Alternative title: Tenmaku no Jaadugar
Manga Adaptation by Science Saru
Streaming on Crunchyroll

Premise

In the 13th century of the Khwarazmian Empire, Sitara is sold to an affluent family of scholars and begins her service and tutelage as their slave. However the Mongol Empire, at the height of its power, invades Central Asia and destroy Sitara’s homeland. Pressed into servitude to her new masters, the young girl resolves to take vengeance upon her captors.

Gee’s verdict: Enchanting

Jaadugar has a lot of things going for it. It’s one of the more visually interesting works to come out of Science Saru, it boasts the credits of Heike Story’s Naoko Yamada, and it takes place in one of the most compelling times and places in human history. The Mongol invasion of Central Asia is one of those great paradigm shifts in human history. It permanently alters the course of mankind in ways that are even felt to this day. A truly great and terrible event that despite its brutality showcased some of the fascinatingly multifaceted nature of the civilizations involved. The Mongols arguably create the first truly international global society in the wake of their carnage, and the entity that sprouts from their influence is arguably the foundation of the modern world. The Invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire also ends up becoming the deciding crucible of Genghis Khan’s four sons and would fundamentally alter the question of his succession. Jochi, Chagatai, Ogedei, and Tolui are larger than life figures and the ways in which their legacies and relationships would be tested by the war created ripples felt centuries later.

As a result, I think it’s such an inspired choice to focus the story on Sitara, a young woman, and a slave at that. To tell history through its most marginalized individuals open the possibility space of the story in ways a traditional historical drama would not. It’s no surprise I suppose, Naoko Yamada cast the same spell with her heart wrenching tale of the Heike. Here, she along with director Abel Gongora tell another story of the tragedy and hope found amidst a turbulent era. Sitara is a charming protagonist that chafes at her lot in life. Even under the benevolent ownership of Fatima, the show never really lets you forget that Sitara is the property of another. She is a privileged slave, allowed tutelage because her master desires an educated companion. Few are afforded this opportunity.

And yet the show still manages to make the loss of that life feel like a tremendous injustice, an atrocity visited upon good people who did not deserve it. While the Mongols have sometimes been unfairly painted as brutal savages who left nothing but destruction in their wake, it cannot be denied that the Mongol Empire was disproportionately harsh in its conduct. We see that here firsthand through Sitara’s perspective, as each member of her support network is viciously stripped from her. It would almost feel comedic if it weren’t an experience felt by millions at the hands of the Mongol Empire. Jaadugar has left Sitara at her lowest point and I’m deeply curious where the story goes from here.

The art of Jaadugar is maybe some of Science Saru’s best. While the artstyle may seem initially a mismatch for the show’s heavy content, it lends itself well to Sitara’s younger perspective. There’s a charming storybook quality to it that still maintains a tangible sense of physicality to it. The portrayal of Islamic sound, architecture, and culture feels authentically respectful while still finding a unique artistic voice. It remains to be seen how things will be portrayed in the Mongolian heartland, and while I don’t necessarily expect a particularly sympathetic view, I hope it gets a similar visual treatment. As someone familiar with this time period and especially the events being portrayed in the anime, I find myself remarkably compelled by this framing device. I don’t expect the story to diverge too much from the written history, but there’s a lot of gaps in it that are ripe for the kind of rich storytelling Jaadugar has already established.