Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Los diarios de la boticaria, Vol. 1

Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Los diarios de la boticaria, Vol. 1 by Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Natsu Hyuuga

29 reviews

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I saw this was available on Libby and decided to pick it up while I waited for other holds to come in.

“The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1” follows Maomao after she is kidnapped and forced to work as a servant in an inner palace. She is trained in the art of herbal medicine, but she does not want her captors to know that because she does not wish to earn them more money.

I was unfortunately, very bored with this manga. I think this story has its audience, and I think people will really enjoy it, unfortunately, I am just not one of those people.

I found the plot to be very lackluster, and overall not engaging. I feel like a story that follows a young woman who was kidnapped, and who is talented in the art of herbal medicine should have grabbed my attention more than it did. I also felt like Maomao was a very flat character, and she lacked any real personality to make the reader feel connected to her.

I do not not recommend this manga, but I will likely not continue with it personally.

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madamenovelist's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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small_shrimp's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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gjerne_leser's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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jaydarjoker's review against another edition

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funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

4.0

➽ I was pleasantly surprised by The Apothecary Diaries! I wasn't sure if the setting would work for me, but Maomao stole my heart! The story is set in a world based on Imperial China during the Tang dynasty and takes place in the inner palace, where the Emperor's concubines reside. Maomao is a lowly servant who was sold into servitude and used to be an apothecary. I immediately liked her whip-smart commentary and cynical nature. She really stood out as an authentic, intriguing protagonist. Maomao is very clever but used to downplaying her skills as they'll only make more work for her and her kidnappers still get a cut of her wages. I understood that she didn't want to admit that she can read and knows about medicinal herbs, as being unseen in court can sometimes be better. I just found her so endearing and loved her darker humor!

➽ When Maomao helps out one of the most coveted concubines Gyokuyō, she finds herself as the new food tester. Despite wanting to fly under the radar, she is now in a much better position and helps solve mysteries inside the court with the help of her apothecary skills. She can finally experiment with concoctions and herbs again! There are a lot of serious topics in the Manga, but Maomao's different expressions and commentary definitely lighten them. I'm intrigued to see what'll happen with Jinshi, an eunuch close to concubine Gyokuyō as he's still quite mysterious. Maomao's not sure about his true intentions and it'll be interesting to see what he might be hiding!

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corallydeer's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I adore the anime adaptation of this manga so I just had to give reading it a shot! I love the art style in the manga and it's always really cool to see comparisons between the adaptation and the manga. I still adore the story and I'm so excited to read through the manga and see what lies ahead!

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syraluna's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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jennifermreads's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Sometimes scanning the “new books” shelf can lead to stumbling upon a gem of a read. I am so glad that the spine of The Apothecary Diaries caught my eye—and that volumes 1-4 were at the ready! I was taken in by the word “apothecary” and held by the historical China inner palace intrigue. Maomao has cast a spell over me and I’m eager to see where her herbal talents take us.

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sirenricobooks's review against another edition

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dark funny informative lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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