The Apothecary Diaries Film Gets New Trailer and Kenshi Yonezu Theme
The Apothecary Diaries film gets a new trailer, a Kenshi Yonezu theme song and a Japanese release date, with Crunchyroll handling most overseas territories.
The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure (劇場版 薬屋のひとりごと 亡妃の秘宝) has a new trailer, a key visual and a theme song by Kenshi Yonezu. The film opens in Japan on 11 December, with Crunchyroll handling its release outside Asia in a deal that excludes most of Asia. 1
A new mystery for Maomao and Jinshi
The film tells an original story by novelist Hyuganatsu. The Emperor sends Jinshi to fulfil the final wish of a consort who died five years earlier, but the mission turns into a mystery involving a preserved body, a stolen head, a missing boy and treasure hidden by the consort's clan. Maomao joins the journey, bringing her usual curiosity about medicines and poisons to a much larger case. 1
The new trailer introduces the film's central mystery while confirming Haru ga Tomori as its theme song. Yonezu wrote the track for the film, drawing on Japanese children's songs after studying the script. The official trailer also gives a clearer look at the film's visual tone and its new cast, including Mariya Ise as Mu Qing and Kensho Ono as Suija. 12
Norihiro Naganuma directs at TOHO animation STUDIO from a script by Yuko Kakihara, with Toho distributing the film in Japan. Aoi Yuki and Takeo Otsuka return as Maomao and Jinshi. 1
Crunchyroll has the international release
Crunchyroll has acquired the film for North America and worldwide territories outside Asia, including India. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll will announce the international release date later, so the 11 December date currently applies to the Japanese theatrical launch. 1
The film is arriving alongside a busy run for the franchise. A special edition of Nippon TV's Kinyo Roadshow will air on opening night in Japan, while recap screenings and additional television episodes are planned around the release. 1
Our opinion
A feature-length Apothecary Diaries mystery is already a strong proposition, but the new film has a particularly useful hook: it is not simply stretching a television arc into cinemas. Hyuganatsu's original story gives Maomao and Jinshi a fresh case, while the stolen head, preserved body and hidden treasure suggest the kind of layered puzzle the series handles best.
The international release date is the one missing piece. Until Crunchyroll confirms when the film reaches the UK and other territories, overseas fans have a trailer and a promising premise rather than a firm cinema date. Still, a new Yonezu song and a genuinely new mystery make this one worth watching closely.