By TOHO animation has streamed a new character promotional video for The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady’s Treasure (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Bōhi no Hihō), the upcoming anime film based on Hyuganatsu and Touko Shino‘s light novel series. The video spotlights consort Ruoqing and lady-in-waiting Yinshan, confirming Miyuki Sawashiro and Ai Mikami as their voices.
The Apothecary Diaries film visual (Credits: The Apothecary Diaries anime’s website)
The film tells a brand-new original story by author Hyuganatsu. It 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 to her homeland. There, they run into pirates, hidden treasures, the secret of the Empress’ remains, and a mysterious boy who holds the key to the story.
Two New Voices for a Five-Year-Old Mystery
Miyuki Sawashiro plays Ruoqing, a middle-level courtesan who died five years ago in the Emperor’s inner palace — and whose dying wish was to have her remains returned to her homeland five years after her death. Ai Mikami plays Yinshan, Ruoqing’s former lady-in-waiting, now an attendant of Mu Qing and a general servant of the Bi clan.
An Expanding Cast
The film’s cast keeps growing. Mariya Ise joins as the key character Mu Qing, son of the Bi clan, alongside Nobuo Tobita as Bi clan head Birō, Kumiko Watanabe as Birō’s wife Shūu, and Hirofumi Nojima as the clan’s eldest son Bisen. On the pirate side, Kenshō Ono plays Kajadan river pirate leader Suija, Ryōta Takeuchi plays Suija’s subordinate Eishō, and Jirō Saitō plays the late former Kajadan leader Kaja. (All name romanizations are not yet confirmed.)
Opening in Japan on December 11
The film will open in Japanese theaters on December 11. Crunchyroll has acquired the North American and worldwide rights (excluding Asia, but including India), with an international release date to be announced later alongside Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The franchise momentum is undeniable: the third TV season premiered on October 2 in NTV’s Friday Anime Night block for its first cour, with the second cour premiering in April 2027. The novels are published digitally by J-Novel Club, and the story — which Hyuganatsu began serializing online in October 2011 before Shufunotomo picked it up in print in August 2014 — continues to be one of the most beloved mystery franchises in anime.
The film’s original-story status is worth noting: rather than adapting an existing novel volume, Hyuganatsu wrote a new tale specifically for the big screen, which gives longtime readers a genuine reason to show up. Combined with the third TV season currently airing and its second cour dated for April 2027, the franchise is in the middle of one of its busiest stretches ever — and December 11 is shaping up to be a date Apothecary Diaries fans will not want to miss.
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Source: Anime News Network — read the full story there.
