The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 continues its weekly run with Episode 2, titled “The Fire-Rat Cloak,” arriving on Friday, October 9, 2026. Maomao has left the rear palace and returned to the Pleasure District, while Jinshi now travels the country as the Emperor’s younger brother. The locust infestation introduced in the premiere remains unresolved, and the mysterious White Lady who appeared in the opening scene is still at large. Here is everything you need to know about when and where to watch the new episode worldwide, along with a full recap of what happened in Season 3 Episode 1 and Season 2 Episode 1.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Episode 2 Worldwide Release Times
Episode 2 premieres in Japan on Friday, October 9, 2026, at approximately 11:00 PM Japan Standard Time (JST) on Nippon TV and affiliated channels. International streaming arrives on Crunchyroll at the same moment for most territories, with subtitles available in multiple languages. Netflix carries the series only in select Asian regions; Crunchyroll is the primary platform for North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, the CIS, and the Indian Subcontinent.
United States and Canada: 8:00 AM Pacific Time / 11:00 AM Eastern Time on Friday, October 9.
United Kingdom, Portugal, and Ghana: 3:00 PM British Summer Time (BST) on Friday, October 9.
Central Europe, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands: 4:00 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST) on Friday, October 9. France falls within the same CEST window, with episodes typically arriving between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM local time.
India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan: 7:30 PM India Standard Time (IST) on Friday, October 9.
Japan and South Korea: 11:00 PM JST on Friday, October 9. South Korea shares the same time zone as Japan, so the episode arrives simultaneously in both countries.
Australia and New Zealand: 1:00 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Saturday, October 10, due to the time difference from Japan.
Brazil and South America: 12:00 PM Brasília Time on Friday, October 9. Crunchyroll Brazil confirmed new episodes arrive every Friday at noon local time.
Mexico and Central America: 9:00 AM Central Time on Friday, October 9.
Southeast Asia (Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia): 10:00 PM Philippine Standard Time / 9:00 PM Western Indonesian Time / 8:00 PM Thailand Time / 10:00 PM Singapore Time / 10:00 PM Malaysia Time on Friday, October 9.
Viewers can watch on the Crunchyroll app or website with a subscription. The episode will also be available on Netflix in Japan and select Asian markets on the same date.
What Happened in The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Episode 1: “Locusts”
Season 3 opened with a scene far from the palace. A starving farmer in a devastated field is approached by a hooded woman who offers him medicine that promises relief from suffering. She is the White Lady, voiced by Reina Ueda, and her smile carries a dangerous promise. The drug she distributes is addictive and far more damaging than the famine itself.
Maomao is no longer at the rear palace. She now lives in the Pleasure District, running Luomen’s Apothecary and sharing meals at the Verdigris House with the Three Princesses and the shrewd Madame. One morning, breakfast includes boiled grasshoppers. Maomao’s companion Chou-u, one of the few survivors of the Shi clan following their revolt, tastes the dish and says something that catches Maomao’s attention. That small remark becomes her first clue toward a larger problem: a locust infestation sweeping agricultural regions.
Jinshi’s true identity as the Emperor’s younger brother is now firmly established. With Maomao no longer in the rear palace, the two are physically separated, but the episode makes clear that their paths will cross again. Jinshi is preparing to travel to multiple provinces to mediate local political disputes and investigate conspiracies tied to Consort Lishu’s lineage. The Shi clan’s destruction at the end of Season 2 lingers over the story. Many people may interpret the famine as a curse brought on by the Emperor, which could destabilize the court.
Loulan is revealed to have survived the Shi clan revolt, though very few people know this. Maomao is not among those who know.
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What Happened in The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 1: “Maomao and Maomao”
Season 2 began after the spring garden party concluded without incident. Maomao returned to her regular duties as Concubine Gyokuyou’s food taster. A new trend swept through the rear palace: novels became popular among the ladies-in-waiting, which puzzled Maomao because novels were traditionally considered low-class reading material. Behind the scenes, Jinshi had quietly encouraged the trend as part of his goals as manager of the rear palace.
The episode also introduced a significant theme that carried through the season: the limited options available to women in a male-dominated society. Maomao observed how the maids around her navigated their positions, and she began teaching some of them skills so they would not suffer unnecessary punishment. Jinshi visited Maomao at the Imperial Palace clinic, where she was making perfume oil. Gaoshun and Guen also appeared, and a scene involving a cat revealed softer sides to both men.
Where Each Main Character Stands Now
Maomao operates Luomen’s Apothecary in the Pleasure District. She is no longer a servant of the rear palace, but her reputation as a sharp investigator means she cannot stay away from palace affairs for long. The locust crisis and the White Lady’s drug trade are the two threads she is now pulling.
Jinshi has taken on a more public role. As the Emperor’s younger brother, he travels between provinces to manage local disputes. His feelings for Maomao remain a driving force in the story, but their relationship is now defined by distance and duty rather than daily proximity.
Chou-u, a Shi clan survivor, lives with Maomao in the Pleasure District. His presence connects the current famine crisis to the political fallout of the Shi revolt from Season 2.
The White Lady, voiced by Reina Ueda, is the new antagonist. She distributes an addictive drug to desperate farmers, exploiting the locust plague for reasons that are not yet clear.
Loulan survived the Shi clan destruction, but her existence is a secret kept from Maomao and most of the court.
Gyokuyou remains in the rear palace. The famine threatens the Emperor’s standing, and any sign of weakness in the inner court could affect her position and that of her child.
Consort Lishu is at the center of a conspiracy Jinshi is investigating. Her lineage is tied to political disputes in the provinces Jinshi will visit.
Episode 2 Title and What It Suggests
The title “The Fire-Rat Cloak” points to a specific garment or object that will likely appear in the episode. “Fire-rat” is a term with roots in East Asian folklore, often referring to asbestos or a similarly heat-resistant material. A cloak made from such material would be a rare and valuable item, possibly connected to a mystery involving a noble family, a theft, or a death. The episode is the 50th overall in the anime’s run, a milestone for the series. Viewers can expect the story to move between Maomao’s investigation in the Pleasure District and Jinshi’s travels outside the capital.
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