A new trailer has unveiled a new cast member, opening theme song, and more.
A new trailer for “The Apothecary Diaries” Season 3 revealed the sequel’s 2 October, 2026 release date. Moreover, a new cast member, character illustrations, a key visual, and opening theme song have also been revealed for the anime.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 3
Premiere date: 2 October, 2026
Animation studio: OLM
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll, Netflix
What do we know about The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 so far?
The voice actor joining the anime’s cast in Season 3 is:
- Reina Ueda as Bai Niangniang (a pale, mysterious woman)
Visuals for the 10 main characters of the series, including Maomao, Jinshi, Lakan, and more have been revealed.
The opening theme song ‘Kumo o Nukekazashimo e Watashidake’ performed by Yorushika is featured in the trailer.
Akinori Fudesaka is directing The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 at animation studio OLM, with Wataru Nakagawa as the assistant director. Norihiro Naganuma handles series composition while Yuko Kakkihara, Misuzu Chiba and Hitomi Ogawa write the scripts. Yukiko Nakatani designs the characters while Satoru Kosaki, Kevin Penkin and Arisa Okehazama compose the music.
What is The Apothecary Diaries about?
The anime is based on a light novel series Natsu Hyūga, and 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.
It also has two manga adaptations, the first by Nekokurage, which is published by Square Enix in their Monthly Big Gangan magazine. The second manga adaptation with art by Minoji Kurata is published by Shogakukan in Monthly Sunday Gene-X. The first two seasons of the anime are currently streaming on Crunchyroll. A new anime movie is set to come out after the third season on 11 December, 2026.
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.