TOHO Animation just blessed fans with not one, but three reasons to mark their calendars for 2026 and beyond. The Apothecary Diaries is coming back with Season 3 split into two parts, the first launching in October 2026 and the second in April 2027, plus an original anime film hitting theaters in December 2026.
The announcement dropped during the anime’s second anniversary celebration on October 22, 2025, complete with a commemorative trailer that had fans losing it across social media.
The announcement came alongside a teaser visual featuring Maomao, the sharp-witted apothecary who turned palace intrigue into appointment viewing for millions.
Season 3 will follow the same split-cour format as its predecessors, giving fans 24 episodes spread across two quarters. The first cour premieres in October 2026, taking a breather before the second cour wraps things up in April 2027. It’s a solid release schedule that keeps the momentum going without burning out the production team at OLM and TOHO Animation, who’ve been crushing it since the series debuted in fall 2023.
What makes Season 3 different
Here’s where things get interesting. Director Norihiro Naganuma, who helmed the first season before Akinori Fudesaka took over for Season 2, is returning to direct the original film. The movie will feature a brand-new story penned by original light novel author Natsu Hyūga, marking the franchise’s first theatrical project.
That December 2026 release slots perfectly between the two cours, giving fans something special to tide them over during the winter break. The fact that Hyūga is writing an original story specifically for the film shows how much confidence everyone has in this franchise expanding beyond the source material.
Season 3 will reportedly take Maomao and Jinshi beyond the palace walls, adapting volumes 4 and 5 of the light novels. Maomao joins a diplomatic mission to Empress Gyokuyou’s homeland, facing new threats like mysterious plagues and medical mysteries that’ll put her apothecary skills to the ultimate test.
It’s a shift that’s both exciting and nerve-wracking for longtime fans, because while the palace setting was iconic, seeing these characters navigate unfamiliar territory opens up fresh storytelling possibilities.
Why this series keeps winning
The Apothecary Diaries has become one of those rare anime that just keeps delivering. The first season premiered in October 2023 and immediately grabbed attention with its unique blend of historical drama, mystery, and character-driven storytelling.
Season 2, which aired from January to July 2025, somehow managed to be even better, ending with a cliffhanger that had the community buzzing. The series has maintained an impressive production schedule, with new content dropping essentially every year since its debut, a consistency that’s rare in the anime industry.
Voice actress Aoi Yūki as Maomao and Takeo Otsuka as Jinshi are practically guaranteed to return, and they’ve already teased the new arc during Anime Expo 2025. The chemistry between these two characters remains one of the show’s biggest strengths, and fans are eager to see how their relationship evolves outside the palace setting.
With 48 episodes already available on Crunchyroll, newcomers have plenty of time to catch up before October 2026 rolls around.
The series has also been making moves beyond animation, with an exhibition touring Asia starting in Hong Kong this November, hitting mainland China, Taipei, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. Universal Studios Japan even hosted an attraction based on the series from July 2025 to January 2026.
The franchise is firing on all cylinders, and these 2026-2027 announcements prove that The Apothecary Diaries isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
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