The Apothecary Diaries Competitor Is Heading Towards Its Finale

August 12, 2026, 4:30pm

The Summer 2026 anime season is currently ongoing, as almost all of the new series have premiered in July. From Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War to Saga of Tanya the Evil, the season has introduced several exciting sequels on top of the new additions to the anime world. Doga Kobo’s Though I Am an Inept Villainess is one of the new series that created quite a lot of buzz thanks to its Chinese-themed aesthetic, which is similar to The Apothecary Diaries. Established in 1973, Doga Kobo is one of the oldest animation studios in Japan, having produced over a hundred anime over the years. Some of its most acclaimed works remain Oshi no Ko, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Plastic Memories, and many more. The anime was initially set to premiere in April as part of the Spring 2026 seasonal lineup, but was delayed due to production issues.

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The anime is based on a light novel written by Satsuki Nakamura and illustrated by Kana Yuki. The novel has been ongoing since 2020, and it will enter its final arc in the next Volume 13. The update comes from @MangaMoguraRE and many other anime accounts on X, known for sharing reliable information on anything related to anime, manga, light novels, and more. While the finale date hasn’t been confirmed yet, the update only reveals that the final arc will be commencing, so we can expect the story to continue for a few months or even more than a year before concluding.

Where to Watch Though I Am an Inept Villainess?

Crunchyroll is the major streaming platform for the anime, making it available for fans across regions in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, CIS, and the Indian Subcontinent. Additionally, Netflix is also streaming across various regions in Asia, including Japan, India, Hong Kong, and more. Fans outside of Asia will have to wait a few months or even longer for Netflix to license the series.

How Is Though I Am an Inept Villainess Similar to The Apothecary Diaries?

Maomao The Apothecary Diaries — Courtesy of TOHO Animation

While the narrative and the premise are entirely different, both series are set in ancient China, centering around the Rear Palace. Because the setting is so similar and focuses primarily on the female cast, fans can see how these stories focus on their character development and the difficulties they face in the Palace. Thanks to the political intrigue of both stories, the series also focuses on social ladder climbing as they aim to become the Empress. However, the similarities end there since both series are a lot different at their cores.

The Apothecary Diaries leans into mysteries and a realistic portrayal of diseases and medicines used in ancient China. The series isn’t supernatural by any means, unlike Though I Am an Inept Villainess, which focuses on a group of maidens hoping to win the Prince’s heart. Due to Keigetsu’s jealousy towards Reirin, she plans an evil scheme and successfully swaps bodies with her. The original Reirin is now forced inside Keigetsu’s body and is doing everything she can to survive Keigetsu’s punishments. On the other hand, the story also focuses on Keigetsu, whose use of forbidden magic caused all that chaos.