Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
algoPotaku
Initially, I approached this production with the expectation that it might carry a pronounced doctrinal or persuasive bias toward Islaman impression that, upon viewing, proves difficult to dismiss entirely. While the historical contributions of the Islamic world to the preservation and development of fundamental fields such as mathematics and medicine are indisputable, the excessive degree of praise directed toward a religious doctrine containing severe ideological contradictions from certain Western perspectives strikes me as fundamentally overstated.
Regarding the technical and visual aspects, the animation itself maintains an acceptable standard of execution. However, the character design suffers from substantial flaws. Most notably, there is a distinct lack of stylistic and anatomical…
Read at the sourceKranst
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is a semi-historical depiction of the devastation that conflict causes, those displaced into slavery, and the resulting bitter resentment. Though it is also an exploration of understanding. Sitara, a young girl robbed of the life she knew by the Mongols, seeks retribution for injustice by challenging her surroundings with knowledge as a weapon. She courageously desires truth amidst tribulation despite stumbling. And yet, time can erode hatred, causing one to interrogate the validity of their motivations to begin with. This story, through stylistic imagery, faithful cultural representations, and multi-dimensional characters, encourages one to question thoughts, learn diligently, and overcome oneself.
Read at the sourceCaptHobo
Overall, this show has a unique historical setting and a polished art style. Which together make a show that in its early stages was almost perfect.
However, it could have benefited from a few more episodes throughout the plot, especially between the major story beats. Large amounts of time are skipped over. Which itself isn't an issue. But I feel that we do not spend enough time getting to better know the characters. This leads to some of the later/major events not landing as well as they could have.
Still this show was a good time and offered an interesting concept, art style, and setting. I look forward to what they can do in following seasons and how they build on the characters.
Would recommend if you have even a passing interest in this period of history, or if you are looking…
Read at the sourceAshParth
2026 has certainly been a year with so many new original ideas that you would come across. Then we have many folks claiming some of them are their number one of the year. To some, it would be Witch Hat Atelier (which I enjoyed yet not my favorite). To some, it would be Goodbye, Lara (which I really enjoyed more except it wasn't even close to the next couple I will name). To some, it would be the 2026 Ghost in the Shell anime (which I love and certainly up there for my top six of the year in anime alone and in TV shows as a whole). To me, it would have to be Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia. It's understandable that it would not be the case. However, with how the political climate is right now, I would have to place this up to the very top along with another TV show that'll be placed next to c…
Read at the sourceBa-Cii10
-🟡Summer 2026
It’s good, BUT...
I really grew to like this anime. In theory, everything works: the story is unpredictable, the characters are compelling, and the attention to historical detail—combined with beautiful animation—draws you into its atmosphere. There’s a warmth to its fairytale-like aesthetic, seasoned with humor, which contrasts effectively with the often more serious themes and tone of the narrative.
However, the pacing feels rushed, and not everything lands with the impact it deserves. Plot threads with real potential fail to deliver the emotional punch they could have had, had they been given more episodes to develop and build up properly.
It feels a bit like an overly hurried prologue to a larger story—essentially just setting the pieces on the chessboard for now.
There…
Read at the sourceemberreviews
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is the perfect coalescence of a deeply complex political thriller, an epic world-spanning adventure tale, and one of the best productions of the entire year. The blending of different cultures as the Mongol hoards conquer their way through central Asia at a time when the scientific world is making some of its most vital discoveries brings this world to life in ways that I have not experienced with fiction in many, many years, and the visual representations of this are simply gorgeous. Whether it’s the vast and breathtaking scenery of different areas across the Steppes, the details found in the clothing and tools of different parts of the world, or the many character acting flourishes that highlight different social aspects of the time and region, this is simpl…
Read at the sourceRemanTheArchean
At a baseline this show is fantastic, and as a history nerd this has particular interest for me. Unlike most anime this is not a childish show. It covers a lot of mature themes and is trying to be good in the same way that prestige Western shows do like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, etc. I was looking for another slow-burn mostly-serious show like Apothecary Diaries or Frieren. It succeeds somewhat, but I have a lot of minor-to-moderate issues with it. Most of this review is listing those issues, but don't presume that because most of this review is negative that I disliked the show. It simply takes more words to explain the problems.
Problem 1: The show wallows in suffering a bit more than it needs to in the first several episodes. It doesn't exactly go full Re;Zero, but as a show abou…
Read at the sourceSSJester
"Let the two of us summon a storm". I don't know if Sitara/Fatima will actually manage to do it, but I know for sure that this anime stirred up a storm of emotions in me. I'm putting it at the very top of my list for the Summer 2026 season.
The anime has a strong script dealing with eternal human struggles. The main character is a woman named Sitara, a slave during the Mongol invasion. Placing a female character in such a setting and driving the plot through other female characters is a very interesting idea. I sympathize with their stories, eagerly watch their actions, and look forward to where they will lead each heroine.
The story of Töregene hit me the hardest emotionally. As Ögedei noted, the pain and hatred in her eyes embody all the people who have lost their loved ones and homes…
Read at the sourceRaoulVDBIG
Everyone who got History classes heard about the Mongol invasions. Endless cruelty and massacres, incredibly efficient battle tactics, conquering country after country and kingdom after empire... they started in the middle of nowhere meadows and ended up conquering almost all of the known world from Europe to Asia. And in the middle of it, they destroyed the advanced civilization of the Muslim states in the whole Middle-East.
But what happens when the greatest leader dies? Does the empire crumble in succession wars?
Tenmaku no Jaadugar leads us through history from the eyes of a young slave girl whose fate gets her closer than ever to the Mongol 'court' intrigues. Power struggles, influence, life and death is in the balance, survival and vengeance are the red lines we are invited to follo…
Read at the sourceSSCaide
Jaadugar is a period piece set in the Islamic golden age, and its positive and faithful depiction of Islamic culture—something rare in any media nowadays—already sets it apart. It follows the tragic story of Sitara, a slave girl whose family is killed during an invasion by the Mongols. Dragged into a new and unfamiliar society with a culture that she views as violent and primitive, she's left unsure of what to do with herself until she gets roped into imperial politics and meets Toregene, a woman with a similar backstory. Together they decide to get their revenge on the Mongols and set a scheme in motion.
The show has a very unique artstyle, and the animation is great throughout. The characters are complex and the politics at play quite gripping. Sitara's story is a very unique one, with…
Read at the sourcemarioink508
Completed - 8.30
After last season’s NIPPON SANGOKU—a series I soured on quickly—I went into Jaadugar with skepticism. What I didn’t expect was for it to become the stepping stone that made me want to keep exploring historical drama at all. Political conflict has always been the most difficult to sit through, especially in period settings, but Jaadugar’s approach splits the difference instead, leaning as much into slice-of-life texture as it does its political stakes—which was enough on its own to keep my interest throughout the season. The story never entirely pulled me in—it has its standouts and a steady, if unremarkable, level of drama throughout—but most of the series is carried by the show’s specific cultural significance, as well as the compelling cast. Sitara does the majority of…
Read at the sourceCaptainKenshiro
Unique artstyle, premise and setting, a semi interesting teaser and Science SARU as the studio behind it were enough for me to somewhat keep this show under my radar. Then I kept my expectations low, first after I was told that this anime is not like Chikyuu no Undo ni Suite or Viland Saga and more like Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, which I didn’t like nor even bothered to finish it as I dropped it out of boredom midway through its first season. And then later on I lowered them even more because I was told that it’s like a curious telenovella, and even another person told me that the beginning of the manga was crap. So as you see there was not much reason for me to watch it at that point but I still did that after I finished all the anime from its season that kinda interested me but not as much…
Read at the sourceSanjinosebleed
Its not perfect the story has some pacing issues and there are a few to many characters that look a like due to all waring similar outfits but I'll give it this if you wanted to convince some one with standard Non Anime fan American Taste in media the Power of chibi Character Design as a story telling tool or maybe you want to convince yourself of that then I can't think of a better show for that job then Jaadugar cus both has a serious dramatic period piece thriller story what i like to call a "HBO vibes" (mean dark and mature but without anything weird meaning it wont freak out any viewers too much) but also uses chibi character designs to tell that story and uses them to there fullest of advantages making care for the characters more and more shocked when you see the acts of extreme vio…
Read at the sourceBasherj
The art style of the characters took me a little but to get accustomed to but in general the aesthetics and tone of this anime are awesome. You even still get the whole "anime character with cool af eyes".
This is a great drama fused with history. The characters feel rooted in their own cultures, religions, and customs. The imagery portrayed for things like calling upon the spirits for a storm really allow that to be played out as well.
I like how they made Sitara not afraid to learn. It kept her alive in more ways than one. One thing I didn't understand was how she, as a slave, got away with saying so many things and being found where she wasn't supposed to be. I'm sure there was some sort of system that would punish that sort of thing but I'm not going to speculate about things that I…
Read at the sourceshunsinnerworld
Tenmaku no Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia has a plot based in historical facts from the Mongolian Empire, following two women that wanted vengeance towards the Mongolian. That's how the anime is presented and it's true. However, I must say this season is more like a setting for the events that would come in following seasons.
It centers around Sitara, historically known as Fatima, a girl that ends up in the Mongolian Empire when the Mongolian invade her city, in which she was the slave, and also student, of erudites. Because of that, she has a lot of knowledge; however, she's not so mature. In the Mongolian Empire, she learns more about the world, how to use that knowledge for her own benefit, and explores her own feelings and desire of revenge. Töregene, the other protagonist, is more lik…
Read at the sourceCaeruleus_CCXVI
7.5/10 ~ well that was weird
Very unique art style and vibes, the story is a bit odd at some points because the MC doesnt know what to do withher self... relatable. Too much of the cast looks like one another, and most of the names just feel like gibbous to me so it all melds together :/
That being said, it has enough great small details and moments that really makes you appreciate just sitting there and watching the show like its a picture book, which I cannot understate how great that is. I really hope that the show picks up in future seasons.
Read at the sourcezozozee
10/10 Animation, 10/10 story and 10/10 representation of Islamic and Mongolian cultures and histories that doesn't tip into the favour one or the other, but stays faithful to historical resources without revealing author biases and cultural insensitivity (so far).
Sitara is such a brave and intelligent character and her struggles and motivations are explored nicely (even if not in depth as of now), and other characters (especially female) are well-layered too-- shrewd and intelligent and willing to do all to achieve their goals.
My only issue with the animation style was that it was kind of difficult to discern the ages of characters.
Hoping this gets another season because I am looking forward to it.
Read at the sourceCrimson1997
I think this series is one of those that will be overlooked by many potential watchers. Even those who do give it a try will choose to drop it due to it "being too slow." This is because they came in expecting a traditional revenge story with totally evil, mustache-twirling villains that everyone will hate and love to see fall, during which the MC farms tons of aura while effortlessly outmaneuvering everyone.
But this series has chosen to instead treat every one of its characters as real people rather than just plot devices, as other stories do. This includes the MC not always being the smartest person in the room (well, I guess in a way you could say that). Whom the audience eventually, while still understanding where she is coming from, will start to doubt if what she is doing is worth…
Read at the sourcealgoPotaku
Honestly, I thought this was going to be Islamic propaganda, and—more or less—it is. I know that mathematics and medicine have roots in the Muslim world and were preserved by them, but for Westerners to heap so much praise on such a backward religion strikes me as ridiculous.
Aside from that, the animation isn't bad, but the character design is terrible; the problem is that you can't tell the difference between the children and the adult women. It feels like the protagonist never grows up, which is very confusing. Also, the plot is incredibly slow and goes nowhere. The protagonist isn't very bright—she’s kind of an idiot, really—and she just falls short for me. Look, do yourself a favor and don't waste your time on this piece of crap; it’s not *terrible*, exactly, but it was a letdown.
En…
Read at the sourceLamisha_Astaria
"Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia" was one of the most unique and emotionally impactful Historical Drama anime I have watched in recent years! ❤️
From the very first episode this anime had a deep emotional impact on me because I had never seen Islamic themes surrounding the importance of gaining knowledge and being educated represented so beautifully in an anime before. The story immediately grabbed my attention with its well crafted story, fascinating historical setting and unique art style that felt heavily inspired by historical Persian or central Asian paintings. I could genuinely feel that the writer of this story had done a lot of research into both the religious aspects and the history of Mongolia which made the world of this anime feel much more authentic.
The themes of revenge wer…
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