The Apothecary Diaries Season 2

What is The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 about?

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 is a TV anime series of 24 episodes animated by TOHO animation STUDIO, adapted from a light novel. It aired from January 10, 2025 to July 4, 2025. AniList classifies it as drama and mystery. It continues from The Apothecary Diaries, which is worth watching first.

Synopsis from AniList, which credits MAL Rewrite. The summary above it is written by FreeAnime.xyz from AniList's data.

Themes AniList users associate with it: Medicine, Female Protagonist, Royal Affairs, Detective, Historical, Politics, Ancient China, Foreign, Work, Class Struggle.

Main characters

Characters AniList lists in a main role, with spoiler-free notes.

• 

  Maomao 猫猫

  Main character

  Maomao works as an apothecary in the red light district, helping her mentor and father Luomen in caring for its residents, with special attention given to the Verdigris Hall brothel, where she was born and was initially raised.

  Japanese voice: Aoi Yuuki

• 

  Jinshi 壬氏

  Main character

  Jinshi is the eunuch in charge of the affairs of the inner palace. He is described as having a face capable even of outshining the consorts in beauty, amazing women and men alike. He is constantly accompanied by his attendant Gaoshun and has taken an interest to Maomao's intelligence and active demeanor.

  Japanese voice: Takeo Ootsuka

• 

  Rouran 楼蘭

  Main character

  The (new) Pure consort, residing in the Garnet Palace within the inner court. She makes a big show of her exorbitant and ever changing clothing, jewellery and make up. Despite that, she doesn't talk any more than she needs to, keeping her distance.

  Japanese voice: Asami Seto

Supporting characters

• 

  Gaoshun 高順

  Supporting character

  Gaoshun is Jinshi's attendant. He's shown to be extremely dependable. A stern believer in deference to authority and proper etiquette, his disapproval is often splattered in his transparent facial expressions, even if he says nothing.

  Japanese voice: Katsuyuki Konishi

• 

  Gyokuyou 玉葉妃

  Supporting character

  The Noble consort, residing in the Jade Palace within the inner court. Her red hair and green eyes distinguish her from the other consorts, that being part of the reasons she became the Emperor's favoured consort, having already given birth to a girl of his.

  Japanese voice: Atsumi Tanezaki

• 

  Rifa 梨花妃

  Supporting character

  The Able consort, residing in the Crystal Palace within the inner court. The second most favoured consort of the Emperor, said to be so in big part due to her voluptuous chest. She gave birth to a boy who succumbed for unknown reasons and she herself is in grave health condition at the start of the story.

  Japanese voice: Yui Ishikawa

• 

  Riishu 里樹妃

  Supporting character

  The Virtuous consort, residing in the Diamond Palace within the inner court. She was sent to be a high consort on the inner court as a young child because her prominent family was aware of the previous Emperor's pedophilic tendencies.

  Japanese voice: Hina Kino

• 

  Xiaolan 小蘭

  Supporting character

  Xiaolan is a servant in the inner court of the palace. Carefree and easy to please, she looks at her sale to the inner palace as a good thing, since at least she now has proper bedding and meals. She loves gossiping and constantly serves as a source of possibilities for Maomao to brainstorm over.

  Japanese voice: Misaki Kuno

• 

  Guen 虞淵

  Supporting character

  Guen is the current physician of the inner court. The requirement of being castrated to be allowed to work inside the inner court does not attract many physicians to choose from. Guen, not a very good one, accepted such employment terms to prevent his sister being forced to become a court lady.

  Japanese voice: Mitsuaki Kanuka

• 

  Lihaku 李白

  Supporting character

  Lihaku is a military officer, residing in the outer court of the palace. He's strong and honest, but not exactly brilliant.

  Japanese voice: Kenji Akabane

• 

  Lakan 羅漢

  Supporting character

  Lakan is a renowned strategist known for his nonchalant disregard of proper manners. His plotting ability causes fear even in the Emperor himself. He sees people's faces as a piece of shogi representing their worth, with a few exceptions like the woman he loved and his daughter. Currently heads the La clan.

  Japanese voice: Takuya Kirimoto

• 

  Koutei 皇帝

  Supporting character

  The current Emperor fulfills the role expected of him. He is hated by his mother, the Empress dowager, for being the product of her rape. His most trustworthy relationship is with his brother, who manages small things behind the scenes for him.

  Japanese voice: Daichi Endou

• 

  Aaduo 阿多

  Supporting character

  The Pure consort, residing in the Garner Palace within the inner court. She was the current Emperor's milk sibling and childhood crush, being just a year older than him. She became the previous Emperor's consort and gave birth to his child at 18, who was stillborn.

  Japanese voice: Yuuko Kaida

• 

  Hongniang 紅娘

  Supporting character

  Lady Gyokuyou's head lady-in-waiting.

  Japanese voice: Megumi Toyoguchi

• 

  Meimei 梅梅

  Supporting character

  Meimei is one of the Three Princesses of Verdigris Hall. She started as Fenshen's apprentice and, being somewhat cunning herself, inherited Fenshen's taste for strategy board games. She is the most attached to the brothel and the people within.

  Japanese voice: Megumi Han