Tag Archives: Apothecary Diaries

Maomao Steps Outside the Palace — What Season 3 Holds

Season 3 broadens Maomao’s world considerably. After two seasons navigating the treacherous politics of the imperial inner sanctum, she will now venture into common settlements, neighbouring territories, and new court factions. A looming plague and an enigmatic sorcerer are teased as the threats driving the new arc, while the slow-burn dynamic between Maomao and Jinshi continues to deepen.

The format is a split cour: Part 1 runs from October 2026 into early 2027, with Part 2 following from April 2027. Studio OLM — which produced both previous seasons — returns for the full run.

Maomao and Jinshi in an orchard, reaching for golden fruit — a key visual from The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 — Image courtesy of TOHO Animation / OLM

A notable new character was also revealed: Reina Ueda joins the cast as Bai Niangníang (sometimes written as Paiñanñan), a mysterious fairy-like figure described as having white translucent skin, white hair, and striking red eyes. Whether she is ally or antagonist is carefully left unclear — exactly the kind of introduction the series does best. (Source: Denfaminicogamer (Japanese))

Yorushika’s Wind-Swept Opening Theme

The opening theme for Season 3 Part 1 is “Kumo wo Nuke Kaze Shita e Watashi dake” (雲を抜け風下へ私だけ — roughly, “I Alone, Past Clouds and Downwind”) by Yorushika. Composer n-buna described the track as built from an image of an expansive grassland and the feeling of wind — a sound that deliberately mirrors the season’s shift from enclosed palace intrigue to open, travelling adventure. (Source: Natalie Music (Japanese))

The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 & Film Announcement PV — via TOHO animation チャンネル on YouTube (Japanese)

How Singapore Fans Can Watch — and What to Do Before October

Crunchyroll has confirmed it will stream Season 3 for Singapore subscribers, with new episodes landing each Friday after the Japanese broadcast. If you haven’t watched the earlier seasons, seven weeks is ample time to clear all 24 episodes of Season 1 and the 24 of Season 2 before the premiere.

The Apothecary Diaries Summer Garden Party 2026 official event visual, featuring the full cast in matching white and gold outfits — Image courtesy of TOHO Animation / OLM

Beyond streaming, the official Apothecary Diaries Exhibition opens in Singapore on 30 September — a full exhibition of art, costumes, and behind-the-scenes materials from the series running right through the Season 3 premiere window. That’s one of the better anime weekends Singapore fans will get this year.

Also in the pipeline: the theatrical film The Apothecary Diaries: The Hidden Treasure of the Deceased Consort opens in Japan on December 11, 2026, featuring an original story written by the novel’s author Natsu Hyuuga. No Singapore cinema date has been announced yet, but we’ll cover it as soon as local distribution details surface. Catch up on more anime news here.

Manga Anime

The Apothecary Diaries Movie Opens in Japan 11 December

July 7, 2026 Nova Solaris

Maomao’s Next Case: Treasure, Pirates, and an Imperial Secret

The film sends Maomao and Jinshi far outside the palace on a grim errand: escort the remains of a concubine — dead five years — back to her homeland. The mission turns dangerous fast. They encounter pirates, hidden treasure, and a mysterious boy named Mu Qing who holds the key to the dead woman’s secrets. It is a self-contained story set between the events of Seasons 2 and 3, corresponding roughly to volume 4.5 of the original light novel series.

The Apothecary Diaries Movie character visuals — Maomao and Jinshi — Image courtesy of Toho Animation

New Character, Familiar Voices

The main cast returns: Aoi Yūki reprises Maomao and Takeo Ōtsuka is back as Jinshi. The film’s new face is Mu Qing, voiced by Mariya Ise — whose extensive CV includes Killua in Hunter x Hunter, Ray in The Promised Neverland, and Himeno in Chainsaw Man. Mu Qing is the mysterious boy at the centre of the film’s mystery, and his connection to the deceased consort is the thread Maomao has to unravel.

Mu Qing character visual and voice actress Mariya Ise for The Apothecary Diaries Movie — Image courtesy of Toho Animation

An Original Story, Written by the Author Herself

The screenplay is a fully original work by Hyūganatsu, the author of the Apothecary Diaries light novels — not an adaptation of an existing arc, but a story she describes as “more like the first draft of the novel.” Production is by the same team at Toho Animation STUDIO and OLM who built the television series. With Season 3 Part 1 confirmed for October 2026 and Part 2 in April 2027 — both expected on Crunchyroll — the film slots into the gap and gives fans an extra chapter while they wait for the next arc.

Japan Premiere on 11 December — International Window TBA

The premiere is Japan-only for now, with no international theatrical or streaming date announced. Both previous seasons of The Apothecary Diaries were available on Crunchyroll in Singapore, so a streaming release overseas is plausible — though Toho Animation has not set a timeline. For now, Season 3 Part 1 on Crunchyroll this October is the next guaranteed fix for Singapore fans. Stay tuned for updates as they come, and browse our anime and manga coverage for more on what is streaming this season.

Manga Anime

The Apothecary Diaries Movie Opens December 11 — Original Story and First Trailer Revealed

July 3, 2026 kindaixin

What the Apothecary Diaries Movie Is About

The film’s full title is Gekijouban Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Boki no Hihou (劇場版薬屋のひとりごと亡妃の秘宝) — The Apothecary Diaries: The Secret Treasure of the Deceased Consort. Unlike many anime films that adapt an existing arc, this one is an original story conceived by the franchise’s own light novel author, Natsu Hyuga.

The plot follows Maomao and Jinshi as they travel south to return the remains of a concubine who died in the imperial palace five years earlier to her homeland. They arrive in Minanzhou (未南州), a lively water city, and find themselves tangled up in secrets surrounding the consort’s preserved body, a hidden treasure buried somewhere in the city’s waterways, and a band of water pirates who are very much part of the story. The announcement tagline promises this is the series’ largest mystery yet.

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 3 & Movie Production Announcement — via TOHO animation チャンネル on YouTube (Japanese)

New Character: Muqing, Voiced by Mariya Ise

Aoi Yuki (Maomao) and Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi) both return in their lead roles. Joining them is a new character: Muqing (沐清), a young boy described as holding the key to the mystery at the heart of the film. He is voiced by Mariya Ise, a veteran anime voice actress well known among Singapore fans for her roles as Killua Zoldyck in Hunter x Hunter and Levy McGarden in Fairy Tail. Muqing appears closely tied to the deceased consort’s clan, and the announcement suggests his backstory drives much of the film’s second half.

Muqing character visual from The Apothecary Diaries movie — voiced by Mariya Ise — Image courtesy of TOHO Animation

Director and Creative Team

Norihiro Naganuma — who directed Season 1 and served as chief director on Season 2 — returns to helm the film. That continuity is reassuring. Naganuma has a clear feel for the show’s pacing and its particular blend of sharp comedy, slow-burn mystery and political tension. With the story also penned by Natsu Hyuga herself, this is as canonical as a theatrical film can get.

Scene from The Apothecary Diaries movie set in the water city of Minanzhou — Image courtesy of TOHO Animation

Season 3 Is Also Coming — October 2026

The movie is not the only thing on the horizon. The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 is confirmed for October 2026, running in two cours (October 2026 and April 2027), with Akinori Fudesaka directing. The story moves beyond the inner palace and broadens into a wider world — early teasers hint at national upheaval and a mysterious shrine maiden. For Singapore fans who followed Seasons 1 and 2 on Crunchyroll, the franchise’s second half of 2026 is shaping up to be very full.

The Apothecary Diaries movie promotional still — Image courtesy of TOHO Animation

When Can Singapore Watch the Movie?

December 11 is for Japanese cinemas only at this stage. No international theatrical run or streaming date has been announced for Southeast Asia. Both seasons of the TV series are available on Crunchyroll, so a streaming window for the film eventually seems likely — but nothing is confirmed yet. We will update this post as details emerge. In the meantime, browse all our anime and manga coverage on GameTrader for more updates from the season ahead.