"The Apothecary Diaries" Live-Action Drama Announced, Sparking a "Who Will Play Jinshi?" Prediction War! Star Mana Ashida Praised as "The Perfect Choice"

On Prime Video's official X account, it was announced that The Apothecary Diaries is getting a live-action adaptation as a Prime Original drama. Alongside this, a teaser visual of the protagonist Maomao, played by lead actress Mana Ashida, was also revealed, drawing a massive response online.

The Apothecary Diaries is a smash-hit franchise based on the light novel of the same name by Hyuganatsu, with manga adaptations currently being serialized by two different publishers. The mystery drama following Maomao, who ends up working as a "poison taster" in the rear palace, along with her comical interactions with Jinshi, has gained massive popularity, pushing the series' cumulative worldwide circulation past 57 million copies. The franchise's multimedia expansion is also thriving; the third season of the TV anime will begin broadcasting on October 2, 2026, and a theatrical film, The Apothecary Diaries The Movie: Bouhi no Hihou, is set to premiere on December 11 of the same year.

It has now been revealed that the live-action drama adaptation will stream exclusively worldwide on Prime Video in 2028. Starring Mana Ashida, an image believed to be her in character as Maomao was also released. Alongside the familiar series title, Maomao is seen wearing a predominantly red outfit with a subtle smile on her lips. The visual perfectly captures the world of the story—set in the rear palace of a fictional empire—where Maomao, an apothecary raised in the pleasure district, uses her inherent pharmacological knowledge and keen observational skills to unravel mysteries and conspiracies within the court.

Fans flooded in with high expectations for the announced lead, leaving comments like, "Mana Ashida is just way too perfect for this!!" and "Makes total sense for Mana to play Maomao." However, the even bigger burning question on everyone's mind seems to be, "Who is going to play Jinshi?" In the story, Jinshi is depicted as a breathtakingly handsome man whose beauty is famously described as "nation-toppling if he were a woman." Because of this, a barrage of comments poured in, such as, "Wait... who is playing Lord Jinshi?!?!" and "Who on earth could even portray Lord Jinshi's beauty? Nah, that's impossible lol." The reply section practically turned into a full-blown "prediction war."

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