"He's a Handsome Maomao," "Jinshi Is Still Too Cool as Ever" — Fans Thrilled as New Costume Character Visuals and New Cast Are Revealed for The Apothecary Diaries Film

On the official X account for the anime The Apothecary Diaries, the character visuals for the theatrical film The Apothecary Diaries — slated to open on Friday, December 11, 2026 — have been unveiled, and new cast information was announced at the same time, generating a huge buzz.

In the released character visuals, we can see the protagonist Maomao (voiced by Aoi Yuki) and Jinshi (voiced by Takeo Otsuka) dressed in their film costumes. Maomao wears a green-based, easy-to-move-in outfit with her arms crossed, while Jinshi smiles elegantly in a calm outfit of blue and white. It was also announced that voice actress Mariya Ise will play Mu Qing, a boy who holds the key to the story. The post was accompanied by the message, “How will he become involved with Maomao and Jinshi… Please look forward to further updates!” and a visual of an adorable boy wearing a red bandana was also revealed.

The Apothecary Diaries is a court-mystery entertainment work based on the hugely popular light novel by Natsu Hyuuga. It follows Maomao, a poison-loving girl who is sold into service in the rear palace of a certain great nation, where she is discovered by the handsome eunuch Jinshi and uses her innate knowledge of pharmacology and her keen powers of observation to solve the various incidents that occur within the court. With its charming characters and full-fledged mystery elements, the work has been winning overwhelming support from an even wider audience since the anime began airing.

In response to this new visual reveal, fans flooded in with delighted comments such as “H-his face is too good-looking, it’s startling,” “It’s a handsome Maomao,” “Jinshi is as ridiculously cool as ever,” “The costume is cute,” and “I wonder if Suiren prepared the clothes for the trip.” New cast member Ise and the visual of Mu Qing also drew reactions like “I’m surely not the only one who mistook him for a girl at first,” “The casting is divine,” and “I love Ise so much it makes me cry.” With the winter release approaching, fans’ excitement only continues to build.

(C)Hyuganatsu, Imagica Infos/"The Apothecary Diaries"Project