Top 10 Anime to Watch If You Like Apothecary Diaries – Do you love politics? Do you love royal romances? Well, my friend, today I’m bringing 10 anime that you will enjoy if you loved Apothecary Diaries. Not all of these happen inside a castle, but each of them has at least one thing you loved about Apothecary Diaries. Let’s go.
10. Undead Girl Murder Farce
We’re starting off with vampires. In 19th century France, vampire noble Jean Duchet Godard loses his wife to a brutal murder. And the human authorities couldn’t care less. So he calls in some specialists.
Tsugaru Shinuchi, a half-wild human, half-demon guy carrying a bird cage, and Aya, the literal immortal head inside it. These two, along with Aya’s badass maid, Shizuku, are hunting down the man who wrecked their lives.
I know this isn’t exactly Imperial China, but this anime’s got a smart main character just like Apothecary Diaries, and hits way harder than you expect. Every episode felt like 5 minutes because it was just that binge-worthy.
Tsugaru’s cocky vibe and Aya’s sharp wit are pure magic together, and the mysteries actually keep you guessing. If you liked Maomao, you’ll like the character Aya too, and the mysteries will keep you hooked. So, give this one a go.
9. Beautiful Bones -Sakurako’s Investigation-
When Shoutarou Tatewaki bumps into the bone-loving Sakurako Kujou, he doesn’t just find a subject. He finds a whole new world of unsolved mysteries. Shoutarou has an obsession with reconstructing skeletons. Yes, you heard that right.
And this girl pulls Shoutarou into case after case, usually involving some very dead people. But the deeper they dig into these deaths, the more it feels like something bigger is lurking behind the scenes.
I went to Sakurako-san not expecting much, but it hooked me just like Apothecary Diaries did. The story actually connects from episode to episode, which is rare for mystery anime and not even something Apothecary Diaries does most of the time.
Sure, the ending kind of fumbles with a dry cliffhanger, but the tone throughout was chill and emotional enough to almost make me tear up. This is a total hidden gem for mystery fans.
8. The Story of Saiunkoku
If you need smart princesses, then here’s another one. Shuurei is a smart, hardworking girl from a noble family that’s way more broke than it sounds. Her dream is to become a government official and actually do some good for her country.
Things flip when she’s offered a crazy job — pretend to be the emperor’s consort and whip him into shape. The Emperor, Ryuuki, would rather nap and hang out with dudes than rule. But Shuurei’s got Seiran, her loyal and super capable buddy, backing her up. And she’s up for some politics, secret plots, and a whole lot of tea spilling.
Saiunkoku Monogatari looks like a fluffy reverse harem but then turns into a deep political drama with killer twists. Shuurei is one of the best female leads out there — strong but never annoying.
The cast is also packed with a ton of memorable characters and some of the backgrounds for this show are really well done. If you love the political romance and mystery vibes of Apothecary Diaries, you’ll love this one too.
7. Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary
Let’s move away from the palace stuff to high school — or university, in this case. Jougorou Kobato just can’t mind his own business. Even after promising his shy friend Yuki Osanai they’ll live a super ordinary life in high school, he keeps getting dragged into solving everyday mysteries.
No murders, no mafia bosses, just weird little things that pop up around campus. And it’s up to Kobato to solve all these supernatural mysteries.
Shoshimin nails the whole chill mystery vibe without trying to be Sherlock Holmes or some overhyped thriller. Conversations feel super real, with a lot of emotions shown through glances and silences instead of characters yapping for 5 minutes.
There’s no cringy fan service shoved in your face, and the natural flow of relationships makes it way easier to actually care about the characters. I know it’s not some royal romance, but if you love the mystery of Apothecary Diaries, you’re going to like this one.
6. Snow White with the Red Hair
Remember how back in the day kings collected concubines faster than you collected Pokémon? Well, this happens in that era.
Shirayuki is a cheerful redhead working as an apothecary in the kingdom of Tanbarun, living a pretty normal life until Prince Raji gets it into his royal head that he has to make her his concubine just because her hair is a rare color.
Shirayuki cuts off her iconic hair and escapes into the forest where she meets Zen, the chill second prince of Clarines. With a new goal to become a court herbalist and repay Zen’s kindness, Shirayuki starts building a fresh life, facing new challenges, making friends, and even finding love.
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime had me hooked from episode 1 because I’m a sucker for romance. I remember binging the whole thing in one shot. The romance felt so natural, and Zen and Shirayuki are one of the best couples of all time. The world feels like a cozy Ghibli movie. This one has that wholesome slow-burn romance like Apothecary Diaries, so give this one a go.
5. Gosick
And we’re moving to one of my most absolute favorites. Kazuya Kujou, a Japanese student stuck in a super extra European boarding school, stumbles across a girl called Victorique. She may look tiny, but has a Sherlock Holmes level brainpower.
Their lives crash together as weird mysteries start piling up — ghost ships, shady alchemists, and way too many near-death experiences. Good thing they’re stuck with each other, ’cause solving these cases alone would be actual hell.
Gosick absolutely blew me away. At first, it felt like just another cute mystery show, but every random case actually fed into a bigger insane plot that explodes in the last few episodes.
Victorique and Kujou’s slow-burn relationship was super satisfying too. It wasn’t cheesy, and it felt earned. I know a lot of people say Apothecary Diaries is better than this, but come on, does Apothecary Diaries have a banger opening and ending like this one?
4. Spice and Wolf
Are you into wolves? I mean, wolf girls. Holo, a wolf goddess once worshiped for blessing harvests, is now just a fading legend in the town of Pasloe. When merchant Kraft Lawrence rolls into town, she strikes a deal with him.
Help her get back to her homeland, Yoitsu, and she’ll use her smarts to boost his business. With Holo’s sharp wit and Lawrence’s street sense, they team up to chase profits across medieval markets. Spice and Wolf is basically what you get if you mix medieval economics with a top-tier rom-com duo.
It has the same witty main character like Apothecary Diaries, but you got to replace the medicine stuff with economic notes. Yeah, there’s a lot of talking, but every conversation between Holo and Lawrence feels like a sparring match, and it’s so natural, it pulls you right in.
The voice acting is god-tier, and the voice actors for this show are the same voice actors as Lelouch and Kallen, so you know this is a good show.
3. Yona of the Dawn
Yona of the Dawn throws you straight into the life of Princess Yona, who’s lived her whole life like it’s a Disney movie — pampered, sheltered, and secure. But the fairy tale shatters when her childhood crush straight-up murders her dad, forcing Yona to run for her life with only her badass bodyguard, Hak, at her side.
She’s out in the wild, dodging assassins and chasing an ancient legend that might help her take back her kingdom. Yona is like Maomao, but she’s more into fighting and getting her kingdom.
The soundtrack is next level, especially the instrumental opening that you’ll never want to skip. The art is gorgeous, with Yona’s fierce glow shining through every frame. Hak isn’t your usual sparkly prince either. He’s more like “I’ll wreck you” energy.
Plus, Yona’s growth from pampered princess to sword-ready queen is so damn satisfying to watch. If you want real character development, this is the show.
2. Raven of the Inner Palace
Deep inside the royal palace, there is this mysterious girl named Ryuu Jusetsu, known as the Raven Consort. People say she can curse you, find your lost stuff, or even talk to spirits. She lives alone in this dark palace and doesn’t really care about all the crazy rumors.
But one day, the young emperor Ka Koushun crashes into her life asking for help with a weird case. Even though she’s super annoyed by him, Jusetsu can’t totally push him away. Slowly, she starts making new connections, even bringing in a cute, curious girl named Jiujiu as her assistant.
Watching this show was such a treat, and it’s a treat because I went from zero expectations — since this was pretty underrated — and ended up enjoying it a lot. The animation, especially during the magic scenes, looked amazing.
Jusetsu’s story is really sad but super interesting, and her awkward moments with the emperor are the best. Plus, the side characters were all cool in their own way. It’s got a tiny bit of romance too. And honestly, it’s an underrated gem you shouldn’t miss.
1. Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master
In the Kingdom of Yamauchi, folks aren’t just people. There are three-legged crows called yatagarasu. While the dudes handle boring politics, the women are busily battling it out to win the heart of Wakamiya, the crown prince and chosen servant of the mountain god.
Among them is Asebi, sweet and way too pure for this court full of schemers. Meanwhile, Wakamiya’s got his own drama brewing. Born to a concubine and chosen over his older brother, he’s caught in messy family politics.
Things get even messier when Yukiya, a village kid with secret reasons for being there, enters the scene. Yatagarasu is packed with political mind games, insane plot — jaw-dropping plot twists — and characters so layered they make the Fruits Basket cast look simple.
Every episode had me hooked, especially in the back half when everything just exploded. It nails that historical fantasy vibe without feeling cheesy. And, I’m going to say it — this one’s better than Apothecary Diaries.
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