The third season of the award-winning The Apothecary Diaries anime started airing on October 2, 2026. To promote the series and its forthcoming movie, voice actors Aoi Yuki (voicing Maomao, the protagonist) and Takeo Otsuka (voicing Jinshi, the deuteragonist), attended NYCC this year. The Beat had the opportunity to interview them about the franchise.
THE BEAT: How are you enjoying your time at NYCC so far? Have you had a chance to explore the city?
AOI YUKI: So yesterday we were on a panel, and then I got to explore the venue and I saw such a variety of characters from different countries, different cultures, it was really fun to see. Also, I saw my favorite characters, as well as Maomao, which made me so happy.
TAKEO OTSUKA: Yesterday, I also explored the venue – I was doing a panel for a different show, actually– but I felt so many passionate fans. Every single person was having fun, and the whole venue was filled with energy, it was so inspiring. I got to explore New York City a little bit, it was so fun. I don’t have enough time to see every single thing that I want to see.
THE BEAT: When recording season 3, what, if anything, was different from your experience recording the previous seasons?
YUKI: The first and second season were mostly based in the Rear Palace, but the third season they venture out into the world. There’s a variety of different characters. Cast-wise, there’s a lot more male characters compared to the first two seasons. But Maomao’s the same old self– she’s still being a detective everywhere, but always staying true to herself.
OTSUKA: As the story progresses, the stage changes to the outside world, so that feels different. The recording feels different in that way. But also, as the season progresses, the characters deepen. Each story deepens, and that allows the story itself to deepen. So that’s the difference that I’m feeling.
THE BEAT: What should fans look forward to the most from season 3?
YUKI: The story starts with a mystery left over from season 2, so if you enjoyed season 2 I’m sure you’ll love season 3. And as he was saying, the story for all of the characters deepens all across the board, which is very exciting to watch. Also, for this season, there’s room for fans to imagine characters’ upbringings based on how they act.
OTSUKA: We have a new character, the White Lady, and she’s going to be one of the greatest mysteries of this whole season. As well as the relationship between Maomao and Jinshi, there’s going to be a lot of things that they’re going to go through together and of course their dynamic will change throughout the season.
THE BEAT: How has your dynamic with each other changed as the relationship between Maomao and Jinshi evolved over the course of the show?
YUKI: We are strictly professional, of course, we’re trying to deliver. We want to create a stable environment so we can capture all the dynamic shifts between Maomao and Jinshi so we can portray it and deliver in that way.
OTSUKA: Season 1, I had some parts of me that was more exploring, trying to figure out the characters and the story, but as the story progresses I think we have established good teamwork and stability.
THE BEAT: Do you do any outside research on history or poisons to prepare for your roles?
YUKI: [laughs] No, not at all. But through Maomao, I learn a lot. I get inspired by her point of view. For character study, more than just stepping into her shoes, I pay more attention to the director’s intentions and where the story wants to land, and those are the things I try to follow more.
OTSUKA: Right. Well, Hyuganatsu’s novel is a fantasy, so in terms of studying I think the things we want to know only exist in that world. So when it comes to studying, I only go back to the original novel as a source to study from.
THE BEAT: What are your favorite things about your characters?
YUKI: The things that I like about Maomao have always been the same: she’s young, but she’s calm, also curious. At times she comes across as cold, but she’s actually very human and warm. I see her as a very three-dimensional character. Animation can be just two-dimensional, but all the characters in this show are portrayed as full people. So that’s what I really love about Maomao.
OTSUKA: Jinshi’s so beautiful, and during season 2 we reveal how high-class he really is. Everything is available to him, but he’s also so human, very personable. He feels out of your league, but still human. And that disparity is what people connect to, and the part about him that I like as well.
THE BEAT: How is voicing these characters for a movie different from voicing them for an ongoing series?
YUKI: Movies and episodes are different in the length we have to deliver the story. In a movie, you have to wrap it up within two hours, while in a series, you have more time to deliver longer ideas. So in that, the delivery is different, the temperature of the passion is different in that way. Episodes, you lead the story in delivering, but a movie is like a crystallized version of that. So my delivery is a bit different.
OTSUKA: I haven’t watched the movie yet, so I can’t really talk about how it’s going to look, but as she was saying, with the recording process… if we were painting our characters with a paintbrush, a movie would be more vivid colors. When I was talking to the director, he wanted to focus on the gap between how Jinshi is and his actual status of being the imperial brother. So that was something we were trying to vividly depict, and that goes for other characters as well. I think if this was your first experience with the franchise, I think you’ll get the general information. But also, regarding some characters, the movie might be misleading, so don’t judge every character based on how they act in the movie. But I think, theatrically, the movie will be very enjoyable for everybody.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from NYCC ’26.
