Maomao returns October 2, and the show is giving fans a way to remember how they got here. The Apothecary Diaries has announced five nights of voice-cast audio commentaries on TOHO animation’s YouTube channel, beginning September 19. In Japan, ABEMA is also running free catch-up marathons of the first two seasons before the new story begins.
The commentaries originally came with the Blu-ray releases. For this limited online run, one selected episode arrives each day from September 19 through 23, and the official announcement says they remain available until September 26 at 11:59 p.m. Japan time. That is a short window, not a permanent free release of every episode.
Which episodes are getting commentaries?
September 19 brings episode 8 with Aoi Yūki, who voices Maomao, alongside Kimiko Saitō and Hiroshi Yanaka. On September 20, episode 23 pairs Yūki with Jinshi actor Takeo Ōtsuka and Lakan actor Takuya Kirimoto. Episode 29 follows September 21 with Yūki, Ōtsuka and Asami Seto; episode 36 lands September 22 with Yūki, Ōtsuka, Tatsumaru Tachibana and Kenji Akabane. The run closes September 23 with episode 47 and a discussion by Yūki, Ōtsuka and Seto.
Those choices are more useful than a random highlights reel. They bring back Maomao, Jinshi and several people whose relationships matter heading into the next season. You can revisit the story itself first, then listen to the performers talk through those scenes. The Japanese announcement does not promise English subtitles for the commentary, so international viewers should not assume they are included.
A free marathon — with a regional catch
ABEMA’s Japanese schedule places all 24 episodes of Season 1 together on September 16 and all 24 episodes of Season 2 on September 17. Each marathon then has a one-week free viewing window in Japan, running into September 24 and 25 respectively. Availability outside Japan may differ, and the official schedule is not a promise of a free worldwide stream.
What is next for Maomao and Jinshi?
The official Season 3 story takes Maomao beyond the inner palace after she has returned to her life as an apothecary. An odd breakfast sends her searching for an explanation. Jinshi, now facing his duties as the emperor’s younger brother, is worried by a warning of disaster. Rumors of a mysterious maiden add another question, and their journey is set to spread into the city and a neighboring land.
Season 3 begins on Japanese television Friday, October 2, at 11 p.m. local time. The new key visual shows Maomao and Jinshi in a golden field at sunrise, while the trailer gives a closer look at the places and faces around the new case. The advance story is enough to set the mood without claiming an answer to the mystery before it airs.
If you have fallen behind, the next several days offer a clear route back: catch the old episodes if you can access the Japanese streams, then hear the cast revisit the selected moments. The new season will have its own questions soon enough.
See the confirmed story and Japanese premiere details on our The Apothecary Diaries anime page.
