If you've been obsessed with The Apothecary Diaries — all that court drama, quiet scheming, and beautiful worldbuilding — there's another anime waiting for you, and no, it's not the next big shōnen slugfest.
It's called Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master, and it just quietly landed on Crunchyroll after airing in Japan back in spring 2024. It's produced by Studio Pierrot (yes, the Naruto and Bleach people) and originally aired on NHK, adapting the first three novels of Chisato Abe's sprawling historical fantasy series.
There are 20 episodes, all around 25 minutes each, and they're now available to stream globally. And yes, it's a fantasy anime, but don't expect fireballs and sword fights — this is all about politics, power plays, and people who can turn into three-legged crows. Literally.
What's It About?
Set in the imperial court of Yamauchi, Yatagarasu follows Wakamiya, a crown prince chosen by the mysterious Mountain God to become the next kin'u — ruler of the kingdom. His path to the throne is anything but straightforward. He's surrounded by power-hungry ministers, manipulative consorts, and four entire provinces all jockeying for influence.
Wakamiya is forced to choose a bride from among the elite daughters of the realm, but he only really trusts one person: Yukiya, the second son of a rural village chief, handpicked to serve him. Yukiya becomes our window into the court's scheming and backstabbing — and he gets put through the wringer early, both politically and physically. (Seriously. He gets beat up and still has to show up at a royal ceremony like nothing happened.)
So Why Should Apothecary Diaries Fans Care?
Like The Apothecary Diaries, this is a court intrigue story disguised as fantasy. There's transformation magic, sure — the nobles can shift into human-sized crows — but the real action is in whispered conversations, hidden agendas, and social chess.
And it plays out with the same tone fans love: thoughtful, unpredictable, and just sharp enough to catch you off guard. The show doesn't hold your hand. It gives you complex characters, a giant web of motives, and says, "Good luck keeping up."
Even minor players like Asebi, one of the consorts at the Cherry Blossom Court, get moments of depth — trying to build friendships while the rest of the room's planning her political destruction.
The anime adapts the first three volumes of Abe's 10-book light novel series (plus two side-story spin-offs). There's also a manga version published by Kodansha under the name A Raven for All Seasons.
With the entire first season now available, and no official word on a season two yet, this might be your only chance to dive into this world onscreen — at least for now.
TL;DR
- What it is: Court drama with a dash of shapeshifting crow mythology
- Studio: Pierrot (yes, Naruto Pierrot)
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, globally
- Episodes: 20 (from Spring 2024, ~25 min each)
- Who it's for: Fans of The Apothecary Diaries, Moribito, and smart political fantasy
- Why you should care: It's beautifully animated, weirdly addictive, and much smarter than most people gave it credit for when it first aired.
If The Apothecary Diaries left a court-intrigue-shaped hole in your heart, Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master is the perfect next obsession.