The Apothecary Diaries franchise confirmed recently that a 3rd season is officially on the way along with an original anime film set to premiere on 2026.
The 2nd cour of season 3 is set to go live on April 2027.
The anime unveiled a new key visual as well.
The Apothecary Diaries is a light novel series from Japan, authored by Natsu Hyūga and featuring illustrations by Touko Shino. It began as an online serialization in 2011 on the community-driven platform Shōsetsuka ni Narō. The next year, Shufunotomo took over the project, releasing it first as a one-volume novel in 2012 before launching the full light novel edition in 2014.
The story unfolds in an imaginary realm modeled after China’s Tang Dynasty from the early Middle Ages, centering on Maomao, a young woman raised by her apothecary father to master herbal remedies. Kidnapped and forced into servitude at the imperial court, she discreetly applies her expertise in pharmacology to aid the palace inhabitants.
In 2017, the work inspired two manga adaptations: one serialized by Square Enix in Monthly Big Gangan, and the other by Shogakukan in Monthly Sunday Gene-X. North American readers can access the light novels digitally via J-Novel Club and in physical form through Square Enix, while the Nekokurage-illustrated manga is handled by Square Enix as well. The anime adaptation, brought to life by Toho Animation Studio and OLM, ran its first season from October 2023 through March 2024, followed by a second season spanning January to July 2025.
ALSO READ: Exploring Studio MAPPA’s Top 15 Anime Series: A Powerhouse of Modern Anime Innovation
