The Apothecary Diaries Surpasses One Piece in Sales
The latest Oricon rankings have revealed that The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 17 has sold approximately 121,378 copies, surpassing One Piece by nearly 100,000 copies. This is a significant milestone for the series, which has been gaining popularity worldwide.
Written by Natsu Hyuga, The Apothecary Diaries began as an online web novel on the self-publishing site Shosetsuka ni Naro in October 2011. The series has since been adapted into a manga by writer Itsuki Hanao and illustrator Nekokurage, published by Square Enix in May 2017.
The Story Behind The Apothecary Diaries
The series follows the story of Maomao, a young woman who works as an apothecary in a brothel. She is kidnapped and sold to work for the Imperial family, where she uses her knowledge of medicinal and poison herbs to solve mysteries and uncover assassination attempts.
The Apothecary Diaries has gained a significant following worldwide, with over 45 million copies in circulation. The series has also won first place in Oricon's Overall Recommended Manga Ranking for 2026, narrowly defeating Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and triumphing over One Piece.
Ranking and Sales
- The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 17 — 121,378 copies
- Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You Vol. 9 — 36,518 copies
- Space Brothers Vol. 46 — 33,913 copies
- Tokyo Aliens Vol. 13 — 29,799 copies
- One Piece Vol. 115 — 28,809 copies
- Medalist Vol. 15 — 25,008 copies
- Bride of the Barrier Master Vol. 8 — 20,566 copies
- Hunter x Hunter Vol. 39 — 19,850 copies
- Chiikawa: Something Small and Cute Vol. 8 — 19,664 copies
- The Transfer Destination Was a World With Few Pharmacists — 13,663 copies
The Apothecary Diaries manga is available in English from Square Enix Manga & Books, and the original light novel series is also available. The One Piece manga is available in English from VIZ Media.
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