The popularity of The Apothecary Diaries is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. It is already being hailed as one of the best anime of this season, even though it has more than half the number of episodes yet to be released.
Usually, a show gets adapted from a manga, but here, the case is different. The novel The Apothecary Diaries by Natsu Hyuuga gets adapted into the manga, and then that manga adaptation is used to create the anime.
This is why the production of the anime and its animation quality is heavily reliant on the manga by Nekokurage. However, now that season 2 is catching up to the manga chapters, the production of season 3 might suffer because of this unique adaptation process.
The challenge of adapting without a manga blueprint
The manga is currently depicting the segment of Maomao getting kidnapped by Suirei. Later, we will see Jinshi saving Maomao by leading the imperial army and coming clean about the fact that he is not a eunuch but a Prince.
With the speed with which The Apothecary Diaries season 2 is going, it is likely going to catch up to this arc and animate it as well. But, after that, there will be little to no material for a potential season 3.
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Yes, the anime can directly take inspiration from the light novel, which is way ahead of the manga. However, what that will do is heavily influence the animation style and alter character designs.
There will be no blueprint for the makers to work with, and they will have to rely on the novel descriptions to create their own characters, which might not resemble the manga later. Though this is a hypothetical situation, it can either create good or bad results that might impact the viewing experience of the fans.
Will the anime go on hiatus instead?
Perhaps a more plausible option for this franchise is to go on a long hiatus for about one to two years. In that meantime, the manga author will be able to churn out as many panels as needed for a season 3 production.
This is a better option because it will give the production company ample time to create a better third season. Plus, we will also not have to think about a possible animation change or shift in pace due to the unavailability of the manga.
The light novel is definitely really good, but it also goes way more into details about Maomao’s internal monologues and minor incidents. Translating these details directly into the anime could disrupt its tightly formed and engaging narrative.
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inKusuriyaNoHitorigoto
While the wait for Season 3 may be longer than fans would prefer, allowing the manga to progress seems like the best course of action for now. In the meantime, the light novel is always available for fans to read who would like to stay ahead of the curve.
Watch The Apothecary Diaries on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
