Never let it be said that anime studios don’t know how to keep a good thing going. When something becomes an unexpected hit, they know it is time to bring it back, over and over again. Which is why we’re not only getting a third season of The Apothecary Diaries this year, but an anime film in December. 2026 is looking to be Maomao’s year, and that has our mystery-intrigue senses all atingle.

The really good news for fans is that, if they choose, they could keep making new seasons of Apothecary Diaries for years. Each season thus far has adapted two volumes of the light novels, so we’ve only had the first four volumes animated so far. There are a total of 16 volumes of the light novels to read, which, for those keeping track at home, means that they could make five more seasons of The Apothecary Diaries anime after the one coming later in 2026 before they run out of material to adapt.

But that’s not all, folks, because we’re also getting a movie in December 2026. However, this won’t be adapting any of the material from the light novels – instead, it will be an original story written by series creator Hyuganatsu. The involvement of the original author of The Apothecary Diaries adds an element of authenticity to the upcoming film, similar to when Akira Toriyama was confirmed to be involved in the Dragon Ball movies starting with 2013’s Battle of Gods. No one is going to know the series better than she does, after all. Conversely, if anyone is allowed to make a mess of the franchise, it should be the person who created it.

We have a pretty good idea of what is coming in The Apothecary Diaries Season 3: we just need to look at the events of Volumes 5 and 6 of the light novels, which include more comedic misunderstandings, courtly intrigue, and situations where Maomao’s knowledge of poisons and medicine inexplicitly becomes crucial to solving some looming mystery. While none of the events will be quite as satisfying as the Frog Incident (if you’ve watched the second season, you know what I’m talking about), we are likely to get that all-important first kiss we’ve been waiting years for. Just… not quite how you expect it.

The movie, though, is a mystery. An original story, which may or may not be canon to the rest of the series. We don’t have any details of the film yet, so we’re waiting to find out more as it comes. Still, a new season and a theatrical film in the same year is a massive order, even for a studio as established as TOHO. Keeping the animation consistent across the two media is tough and expensive, especially since they will probably have two separate teams working on both.

The Apothecary Diaries represents a huge investment for TOHO in 2026, but they clearly feel that it is worth the cost based on how much fans have eaten up the previous two seasons. I've got some misgivings about the plot at times (why is every mystery in the Imperial Palace solved with knowledge of poisons?), but it is the characters that keep me coming back. Maomao is just the right mix of weird and competent to keep us guessing, and Jinshi’s constant battle to get her attention and affection becomes the odd foundation for their compelling relationship.

There is also an interesting facet to the timing of both releases. The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 will start in October 2026 and run for two cours, but the second batch of episodes won’t start until April 2027, relieving the animation team from a little bit of stress. Normally, a seasonal break like this could cause a series to lose momentum, but the movie’s release in December 2026 should bridge that gap quite nicely. Movies in Japan typically have a longer theatrical run than in the US, so The Apothecary Diaries movie is likely to be leaving cinemas just as the second half of Season 3 starts airing.

Fans of The Apothecary Diaries are eating extra well this year. Provided season three is as well received as its predecessors (which I’ve got no reason to doubt) and the movie doesn’t completely drop the ball, we should have nine months of hype around a series that is already one of the biggest anime hits in recent memory. 

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