Live-Action The Apothecary Diaries Series Announced as Maomao Casting Confirmed Ahead of 2028 Release
The Apothecary Diaries is officially heading into live action, with Amazon announcing a major new adaptation of the hugely popular mystery series for Prime Video.
The new Prime Original series will star Mana Ashida as protagonist Maomao and is scheduled to stream exclusively worldwide through Prime Video in 2028.
Based on the light novels written by Natsu Hyuuga and illustrated by Touko Shino, The Apothecary Diaries follows Maomao, a young apothecary who is kidnapped and sold into service within the rear palace of a fictional empire.
Her extensive knowledge of medicine and poisons soon attracts the attention of palace official Jinshi, drawing Maomao into a succession of illnesses, mysteries and political conspiracies hidden behind the palace’s elaborate surroundings.
Hyuuga originally began publishing the story online in 2011 before it received a print light novel release in 2014, with the wider franchise having now surpassed 57 million copies worldwide across its various editions and translations.
Its popularity increased substantially following the arrival of the TV anime in 2023, which has since expanded into multiple seasons and helped turn Maomao and Jinshi into internationally recognizable characters.
The anime is also entering one of its busiest periods yet, with Season 3 beginning its first cour on October 2, 2026 before returning for a second cour in April 2027.
The franchise’s first anime movie, “The Apothecary Diaries: The Deceased Empress’ Treasure,” will arrive between those two parts on December 11, 2026, featuring a completely new story developed from an original concept by Hyuuga.
Mana Ashida will now become the first actress to portray Maomao in a live-action adaptation, following a career that began during her childhood and has included appearances in productions such as Mother and Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim.
Ashida is also a longtime fan of the original novels, explaining following the announcement that she approached the role with considerable respect for Maomao and worked closely with the cast and production staff to preserve details from the source material.
A first teaser visual has already revealed Ashida in costume as Maomao, deliberately obscuring her eyes while showing the character holding a handkerchief in an image that recalls an important early moment from the story.
Amazon MGM Studios is producing the series together with TOHO, which has already been heavily involved with the anime adaptation, while production itself is being handled through TOHO Studios.
Yuki Saito will direct the series following work including the acclaimed Japanese medical drama Unmet: A Neurosurgeon’s Diary and Netflix’s Plastic Beauty, while Erika Yoshida will handle the screenplay after previously serving as series composer and screenwriter for BOCCHI THE ROCK!.
The live-action adaptation is being produced on a considerable scale, with an enormous set recreating the rear palace constructed for a shoot that lasted around six months, while the production is also placing a major emphasis on costumes, production design and VFX.
Hyuuga visited the production several times and has highlighted the attention being paid not only to the sets and costumes but also smaller elements such as props, hair and makeup, etiquette and the way characters move through the palace.
The identity of the actor playing Jinshi has yet to be revealed, although Hyuuga has confirmed that the role has already been cast and that they encountered the live-action Jinshi while visiting the set.
Further casting and an exact release date have yet to be announced, with “The Apothecary Diaries” currently scheduled to begin streaming exclusively through Prime Video across more than 240 countries and regions sometime in 2028.
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