The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure has released its newest trailer, giving the film its fullest preview yet ahead of its Japanese theatrical opening. The trailer is the first to feature the film's theme song, Haru ga Tomori by Kenshi Yonezu, woven through new footage of Maomao and Jinshi's journey south.
The film is directed by Norihiro Naganuma at TOHO animation STUDIO, with an original story written by series creator Natsu Hyuga rather than an adaptation of an existing arc. Yuko Kakihara handles the series scripts, Yukiko Nakatani serves as character designer and chief animation director, and the music comes from Satoru Kosaki, Kevin Penkin and Arisa Okehazama.
Watch the new trailer here:
The trailer era of the film's rollout has been running since October 11, when the first of four consecutive character trailers spotlighted Maomao and Jinshi. The Bi clan, the Kajadan pirates and the pair of Ruoqing and Yinshan followed on consecutive days, and the new trailer pulls those threads together into the complete picture.
The film's cast brings back the series leads alongside nine new additions whose characters anchor the southern mystery:
Aoi Yuki (Madoka Kaname in Puella Magi Madoka Magica) as Maomao
Takeo Otsuka (Aqua Hoshino in Oshi no Ko) as Jinshi
Mariya Ise (Killua Zoldyck in Hunter x Hunter) as Mu Qing
Nobuo Tobita (Kamille Bidan in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam) as Biro
Kumiko Watanabe (Keroro in Sgt. Frog) as Shuu
Hirofumi Nojima as Bisen
Kensho Ono (Giorno Giovanna in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind) as Sujia
Ryota Takeuchi (Elias Ainsworth in The Ancient Magus' Bride) as Eisho
Jiro Saito as Kaja
Ai Mikami as Yinshan
Miyuki Sawashiro (Fujiko Mine in Lupin the Third) as Ruoqing
What is The Apothecary Diaries about?
The Apothecary Diaries began as a light novel series written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Touko Shino, a mystery and historical drama following apothecary Maomao and the eunuch Jinshi in a fictional imperial court. Crunchyroll, which has acquired the film for North American and “worldwide” (which excludes Asian countries outside of India) release, shared a description for the film:
The curtains rise on a new mystery surrounding a secret treasure hidden in a city on the water. The emperor gives Jinshi an order. He must grant the final wish of a concubine who passed away five years ago by returning her to her homeland. In order to return her to her family, Jinshi examines the remains, only to discover that they’re in pristine condition. She’s beautiful, as if she were still alive. To solve the mystery of the remains, Jinshi drags Maomao along on a journey to Binan-shu, the southern province ruled by the Bi clan. They arrive at a bustling city on the water. Maomao is excited to see herbs and medicines she has never seen before, but tensions are high in the area, as pirates are viciously trying to find the treasure their late leader hid away. “I hope nothing happens…” Jinshi’s premonition comes true. On the day of the concubine’s funeral, a huge incident occurs, triggering a chain of events that nobody could see coming.
Along the way, the two encounter pirates hunting the hidden treasure and a mysterious boy who holds the key to the story. The film arrives while Season 3 of the TV anime is airing, with the season's second half set to follow next April.
The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure opens in Japanese theaters on December 11, 2026. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will screen the film across North America and other international territories, excluding Asia, at a later date that has not yet been announced.
Sources: official website of The Apothecary Diaries, TOHO Animation - YouTube
