The Apothecary Diaries backdrop
The Apothecary Diaries poster
Animation
Drama
Mystery

The Worst Episodes of The Apothecary Diaries

Every episode of The Apothecary Diaries ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Apothecary Diaries!

The Worst Episodes of The Apothecary Diaries

Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't...

Seasons1

  1. Background image for The Unsettling Matter of the Spirit
    7.3/10(16 votes)

    #1 - The Unsettling Matter of the Spirit

    S1:E3

    Tasked with investigating a ghostly woman dancing nightly on the palace walls, Maomao finds a sleepwalking Concubine Fuyou. But with no medicinal cure for sleepwalking, she's forced to dig deeper to find the real reason behind Fuyou's affliction.

    0 Comments
    View all
  2. Background image for Reducing Two to One
    7.4/10(15 votes)

    #2 - Reducing Two to One

    S1:E11

    Maomao confronts Fengming about the dark secret she's been hiding from her noble Lady Ah-Duo.

    0 Comments
    View all
  3. Background image for Chilly Apothecary
    7.6/10(16 votes)

    #3 - Chilly Apothecary

    S1:E2

    Maomao tries to settle into her promotion to lady-in-waiting and food taster, but struggles to fend off both boredom and the overly-familiar Jinshi. That is, until she gets an assignment of her dreams: to concoct an aphrodisiac.

    0 Comments
    View all
  4. Background image for The Eunuch and the Courtesan
    7.6/10(14 votes)

    #4 - The Eunuch and the Courtesan

    S1:E12

    Discovering that Maomao's kidnappers were connected to Fengming's family, Jinshi is faced with a choice between keeping Maomao in the rear palace where he can be near her or releasing her from her service.

    0 Comments
    View all
  5. Background image for Raw Fish
    7.6/10(13 votes)

    #5 - Raw Fish

    S1:E15

    Gaoshun requests Maomao's help in solving an apparent poisoning case. Meanwhile, Jinshi deals with an unwelcome visitor who's taken to lingering in his office.

    0 Comments
    View all
  6. Background image for Wheat Stalks
    7.8/10(15 votes)

    #6 - Wheat Stalks

    S1:E8

    Maomao's peaceful morning at home is interrupted when she's called in to investigate an apparent double suicide at one of the local brothels.

    0 Comments
    View all
  7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of The Apothecary Diaries

    READ
  8. Background image for Suicide or Murder?
    7.8/10(14 votes)

    #7 - Suicide or Murder?

    S1:E9

    An older acquaintance of Jinshi's dies while drinking at a party. A servant's body turns up in a moat. Both deaths are written off as self-inflicted, but Maomao's keen observations tell her that there's more to both stories.

    0 Comments
    View all
  9. Background image for Serving in the Outer Court
    7.8/10(13 votes)

    #8 - Serving in the Outer Court

    S1:E13

    To Maomao's surprise, Jinshi brings her directly to his house instead of taking her back to the rear palace, and tells her she's to work in the outer court. Not only is there much to learn, it seems there's many eyes on her as the new hire.

    0 Comments
    View all
  10. Background image for The New Pure Consort
    7.8/10(13 votes)

    #9 - The New Pure Consort

    S1:E14

    Ah-Duo's replacement has arrived in the rear palace, and Maomao is assigned to give a certain lecture to all four high concubines. Later, Maomao helps Lihaku investigate a warehouse explosion.

    0 Comments
    View all
  11. Background image for A Ghost Story
    7.8/10(4 votes)

    #10 - A Ghost Story

    S1:E34

    Maomao joins some women exchanging scary stories on a hot summer night to provide chills.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Oh Jin-koo
  12. Background image for Maomao
    7.9/10(19 votes)

    #11 - Maomao

    S1:E1

    After being kidnapped and forced to work as a servant in the rear palace, former apothecary Maomao inadvertently draws the attention of the higher ranks when she investigates what's causing the emperor's infant heirs to fall mysteriously ill.

    0 Comments
    View all
  13. Background image for Homecoming
    7.9/10(15 votes)

    #12 - Homecoming

    S1:E7

    Gaoshun goes to Maomao to get her help in resolving the events of the garden party. Later, Xiaolan explains the purpose of the hairpins Maomao was gifted, and Maomao makes a deal with Lihaku in order to finally visit home.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Tadao Okubo
  14. Background image for Festival
    8.0/10(4 votes)

    #13 - Festival

    S1:E43

    The village holds a festival. Maomao attends, and Shisui introduces some of the village's history to her.

    0 Comments
    View all
  15. Background image for Taibon
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #14 - Taibon

    S1:E45

    Maomao is accused of attempting to escape, and is tossed into an ancient method of torture and execution.

    0 Comments
    View all
  16. Background image for The Shi Clan
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #15 - The Shi Clan

    S1:E47

    Jinshi and his forces infiltrate the stronghold, cornering the remaining Shi clan members.

    0 Comments
    View all
  17. Background image for Covert Operations
    8.1/10(16 votes)

    #16 - Covert Operations

    S1:E5

    A eunuch stricken by a curse comes begging for aid. Meanwhile, the rear palace buzzes with excitement as everyone prepares for the upcoming garden party, and Gyokuyou's ladies-in-waiting aren't about to let Maomao get away without dressing her up.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Gaku Shiga
  18. Background image for Lead
    8.1/10(13 votes)

    #17 - Lead

    S1:E16

    A shack, a chest of drawers, and a fishbowl are all that a talented metalworker leaves to his three sons upon his death. Maomao is assigned to investigate how these strange inheritances all fit together.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:So Toyama
  19. Background image for Blue Roses
    8.1/10(10 votes)

    #18 - Blue Roses

    S1:E22

    Lakan challenges Jinshi to produce blue roses to present at the upcoming garden party, forcing Jinshi to turn once again to Maomao for her help.

    0 Comments
    View all
  20. Background image for Honey
    8.2/10(13 votes)

    #19 - Honey

    S1:E10

    A tea party hosted by Lady Gyokuyou puts the politics of the rear palace at the forefront, and Maomao learns something new about Lady Lishu. His true intentions unclear, Jinshi sends Maomao to work for Lady Ah-Duo.

    0 Comments
    View all
  21. Background image for A Jaunt Around Town
    8.2/10(13 votes)

    #20 - A Jaunt Around Town

    S1:E17

    Covering up Jinshi's otherworldly beauty is no easy task, but after Maomao takes the challenge head-on, she's surprised when she's also asked to don the disguise of a noblewoman and escort "Jinka" outside the palace.

    0 Comments
    View all
  22. Background image for Lakan
    8.2/10(11 votes)

    #21 - Lakan

    S1:E18

    Back at home, Maomao visits an annex building at the Verdigris House that hides one of the brothel's secrets. Lakan continues to antagonize Jinshi as his connection to Maomao becomes clear.

    0 Comments
    View all
  23. Background image for How to Buy Out a Contract
    8.2/10(11 votes)

    #22 - How to Buy Out a Contract

    S1:E21

    Back to work at the rear palace, Maomao listens to Guen talk about his family's business. Meanwhile, Lihaku hears a rumor that whips him into action.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Yuushi Ibe
  24. Background image for The Empress Dowager
    8.3/10(6 votes)

    #23 - The Empress Dowager

    S1:E32

    Maomao's reputation for resolving conflicts reaches the empress dowager, who will ask for her help to unravel a mystery that won't leave her mind.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Jun Owada
  25. Background image for The Garden Party
    8.4/10(14 votes)

    #24 - The Garden Party

    S1:E6

    Maomao does her best to navigate the complex social situations at the garden party, including meeting the other Upper First rank concubines. But once she settles down to do her work as a food-taster, she discovers a surprise in a bowl of soup.

    0 Comments
    View all
  26. Background image for Mirror
    8.4/10(5 votes)

    #25 - Mirror

    S1:E28

    The special envoy from a foreign land gifts mirrors - a rarity in this country - to the high concubines. However, they bring mysteries as well.

    0 Comments
    View all

Worst Episodes Summary

"The Unsettling Matter of the Spirit" is the worst rated episode of "The Apothecary Diaries". It scored 7.3/10 based on 16 votes. Directed by Kyohei Yamamoto and written by Hitomi Ogawa, it aired on 10/22/2023. This episode scored 0.1 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Reducing Two to One".