The Apothecary Diaries Season 3: Release Date, Time and Where to Watch
The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 premieres on Friday, October 2, 2026 at 11 p.m. Japan time on Nippon TV, and Crunchyroll streams it from the same day. The season is split in two: the first half airs this autumn and the second half starts in April 2027.
Below you'll find the start time in your time zone, the trailer, the new cast member, and how the staff has changed since season 2.
Season 3 at a Glance
- Premiere: Friday, October 2, 2026
- Time: 11:00 p.m. JST (10:00 a.m. EDT, 3:00 p.m. BST)
- TV: Nippon TV's FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT block, nationwide
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Format: split cour, with part two in April 2027
- Studio and director: OLM, Akinori Fudesaka
- Opening theme: Yorushika
- Movie: December 11, 2026 in Japan
When Does The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Come Out?#
Season 3 starts on Friday, October 2, 2026. New episodes air every Friday at 11 p.m. in Nippon TV's FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT block, broadcast at the same time across Japan on NTV and 29 affiliated stations.
The season is split into two cours. The first runs from October 2026, then the show takes a break, and the second cour begins in April 2027. An exact episode count has not been announced.
What Time Does Season 3 Start in My Time Zone?#
Episode 1 airs at 11:00 p.m. JST on Friday, October 2. Here is that same moment around the world:
| Region | Time zone | Start time |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | JST | Fri, Oct 2, 11:00 p.m. |
| US East | EDT | Fri, Oct 2, 10:00 a.m. |
| US Central | CDT | Fri, Oct 2, 9:00 a.m. |
| US West | PDT | Fri, Oct 2, 7:00 a.m. |
| Brazil | BRT | Fri, Oct 2, 11:00 a.m. |
| UK | BST | Fri, Oct 2, 3:00 p.m. |
| Central Europe | CEST | Fri, Oct 2, 4:00 p.m. |
| India | IST | Fri, Oct 2, 7:30 p.m. |
| Philippines | PHT | Fri, Oct 2, 10:00 p.m. |
| Australia (Sydney) | AEST | Sat, Oct 3, 12:00 a.m. |
Streaming follows the TV broadcast. Crunchyroll has confirmed the October 2 start but not an exact upload time, so the times above are the earliest an episode can appear.
Where to Watch The Apothecary Diaries Season 3#
Crunchyroll. Its official trailer confirms the season arrives on the service on October 2. Crunchyroll has carried the series outside Asia since season 1.
If you need to catch up, seasons 1 and 2 are both on Crunchyroll, with 24 episodes each. Season 1 aired from October 2023 to March 2024, and season 2 from January to July 2025.
Watch the Season 3 Trailer#
Crunchyroll's English trailer runs just under two minutes and went up on August 20, 2026. It has passed 475,000 views.
TOHO animation's Japanese main PV came out five days earlier, on August 15, and it plays the new opening theme. That video has more than 2.1 million views.
What Happens in Season 3?#
This section mentions how season 2 ends.
The fallout from the Shi clan's rebellion has settled, and Maomao is back to her old life as an apothecary in the pleasure district. Then a breakfast served at the Verdigris House leaves her sensing that something is off, and she starts digging.
Jinshi, meanwhile, has revealed his true identity as the Emperor's younger brother and is taking on the duties that come with it. He is also troubled by the last thing Loulan left him: a warning of a disaster about to strike the country.
Rumours begin to spread about a mysterious shrine maiden who leads people astray. This time the story moves beyond the rear palace, out into the city and on into a neighbouring country.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Cast#
The one new name so far is Reina Ueda, who plays Bai Niangniang, a mysterious immortal maiden the whole city is talking about.
The main cast returns:
- Aoi Yuki as Maomao
- Takeo Otsuka as Jinshi
- Katsuyuki Konishi as Gaoshun
- Tatsumaru Tachibana as Basen
- Toshiyuki Toyonaga as Lahan
- Koki Uchiyama as Rikuson
- Natsumi Fujiwara as Chou-u
Two of them are busy elsewhere too. Takeo Otsuka leads SSS-Class Revival Hunter in January 2027, and Natsumi Fujiwara stars in As a Reincarnated Aristocrat Season 3 this autumn.
Staff Changes: The Studio Has Split in Two#
Seasons 1 and 2 were co-produced by TOHO animation STUDIO and OLM. For the next two projects, that work has been divided. OLM animates season 3 by itself, and TOHO animation STUDIO makes the December movie by itself.
The directors shifted the same way. Norihiro Naganuma directed season 1 and was chief director on season 2. On season 3 he is credited only with series composition, and he directs the movie instead.
Akinori Fudesaka moved up alongside him. He was assistant director on season 1, director on season 2, and now directs season 3 with Wataru Nakagawa as his assistant director.
- Director: Akinori Fudesaka
- Assistant director: Wataru Nakagawa
- Series composition: Norihiro Naganuma
- Scripts: Yuko Kakihara, Misuzu Chiba, Hitomi Ogawa
- Character design: Yukiko Nakatani
- Music: Satoru Kosaki, Kevin Penkin, Arisa Okehazama
- Original story: Natsu Hyuuga, with character designs by Touko Shino
- Animation production: OLM
The script writers, character designer and composers are all the same as season 2, so the look and sound should carry straight over.
Opening Theme by Yorushika#
Yorushika performs the opening theme, "Kumo o Nuke Kazashimo e Watashi Dake" (I Am Alone, Breaking Through the Clouds Downwind). n-buna wrote the lyrics and music. No ending theme has been announced.
Yorushika continues a run of big-name openings: Ryokuoushoku Shakai on season 1, then Lilas Ikuta and Mrs. GREEN APPLE on the two halves of season 2.
The Apothecary Diaries Movie Opens December 11#
The franchise's first film, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Bōhi no Hihō (The Apothecary Diaries: The Deceased Empress' Treasure), opens in Japanese cinemas on Friday, December 11, 2026. No release outside Japan has been announced.
Original author Natsu Hyuuga wrote a completely new story for it. The Emperor orders Jinshi to grant the last wish of a consort who died in the rear palace five years ago: to return home. To solve the mystery of her body, Maomao travels south with Jinshi to a lively city built on the water, where a hidden treasure opens a new case.
Norihiro Naganuma directs, with a screenplay by Yuko Kakihara and character designs by Yukiko Nakatani. You can watch the movie trailer on YouTube.
More Apothecary Diaries on the Way#
- Live-action series: Amazon Prime Video is producing one for worldwide release in 2028, with Mana Ashida as Maomao.
- New game: Koei Tecmo's mystery game The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother comes to Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and PC in early 2027.
For everything else airing this autumn, see our 2026 anime hub.
For official updates, follow the official site and official X account, or track the season on Animanga Planet. Crunchyroll's announcement has the full key visual.
Frequently asked questions
- When does The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 come out?
- Friday, October 2, 2026, at 11 p.m. JST on Nippon TV. That is 10 a.m. EDT, 7 a.m. PDT and 3 p.m. BST on the same day.
- Where can I watch The Apothecary Diaries Season 3?
- Crunchyroll, starting October 2, 2026. Seasons 1 and 2 are also on Crunchyroll.
- How many episodes does Season 3 have?
- The exact count has not been announced. Season 3 is split into two cours: the first starts in October 2026 and the second in April 2027.
- Who is new in the Season 3 cast?
- Reina Ueda joins as Bai Niangniang, a mysterious immortal maiden. Aoi Yuki and Takeo Otsuka return as Maomao and Jinshi.
- Is there an Apothecary Diaries movie?
- Yes. The first film opens in Japan on December 11, 2026, with a brand-new story by original author Natsu Hyuuga. No release outside Japan has been announced.
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