Apothecary Diaries is a hit anime series that made a grand debut with its first season in 2023. The anime was brought to life through a collaboration between TOHO Animation Studio and OLM Studio, but the story wouldn't exist without its blueprint – the light novel by Japanese creator Hyuga Natsu. The story of Hyūga Natsu, after Mao Mao, is believed to be set in China. The reason for this is obvious, the character names, clothes and locations all sound like China. In a new interview, however, Hyuga Natsu set the record straight and revealed to the world Apothecary Diaries Not actually in China, but in a completely different fantasy world.
Hyuga Natsu reveals that the Apothecary Diaries do not take place in China
Apothecary Diaries Season 1 premiered on October 22, 2023, and ran for 24 episodes until March 24, 2024. The series made a quick comeback with a second season with another 24 episodes airing from January 10, 2025 to July 4, 2025. Due to its success, Apothec20 once again brought in a third time for Apothec20. season, and then, for the original movie in December 2026.
From the beginning of this anime series based on the novel of the same name by author Hyuuga Natsu, fans were convinced that the story took place in China. However, this was previously said to be untrue. Recently, Hyuga Natsu interviewed Jacob Parker-Dalton scrmb Anime Central in 2026. When asked to elaborate on what location Apothecary Diaries takes place in, Hyūga Natsu again confirms that it is not set in China. After all, the country itself was never mentioned in the novel, instead being referred to as Lee's country.
“It's not technically set in China, but the setting is very much inspired by China. There are some Japanese sensibilities, too, but I think it's par for the course because I'm Japanese.” – Hyuga Natsu
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This confirms to us that Mao Mao's world is only inspired by China, and the author takes her own liberties instead. This world, in that sense, is a completely imaginary place. Hyuuga Natsu also states that the story is not based in ancient China, according to the timeline. the world of Apothecary Diaries Takes place around the Middle Ages, or 1000 years before the present era. It is not based on a precise era, and can be seen with the mixing and matching of elements from different Chinese dynasties.
Jacob Parker-Dalton: Regarding the Apothecary Diaries, one of the most common misconceptions is that it takes place in ancient China.
Hyuga Natsu: Indeed. First of all, “ancient” is wrong here because I see that time frame as the early modern period. In Japanese history, we place it as during and after the Edo period. That's about 1000 years ago, so I don't think that describes the series. Even the Middle Ages don't work… […] Basically what I did was steal the most interesting parts of 1000 years of Chinese history and rearrange them as I saw fit.
The Apothecary Diaries draws inspiration from both China and Japan at the same time to create a new fantasy world.
Apothecary Diaries There is a story connected to China, but it is not the only place that inspired the fantasy world created by Hyuuga Natsu. In the same interview, he revealed that many elements of Apothecary Diary are inspired by his own culture and history, namely, Japan as well. Of course, this is to be expected, as many authors bring their own history and upbringing into their stories. The world of Apothecary Diaries is a melting pot of East Asian culture. China is the main inspiration though.
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It could be said that Hyūga Natsu only made this comment to avoid being overly criticized for how accurate his depictions were. A fictional world gives writers more freedom without being tied to precise historical accuracy. This is evident, for example, with depictions of clothing that do not always correspond to an era of Chinese history. This is one thing she has faced criticism from, especially from Chinese fans of the series, as the new premise set by the author gives her more breathing room, as well as more creativity to mix things up and create the best story possible for all fans around the world.
