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Hinata Natsu’s novel “The Apothecary Diaries” (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) has been confirmed for a live-action drama adaptation starring Ashida Mana. Toho and Amazon MGM Studios are co-producing the series, which will stream exclusively worldwide on Prime Video in over 240 countries and regions starting in 2028. The screenplay is by Yoshida Erika (“Tora ni Tsubasa”), and the director is Yuki Saito, known for “Unmet.” The original novel has sold over 57 million copies worldwide including foreign translations, and an anime film adaptation is also set to open on December 11. On the 5ch “Entertainment/Sports News+” thread, opinions split over casting for the lead role, Maomao — with some pushing for Ito Sairi or Hashimoto Kanna — plus speculation over who’ll play Jinshi, and debate over the gap between the original’s “secretly gorgeous under the makeup” setting and Ashida Mana’s public image.
A live-action drama adaptation of Hinata Natsu’s novel “The Apothecary Diaries,” starring Ashida Mana, has been greenlit. Toho and Amazon MGM Studios are co-producing the project, which will stream exclusively worldwide on Prime Video across more than 240 countries and regions starting in 2028. Yoshida Erika, writer of “Tora ni Tsubasa,” is handling the screenplay, while Yuki Saito, director of “Unmet: A Brain Surgeon’s Diary,” is directing. A teaser visual has now been unveiled.
“The Apothecary Diaries” is set in the harem of a fictional empire, following Maomao, an apothecary raised in the red-light district, as she uses her pharmacological knowledge and sharp powers of observation to unravel incidents and conspiracies within the palace. Published by Hero Bunko (Imagica Infos), the series has sold over 57 million copies worldwide, including foreign-language editions. The TV anime adaptation, which began airing in 2023, has also proven highly popular, and the anime film “The Apothecary Diaries the Movie: The Deceased Consort’s Treasure” is set to open on December 11.
For the live-action series, Toho and Amazon MGM Studios — the team behind the TV anime adaptation of “The Apothecary Diaries” — are joining forces again. Production spared no expense on set design, costumes, and VFX, with roughly six months of filming carried out on a large-scale set recreating the world of the imperial harem.
Source: natalie.mu / Original article here
What people said
That character's more about raw power than brains anyway, so Ashida Mana might actually suit it better
She's over 30, so it's a stretch — Jinshi's actor is gonna end up looking middle-aged too at this rate
Ah, I see… so older guys aren't popular for the role?
Yeah, the image is pretty locked in with that deep voice for Maomao… though that's an anime-only element not in the original, so they don't necessarily have to stick to it
Amazon Prime's the only one still milking Japanese IP nonstop
Netflix mixes in original content too
What's annoying is Prime turns IP into trash, and lately they've started slapping an "Amazon Original IP" label on stuff more and more
He doesn't really fit it — if anything, I'd say he suits Li Bai better
I'd like to believe Bunshun just got their info mixed up
Eh, I'd rather have a more glamorous actor
Can't think of anyone specific, but anyone besides MILK
He's Sawamura Ikki's son
If she's not cute to begin with, she couldn't pull it off
The whole setup is a cute girl wearing "ugly" makeup
The original even builds part of its story around that gap, so the makeup really needs to make her look plain, or it doesn't work
Sano Shiro seems like he'd fit
Ashida Mana might be cute, but… she's not exactly a great beauty
https://tadaup.jp/9D0adTpH.jpg
LOL that's hilarious — turning anime art with those huge eyes into live-action is just a bad idea, isn't it lol
Yeah, that's just not gonna work out (´・ω・`)
Put it side by side with Re: #1
https://ogre.natalie.mu/media/news/eiga/2026/0903/kusuriya_20260903.jpg
https://tadaup.jp/9D0adTpH.jpg
Wasn't there one of those "spotted him in public" promo-style articles about the nepo-baby actor?
Right, that is a little worrying 🥺
Hashimoto Kanna's image is already too locked-in for it though
I genuinely don't get what's supposed to be interesting about this
This is aimed at aunties who are into Korean dramas and the like
Even if you try your hardest to get it, you're never gonna understand it in this lifetime
Background and key points of this topic
“The Apothecary Diaries” is a novel series by Hinata Natsu published under Hero Bunko; its 2023 TV anime adaptation proved highly popular, and the franchise has sold over 57 million copies worldwide including overseas translations. In recent years Amazon MGM Studios has been aggressively acquiring live-action rights to popular Japanese manga and novels, and this simultaneous worldwide release on Prime Video is part of a broader push to expand Japan-originated IP overseas. The thread’s main point of contention was casting — specifically whether Ashida Mana’s image fits the original setting, in which Maomao hides her true beauty behind makeup but is “actually gorgeous” underneath. One easy point of confusion: Nomura Kota, floated as a candidate for the role of Jinshi, isn’t mentioned in the article itself — that’s unconfirmed information sourced from a Bunshun report. While the announcement of key staff like the director and screenwriter is confirmed, casting for co-stars is still awaiting further updates.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Ashida Mana to Star in Live-Action “The Apothecary Diaries,” Streaming Worldwide on Prime Video in 2028 [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★]“.
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