Top 7 The Apothecary Diaries couples: Jinshi and Maomao, Lakan and Fengxian, and more prove love comes with drama and palace politics

At first, The Apothecary Diaries looks like a mystery anime about an unbothered apothecary solving bizarre cases inside the Imperial Palace. But underneath the murders, medicines and political schemes is an entire web of complicated relationships.

The Apothecary Diaries follows Maomao, a medicine-obsessed girl with a serious talent for solving mysteries. After being kidnapped and sold into the Emperor’s Rear Palace, she uses her knowledge of herbs, poisons and medicine to crack bizarre cases and uncover palace secrets. Her skills soon catch the attention of Jinshi, a powerful palace official who pulls her deeper into the court’s drama, danger and intrigue.

The original creator is author Natsu Hyūga (also credited as Hyūganatsu). The anime is co-produced by two major Japanese animation studios: TOHO animation STUDIO and OLM, the studio widely known for the Pokémon series. Season 3 of The Apothecary Diaries premiered on October 2, 2026.

From Maomao and Jinshi’s painfully slow-burn chemistry to Lakan and Fengxian’s devastating love story, The Apothecary Diaries has way more romance hiding beneath all the poison, politics and palace drama.

Here are some of the most interesting romantic pairings and relationship dynamics in The Apothecary Diaries.

If there is one relationship at the heart of The Apothecary Diaries, it is obviously Jinshi and Maomao. Their dynamic starts with Jinshi being fascinated by Maomao because, unlike practically everyone else around him, she is completely unimpressed by his ridiculously beautiful face. Maomao, meanwhile, mostly sees him as an annoyingly gorgeous man who keeps dragging her into palace problems.

Jinshi gradually becomes deeply attached to Maomao’s intelligence, blunt personality and complete lack of interest in flattering him. Maomao takes much longer to understand what Jinshi actually feels, partly because she is far more interested in poisons, medicine and solving mysteries than romance.

Their relationship also works because both are hiding major parts of themselves. Jinshi’s public identity as a eunuch is a carefully constructed facade, while Maomao is much more emotionally complicated than her dead exterior suggests.

What starts as a master-and-servant relationship gradually turns into something much deeper, with mutual trust, jealousy, protectiveness and an increasingly obvious romantic tension.

Basically, he fell first but she took approximately 47 business years to notice.

If Jinshi and Maomao are the slow burn, Lakan and Fengxian are the “this could have been beautiful if life hadn't decided to ruin everything” couple.

Lakan, a brilliant military strategist, met Fengxian, one of the Verdigris House’s most talented courtesans. Their relationship developed through intellectual competition, with the two bonding over games such as Go and shogi.

Fengxian was one of the very few people who could genuinely challenge Lakan intellectually, and she eventually became the person he loved most. But their story gets devastating.

Lakan was separated from Fengxian and unable to return to her in time. By the time he discovered what had happened, Fengxian’s life had already taken a tragic turn. She had contracted syphilis and was eventually forced out of the life she once had.

The biggest twist? Fengxian had given birth to Maomao. Lakan initially believed Fengxian was gone, and when the two eventually reunite, her condition is heartbreaking. Yet Lakan is still determined to redeem her contract, regardless of the cost.

Lihaku and Pairin bring some much-needed wholesome energy into this extremely chaotic universe. Lihaku is a straightforward military officer who becomes enamoured with Pairin, one of the legendary Three Princesses of the Verdigris House.

The problem? Pairin is a high-ranking courtesan whose contract comes with a very serious price tag. Instead of giving up, Lihaku works toward earning enough money and status to eventually buy her freedom. His determination makes their relationship one of the more genuinely hopeful romances in the series.

The Emperor and Ah-Duo have one of the most complicated relationships in the series because their romance is tangled up with childhood, power and the brutal rules of the Imperial court.

Ah-Duo grew up alongside the future Emperor as his milk-sibling and childhood companion. Their bond eventually became romantic, and she became his first major consort. Unlike the more politically calculated relationships inside the Rear Palace, there is genuine affection between them. But that affection does not mean Ah-Duo gets to live the life she wants.

Her position as a consort comes with expectations surrounding heirs and succession. After complications during childbirth left her unable to have more children, her position became increasingly difficult.

The situation becomes even more complicated because of the secret surrounding her son and the Emperor's brother. Ah-Duo participates in a newborn swap intended to protect her child and give him a safer position within the imperial family.

Eventually, she leaves the Rear Palace but remains connected to the Emperor and the imperial court. Their relationship is basically childhood friendship + genuine affection + imperial politics + an absolutely massive family secret. Very normal palace behaviour.

The Emperor's relationship with Gyokuyou is considerably warmer than many of the politically motivated unions surrounding him. Gyokuyou is one of his highest-ranking consorts and becomes his favourite, while also proving herself to be intelligent, composed and politically aware.

Their relationship is not simply about the Emperor favouring a beautiful consort. There is genuine trust between them, and Gyokuyou gradually becomes one of the most important people in his inner circle. She is also one of the few people who can navigate the dangerous politics of the Rear Palace while maintaining her own authority. Gyokuyou is now the empress.

The Emperor and Lihua begin with a relationship that is much more formal. Lihua is one of the four high-ranking consorts and initially suffers from the dangerous politics of the Rear Palace. After Maomao helps identify and deal with the poisoning that threatens Lihua and her household, the situation changes.

Lihua develops greater respect for Maomao, while her relationship with the Emperor also becomes warmer. It is not presented as an explosive romance like Jinshi and Maomao. Instead, it represents something more typical of the imperial court; a formal political relationship slowly developing genuine trust and affection.

Unlike many women sent into the Rear Palace, Fuyou never wanted to spend her life as an imperial consort. Her heart already belonged to a childhood friend who eventually became a military officer. So instead of simply accepting her fate, she devised an elaborate plan to make the Emperor lose interest in her.

Fuyou deliberately creates a path out of the Rear Palace so she can reunite with the man she actually loves. And she succeeds.

She eventually leaves the palace and marries her childhood love, making her story one of the rare examples of someone escaping the Imperial harem on her own terms. She actually made an exit strategy.