Jaadugar Behind-the-Scenes Video Reveals

A new making-of video for the upcoming anime 'Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia' details the adaptation challenges and location scouting that shaped the

Studio Science SARU has released a behind-the-scenes video for its upcoming anime series, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia. The video, titled "The Making of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia," offers a detailed look into the production process for the adaptation of Tomato Soup's award-winning manga, A Witch's Life in Mongol.

Executive Director Naoko Yamada discussed a core challenge. The team spent considerable time determining how to translate the manga's specific passage of time into animation. The video features Yamada, Director Abel Góngora, and Character Design and Sakuga Chief Kenichi Yoshida exploring visual techniques, including the removal of lines outside characters' primary outlines.

Production Insights and Location Work

The production team conducted location scouting in Mongolia. Directors experienced the country's landscapes and nomadic lifestyle firsthand. Observations from this trip directly informed the anime's depiction of its 13th-century Mongol Empire setting.

The making-of video also includes interviews with key voice cast members. Akira Sekine, who voices the protagonist Sitara, Ami Koshimizu, who voices Töregene, and Jun Saito, who voices Muhammad, all appear.

Series Background and Recognition

Based on Tomato Soup's manga, the series is set during the 13th-century Mongol Empire. It follows Sitara, a young girl who survives a brutal fate by relying on knowledge rather than force. After losing everything to the empire's expansion, she infiltrates the royal court seeking revenge. Her fate becomes intertwined with Töregene, a woman who harbors her own hatred toward the empire.

The series gained international recognition before its broadcast. It was selected for the Official Competition TV Films category at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026. The original manga recently won the Grand Prize in the Comic Division at the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.

Key Staff and Production Credits

The main production staff for Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia brings together notable talent from across the industry. The team is led by executive director Naoko Yamada, known for works like K-On! and A Silent Voice.

Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol began serialization on Akita Shoten's Souffle website in September 2021. Five volumes have been released as of April 2025. The manga earned first place in Takarajimasha's "This Manga is Amazing! 2023" (Women's Edition) and was ranked in the Manga Taisho Awards for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024).

Yen Press holds the English license for the manga.

The official synopsis, provided by the source, describes a young girl in the 13th-century slave markets of Iran who becomes a witch manipulating a vast continent. After losing her mother and homeland, Sitara is taken in by a scholar's family and learns the power of knowledge. Her peaceful life ends with the arrival of the Mongol Empire's fourth prince, Tolui, leading her to vow revenge against the empire.

Source: Anime Corner