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The Apothecary Diaries is already one of the biggest anime, manga, and light novel franchises in recent years. While the award-winning anime keeps intriguing fans with a spectacular adaptation, the manga and light novel have a total of 45 million copies in circulation. Last year, shortly after the second season’s conclusion, the anime confirmed the third season will be released into two cours. While the third season was already expected, what truly shocked fans was a surprise film announcement. The film is based on an original story written by Hyūganatsu, the author of the light novel.
It was already confirmed that the film will be released in December this year, and now the anime has finally shared more details on the upcoming project. The official website shares new character designs, a teaser trailer, and the key visual to hype up the upcoming release. While the film will hit the Japanese theatres on December 11th, 2026, there has been no confirmation on an international release yet. We can expect updates on the theatrical release or the streaming dates in 2027.
The Apothecary Diaries Creator Breaks Silence on The Upcoming Film
Following the announcement post on X, the author shared a message for fans on her official handle. She shared the concept, saying, “I wrote the original story concept for the movie. It tells the story of a mid-ranking consort from the past who hadn’t appeared in the series until now.”
Hyūganatsu also explains the timeline of the story, “Chronologically, it takes place between the second and third seasons of the anime—corresponding to Volume 4.5 of the novels. I hope you enjoy it.”
In an interview earlier this year, the author confirmed that the plot of the film is more like the first draft of the novel, which implies it will follow the story she wanted to tell the world during the initial phase of the novel’s release. Her explanation of the story’s concept and timeline cements her earlier statement confirming that the plot is something she had planned even before the anime debut.
What to Expect From The Apothecary Diaries Film?
As shown in the teaser, the story centers around Jinshi and Maomao trying to unravel the mysterious death of a mid-ranking concubine. Her death happened five years ago, and now her remains are finally being sent to her home. However, knowing that the circumstances during her death were far from ordinary, Jinshi once again sought Maomao’s help.
The film will also introduce a new character whose design was shared on the official website along with the confirmation that Mariya Ise will be the voice behind him. She is famous for her role as Killua in Hunter x Hunter, Ray in The Promised Neverland, Himeno in Chainsaw Man, and many more iconic roles.
While the boy’s name hasn’t been revealed, the trailer confirms that he is the key to solving the mystery. As a central character of the film, he also appears in the key visual, right alongside Maomao. The official website also shares the new character designs of the main duo as they don unfamiliar outfits.
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