The Apothecary Diaries Manga Goes On A Hiatus As Illustrator Takes Maternity Leave

The official website of Shogakukan’s Sunday Webry announced on May 6, 2024, that ‘The Apothecary Diaries: The Palace Cloister Mystery-Solving Notebook of Mao Mao‘ manga will be going on a hiatus.

The hiatus of the manga was announced through a panel published on the website revealing a message by the illustrator Minoji Kurata stating that she is currently on maternity leave as she gave birth in January 2024.

She also disclosed that the manga will resume serialization around summer.

“My name is Kurata. I gave birth in January and am currently on maternity leave.
I am slowly preparing for my return around the summer, so please wait a while as I read and reread the original work.“

Apothecary Diaries: The Palace Cloister Mystery-Solving Notebook of Mao Mao is an alternative manga adaptation of the light novel. It is illustrated by Minoji Kurata. It began in Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday Gene-X on Aug 19, 2017. Shogakukan has compiled its chapters into individual tankobon volumes.

The first volume was published on Feb 19, 2018. As of March 19, 2024, 18 volumes have been published.

The Apothecary Diaries is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Touko Shino. Since 2011, it has been serialized online on the user-generated novel publishing website Shosetsuka ni Naro.

In the following year, it was acquired by Shufunotomo, who initially published the series as a novel with a single volume in 2012 and then as a light novel series in 2014.

It has been adapted into two manga series in 2017, with one published by Square Enix in Monthly Big Gangan, and another one published by Shogakukan in Monthly Sunday Gene-X.

The other manga, titled The Apothecary Diaries, is adapted by Itsuki Nanao and illustrated by Nekokurage. As of March 25, 2024, 13 volumes have been published.

An anime television series adaptation produced by Toho Animation Studio and OLM aired from October 2023 to March 2024. A second season is set to premiere in 2025.

Source: Sunday Webry