REVIEW: ‘Jaadugar: A Witch In Mongolia’ Episodes 1 & 2 Are Truly Compelling

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episodes 1 & 2 are an extraordinary start to an anime. These first two episodes form the inciting incident for its protagonist’s journey, as she’s pulled along by the waves of history. Despite being less than an hour of animation in total, these episodes are gorgeous, at times harrowing, gut-wrenching, and even uncomfortable. 

With chief direction from Naoko Yamada(A Silent Voice, K-On!) and the episode direction of the increasingly mighty Abel Góngora (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Dandadan), Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episodes 1 & 2 wastes none of its runtime.

There’s a natural flow to the narrative, introducing the young Sitara (Akira Sekine) living in ancient Iran just before the Mongols encroach on the region. The episodes organically build up the city and the people around her, making it clear what’s at risk before the Mongols enter the story and disrupt everything. 

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is not a story about magic in the fantasy sense.

One of the most important aspects of the introduction is the clarification that, despite the title’s implication, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is not a story about magic in the fantasy sense. Instead, Sitara is taught how to appreciate and love the concept of learning. The pursuit of knowledge and understanding is unequivocally noble–a concept that shouldn’t be that novel, but it is. Similar to in Dr. Stone, knowledge is extremely valuable, even to the lower classes, like Sitara finds herself. 

This love of learning is paired with some of the most distinct animation Science Saru has yet to put on screen. That’s in line with the studio’s mission statement, but Jaadugar is particularly striking. The manga’s author, Tomato Soup, has a soft touch to their characters in particular, which Science Saru has adapted into round and friendly character design, similar to 2025’s City the Animation. Backgrounds have a watercolor texture to them to emulate the parchment of the medieval artwork that inspired Tomato Soup in the first place.

As a result of these two choices, characters leap out in front into the viewer’s eyes, almost like paper dolls being moved along the background. It’s a testament to the compositing work that this isn’t a negative critique. It’s extremely pretty. Even when the Mongols arrive and the story’s tone shifts, the animation doesn’t shy away while also making sure not to linger on any one horror as entertainment. 

The dissonance between the art style and the tone is to Jadugar’s great benefit.

The artistic direction somewhat betrays the historical weight at the core of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, Episodes 1 & 2. Speculative historical fiction, especially of a period like this, can be difficult for some viewers to digest. There’s one element in particular from the beginning of Episode 1 that made me flinch instinctively, partially because the episode didn’t. At first blush, viewers may find the topics that Jaadugar dives headfirst into an unacceptable match with its welcoming art design. But that’s an instinct we should strive to get over. 

Once that initial discomfort passes, it makes perfect sense for these episodes to handle their topics the way that they do. It’s an anime set in the 1200s, specifically using and naming real-life historical figures and regions of the time. Pretending that there’s nothing that we wouldn’t agree with today is more ahistorical than any fictional storytelling Jaadugar might engage in. What’s more, the clash between the animation and the subject matter allows for implicit disagreement with such things. It should be a little uncomfortable. 

At the same time, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episodes 1 & 2 avoids stereotyping the region’s people. It’s a relief to see a good-faith depiction of Islam that just accepts that this is what the people here believe. Of course, stories can challenge belief systems.

Compelling is a great way to describe Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episodes 1 & 2.

And, given the search for knowledge at the series’ core, it’s not much of a spoiler to say that religious belief is not the only thing being studied. But they don’t have to do that with being extremely dismissive on an editorial angle, and the faith that drives some of Jaadugar’s deserves the same respect that Christianity gets in something like Vinland Saga. 

Reasonable depiction also applies to the Mongols. Even as the anime’s synopsis makes clear how Sitara feels about them, the anime itself doesn’t depict them as inhuman. In a particularly heated moment, Sitara and another character have their worlds reflected back at each other through dialogue that highlights the conflicts of the cultures colliding. It’s no “you’re not so different, you and I” talk, thankfully, but it makes for a more compelling story. 

Compelling is a great way to describe Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episodes 1 & 2. These episodes are a fantastic start to what will surely be one of the big series for the Summer season. Chalk up another win for Science Saru. 

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Episodes 1 & 2 is streaming now, exclusively on Crunchyroll. 

Next Episode |