is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tomato Soup. It began serialization on Akita Shoten's Souffle website in September 2021, and in parallel alongside Mystery Bonita in March 2025. An anime television series adaptation produced by Science Saru, titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, aired from July to September 2026.

Plot In the early 13th century, in the city of Tus, Khwarazmian Empire, Sitara is sold as a slave to a family of scholars. Although she initially tries to run away, the family teaches her the importance of knowledge and she ends up working and studying in their home.

After the heir to the family leaves for Nishapur to further his studies, the Mongols invade Tus. Sitara is captured by Tolui's army and her master is killed while protecting her. After being taken to Mongolia, she takes on the name Fatima and begins to plot her revenge on the Mongols.

Characters /

Sitara is the main protagonist. Sitara was orphaned and sold as a slave for a rich but kind family. After her master Fatima and most other members of the household are killed during the Mongol invasion, and learning that Prince Tolui came after a certain book as a wish from his wife Princess Sorghaghtani, Sitara decides to take on the name Fatima and works as high ranking servant for Sorghaghtani in order to get the book back and get revenge on the Mongols by using her knowledge and her social manipulation skills.

A widow of a scholar family in Tus. She took Sitara from a slave trader and raised her as if she were her own daughter. She is killed protecting Sitara during the Mongol invasion.

Fatima's son, a boy with a passion for learning. He taught Sitara the importance of knowledge. Although he went missing during the Mongol invasion and never saw Sitara again, readers are told that he survived and later became a renowned scholar.

The fourth prince. He invaded Sitara's homeland and carried her off to Mongolia. He is a skilled warrior, but has no interest in scholarship. Tolui has two sons named Hulegu and Kublai. In 1232, when Ögedei got sick from poisoning like Boraqchin and during a ritual to place the sickness in a water of cup and that a blood relative have to drink it, Tolui chooses himself to drink it to save Ögedei (not knowing this is all part of Boraqchin's plan), Tolui soon perished by it.

A boy from Samarkand. After being captured by the Mongols, he serves them as an interpreter in order to survive.

The sixth wife of Ögedei. 25 years ago Töregene lived peacefully in the nation Naiman tribe before she unknowingly is to reinforce the alliance with the Merkit tribe by marriage to the old chieftain Dayir. Töregene tries to return to Naiman tribe, but begins to feel happiness in her new life with Dayir and his daughter Khulan. But one day Töregene learns that after Genghis Khan became their leader the Mongols have continued to rob the Merkits and why strengthening of the alliance was to enable them to overcome the Mongols. Merkits give Khulan as an offering to Genghis Khan and they were spared. Dayir and the men secretly organize a rebellion at the Mongols. Töregene went to Dayir only to see her husband have been killed by Ögedei. Töregene is even more shocked that Khulan did not any sadness towards her own father but it was to hide her sad and powerless she has felt, afterwards Töregene was made as Ögedei's wife and allowed to live and gave birth to his children as well, with one of them named Güyük. Töregene has been waiting for a storm that ravage the Mongol Empire, she saw Sitara and many years later she saves her, Töregene tells Sitara her story and discovers they both have hatred for the Mongol's actions and since the empire has become fragile they are going together to get the revenge over the Mongol empire.

The third prince. He possessed magnanimity and foresight, and in 1229 was appointed the second emperor by his father, Genghis Khan who died in 1227. Ögedei has many wives, but one of his wives Töregene hates Ögedei for killing her husband Dayir and the Mongols actions. In 1232, Ögedei is struck with same illness as Boraqchin which turns out he got poisoned with same stuff Boraqchin, by using Sitara's jada stone and performing a ritual to place the illness in a cup of water, it is told by the performers that only a relative have to take sacrifice and Tolui chooses himself to drink it.

The second prince.

The first prince. He died from a serious illness in 1225. Jochi has two sons named Orda and Batu.

Sorghaghtani is the wife of Prince Tolui. Sorghaghtani desired a book that will help the Mongols rule the world and make her and Tolui an empress and emperor of the Mongols, but Sorghaghtani is ignorant of the suffering her wish has caused towards Sitara and others. Sorghaghtani made Sitara as her tutor of the book and high ranking servant, not knowing Sitara secretly plans to take the book and get revenge on her and the Mongols. In 1229, after Ögedei became the new Khan, Sorghaghtani tells Sitara to spy on Chagatai but ends up spying on Ögedei. In 1232, Sorghaghtani along with Tolui is informed of Ögedei's sickness and Tolui drinks up the tainted water from Ögedei, after Tolui's death Sorghaghtani loses both the chance for the throne and the stability of the House of Tolui. Due to this Sitara no longer works for Sorghaghtani.

The fourth wife of Ögedei. Möge was once a concubine to Genghis Khan, Ögedei ended up inheriting her as a wife.

The third wife of Ögedei. Kirgistani has one son named Godan.

The first wife of Ögedei and the empress. Boraqchin was once a second wife to Genghis Khan, Ögedei ended up inheriting her as a wife. In 1232, after being informed by Sitara about Sorghaghtani desire to make herself and Tolui the rulers (which informing her is part of Sitara and Töregene's revenge on the Mongol Empire), Boraqchin talks to Töregene and comes with a plan in to poison Ögedei and make Tolui drink the tainted water from Ögedei, in order to get rid of Tolui. Boraqchin gives Sitara the book back from Sorghaghtani after learning it from Töregene and thanking her for the problem with the House of Tolui, Boraqchin tells Sitara to work for her from now on.

Production Tomato Soup originally had Töregene Khatun as the protagonist, though she felt that Fatima would be better to represent the size of the Mongol Empire. She also felt Fatima would be more interesting to write. Regarding the illustrations, Tomato Soup felt that medieval manuscripts tend to have "unrealistic" styles, so she tried to imitate that style.

Media Manga Written and illustrated by Tomato Soup, A Witch's Life in Mongol began serialization on Akita Shoten's Souffle website on September 25, 2021, alongside a parallel serialization in the Mystery Bonita magazine on March 6, 2025, with individual chapters collected in six volumes as of July 2026. On March 24, 2025, the series moved to a bimonthly status until Summer 2025, and entered into a hiatus due to Soup's maternity leave.

At New York Comic Con 2024, Yen Press announced that they licensed the series for English publication.

Volumes

Anime An anime television series adaptation, titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, was announced on April 14, 2025. It is produced by Science Saru and directed by Abel Góngora, with Naoko Yamada serving as chief director, Kanichi Katou handling series composition, Kenichi Yoshida designing the characters and serving as chief animator, and Kōshirō Hino composing the music. The series aired from July 4 to September 12, 2026, on the IMAnimation programming block on TV Asahi and its affiliates, as well as other networks. The opening theme song is "Stella", performed by Sekai no Owari, while the ending theme song is , performed by Queen Bee. Crunchyroll is streaming the series. Plus Media Networks Asia licensed the series in Southeast Asia for broadcast on Aniplus Asia.

Episodes

Reception By August 2026, the manga had over one million copies in circulation. Yuka Furukawa of Da Vinci praised the setting and characters, particularly the villains, which Furukawa felt were realistic. Kazushi Shimada of Real Sound praised the story, particularly recommending it to fans of Hitoshi Iwaaki's Historié and Uoto's Orb: On the Movements of the Earth.

The series was nominated for the 16th Manga Taishō in 2023. It was also nominated for the 17th Manga Taishō in 2024. In the 2023 edition of the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook's list of the top manga for female readers, the series ranked first. In the 2024 edition's list, the series ranked 11th. It was nominated at the Japan Society and Anime NYC's second American Manga Awards for Best New Manga in 2025. It won the grand prize in the Comic Division at the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards in 2026.

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