The Summer 2026 anime season has begun, and its first week has already come to an end. Even in this opening week alone, several new anime have emerged. This first week was particularly focused on fresh series presenting new narratives, while the weeks to follow will also see major anime return with new seasons. The anime released in the first week includes one of Netflix’s strangest adult titles, Chainsmoker Cat, while Cypic has proven with The World Is Dancing that it may have produced the most beautiful anime of the season, and perhaps even of the entire year, with its beautiful premise.
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While Summer 2026 has already proven itself to be diverse with many different elements, one aspect that almost every season delivers is an anime with a dark narrative. That role has been filled by Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia from Science SARU, the studio behind Dandadan, which has already proven itself to be the darkest anime of the year. The anime is adapted from the manga of the same name, and Science SARU, with its reputation for perfectly adapting its projects, has crafted the series with techniques that make its dark elements even more effective.
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Is a Dark Masterpiece of 2026 Elevated by the Studio’s Craft
The latest anime adapted by Science SARU, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, is a historical seinen series set in the 13th-century Mongol Empire under Emperor Genghis Khan. It follows a girl named Sitara, who is sold to a royal family in Tus after her failed attempts to return to her homeland, where her mother died. In this new family, she is warmly welcomed and taught scholarship while also serving the household. As the years pass and she grows comfortable in her new home while admiring the family’s heir, who has been away in another city for years, the Mongol Empire conquers Tus and many other cities.
Sitara is then forced to confront many tragedies, beginning with the death of her master, Fatima, who embraced her as her own daughter, as well as the other close servants who lived with her, while Sitara is forced to live in one of the Mongol camps. Sitara possesses no physical prowess, and thus she begins a journey of revenge against the Mongols by using her knowledge, intellect, and skills as a spy. The anime premiered with two episodes released simultaneously, helping establish the narrative, while Science SARU’s craftsmanship is nearly perfect. The manga itself initially presents the atmosphere of a happy historical era, something akin to Aladdin, but its narrative gradually becomes grim.
The animation perfectly captures this cheerful tone with bright colors and appealing, fluid movement, and when the anime suddenly turns dark and follows one death after another, it becomes surprising how such a happy-looking series could become so bleak. This is exactly what made last year’s Summer 2025 anime, Takopi’s Original Sin, a masterpiece. Among the abundance of anime this season, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia stands out thanks to its perfectly crafted animation style and unique historical seinen premise, which is rarely seen, making it strong Anime of the Year material and one of the best new anime of 2026 that fans should not miss. The series is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
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