The Apothecary Diaries Interview: Aoi Yuki and Takeo Otsuka on Maomao, Jinshi, and Secrets of the Frog Scene

Anime Atelier had the opportunity to interview the cast of The Apothecary Diaries during the Anime Expo '26. We chatted with Maomao and Jinshi, that is Aoi Yuki (悠木碧) and Takeo Otsuka (大塚剛央), and got to see firsthand how the beloved duo interacts, hear their thoughts about their characters' dynamic, and more!

This interview has been transcribed from an audio recording and edited for clarity.

Q: The Apothecary Diaries is entering its third season soon. The dynamic between Maomao and Jinshi has changed as their relationship has grown over the years. How do you see the development of the two main characters, and what did you focus on during your interactions in the recording sessions?

Yuki: If I had to say, Maomao didn't like Jinshi that much. Now, over the course of two seasons, she went from not liking him to trusting him a little bit, which to her is a big shift. Maoamo is smart, and she's not quick to trust people, but Jinshi is definitely raising Maomao's level of trust through his actions and deeds, and she's starting to realize that the world that Jinshi is able to show her is expanding. I want the audience to pay attention to and focus on that point in Season 3.

Otsuka: Jinshi is... probably the one who has changed the most due to Maomao's presence. By interacting with Maomao, he goes through one of the biggest character shifts, and that's why in Season 3—or, well, towards the end of Season 2—we get a glimpse of that where Jinshi's circumstances start to be understood, and he's come to a point where he's ready to embrace that. I think something new will happen in Season 3, and I'm excited to see what that will look like. I think it's unfortunate that Maoamo doesn't show him much kindness.

Yuki: You like it when Maomao pampers you, huh?
[everyone laughs]

Q: Maomao can sound detached, amused, irritated, and curious all in a single conversation. Can you share with us how you developed her unique vocal tone and mannerisms?

Yuki: Recently, while reading the scripts, I have been thinking about how there are a lot of people who watch anime as background music. You can understand the content of anime even if you're not watching it if you're able to remember one phrase. With that in mind, I'll read the script and think about making it easier to understand, like "please just remember this part" or "this part is interesting." I try to perform in a way where even if you're just glancing at the screen, you can still have fun. I want the audience to make it to the end, so I think getting people to pay attention is one of my responsibilities, and I try to sprinkle in phrases and expressions that are memorable.

Q: Otsuka-san's voice acting when it comes to Jinshi's multiple identities is praiseworthy. He goes from a peculiar eunuch to a somewhat childish prince, and we watch him grow over the course of the story. What vocal choices do you make when you are trying to distinguish between his “mask” and the “real” Jinshi?

Otsuka: Jinshi has his eunuch [personality] and his true identity with true age. There are a lot of elements that come together to form who he is. Personally, I don't think about them as separate. I think that people have many different faces that we show to many different people and in many different circumstances, and Jinshi just happened to be born in the circumstance that he's in. I'm sure he has various feelings about it, but every element is a part of him, so I don't think about them as separate. They all coexist, and I'm not eliminating one aspect over the other, but it's what he decides to show. In that sense, I try not to overthink it and rather think of who he is talking to and what the situation is, and naturally, the right performance will appear.

Q: I'm not sure about Japan, but in America, we call this the "frog scene": episodes 35 and 36 were a highly anticipated moment for Jinshi and Maomao's relationship—what was it like behind the scenes during recording, and were you expecting such a vivid reaction from fans?

[the interpreter begins translating]
Yuki: [laughs] Ah, the "frog scene"?
Interpreter: Yes, the "frog scene."
[the interpreter continues]

Yuki: [laughs] Maomao hasn't changed that much. Well, maybe rather than not wanting to change much, she didn't want to change the relationship. I think it's clear that Jinshi wanted to close the distance and become friends with Maomao, similar to how an owner wants to become close with their cat, but I don't know what to say about that. That scene left a huge impression on us because of how sexy Jinshi was drawn and how he was conveyed on the screen. On certain social media platforms, if you look at that scene, you'll get the adult content warning because of how sexy he's been shown [everyone laughs]. I think that scene is really good. If you think about the animators and the level of talent involved, they could make that scene even sexier, but I think it shows the maximum sexiness ["sugoi sexy"] that the team wanted to express tastefully and shows the color of the work as a whole. I was happy to see the excitement for it, and hopefully that energy was communicated to the audience... isn't that right, Otsuka-san!?

[everyone laughs]

Otsuka: I knew that this arc was very popular among fans, and we were looking forward to turning it into an anime, but we didn't approach the scene with the mindset of, "Let's do this because it's popular," because if that comes out, then it would stop being sincere. When we actually did it, it was challenging to find the right line of sexiness that could be enjoyed by both adults and adolescents. It's also a big scene for Jinshi due to his identity.

Q: You did a good job. Actually... I was excited for that scene.

[everyone laughs]

The third season of The Apothecary Diaries TV anime premieres this October, while an original film will debut in December in Japan. We'd like to thank both Yuki-san and Otsuka-san for taking the time to chat with us! We look forward to seeing their characters on screen again soon and will be rewatching the first two seasons on Crunchyroll.

Featured image: @staff_aoi, MoA (AnimateTimes)

Credits:
Interpreter: Mikey McNamara
Interviewer: Gerrymelyn Casupang, Sarca
Assistance & Editing: Tamara Lazic, Demelza Ward, Carla Bianca Carreon
Graphics: Andrea Tran
Special Thanks: Crunchyroll Team