She will be voicing the character of Shenmei.
The Apothecary Diaries anime had delayed the release of its episode 43 (season 2 episode 19) by a week. The new episode will be streamed today on 23 May, 2025. However, ahead of the release, it was announced that a new voice actor has joined the cast. Fans are excited as this new cast member will be voicing an antagonist. This comes right after the news of The Apothecary Diaries manga going on a hiatus.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 casts Rika Fukami
According to a report by Comic Natalie, Rika Fukami (Sailor Venus in Sailor Moon, Natsuhi in Naruto) is joining the cast as Shenmei. The news was also announced by the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the series. The character will appear for the first time in episode 43, titled ‘Festival’. Shenmei is a cold-hearted woman who has been planning something sinister. As one of the main antagonists of the current arc, fans are eagerly waiting for her to finally appear on screen.
The original light novel series is written by Natsu Hyūga, and it has also gotten two manga adaptations. Produced by Toho Animation Studio and OLM, The Apothecary Diaries anime is directed and written by Norihiro Naganuma. However, the assistant director of season 1, Akinori Fudesaka replaced him as the director for season 2. Yukiko Nakatani is the character designer while Satoru Kōsaki, Kevin Penkin, and Alisa Okehazama composed the music for the anime. You can watch all episodes of the anime on Crunchyroll, who describe the story as:
Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!
