The official X account of The Apothecary Diaries announced on Sep 18, 2024, that the series has reached a major milestone, with its total circulation now surpassing 38 million copies.
This figure includes the light novel and the two manga adaptations.
The boost in sales is largely attributed to the success of the anime adaptation.
Ahead of the first season’s broadcast, which began in September 2023, the total circulation was reported at 24 million copies. Following the anime’s debut, the series saw a swift increase, reaching 27 million copies just one month later. By the end of the first season, the circulation had climbed to over 33 million copies.
The momentum has continued, with total circulation now reaching 38 million copies as of September 2024.
Season 1 of the anime adaptation produced by Toho Animation Studio and OLM aired from October 2023 to March 2024. A second season is set to premiere in 2025.
The Apothecary Diaries is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Touko Shino. Since 2011, it has been serialized online on the user-generated novel publishing website Shosetsuka ni Naro.
In the following year, it was acquired by Shufunotomo, who initially published the series as a novel with a single volume in 2012 and then as a light novel series in 2014.
It has been adapted into two manga series in 2017, with one published by Square Enix in Monthly Big Gangan, and another one published by Shogakukan in Monthly Sunday Gene-X.
Source: Oricon