Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Previews Acts 1 & 2 at Anime Expo in the US — Director Naoko Yamada and Team Discuss the Series' Appeal

The TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, based on the acclaimed historical manga that has won numerous manga awards, held a special panel at Anime Expo 2026, North America's largest anime convention, held in Los Angeles from July 2. Director Naoko Yamada, animation producer Rie Misumi (Science SARU), and producer Kazuki Endo (TV Asahi) took the stage for the event. In addition to early screenings of Acts 1 and 2, the panel featured behind-the-scenes stories and discussion of the series' appeal.

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is a historical manga by Tomato Soup, currently serialized in Akita Shoten's Souffle magazine. Set in the era of the 13th-century Mongol Empire, it is a historical harem drama depicting Sitara, a girl who tries to survive a harsh fate by wielding "knowledge" as her weapon, and Töregene, a consort harboring deep resentment toward the empire, as the two are bound together by a shared thirst for revenge and defy their fates together.

The series has drawn attention for winning numerous manga awards, including first place in the Women's category of Takarajimasha's "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023," two consecutive years of ranking in the "Manga Taisho" awards (2023 and 2024), and the Grand Prize in the Comic category at the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Award. Animation production is handled by Science SARU, a studio acclaimed worldwide for its outstanding quality on works such as DANDADAN, The Heike Story, and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

U.S. Premiere of Acts 1 and 2 Held! Stunning Visuals Draw Huge Cheers from the Crowd

The U.S. premiere of the TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia drew a venue packed with passionate fans eager to see the series as soon as possible. As Science SARU's overwhelming visual artistry, the meticulously crafted Persian and Mongolian world, and the weighty drama of protagonist Sitara confronting her harsh fate were projected onto the big screen, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience, marking the series' first-ever screening in America.

After the screening, Director Naoko Yamada, animation producer Rie Misumi, and producer Kazuki Endo took the stage to begin a talk session.

Asked by the MC how the project came to be adapted into anime, TV Asahi's producer Kazuki Endo explained that he had personally championed the adaptation, saying, "When I read the original manga, I found the grand historical drama so compelling that I knew I wanted to adapt it into anime myself. I felt the content would be quite difficult to handle in a conventional anime adaptation, so when it came to the creative side, I felt Science SARU was the only choice, and that's how I came to offer them the project."

Asked how the series' star-studded staff came together, animation producer Rie Misumi revealed the process behind assembling the team: "Director Abel originally loved Heidi, Girl of the Alps, and we felt there were elements in common with this project (Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia). We also felt that this story has a different kind of drama compared to his previous works like Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and DANDADAN, so we offered him the project hoping he would bring a different kind of direction in that sense. As for Yamada, she had the opportunity to read the original manga and became interested in Persia and Mongolia, the setting of the story, and she found it exciting to create a work alongside Director Abel and other new staff members, which is how she came to join. We heard that Kenichi Yoshida is very fond of the original work, and his character design work on previous projects has been wonderful as well — this is the first time Science SARU has worked with him. And for the art direction, which is one of the key points of this series, we offered the position to Yuri Kabasawa, who also served as art director on Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba."