With a unique spin on imperial-era history, The Apothecary Diaries is a special entry amongst the anime of modern years. Adopting author Hyuganatsu’s light novels of the same name, the anime follows Maomao after she is kidnapped and sold into service within a palace. During her time there, she encounters and slowly becomes more and more familiar with the head eunuch, Jinshi. Both characters are deeply involved in political and personal affairs amongst the court, leading to a story filled with mystery, character drama, and even some romance.
At this year’s Anime Expo, we had the chance to sit down with voice actors for the protagonists. This includes Aoi Yuki, the Japanese Voice of Maomao, and Takeo Otsuka, the Japanese Voice of Jinshi. We asked the talented voice actors how they were feeling about the series going into Season 3, how they showcase contrasting elements of their characters, and the secrets endemic to their character portrayals.
Portions of this interview have been lightly edited for clarity. This interview was conducted with the assistance of an interpreter.
Q: Through the reactions and feedback you received over the course of the first two seasons, was there anything that struck you—and did you bring that into your performance?
Yuki-san: Because Season 1 and Season 2 had so much support and so much love from the fan community, what I learned was I actually maybe shouldn’t change too much. In terms of performance and how I act as Maomao, I have a tendency to get excited and exaggerate or overact, and I had to suppress those instincts because I think Maomao and the fans have almost created this universe or their world and how they experience it, and I wanted to make sure that that was what was being delivered to them.
Otsuka-san: It might sound similar to what Yuki-san said, but Season 1 had a huge response and Season 2 even more so. And I mean, we’re very happy. I think the fans are also very happy because of what The Apothecary Diaries represents. I mean, you look at what makes it and what brought the the franchise here, and it’s the characters, the relationship between the characters, the story arc, and the world setting. I didn’t want to alter too much of what was already working and what was creating that that charm for the series itself. So, in a way, what I learned is to continue to be faithful to what that is.
Q: How often are you two able to record together? What is the atmosphere like during recording sessions and how does hearing the other’s performance affect your own?
Yuki-san: We record together — all the actors — and I think us acting off of each other makes for a very, very interactive and fun recording session. I see Maomao and her character, and she has a lot of monologues. So it’s almost as though Maomao is kind of setting the foundation, the rhythm upon which all the other characters react and act off of. So, if I lose this bass drum, so to speak, then a lot of the other actors might have their rhythms thrown off. I’m always nervous if I can maintain that that foundation for the others. But when we record together, I also noticed that we create something really, really special. I’ll practice, I’ll read, I’ll prep when I have the screenplay at home. When we go into the booth and record altogether, I think us performing off of each other creates a very interesting effect.
Otsuka-san: Again, similar to Yuki-san. When I’m practicing at home alone versus when I go in and perform something together, I feel we’re creating something that I couldn’t even imagine. It’s like giving birth to something completely new, and I think this is true, of course for the cast members, as well as the director. And there’s this feedback loop that’s happening, and that creates for a very, very wonderful performance. We’re building this world together while in production. And within that, I know Yuki-san said that Maomao has a lot of monologue and other characters kind of react and play off of that. I think with Jinshi though, he as a character sometimes is oblivious towards her, such that that sort of flow doesn’t register. But that reaction feels so genuine. Jinshi is caught off guard. And I think that’s an important part of his character, because in a way, Jinshi is moved by Maomao’s actions. The fact that she’s not responding to certain things that he does or says the way he thinks maybe she or other characters would — Maomao always kind of throws a wrench into that.
Q: Otsuka-san, Jinshi is outwardly charming, mysterious, and intelligent, but also has a bit of a childish side. How do you contrast his collected scenes with his childish scenes, especially those involving Maomao?
Otsuka-san: Jinshi is a very, very smart guy. Despite that, I think he doesn’t have a lot of street smarts. He doesn’t know a lot about the world in spite of his intelligence. And in doing so, I think the world that he sees is in some way much smaller than the world Maomao sees. And in a lot of ways. I think he’s less experienced than Maomao is because of his circumstances. But despite that he shows many different sides of himself — the side of a eunuch, the side of a prince. And I think that he doesn’t cast aside himself through all of that, all the different roles that he has to play and all of the labels that he has to carry. So, through everything, I think Jinshi is still Jinshi.
Q: Yuki-san, Maomao starts off the series fiercely pragmatic and often closed off. Over time, she begins to open up to people. What was it like for you engaging in that slow progression of her character?
Yuki-san: Maomao has an amazing power of deduction, and I think a lot of that stems from her curiosity. But if you reframe or rephrase what that curiosity is, I think that’s actually her extending her thoughts and thinking about other people more than perhaps she cares to to admit so. I think deep down Maomao is actually nicer than she thinks and much nicer than she comes across. And I trace that back to her power of observation, her power of deduction. When she first enters the palace, I think she begins to interact with more characters and perhaps even subconsciously is letting out more of that. That kindness that she had all along — it’s being brought to the surface.
We’d like to thank Aoi Yuki and Takeo Otsuka for taking the time to speak with us during Anime Expo and Crunchyroll for coordinating the interview. Cour 1 of The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 will stream on Crunchyroll in October 2026, followed by Cour 2 in April 2027. If you’re interested in reading our interview with Aoi Yuki and Asami Seto (Shisui) from last year’s Anime Expo, check it out here.
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