The official The Apothecary Diaries anime account has released the synopsis and preview images for Season 3 Episode 55, "The Wager" (「賭け」). The episode airs in Japan on Friday, November 13, at 11:00 PM JST on Nippon TV's Friday Anime Night block, which is 7:00 AM MST on Friday. Check out the official post down below:
Episode 55 Synopsis
Episode 55 continues the trip to the home village of the palace physician known as the quack doctor. According to the official synopsis, his family of papermakers is in a dispute with the village landlord, and a grain tax increase brought in as a measure against locusts is part of the cause. Maomao and Jinshi sit in on the talks between the 2 sides to see how the dispute plays out.
The papermakers try hard to negotiate, but the landlord keeps making unreasonable demands and refuses to budge. As the frustrated craftsmen look on, the landlord's side begins celebrating with a toast. Maomao then notices something and proposes a wager to the landlords.
Where Episode 54 Left Off
Episode 54, "The Village of Paper" (「紙の村」), set up the trip. Maomao received a letter about a troublesome request from Jinshi, and while she prepared, Sazen came back from an outing with the children carrying a basket full of young grass. The basket, and Sazen's reaction to it, made Maomao notice a talent of his.
A few days later, the quack doctor arrived at the pharmacy in the pleasure district with Maomao the cat, along with Basen and a disguised Jinshi, and Maomao joined them on the doctor's trip home.
Season 3 Broadcast Details
Season 3 premiered on October 2 on Nippon TV's Friday Anime Night block, airing on 30 stations across Japan every Friday at 11:00 PM JST. BS NTV and AT-X began airing it on October 3, and episodes roll out on streaming platforms after broadcast. The season's second cour is scheduled for April 2027.
A Movie Collab 251 Meters Up
The franchise also announced a collab event yesterday for its upcoming film, The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure:
The event is titled 「天空彩宴」, roughly "Sky Banquet," and runs at Tenbou Park, the Sunshine 60 observatory in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, from December 10, 2026, to January 31, 2027. According to Sunshine City's press release, it is the observatory's first collaboration with the film and includes:
- Window decorations for photos with the characters against the view from 251 meters above sea level
- A keyword rally around Tenbou Park
- Entry tickets bundled with event-exclusive original goods
- Original merchandise using newly drawn illustrations
- A collab menu at Tenbou Park CAFE inspired by the characters and the story
The event is included with regular observatory admission, and Sunshine City says it will announce more details later.
The Late Lady's Treasure
The Late Lady's Treasure opens in Japanese theaters on December 11, the day after the collab starts. Kenshi Yonezu performs the theme song, "Haru ga Tomori," as covered in The Apothecary Diaries Movie Gets A New Trailer With A Kenshi Yonezu Theme Song. Crunchyroll has the film for North America and worldwide outside Asia.
The film tells a new story by original author Hyuganatsu. According to the official synopsis, the Emperor orders Jinshi to grant the final wish of a consort who died in the rear palace 5 years ago: to return home. Her body still looks as beautiful as if she were alive, so Maomao travels south with Jinshi to the consort's clan lands, where river pirates are hunting a treasure hidden by the clan's former leader. Someone then steals the consort's head, and the clan's youngest son is kidnapped.
Recap editions of the TV anime are streaming in Japan ahead of the release, with the next installment due on November 14 and another on November 28. Hyuganatsu's own novelization of the film goes on sale in Japan on December 9.
Maomao is also getting her first console game. More on that is in Maomao's First Console Mystery Game, The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother, Is Coming Next March.
The Apothecary Diaries began as a light novel series by Hyuganatsu, and the series has passed 57 million copies in circulation.
What do you think Maomao spotted during the landlords' celebration?
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