The TV anime Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries) Season 3 has unveiled its official key visual, a first promotional video, and new cast information. The new season will air on the Nippon TV network’s FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT slot every Friday at 23:00, beginning October 2, 2026.

Story and Key Visual

Season 3 expands the setting beyond the rear palace into the wider city and even a neighboring country, where Maomao and Jinshi face fresh trials. Maomao notices something suspicious after locusts appear at breakfast and begins her own investigation, while Jinshi, now shouldering his duties as the emperor’s younger brother, wrestles with ominous signs of a coming disaster. Rumors of a mysterious immortal woman stirring up trouble among the people add another layer of unease, as shadows once again fall over the kingdom of Li. The key visual depicts Maomao and Jinshi walking side by side through a golden wheat field beneath a dawn sky.

New Cast: Ueda Reina as Bai Niangniang

The enigmatic new character Bai Niangniang (白娘々) — a mysterious immortal woman with porcelain-white skin, white hair, and red eyes who has been causing a stir among the populace — will be voiced by Ueda Reina.

Ueda commented: “She is a girl whose true identity and motives are shrouded in mystery. I will approach this elusive character with great care, so I hope everyone enjoys Season 3, including keeping an eye on her every move!”

First Promotional Video

The PV features glimpses of Bai Niangniang’s unsettling smile, hints of the disaster threatening the land, and scenes of Luoban and Lusun drawing Maomao into new incidents. The video closes on Bai Niangniang’s ominous words: “A medicine that soothes the heart and erases the pain of the mortal world.”

Opening Theme: Yorushika

The opening theme has been confirmed as 「雲を抜け風下へ私だけ」 by Yorushika. The band shared that the song’s title phrase had been floating in their minds while brainstorming concepts for a new album, conjuring images of a vast, boundless grassland. The first instrument that came to mind for that landscape was the erhu, whose long, beautiful tones evoke the wind sweeping across the plains. When the offer to create music for Kusuriya no Hitorigoto arrived and the team learned that Season 3’s theme is “a journey” — a kind of road movie — the image of that grassland suddenly clicked into place.

New character visuals for ten main characters, including Maomao and Jinshi, have also been released.

Advance Screening Event

A special advance screening of Episodes 1 and 2 will be held on September 27, 2026 at TOHOシネマズ六本木ヒルズ in Tokyo, followed by a stage greeting featuring Yuki Aoi (Maomao), Otsuka Takehiro (Jinshi), Tachibana Ryumaru (Ma Xian), and Fujiwara Natsumi (Zhao Yu). Live viewings will be held simultaneously at 10 venues nationwide, and attendees will receive a key-visual sticker as an entry bonus.

Live Viewing Venues

• TOHOシネマズすすきの (Hokkaido)
• TOHOシネマズ日比谷, TOHOシネマズ新宿, TOHOシネマズ池袋 (Tokyo)
• 横浜ブルク13 (Kanagawa)
• TOHOシネマズ仙台 (Miyagi)
• TOHOシネマズ梅田 (Osaka)
• 広島バルト11 (Hiroshima)
• TOHOシネマズ名古屋栄 (Aichi)
• TOHOシネマズ天神 (Fukuoka)

Additional Events

An official podcast, 「薬屋とふたりごと」, will launch on Spotify on October 4, 2026, releasing bi-weekly with Yuki Aoi as host and Otsuka Takehiro as the first guest. Nippon TV will also air encore broadcasts of Season 1 Episodes 1 and 6 on September 2 and September 9, 2026, respectively.

Film: Gekijouban Kusuriya no Hitorigoto — Bouhi no Hihou

New details have been revealed for the theatrical film Gekijouban Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Bouhi no Hihou, set for release on December 11, 2026. Three original characters — Mu Qing, Ruo Qing, and Yin Shan — designed by original illustrator Shino Touko, have been unveiled alongside anime visuals of both regular and original characters, as well as mini-character artwork.

Season 3 Staff

• Original Work: Hinata Natsu (Hero Bunko / Imagica Infos)
• Original Character Design: Shino Touko
• Director: Fudesaka Akinori
• Assistant Director: Nakagawa Ko
• Series Composition: Naganuma Norihiro
• Screenplay: Kakihara Yuko, Chiba Misuzu, Ogawa Hitomi
• Character Design: Nakatani Yukiko
• Music: Kanmae Satoru, Kevin Penkin, Okehazama Arisa
• Animation Studio: OLM

Season 3 Cast

• Maomao: Yuki Aoi
• Jinshi: Otsuka Takehiro
• Gaoshun: Konishi Katsuyuki
• Ma Xian: Tachibana Ryumaru
• Luoban: Toyonaga Toshiyuki
• Lusun: Uchiyama Koki
• Zhao Yu: Fujiwara Natsumi
• Bai Niangniang: Ueda Reina
• Narrator: Shimamoto Sumi

Film Staff & Cast

• Director: Naganuma Norihiro
• Screenplay: Kakihara Yuko
• Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Nakatani Yukiko
• Studio: TOHO animation STUDIO
• Distributor: Toho
• Cast: Yuki Aoi, Otsuka Takehiro, Ise Mariya, and others