2d ago
The official website for The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure presented a new trailer, main visual and character relationship chart on Thursday. The trailer names and previews the theme song "Haru ga Tomori" by singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu. The film adapts a new story by original light novel author Hyuganatsu, following Maomao and Jinshi as they travel to the homeland of a concubine who died five years ago to return her remains. The site also announced a film novelization written by Hyuganatsu, on sale December 9, containing material not used in the film, with a first-edition wraparound band carrying the key visual. A short story by Hyuganatsu about Maomao and Jinshi, described as an epilogue, will appear in 1.5 million booklets distributed at participating theaters from opening day while supplies last. The film opens in Japan on December 11, with Norihiro Naganuma directing and TOHO Animation STUDIO on animation. Crunchyroll holds North American and worldwide rights excluding Asia but including India.
Oct 16
Crunchyroll announced on Thursday that its English dub for The Apothecary Diaries' third season begins streaming on Friday. Emi Lo voices Maomao and Kaiji Tang voices Jinshi, with Shawn Gann directing and Crunchyroll Studio producing. The season premiered October 2 on NTV's Friday Anime Night block; its second cours arrives in April 2027. A film, The Apothecary Diaries: The Deceased Empress' Treasure, opens December 11.
Oct 4
Anko Chochin's Kuri Hime Ayakashi Yobanashi, the manga adaptation of Hyuganatsu's novel series, will end in Monthly Comic Zero-Sum's next issue on October 28, the magazine's November issue announced. The manga launched in the magazine in December 2024, and Ichijinsha published the second compiled volume on April 30. It follows Kinuko, a part-time college lecturer in weaving and Japanese studies living at Tamamayu Shrine.
May 16
In a group interview at Anime Boston, The Apothecary Diaries author Hyūganatsu corrected the common description of the series as a story set in ancient China. She said the palace is based on Japanese imperial castles, not Chinese ones. She also discussed using children's homework as inspiration for mysteries, the historical grounding of medical details like alcohol for cleaning wounds, and the decision to base a character on Empress Wu Zetian while acknowledging possible bias in historical records.