REVIEW: ‘Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia’ Episode 3 – “An Undying Flame”

After a gut-wrenching double episode start, Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 3 is about finding a new way forward. Compared to those first two episodes, “An Undying Flame” focuses more on building historical context and exposition. But keeping with the premiere, Jaadugar is thinking about storytelling on an entirely different level. 

Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 3 opens up on a flashback to establish several things: the rise of the Mongols, the names and personalities of Genghis Khan’s sons,  and, specifically, why the fourth son, Tolui (Ryota Suzuki), wants the Elements book. Cleverly, this flashback is in fact fellow captive Shira (Miyu Irino) explaining why he is stopping Sitara (Akira Sekine) from giving up on life.

It’s a wonderfully directed dichotomy: the sunshine and happy energy of the brothers laughing about how there is no one to read the book cuts hard to Sitara’s nighttime grief and rage. By doing things this way, “An Undying Flame” prevents early flashback fatigue while providing a spread of emotions for everyone in the scene. Sitara, in particular, goes from apathy to rage slowly as she takes in Shira’s story and his pitch to offer her as a translator for Tolui’s wife. 

“An Undying Flame” expertly pivots between shifts in tone. 

Meanwhile, Shira is a very interesting reflection of Sitara and her fellow captured, enslaved people. He concludes that he is not dying as a human shield and that he will build favor with the Mongols to pull himself out of his situation, and that Sitara might be able to help.

While Sitara clearly finds his self-serving nature distasteful, Shira understands what she hasn’t until now: that’s the only way out. How can she really blame him, as she effectively did the same with her previous mistress’s family? To us viewers, it should also make sense for these slave children to be willing to do what it takes to be free. 

That desire for freedom is what quickly shifts Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 3. Sitara, now going by her former mistress’s name, Fatima, decides that playing the game is an opportunity to reclaim Elements. But as the weeks go on, there are indications that Fatima could leverage her education far more than that.

A historical collision course is set in Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episode 3.

It’s remarked to her that her wisdom could be valuable to the future of the Mongols. Fatima also notices one of the other son’s wives, Töregene (Ami Koshimizu), just before she declares that her husband and the Mongols are her enemies as well. 

Obviously, these two characters are set on a collision course as per the history Jaadugar is referencing. Stalling that meeting out so that viewers can see their individual fires burn is a compelling choice, though. Historical stories like this can sometimes give themselves over to the flow of history, prioritizing the sequence of events.

Instead, Jaadugar is working to build up characters like Fatima, Töregene, and the Khan’s sons first. The waves of history will arrive for them soon enough, but given how much speculation of Fatima’s life is the bulk of the story, stemming that tide is a wise decision. 

The adaptation of medieval art that makes up the tapestry-like environments and backgrounds continues to be stunning. Over the course of  Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 3, the seasons change and the colors with them. Shifting into fall adds some extra browns to the camp’s fields, and a nighttime rainstorm blends even more grey into the deep blues of the dark sky.

Science Saru continues to deliver top-notch animation, proving why they’re masters of the craft.

In a particular highlight, Fatima recounts a story about a Muslim man who travels to India to extend his life. The animation shifts further, becoming a tapestry itself. These images aren’t static, with the characters in Fatima’s story moving like paper dolls.

The rendering of these scenes is so high-quality that the fabric material invites the viewer to reach out and touch it. Unsurprising but lovely work from the masters at Science Saru. Sometimes, it’s hard not to wonder what a bad piece from them would look like. 

Thanks to thoughtful pacing and consistent quality, Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia Episode 3 continues a hot streak for Science Saru. Fatima’s story of surviving in dire straits is already compelling. As the season continues, it is almost certain that Jaadugar will be one of the year’s highlights. 

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episode 3 is streaming now, exclusively on Crunchyroll.

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