While the anime’s return is still around a year away, fans now have to wait before new chapters of the manga are released. That’s because The Apothecary Diaries manga has entered a hiatus.
The manga’s hiatus was announced in the latest Sunday Webry magazine issue. There, it was confirmed that one of the two manga adaptations of the series is on hiatus following the birth of the artist’s child.
A question on fans’ minds might be, which of the two ongoing manga series is now on hiatus?
Which Apothecary Diaries Manga Went on Hiatus?
The Apothecary Diaries has quickly become a popular franchise thanks in large part to the anime adaptation by OLM, with many viewers around the world being captivated by Maomao and Jinshi’s story.
As with many anime, the show is an adaptation of an ongoing light novel series, though it originally began as a web novel back in October 2011.
Thanks to the web novel’s popularity, it was picked up by the publisher Shufunotomo and published as a light novel series. Soon, it also got two manga adaptations.
The first manga adaptation is illustrated by Nekokurage and is serialized in Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan. This manga started serialization in May 2017.
Then, in August 2017, a second manga adaptation by Minoji Kurata began serialization in Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday Gene-X. This second manga adaptation is the one that went on hiatus.
YOU MIGHT LIKE: Where to Start The Apothecary Diaries Manga and Light Novel after the Anime
When Will the Apothecary Diaries Manga by Minoji Kurata Return?
While series creator Natsu Hyuga is credited as the writer for both manga adaptations, the two versions have unique art styles courtesy of their different illustrators.
Minoji Kurata illustrates the manga serialized in Monthly Sunday Gene-X. As revealed in Shogakukan’s recent update, Kurata gave birth back in January, thus necessitating a childcare leave.
For now, there’s no official return date for the manga, though Kurata mentioned that she intends to resume work on the manga in summer 2024.
This means we should see the new chapter maybe in August or September.
RELATED: The Best Historical Anime You Should Watch If You Love The Apothecary Diaries
Is The Apothecary Diaries Manga Available in English Outside of Japan?
Fans who can’t wait for the next Apothecary Diaries season can read the light novel series and the Square Enix manga, as both these titles are officially available in English.
As for the Shogakukan manga that went on hiatus, this version has not been released officially outside of Japan.
There’s no word on plans for an English release date, though there’s a chance it will be at some point given how popular the series has become.
Have you started reading The Apothecary Diaries already? Let us know in the comments section below.
Get the latest anime news and info by following us on Facebook.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!