The newest season visual has been unveiled for The Apothecary Diaries anime series, spotlighting Joka taking a basket of peony flowers from Maomao. It is part of a second slate of seasonal visuals for the anime.
The Apothecary Diaries‘ third season will consist of two split cours that will be released in Japan, starting with the first cour in October 2026 and the second cour in April 2027. An anime film with an original story by light novel author Hyuganatsu will be released in December 2026.
New anime entries for The Apothecary Diaries were announced in July 2025, following the conclusion of the second season. The anime’s first season was released in 2023, while the second season was released in January 2025. Both aired as consecutive cour series.
Norihiro Naganuma (Season 1 director and series screenwriter) was the chief director and series composer for the second season, with Akinori Fudesaka (Season 1 assistant director) as director, Ko Nakagawa (Season 1 Episode 6, 13, and 19 storyboard artist and director, Episode 24 director) as assistant director, Yukiko Nakatani as character designer, Misato Aida as color designer, Katsumi Takao as background art director, and Mayo Suzuki (The Apothecary Diaries project PV) as compositing director. TOHO animation STUDIO and OLM were in charge of the second season’s animation production.
Satoru Kosaki (Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-), Kevin Penkin (Made in Abyss), and Alisa Okehazama (The God of High School) were the music composers.
Meanwhile, the anime’s main voice cast stars Aoi Yuki as Maomao and Takeo Otsuka as Jinshi.
Crunchyroll is currently streaming both seasons of The Apothecary Diaries TV anime adaptation worldwide in select countries and territories.
The mystery drama light novel series is written by Hyuganatsu and illustrated by Toko Shino, which was first published by Shufunotomo’s Hero Bunko imprint on August 29, 2014. Sixteen physical volumes have been released in Japan as of May 2025. Square Enix releases the light novels in English print.
The series began as a Shosetsuka ni Naro web novel in October 2011. It was later republished by Shufunotomo as a single volume under its Ray Books imprint.
A manga adaptation by Nekokurage was released in May 2017. Another manga by Minoji Kurata titled The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Notes on the Inner Palace was launched in August 2017 and was licensed by VIZ Media for English release.
A spinoff manga titled The Apothecary Diaries: Xiaolan’s Story began serialization on Square Enix’s Manga Up! service on March 23, 2025. Square Enix licensed the first manga series for English release and will publish the series in print later this October.
J-Novel Club publishes The Apothecary Diaries light novel series in English digitally. It describes the main synopsis as:
In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there.
Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That’s her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao’s façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor’s favorite consort… so she can taste the lady’s food for poison!
At her lady’s side, Maomao starts to learn about everything that goes on in the rear palace—not all of it seemly. Can she ever lead a quiet life, or will her powers of deduction and insatiable curiosity bring her ever more adventures, and ever more dangers?
Sources: The Apothecary Diaries Official Twitter, Crunchyroll News