Do you need more Maomao and a certain eunuch who can’t seem to get enough of her? If you, like me, can’t get enough of The Apothecary Diaries (peep all the articles I’ve written about it), you might be looking for anime series with similar vibes. Whether taking place in a historical setting or giving off an air of mystery, these anime can fill the hole that The Apothecary Diaries will leave behind (of course, you can always read the light novel or manga as well). Even if you’ve watched a ton of series full of political intrigue, historical fantasy, or another extremely likable court herbalist, there’s bound to be something on this list you haven’t seen, so get ready to add these anime recommendations to your Crunchyroll watchlist! Raven of the Inner Palace RELATED: The Characters of The Apothecary Diaries If there’s one anime on this list that’s most similar to The Apothecary Diaries , it’d be Raven of the Inner Palace . Both series take place in fictional ancient China, and Japanese authors wrote the stories. The main characters also do whatever they can to survive in the palace. That said, Shouxue, the protagonist in Raven of the Inner Palace , doesn’t do mystery-solving with apothecary skills like Maomao — she taps into her supernatural abilities instead. Shouxue is known as the Raven Consort and aids Emperor Gaojun by putting restless spirits at the palace to rest. As more court politics unfold, so does Shouxue’s lineage as the last surviving member of the Luan family that’s known for their silver hair. Snow White with the Red Hair RELATED: 9 Shojo Anime Moments That Made Our Hearts Go Doki Doki If you love watching fantasy shojo (or romance anime in general), you might’ve already come across Snow White with the Red Hair . I’ll never not recommend this series to anyone who’s looking for shojo with a likeable and complex cast of characters and dashes of wholesome romance. Shirayuki is similar to Maomao in that she’s an herbalist and ends up working in the royal court. She’s tasked with identifying and controlling disease outbreaks in foreign areas while avoiding Prince Raj, who wants her to become his concubine. She encounters Prince Zen along the way, and the two of them end up falling in love with each other. While their dynamic differs from Maomao and Jinshi’s, Shirayuki and Zen’s relationship is the slow burn trope we’re all familiar with. The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent RELATED: What is Shojosei Isekai? A Guide on What to Watch Another female lead who loves to work with herbs is Sei Takanashi from The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent , a fantasy, slice-of-life isekai perfect for anime fans in the mood for something wholesome. Sei was an overworked corporate office worker before she got isekai’d to Salutania, where she has strong healing powers. But she wasn’t the only isekai victim — another young woman also appeared in the kingdom and was labeled as the “Saint,” even though she didn’t possess the same powers as Sei. Wanting to keep her head down and work on her potions, Sei realizes her powers come from love, and not always the romantic kind. That said, she does save Albert Hawke’s life, the Commander of the Third Order of the Knights. Naturally, the two fall in love. MUSHI-SHI RELATED: 15 Essential 2000s Anime on Crunchyroll from Ouran High School Host Club to Soul Eater Switching it up with a male protagonist is Ginko from MUSHI-SHI , who calls himself the “Mushi Master.” He travels across the country during the time between the Edo and Meiji periods, offering aid to people who are suffering from mushi — creatures with supernatural powers who are the cause of people’s suffering. Unlike The Apothecary Diaries , MUSHI-SHI doesn’t have an overarching plotline and simply follows Ginko as he encounters different folks with various ailments. However, it does focus on a character uniquely qualified to help those around him (just like Maomao). Honestly, what’s not to love about a character who only wants to help others? Ascendance of a Bookworm RELATED: 15 Isekai to Watch If You're Tired of Isekai We’re back with another isekai that stars a female protagonist: Ascendance of a Bookworm . The story revolves around Urano Motosu, a book-loving college student studying to be a librarian. She gets crushed by a pile of books at her house and wishes with her last breath that she can read books forever. When Urano wakes up, she has been reincarnated into the body of a young girl named Main, a five-year-old who’s also very fragile. Unlike Urano’s original world, books are rare and only reserved for the elite. Rejecting the circumstances, Urano takes advantage of her retained memories and prints her own books that she can read. Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits- RELATED: Get To Know These Amazing Anime Girls and Women of the 2020s Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits- might be a stretch when giving off vibes similar to The Apothecary Diaries . Still, I remember enjoying it when it first premiered. We have our protagonist, Aoi Tsubaki, who can see ayakashi. On her way to school, she encounters an ayakashi at a torii shrine. He asks for food, and Aoi reluctantly offers her lunch to him. This was a bad move, however, as he kidnaps and takes her to the Hidden Realm, where he’s known as Odanna. He lets her know that her grandfather owes him a debt, which got passed down to her, so she decides to work at the inn to repay it. The show leans heavily into the supernatural, but it’s also about a girl who works to survive in a situation that could kill her, much like Maomao when she enters the royal palace as a servant. YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master RELATED: How The Apothecary Diaries Explores the Beautiful Nuances in Female Relationships The Apothecary Diaries spotlight the women, particularly the Emperor’s High Consorts. In YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master , we have four women competing for the hand of Wakamiya, the crown prince. YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master takes place in the Kingdom of Yamauchi, where people can transform into a three-legged crow known as yatagarasu. Yukiya, one of the sons of the village chief, gets sent to become Wakamiya’s new attendant, and while the latter wasn’t initially happy about this, Yukiya’s presence starts to grow on him. So what does that mean for the four women in the competition? You’ll have to watch to find out! The Heike Story RELATED: The Heike Story is a Beautiful Modern Retelling of a Historical Epic I’m a sucker for historical fiction and I’ll always sing praise for The Heike Story . If you’re familiar with The Tale of the Heike , you’ll know that this anime is an adaptation. It’s a retelling of a historical epic that paints the fall of the Taira clan. Set during the Genpei War, we meet Biwa, a character who doesn’t exist in the source material. She has two different-colored eyes — the blue-green one lets her see the future while the brown one sees the past. Biwa’s the vehicle in which we witness the clans fighting each other. She chronicles these events, which she sings during moments where an older version of her plays the biwa. These scenes highlight how she’s passing down the historical epic orally. Fairies Album RELATED: 10 Donghua to Watch on Crunchyroll The only donghua on this list, Fairies Album is similar to MUSHI-SHI , as it offers a supernatural take on helping others during one’s travels. The series is about a powerful Spirit Doctor who travels around the world to help people who are suffering from the yaoguai, which are sentient spirits, demons, animals, and so on. Tao Yao (the Spirit Doctor I mentioned) is accompanied by a monk and a serpent demon who takes on the form of a man. Together, they try to figure out what upsets the yaoguai and why specific individuals suffer. For those who like the medical aspects of The Apothecary Diaries , this donghua may be a good fit. Natsume’s Book of Friends RELATED: What Makes Natsume Yujin-cho Feel Like Both a Horror and Slice-of-Life Anime? One of the longest-running anime series that doesn’t fall under shonen is Natsume’s Book of Friends . It’s about Takashi Natsume, a teenage orphan boy who can perceive and fight yokai. He finds the Book of Friends left by his late maternal grandmother, which contains all the bound yokai. Natsume is determined to give them back their names and joins forces with Nyanko-sensei, a chubby cat with a mischievous grin. Natsume’s Book of Friends is for those who enjoy the supernatural and historical genres but want something more grounded and relaxing than high-energy and action-packed. Honorable Mention: The Story of Saiunkoku Image via Prime Video RELATED: So You Want to Get Into Japanese Historical Anime? Here's What to Watch! One of my all-time favorite historical anime is The Story of Saiunkoku . It takes place in a fictional country in ancient China, much like The Apothecary Diaries , and follows a young woman named Shurei Hong who aims to pass the imperial examinations. However, that career path is forbidden to women. Shurei's dreams have yet to be dashed as she meets the Emperor and is surrounded by people who support her determination to change the status quo. Imperial politics are involved, but Shurei never loses sight of her goals and doesn’t let the men around her change her mind. SEE MORE ANIME RECS 10 Enemies to Lovers Anime on Crunchyroll 10 Anime That Tackle the Exhaustion of Burnout Anne Shirley and Other Anime Based on Novels Anime Like Naruto Anime Like Solo Leveling Anime Like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Cyberpunk Anime Like Metallic Rouge Anime Like Fallout Anime Like Yu Yu Hakusho Anime Like BOFURI
