The Apothecary Diaries is returning this year with a Season 3 and an original feature film. The upcoming season will be released in two cours and the first one will premiere in October this year, while the second cour is scheduled for Spring 2024. Additionally, details on the feature film are scarce, but it will be written by Natsu Hyuuga, the novel’s author. The film will hit the Japanese theaters in December this year and awaits an international release date. Additionally, while fans await the anime’s return, the series will launch its first official recipe book on May 13th, 2026. As of yet, the book will only be available in Japan and might get a global release later on. Last month, the book revealed an adorable cover of Jinshi and Maomao, illustrated by Touko Shino, the artist of the light novel. The book recreates the recipes in the story and allows readers to try making them themselves.
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The book was created under the supervision of Hyuuga, as it contains 23 recipes that have been depicted in the story, including the love potion Maomao created using chocolate. It also includes six short stories written by Hyuuga, each including a new recipe. However, according to Mantan Web, the recipe book is already getting a reprint even before its official launch since it became out of stock with just pre-orders alone. Considering the series’ popularity, the book gathered much more attention than expected.
What to Expect From The Apothecary Diaries Season 3
Since there isn’t an official trailer yet, information on the upcoming season is pretty limited. The story will continue their endeavors as Jinshi will keep asking her to solve mysterious cases across the kingdom. We can expect the first cour to adapt the fifth volume of the novel, where Jinshi and Maomao will encounter new challenges in the Northern farming villages.
The two will also get closer in the meantime, especially now Jinshi has no reason to hide his true self from her. Additionally, the scale of power within the Palace is beginning to shift after the birth of Gyokuyou’s son. The title of the Crown Prince, which originally belonged to Jinshi, will now go to the newborn prince. Additionally, the story also needs to explore the truth behind Jinshi’s birth, which still remains a secret in the palace.
The Apothecary Diaries Will Bring Maomao and Jinshi Closer
The second season took a huge step forward in the relationship between Maomao and Jinshi, especially in its final stretch, where Maomao learned about Jinshi’s true identity. Knowing that Maomao has been kidnapped by the Shi Clan, Jinshi revealed he is the Moon Prince, Ka Zuigetsu. He was pretending to be an eunuch and assumed a fake identity in order to stay away from palace politics, especially the issue of succession.
However, Maomao’s kidnapping changed everything, and he knew he needed to take charge of the battle against the Clan. Following his swift victory against the Shi Clan, Jinshi took over his duties as a member of the royal family. On the other hand, Maomao left the palace since there was no other reason for her to stay after Concubine Gyokuyou’s son was born.
Instead, the Rear Palace officially hired her adoptive father as the physician there while Maomao began working at the Verdigris House as an apothecary. Although the two have been separated for now, Jinshi made time to meet her despite his busy schedule. While you wait for the upcoming season and the film, you can catch up with the first two anime seasons on Crunchyroll.
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