Tomato Soup’s award-winning historical manga, A Witch’s Life in Mongol (Tenmaku no Jādūgar), is set to become a television anime adaptation! Science Saru, the acclaimed animation studio behind Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! and DEVILMAN crybaby, will produce the series. Here’s everything we know about this exciting project.
A Captivating Tale Comes to Life
A Witch’s Life in Mongol is a historical manga series written and illustrated by Tomato Soup. It began serialization on Akita Shoten’s Souffle website in September 2021 and has been running in Mystery Bonita magazine since March 6, 2025. As of August 2024, the individual chapters have been collected into four volumes. Yen Press has licensed the series for English publication, with the first volume slated for release on May 27.
The story is set in 13th-century Mongolia and centers around Fatima, a woman from Persia with advanced medical and scientific knowledge. Sold into slavery, Fatima finds herself in the service of Töregene, the sixth wife of Ögedei, the second Great Khan. Töregene is a powerful woman with complex feelings about the Mongol Empire’s direction. Fatima’s desire to utilize her knowledge brings her to the palace, where she and Töregene become key players in the empire’s political landscape. Together, they use their wisdom and resilience to challenge the inner court’s power dynamics.
Science Saru at the Helm
Science Saru, the animation studio producing Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, is known for its innovative and visually stunning work. Founded in 2013 by Eunyoung Choi and Masaaki Yuasa, the studio has quickly gained international recognition for its unique style and high-quality productions.
Some of Science Saru’s notable works include:
- Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2020): A comedy series about high school students creating anime.
- DEVILMAN crybaby (2018): A dark and intense adaptation of Go Nagai’s classic manga.
- The Heike Story (2021): An adaptation of Hideo Furukawa’s novel about the rise and fall of the Taira clan.
- Inu-Oh (2021): A historical rock opera about a Noh performer and a biwa player in 14th-century Japan.
- Dandadan (2024): Based on the manga series of the same name.
What to Expect From the Anime
The anime adaptation, titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, promises to bring Tomato Soup’s historical manga to life with Science Saru’s signature animation style. A teaser trailer featuring illustrations from the manga has already been released, offering a glimpse into the world and characters of the series. The trailer is set to West Asian-inspired music, creating an atmosphere that complements the story’s setting.
Tomato Soup shared a heartfelt message about the anime adaptation:
“Over 10 years ago, long before I began drawing A Witch’s Life in Mongol, I was fascinated by the history of the Mongolian Empire. I often thought, ‘I wish there were an anime like this.’ That thought led me to daydream: If such an anime existed, what kind of characters would appear? What sort of story would unfold?”
The author continued, explaining that the ideas that started as doodles eventually became a manga, and now, it’s becoming an anime. They expressed gratitude to everyone who helped make this possible and shared their excitement to support the anime as it takes flight.
Manga Details
- Title: A Witch’s Life in Mongol (Tenmaku no Jādūgar)
- Author: Tomato Soup
- Genre: Historical
- Published by: Akita Shoten
- Serialization: Souffle (September 2021-present), Mystery Bonita (March 6, 2025-present)
- English Publisher: Yen Press
- Volumes: 4 (as of August 2024)
Anime Details
- Title: Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia
- Studio: Science Saru
- Original Network: TV Asahi
With Science Saru’s reputation for quality and Tomato Soup’s captivating story, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia is poised to be a must-watch anime for fans of historical dramas and unique storytelling. Stay tuned for more updates as the release date approaches!
