The Apothecary Diaries is entering one of its biggest stretches yet. Season 3 is scheduled to begin broadcasting and streaming on October 2, 2026, while a new theatrical film, The Apothecary Diaries: The Treasure of the Court, is planned for December 11, 2026. The latest promotional details were discussed at the ABEMA Anime Festival held in Tokyo on September 19 and 20.
Season 3 is almost here
The new season follows two successful television seasons that established Maomao and Jinshi as the center of the series' palace mysteries. At the September 20 ABEMA stage, voice actors Aoi Yuki, Takeo Otsuka and Ryūno Tachibana discussed the story so far and previewed the upcoming season.
The event included discussion of the Season 3 promotional video and the new characters viewers can expect to encounter. While the stage did not reveal the entire plot, it confirmed that the anime is moving deeper into the story while keeping Maomao's problem-solving and medical knowledge at its core.
A theatrical movie is coming too
The second major announcement concerns the theatrical movie scheduled for December 11. The film is being produced alongside the television season, and the cast discussed recording work for both projects during the ABEMA event. That parallel production is significant because it means fans will get two different forms of new content within the same season.
The movie is not simply another television compilation. The official event report describes it as a new theatrical work and highlights specific characters viewers should pay attention to. That makes the December release a separate destination for fans after Season 3 begins.
Why the timing matters
October 2 places The Apothecary Diaries at the front of the fall anime conversation. Seasonal anime schedules can be crowded, but the series already has an established global audience and recognizable characters. The combination of a new TV season and a theatrical follow-up also creates a longer promotional window extending from early October into December.
For viewers who are caught up, the most useful preparation is to revisit the earlier seasons and remember the relationships between Maomao, Jinshi and the supporting palace characters. The series often hides important information inside apparently small conversations, so details that seemed minor earlier can become relevant later.
What to watch for
The September festival presentation specifically highlighted new Season 3 material and discussed the movie's voice recording. That suggests the next phase of promotion will focus on new characters, story developments and additional visual material before the October premiere.
For now, the confirmed schedule is clear: Season 3 begins October 2, 2026, and The Treasure of the Court opens December 11, 2026. The next few weeks should reveal more about the season's story and the movie's place in Maomao's continuing journey.
Source
Anime! Anime! — ABEMA Anime Festival 2026 report
