The official X/Twitter account for the anime based on Natsu Hyūga and Touko Shino’s The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) light novel series revealed on Thursday that Rica Fukami will join the anime’s cast as Shenmei, a cold-hearted woman with an strange aura. The character will appear in the anime’s 43rd episode on Friday.
©日向夏・イマジカインフォス／「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会
The second season’s second cours (quarter of a year) premiered on April 4.
© 日向夏・イマジカインフォス／「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会
The season premiered on January 10 on Nippon TV’s FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT programming block, and it will air for two consecutive cours. Crunchyroll is streaming the second season, and it is also streaming an English dub.
Previously announced additional cast for the second season are:
Lilas Ikuta (BELLE, Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction) performs the second season’s first opening theme song “Hyakkaryōran” (Splendid Bounty). This is the first opening theme song for a television anime in Ikuta’s solo career. (She also performs as the YOASOBI unit’s vocalist under the name ikura.) Singer-songwriter Dai Hirai performs the first ending theme song “Shiawase no Recipe” (The Recipe for Happiness). Mrs. Green Apple perform the new opening theme song “Kusuhiki” (Mysterious), and Omoinotake perform the new ending theme song “Hitorigoto” (Soliloquy).
J-Novel Club publishes the novel series digitally, and it describes the story:
In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there.
Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That’s her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao’s façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor’s favorite consort… so she can taste the lady’s food for poison!
The first season premiered in October 2023 with the first three episodes, and aired for two cours (quarters of a year). Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan and is also streaming an English dub.
The second cours (quarter of a year) of the first season debuted in January 2024.
Norihiro Naganuma (The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 1) directed the first season at TOHO animation and OLM, and Naganuma also supervised the scripts. Akinori Fudesaka was the assistant director. Yukiko Nakatani (Go! Princess Precure, Tropical-Rouge! Precure) designed the characters. Shōji Hata was the sound director. Satoru Kousaki (Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-), Kevin Penkin (Made in Abyss), and Arisa Okehazama (ONIMAI: I’m Now Your Sister!) all composed music for the anime.
Hyūga began serializing the story on the “Shōsetsuka ni Narō” (Let’s Become Novelists) website in October 2011. Shufunotomo began publishing the novels in print volume with illustrations by Shino in August 2014. Nekokurage launched an ongoing manga adaptation in Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan magazine in May 2017. Square Enix Manga & Books is releasing the manga adaptation in English. The company is also publishing the novels in print.
Sources: The Apothecary Diaries anime’s X/Twitter account, Comic Natalie
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker Global, and J-Novel Club are subsidiaries of KWE.
