣装とか美味しいところちゃんぽんにしたファンタジーであって、ニンジャスレイヤーみたいなもんだと原作者は思っている。

— 日向夏🐗 (@NaMelanza) October 30, 2024

In case some people don't know the work of Ninja Slayer, here is a brief introduction for you. Ninja Slayer is a prototype novel co-created by American writers Bradley Bond and Philip "Ninj@" Morzez in 1996. The story of the novel is set in a fictional Japanese city and tells the story of ordinary office workers' journey of revenge. The protagonist loses his wife and children due to a terrorist attack. When he is about to die, he is possessed by the mysterious ninja soul and becomes a ninja killer who specializes in killing ninjas. You can simply take a look at the PV of Ninja Slayer. You can see that there are ninjas and other Japanese elements in it, but no one will ask "Which Japanese city does your inspiration come from" or "Which Japanese period is the background of the story?" Questions like that. Because the Japan described in the Ninja Slayer story is just a hodgepodge of Japanese elements, and no one will seriously study which dynasty it is from.

Natsu Hyuga's statement probably also wants to use the metaphor of Ninja Slayer to stop Chinese fans who are curious about the background of The Apothecary Diaries story from continuing to ask questions. The Apothecary Diaries is just a fantasy story that combines elements of Eastern culture and uses Chinese-style elements, but it does not actually refer to any particular dynasty in China. It may be a misunderstanding for some Chinese fans, but you should be able to understand it after understanding the author's original intention. Then happily wait for the release of the second season of "The Apothecary Diaries" in 2025.