TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia (Japanese title: Tenmaku no Ja’dugar)—the highly acclaimed historical manga that has already sparked major anticipation both in Japan and internationally ahead of its broadcast—hosted an exclusive special panel at Anime Expo 2026, North America’s largest anime convention, which kicked off on July 2, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Tokyo, Japan, 24th Jul 2026 – CyberAgent, Inc. announces the TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia (Japanese title: Tenmaku no Ja’dugar)—the highly acclaimed historical manga that has already sparked major anticipation both in Japan and internationally ahead of its broadcast—hosted an exclusive special panel at Anime Expo 2026, North America’s largest anime convention, which kicked off on July 2, 2026, in Los Angeles.
The high-profile event featured an esteemed lineup of creators, including Executive Director Naoko Yamada, Animation Producers Rie Misumi from Science SARU, and Producer Kazuki Endo from TV Asahi. In addition to treating fans to an exclusive advanced screening of Episodes 1 and 2, the panel offered a deep dive into the making of the series, with the creators sharing behind-the-scenes production stories and discussing the unique appeal of the upcoming anime adaptation.
Episodes 1 & 2 Make US Premiere: Stunning Visuals Spark Roaring Cheers from the Audience
Executive Director Naoko Yamada, and Animation Producer Rie Misumi from Science SARU and Producer Kazuki Endo from TV Asahi; Reveal Behind-the-Scenes Insights and Anime Production Secrets
The U.S. Premiere of the TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia drew a packed house of passionate fans eager to catch the series at the earliest opportunity. As the large screen brought to life the breathtaking animation by Science SARU, the meticulously crafted worlds of Persia and Mongolia, and the profound drama of Sitara defying her harsh destiny, the room erupted into a thunderous standing ovation and roaring cheers, marking a spectacular stateside debut.
Following the screening, Executive Director Naoko Yamada, alongside Animation Producer Rie Misumi from Science SARU and Producer Kazuki Endo from TV Asahi, took the stage to kick off a panel session, where they revealed exclusive behind-the-scenes insights and anime production secrets.
When asked by the moderator about the journey leading to the anime adaptation, TV Asahi’s Producer Kazuki Endo explained his passionate drive to bring the project to life: “It all started when I read the original manga. I found it incredibly fascinating, and the grand historical drama completely charmed me—I knew I had to adapt it myself. However, I also realized that the content would be quite challenging for a standard anime adaptation. Creatively speaking, I felt Science SARU was the only studio capable of pulling it off, which is why I reached out to them.”
The discussion then turned to how this star-studded creative team was assembled. Animation Producer Rie Misumi shared the background behind the impressive lineup: “Director Abel Góngora has always loved Heidi, Girl of the Alps, and we felt there were thematic echoes that would resonate beautifully with this title. On top of that, this series offers a completely different type of drama compared to his previous directorial works, such as Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and DAN DA DAN. We extended the offer with great anticipation to see the fresh directorial perspective he would bring to this project.
As for Executive Director Naoko Yamada, she had the opportunity to read the original manga and developed a deep interest in the settings of Persia and Mongolia. She found the prospect of collaborating with Director Abel Góngora and a fresh creative team highly stimulating, which happily led to her joining as Executive Director.
For the character designs, we heard that Character Designer and Sakuga Chief Kenichi Yoshida was already a huge fan of the original manga. His previous work in character design has been phenomenal, and this marked the very first time Science SARU has had the privilege of collaborating with him.
Finally, for the background art—which is one of the absolute highlights of this series—we reached out to Yuri Kabasawa, who previously served as the art director for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. That is how this incredibly luxurious creative team came together.”
It was also revealed that Director Abel Góngora handled the storyboarding and episode direction for Episode 1, while Executive Director Naoko Yamada spearheaded Episode 2. Showcasing actual storyboards and production materials, the team shared their creative choices during production.
On behalf of Director Abel Góngora, Animation Producer Rie Misumi commented on the scene at the beginning of Episode 1 where Sitara runs through the city: “This is a completely anime-original sequence that does not exist in the original manga. I was told that the director decided to include it because he found the ancient Persian cities to be breathtakingly beautiful and charming, and he wanted to showcase as much of that splendor as possible within the series. Furthermore, although Sitara is set to be only five years old at this point in the story, the scene was also designed to highlight her immense ‘courage’ as she escapes from a slave market.”
When asked about the challenges faced in creating this original sequence, Animation Producer Rie Misumi explained: “Since this is a historical piece, we put a lot of effort into researching reference materials to understand what Persia was like as a city during that era. It was also a challenge to figure out how to make her escape visually entertaining. However, thanks to the participation of Shuto Enomoto—an exceptionally talented animator who handled the layout and key animation—the sequence turned out wonderful.”
Through these insights, she shed light on the reasons for incorporating the anime-original direction and explained how they meticulously captured the unique atmosphere of the streets and culture within the visuals.
Meanwhile, Executive Director Naoko Yamada discussed the direction behind the conversation between Sitara and Fatima in Episode 2, contrasting it with the previous episode: “Episode 1, handled by Director Abel Góngora, features many energetic scenes of Sitara running happily through the city she loves, hinting at a bright and peaceful future ahead. In sharp contrast, for Episode 2, we placed an immense value on the dialogue scenes, as I wanted to meticulously portray a true ‘connection of hearts.’ While there is relatively less action and physical movement in this episode, we focused heavily on subtle facial acting and emotional depth, which shaped the overall flow of the episode.”
Regarding a moving scene featuring Sitara, Executive Director Naoko Yamada shared her approach to conveying profound emotional expression through symbolic imagery: “The pomegranates appearing in the story were a very deliberate choice. Since the pomegranate is a flower that blooms in Sitara’s homeland of Persia, it serves as a powerful symbol of her beloved roots. Furthermore, as the pomegranate fruit traditionally symbolizes prosperity and the continuation of life, we carefully depicted it to visually capture Sitara’s enduring love for her homeland and her unyielding hope for the future, wishing for her ultimate happiness ahead.”
The event also introduced the meticulous production process behind the character designs and art boards. The panel highlighted a memorable close-up of Sitara’s expression, revealing how the creative team went through multiple revisions with Character Designer and Sakuga Chief Kenichi Yoshida.
To bring the memorable event to a close, each guest expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the international fans, leading into a group photo session with the entire audience.
At the moderator’s suggestion, the venue united to send their energy to the absent director. “Let’s make sure our voices reach Director Abel Góngora, who unfortunately couldn’t be here today! Ready, set—Abel!” On cue, the packed house of fans echoed a roaring, passionate cheer throughout the hall, bringing the wildly successful panel to a spectacular conclusion.
The TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia premiered on Saturday, July 4th, and is currently broadcasting to high acclaim on TV Asahi’s “IMAnimation” block, BS Asahi, and other networks in Japan. For fans around the globe, the series is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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