“The Apothecary Diaries” live-action series will premiere worldwide in 2028 on Amazon Prime.
Prime Video Japan has announced a live-action television series adaptation of Natsu Hyuuga's The Apothecary Diaries light novel series, revealing that the series is scheduled to stream worldwide in 2028.
Mana Ashida, known for her role as Young Mako in Pacific Rim and as the voice of Scarlet in Scarlet, will star as Maomao. The upcoming series is being produced as a co-production between Toho and Amazon MGM Studios, with Yuki Saito directing and Erika Yoshida handling the screenplay.
Who is in the cast and staff of “The Apothecary Diaries” live-action series?
The main cast includes:
- Mana Ashida as Maomao
Other cast members are yet to be revealed.
Yuki Saito is directing the live-action series, with Erika Yoshida handling the screenplay. The series is being produced as a co-production between Toho and Amazon MGM Studios.
What is “The Apothecary Diaries” about?
The Apothecary Diaries is based on a light novel series by Natsu Hyūga, which originally began as a web novel on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō platform in October 2011. It was later picked up for print publication by Shufunotomo in August 2014, featuring illustrations by Touko Shino.
The series has two manga adaptations, with the first by Nekokurage published by Square Enix in Monthly Big Gangan magazine. The second manga adaptation, illustrated by Minoji Kurata, is published by Shogakukan in Monthly Sunday Gene-X.
The anime adaptation is produced by OLM, with its first two seasons currently streaming on Crunchyroll. A new anime movie is also set to release in Japan on 11 December, 2026, following the third season, which is set to premiere this 2 October.
J-Novel Club publishes the novels in English and describes the story 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.”
The story follows Maomao, a girl raised by an apothecary, who is “kidnapped and sold into service” within the imperial palace. Despite her unassuming appearance, she possesses sharp medical knowledge and deductive skills. Her abilities draw the attention of Jinshi, the head eunuch, who places her close to the Emperor’s favourite consort, tasking her with tasting food for poison.
As Maomao navigates palace life, her investigations uncover secrets within the rear palace, pulling her deeper into intrigue and danger.