Every Anime season new series and seasons are released that are not only trying to be watched. On platforms like MyAnimeList, many of these series and seasons are rated. The latest season of a popular series has even made it into the top 20, overtaking classics and series like Jujutsu Kaisen.
Which series is it about? The Apothecary Diaries started as an anime in October 2023 and is based on the novel series Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, which was also adapted into a manga and light novel before the anime. The first season was well-received, and the second season will run from January 2025 to July 2025.
The series is about the apothecary Mao Mao, who works in the red-light district of a fictitious country during the Ming Dynasty. One day, she is kidnapped and sold to the imperial court. Through her knowledge and detective skills, she solves several cases in the imperial household and earns a good reputation.
This reputation seems to be quite good in reality as well, because on the platform MyAnimeList, it is currently the only series from 2025 that is represented in the top 20.
You can see the trailer for the second season here:
The Apothecary Diaries surpasses real classics and new hit series
What kind of list is this? On the platform MyAnimeList, users can rate seen anime and manga from 1 to 10 and add them to their own lists. Based on the average rating, the animes are summarized in a ranking on MyAnimeList.
The number of ratings and list entries generally doesn’t matter, but a certain minimum number of ratings is needed to be ranked in the top list. Thus, in the top 20, not only classics with many ratings are represented, but also smaller
series can be found.
How is the second season of The Apothecary Diaries doing? Currently, the series is in 19th place with an average rating of 8.91 from 173,219 ratings. This allows it to surpass series like the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen (49th place with 8.73) or Cowboy Bebop (47th place with 8.75) (via MyAnimeList). However, it should be noted that the ratings for The Apothecary Diaries are still relatively low. The ranking may change.
At the top is now the fantasy series Frieren. The first season of the series has a score of 9.29 with over 721,000 ratings. Directly behind it is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood with a score of 9.10 from over 2.2 million votes.
With Gintama: The Final (5th place with 9.05) and One Piece Fan Letter (8th place with 9.03), there are also individual special episodes or anime films in the top 10 that have significantly fewer ratings.
Builds on the strengths of the first season
Why is the second season of The Apothecary Diaries rated so well? Looking at the reviews on MyAnimeList, the second season seems to build on the strengths of the first. The music and animation are praised, and the mystery/political aspect and the drama at the imperial court seem to appeal to many.
There are also negative reviews from those who were not entirely convinced by the second season and find the first better. Many of the ratings, both positive and negative, were made midway through the season.
What do you think of the series? Did it convince you as much as it did many users, or do you think it’s rated too highly? Let us know in the comments. Many action fans are probably looking forward to January 2026, as a Shonen hit continues there: Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3: Release, Trailer, and Leaks of the Anime Overview
