The anticipated summer season anime "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia" is set to begin its streaming on July 4, 2026. Based on the popular manga by Tomato Soup, this Science SARU production is drawing massive attention, featuring Abel Gongora as Director and the legendary Naoko Yamada as Executive Director.
Animate Times recently sat down with Executive Director Naoko Yamada to discuss the project. From the visceral terror of nature experienced during their research trip to Mongolia to the deep connection between daily life and ideology, Yamada-san opened up about the creative process.
She also shared stories about her collaboration with Director Abel Gongora, the "fluid" charm of the protagonist Sitara, and her meticulous communication with the original creator, Tomato Soup. This is a deep dive into the joy of discovery and the intellectual curiosity that defines "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia"—a story about the true meaning of "knowing" and "thinking."
Feeling Nature, Philosophy, and Life Firsthand
── To start off, could you tell us how the "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia" anime project began and how you became involved?
Naoko Yamada (Executive Director, hereafter Yamada): I first heard that Science SARU was going to produce "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia," and that Abel-san might be directing it. I thought, "What an incredible project!" I practically begged to join, asking, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
── The team actually went on a location scouting trip to Mongolia. I heard you were even caught in some pretty intense winds while you were there.
Yamada: That’s right. I honestly thought I was going to die (laughs). I say that jokingly now, but it was an experience that made me truly realize how terrifying nature can be.
It wasn’t just "the breeze feels nice" or "the stars are pretty." The stars were so bright and numerous they felt like they were crashing down on you, and the wind was so strong it could literally blow your body away. The sheer threat of nature felt so immediate and close.
── Is it a different scale entirely compared to the mountains and nature in Japan?
Yamada: Japan has its own unique natural power, and I have immense respect for the people who live within it—enduring things like the harsh "yama-oroshi" (mountain winds). But the people in Mongolia, who have lived there for thousands of years, possess a wisdom for living alongside nature that I deeply respect. You can't really compare them; both are incredible.
── Did you get a sense of that wisdom and lifestyle during your research trip?
Yamada: Speaking with the locals, I felt a sense of being rooted in the land. There’s the sun, the sky, and the earth—and from those elements, a sense of awe and respect is born. Their philosophy and way of thinking stem directly from that. They face nature with such purity, and their faith and daily lives exist within that relationship. I was able to understand that viscerally.
Through this trip, I felt we could better infuse the sensibilities and perspectives that these people have built up over generations into the work.
A Work Born from True Determination
── Tomato Soup-san’s original manga also places great importance on that perspective of land and culture. What were your first impressions of the manga, and what parts specifically drew you in?
Yamada: The art is so cute and supple—that’s a huge part of its charm. But then you realize it’s actually depicting a truly terrifying story.
It has this magical, mysterious balance that makes it one-of-a-kind. At first glance, it doesn’t "look" like a grand historical epic, and that gap is what made it so fascinating. I found myself becoming more and more obsessed with it.
── It’s a blend of a massive historical narrative and the intimate, detailed perspectives of each character.
Yamada: Exactly. As I researched the historical facts and read up on the real-life figures the characters are based on, I started to see what Tomato Soup-san chose to include, what she fictionalized, and how she built these characters. I realized just how monumental that task was. You can tell this work was created with absolute determination.
── The work itself possesses a sense of "resolve."
Yamada: That in itself is amazing, and as you engage with the story, learning about history becomes increasingly fun. It acts as a bridge to things you might have known nothing about. Your interests expand and deepen. That’s truly the appeal. It’s a work that remains fascinating every step of the way.
Not Stopping Director Abel’s Imagination
── In bringing this story to the screen, were there specific elements you prioritized or kept a close watch on?
Yamada: Since the story centers on two countries with very different cultures, the most important thing was to depict both cultures with genuine respect.
── While there is respect, there’s also a sense of "flatness" or objectivity. For example, characters use the word "slave" quite naturally.
Yamada: It’s presented with a narrative tone of "this is how things were." I’m learning a lot about the word "slave" and the systems surrounding it through this project. In Sitara’s world, in Persia, they lived almost like members of the family.
By engaging with the material, I feel my own preconceived notions being challenged and expanded. That’s exactly why it makes me want to "know more."
── In depicting the elements, what has your specific role been as Executive Director?
Yamada: I haven't really been "pulling" the project in a specific direction; I’m more like a cheerleading squad for Director Abel (laughs). I’m always excited to see what Abel-san does next.
── So, rather than presenting ideas yourself, you’re responding to what Abel-san brings to the table?
Yamada: In my heart, I want to be the person who never stops Abel-san's imagination.
── What do you find most appealing or "trustworthy" about Abel-san as a creator?
Yamada: When I first spoke with him on a previous project, I had this... conviction. I felt like he was someone "born to create." In one sense, he’s very level-headed, but at the same time, he has the strength to never compromise on quality. He also maintains multiple perspectives simultaneously.
He has an objective eye, but he balances it with his own subjective flair. Ultimately, everything converges on a single point: "What is best for this work?"
He pours everything he’s ever seen, studied, or been interested in into his work, and his sense of balance in selecting those elements is incredible. I feel like if he made another project tomorrow, he’d create an entirely different world. He’s like a "4D Pocket" (like Doraemon's) of ideas.
── It sounds like he can pull anything out at will. I’m curious about what’s inside that pocket!
Yamada: What’s mysterious is that there’s no sense of a "gap" or disconnect. He loves Japanese animation and old Japanese cinema. When you look at what he creates, there’s a sense of "wabi-sabi" (the beauty of imperfection and transience) at the root. In that sense, his balance is superb.
── Director Abel mentioned that you have a "wonderful way of depicting a character's inner self." This series has a massive cast—how did you approach understanding and directing each individual?
Yamada: Regardless of the project, if I focus on the fact that "every character has their own thoughts and their own sense of justice," the size of the cast doesn't really bother me. Everyone is different. Sometimes I even think, "It’s only natural that I can’t understand them." It’s like the process of simply listening to what that person has to say.
Even with the large cast in "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia," the characters are already drawn so attractively in the original work. The more I research them, the more I want to depict them in deeper ways.
── When you consume media normally, do you always look at characters individually like that?
Yamada: I tend to just think, "So, that’s the kind of person they are." It’s less like a cold analysis and more like a "learning experience," where I think, "Oh, so that’s how they see things."
Never Want to Contradict Author’s Intent
── What kind of interactions did you have with the original author, Tomato Soup-san?
Yamada: I think Tomato Soup-san must have received a staggering number of inquiries from us (laughs).
Whether it was during the script phase, setting up the world, drawing, or the actual animation process, we were constantly checking, "What was the intent behind this?"
Of course, there are parts where we expand on things creatively, but I never want to go against Tomato Soup-san’s intentions. We spent a lot of time "tuning" the work to match her vision. From her perspective, she probably thought, "Wow, they ask a lot of questions!" (laughs). We asked about everything from big-picture concepts to the tiniest details. I might have even asked some rather silly questions.
── So you proceeded with very meticulous verification. I also wanted to ask about the casting. I was shocked by Muhammad’s performance—it felt so innocent yet intellectual. Jun Saito-san, who plays him, primarily works in live-action, right?
Yamada: Regarding Saito-san, I didn't even imagine it—I didn't think he'd actually be able to do it! But when he came for the recording, it was like Muhammad was standing right there. He was truly wonderful.
── Akira Sekine-san, who plays Sitara, also brilliantly portrays her "two-sided" nature.
Yamada: Exactly. She’s not just one thing. She’s tough and calculating, but she also has her airheaded moments. Sekine-san does a great job of playing those "fluctuations" in her character.
Learning and Thinking Along with Sitara
── Could you share your impressions of Sitara and her role in the story?
Yamada: Sitara is very fluid. Depending on where she is, she absorbs everything around her, and changes her way of thinking. To some, she might seem inconsistent—like changing her mind on a whim. For instance, she gradually starts to take interest in Mongolia, the very empire that took everything from her.
While that makes her feel very human, I also think she’s a unique kind of narrator.
── A "fluid" narrator.
Yamada: By looking through Sitara’s eyes, you can see the characters around her become more and more attractive. But if you follow Sitara’s words too seriously, you might find yourself thrown off at some point. I don’t even know what kind of woman she will eventually become yet. At this stage, she just feels very "human" to me.
── In this work, Sitara views "learning" as a means of survival. On the other hand, in our real world, it sometimes feels harder to "study" or "find hope in intelligence." How do you view the significance of learning and intellect, which are key to this series?
Yamada: There are so many things in this world we don’t know. It feels like a flood of information. Then just by looking at it, we think we "know" things, or we leave misunderstandings as they are.
It might be getting harder to have doubts, to think for ourselves, and to just stop and reflect. But when you face this work, you have to "think." Knowing is fun, it leads to self-confidence, and it creates a positive ripple effect.
On the internet or social media, algorithms tend to make our views more extreme. Before we know it, we’re only seeing things we’re already interested in. But I think everyone has had an experience like where they went to a bookstore, bought a book they had zero interest in on a whim, and found it incredibly fascinating. I don’t want to forget that feeling. I believe "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia" is a work where that kind of "thinking" and "knowing" is possible.
── It really does remind you of those experiences.
Yamada: It’s like parts of your brain you haven't used in a while start moving again. You think, "Oh yeah, I remember using this part of my mind."
It’s a work where you do the thinking, rather than being "made to think." You can watch it actively.
── Not "thought-provoking," but "doing the thinking."
Yamada: I would be so happy if the viewers enjoy the experience of seeing how they personally feel—a sort of "call and response" between themselves and the work.
[Interview by Taira]
About The Anime
Synopsis
13th Century. A girl stands in a slave market in Iran.
This is the story of a single "witch" who played with the fate of a vast continent.
Having lost her mother and been torn from her homeland, Sitara was a child with no means of survival and no hope for the future. She is taken in by a family of scholars, where she is granted "knowledge" during her peaceful days.
At that time, the "Mongol Empire," the strongest force on earth led by Genghis Khan, was repeatedly invading other nations and expanding its power by the day. When that ambition reaches the city where Sitara lives, her daily life ends, and the gears of fate begin to turn.
Cast
Sitara: Akira Sekine
Töregene: Ami Koshimizu
Fatima: Houko Kuwashima
Muhammad: Jun Saito
Ögedei: Hiro Shimono
Tolui: Ryota Suzuki
Shira: Miyu Irino
Chagatai: Daisuke Namikawa
Jochi: Kenji Nojima
Genghis Khan: Tamawashi (Active Sumo Wrestler)
Mongol Soldiers: Tamashoho (Active Sumo Wrestler)
(C) Tomato Soup (Akita Shoten) / Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Production Committee
© Animate Times
*Some parts of this text have been translated using machine translation
