Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Behind-the-Scenes Making-of Video Gives a Look Into Science SARU’s Production Process

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia anime has unveiled a fresh behind‑the‑scenes feature that showcases the making of the Science SARU production.

The video, called “The Making of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia,” examines how the crew turned Tomato Soup’s manga A Witch’s Life in Mongol into a historical palace story from the 13th‑century Mongol Empire. Naoko Yamada, the executive director, spoke about the difficulty of converting the manga’s timeline progression into animated form.

Yamada reported that the team devoted considerable effort to figuring out how to handle that part of the adaptation. The behind‑the‑scenes feature also includes conversations among Yamada, director Abel Góngora, and the head of character design and sakuga, Kenichi Yoshida, covering visual methods like erasing lines that sit outside the main character outlines.

The production crew also performed location scouting in Mongolia. The directors personally immersed themselves in the nation’s scenery and nomadic way of life, and the insights gathered on the trip later shaped how the anime portrays its setting.

The “making of” clip further presents interviews with Akira Sekine (voice of Sitara), Ami Koshimizu (voice of Töregene), and Jun Saito (voice of Muhammad). The complete video can be viewed beneath.

Rooted in Tomato Soup’s prize‑winning manga A Witch’s Life in Mongol, the series takes place in the 13th‑century Mongol Empire and centers on Sitara, a youthful girl who endures a harsh destiny by depending on intellect instead of brute strength. After the empire’s conquest strips her of everything, she slips into the royal court seeking retribution, where her path crosses with Töregene, a woman nursing her own animosity against the empire.

Prior to airing, the series garnered global acclaim, being chosen for the Official Competition TV Films section of the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Meanwhile, the source manga recently captured the Grand Prize in the Comic Division at the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.

The creative team is headed by Naoko Yamada, celebrated for titles such as K‑On!, A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird, and The Heike Story, in her role as executive director. Her latest project was the film The Colors Within, for which we previously conducted an interview. Partnering with her as director on Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is Abel Góngora, who also helmed the second season of DAN DA DAN. Science SARU studio, which has recently become a TOHO subsidiary, is acclaimed for high‑quality anime productions like Devilman: Crybaby, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, DAN DA DAN, and the newest release SANDA.

The complete principal staff is listed as follows:

• Executive Director: Naoko Yamada (The Heike Story, The Colors Within, A Silent Voice)
• Director: Abel Góngora (DAN DA DAN season two, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Star Wars: Visions – T0-B1)
• Character Design And Sakuga Chief: Kenichi Yoshida (Eureka Seven, Overman King Gainer, The Orbital Children)
• Series Composition: Kanichi Kato (The Eminence in Shadow, Teasing Master Takagi-san, Black Clover)
• Music: Koshiro Hino, recognized for his distinctive compositional style and thorough grasp of traditional instruments, marking his first work in anime scoring
• Animation Production: Science SARU

Tomato Soup creates and illustrates the historical manga series A Witch’s Life in Mongol (Tenmaku no Jadugaru), which debuted on Akita Shoten’s Souffle online platform in September 2021. As of April 2025, five volumes have appeared. The work claimed the top position in Takarajimasha’s “This Manga is Amazing! 2023” women’s category and was shortlisted for the Manga Taisho Awards for two straight years (2023 and 2024). Yen Press secured the English licensing rights.

The official plot summary:

There was once a young girl in the 13th‑century slave markets of Iran.
Her story tells of a witch who manipulated an entire continent.
After losing her mother and being uprooted from her native land, Sitara became completely isolated.
Being very young, unable to fend for herself and with no future prospects, she was welcomed by Fatima, a compassionate woman from a learned family.
“If you study and become wise, no matter what trouble befalls you, you’ll know the best way forward.”
She was deeply impacted by the advice of Fatima’s son, Muhammad, and realized how vital learning could be, prompting her to pursue greater education.
She hopes someday to reunite with Muhammad, who has embarked on a quest for wisdom.
At the same time, under Emperor Genghis Khan’s rule, the Mongol Empire’s unstoppable advance overtook countless lands, extending its power globally.
This relentless drive eventually arrives at Sitara’s hometown, where the empire’s fourth prince, Tolui, shatters her tranquil daily existence.
Having lost everything, Sitara swears vengeance against the empire’s all‑consuming grip.

Credit: Press release from the Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia website
©Tomato Soup(AKITASHOTEN)/Jaadugar Committee

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terimakasih sudah mengunjungi thecuy. 🙂