The final monthly seasonal plant visual has been released for the ongoing The Apothecary Diaries Season 2, showcasing Maomao and Jinshi coming across some colorful hydrangeas, with the former also finding a small snail. Season two began airing in Japan on January 10, 2025 and will run for two consecutive cours containing 24 episodes.
The show’s remaining broadcast schedule, per AIR News, lists the 23rd episode (47th overall) airing on June 27, 2025 in Japan and the 24th episode (48th overall and the second season finale) airing on July 4, 2025.
The anime’s second season includes some returning staff members from season one. Norihiro Naganuma (Season 1 director and series screenwriter) is credited as chief director and screenwriter, with Akinori Fudesaka (Season 1 assistant director) as director, Ko Nakagawa (Season 1 Episode 6, 13, and 19 storyboard artist and director, Episode 24 director) as assistant director, Yukiko Nakatani as character designer, Misato Aida as color designer, Katsumi Takao as background art director, and Mayo Suzuki (The Apothecary Diaries project PV) as compositing director. TOHO animation STUDIO and OLM are in charge of the animation production for season two.
Satoru Kosaki (Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-), Kevin Penkin (Made in Abyss), and Alisa Okehazama (The God of High School) are the music composers.
Meanwhile, the anime’s main voice cast for season two stars Aoi Yuki as Maomao, Takeo Otsuka as Jinshi, and Asami Seto as Shisui.
The anime is based on the light novel series written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Toko Shino. It was first published by Shufunotomo on August 29, 2014 and has released 16 physical volumes as of May 2025. J-Novel Club releases the light novels in English digitally for North America, while Square Enix publishes the series in print.
The series originally began as a Shosetsuka ni Naro web novel in October 2011. It was later republished by Shufunotomo as a single volume under its Ray Books imprint.
A manga adaptation illustrated by Nekokurage was released in May 2017 and another alternate manga adaptation was launched by Minoji Kurata in August 2017. Square Enix licensed the first manga series for release in English.
Another spinoff manga titled Kusuriya no Hitorigoto Gaiden: Xiaolan Kaisoroku debuted on Square Enix’s Manga Up! service on March 23, 2025.
Crunchyroll is streaming both seasons of The Apothecary Diaries worldwide, outside of Japan. It describes the synopsis of the second season as:
When a favored concubine becomes pregnant, Maomao is put to the test as her food taster. She must keep her wits sharp, not only to protect the concubine but also against rising dangers in the palace. A new concubine with powerful ties, an unsolved attempt at Jinshi’s life, and a foreign envoy with impossible demands hint at a grand conspiracy poised to engulf the empire.
