Apothecary’s Monologue: Tang Dynasty Setting and Unique Storyline Explained

Anime “Horigoto of the Pharmacist” is now available

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“The Pharmacist’s Monologue” is a light novel written by Natsu Hyuga and published by Hero Bunko, and the cumulative circulation of the series, including two types of comic adaptations, has exceeded 33 million copies. The anime version will also be broadcast and distributed nationwide in two consecutive seasons from October 2023.

[Video]Anime “Apothecary’s Monologue”

In this article, we will explain the period setting of “Horigoto of the Pharmacist”. We will examine the motifs of the Tang Dynasty, Yang Guifei, and the eunuchs of the inner palace, as well as the period differences with the masterpiece “Kingdom,” which is also set in China.

table of contents

• What is the anime “Horigoto of the Pharmacist”?
• Does the country/Iro that appears in “A Pharmacist’s Monologue” actually exist? What is the period setting?
• Examining how different the era is from “Kingdom,” which depicts China during the Warring States period.
• summary

What is the anime “Horigoto of the Pharmacist”?

“Apothecary’s Monogoto” is a mystery-solving entertainment in which Maomao, a new maidservant, uses her knowledge of medicine to solve difficult cases that occur in the inner palace.

One day, Maomao, who works as a servant in the inner palace, hears rumors of a curse on the senior queen and her son. He knew the cause of her illness just by looking at the queen’s face, and left a note identifying the cause of her curse. Her intelligence catches the attention of the beautiful eunuch Jinshi, and Maomao is promoted to the role of poison tester who reports directly to the high-ranking queen. From then on, he will also be involved in resolving troublesome matters brought to him by Jinshi and the Emperor.

Does the country/Iro that appears in “A Pharmacist’s Monologue” actually exist? What is the period setting?

Regarding the setting of “Apothecary’s Monologue” in Lee, the original author, Natsu Hyuga, clearly stated, “It’s a fantasy, so it’s not a real country.” Regarding the period setting, “The model is based on the Tang Dynasty, the era of Yang Guifei, and the clothes, red light district, and inner palace are images.The cultural level is set around the 16th century, but the scientific knowledge is used up to the 19th century. “I try to do that,” he says, talking about the other side of his unique worldview.

In fact, the story often uses objects and information that would not have existed in the Tang Dynasty of the 7th or 8th century. Cacao, which appeared as an aphrodisiac in episode 2, the flame reaction in episode 5, and infant botulism caused by honey in episode 10 are also knowledge from a period much later than the 8th century.

Cacao has existed in South America since BC, but it is said that it spread to other continents in the 16th century, after the Tang Dynasty. The most popular theory is that the flame reaction was discovered in the 19th century, and that the fireworks mentioned by Maomako were developed in Italy in the 14th century. Honey-induced infant botulism was discovered in the United States in 1976.

Who is Yang Guifei, one of the world’s three most beautiful women?History and historical background of the Chinese nation, Tang Dynasty

Yang Guifei, the author’s motif for setting the period, is a woman whose real name was Yang Yuhuan and who became the consort of Xuanzong, the ninth emperor of the Tang Dynasty, in 745.

Tang was a Chinese state that flourished from 618 to 907, during Japan’s Asuka period to the Heian period, and its founder was Li Yuan. In the previous era, Sui was known for the envoys sent by Emperor Suiko for diplomatic relations.

Emperor Xuanzong, who favored Yang Guifei, was a key figure in reviving a country that had fallen into decline through Wu Zetian (Empress Wu Zetian), who was the empress of Gaozong, the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and later became an empress.

In the anime “Apothecary’s Hitorigoto”, the current emperor inherits the throne not from the empress, but from the previous emperor who was the empress’s puppet.

How long have eunuchs like Jinshi working in the inner palace existed?

Various eunuchs appear in the story, including Jinshi, who is a key figure in the anime “Yakusha no Hitorigoto,” as well as the doctor Yabu and Ruomen, the adoptive father of Cat and Cat.

Eunuch is a word used to describe castrated men who serve the court or aristocrats. It is said that eunuchs existed not only in ancient China, but also in other countries such as the Byzantine Empire and ancient Greece. In fact, there were some eunuchs who supported politics from the shadows as bureaucrats.

In China, during the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C., documents have been discovered that refer to captives of different ethnic groups as eunuchs. The title of eunuch was abolished in 1912. This is the era when the Qing Dynasty fell and the Republic of China began.

How old is Jinshi?Explaining the identity, mystery of the mother, gender, and voice actor

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Examining how different the era is from “Kingdom,” which depicts China during the Warring States period.

Li, the setting for “The Apothecary’s Monologue”, is primarily modeled on the Tang Dynasty, 618-907. On the other hand, “Kingdom” depicts the period up to 221 BC, when the Qin Dynasty unified all of China. There is a time difference of more than 1000 years between the two works, and when comparing cultural and scientific knowledge such as cacao and flame reaction, some parts are about 1500 to 1800 years later.

The main story of “Kingdom” takes place during the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period, which is said to be from 770 BC to 221 BC, after 247 BC, when Ei Masa took over the throne. The model for “The Apothecary’s Monologue” is set in China around 745, when Yang Guifei became the consort of the emperor, 992 years after Ei’s accession to the throne.

Although the eras are quite different, both works have one thing in common: the Seraglio and the eunuch appear. In “Kingdom,” Lowai, who pretended to be a eunuch, was favored by the Empress Dowager, and became the spark of the Aikoku Hanranchen.

In addition, Chang’an, the royal capital of the Tang Dynasty, which served as the model for “The Apothecary’s Story”, was also called Xianyang during the Qin Dynasty, and was also considered a royal capital.

summary

The country that appears in “A Pharmacist’s Monologue” is not a real country. The motif of the work is China during the Tang Dynasty. Added to this is the culture of the 16th century and the scientific knowledge of the 19th century. There is a time difference of more than 1000 years from “Kingdom”, which depicts China’s Warring States period.

The world of “The Apothecary’s Monologue” is an original period setting in which the culture and knowledge of various eras are added to the Tang Dynasty, where the emperor held tremendous power. In what era did the knowledge that forms the basis of Maomako’s cool riddles come out in reality? It might be interesting to use this article as a reference to research such things while watching.

(C) Natsu Hinata/Imagika Foss/“A Pharmacist’s Monologue” Production Committee
*The stingray in Eisei is an environment-dependent character.
*Ro and eye in Low Eye are environment-dependent characters.

Anime “Hitorigoto of the Pharmacist” Broadcast episode list (with video link)

Number of episodes Subtitle (tap to video) Highlights 1
cat cat
Cat and cat’s sense of justice saves the baby 2
unfriendly pharmacist
The aphrodisiac is perfect!? 3
ghost disturbance
Cat Cat notices the truth behind eccentric behavior 4
threat
A serious slap of a serious cat! Five
secret maneuver
Cat face with freckles removed 6
garden party
“This is poisonous.” Cat and cat show their true potential 7
Returning home
Jinshi reveals his true nature in front of Gaoshun 8
wheat straw
Jinshi stiffens on “price for one night” 9
Suicide or murder?
Maomao’s view of life and death, Jinshi’s sorrow 10
Honey
A cat cornered by a pervert 11
two in one
Consort Ah Duo’s past revealed 12
eunuch and prostitute
Cats and cats can be touched with just your fingertips 13
Outer court service
A muddy battle with a court lady 14
new lady
Teaching the “Secret Art of the Woman’s Garden” 15
荍
Arhat, the crooked tactician, has arrived! 16
lead
The mystery of the unlocked chest of drawers 17
Walking around town
How to lower the value of prostitutes 18
Arhat
The relationship between Maomako and Arhat revealed 19
Coincidence or necessity?
Cats and cats run to save their lives 20
mandala flower
Effects of the medicine that Jinshi takes 21
ransom strategy
Jinji gets jealous every chance he gets.

■“Pharmacist’s Monologue” summary/latest information list

Rakan is a shady and eccentric genius tactician.

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List of voice actors and characters for “Horigoto of the Pharmacist”

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What is Maomao’s voice actor, height, and the reason for his left arm injury?

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What is Jinji’s voice actor, age, and gender?

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Anime “Yakusha no Horigoto” 2nd season PV

Works often viewed by people who have viewed “A Pharmacist’s Monologue”

“A Pharmacist’s Monologue” Original novel

“Pharmacist’s Soliloquy” Manga

・Anime “Horigoto of the Pharmacy” official website

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