The Apothecary Diaries Film Reveals New Cast and Trailers
The upcoming anime film 'The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure' has unveiled additional cast members and character trailers ahead of its Japanese theatrical debut on December 11.
The official website for The Apothecary Diaries anime film has revealed new cast members and character trailers ahead of its December 11 release. TOHO animation began streaming a character trailer highlighting the Bi clan and its key members on Monday, with further videos scheduled for the Kaja Troupe, Ruo Qing, and Yi Shan later this week.
Voice actresses Ai Mikami and Miyuki Sawashiro are joining the cast as Yinshan and Luoqing respectively. The trailer also confirmed Nobuo Tobita as the voice of Bi clan head Birō, with Kumiko Watanabe voicing his wife Shūu and Hirofumi Nojima voicing the eldest son Bisen. Mariya Ise, a previously announced cast member, voices the clan's son Mu Qing.
Production team and voice cast confirmed
Norihiro Naganuma is directing the anime movie at TOHO animation STUDIO. Yuuko Kakihara is writing the script for the movie. Yukiko Nakatani is designing the characters and is credited as chief animation director. Satoru Kousaki, Kevin Penkin, and Alisa Okehazama are composing the music.
The full voice cast includes several other confirmed roles.
Film details and distribution plans
The anime movie is subtitled Bouhi no Hihou (The Secret Treasure of the Deceased Consort). It opens in Japanese theaters on December 11. The story follows Maomao and Jinshi as they travel to the hometown of a concubine who died five years ago in the imperial harem to return her remains. They encounter pirates, hidden treasures, the secret of the Empress' remains, and a mysterious boy who holds the key to the story. The film features a brand-new story by the original novel series' author Hyuganatsu.
Crunchyroll announced on Thursday it has acquired the North American and worldwide rights to the film, excluding Asia but including India. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will announce the release date at a later time.
Series context and ongoing adaptations
The film expands a major multimedia franchise. The first television anime season aired in Fall 2023 and the second season aired in Winter 2025, with each season comprising 24 episodes. Crunchyroll streamed both seasons with subtitles and dubs in multiple languages, excluding Asia. The third television anime season premiered on October 2 for its first cours, with its second cours scheduled for April 2027.
The source material continues to be published actively. Hyuganatsu began serializing the story on the 'Shōsetsuka ni Narō' website in October 2011. Shufunotomo published the 16th volume of the Japanese light novel in May 2025. Square Enix published the 17th volume of the main manga adaptation on July 24. A second manga adaptation by Minoji Kurata began serializing in Sunday Gene-X in August 2017, with its 22nd volume published on June 18.
Source material publication timeline
English-language releases are also progressing. J-Novel Club licensed the light novel for digital release in November 2020 and published the 16th English volume on May 29. Square Enix licensed the main manga adaptation for English release in November 2019, published the 15th volume on March 17, and has the 16th volume scheduled for November 3. Viz Media is releasing Minoji Kurata's separate manga adaptation titled The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Notes on the Inner Palace.
The film is produced by OLM and TOHO animation STUDIO. It opens in Japanese theaters on December 11.
