The Apothecary Diaries - Maomao

Before I start, I have to confess that I've found Apothecary Diaries a little hard to really get into - I love the setup and the ideas within the show, but it's not really grabbed my attention in the way I expected. I know many love it and I'm sure I'll get there in the end. 

Meanwhile, I am rather beguiled by the character design and the artwork from the series, no piece more so than the cover illustration from the second Light Novel that has been depicted in plastic form, that of MaoMao sat atop a table holding the ingredients for her latest potion:

Second Light Novel cover (taken from the Artbook I picked up at MCM Expo)

I think you'll agree they've captured the pose and expression very well! The addition of the pestle & mortar, along with the table for her to perch on, adds a lot to the figure. Essentially a beautifully crafted base and accessory, she looks great in any location, just perching perfectly without looking like a posed figure. In that sense she reminds me of the Rin Shima figure from Laid Back Camp which similarly came with a bench to sit on and a towel accessory.

The only thing missing is the pattern at the base of her dress, but given the adherence to the anime design, this seems like a stylistic choice rather than a limitation imposed by budget or lack of effort.

The face sculpt is absolutely perfect - the nonplussed expression coupled with the big blue eyes and cute freckles mark MaoMao out as one of those "plain but beautiful" characters often depicted in underdog stories such as hers. The fringe hangs nicely separate from the forehead and the matte wash on her green hair adds a lovely layer of depth. The many wrinkles of her shirt sleeves are wonderfully sculpted and overall it captures her character's attitude.

One of the appealing elements of the figure is the detail on the rose and the way in which her hair is tied, both have plenty of detail. The obvious seamlines on the hair and sleeves are a slight letdown, but are at least in places you would expect a line anyway, perhaps just not quite as deep as they turned out on this figure.

As you can hopefully see from this top-down photo, the skirt flares gracefully around her legs and the paint on the table lends it an air of realism that's tremendously pleasing in had. The skirt folds around the table perfectly which adds a surprising amount of sturdiness to the display as a whole, gripping the table and making MaoMao hard to accidentally drop. The pestle & mortar is just loosely placed, so that you will have to keep an eye on.

Overall, I love this figure. It's based on one of my favourite illustrations from the series, with MaoMao in her signature outfit and unimpressed facial expression. I like details in the sculpt, like how her feet just poke out of the dress and the addition of the base and accessory really round off the overall package. It's hard to think of a cover I would have wanted expressed in plastic more than this one, and I'm delighted with the overall result.