Aoi Yuki:Interview about the anime "The Apothecary Diaries": Behind the scenes of "The Apothecary Diaries" - What will happen in the second season?

The second season of the TV anime " The Apothecary Diaries ," based on the light novel by Natsu Hyuga, which was born from the novel submission site " Shosetsuka ni Naro ," will be broadcast on Nippon Television's anime slot "FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT (Fura-ani)" every Friday at 11:00 pm from January 10, 2025. The first season, which aired from October 2023 to March 2024, was loved by people of all ages and genders. Along with the beautiful visuals and dramatic storyline, the acting of Aoi Yuki , who plays the main character Maomao , has also become a hot topic. Yuki's acting ability, which allows her to play a wide range of roles from traditional heroines to children and adult women, has made her a hot topic of conversation as a " The Apothecary Diaries." We asked Yuki about her thoughts on the role of Maomao.

◇The wave of "monologue" plays

"Aoi Yuki is amazing after all." This is a phrase I heard many times while interviewing the cast of "The Apothecary Diaries." Although she has a low energy level, she actually has a passionate heart deep inside, and her role as Maomao, who solves difficult cases with aplomb, is said to be "perfect for the role." Yuki says, "I'm grateful..."

"Before the anime was released, I had voiced Maomao in the drama CD version and other versions, so in that sense it was very easy for me to do the role. The director and all the other super creators have been meticulously calculating and creating this work, and I think it was a big help that we were able to record the first season with a good amount of the drawings already done. The staff all had a clear idea of ​​what they wanted to create, and there was nothing ambiguous, so I was able to create the characters well and take on the challenge."

The setting of "The Apothecary Diaries" is the glamorous harem of a certain continent, where a young poison taster named Maomao and a handsome eunuch named Jinshi get caught up in an incident that occurs in the harem, which is full of conspiracies and rumors. Maomao, played by Yuki, has an abnormal obsession with poison and medicine. Her curiosity, desire for knowledge, and a slight sense of justice lead her to get involved in the incident.

Maomao has a lot of lines. She is generally cool and calm, but gets excited when it comes to poisons and medicines. The long monologues in the deduction scenes are also impressive. The monologues are long and she calmly deduces, but the information is conveyed clearly. This must be largely due to Yuki's acting ability.

"That's something I'm trying to focus on. These days, some people watch at double speed, or while doing other things. I want to be able to get the message across even when they're not looking, and to make it so that people can focus on the images. I'm sure that if you watch it, you'll enjoy this world even more. The lines are long, but I'm trying to narrow them down to the parts where you really need to listen carefully, and create a flow in the acting. It's really difficult, though. The words are beautifully chosen, so it sounds nice, and you end up wanting to hear the whole thing. Maomao isn't the type of person who has a lot of emotional ups and downs, so I'm trying to make it easy to listen to, without overdoing it."

As the title "The Apothecary Diaries" suggests, Maomao's "soliloquy" is an important element of the work. Yuki-san conveys the "soliloquy" in an easy-to-understand way while also expressing Maomao unique style, and the balance is exquisite and wonderful.

"Because the work contains a lot of monologue, it has to be pleasant to listen to, and I thought, "This is a big responsibility!" as I organized my monologues. Maomao is a smart girl. By delivering organized words, her intelligence will stand out."

◇ Impressive "intimidation"

There were many memorable scenes in the first season. Among them, the one that left the biggest impression on Yuki was the scene in episode 4, "Threat," in which Nekoneko becomes enraged at the maids who have not properly taken care of her weakened master, Princess Rika. It was a memorable scene in which Maomao, who is usually calm and collected, reveals her emotions and gives us a glimpse of her sense of justice.

"Maomao is usually a downer, but she's not the kind of girl who can't shout. I don't think she has no power. She's usually energy-saving, but this scene shows that she has a surprising amount of guts. This leads to the scene later on where she goes to rescue Jinshi. Maomao has her feet on the ground from the beginning, and because she's somewhat mature, it's hard to see how much she'll grow. That's why you can watch her with ease. The emotional ups and downs shown in the beginning are designed to have an effect in the second half. This is a scene where you can see her sense of justice. In the narration at the end of episode 1, she says, 'Just a little bit of a sense of justice,' but that sense of justice ends up twisting her fate."

The climax of the first season was the episode involving Nekoneko's real father , Maomao.

"This is my favorite episode. In the story of Rakan and Housen, Maomao herself doesn't get too involved, but there is love there, and because she knows that her parents were manipulated by love, she takes a step back from her own romantic feelings. When you think about how a child with a personality like Maomao grows up, this episode makes you think, "That's true..."Maomao is not a child who changes or grows a lot. She carefully observes her surroundings, and it's a story about the people around her taking a step forward and growing. In the midst of all this, Maomao's heart also loosens up a little."

◇ Trust in "Jinshi"Takeo Otsuka

The comical exchanges between her and Jinshi are also a highlight. Maomao is unyielding, and even towards Jinshi, she remains unwavering.

"He's gradually become more and more rough with Jinshi. Maomao is like a cat. He's become more and more rough because he's become attached to him. I think that's because he's being spoiled. In episode 11, when Jinshi starts crying, he just says, "Oh well..." and accepts it, which is also cat-like. When his owner is feeling down, he stays by his side in silence."

With a large female cast, the recording is "like a harem." When asked about Takeo Otsuka , who plays Jinshi ...

"I feel like we've gotten along better now than we did in the first season. It's not that we're on bad terms (laughs). Otsuka-san is very earnest. We've had more opportunities to talk together in special programs and interviews, and he's started saying things like, 'Oh, you like games!' I think he might be thinking to me, 'You talk so much!' (laughs). Jinshi intentionally uses a variety of different expressions. He's a character with a fairly narrow range of acting that he has to do. The way he narrows it down is exquisite."

Yuuki has great trust in Otsuka, saying, "We work perfectly together."

"Otsuka-san's reception is amazing. Even in scenes that might be a little embarrassing, he creates an atmosphere that is not so-called vicarious embarrassment. It's difficult if you're not in sync, but he does it without any prior discussion. He's really smart. Even in scenes where you can see the warmth of each other's people, it feels like the rhythm fits perfectly. Maomao talks all the time, so it's easy for her to find her own rhythm, but it's difficult for other people. I feel that he does a great job of fitting that in."

It has been announced that a new character, Kosui, will appear in the second season and be played by Asami Seto.

"There are many scenes where she interacts with Seto-chan. Recently, I have the impression that Seto-chan has played a lot of cool characters, and I haven't heard much about characters who are bright and energetic, but a little mysterious, but Shisui is amazing. She has some crazy moments even more than Maomao, and the interactions between the two of them are interesting."

As for the second season, Yuki-san said, "Maomao is the only one who hasn't changed. She is the only one who is stable, but the situation around her has changed drastically. There is a lot of big news. The first season was amazing, but the story is even bigger. There are a lot of things going on with Jinshi... It's full of information that people who enjoyed the first season wanted to know." What kind of great deductions and memorable scenes will emerge in the second season? Please pay attention to Maomao's "monologue."