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50 free The Apothecary Diaries trivia questions with answers — entertainment quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This The Apothecary Diaries trivia quiz covers Hyūganatsu's story from every angle: the web novel that started on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in 2011, the light novels illustrated by Touko Shino, the two competing manga adaptations, and the Toho Animation and OLM anime that ran for two seasons in 2023–25 with a third on the way. The questions cover Maomao and Jinshi, the Emperor's four high-ranking consorts and their pavilions, the poisoned face powder that opens the story, Gaoshun, Lakan, Luomen, Xiaolan, the Three Princesses of the Verdigris House, and the voice casts in Japanese and English. There are also questions on the setting Hyūganatsu says is 'technically not China', the sales records, the theme songs, and the awards. Spoilers are kept to what the first anime season reveals. If you enjoy this, BrainPickle has plenty of other anime and manga quizzes. Every answer has been checked against Wikipedia and each question carries a citation to the page it came from.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01What is the Japanese title of The Apothecary Diaries?
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto
It literally means 'Apothecary's Soliloquy', which is why the season two ending theme is called 'Hitorigoto'.
Q 02Who wrote The Apothecary Diaries?
Hyūganatsu
Touko Shino illustrates the light novels; Nekokurage and Minoji Kurata draw the two manga versions.
Q 03On which user-generated novel website was the story first serialised in 2011?
Shōsetsuka ni Narō
Shufunotomo picked it up in 2012 and relaunched it as a light novel series in 2014.
Q 04The story's fictional country is mainly inspired by which period of Chinese history?
The Tang dynasty
The author says she took the most interesting parts of a thousand years of Chinese history and adds that 'technically, it is not set in China'.
Q 05How does Maomao end up working in the Imperial Palace?
She is kidnapped and sold as a servant
She plans to keep her head down until her two years of servitude are over.
Q 06How long is Maomao's original term of servitude at the palace?
Two years
Her plan to stay anonymous collapses the moment she solves the mystery of the sick imperial infants.
Q 07In the public eye, Jinshi holds what position in the rear palace?
A eunuch who runs its administration
Both men and women swoon over him; Maomao is the one person who does not.
Q 08Who voices Maomao in the Japanese anime?
Aoi Yūki
Yūki also voiced Maomao in the earlier drama CD.
Q 09Who voices Jinshi in the Japanese anime?
Takeo Ōtsuka
Takahiro Sakurai had voiced him on the drama CD.
Q 10Who voices Maomao in the English dub?
Emi Lo
Kaiji Tang voices Jinshi in English.
Q 11Maomao grew up in which renowned brothel, whose Madam treats her like a granddaughter?
The Verdigris House
Its owner, the Madam, treats Maomao like a granddaughter — and may actually be one.
Q 12What is the name of Maomao's adoptive father, an apothecary and former court doctor?
Luomen
Court records reveal he was banished from the rear palace and was one of the rare few sent abroad to study medicine.
Q 13Which high-ranking consort is known as the Precious Consort and is the Emperor's favourite?
Gyokuyō
She has red hair and jade-green eyes and lives in the Jade Pavilion.
Q 21Who is Jinshi's loyal attendant, voiced in the anime by Katsuyuki Konishi?
Gaoshun
His straight-laced son Basen also serves Jinshi.
Q 22Maomao refers to the palace doctor Guen by what unflattering label?
A quack
His family supplies high-quality paper to the palace.
Q 23Who is Maomao's biological father, revealed to be the monocle-wearing, face-blind military tactician?
Lakan
He is Luomen's nephew, making Luomen Maomao's great-uncle.
Q 24Maomao's mother Fengxian cut off the tip of Maomao's little finger as a baby to do what?
Q 14The Precious Consort's residence is named after which stone?
Jade
Maomao becomes her lady-in-waiting and food taster.
Q 15Why does the Precious Consort take Maomao on as a lady-in-waiting?
As thanks for warning her about poisoned make-up
The face powder was poisoning both the consorts and their babies.
Q 16Which 'Wise Consort' loses her infant son after her lady-in-waiting ignores Maomao's warning?
Lihua
Maomao nurses her back to health and she later has a healthy son.
Q 17Lishu, the youngest of the four consorts, has a residence named after which stone?
Diamond
Her ladies-in-waiting bully her, mistaking her food allergies for fussiness.
Q 18Lishu suffers from what, which her ladies-in-waiting mistake for pickiness?
Food allergies
Maomao points out that death by allergy would look like poisoning and get them all executed.
Q 19Ah-Duo, the Pure Consort, shares which unusual bond with the Emperor?
They are milk siblings who shared a wet nurse
She bears a striking androgynous resemblance to Jinshi.
Q 20Who replaces Ah-Duo as the Pure Consort?
Loulan
She secretly wanders the palace dressed as a servant girl called Shisui, fascinated by plants and insects.
Curse Lakan for a broken promise
Fengxian was once the Verdigris House's most valuable courtesan.
Q 25Who is Maomao's gossip-loving servant friend in the rear palace, and the subject of a spin-off manga?
Xiaolan
The Apothecary Diaries: Xiaolan's Story began on Square Enix's Manga Up! service in March 2025.
Q 26Which soldier gives Maomao a hairpin and later takes up with the courtesan Pairin?
Lihaku
Pairin, the eldest of the Three Princesses, was once Maomao's wet nurse.
Q 27The 'Three Princesses' of the brothel where Maomao grew up are Pairin, Meimei and who?
Joka
Maomao regards all three as sister figures who raised her.
Q 28Who is the dutiful head lady-in-waiting serving the Precious Consort, and Maomao's boss?
Hongniang
Shin is her jealous counterpart in the Crystal Pavilion.
Q 29Which studios produced the first two seasons of the anime?
Toho Animation Studio and OLM
Season three is being produced by OLM alone.
Q 30How many episodes were in the anime's first season?
24
The second season was also 24 episodes.