Two Sunday GX Heavyweights Swap Characters
When two of Shogakukan's biggest Sunday GX series drop new volumes on the same day, a simple cross-promotion won't cut it. Instead, Anime Anime reported that The Apothecary Diaries and Cosmos are going full artist swap: Ryuhei Tamura (Beelzebub) drew Apothecary Diaries leads Maomao and Jinshi, while Kurata Minoji, who handles the art on the Apothecary Diaries manga adaptation, drew Cosmos protagonists Rin and Mizumori.
The cards will be handed out free at participating bookstores nationwide starting June 18, 2026, with any purchase of The Apothecary Diaries: The Apothecary's Notebook volume 22 or Cosmos volume 9. Each card is sized to slip into a smartphone case.
The Cards Themselves
The two cards reflect their respective series' aesthetics. Tamura's illustration of Maomao and Jinshi comes on a metallic-finish card, matching the sci-fi sheen of Cosmos. Kurata's drawing of Rin and Mizumori uses a washi-style paper stock that fits the imperial court setting of Apothecary Diaries. It's a neat touch that each artist adopted the other series' visual register, not just its characters.
Volume 22 of the Apothecary Diaries manga also has a special edition bundled with original masking tape, priced at ¥2,200. The standard editions of both volumes run ¥770 each.
Why These Two Series
Both titles serialize in Monthly Sunday Gene-X, so the shared-magazine connection makes the collab natural. But each series also has serious momentum right now.
The Apothecary Diaries started as a light novel by Natsu Hyuuga, published under Imagica Infos' Hero Bunko label with illustrations by Shino Touko. It has two separate manga adaptations running at Shogakukan and Square Enix, and the TV anime is gearing up for a big stretch: Season 3 premieres in October 2026 as a split-cour run (second half in April 2027), and the franchise's first theatrical film opens in December 2026, featuring an original story by Hyuuga.
Cosmos, Tamura's SF human drama about an insurance company that handles alien clients, won the 71st Shogakukan Manga Award and has crossed 1.4 million copies in circulation. For readers outside Japan, Viz Media publishes the English edition digitally and in print under the Viz Signature imprint.
Looking Ahead
The bookstore fair starts June 18, 2026, and cards are available while supplies last at participating stores across Japan. No word on whether the promotion will extend to online retailers or international shops.
For international fans following The Apothecary Diaries, the anime Season 3 premiere in October 2026 is the next major milestone. Crunchyroll streamed the first two seasons in North America and Europe. The English-language manga adaptation is published by Square Enix Manga & Books (the Square Enix version) and Yen Press. Cosmos is available in English through Viz Media, with volume 1 already in print.