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The anime film The Apothecary Diaries: Treasure of the Departed Consort, opening in Japan on Friday, December 11, 2026, has cast Miyuki Sawashiro as Ruoqing, a middle-ranking consort who died in the rear palace five years ago, and Ai Mikami as Yinshan, the head lady-in-waiting who once served her. The news came in the fourth character trailer, released on October 14.
The character trailers rolled out across four straight days starting October 11, moving from Maomao, Jinshi and their traveling party to the Bi clan they meet on the road, then the water bandits of the Kajadan who ambush them, and finally arriving in the fourth installment at the dead consort who holds the key to the story. The film is an entirely new original story written by Natsu Hyuuga, the author of the source novels.
This article rounds up the new characters and voice actors revealed across the four trailers, comments from Miyuki Sawashiro and Ai Mikami, the film’s core details, and why the timing matters with season 3 currently airing.
Let’s start with the two names the fourth trailer announced.
Who do Miyuki Sawashiro’s Ruoqing and Ai Mikami’s Yinshan play?
Ruoqing is a middle-ranking consort who died in the rear palace five years ago, and she is the departed consort of the film’s title. Yinshan is the head lady-in-waiting who once served her, and the trailer shows her shielding Muqing of the Bi clan and sharing a memory: “My lady loved these flowers.”
| Character | Role | Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Ruoqing | A middle-ranking consort who died in the rear palace five years ago. Holds the key to the story | Miyuki Sawashiro |
| Yinshan | The head lady-in-waiting who served Ruoqing. Protects Muqing | Ai Mikami |
According to Eiga.com, the trailer isolates two moments: Yinshan murmuring “Why…” over a body, and the word “lonely soul” slipping from Ruoqing’s lips. The mystery of a dead consort leads the way to a hidden treasure. Exactly as the teaser copy promises, the rear-palace death mystery that The Apothecary Diaries does best is the spine of this film.
Ai Mikami is a live-action actor who headlined an NHK morning drama serial, and Cinema Cafe reports this is her first role since that series wrapped. A full-fledged voice role in a theatrical anime is rare for her, and how she fits her voice to a restrained part like a head lady-in-waiting is one of the things to watch. Miyuki Sawashiro needs no introduction, and casting her as a consort who should only ever appear in flashback is a bid to leave a mark with very little screen time.
Which new characters did the four days of trailers reveal?
The character trailers ran four days straight, opening on October 11 with the Maomao and Jinshi party, followed by the Bi clan on the 12th, the Kajadan on the 13th, and Ruoqing and Yinshan on the 14th. The Bi clan rules Binan Province, and the trailer introduces its head and Ruoqing’s father Birou, his wife Shuu, eldest son Bisen, and youngest son Muqing, a concubine’s child shunned by the rest of the family. Mariya Ise voices Muqing.
| Release Date | Trailer | Casting Revealed |
|---|---|---|
| October 11 | Maomao and Jinshi party | The journey of Maomao, Jinshi and the other main characters. Packed with first-look footage |
| October 12 | The Bi clan | Muqing: Mariya Ise. Birou, Shuu and Bisen appear |
| October 13 | The Kajadan | Leader Suija: Kensho Ono |
| October 14 | Ruoqing and Yinshan | Ruoqing: Miyuki Sawashiro. Yinshan: Ai Mikami |
The Kajadan are water bandits who ambush Maomao and Jinshi’s party, and Kensho Ono voices their leader, Suija. Leaving the rear palace to travel, getting jumped by river pirates, digging into the secrets of a provincial clan. Put together, it is clear the film is using its running time for the kind of on-the-road adventure a TV series struggles to stage.
Aoi Yuki as Maomao and Takeo Otsuka as Jinshi both return, as expected, and watching all four trailers back to back makes it obvious the film runs on two pillars: the mystery of Ruoqing’s death and the secrets of the Bi clan.
What did Miyuki Sawashiro and Ai Mikami say?
Miyuki Sawashiro commented, “When I got the script, the first fun part was matching the answers up, realizing that this was the kanji behind the name I’d been hearing in the anime.” It is a viewer’s take, grounded in the fact that Ruoqing’s name has been spoken aloud over the course of the TV series.
Ai Mikami said, “Precisely because I love this series, there was nervousness and anxiety about whether I could have a lovely effect on it.” You can hear her approaching the part as a fan of the source material, and she clearly understands how much weight Yinshan carries.
What both comments share is that they come from people who already know the work. On a film where new cast members are joining late, the fact that the first thing out of their mouths is a promise not to disturb the atmosphere of the original has to be reassuring on the production side too.
When does The Apothecary Diaries: Treasure of the Departed Consort open, and who made it?
It opens on Friday, December 11, 2026. The story is an entirely new original written by the author of the novels, Natsu Hyuuga, with Norihiro Naganuma directing, Yuko Kakihara on script, and TOHO animation STUDIO producing. The teaser copy reads, “That mystery will lead the way to a hidden treasure.”
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | The Apothecary Diaries: Treasure of the Departed Consort |
| Release date | Friday, December 11, 2026 |
| Original work and story | Natsu Hyuuga (all-new original story) |
| Director | Norihiro Naganuma |
| Screenplay | Yuko Kakihara |
| Production | TOHO animation STUDIO |
| International distribution | Crunchyroll is reported to have acquired distribution rights |
Season 3 of the TV anime has been airing since October 2026, which means the film opens while that season is still running. Following Maomao on TV while catching a new story in a theater makes for the densest two months this franchise has ever had. Overseas, Crunchyroll is reported to have picked up distribution rights for the film, so the release will not be confined to Japan.
Details on advance tickets and theatergoer giveaways are still being rolled out on the official site as of October 2026. For someone like me who has been following the TV series the whole way, December 11 is a day to clock out of work early.
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Final Thoughts: the cast and release date for The Apothecary Diaries: Treasure of the Departed Consort
The Apothecary Diaries: Treasure of the Departed Consort opens on Friday, December 11, 2026. The fourth character trailer on October 14 announced Miyuki Sawashiro as Ruoqing, the middle-ranking consort who died five years ago, and Ai Mikami as the head lady-in-waiting Yinshan. The four consecutive trailers also revealed Mariya Ise as the Bi clan’s Muqing and Kensho Ono as Suija, leader of the Kajadan. It is an all-new story from author Natsu Hyuuga, directed by Norihiro Naganuma, written by Yuko Kakihara, and produced at TOHO animation STUDIO.
A dead consort’s mystery, a provincial clan, river pirates. A film that takes Maomao outside the rear palace clearly intends to run the kind of adventure television cannot. Putting Miyuki Sawashiro in the flashback consort’s role and an NHK morning drama lead in the head lady-in-waiting’s chair looks like a deliberate move to load short screen time with weight. A December opening in the middle of season 3 is aimed squarely at the moment this series runs hottest.
December 11. Out on the road with Maomao, a death from five years ago starts moving again.
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