This year, inAt the Nintendo Direct in September, Gust suddenly announced a new title outside of the "Atelier" series, "The Apothecary Diaries ~The True and False Imperial Brother~," which came as quite a surprise.
But on second thought,"Medicine crafting" in "The Apothecary Diaries" and "Alchemy" in "Atelier" indeed have good compatibility. To further confirm how Gust connected with "The Apothecary Diaries," during "Tokyo Game Show 2026," we interviewed Mr. Junzo Hosoi, Gust Brand Manager and Producer of this title; Ms. Akari Takinami, Game Director; and Mr. Takayuki Onishi, another producer from Toho Games. We discussed many behind-the-scenes stories and unique gameplay features.
Producer of this work, Mr. Junzo Hosoi
Q: The IP "The Apothecary Diaries" seems suitable for adaptation in a traditional AVG format, but this time it was made into an adventure game centered on exploration, investigation, and deduction. How did you consider the choice of game genre initially?
Onishi:We hope to showcasethe worldview of "The Apothecary Diaries." Even with the same story, games can provide different experiences from novels and anime. The original author, Teacher Hyuga, also left us a message saying, "I look forward to walking around in the world of the Apothecary." Therefore, our biggest goal is to let players personally step into and immerse themselves in the world of "The Apothecary Diaries."
Q: Specifically, in what aspects will the medicine-crafting system play a role? How does material quality affect the plot or gameplay? Does it separately affect rewards? If medicine crafting is only used to create evidence for deductions, doesn't that seem too limited in utility?
Takinami:Medicine crafting is used in many places, not just for evidence. For example, character stories and commission quests use crafted medicines. Quality indeed has an impact. For instance, during deductions, there areThere are scenes where "progression is blocked unless the medicine reaches a certain quality." Regarding quests, the reward varies depending on the quality of the medicine. In character stories, delivering higher-quality medicine increases affinity more. Therefore, there is clear significance to crafting high-quality medicines.
Q: Gust has always been making the "Atelier" series. This game also has a medicine-crafting system. Did you reference any systems from the "Atelier" series during development? What are the differences in design philosophy between the two?
Hosoi:Of course, because we have always been makingIn the "Atelier" series, synthesis is the core mechanic, and this game also utilizes the experience accumulated in synthesis. Recent "Atelier" titles particularly emphasize designing intuitive synthesis systems. We've recently put a lot of effort into how to clearly convey qualities, effects, and traits to players through graphics.
This time, producing "The Apothecary Diaries ~The True and False Imperial Brother~'s medicine-crafting system, we prioritized making it look intuitive and fun, expressing the enjoyment graphically.Recent "Atelier" titles added puzzle-like gameplay, while this game uses mini-games. This allows players to understand at a glance that playing mini-games leads to medicine crafting, without needing to first understand complex systems, thereby lowering the barrier to entry.
The second point is the radar chart—After inputting materials, the radar chart changes, and aligning the shapes creates better medicine. If we asked players to align the radar chart from the start, they wouldn't know the controls and would need extensive trial and error, spending much time figuring it out. Therefore, we let players start with mini-games to get a feel for it. Once they get the hang of it, they can then delve into aligning the radar chart. Additionally, considering that playing mini-games every time becomes tedious, once proficient, mini-games can be skipped, moving on to the stage of using the radar chart to create high-quality goods based on one's own knowledge and skills.
Q: Based on the original work's worldview, this game adds new cases intertwining "Five Great Mysteries" and "Fivefold Curses." When designing these original stories, what kind of enjoyment did the development team most want players to experience?
Onishi:First of all, the core slogan on the official website is a very important keyword, but at this stage, that's all we can reveal. What we can guarantee is that the game faithfully recreatesthe worldview of "The Apothecary Diaries."
At the same time, since this game features an original story, even players who start with this game can enjoy it independently. What we value most is not just the sense of achievement when players uncover the truth, but also what remains in their hearts after reaching the story's end. Rather than just having fun, we hope players will engage deeply with this story.
Q: Original author Teacher Hyuga is responsible for the story concept. Is he also responsible for the ending? Also, you mentioned earlier that if trust drops to zero, the case becomes unsolved. Is this the form of Game Over in this game?
Onishi:At the concept stage, Teacher Hyuga was responsible for the story outline, and the ending branches hadn't been designed yet. In the process of refining the outline into a game script and considering how to present it, we designed endings that require players to think and make choices. Regarding unsolved cases, in the actual game, once a case becomes unsolved, it equates to the general meaning ofGame Over, requiring a retry.
Q: From current information, this game appears to be a plot-driven detective deduction game. Will the overall flow progress linearly? What is the approximate level of player freedom?
Takinami:We designed it so players can choose the form of each story segment, meaning players can choose the small endings for each chapter, but this won't significantly impact the main storyline. Currently, there are no major branching points in the main story. However, besides the main story, we have prepared numerous elements like character interactions, quests, and collections, so players shouldn't feel it's just a single linear path.
Q: In the currently released game screenshots, Jinshi's disguised appearance with glasses and tied-up hair has become a topic among fans. Is this造型 only visible in specific剧情? Can players change costumes freely?
Takinami:That disguised appearance is Jinshi's attire when traveling incognito, such as when going to investigation sites. It is not something players can switch freely at any time. We are also considering costume-related content and DLC expectations, but we cannot disclose more at this time.
Q: The subtitle of this work, "The True and False Imperial Brother," ostensibly refers to the mysterious imperial brother appearing in the game. However, for readers familiar with the original work's subsequent developments, the "truth or falsity of the imperial brother" also evokes important secrets from the original story. Did the subtitle intentionally include this double meaning?
Onishi:At the beginning of the first episode of the game, the subtitle will have a clear meaning within the context of this work. For players who know the subsequent developments of the original work, it is also a title that evokes parts of the original story, and this was indeed intentional. Including the original author, Teacher Hyuga, this title was decided after discussions and agreement among everyone. It contains very important elements, but we cannot reveal more at this stage. Please look forward to it.
Q: The last time Gust used an anime IP for a game was about six years ago with "Fairy Tail." Why choose a light novel/anime IP again after six years? And why specifically choose the "The Apothecary Diaries" IP?
Onishi:I initiated this project myself. The anime for "The Apothecary Diaries" was produced by Toho Animation. As the producer on the game side, I started considering whether it could be made into a game. Initially, I wondered if making "Maomao's Atelier" would be interesting? So,I contactedGust's producer, and the two of us immediately hit it off.
Hosoi:I was originally a fan of "The Apothecary Diaries" myself. While watching the anime privately, I kept thinking about what it would be like if it were made into an "Atelier" game. Coincidentally, Producer Onishi contacted me around that time. It felt like meeting a kindred spirit late, and we immediately hit it off.
Q: The two producers are fans of each other's works, so fans are also eager to see some "dream collaborations," such as Maomao interacting with barrels. Have you considered this?
Hosoi& Onishi:We have indeed thought about this. As for whether we will do it and how, we'll keep you in suspense for now—we cannot clarify the result at this moment, but you can look forward to it.
Q: This game focuses on deduction puzzles. How was the overall difficulty level set? Are there any remedies for players who aren't good at games, such as consistently failing to produce high-quality medicines or choosing wrong answers in deductions? For example, is there a hint system?
Takinami:We made the first half relatively easy to understand and get started with, while the second half has a certain level of difficulty. For players not good at deduction or medicine crafting, they can focus more on map exploration. There is a specific item in the game that we cannot detail yet. Obtaining and using it makes deduction or medicine crafting easier. So, players good at deduction can challenge it directly, while those less confident can still clear the game by exploring diligently.
Q: Is it necessary to collect all clues before entering the deduction phase? Or can players progress freely without waiting to collect all evidence?
Takinami:Basically, you cannot proceed to subsequent steps like information organization without collecting all necessary evidence. However, the official website introduced a system called "Apothecary's Choice," which allows players to choose how the story progresses. The evidence required for this is not mandatory to collect. Players who obtain the corresponding evidence will see additional options, while those who don't won't see them and will progress differently.
Q: You mentioned earlier that there are game-original scenes. How were these original locations designed and decided? How will they combine with the original work? What is the approximate ratio between original scenes and existing scenes from the original work?
Takinami:In terms of proportion, there aren't many original scenes. The game mainly features scenes that actually exist in "The Apothecary Diaries"—original scenes account for about 40%, while existing scenes from the original work account for about 60%. For design, we referenced the background art provided by the animation team., striving for style consistency, and had the original creators carefully supervise it to ensure the settings were correct. Additionally, someThe 3D models themselves were produced and provided by the animation team, so the integration between game scenes and the anime is high, giving the overall world a strong sense of unity.
Q: The characters in "The Apothecary Diaries ~The True and False Imperial Brother~" look very beautiful. Not only is the anime reproduced, but details like hair gloss and facial conditions are meticulously crafted. Plus, characters wear loose long-sleeved dresses, which is not easy to present naturally in 3D structure. Were there any particular areas of attention or enhancement in the project regarding these aspects?
Takinami:First, regarding character modeling, this time we produced"The Apothecary Diaries ~The True and False Imperial Brother~"The most emphasized part was our internal enhancement of eye lines. We added about two layers of color to the eyes to present the complex tones of the anime's key visual on the models. At the same time, we improved the overall look by controlling gradient effects and the presentation of shadows on faces and bodies.
For costumes and animations, we set up dedicated animations and skeletons for every character. Although costly, we took this part very seriously to recreate immersive visual effects. Additionally, I personally come from a background art and lighting background, so besides characters, please also pay attention to the background presentations in the future.
Q: Finally, please say a few words to Asian players.
Hosoi:Thank you very much for your continued support ofsupport from the Gust brand. This is our first work using an anime IP in a long time, and we have poured our accumulatedaccumulated technology and expressiveness into it without hesitation. Deduction adventure is a new type of challenge for us, but based on test plays and the development process so far, the gameplay feel and response have been very good. We believe it will be a work that everyone can enjoy. Please pay attention, thank you.
Takinami:Thank you all for coming today. We put effort not only into the visuals but also into the deduction aspects. The deduction parts may involve some pharmaceutical knowledge, but even without prior knowledge, the game provides explanations to make deduction accessible. We ask for your patience until release. Thank you very much.
Onishi:This work is a very important and crucial title for Toho Games. We have faithfully realized the world of "The Apothecary Diaries" in the game, and we believe fans of "The Apothecary Diaries" will be satisfied. At the same time, we hope new players who encounter "The Apothecary Diaries" for the first time through this game will feel the beauty of the original novel and anime world. For this purpose, we have made unremitting efforts. We hope you can play it soon. Please look forward to it.
"The Apothecary Diaries ~The True and False Imperial Brother~" will beOfficially releasing in Spring 2027. Both Gust and Toho Games have shown immense passion for this title, and the final product of this crossover collaboration is certainly worth anticipating.