English Dub Review: Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia “An Undying Flame”

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Overview (Spoilers Below):
Sitara teams up with an unexpected ally in hopes of reclaiming Fatima’s book that was stolen by the Mongols.

Our Take:
Sitara’s journey has not gotten off to a great start, thanks to the invading Mongols.  It not only makes me glad that I wasn’t born during that period, but it also made me feel bad for her losing the people she cared about.  That alone equates to a pretty solid start of Science Saru’s latest anime that reflects its Iranian culture through its unique art style and engaging premise.  This week’s episode continues where the previous one left off, with Sitara gaining a surprising ally in her quest for revenge.  Shira, the boy who interprets Persian, offers an alliance with Sitara to help retrieve the Elements book from the Mongols.  To do that, Sitara will have to take Fatima’s name and gain an audience with the general responsible for sacking her city.  Amid this journey, she studies the Mongols’ daily lifestyle and impresses them with her observations regarding a solar eclipse and the secret to immortality.
With the first two episodes introducing viewers to Sitara and the culture, “An Undying Flame” explores the beginning of Sitara’s conflict, where she’ll use her knowledge to exact her revenge instead of violence.  More importantly, it continues to represent the historical aspect of the Mongolians’ rule, particularly its general, Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis Khan and Börte, who ruled during the early Mongol conquests during the 13th and 14th centuries.  Whether the show is accurate to the history it’s showcasing will be up to the historians to decide.  But as someone unfamiliar with this side of history, I was pretty fascinated to see it unfold in anime form, let alone an anime from Science Saru.  Regarding the art style and approach to its thematic nuance involving immortality, “An Undying Flame” continues its burning potential of being another surprising hit for the studio.

About Marcus Gibson

I'm a recent writer for BubbleBlabber who has an extraordinary passion for films and television, especially from the animation genre. I also spent plenty of hours playing video games, most notably from the Kingdom Hearts franchise. My goal is to provide the most friendly and entertaining reviews on the planet. Whenever something might be good or not, I always remain optimistic and curious about a specific concept from a film or television show.