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The story
In the popular series “The Apothecary Diaries,” now confirmed for a live-action drama adaptation, Ashida Mana has been cast as the lead, Maomao — but casting for the other central character, Jinshi, has yet to be announced. With only the tidbit that the original author gave the casting a seal of approval as “the real Jinshi,” speculation ran wild on 5ch, with names like Machida Keita, Meguro Ren, and Nomura Kota (Sawamura Ikki’s second son, as reported by the tabloids) all thrown into the ring. The thread also veered into basic questions about why the original series is so beloved, and the story behind the manga version’s move between publishers — all adding up to a mix of anticipation and speculation ahead of the official cast announcement.
September 13, 2026, 13:01
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries), the light novel by Natsu Hyuuga that originated on the novel-posting site “Shousetsuka ni Narou,” is getting a live-action drama adaptation. The original series boasts over 57 million copies in cumulative circulation and has already been adapted into a hit TV anime, but this marks its first-ever live-action adaptation. It was also announced that Ashida Mana will play the protagonist, Maomao. Since no cast beyond Ashida has been announced, there’s buzz over who will play the popular character Jinshi.
(Omitted)
Source: mantan-web.jp / Original article here
What people said
Kind of like how I don't get why the Detective Conan movie broke 10 billion yen either.
but the fact that Sakurai Takahiro voiced him in the drama CD version is a "dark history" now lol (slang for an embarrassing past best forgotten — a jab at the voice actor's scandal)
Like Okada Masaki or someone?
He's in Blue Lock too, you know
You can't just assume he has to be an actor on the "my niece would know him" level.
Maybe it's simply that whoever's playing Jinshi is super handsome, so "my niece kept smiling nonstop" is all that really meant.
What's this about the niece knowing him?
There's no mention of that anywhere.
You doing okay?
I was worried about the height gap, but if it's Ashida Mana the balance should work out fine.
What got people to start reading it in the first place?
The illustrator got busted for tax evasion, which made it famous nationwide for all the wrong reasons.
It stayed near the top of the "Shousetsuka ni Narou" rankings for a long time,
the manga sells well,
and the anime was a hit.
The source material is classic shoujo-manga style, and it caught fire once the anime aired — same pattern as Demon Slayer.
but I guess that actually suits this character.
Despite his looks, Jinshi is actually pretty well-trained and even something of a fighter.
It's gotta be Yamazaki Kento, the usual go-to guy for every live-action adaptation, right? (lol)
Was it something like one sold well and the other one just ended?
People distinguish them as "the Enix tax-evasion version" and "the Shogakukan tax-paying version" lol
Even if people say the casting doesn't fit, he should just stand tall and prove them wrong with his acting.
Way too old for it —
the character's only 18.
so is calling someone "the real Jinshi" actually a compliment?
If you're gonna do it, pick something with a minor anime that has no otaku following.
The Look Back live-action film got huge promotion too,
but I heard almost nobody's actually showing up to see it.
Get a petite, pretty idol to play her.
He's on the Johnny's "Kimutaku" track — he only takes lead roles, no way he'd take this.
I think that's impossible since he's currently filming in Hollywood —
he won't be back in Japan for a while.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
“The Apothecary Diaries” is a hit series that began on “Shousetsuka ni Narou,” with over 57 million copies in cumulative circulation and a hugely successful anime adaptation. This live-action project marks the series’ first such adaptation, and while Ashida Mana has been announced as lead Maomao, the role of the popular character Jinshi remained unannounced as of this writing. The thread floated actor names like Machida Keita and Meguro Ren, while also noting that tabloids had reported Nomura Kota (Sawamura Ikki’s second son) for the part, mixing anticipation with skepticism. The discussion also touched on how the manga adaptation once switched publishers and restarted serialization (due to the illustrator’s tax evasion scandal) — a real, separately reported fact that readers should be careful not to conflate with the Jinshi casting itself. In short, the single phrase “endorsed by the original author” has taken on a life of its own, driving expectations higher and higher even before any cast announcement.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “Live-Action “The Apothecary Diaries”: Who Plays Jinshi? Even the Original Author Gives It Their Seal of Approval as “The Real Jinshi”.”
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