As the anticipation for The Apothecary Diaries continues to grow, fans around the world have been treated to many forms of mystery, historical drama, and a hint of romance from the character of Maomao, an intelligent apothecary and her unique role at the imperial court. Many fans cannot wait for the release of Season 3, featuring even more palace intrigues, medical mysteries, political threats, and the further development of the relationship between Maomao and Jinshi, after the exciting conclusion to Season 2, which will officially come out in 2025. The Season 3 split-cour will consist of Part 1 and Part 2. An original animated film will also premiere in theatres soon, featuring an entirely new story from author Natsu Hyuuga.
The Apothecary Diaries season 3: Release Updates
In October 2025, TOHO Animation announced the arrival of the third season of the anime on the second anniversary of the anime. This is going to be a split course (2 distinct recaps of the same material):
– The first course will be released in the fall of 2026.
– The second course will be released in the spring of 2027.
This follows the same pattern as before, with the first two seasons being produced by TOHO Animation Studio and OLM. After the release of the season 3 first episode, there will be several teaser visuals and trailers used to build excitement for the return of the series.
There will also be an original feature-length anime film (not a direct adaptation of the light novels) produced alongside the third season. This will feature a brand new storyline created by the original author (Natsu Hyuuga) and is currently scheduled for a Japanese theatrical release.
The anime will likely be available for streaming from platforms such as Crunchyroll (which has previously hosted international streaming of the first two seasons) and will also be available in any location or regional licensing through Netflix.
The Apothecary Diaries season 3: Cast Details
Official announcements of the cast for Season 3 have yet to be revealed. However, the majority of core voice talent will most likely reprise their roles as follows-
- Yūki Aoi – “Maomao,” an intelligent and potion-making central character.
- Ōtsuka Takeo – “Jinshi,” a secretive yet attractive officer of the court with deep-seated secrets.
- Seto Asami – “Gyokuyou,” one of the main consorts.
Supporting characters likely to return to serve within both the inner palace and elsewhere include those seen in previous seasons. While it is likely that new characters will be introduced as storylines transition to different countries, all other information about any potential actors or voice talent will be available as we near the actual premiere date of the new season.
The Apothecary Diaries season 3: Story
Depending on the final number of episodes ordered by Funimation to adapt Natsu Hyuuga’s light novels into a full-length animated series, Season 3 will continue directly from where Season 2 ends and span many more volumes (likely starting somewhere around Volumes 4-5 or beyond based on pacing).
As “Hakkaku: In Pursuit of an Imperial Prince” has a much longer plot than both of the preceding seasons combined, the plot of Season 3 may take a new direction (i.e., shift outward from the Imperial Palace) as follows:
Maomao and Jinshi go west (to Gaou’s home country).
Investigate possible issues (natural disasters/plague/insects affecting crops).
Involve a mysterious shrine maiden and other shadowy characters in the plot.
Led to many developments in Maomao and Jinshi’s(whose past has been more of his past revealed) romance.
Continue to include many of Natsu Hyuuga’s trademark themes (mystery-solving, medical knowledge, historical drama, palace intrigue, and subtle romance).
This series will also continue to include Natsu Hyuuga’s trademark style & tone (witty, grounded in real-life ancient China; focused on Maomao’s brilliant mind & interests).
The original stand-alone, all-new plot will be created by Natsu Hyuuga for the film as a separate, one-piece adaptation from Season 3 (possibly focusing on side-stories/new mysteries).
If you have any missing episodes, you can catch up now by watching the subtitled versions of Season 2 on Crunchyroll’s anime platform. However, you’ll need to wait for the final season of the movie adaptation to be released (tentatively scheduled for October 2026) before they will air together.
To keep informed of the release of new trailers, key visuals, or events, be sure to check back often in anticipation of the show’s tentative premiere in October 2026. If you need to catch up with the anime, you can do so by watching subtitled episodes of Season 2 on Crunchyroll’s website. After that, you’ll need to wait until the complete movie version has been released to finish the series.