Apothecary Diaries Season 3: Where It Starts in the Light Novel
Season 3 of The Apothecary Diaries picks up at light novel volume 5, the one that opens with "Locusts." Where seasons 1 and 2 stopped, and the novel or manga.
Some links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Achriom earns from qualifying purchases. For books we prefer Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookstores.
The Apothecary Diaries season 3 picks up at light novel volume 5, the volume that opens with the chapter “Locusts.” Seasons 1 and 2 ran 24 episodes each and covered volumes 1 to 4, so if you have seen both, you can start the books at volume 5 without skipping anything.
Season 3 began airing in Japan on October 2, 2026, in two parts, with the second due in April 2027. Below: where the first two seasons stopped, how to get volume 5 in English, how the light novel compares with the two manga, and what to do about the movie.
One caveat on the volume number. No official anime page I could open states the range, so it rests on two things that agree. ComicBook.com reported in April 2026 that the anime will adapt the fifth volume. And season 3’s first episode is titled “Locusts” on Wikipedia’s episode list, the same name Game Rant’s reading guide gives the opening chapter of volume 5.
Where seasons 1 and 2 stopped
Season 1 aired from October 22, 2023 to March 24, 2024, and season 2 from January 10 to July 4, 2025, both for 24 episodes. Season 2’s finale, “The Beginning,” closes the fourth volume, according to Game Rant’s reading guide. That is the whole of the anime before October 2026: volumes 1 to 4, and over 80 chapters.
If you want to rewatch before you read, the three seasons are on Achriom: season 1, season 2 and season 3.
How to get volume 5
Volume 5 came out in Japan on April 30, 2016. In English, J-Novel Club released the ebook on May 9, 2022, and Square Enix published the print edition on May 6, 2025: a 336-page trade paperback at $18.99, listed on Square Enix’s own site. Square Enix’s print run began in May 2024 and, going by Wikipedia’s volume list, adds a volume roughly every three months.
Season 3 does not catch up to the books. The novels reached 16 volumes in Japan in May 2025, so there is plenty past volume 5. Whether the second part, due in April 2027, reaches volume 6 isn’t confirmed in anything I found, so I’d read volume 5 and hold there until it airs.
Light novel or manga
Volume 5 is the clean place to join. The manga is the other way in, and there are two of them.
The light novel
The novels are the source: Natsu Hyuga writes them and Touko Shino illustrates. Volume 5 has an approaching plague of insects and a trip west, which is the publisher’s own summary. A volume number is the simplest marker for where season 3 starts.
The Nekokurage manga
This version runs in Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan, drawn by Nekokurage, and Square Enix publishes it in English in North America. Wikipedia lists 17 volumes as of July 24, 2026.
The Kurata manga
This one runs in Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday Gene-X, drawn by Minoji Kurata. Wikipedia lists 22 volumes in Japan as of June 18, 2026. Its English debut is recent: Viz Media lists volume 1 for October 20, 2026.
I could not find a publisher or Wikipedia statement of where either manga stands relative to volume 5. If you read manga, start from the beginning of the one you like and treat the novel’s volume number as the way to line it up.
The movie
The film, due in Japan on December 11, 2026, is a new story written by Natsu Hyuga. It is not an adaptation of any volume, so there is nothing to read ahead for it.
Keeping the anime, the novel and the manga on one shelf
Anime, books and manga sit in one library, so The Apothecary Diaries season 3, light novel volume 5 and the manga you are reading are tracked side by side. The novel takes progress by page or percent, with start and finish dates, and each season of the anime is its own entry. If your anime list lives on AniList, Kitsu or MyAnimeList, Achriom imports it by username, and AniList can re-sync daily. You can also ask your shelf in plain words, like ”80s horror I haven’t watched.”
One limit: manga is web only for now, not on iOS.
Already track anime elsewhere? Bring your list over and put the books you read from it on the same shelf. Free, no item limit.
Bring my anime list over →For how Achriom compares with the dedicated anime trackers, see best apps to track anime and AniList vs MyAnimeList. If you keep a MyAnimeList list up to date, MAL tracker tools covers six ways to do it.
Common questions
Where does The Apothecary Diaries season 3 start in the light novel?
Season 3 starts at light novel volume 5, which opens with the chapter “Locusts.” Seasons 1 and 2 ran 24 episodes each and covered volumes 1 to 4, so you can start the books at volume 5 without skipping anything.
Does season 3 of The Apothecary Diaries catch up to the light novels?
No. The novels run to 16 volumes in Japan, and season 3 starts at volume 5. The second part of the season, due in April 2027, has no confirmed volume range.
Should I read The Apothecary Diaries light novel or the manga?
Read the light novel if you want to pick up exactly where season 3 starts, because volume 5 is a clear marker. Read the manga if you prefer the story drawn out and want to start from the beginning.
How many manga adaptations does The Apothecary Diaries have?
Two. One is drawn by Nekokurage and runs in Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan, and the other is drawn by Minoji Kurata and runs in Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday Gene-X.
Is The Apothecary Diaries movie in the light novels?
No. The film, due December 11, 2026, tells a new story written by the novel’s author, Natsu Hyuga, so there is no volume to read for it.