The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1, Part 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1, Part 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 begins the journey of the anime series. Created by Natsu Hyūga, The Apothecary Diaries has original character designs by Touko Shino. The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 explores the historical-romance and the slice-of-life anime backdrop to the production. Executive produced by Kazutaka Yamanaka (Dr. Stone: New World, Jujutsu Kaisen), The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 features voice-performances by Aoi Yūki and Takeo Ōtsuka.

Produced by Fumi Kawamura, Hiroshi Mutou, Junya Okamoto (Black Lagoon, Jormungand Perfect Order), Katsuji Morishita (Dead Leaves, Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror), Mitsuteru Hishiyama (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, ONIMAI: I'm Now Your Sister!), Tomoko Fujimura (Mr. Villain's Day Off, Vermeil in Gold), and Yuito Hirahara (My Life as Inukai-san's Dog, Teasing Master Takagi-san), The Apothecary Diaries features theme songs by Shingo Anami (opening one), YAS (opening two), Huwie Ishizaki (ending one), and Yōhei Hashiguchi (ending two). The Apothecary Diaries showcases impressive animation production by OLM and Toho Animation Studio (Yo-kai Watch, Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl). Fans of The Apothecary Diaries will appreciate the evocative art style as a backdrop to the historical setting.

Maomao (Aoi Yūki) wanted nothing more than a simple life. Yet Maomao’s simple life and dreams are shattered in an instant. Maomao finds herself being kidnapped and taken away from her simple role collecting special herbs. After Maomao is kidnapped, Maomao is set up with a new role and duty: to work specifically for the Imperial harem. The first role assigned to Maomao is that of servant. Maomao must attend to duties as a servant to the royals – who have more wealth and connections than she does.

As Maomao traverses the role, Maomao soon finds that her apothecary skills take notice by handsome official Jinshi (Takeo Ōtsuka). Jinshi decides that Maomao should become a food taste tester and not simply any ordinary taste tester – Maomao needs to check foods for poisons and help save lives. The position eventually changes to Maomao becoming a beloved concubine. Maomao has many talents – she’ll have to navigate her changing roles to succeed. Can Maomao save lives while a food tester and then be the most-desired concubine – beloved by the emperor?

Maomao is an intriguing central protagonist for the anime series. The character is put through the paces on a journey that tests her at every turn. Maomao has a lot of challenges ahead for her as she goes from being a kidnapped commoner to being put through a number of key positions that are not far removed from royalty – from poison tester to favorite concubine of the emperor himself. The character has an enormous odyssey from simple origins.

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 features superb character designs by Yukiko Nakatani (Tropical-Rouge! Precure, Precure Miracle Universe). The exquisite character designs add a lot to the production values of the series. The character design elements bring out the best with the supporting characters. These elements of the series are vital to the success of The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1.

The animation is gorgeous. Without a doubt, The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 is a perfect showcase for the beautiful and evocative artistry of the animation team. The animation shows an absorbing sense of style and ambition – with the series highlighting art direction by Katsumi Takao (Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! ). The visual sensibilities add so much to the detail inherit in the production. Animation is key to the production and what can help make things work.

The cinematography by Rumi Ishiguro (Akiba Maid War, The Piano Forest) is a key part of the series and its aesthetic flourishes. Ishiguro is a talented cinematographer with a keen sense of what makes this a visually effective historical-drama. The visuals are key and without the cinematography the series isn’t something that would stand-out as well. The lighting is well-done and the concubine element is well highlighted.  

The score composed by Arisa Okehazama (The God of High School, Jujutsu Kaisen), Kevin Penkin (Made in Abyss, The Rising of The Shield Hero), and Satoru Kōsaki (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Nisekoi - False Love) adds charm to the production. The music is a solid backdrop to The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1. The score adds excitement and energy to the series and the journey of the central protagonist.

Written and directed by Norihiro Naganuma (The Ancient Magus' Bride, My Little Monster), The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 explores some mature themes while still retaining a slice-of-life style of storytelling. For audiences wanting to see something similar, The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 pushes forward the narrative for audiences invested in the historical drama and its community of fans.

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1, Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original television aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The series is presented with robust and evocative colors. The color tone to the animation is well reproduced. Excellent clarity enhances the crisp animation and line artwork.

It is always worth celebrating the Blu-ray disc format and its gains over streaming services. Streaming video series tend to be more compressed. The data bit-stream is smaller on streaming with a more compressed visual experience for audiences. For audiences wanting something more, Blu-ray has something in store.

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1, Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release capably preserves the sound direction from Shōji Hata (Bakugan Battle Planet, The Ancient Magus' Bride). The audio presentation is crisp, satisfying, and enjoyable. The music is well reproduced and is well integrated into the sound mix. Presentation quality is quite impressive on the whole. The English audio has a somewhat more expansive soundstage with 5.1 audio. The Japanese audio sounds great with 2.0 stereo. English subtitles are well done and are free from problematic spelling or grammatical errors.

One of the best things about physical media and the Blu-ray format is lossless audio encoding. This is an essential staple of the format and one of the best selling points for collectors. The lossless encoding is something that can sometimes yield significant results for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts. Audiences who appreciate crisp audio delivery will prefer the higher bit-rate and bette bit-depth of physical media to streaming. It is worth noting that streaming video services limit all audio to 16 bit depth (not 24 bit-depth) and only provide lossy (non-lossless) encoding. In my experience, using my bit-perfect DAC with my Marantz A/V receiver, 24 bit depth can be an incredible and essential part of the experience.  

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1, Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the release comes with an o-card slipcover featuring unique key artwork. The slipcover art is well-done and a nice selection for the release. The artwork underneath the slip is similarly impressive and adds to the presentation of the release. The under-slip art works well. Crunchyroll did a solid job with the package design. The slipcover paper quality is a bit thin in comparison to the best slipcovers (mainly from the boutique labels) but the artwork was well-done.

On disc supplements include:

Disc 1:

Mini Anime (HD, 9:44)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:32)

Disc 2:

Mini Anime (HD, 10:04)

Trailers (HD, 4:52)

Alas, despite some nice extras – such as the mini anime – it is surprising to once again see a somewhat sparse supplemental package. In the age of streaming it is surprising when releases are not jam-packed with bonus features. For some fans and collectors a well-rounded release in terms of bonus features can make or break the difference between a purchase or a one-time stream.

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1, Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 1 Part 1 begins the journey of the historical-drama romantic anime series. The series features impressive production aesthetics and there are a lot of key elements to celebrate. The animation is well-done and audiences will be pleased with the results. The Blu-ray presentation is well-done on the release. The set comes with a nice o-card slipcover featuring more artwork. Fans of the series will be tempted to pick up the set and add it to their anime collection.