Quick answer
- The Apothecary Diaries cast splits into five circles: Maomao’s family and the La clan, Jinshi and his attendants, the Emperor and his four high consorts, the Verdigris House courtesans, and the Inner Court maids and officials around them.
- Maomao (Japanese voice Aoi Yūki, English dub Emi Lo) is a red-light-district apothecary who becomes Consort Gyokuyou’s poison taster; Jinshi (Takeo Ōtsuka / Kaiji Tang) is the eunuch who runs the Inner Court.
- The tables are safe through anime Season 2; the big reveals (Lakan, Luomen, Jinshi and Shisui) are kept in a labelled spoiler section.
- Season 3 began airing on October 2, 2026, and an original film opens in Japan on December 11, 2026.
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The main Apothecary Diaries characters are Maomao, an apothecary raised in the red-light district, and Jinshi, the beautiful eunuch who runs the Inner Court. Around them are five circles: Maomao’s family, Jinshi’s attendants, the Emperor and his four high consorts, the courtesans of the Verdigris House, and the maids and officials of the palace.
Spoiler level: the tables cover the anime through Season 2 (Episodes 1–48) and light novel Volumes 1–4, without giving away the big twists. The reveals about Lakan, Luomen, Jinshi and Shisui are in a separate, clearly labelled section near the end. Episode numbers are overall: Season 1 = Episodes 1–24, Season 2 = 25–48, and Season 3 continues from 49.
Apothecary Diaries character list at a glance
| Circle | Main characters | Link to Maomao |
|---|---|---|
| Maomao’s family | Luomen, Lakan, Lahan | Her family and relatives |
| Jinshi’s side | Jinshi, Gaoshun, Basen, Suiren | Her employer and his staff |
| Imperial harem | The Emperor, Gyokuyou, Lihua, Lishu, Ah-Duo, Loulan | The consorts she serves and treats |
| Verdigris House | The Madam, Pairin, Meimei, Joka | The brothel where she grew up |
| Palace staff and rebels | Xiaolan, Shisui, Lihaku, Shishou, Shenmei, Suirei | Friends, allies and enemies |
Maomao and her family
| Character | Who they are | Relationship to Maomao |
|---|---|---|
| Maomao | Apothecary from the red-light district. Sold into the Inner Court as a maid, then made Consort Gyokuyou’s poison taster (LN Vol. 1) | The protagonist |
| Luomen | Former Inner Court physician who now runs a pharmacy in the red-light district. Walks with a cane | Raised her and taught her medicine. She calls him “Pops” (J-Novel Club) or “Pa” (Square Enix manga) |
| Lakan | Eccentric military strategist. Cannot recognize faces and sees people as shogi or Go pieces | Keeps trying to get close to her, and she can’t stand him. Why is in the spoiler section |
| Lahan | Lakan’s nephew and adopted son, a numbers-obsessed civil official. Anime debut Episode 42 | A relative she treats rudely |
Maomao’s Japanese voice is Aoi Yūki and her English dub voice is Emi Lo. Luomen is voiced by Hiroshi Yanaka (Japanese) and Stephen Miller (English). Lakan is Takuya Kirimoto and Ricco Fajardo. He first appears in Episode 13 and in Volume 2 of the light novel.
Jinshi and his attendants
| Character | Who they are | Relationship to Maomao |
|---|---|---|
| Jinshi | Eunuch who oversees the Inner Court. Presents as 24, but is really 19 (LN Vol. 2, Ch. 14) | Hires her to solve palace mysteries, often in exchange for rare medicines, and falls for her |
| Gaoshun | Jinshi’s attendant. Originally the Emperor’s attendant, assigned to Jinshi for his time in the Inner Court | Her calm go-between. He calls her “Xiaomao” |
| Basen | Gaoshun’s son and Jinshi’s attendant. Grew up alongside Jinshi | Works cases with her from LN Vol. 2 |
| Suiren | Jinshi’s head lady-in-waiting and former nursemaid | Watches her closely when she works in Jinshi’s residence |
Jinshi’s Japanese voice is Takeo Ōtsuka and his English voice is Kaiji Tang. Gaoshun is Katsuyuki Konishi and Alex Hom. Basen is Tatsumaru Tachibana and Edward Escamilla.
Don’t confuse Suiren (Jinshi’s lady-in-waiting) with Suirei, the court lady behind the Season 2 plot. The names differ by one letter.
The Emperor and the four consorts
The Inner Court has four high consorts. The English titles differ between the J-Novel Club light novel and the Square Enix manga, so both are given.
| Character | Rank (LN / manga title) | Relationship to Maomao |
|---|---|---|
| The Emperor | Ruler of Li | Indirect. He sends her to treat Lihua |
| Gyokuyou | Guifei: Precious Consort (LN) / Honored Consort (manga). The Emperor’s favorite; mother of Princess Lingli | Her employer. Maomao is her poison taster |
| Lihua | Xianfei: Wise Consort (LN) / Worthy Consort (manga) | Lost her infant son to lead face powder. Maomao nursed her back to health (LN Vol. 1, Ch. 12–13) |
| Lishu | Defei: Virtuous Consort. The youngest consort, 15 in LN Vol. 2 | Maomao steps in when her ladies-in-waiting bully her |
| Ah-Duo | Shufei: Pure Consort. The oldest consort and the Emperor’s milk sibling | Leaves the Inner Court at the end of the first story arc |
| Loulan | The next Pure Consort after Ah-Duo. Daughter of Prime Minister Shishou | Wears heavy, changing makeup and rarely shows her face |
The main voices are Daichi Endō and Alex Mai (the Emperor), Atsumi Tanezaki and Molly Zhang (Gyokuyou), Yui Ishikawa and Trina Nishimura (Lihua), Hina Kino and Reshel Mae (Lishu), Yūko Kaida and Monica Rial (Ah-Duo), and Asami Seto and Suzie Yeung (Loulan).
Hongniang is Gyokuyou’s head lady-in-waiting and Maomao’s direct boss. Fengming, Ah-Duo’s head lady-in-waiting, is behind the garden party poisoning aimed at Lishu (LN Vol. 1, Ch. 29).
Verdigris House
Maomao grew up around the Verdigris House, a high-class brothel in the red-light district. Its top three courtesans are called the Three Princesses.
| Character | Who they are | Relationship to Maomao |
|---|---|---|
| The Madam | Former courtesan who manages the house; a miser | “Grams” (J-Novel Club) or “Granny” (Square Enix manga). She keeps pushing Maomao toward becoming a courtesan |
| Pairin | Eldest of the Three Princesses | Nursed and raised her as a baby. Maomao sees her as close to a mother |
| Meimei | Second of the Three Princesses; a skilled Go and shogi player | Helped raise and educate her |
| Joka | Youngest of the Three Princesses; a poetry expert | Helped raise her |
The military officer Lihaku belongs here too. Maomao brings him to the Verdigris House (LN Vol. 1, Ch. 24), and he falls for Pairin and starts saving to buy out her contract.
Maids, officials and the Shi clan
| Character | Who they are | Relationship to Maomao |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaolan | Chatty Inner Court maid | Maomao’s friend and rumor source. Leaves when her term ends (LN Vol. 4) |
| Shisui | Laundry maid obsessed with insects. Anime debut Episode 25 | A friend from Season 2. See the spoiler section |
| Suirei | Court lady in the Outer Court, skilled in herbs | A rival apothecary who outwits her |
| Shishou | Prime Minister and head of the Shi clan | The power behind Season 2’s conspiracy |
| Shenmei | Shishou’s wife; once a consort of the former Emperor | The main antagonist of the Shi clan arc. Anime debut Episode 43 |
Spoilers: the big reveals
Spoiler warning. This section reveals twists from anime Seasons 1–2 and light novel Volumes 1–4, plus one later light novel event.
| Character | What is revealed |
|---|---|
| Lakan | Maomao’s biological father. Her mother is Fengxian, a former top courtesan at the Verdigris House (LN Vol. 2) |
| Luomen | Lakan’s uncle, so he is Maomao’s great-uncle as well as her adoptive father. He was a disowned member of the La clan |
| Lahan | Through Lakan’s adoption, Maomao’s legal brother; by blood, her cousin |
| Jinshi | Officially the Emperor’s younger brother, the “Imperial Brother”, whose real name is Ka Zuigetsu. He takes that role openly during the Shi clan arc |
| Jinshi’s birth | He is actually the Emperor’s son by Ah-Duo, swapped with the true Imperial Brother as a baby. Suiren is his biological grandmother |
| Shisui | She is Consort Loulan in disguise. Both are voiced by Asami Seto |
| Suirei | Shishou’s daughter by his first wife, and Loulan’s half-sister |
How Lakan and Fengxian ended up together
Fengxian deliberately had Lakan’s child to lower her price so he could afford to buy her out. Lakan was then sent away for three years, and she ended up streetwalking and contracted syphilis. After losing a shogi match to Maomao on purpose, Lakan buys out Fengxian and marries her (LN Vol. 2, Ch. 20). In the light novel she dies later, in Volume 6. She is still alive at the end of the anime’s Season 2.
How the Shi clan arc ends
During the attack on the Shi clan’s fortress, Shenmei tries to shoot Loulan and Jinshi with a defective gun, and the shrapnel kills her instead (LN Vol. 4, Ch. 21). Shishou also dies. Loulan uses Suirei’s resurrection medicine to fake the deaths of the clan’s children, and they survive. Loulan herself is shot in the chest and is believed dead. In the LN Volume 4 epilogue, and in Episode 48, she survives and reappears under the name Tamamo.
Season 3 and the movie
The TV anime’s third season premiered on October 2, 2026, on Nippon TV’s Friday night anime block and on Crunchyroll. It is a split season: the second part airs from April 2027. An original film, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Bōhi no Hihō, opens in Japanese theaters on December 11, 2026. Its story was written by series creator Natsu Hyūga. Outlets translate the English title differently, as The Deceased Empress’ Treasure or The Late Lady’s Treasure.
There are two manga versions. Nekokurage’s version is published in English by Square Enix. Minoji Kurata’s version is published by VIZ Media as Maomao’s Notes on the Inner Palace, with Volume 1 due October 20, 2026. The light novels are published in English by J-Novel Club.
FAQ
Who is Maomao’s father in The Apothecary Diaries?
Lakan, the eccentric military strategist, is Maomao’s biological father. Her mother is Fengxian, a former Verdigris House courtesan. Maomao was raised by Luomen, who is Lakan’s uncle.
Who is Jinshi really?
Jinshi poses as a eunuch running the Inner Court. Officially he is the Emperor’s younger brother, Ka Zuigetsu. By birth he is the Emperor’s son by Ah-Duo, swapped with the real Imperial Brother as a baby.
Is Shisui Loulan?
Yes. The maid Shisui is Consort Loulan in disguise, which is why both are voiced by Asami Seto. The reveal comes in the Shi clan arc of Season 2 (light novel Volume 4).
Who are the four consorts in The Apothecary Diaries?
Gyokuyou (Precious Consort), Lihua (Wise Consort), Lishu (Virtuous Consort) and Ah-Duo (Pure Consort). After Ah-Duo leaves the Inner Court, Loulan takes the Pure Consort title.
When does The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 come out?
Season 3 premiered on October 2, 2026, and its second part airs from April 2027. An original film opens in Japan on December 11, 2026.
More The Apothecary Diaries guides
This guide is the English edition of a BuzzBeaver article originally written in Japanese: 日本語版を読む. Facts are checked against the official manga and anime; fan theories are labeled as such.