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Jaadugar
Facts
- Noted
- had a location trip to Mongolia · 2026-08-12
- Noted
- hired two Mongolian sumo wrestlers as voice actors · 2026-08-12
- Noted
- had cultural advisors · 2026-08-12
- Noted
- story is grounded in physical realities · 2026-08-12
- Noted
- pre-production shaped by historical and cultural accuracy · 2026-08-12
- Noted
- Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia took the top spot in the ANN Summer 2026 rankings for the week of July 22-28. · 2026-08-05
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2d ago
Naoko Yamada and director Abel Góngora traveled to Mongolia for location scouting ahead of Science SARU's Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, touring museums of Mongolian history and consulting experts on Mongolian and Persian history who supervised the project. The pair also did a homestay in a traditional dwelling and tried horseback riding. Yamada said the manga's 13th-century Persia and Mongolia setting and its basis in a true story drew her to the project.
Sep 2
TheOASG Podcast's Anime NYC 2026 episode rounds up a weekend of industry news. Crunchyroll drops print books from its store, the Cool Japan initiative loses funding, Comico ends service in January 2027, and several manga go on hiatus due to creator health. Hanashi Media announces eight new light novel licenses, Comikey adds Hakusensha shojo titles, and the episode notes the deaths of letterer Dave Lanphear and voice actor Peter Cullen.
Sep 1
Anime News Network's review of episodes 8-10 of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia finds Sitara's scheme to collapse the Mongolian Empire in ruins. Her partner Töregene has gone quiet, and Boraqchin, the Great Kha'tun, turns Sitara's own warnings against Tolui, engineering his death under the guise of an exorcism. The reviewer calls Boraqchin the series' most interesting change-up so far.
Aug 28
Science Saru released a 25-minute making-of video for Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, the series based on Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol. The video features director Naoko Yamada, director Abel Gongora, and character designer Kenichi Yoshida discussing how they translated the manga's artwork and pacing into animation.
Aug 21
Anime News Network published its weekly reader rankings for the week of August 12-18. Saga of Tanya the Evil II holds the number one spot, followed by The Ghost in the Shell and Goodbye, Lara. The list covers 38 ranked series based on episode ratings from legally streaming titles in North America.
Aug 12
Sakuga Blog published production notes for Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, detailing the team's location trip to Mongolia, the hiring of two Mongolian sumo wrestlers as voice actors, and the presence of several cultural advisors. Chief director Naoko Yamada and series director Abel Gongora led the scouting trip, grounding the story in physical realities.
Aug 11
Anime News Network reviews episodes 5-7 of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, focusing on Sitara and Töregene's alliance to undermine the Mongolian Empire from within. The review examines the show's treatment of conquest, cultural loss, and the two women's shared history as captives plotting retribution against the ruling khan family.
Aug 5
Anime News Network readers ranked the week of July 22-28 in the Summer 2026 season. Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia took the top spot, with The Ghost in the Shell and Saga of Tanya the Evil II following. The rankings reflect episode ratings, not overall series quality, and only include titles legally streaming in North America.
Aug 5
The staff for Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia revealed three new cast members on Thursday. Akira Ishida plays Dayir, Inori Minase plays Khulan, and Shōya Chiba plays Kurtogan. The characters appear in the anime's sixth episode on Saturday.
Aug 4
The staff for the television anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia announced on Sunday that veteran voice actress Kujira will play Boraqchin, Ögedei's first wife and Empress. The announcement came with the release of the anime's third promotional video and a new special visual. Kujira, who said she had been reading the original manga as a fan, described Boraqchin as calm, composed, and deeply strategic, a character who believes in pulling strings beneath the surface in politics. The anime, based on Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, is produced by Science SARU, with Naoko Yamada as chief director and Abel Góngora as director. It premiered on July 4 in the IMAnimation W block on TV Asahi and affiliated channels, with the first two episodes airing as a one-hour special. Crunchyroll streams the series as it airs, and began streaming an English dub on July 18. The anime was screened in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the TV Films category, and the manga recently won the grand prize in the Comic division of the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.
Jul 21
Anime News Network reviewed the first four episodes of Science SARU's Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, praising its unique setting in 1200s Persia and Mongolia, cultural detail, and slow-burn revenge story. The series follows enslaved servant Sitara as she bonds with her owner Fatima, learns to read and write, and later seeks vengeance after the Mongol invasion destroys her household.
Jul 17
Crunchyroll announced the English dub cast for Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, with Cristina Vee, Marwa Elda, Abi Kumar, and Yussef Benelbar leading the voice cast. The first two dubbed episodes will stream on July 18. The anime, directed by Abel Góngora at Science SARU with Naoko Yamada as chief director, premiered in Japan on July 4.
Jul 11
Sazae-san led the Japanese animation TV rankings for the week of June 29-July 5 with a 6.9% household rating in the Kanto region. Chibi Maruko-chan followed at 4.9%, while That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime season 3 scored 2.6%. Two new shows debuted: Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia at 2.1% and Draw This, Then Die! at 1.8%. Detective Conan did not air an episode on July 4.
Jul 8
Science Saru's anime adaptation of the manga 'Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia' premiered on Crunchyroll on July 4 after screening at the Annecy Festival. Naoko Yamada is executive producer, Abel Góngora directs episodes. The series follows a slave in 13th-century Persia. The team consulted a cultural advisor and visited a mosque to ensure respectful portrayal of Islamic, Persian, and Mongolian cultures.
Jul 5
The first two episodes of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, directed by Naoko Yamada at Science SARU, premiere with a stark contrast: Episode 1 builds a rich portrait of 13th-century Persian life for orphaned slave girl Sitara, while Episode 2 depicts the Mongol invasion of Tus, killing off characters and destroying the city. The series, based on an award-winning manga, is described as a difficult but visually inventive historical drama.
Jun 29
The staff for the television anime adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga "A Witch's Life in Mongol" released a new promotional video on Monday, revealing that Queen Bee performs the ending theme song "Hoshi" (Star). The anime, titled "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia," premieres on July 4 at 11:00 p.m. JST on TV Asahi's "IMAnimation W" block and 23 affiliated channels, as well as BS Asahi. The debut will be a one-hour special featuring the first two episodes. Crunchyroll will stream the series as it airs. The anime had its world premiere of the first three episodes on June 13 at United Cinemas Aqua City Odaiba and screened in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the TV Films category. Anime Expo will host the U.S. premiere on July 3, with chief director Naoko Yamada and director Abel Góngora in attendance. The main staff includes Yamada as chief director, Góngora directing at Science SARU, Kenichi Yoshida on character design and animation chief, and Kanichi Kato on series scripts. SEKAI NO OWARI performs the opening theme "Stella." The manga, published by Yen Press in English, topped the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023 rankings for female readers and won the grand prize in the Comic division of the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.
Jun 12
CyberAgent announced that the television anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia has cast active sumo wrestlers Tamawashi and Tamashoho. Tamawashi will voice Genghis Khan, and Tamashoho will play a Mongol soldier. The anime premieres July 4 on TV Asahi and affiliates, with a world premiere of the first three episodes on June 13.
May 27
The television anime adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, has received a second promotional video and a main visual. The video previews the opening theme song "Stella" by SEKAI NO OWARI. The anime will premiere on July 4 at 11:00 p.m. JST on TV Asahi's IMAnimation W block and 23 affiliated channels, as well as on BS Asahi. The first two episodes will air consecutively as a one-hour special. Four new cast members were announced: Kenji Nojima as Jochi, Ami Koshimizu as Töregene, Hiro Shimono as Ögedei, and Daisuke Namikawa as Chagatai. The anime is produced by Science SARU, with Naoko Yamada as chief director and Abel Gongora as director. Kenichi Yoshida handles character design and animation chief duties, and Kanichi Kato oversees series scripts. The anime will screen in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the TV Films category. A world premiere of the first three episodes is set for June 13 at United Cinemas Aqua City Odaiba. Anime Expo will host a U.S. premiere screening on July 3, with Yamada and Gongora in attendance.