While fans eagerly anticipate season three and the upcoming movie, The Apothecary Diaries is continuing a popular tradition. Starting in July 2024, the monthly “Four Seasons With Maomao and Jinshi” project has been sharing beautiful artwork featuring the characters and plants representing each season on the 22nd of every month. These illustrations often show everyday life within the palace, focusing on characters like Jinshi, Xiaolan, Shisui (Loulan), Lihua, Gyokoyou, and her daughter Lingli. The first phase of the project concluded in June 2025, just before the end of season two, but fans didn’t have to wait long for a continuation, which began in July 2025.
The next installment highlights some of the series’ lesser-known but beloved characters, including the Three Princesses of the Verdigris House, Lakan, and Lahan. New artwork is released on the anime’s official website on the 22nd of each month, and this time, each image features flowers that bloom during that month. These flowers are chosen to reflect the personalities of the characters they depict. The April artwork focuses on Maomao and Joka, a princess and a caregiver who helped raise Maomao. Joka is giving Maomao a basket of pink peonies, which symbolize beauty, kindness, and gentleness – qualities that perfectly represent Joka’s personality.
Who Is Joka in The Apothecary Diaries?
Joka is one of the Three Princesses of the Verdigris House, a prestigious title given to the most favored courtesans. She’s as strikingly beautiful as the other two princesses, Pairin and Meimei. Though not a central figure in the story, Joka gained viewers’ attention with her looks and her connection to the main character, Maomao.
Before Luomen adopted her, Maomao lived at the Verdigris House, where the Three Princesses acted as her caregivers. Though she considers them sisters, they were more like mothers to her. Even after joining Luomen’s family, Maomao stayed close to the people at the Verdigris House and continued to grow up with Joka and the others.
What to Expect From The Apothecary Diaries Season 3?
Although a full trailer for Season 3 hasn’t been released yet, a short teaser reveals the story will be set in the northern farming villages, where significant conflict is developing. Following the unsuccessful revolt of the Shi Clan, Jinshi has dropped his disguise as an eunuch.
Having embraced his responsibilities as a royal, he continues to serve as the Moon Prince and deal with the consequences of the Shi Clan’s downfall. When trouble arises in the farming villages, he turns to Maomao for help in uncovering the cause of the strange occurrences.
I’m excited to share that the third season will begin airing its first part in October 2026 as part of the fall schedule. And there’s a movie coming too! It’s planned for release in Japanese theaters in December 2026, and it will feature a brand new, original story. We’re still waiting on a date for the international release, but they’re hoping to announce that sometime next year after the film premieres in Japan.
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2026-04-26 05:10