by In the anime The Apothecary Diaries, the protagonist, Neko Neko (CV: Aoi Yuki ), is a beautiful girl who usually wears ugly makeup. In the fifth episode, this is revealed, and she undergoes a magnificent transformation. The deep and dark reason Neko Neko continues wearing ugly makeup is also explained.
“The Apothecary Diaries” is an anime based on Hinata Natsu’s light novel of the same name. It has also been adapted into a comic book in two monthly magazines, and the series has sold over 38 million copies.
The TV anime began airing in October 2023 for two consecutive seasons. They were a big hit due to the popularity of the detective drama of Nekoneko, who ends up working as a “poison taster” in the harem, and the comical interactions between Nekoneko and the handsome eunuch Jinshi (CV: Otsuka Takeo). The second season began airing in January 2025.
One day, Nekoneko, a young pharmacist born and raised in the red-light district, suddenly finds herself working in the harem. She is noticed by Jinshi, who manages the harem, and is selected as a maid for the emperor’s favorite concubine. In the fifth episode, Nekoneko dresses up gorgeously to attend a garden party held in the harem as a maid.
Jinshi couldn’t hide his surprise at seeing Nekoneko looking so radiant, something he’d never imagined from her usual appearance. When Jinshi asked, “Are you wearing makeup?” Nekoneko replied, “No. I use dry clay to make myself look freckled every day. What you’ve seen up until now, Jinshi-sama, is a face with makeup. Makeup isn’t just for making you pretty.” It turns out that Nekoneko was deliberately putting ugly makeup on herself every day.
When Jinshi asked her why she did that, Nekoneko revealed the shocking reason, “Do you want to know? It’s to stop people from being taken into the back alleys.” Nekoneko continued, “Even though it’s a red-light district, some people are starved for women. They have no money, are violent, and many carry sexually transmitted diseases. If you’re a short, skinny, ugly woman, you’re not going to be targeted that often,” to which Jinshi, who was an official, lowered his eyes and said, “I see. Sorry. We didn’t keep them under control properly…”
When Jinshi asked, “Aren’t you angry?” Nekoneko replied nonchalantly, “That goes without saying. But it’s not your fault, Jinshi-sama.” All Jinshi could do was apologize, saying, “I’m sorry.”
Immediately afterward, Jinshi removed the hairpin he had been wearing and gently placed it on Nekoneko’s head. Giving a hairpin at a garden party is a way of showing that it is one’s favorite. Jinshi had always teased Nekoneko in various ways, so the hairpin was filled with different feelings. Still, Nekoneko didn’t understand its meaning and didn’t seem to pay any particular attention to it.
