A new anime film for the popular series The Apothecary Diaries, titled The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure, has been announced. The film is scheduled to premiere in theaters across Japan on December 11. This cinematic installment will feature a brand-new story penned by Hyuganatsu, the original author of the novel series.

The narrative of the film will follow protagonists Maomao and Jinshi as they journey to the hometown of a concubine who passed away five years prior in the imperial harem. Their mission is to return her remains to her homeland. During their travels, they will encounter pirates, hidden treasures, uncover the secret of the Empress's remains, and meet a mysterious boy who holds a crucial role in the story. Mariya Ise will join the cast to voice the character Mu Qing.

Series Background

The Apothecary Diaries anime has seen significant success, with its first season premiering in October 2023 and airing for two cours. Crunchyroll streamed this season as it aired in Japan and also provided an English dub. The second anime season debuted in January 2025 on Nippon TV's FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT block, also running for two consecutive cours, with Crunchyroll streaming it and offering an English dub. The third television anime season began on October 2 at 11:00 p.m. JST on NTV and 29 affiliated channels for its first cours, with the second cours set for April 2027.

The original novel series, which Hyūga began serializing online in October 2011, is published in print by Shufunotomo with illustrations by Shino. J-Novel Club publishes the digital version of the novels. A manga adaptation by Nekokurage started in Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine in May 2017, and Square Enix Manga & Books releases the English version of this manga, as well as the print novels.

Key points

  • The Apothecary Diaries anime film, The Late Lady's Treasure, will open in Japan on December 11.
  • The film features an original story written by the novel series' author, Hyuganatsu.
  • Mariya Ise joins the cast as the character Mu Qing.
  • The story involves Maomao and Jinshi returning a concubine's remains to her hometown.
  • The anime series has had two seasons and a third season is currently airing.

Source: Anime News Network · News · Oct 8, 2026