Tenmaku no Jaadugar

A few days ago, I reviewed Science Saru's Ghost in the Shell series and said while I didn't enjoy that, at least they had Jaadugar to save them, right? This is what we call the art of foreshadowing. Sorry, this is even worse I think this show kinda lives and dies on if you liked Sitara and if you felt sorry for her because in E1 (really, the entire show), I thought she was a shitty little brat who disrespected Allah (which is ironic when she tries to act like Allah's strongest shooter in a later episode) and who was just an intolerable little girl like yeah, being a slave probably is not very fun but you know, it's 1200s Iran, I don't want to watch a little girl pout about being a slave for 12 episodes as technically right as she was Like, they basically go "oh, Sitara's worthless and we're gonna bundle her with this other slave you actually want but look, she has a fetching smile!" so Sitara decides to never make a cute face again if it's just going to make her more appealing as a slave. And, like, yeah, maybe a controversial opinion but I'm not a big fan of slavery but on the other hand, this show isn't about and was never sold to be about, like, the rise of abolitionism or anything so it just comes across like a whiny little bitch who is going to spend the whole show bitching and moaning about a societal condition that she can't control or do anything about. So I dropped it, figured it was just gonna be insufferable the whole show And I was told that no, it gets better and it WAS leading up to something at the end of E1 so okay, maybe I was too harsh- Nope. They didn't successfully connect me to Sitara or her friends and family in E1 and that kind of influences the whole perception of the show for me because this show is like watching propaganda on the side you don't agree with. As mentioned above, Sitara was already a slave in Iran. I would argue her quality of life was about the same in Mongolia and, in general, the Mongols (ironically except the ones AGAINST Mongolia) seemed like... pretty reasonable people? Like, the emperor would be like "I see what we have done to your people. I cannot reverse that but I will make a Mongol Empire that is better for its subjects" and Sitara would just make a pouty face and sneak off and be like "hmph, fuck the Mongols, I'm gonna sabotage them anyway!" Like maybe I shouldn't be agreeing with mass murderer (amongst other things) and imperialist Genghis Khan and his people but then don't make them so rational and reasonable? I get WHY Sitara's mad of course but it doesn't do the footwork to make that an emotional thing that makes me want to see Sitara strike back. They double down on it later and like I don't know, man, you're just stat padding atp, stop working in the field of logic and work in the field of emotion Sitara only gets worse and worse too. For example, someone's grieving over a significant person in their life and Sitara just tells them to chin up, grow a pair of nuts, and get over it and like huh??? So it ends up feeling less like a RADICAL REVOLUTION by AWESOME WOMEN, these WITCHES IN MONGOLIA, and more like spoiled brats throwing their toys out the pram And the thing is it doesn't even really do much to make Sitara seem competent? Like, for her having this big quest to take down the Mongols, she's mostly just a convenient pawn whose quest mainly consists of rubbing her hands together like a fly. And to be fair, this show isn't finished so maybe (in a potential S2), it'll make her a more active participant but it seems more like she's there to brood and go "those damn Mongols" and aura farm, I can only really think of, like, 2 things that she did that materially affected the Mongols. As for the other characters, Toregene basically has the same issues as Sitara but I didn't dislike her as much because she wasn't as annoying about it ...um... that's really all I want to talk about character-wise Mongols good, rebels bad Fwiw the artstyle is... unique, certainly notable but I didn't really care for it. Like, it's certainly not ugly (to me) but I just didn't really care for any character's design. Not to keep going back to the Sitara well but despite how often it shows the passage of time, she still looks like a little kid which doesn't help the image of her as a spoiled brat. I think the political machinations are, like, vaguely interesting. I'm not gripped or anything but if Sitara and Toregene and all pretenses of AWESOME WOMEN destroying Mongolia with FACTS AND LOGIC AND SCIENCE for heckin' VENGEANCE were removed and it was about the political machinations of the Mongolian empire and how that could potentially lead to ruin, that could've been interesting (although idk by how much considering I didn't give a shit about any of the other Mongolians specifically, I barely remember some of their names). Yeah, idk I guess the easiest way to explain it is if Code Geass had Nina Einstein as the protagonist. And I don't even hate Nina but that, to me, like, that's where I'm at with Sitara. I don't think there's been a series ever where I've rooted so strongly for the antagonists to win and the protagonists to lose. Complete misfire.

The ending of a show makes or breaks it. This one is a break. Jaadugar is the only series I can remember watching in spite of its protagonists. They were so bitter and rude all the time. I get their tragic backstories, but this is based (kind of) on history, and I can't imagine they would've been allowed to talk like that. Fatima (Sitara) puts on a total villain smile every time she's lying through her teeth. It's a wonder none of the amazing supporting characters see right through her the way the viewer blatantly can, internal monologues aside. My favorite character died, which I forgave because he was supposed to (this is not a spoiler, it's history), but the way he died was like something out of a TikTok writer's "court intrigue" plot. The last episode was completely melodramatic and pointless, and that's what punctuates the whole season. A continuation would not save this show from more needless, overacted melodrama. Visually it's incredible, but the narrative cannot support it.

Every so often, an anime comes around that completely changes your outlook on life and the world. Last year, it was Orb for me and this year it’s been Jaadugar. This was artistry of the highest order and one of the most passionately made projects I’ve ever seen. An absolute love letter both to animation and central Asian culture and history. No expense was spared to ensure the most historically accurate depiction of Mongolian and Asian steppe life and culture as well as medieval Persian culture and Islamic scholarship. There’s been stories like this, Vinland and Orb to name a couple, but never covering this subject matter or part of the world. The Mongolian empire is the largest in history and Genghis Khan is claimed to be the ancestor of most of the Asian continent, it’s insane it just took us until now to get an anime about his story, but better late than never, I’m glad it’s here. It was awesome. When the first episode opened to the Islamic call to prayer, I knew this was going to be special. Even as a Catholic, I think it was amazing to see Islamic culture, scholarship and religion depicted with so much reverence and love in this show. You can tell that they went to painstaking lengths to ensure everything was accurate and to give central Asians, Muslims, Persians and general audiences alike something to enjoy. It’s a part of the world and time period we don’t see explored often in anime and while I knew Islamic scholarship was a huge driving force behind advances in science, Mathematics, medicine etc., just seeing how advanced that part of the world was compared to the Eurocentric view typically presented in American classrooms was really cool. Genuinely, do yourself a favor and look up their contributions to astronomy and come back and watch this show. Not to mention the Mongolian sumo wrestlers being brought in to voice some NPCs in the first couple episodes and Mongolian being spoken?? There was so much attention to detail here and it’s consistent throughout the show when it progresses to Mongol territory. I love educational anime with great stories and artistic direction and few have done it better than this, I’d expect nothing less from a Yamada Naoko work, my fave anime director for a reason. One of my fave revenge story tropes is when a character realizes they not longer have a need for revenge and have to regain their purpose in life and will to live. Sitara’s such a lovable character and her journey is easy to get immersed in and enthralled by because you’re able to relate to her from episode 1. Seeing these people come into her life and then be cruelly snatched away 1 by 1 just makes you so empathetic to her. You feel her pain and struggle and Sekine Akira does an amazing job bringing her to life. She is such a strong, powerful and intelligent female lead, my favorite! But she’s also flawed, and you see her grow from her mistakes as the show progresses. I think if you enjoyed Vinland saga and thorfinn’s character arc, you’ll see a lot of similarities here, as well as Maomao from apothecary diaries. I had so much fun watching her play 4D chess with the mongols and slowly realize she has more in common with them than she thought. It’s one of them stories where you yourself start to question what you’d do in the situation because things go from black and white, clear cut good and evil, to a much more ambiguous shade of grey, I.e, “yea they did this.. but are they really as evil as I thought?” I personally love thought provoking stories that make you change your perspective and challenge you to become uncomfortable as they unfold! Production wise, the show looks incredible. Science SARU are insane for doing this and Ghost in the shell in the same season. Both ooze quality in every frame and are a treat for the eyes. The sheer variety of talent and creative approaches at this studio never ceases to amaze me. The painstaking effort to bring Mongolian culture to life with time accurate uniforms, foods, traditions, rituals, spirituality.. this is a magical experience that takes you back in time to what seems like a totally different world. I really wish more anime and mangaka would go with different art styles like this instead of the stereotypical Moe look that’s been pervasive for the last 15 years or so. Special S/O to all the incredible voice actors and Hino Koshiro for the soundtrack. Jaadugar is easily anime of the season and it’s in the running for anime of the year for me. It’s an incredible watch from start to finish with a protagonist who quickly endears herself to audiences, engaging story filled with tension and emotional moments and some of the best production values of the year. It’s also the best central Asian representation ever in this medium Jaadugar gets 10 out of 10.

While I do partially agree with the positive sentiment surrounding this show I also think this sentiment stems more from what the series as a whole has the potential to be rather than what this season actually is. This is a single cour anime of 12 episodes and it is really not enough. Half the episodes are composed of various backstories and the other half sets the stage for the story to come. While proper development of the characters and the setting is appreciated we do run into the problem of the anime ending without acomplishing anything substantial. Thus I think this anime has rather limited value on it's own, you'd watch it for the sake of a potential sequel or for the sake of continuing with the manga. It is basically just an appetizer.

Honestly, I thought this was going to be Islamic propaganda, and—more or less—it is. I know that mathematics and medicine have roots in the Muslim world and were preserved by them, but for Westerners to heap so much praise on such a backward religion strikes me as ridiculous. Aside from that, the animation isn't bad, but the character design is terrible; the problem is that you can't tell the difference between the children and the adult women. It feels like the protagonist never grows up, which is very confusing. Also, the plot is incredibly slow and goes nowhere. The protagonist isn't very bright—she’s kind of an idiot, really—and she just falls short for me. Look, do yourself a favor and don't waste your time on this piece of crap; it’s not *terrible*, exactly, but it was a letdown. En español: La verdad pensaba que iba a hacer una propaganda islamica y mas o menos es. Ya se que la matematica y la medice deciende de los mulsulmanes que ellos la guardaron. Pero elogiar tanto una religion tan atrasada me parece una ridules siendo occidentales. Sacando eso despues su animacion no esta mal pero su diseño de personajes es muy malo a lo que voy no se diferencian los nenes de las mujeres adultas. Siento que la protagonista no crecio y es muy confuso. Despues la trama es super lenta y no llega a nada. La protagonista no es muy inteligente pero bueno es como una manao estupida y bueno le falta para mi. Mira algo otra cosa no te gasten en ver esta poronga, aunque no es tan malo pero me decepciono.

I feel like for what we got from the show so far, not much has happened but it was genuinely solid enough for what happens in the show. The post credits do mention a lot about stuff that's gonna happen in the manga (I haven't read) so I might consider picking it up just to see what happens. Overall 6/10 for the stuff shown throughout the show, didn't think anything was absolutely fantastic other than the really unique artstyle. I think people who can empathise with the mc will probably like the show, though she can be quite a prick at times.

Although this series flew somewhat under the radar—airing during a season packed with genuine anime heavyweights—it stands out as one of the best of the season and, likely, the year. Visuals (10): Simply impeccable; it brims with creativity and a passion for portraying the cultures, landscapes, and mysticism of the era. Plot (9.5): Narratively, it is a solid series. It adopts a measured pace, yet the story is so captivating that the episodes fly by (yes, I know that sounds contradictory to what I just said, but that was my impression). Music (8.5): While the soundtrack doesn't overshadow the other elements, the music and sound effects are of high quality and fit perfectly with the cultures and historical setting. Characters (9.2): Fatima (Sitara), the protagonist, is excellent. However, don't expect a "perfect" lead for whom everything goes right; in fact, the opposite often happens. Throughout the series, she faces harsh realities that drive her personal growth. On the other hand, the supporting cast and the story's co-protagonist (Töregene) are superbly crafted, with well-defined personalities, values, and beliefs. Even among characters who might initially seem to exist solely for war, we see incredible personality traits that transform the work into a story about people with their own motivations, rather than a simple tale of revenge against a faceless enemy. Religious Representation: This series caused quite a stir regarding its portrayal of Islam, and rightly so. The first two episodes are practically an ode to the Islamic faith; the protagonist never wavers in her beliefs and frequently references them, and other Muslim characters appear as well. However, the series isn't limited to Muslim characters; it also includes Christians and followers of indigenous religions from the Mongolian steppe, such as Tengrism. On the other hand, the portrayal of the Mongols might initially make them appear as caricatured villains; however, as the episodes progress, their culture is explored and specific characters are introduced. This succeeds in humanizing them, transforming them from mere villains into a people like any other—driven by the desire to become a great nation through the advancement of trade, knowledge, and culture. Of course, ultimately, they remain an empire that conquers in order to expand. It is also worth noting that this series is not a documentary, but a work of historical fiction. Final rating for this first season: 9.6 out of 10.

Tenmaku no Jaduugar is a work whose visual identity suggests a contemplative narrative, while its narrative construction is much closer to that of a historical account. Its stylized, childlike, and delicate visual design establishes an interesting relationship with the historical dimension of the work, especially by placing it alongside wars, territorial conquests, struggles for power, and political transformations. However, this contrast between the appearance of the characters and the violence of the context is rarely explored through staging in a way that turns it into a consistent aesthetic experience. The stylization remains primarily a visual characteristic, while the narrative takes on an almost documentary function by presenting the expansion of the Mongol Empire, its territories, successions, conflicts, and power structures. A large amount of events and information is present throughout the series, but these elements do not always gain a concrete presence within the scenes. Contemplation, therefore, seems to be more present in the appearance and overall rhythm of the work than in the way it transforms what it presents into an experience for the viewer. This distance becomes even more evident when the story focuses on Fatima. Her relationship with the imperial system could serve as the foundation for a drama about resentment, revenge, belonging, and transformation: she comes into contact with a society that she initially rejects, develops relationships with people who are part of it, and begins to experience a contradiction between what she feels toward the Empire and what she experiences within it. However, these changes are often presented more as information about the character than as experiences constructed through staging. The work presents us with feelings, relationships, and conflicts that could carry significant dramatic weight, but it does not always create situations, silences, gestures, durations, or spatial relationships capable of making these feelings transcend their condition as narrative information. Thus, Tenmaku no Jaduugar remains divided between following Fatima and presenting the history of the Mongol Empire, moving between these two modes without fully integrating them into a dramatic experience. It is a narrative that constantly informs us about what is happening, but does not always manage to make us feel what is happening. My frustration comes precisely from this: there is a contemplative aesthetic, there is a character marked by conflicts, and there is a historical context of great scale, but these elements rarely find a common form capable of transforming this collection of events into something that remains beyond the narrative itself. ______________ PT-BR version Tenmaku no Jaduugar é uma obra cuja identidade visual sugere uma narrativa contemplativa, enquanto sua construção narrativa se aproxima muito mais de um relato histórico. Seu design visual estilizado, infantil e delicado estabelece uma relação interessante com a dimensão histórica da obra, principalmente por colocá-lo ao lado de guerras, conquistas territoriais, disputas pelo poder e transformações políticas. No entanto, essa diferença entre a aparência dos personagens e a violência do contexto raramente é trabalhada pela encenação de maneira que se torne uma experiência estética constante. A estilização permanece principalmente como uma característica visual, enquanto a narrativa assume uma função quase documental ao apresentar a expansão do Império Mongol, seus territórios, sucessões, conflitos e estruturas de poder. Uma grande quantidade de acontecimentos e informações está presente na série, mas nem sempre esses elementos ganham uma presença concreta dentro das cenas. A contemplação, portanto, parece estar mais presente na aparência e no ritmo geral da obra do que na maneira como ela transforma aquilo que apresenta em uma experiência para o espectador. Essa distância se torna ainda mais evidente quando a história se concentra em Fátima. Sua relação com o sistema imperial poderia servir de base para um drama sobre ressentimento, vingança, pertencimento e transformação: ela entra em contato com uma sociedade que inicialmente rejeita, cria relações com pessoas que fazem parte dela e começa a viver uma contradição entre aquilo que sente em relação ao Império e aquilo que experimenta dentro dele. No entanto, essas mudanças são frequentemente apresentadas mais como informações sobre a personagem do que como experiências construídas pela encenação. A obra nos apresenta sentimentos, relações e conflitos que poderiam ter um peso dramático significativo, mas nem sempre cria situações, silêncios, gestos, durações ou relações espaciais capazes de fazer com que esses sentimentos ultrapassem a condição de informação narrativa. Assim, Tenmaku no Jaduugar permanece dividido entre acompanhar Fátima e apresentar a história do Império Mongol, passando entre esses dois modos sem integrá-los completamente em uma experiência dramática. É uma narrativa que constantemente nos informa sobre o que está acontecendo, mas nem sempre consegue fazer com que aquilo que acontece seja sentido. Tenho uma frustração que vem justamente disso: existe uma estética contemplativa, existe uma personagem marcada por conflitos e existe um contexto histórico de grande dimensão, mas esses elementos raramente encontram uma forma comum capaz de transformar esse conjunto de acontecimentos em algo que permaneça além da própria narrativa.

Female lead and lacks fan service, so it's the best anime of this century so far. Sarcasm aside, the art style and character designs are great as it's unique and not cliche. I like that the mc is a witch because she's learned. I also liked the historical setting, it's fun learning about a history I wasn't taught in-depth in school. The flaw is it's a historical political drama. Which means a lot of nothing happens. People talk and that's pretty much it. It's a very niche genre with a limited audience. It's diverse and inclusive and even intriguing but not much more than that. In a nutshell, if you already like this sort of thing, it is good and you'll like it. But I don't see this as the gateway to new genres.

Tenmaku no Jaadugar — Come on, do otaku really need another 'halal anime' in the 2020s? When the anime adaptation was announced last December, I thought tv asahi was joking when it announced that Science SARU would be making an "anime" involving Muslim characters in Mongolian era. Like, why? Why would they do that? Is this even worthy of being called an anime, even though Tomato Soup-sensei is Japanese? Even though the production committees are Japanese, as are the chief director and the animation studio? Who greenlit this? Tenmaku no Jaadugar, or Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, is the latest Science SARU production under the direction of Dandadan Season 2 director Abel Góngora, and the highly-acclaimed director Naoko Yamada. It adapts the manga of the same title by Tomato Soup, which is an interpretation of the historical events in Mongolia in the 13th century. Similar to Vinland Saga, Jaadugar also features real-life historical figures such as the children of Genghis Khan, Töregene Khatun, and Sorghaghtani Beki. The story follows Sitara, or Fatima, or maybe both, probably neither, who was originally a slave in a Persian city named Tus, who was sold to scholars to be taught general knowledge from them. However, she hated studying and often ran away from her lessons. She was always rebellious and liked to skip classes, until one day, her young master, who was her age and of the opposite gender, left Persia to seek broader knowledge. That greatly motivated her to study, so that one day she could meet that boy again. Her enthusiasm for learning slowly increased, until one day news of the arrival of the nomadic Mongol army spread. What you will see throughout all 12 episodes is nothing but beauty. The scenery will make you feel as if you were actually living in 13th-century Iran and Mongolia. SARU carefully portrayed the Mongols, Islamic, and other minor cultures with respect. It’s also good to see some differences of scriptures, as well Mukhammadyusuf Abdurakhimov’s Adhan solo during the first episode. Not only that, Jaadugar might be the first anime to depict Islamic prayer properly since Kidou Senshi Gundam ZZ attempted to do so 40 years ago, albeit with limited research. Tomato Soup’s blend of real-life history with fiction is rather smooth, as is the way Gongora and Yamada adapted it into anime. Jaadugar successfully made me make full use of all five of my senses. Akira Sekine successfully brought the protagonist to life, whether she was expressing her unique personality or seriously working through a problem. The two important sons of Genghis Khan, whose personalities are polar opposites (no pun intended), are also exciting to follow, and Hiro Shimono and Ryouta Suzuki also nailed their performances of both characters. Basically, the other figures from the Mongol Empire’s heyday also have varied personalities, and each character got their chance to shine. Another surprising thing is the soundtracks, composed by Koushirou Hino. He seems to be a relatively new name in the anime industry, and his background shows that he had previously only arranged music for two live-action series. Nevertheless, the anime’s soundtracks are all pleasant. I love the way Hino combines Middle Eastern (Persian) music with Mongolian and Central Asian music. The opening visuals also look stunning and breathtaking, and Sekai no Owari’s Stella sounds so heartwarming in its full version. Though I was not the biggest fan of Ziyoou-vachi, their ending performance was rather decent, despite nothing extraordinary. The ending looks cool too. Judging by its premise, the story seems rather misleading to Southeast Asian viewers, especially those from Muslim-majority countries. Some people would interpret Jaadugar as propaganda, which is understandable. For example, they would find the portrayal of the Persian slaves disappointing because they would expect characters like Yuuki Wakura (from Mabotai) or Flares/Friea (from Kaifuku). For Southeast Asian Muslim weebs, especially Indonesians, however, Muslim weebs with a common sense should consider this series a critique (Madelta, 2026). It is undoubtedly correct, because it’s been quoted many times by author Tomato Soup about a popular Islamic hadith (prophetic tradition) about the obligation of Muslims to seek knowledge, which is the contrast with the actual situation among the silent majority of Indonesian Muslims. Moving back to the topic sentence, the “propaganda” sentiment will later actually fade away once the story reaches a certain point, and turn into your typical historical anime, except the protagonist just happened to be a Muslim. In conclusion, yeah you could say Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is propagandistic and “uncultured,” due to its anti-fanservice content. It’s up to you whether to watch this 'halal anime' or not, because no one’s forcing you. However, you would probably miss what is arguably another one-of-a-kind experience, like Orb: On the Movement of the Earth. Jaadugar offers a very fresh experience for weebs who are already tired of the same old tropes and mediocre character designs, without completely abandoning the classic tropes that make the anime so anime. Its introduction to the Mongolian history and culture is very comfortable to follow, unless you decide to search those historical figures on Wikipedia. Last, but not least, SCREW Aniplus Asia for monopolizing this show for our fellow ASEAN weebs who are used to watching anime legally. It was a shame that many Indonesian weebs got mad because many of the popular anime content creators in the country (never compare them to your typical American Anitubers) chose not to review anything related to this show simply because they consistently discuss anime legally available on on-demand platforms. I personally can't blame those who are protesting, because from a business standpoint, this feels like an attempt by Aniplus to monopolize the show in Southeast Asia, leaving anime content creators wondering whether they should subscribe to scheduled TV just to cover it or simply skip the review altogether. Dear Netflix-kun. Please, please make this anime available outside Japan, and allow us Southeast Asians to watch it legally on an on-demand platform.

When I heard that there would be an anime about a Muslim woman’s life in the Mongol Empire, I was instantly hooked. It is such a rare thing to see in anime —or in media in general— and I hoped Science SARU would do the work justice. They exceeded my expectations. This is my first review after using this site for 14 years, this anime deserves a review. Minor spoilers ahead Tenmaku no Jaadugar is the story of a slave girl named Sitara in Persia. She is bought by a family of scholars in the city of Tus, and through them, she learns the importance of knowledge. Years later, the Mongols reach her city. Sitara meets Tolui, who takes her mistress’s book and brings an end to her peaceful days. After experiencing the harsh reality of war and losing her family, she almost gives up hope. However, a boy named Shira tells her that she can take the book back if she serves the Mongols and becomes Sorghaghtani’s tutor—Sorghaghtani being Tolui’s wife. Seeking revenge, she leaves behind her old, peaceful life as Sitara and becomes Fatima. Years pass, and after Genghis Khan’s death, the balance of power between his sons becomes unpredictable. Sorghaghtani asks Fatima to become her spy, which eventually leads her to meet Toregene. Fatima learns that Toregene shares the same resentment toward the Mongols, and the two secretly vow to bring about the empire’s destruction. As Fatima does what she can to survive and pursue her revenge, we see her grow into someone who uses her knowledge and wisdom to earn the Mongols’ trust. Behind her fake smile, she hides her hatred. Her knowledge of various subjects earns her enough trust to be present around other khatuns, such as Toregene and Boraqchin. Although she sometimes feels powerless and considers moving on or forgiving the Mongols, those feelings are constantly interrupted by flashbacks to her childhood. They show that she still holds tightly to her desire for revenge. Fatima’s seiyuu, Akira Sekine, does a phenomenal job portraying her anger and grief. She is cute and nonchalant during lighter scenes, but deepens her voice when Fatima begins plotting, which gives the character many layers of depth. The pacing is what most people may have a problem with. The time skips happen frequently, and some episodes can feel slow at times. However, I think this gives Fatima enough time to grow as a character while also allowing the anime to explore Mongol politics, culture, and the way the empire was run. Even though war is one of the anime’s main themes, this is not an action-packed series. It is a story focused on the politics and relationships within the ruling families, which may be a turnoff for some people. This anime is one of the best to come out in 2026. Its soundtrack is enchanting, blending Persian and Mongol influences, while the OP and ED are bangers and both suit the anime’s themes perfectly. Don’t let the fact that this is a historical anime stop you from giving it a try. As someone who was not previously interested in the Mongol Empire, this anime taught me a lot about historical figures I otherwise would not have known about, such as Tolui, Sorghaghtani, and Toregene. I found myself reading about them throughout the anime. Whether the anime is historically accurate or not, I will leave that discussion to the bookworms. If you enjoy slow-burn, character-driven drama, you should give it a try. I have nothing bad to say about this anime at all, which is very rare for me to say. Science SARU did a great job adapting Tomato Soup’s manga, and I personally cannot wait for a second season. Overall rating: 10/10

Finally reaching the end of this season I must say that Science Saru just keeps spoiling us with amazing shows, this year has been phenomenal, Tenmaku no Jaadugar is proof. A beautiful and very emotional drama. At first the art style and character design may seem to not be enough to express the cruel reality of some scenes, but trust me you will feel every emotion and tension that the characters go through all the way til the very end. The highly emotional and expressive voice acting together with the beautiful sound design make you feel as if you are part of the story, seated in the plains of the vast Mongolian landscapes and settlements as you traverse through this wonderfully animated story. The OP and ED are among the best of the Summer 2026 season, as I am catching up to the manga I am definitely adding it to my anime/manga recommendations. I could even consider it as an anime recommendation for new anime fans that would like to explore more stories outside of the mainline shounen/seinen recommendations, I feel that it's fairly digestable and truly shows what the animation industry is capable of, and it gives the chance to expierence a different type of art style and animation. 9/10 for me, well deserved!

Now this anime was definitely interesting, to say the least. The story takes place in Asia during the 13th century, around the time the Mongol Empire was taking over much of the continent. The story follows a woman named Sitara (though she's called Fatima most of the time) and her journey to avenge the deaths of her people by slowly working her way up the chain of command within the Mongol Empire as a slave. While it's only mentioned a few times, it also seems like this could eventually become a journey about discovering the truth in later seasons. The anime constantly talks about science, the nature of the world, and how certain things work. It's kinda like The Apothecary Diaries mixed with Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, and then you add a dash of revenge and put it all in a Mongol setting. From what I looked up it's actually based on a real life person named Fatima, and her story in the Mongol Empire. So may or may not go more into truth in later seasons, but I'm interested to see. The art style reminds me a lot of Ranking of Kings, which is a great reminder that just because an anime's art style doesn't look like your typical anime doesn't mean the story can't be really good. This anime certainly kept me interested from start to finish. If I had one complaint, and this is more the English dub's fault, it's that they don't translate the foreign language dialogue. Yes, I understand that the characters themselves might not understand what someone else is saying if someone else speaks a foreign language to them, but at least give us subtitles like the Japanese version does whenever another language is being spoken. Music: The opening just sits well with me. I like it! Overall: Great anime. I give it a 9/10. I enjoy learning about different cultures and getting a bit of history along the way. Of course, it's historical fiction, so parts of the story are fictionalized, but I think it's really interesting that the characters are based or inspired by real people.

Jaadugar is absolutely brimming with enthusiasm and fascination towards its world and characters. More importantly (and more impressively), that enthusiasm and that fascination are endlessly infectious, expertly pulling the viewer in again and again. Even the more slow-paced episodes fly by in a near-instant. It's almost witchcraft. Of special note is the portrayal of the various Mongol leaders. Jaadugar does not shy away from depicting the brutality of conquest, but nor does it fall into the lazy way of depicting its perpetrators as cartoon villains. The show's fascination with its key players extends to its antagonists. They are multifaceted people, with depth, personality, and dreams of what comes after the conquest. But they are still people with grand imperial ambition, and the road to such power is always paved with blood and bones. One interesting aspect is how the series portrays elements of mythology in a very literal way, not to portray the setting as containing actual magic, but to add that aspect of characterization and detail to both cultures and characters. The viewer is trusted to understand that they are not witnessing literal magic like in a full-on fantasy anime, but rather a visualization of the beliefs of the characters. Likewise, the viewer is trusted to understand that the science of the Islamic Golden Age was simultaneously highly advanced and impressive for its time, and deeply flawed in many areas compared to our modern understanding. The gorgeously vibrant visuals and expressive character animations speak for themselves. Landscapes, buildings, tents, people, and animals alike are rendered gorgeously. The OP and ED, likewise, are fantastic both in terms of visuals and music. A few nitpicks: Jaadugar often takes its sweet time in this first season. The pacing is never dull, but it does feel like the grander narrative is constantly just on the cusp of beginning. Additionally, history does not tend to cleanly divide itself into narrative arcs, and as such, it does feel like Jaadugar ends its first season at a slightly awkward point. Or maybe I'm just annoyed that I can't have more right now? It doesn't matter. Jaadugar Season 1 is a must-watch.

10/10 Animation, 10/10 story and 10/10 representation of Islamic and Mongolian cultures and histories that doesn't tip into the favour one or the other, but stays faithful to historical resources without revealing author biases and cultural insensitivity (so far). Sitara is such a brave and intelligent character and her struggles and motivations are explored nicely (even if not in depth as of now), and other characters (especially female) are well-layered too-- shrewd and intelligent and willing to do all to achieve their goals. My only issue with the animation style was that it was kind of difficult to discern the ages of characters. Hoping this gets another season because I am looking forward to it.

Almajd la Science Saru (sorry) This studio is so strong for create any productions who get out of actual standarts. The painting style is really pretty for the eye and give charme at the environment. The challenge picked up on the charadesign with the limitation downloaded by the veil must CLEARLY be clapped because every character arrives to have a unique design and facial expressions so charmy. Congratulation. There also have many MANY idea of realisation like for his last productions (dandadan and sanda) like symethry, camera movements on character's moves. Bref Absolute cinema. But another big quality of this anime is the story. I like the immersion in the mongolian culture and the politique battle inside the camp. Characters are very interesting like Fatima who wants to satisfy her vengeance with alliances with other victims of this system who place their hopes in the future emperor. Also op and end are masterpiece who turn infinitely in my head and other ost are nice. Bref a pleasure to see your next productions mister the best studio ever

In one sentence, it's one of the best show in 2026 summer. It was a sound creation with a good plot. "The Apothecary diary"'s recent popularity drew me to this show. So I expected historical settings and so on. The show didn't disappoint me in that case. First, let's talk about making and technical stuffs. Science Saaru really did amazing job in the animation. They kept the colour vibrant and grainy to create the Persian,central Asian/silk road aesthetic. But I think the video quality could be improved. It feels very smudgy and grainy when the video runs on 360p or 480p. Voice acting and sound designing was top notch. Specially during episode 10 and 11 where major event unfolds, the narration and sound designing was great. The opening theme song was one of the greatest opening song in this summer in my opinion. I'll put it 2nd in my list right after "Freeze me up". About the story and plot, I won't elaborate much. About the good sides, it really stayed very close to the real history. Though some events were redefined. Those redefined events followed different theories rather than the popular ones. A historical event usually have multiple theories and explanations. So I think the mangaka prioritized the theories that could go with the narrative without clashing the main plot. Overall, it won't feel too boring like a historical document and not too exaggerated like a fictional work. About bad sides, story doesn't get high stakes at first. Yeah it starts with some traumatic events but the story loses it's momentum. But it bounces back after 1 or 2 episodes. So the watcher have to be patient. I can assure that the patience will definitely be fruitful. I'll recommend this show for people who love historical plot based drama and specially interested in central Asian or silk route history and politics. The show was successful to portray the golden age of Persia perfectly. Besides the mongol tents and nomadic lives were really new for me to watch. I have read a lot of those things in the textbooks but I witnessed them for the first time through the anime.

Jaadugar: The Witch in Mongolia Review To be honest, I hardly know where to begin. Should I start with the art style—strange yet undeniably beautiful? It is distinctive, clearly drawing on anime aesthetics. Or perhaps the animation, which also looks fantastic? The use of color is impressive; whether depicting different times of day or changing seasons, the attention to detail is evident. No, I think I’ll start with the characters, as they made the biggest impression on me. Characters I believe the characters here are brilliantly written. Virtually every character who appears on screen for any significant amount of time contributes something meaningful. Several of them also have compelling backstories, allowing us to better understand their motivations and interpret their actions for ourselves. Sitara also known as Fatima is a prime example. Her actions are driven by revenge. A similar motive drives Toregene, and this becomes a key factor bringing them together. Their relationship is one of the most fascinating aspects of the series, and watching it evolve is truly engaging. Khatun Boraqchin is portrayed in a completely different light. Her primary goal is to ensure the continuation of the lineage and preserve the Khan’s power; she is willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve this even resorting to the murder of his brother, Tolui. It is precisely these differences in motivation that ensure the characters are far from one-dimensional. Each has their own objective and their own way of pursuing it. Plot All right, perhaps I should start with the plot after all, as it is one of the key elements that keeps the suspense high and makes you constantly want to know what happens next. We have the aforementioned theme of revenge, but also politics, power struggles, and the Mongol conquests. Historical figures such as Tolui and Ogedei appear as well, and the events surrounding their reigns and expansion provide the backdrop for our heroines' stories. Interestingly, despite the presence of major historical events, the plot focuses largely on women. It is they who very often drive the action forward or take control of events already underway. And that is something I really appreciated. The female characters here are not merely observers of great history they are the ones shaping it. Presentation Visually, it is truly excellent. The art style might be off-putting at first especially if you look at the poster or trailer without being accustomed to that kind of aesthetic. I had that exact issue myself. It didn't impress me, and to be honest, I was expecting something completely different from this anime. But then it turned out that this distinctive art style harmonizes perfectly with the world itself. The animation is very good, but I appreciate the use of color and light even more. The shifting times of day and seasons aren't just for show; they make the world feel alive, and you can really see how much care went into its depiction. Summary For me, *Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia* is the biggest surprise of the season. It delivered brilliantly written characters, an intriguing plot, political intrigue, revenge, a power struggle, and a historical backdrop all presented with a highly distinctive visual style. What I appreciate most, however, is that the female characters truly drive the story. They aren't merely appendages to historical events; they have their own goals, ambitions, and motivations, and their decisions shape the course of the narrative. Based on my initial impressions, I never expected to say this after the season ended, but for me, this is the anime of the season and one of the best series I’ve watched all year.

Jaduugar "A Witch in Mongolia" - Finale This anime might be my Anime of the Year. Even tho I watched Ikoku Nikki, Nippon Sangoku & Tongari Boushi no Atelier, this is the only one which stood out the most to me. This anime got a lot of controversy in the beginning, and a lot of people even dropped it due to those controversies, but those who stayed discovered an uncut, naturally polished gem. Naoko Yamada didn't promise, but she delivered, and she has my utmost respect for that. Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia follows Sitara, a young Persian slave who uses her deep intellect and knowledge to infiltrate the 13th-century Mongol imperial court and seek vengeance. I went into this with a clear mind, having no expectations of it and knowing nothing about it, yet I was captivated by this piece of media. It instantly grew on me to the point that I only looked forward to its new episode each week. My favorite characters are as follows: Fatima (Sitara), Toregene, Odegei/Tolui, Sorghaghtani, Boraqchin, Moge. I love this one from start to finish, and it is a 10/10 for me. Best show of this season and probably the best show of this year too.

Man, the summer of 2026 has been a banger year for anime, probably one of the best seasons of it in years. Between a slew of original anime, stellar adaptations of existing manga and novels, and just the sheer variety of different genres and demographics being explored, I honestly can't think of any anime season that's been this stacked since...I think sometime in 2011. I know one of the most anticipated was a little unassuming josei adaptation called Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia, directed by Naoko Yamada and animated by Science Saru. I have only vague knowledge of the manga it's based on, A Witch's Life In Mongol by Tomato Soup, but even without that, I have a question for you: What anime, or even any storytelling medium at all, can you think of that's set in the Mongol Empire as ruled by Genghis Khan? That alone set Jaadugar apart from all its contemporaries, as the Middle East is very rarely a setting explored by most storytelling mediums, much less in a respectful manner, and based on stories and interviews I've read about Naoko Yamada and her team actually traveling to the Middle East to do research on its culture and history, Jaadugar has set a pretty high bar on how to do it. I wholeheartedly agree, though saying Jaadugar is only good because of how well it depicts its setting and how well-researched it is is still doing it a bit of a disservice, as it has far more to offer than just being a well-animated history lesson. In the early 13th century, knowledge and wisdom are as valuable as riches and gold. In the city of Tus in Persia, a young girl, Sitara, is sold as a slave to a family of scholars. Although she initially tried to run away, they taught her the importance of knowledge, and she ended up working and studying in their home. After the heir to the family leaves for Nishapur to further his studies, the Mongols invaded Tus. Everyone Sitara knew and grew to care for was slaughtered, and in the ensuing chaos, she was captured by Tolui's army. After being taken to Mongolia, she takes on the name Fatima and begins to plot her revenge on the Mongols. In doing so, she finds herself in the employ of Toregene, the sixth wife of new Mongol emperor Ogedei, who absolutely hates him because of what he did to her tribe. They bond over their shared suffering and decide to work together to bring the Mongol empire to its knees, by any means necessary. Now, in order to fully explain my feelings on Jaadugar and the things I feel it both succeeded and struggled with, I have to compare it to another anime Yamada-san and Science Saru worked on, The Heike Story, because if you really think about it, both stories are fairly similar in premise, focusing on young girls who lost their families in turbulent times and are drawn into the ensuing political disputes and fallout, even if their approaches are significantly different. Obviously, the setting is the big standout here, not just from how its animated and depicted, but how it forms the basis of the entire plot. Backgrounds are depicted with impressionist, painterly splendor, every frame being a work of art in and of itself, and the finer details like clothing, tapestries, book covers, tent thresholds, and Islamic rituals are recreated and treated with reverence, bringing Jaadugar's world to life. True to Science Saru's ethos, realism doesn't have to mean drab, colorless, or devoid of wonder, with the aforementioned rituals, afterlife visions, and philosophical framing being elevated with picturesque, storybook-like scenes that are a feast for the eyes and imagination. Of course, Yamada-san's favored directorial techniques are used to great effect here, and I honestly can't say anything else about them that hasn't been said by others already, other than that she's really managed to refine them to a fine point since her first outings, and her years of experience really show here. But it's not enough to make a place look pretty, but to show what life is like on said setting and truly make it feel lived in. Yamada-san and the team at Science Saru spared absolutely no effort. They went all out in studying Persian and Mongol history and culture of 800 years ago in order to depict it as faithfully and respectfully as possible, both the good and bad aspects of it, and they didn't waste a single detail or take anything for granted. Everything, from how the entrances to the Mongol tents always face south, to the differing views and methods on how Muslims and Mongols slaughter animals for food is similarly treated with reverence for their respective cultures, religions, and ideologies. Being historical fiction, Yamada-san knew that the series' setting was tantamount to everything, recognizing the value in depicting it as is, with all of both its good parts and bad parts (Depictions and views on slavery included, which I'm well aware is a contentious topic nowadays thanks to all the bad isekai light novels using it so flippantly), as doing otherwise and trying to sanitize or water it down for the sake of making it palatable for a modern audience would not only be disingenuous, but no better than whitewashing history. Granted, I'm not Muslim myself, so I can't exactly comment on how accurate Jaadugar's depiction of Islamic culture is from that standpoint, and it wouldn't be my place to do so anyway, but again, the fact that Yamada-san and the people at Science Saru went to visit Persia and put in the effort to immerse themselves into the culture to study how to depict it here tells you that they wanted to do this right. Jaadugar already set the bar pretty high in its depictions of Islamic and Mongol culture, but the series has way more to offer than just that. Much like Heike Story before it, Jaadugar boasts a large cast of characters with clashing ideologies, agendas, cultures, and religions, all with their own different reasons for making the choices they make, and their motives are never black-and-white. Because Heike Story was made to tell a decades-long epic in just eleven episodes, it had to speed run through important plotlines and character beats, never being allowed time to truly let them breathe and allow important emotional moments to leave an impact. With Jaadugar being an ongoing manga, Science Saru learned from their past mistakes with Heike Story and only made sure to adapt the story up to a certain point, so while the pacing still moves rather briskly and does have several time skips to keep track of, it's able to juggle its characters, pacing, and ongoing narrative much better, so it never feels like you missed something important if you looked away from the TV for a fraction of a second. Characters feel much more fleshed out, it's easier to actually keep track of what's going on and who's who, important moments are actually treated with the appropriate level of weight and gravitas in ways that actually stick, and it feels nowhere near as rushed or compressed as Heike Story did. Sitara is also more proactive and entrenched in the story's narrative than Biwa was in Heike Story, and the show sells her growth from a distraught girl who lost everything to a woman trying hard to navigate a system that she's trapped in, while still managing to keep her from being completely infallible. If this were any regular story, heroes and villains would be much more clear-cut, but Jaadugar isn't interested in your typical hero defeats the villains story. Actually, Jaadugar has my respect for one particular aspect it does amazingly well: Writing and humanizing its villains. Yes, there's no denying that the Mongols were colonizers who razed whole cities to rubble and committed genocide against different tribes and races in the name of expanding its empire, but Jaadugar is smart enough to not just reduce them to just generic evil Saturday morning cartoon villains. Part of this is because Jaadugar explains the logistics behind how forming an empire the way they do actually works, like establishing trade routes, showi…