The Apothecary Diaries Fans Don’t Care It’s a Prank: They Want the April Fool’s Spinoff

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The second season of “The Apothecary Diaries” is now being broadcasted in two segments or installments. The first segment has already been released, while the second segment will start airing from April 4th onwards. The series is set in a fictional nation modeled after Imperial China during the Tang dynasty. It centers around Mao Mao, a young apothecary who works in the district of vice, later getting kidnapped and sold into servitude at the Imperial Palace. However, when peculiar occurrences take place within the Rear Palace, Mao Mao embarks on an investigation that catches the eye of Jinshi, a striking eunuch who makes use of her abilities.

On April 1st, it was revealed that a spin-off of the series was in the works, titled “The Apothecary Diaries – School Diaries“, produced by Toho. This spin-off appeared to be a visual novel set in an academy, with characters from “The Apothecary Diaries” and their original voices. However, what fans were initially thrilled about turned out to be an April Fool’s Day prank, as the trailer made it clear. You can watch the prank trailer below.

The Apothecary Diaries’ Spinoff Prank

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Despite the school-setting spinoff for “The Apothecary Diaries” being revealed as a hoax, this wasn’t the news the fans hoped for. Unlike when rumors about a new season for “One Punch Man” were dispelled, causing fans to breathe a sigh of relief, “The Apothecary Diaries” decided to play a prank on their fans with something they would actually want. Now, they face the consequences of stirring up their fan base in such a way.

The account Anime News and Facts spread the news promptly, though some viewers initially perceived it as a hoax. Despite this suspicion, numerous enthusiasts hoped it wasn’t. User @theanimechickx expressed their hopefulness by saying, “Please don’t be a joke.” Another user suggested it could seem like an original video animation (OVA) episode in another universe. Commentator @jctkatch noted that even if the announcement itself was a prank, it still resulted in new official artwork, which many fans appreciated.

They’ve consistently delivered on my long-held desire to explore the characters within a high school atmosphere, and they continue to give us victories after victories.

— daily school diaries (@dailykusuriya) April 1, 2025

Why The Apothecary Diaries School Spinoff Would Just Make Sense

It’s intriguing to note that, should _The Apothecary Diaries_ now develop an authorized school spinoff following its origin as an April Fool’s joke, it wouldn’t be unprecedented in the world of anime. In fact, since 2023’s April Fool’s Day, Tite Kubo’s _Bleach_ has been gradually expanding its alternate high school universe, _Bleach: The High School Warfare_, via a series of posts detailing what the characters would appear like if they spent more time in high school rather than on the battlefield. Given that _The Apothecary Diaries_ primarily features a teenage cast of characters, a spinoff along those lines would seem particularly fitting for such an anime.

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To adapt the storyline of The Apothecary Diaries to a high school setting, Mao Mao could be introduced as a new first-year student who aspires to become a pharmacist. Characters such as Xiaolan, Jinshi, and Gyokuyou would be her classmates, while Gaoshun assumes the role of their teacher in this scenario. This reimagining presents an intriguing concept; however, it seems we won’t be witnessing its development anytime soon.

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2025-04-02 05:13