Season 3’s 1st part starts in October 2026, 2nd part in April 2027, with anime film in December 2026
TOHO animation started streaming a “2nd Anniversary Commemorative Trailer” for The Apothecary Diaries anime with subtitles in English, German, Spanish (Latin America), French, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) on Wednesday. The video announces that a third television anime season will premiere in October 2026 for its first cours (quarter of a year), and its second cours will premiere in April 2027. The video also announced that an anime film will open in December 2026. The film will feature a brand-new story by the original novel series’ author Natsu Hyūga.
Image via The Apothecary Diaries anime’s website
©日向夏・イマジカインフォス／「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会
Additionally, The Apothecary Diaries television anime’s exhibition will travel throughout Asia, starting with Hong Kong this November. It will also go to mainland China, Taipei, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and other areas.
Image via The Apothecary Diaries anime’s X/Twitter account
© 日向夏・イマジカインフォス／「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会
The anime’s first season premiered in October 2023 with the first three episodes, and aired for two cours (quarters of a year). Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan and is also streaming an English dub.
The second anime season premiered on January 10 on Nippon TV‘s FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT programming block, and aired for two consecutive cours until July 4. Crunchyroll streamed the second season as it aired, and it is also streaming an English dub.
J-Novel Club publishes the novel series digitally, and it describes the story:
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. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there.
Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That’s her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao’s façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor’s favorite consort… so she can taste the lady’s food for poison!
Hyūga began serializing the story on the “Shōsetsuka ni Narō” (Let’s Become Novelists) website in October 2011. Shufunotomo began publishing the novels in print volume with illustrations by Shino in August 2014. Nekokurage launched an ongoing manga adaptation in Square Enix‘s Monthly Big Gangan magazine in May 2017. Square Enix Manga & Books is releasing the manga adaptation in English. The company is also publishing the novels in print.
Sources: TOHO animation’s YouTube channel, Comic Natalie