The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto), one of the most popular anime this past winter, officially confirmed the return date for Season 3: 2/10/2026, along with a new trailer and key visual released on August 15th. The new season will be a stepping stone to the Japanese theatrical film on December 11th, based on the original story by author Natsu Hyuuga. Cour 2 of Season 3 is scheduled to air in April 2027.
Yorushika's new opening theme, Studio OLM continues to produce
New trailer introduces the opening song "Kumo wo Nuke Kazashimo e Watashi Dake" by the band Yorushika presentation. Studio OLM continues to be responsible for animation production for this season, while TOHO animation STUDIO, which appeared in previous seasons, no longer appears in the production crew list this time.
Reina Ueda joins the voice cast
Voice actor Reina Ueda officially joined the cast in the role Bai Niangniang, a mysterious "immortal fairy" has just become the focus of many rumors in the harem. In addition to the main key visual, the production team also released a series of separate visuals for the 10 main characters, including this new character along with the familiar Maomao and Jinshi.
Key production crew
Akinori Fudesaka continues as director, Wataru Nakagawa as assistant director, Norihiro Naganuma as overall screenwriter, along with the writing team of Yuko Kakihara, Misuzu Chiba, and Hitomi Ogawa. Yukiko Nakatani handles character design, and the music is handled by the trio Satoru Kosaki, Kevin Penkin, and Arisa Okehazama.
About the original work
The Apothecary Diaries is an adaptation of the light novel by Natsu Hyuga, illustrated by Toko Shino. It centers around Maomao, a young female apothecary who is sold into the imperial harem as a low-ranking servant. With her unyielding personality, she gradually becomes involved in helping Jinshi, a handsome and powerful official in the court, uncover a series of secrets within the palace. The series currently has two manga adaptations in Japan, published by Square Enix.
- Season 3 air date: October 2, 2026 (cour 2 expected April 2027)
- Movie released in Japanese theaters: 11/12/2026
- Studio: OLM
- Director: Akinori Fudesaka
- Opening song: "Kumo wo Nuke Kazashimo e Watashi Dake", Yorushika
- New voice acting: Reina Ueda (Bai Niangniang)