Anime Expo may have wrapped up, but we’re closing out our coverage with one final cast interview for The Apothecary Diaries. After dashing between the Peacock Theater and the Los Angeles Convention Center for two massive shonen panels in record time—leaving me completely exhausted and a little worse for wear—Crunchyroll helped coordinate this interview via email to bring you insights from one of the decade’s biggest anime hits.
For anyone not yet initiated, The Apothecary Diaries has taken the pop culture landscape by storm. Think of it as Columbo, but starring Maomao, a sharp, quick-witted young apothecary with a deep fascination for poisons who finds herself working in the Emperor’s inner palace. Her position among the concubines is far from safe; navigating the cutthroat politics of courtly poisoning to climb the ranks means Maomao is constantly being dragged into dangerous palace conspiracies, even though she’d much rather stay out of the crossfire to protect her life as a commoner.
Throw in Jinshi, a strikingly handsome eunuch who acts as her reluctant Watson while slowly developing romantic feelings for her, and you get a dynamic duo untangling the darker secrets of the palace. Blending soap-opera drama, period intrigue, and clever detective work, the series has captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Its massive popularity has viewers eagerly hunting for similar stories while eagerly anticipating the upcoming third season.
With both a third season and a feature film on the horizon, io9 sat down with the Japanese voice actors behind Jinshi and Maomao—Takeo Otsuka and Aoi Yūki—to discuss why the show resonates so deeply and where their characters’ relationship is heading next.
Isaiah Colbert, io9: Among the show’s elements, do you find yourself most drawn to its detective-style puzzles, its romantic tension, or its period-drama atmosphere?
Aoi Yūki: I’d say it’s the combination of all three. Pulling off a mix of elements that normally clash is difficult, but the show weaves them together seamlessly to create a wonderfully charming world. That balance is definitely its greatest strength.
Takeo Otsuka: I agree with Yūki-san. If you stripped away any one of those components, it wouldn’t be The Apothecary Diaries anymore. It’s the way everything works in tandem that makes the experience special. Even during recording, you notice subtle hints, callbacks, and setup-and-payoff moments. Beyond just the central dynamic between Maomao and Jinshi, there are other smaller romances and a cast of exceptionally strong, unique characters. It’s the sum of all these parts that gives the show its incredible depth.
io9: Season two gives us an even closer look at the emotional undercurrents inside the rear palace. Was there a particular scene this season that surprised you in how it deepened your understanding of Maomao or Jinshi?
Yūki: A lot of the mysteries stem from the complex human relationships within the palace. As characters interact and converse, their true motives come to light, which applies just as much to Maomao and Jinshi. Seeing how those interpersonal tangles drive the plot really highlights how this world operates.
Otsuka: Jinshi is a naturally reactive character whose choices are largely shaped by the people around him and what they say. Because we record in the studio together with the rest of the cast, that dynamic translates directly into the performances. I respond to how other actors deliver their lines, which helps make Jinshi feel authentic. He’s essentially built through our collective recording sessions—without the rest of the cast, we wouldn’t have the Jinshi we see on screen today.
io9: Looking back at your characters’ journeys from the beginning of the anime to the end of season two, how do you interpret the evolution of their relationship and the way Maomao and Jinshi understand each other now?
Yūki: Maomao was raised following Luomen’s rule that you shouldn’t voice unverified theories. Even so, throughout season two, she starts sharing her speculative thoughts with Jinshi and the others much more readily. That shift really highlights a growing sense of genuine partnership between her and Jinshi.
Otsuka: Compared to the first season, Jinshi feels more comfortable letting his raw emotions slip through in response to Maomao’s actions. Even looking at the visual materials we had in the booth, his facial expressions became significantly more dynamic and varied in season two.
io9: Season two unfurls several long-standing mysteries. Were there any reveals you personally managed to figure out ahead of reading the script, or did some of them catch you off guard in the same way they did viewers?
Yūki: Looking back, the clues were scattered everywhere from the moment Maomao crossed paths with Shisui. There was so much foreshadowing woven into the first half of season two, but then Suirei re-emerges just as you’ve lowered your guard, making the twist genuinely shocking. In retrospect, you can see how the narrative was steering toward Maomao’s kidnapping, but it played out in a way that kept us guessing.
Otsuka: Take the assassination attempt against Jinshi in “The Hunt,” for instance. The series is brilliant at making you push past planted clues. As successive events unfold, you completely forget about them until a later realization hits you: “Ah right, that happened too!” Piecing everything together after the fact is a huge part of the show’s appeal.
io9: The “frog scene” quickly became one of the most talked-about moments from season two. From your experience in both, what was the recording process like for that scene? How many takes did it take for you to capture the comedy and timing of the errors of that moment?
Yūki: You could argue it’s the closest thing the show has to a romance-centric moment, so everyone had a blast recording it. (Laughs) A huge reason that scene landed so well is because of Otsuka-san’s stellar delivery.
Otsuka: I definitely found myself wondering just how far I should push the performance during that sequence. It took some calibration to find the right tone. Even though it’s a serious situation, the tension suddenly evaporates, which feels entirely true to the spirit of The Apothecary Diaries. I approached it as a payoff built on everything that happened prior in the story.
The Apothecary Diaries is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu, with season 3 currently in production alongside an upcoming movie.
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