Science SARU’s Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is sharpening its political edge with a new trailer, a fresh special visual, and another heavyweight voice cast reveal.
The historical anime has released its third main trailer, while also confirming that veteran voice actress Kujira will play Boraqchin, the first wife of Ögedei and the Great Khatun of the Mongol Empire.
Boraqchin is being positioned as a calm but dangerous political operator. She is described as someone who understands that real power often moves quietly beneath the surface — less battlefield shouting, more chessboard energy. Kujira also shared that she was surprised to land the role, especially because she had already been reading the original manga as a fan and loves history.
The series has already begun airing, kicking off with a one-hour special that covered its first two episodes before shifting into its regular weekly broadcast rhythm.
What is Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia about?
Based on Tomato Soup’s manga A Witch’s Life in Mongol / Tenmaku no Jadugaru, the anime is set during the 13th-century Mongol Empire.
The story follows Sitara, a young girl whose life is crushed by the empire’s expansion. Instead of surviving through brute strength, she leans on knowledge, learning, and strategy. After losing everything, Sitara enters the royal court with revenge in mind, where her path crosses with Töregene, another woman carrying her own resentment toward the empire.
That setup is what makes this one interesting, bro. This is not just “historical anime with nice costumes.” The hook is power, education, revenge, and survival inside an empire that keeps swallowing nations. If the adaptation lands properly, this could hit the same satisfying zone as historical dramas where every conversation feels like a trap.
Why SEA anime fans should keep an eye on it
Analysis / inference: For Malaysia and SEA viewers who are already used to anime going beyond the usual school battle or isekai template, Jaadugar looks like one of those prestige adaptations worth tracking. The source material has awards behind it, the studio has serious animation credibility, and the staff list is stacked with names tied to visually distinct anime.
The anime was selected for the Official Competition TV Films category at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, which is a strong signal that the project is being treated as more than just another seasonal release. The manga also recently won the Grand Prize in the Comic Division at the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.
The staff is kind of crazy
The project has Naoko Yamada as executive director, a name anime fans will know from works like K-On!, A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird, The Heike Story, and The Colors Within.
Directing the anime is Abel Góngora, who co-directed DAN DA DAN Season 2. The wider main staff includes Kenichi Yoshida as character design and sakuga chief, Kanichi Kato handling series composition, and Koshiro Hino composing music in his anime composer debut. Animation production is by Science SARU, the studio behind titles such as Devilman: Crybaby, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, DAN DA DAN, and SANDA.
Tomato Soup’s manga began serialization on Akita Shoten’s Souffle website in September 2021. As of April 2025, five volumes have been released. The manga also ranked first in Takarajimasha’s This Manga is Amazing! 2023 Women’s Edition and appeared in the Manga Taisho Awards rankings for both 2023 and 2024. Yen Press has licensed the manga in English.
If you like anime where the most dangerous weapon is not a sword but someone quietly understanding how systems work, Jaadugar should be on your radar.