"The Apothecary Diaries": Third Season Starts October 2 – Reina Ueda Voices the Mysterious Celestial Fairy

The production team of "The Apothecary Diaries" (Japanese: "Kusuriya no Hitorigoto") has revealed extensive news about the third season of the anime adaptation. The announcements were made on August 15 during the "Summer Garden Party 2026," the first official event for the series, held at Pacifico Yokohama. In addition to the start date, a new key visual, a main trailer, an additional voice actress, the opening theme, and fresh details about the planned film were presented.

The third season will air from October 2, 2026, in the "FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT" (abbreviated as FuraAni) time slot on Nippon Television – Fridays from 11 PM and nationwide across over 30 affiliated stations. After broadcast, the series will be available on various streaming platforms; internationally, it will stream on Crunchyroll, among others. The season is structured as a split-cour with two blocks, with the second part following in April 2027.

The key visual shows Maomao and Jinshi walking through golden wheat fields in the light of the morning sky – an image for the expanded storyline that leads the characters out of the imperial rear palace into the city and eventually to a neighboring country. At the center of the new season is an unusual breakfast: When Maomao is served grasshoppers, she feels uneasy and begins to investigate. Meanwhile, Jinshi, who is increasingly facing his duties as the emperor's brother, worries about signs of a catastrophe threatening the realm. At the same time, rumors circulate about a mysterious celestial fairy that confuses people – a shadow looms over the land of Li once again.

The casting of the fairy Bai Niangniang has caused a stir: Reina Ueda voices the character with translucent white skin, white hair, and red eyes. "Her true identity and her goal are shrouded in mystery," Ueda says about her role. She was nervous during the first recording sessions, but the dialogues around Maomao quickly swept her along as a viewer: "I will approach this elusive character carefully – I hope the audience enjoys Season 3, also with regard to her actions."

The new trailer shows Bai Niangniang with a sinister smile, early signs of the impending catastrophe, as well as Lahan and Lu Sun, who pique Maomao's curiosity and want to draw her into the events. It ends with the fairy's ominous remark that she possesses "a remedy that heals the heart and takes away the world's pain." Additionally, new designs of ten main characters were released, including Maomao, Jinshi, Gaoshun, Basen, Lahan, Lu Sun, Zhao Yu, as well as the three courtesans Bai Ling, Meimei, and Nyuka.

The opening theme is "Kumo o Nuke Kazeshita e Watashi Dake" (freely translated: "Only I, through the clouds, toward the wind") by the band Yorushika. Composer n-buna reports that the phrase kept running through his head while working on the next album; the image of a vast grassland, combined with the sound of the erhu, eventually led him to the music. When he learned that the third season takes up the theme of travel or a kind of road movie, the image suddenly connected with the material.

Before the start, there will be an early cinema premiere: On September 27, the first two episodes will be shown at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills in Tokyo. Afterwards, a stage appearance will take place with Aoi Yuki (Maomao), Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi), Ryūmaru Tachibana (Basen), and Natsumi Fujiwara (Zhao Yu); ten other cinemas across the country will broadcast the event via live viewing. As an entrance gift, there will be a sticker with the new key visual. Additionally, the official podcast "Kusuriya to Futarigoto" returns: It will appear on Spotify every two weeks starting October 4, hosted by Aoi Yuki with Takeo Otsuka as the first guest. To get in the mood, Nippon Television will also air the first and sixth episodes of the first season in the Kanto region in September.

There is also news about the film "Gekijōban Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Bōhi no Hihō" ("The Treasure of the Deceased Consort"). The film, whose story is based on an original draft by author Natsu Hyūga, will open in Japanese cinemas on December 11, 2026. The new characters Mu Qing, Waka Qing, and Yin Shan, designed by original illustrator Shinotouko, were presented, along with animation visuals of the known and new characters as well as mini character versions. Direction is by Naganuma Norihiro, with a screenplay by Yūko Kakihara; the film is produced by TOHO animation STUDIO, with distribution by Toho. The voice cast includes, alongside Aoi Yuki and Takeo Otsuka, Mariya Ise, who voices a mysterious boy. Advance tickets, designed with the teaser key visual, will be available from August 17.

The source material by Natsu Hyūga originally appeared on the platform Shōsetsuka ni Narō and is published by Hero Bunko (Imagica Infos); the total circulation of the novel and manga series is now over 57 million copies, according to Japanese media reports. The first season of the anime aired from October 2023 to March 2024, the second from January to July 2025. For the third season, Akinori Fudeyasumi directs, with animation by Studio OLM. The story of the young pharmacist Maomao, who solves mysterious cases in the imperial rear palace together with court official Jinshi, is among the most successful anime properties of recent years.