The latest seasonal visual has been released for The Apothecary Diaries anime series, highlighting the sweet osamanthus flower plant. The newly released seasonal visual also showcases Jinshi observing a sparring match between the shirtless Basen and Lihaku.
©日向夏・イマジカインフォス／「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会
It was recently announced that the third season of The Apothecary Diaries will be released in two split cours, with cour one premiering in October 2026 and cour two following in April 2027. An anime film with an original story from author Natsu Hyuga will be released in-between them in December 2026.
Plans for more The Apothecary Diaries anime were announced in July, following the end of the second season. The first season premiered in 2023, while the sequel second season began airing in January 2025. Both were previously consecutive-cour series.
The second season featured some returning staff from the first season. Norihiro Naganuma (Season 1 director and series screenwriter) was credited as chief director and screenwriter, 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 are 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) served as the music composers.
Meanwhile, the main voice cast is headlined by Aoi Yuki as Maomao and Takeo Otsuka as Jinshi.
The original light novel series is written by Hyuga and illustrated by Toko Shino. It was first published by Shufunotomo’s Hero Bunko imprint on August 29, 2014 and has released 16 physical volumes as of May 2025. J-Novel Club releases the light novels in English digitally for North America, while Square Enix publishes the series in 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 illustrated by Nekokurage was released in May 2017 and another manga was launched by Minoji Kurata in August 2017. Square Enix licensed the first manga series for release in English.
Another spinoff manga titled The Apothecary Diaries: Xiaolan’s Story debuted on Square Enix’s Manga Up! service on March 23, 2025.
©日向夏・イマジカインフォス／「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会
Crunchyroll is streaming both seasons of The Apothecary Diaries worldwide in select countries and territories, describing the main synopsis of the second season as:
When a favored concubine becomes pregnant, Maomao is put to the test as her food taster. She must keep her wits sharp, not only to protect the concubine but also against rising dangers in the palace. A new concubine with powerful ties, an unsolved attempt at Jinshi’s life, and a foreign envoy with impossible demands hint at a grand conspiracy poised to engulf the empire.
Sources: The Apothecary Diaries Official Twitter (via AIR News), Crunchyroll News
