With a unique twist on the history of the imperial era, Pharmacy diary It is a special entry among modern day anime. The anime is based on author Hyuganatsu’s light novels of the same name, and follows Maomao’s story after she is kidnapped and sold into service within the palace. During her time there, she encountered the Chief Eunuch Jinshi and slowly became more familiar with him. Both characters are deeply involved in political and personal affairs within the court, resulting in a story filled with mystery, personal drama, and even some romance.
At this year’s Anime Expo, we had the opportunity to sit down with the voice actors of the heroes. This includes Aoi Yuki, the Japanese voice of Maomao, and Takeo Otsuka, the Japanese voice of Jinshi. We asked the talented voice actors how they feel about the series in Season 3, how they showcase the contradictory elements of their characters, and the secrets endemic to portraying their characters.
Portions of this interview have been lightly edited for clarity. This interview was conducted with the assistance of a translator.
Q: From the feedback and comments you received over the first two seasons, was there anything that stood out to you, and did you bring that into your performance?
Yuki-san: Because Season 1 and Season 2 had so much support and so much love from the fan community, what I’ve learned is that maybe I shouldn’t change so much. In terms of performing and how I act as Maomao, I have a tendency to get dramatic and exaggerate or overact, and I had to suppress those instincts because I think Maomao and the fans have almost created this universe or their world and how they experience it, and I wanted to make sure that’s what was presented to them.
Otsuka-san: It may sound similar to what Yuki-san said, but the first season had a great response and the second season even more so. And I mean we’re so happy. I think the fans are also very happy because of this Pharmacy diary represents. I mean you look at what makes it and what brought the series here, which is the characters, the relationship between the characters, the story arc, and the world environment. I didn’t want to change too much of what was already working and what was creating that magic for the series itself. So, in a way, what I’ve learned is to stay true to what it is.
Q: How often can you record together? What is the atmosphere like during recording sessions and how does hearing others perform affect your own performance?
Yuki-san: We record together – all the actors – and I think our acting for each other makes the recording session very interactive and fun. I see Maomao and her character, and she has a lot of monologues. So it’s as if Maomao is sort of setting the foundation, the rhythm upon which all the other characters react and act. So, if you lose that bass drum, so to speak, you might lose the beats of a lot of the other actors. I’m always nervous if I manage to maintain this foundation for others. But when we record together, I also notice that we make something really special. I’ll rehearse, I’ll read, I’ll prepare when I have the script at home. When we go into the booth and record together, I think each other’s performances create an interesting effect.
Otsuka-san: Again, similar to Yuki-san. When I practice at home alone versus when I go and perform something together, I feel like we’re creating something I can’t even imagine. It’s like the birth of something completely new, and I think that’s true, of course, for the cast members, as well as the director. And there’s this feedback loop that happens, which creates a really great performance. We build this world together during production. And within that, I know Yuki-san said that Maomao has a lot of monologue and the other characters kind of react and play off of that. I think with Jinshi, he as a character is so oblivious to it sometimes, that that kind of flow doesn’t register. But this reaction feels very real. Jinshi was surprised. I think this is an important part of his character, because in some way, Jinshi is affected by Maomao’s actions. The fact that she doesn’t respond to certain things he does or says the way he thinks she or other characters might – Maomao always throws a wrench into that.
Q: Otsuka-san, Jinshi is outwardly charming, mysterious, and intelligent, but he also has a slightly childish side. How do his collage scenes compare to his childish scenes, especially those involving Maomao?
Otsuka-san: Jinshi is a very smart man. Although, I don’t think he has much street smarts. He doesn’t know much about the world despite his intelligence. In doing so, I believe that the world he sees is somehow much smaller than the world Maomao sees. And in many ways. I think he is less experienced than Maomao because of his circumstances. But despite this, he shows many different sides to himself: the eunuch side, and the prince side. And I think he doesn’t throw himself aside through all of that, and all the different roles that he has to play, and all of the labels that he has to carry. So, through everything, I think Jinshi is still Jinshi.
Q: Yuki-san, Maomao The series starts out very practical and often closed off. Over time, you begin to open up to people. What was it like for you engaging in this slow progression of her character?
Yuki-san: Maomao has an amazing ability for deduction, and I think a lot of it stems from her curiosity. But if you paraphrase or reframe what that curiosity is, I think that’s actually expanding her thoughts and her thinking into others more than she probably cares to admit. Deep down, I believe that Maomao is actually more beautiful than you think, and much more beautiful than you encounter. I attribute this to her ability to observe and her ability to deduce. When she first enters the mansion, I think she starts to interact with more characters and maybe even subconsciously says more about it. This kindness she had all along – it came to the surface.
We’d like to thank Aoi Yuki and Takeo Otsuka for taking the time to talk to us during Anime Expo and Crunchyroll for coordinating the interview. Core 1 of Pharmacy diary Season 3 It will stream on Crunchyroll in October 2026, followed by a second session in April 2027. If you’re interested in reading our interview with Aoi Yuki and Asami Seto (Shisui) from last year’s Anime Expo, check it out here.