English Dub Review: Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia “An Ungraceful Stone”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
Six years in the past, Boraqchin encounters a stone with mysterious properties that would change her life.
Our Take:
Sitara’s journey has been full of surprises lately as we’re nearing the end of the season. In addition to Toregene’s sudden disappearance, we learned at the end of the previous episode that she has a firstborn named Guyuk, who apparently isn’t a huge fan of visitors. However, the real shocker is that Boraqchin is behind Tolui’s death as part of her ongoing plan, which also involves Sorghaghtani marrying Guyuk. Speaking of which, the episode is another occasion when the show shifts focus to a supporting character through flashbacks. In this case, it depicts Boraqchin’s first encounter with rahj al-gar, initially known as sandarac before decomposing to arsenic when heated, as well as its medicinal properties. This led to what we saw as rahj al-gar poisoning, which Boraqchin used to poison Ogedei and lead Tolui to sacrifice himself.
Sitara’s perspective is undoubtedly an engaging journey in itself, but the show’s focus on some of its supporting characters is what made its world feel more alive. “An Ungraceful Stone” is no exception, notably for its flashback featuring Boraqchin’s life-changing discovery. I still prefer the episode involving Toregene’s tragic transition into the Mongol family regarding its emotional depth. However, the penultimate episode of Jaadugar still effectively portrayed Boraqchin’s secretive side, setting her on a path to her new destiny as a “witch”. So you could say this episode might explain the anime’s title, highlighting Boraqchin as an “antagonist” who used her smarts to carry out her plan. It also emphasized the show’s theme of hope, with Sitara’s fight against her grief inspiring Sorghaghtani to face her own after Tolui’s death. Overall, this is a suitable setup for next week’s finale, where Sorghaghtani’s decision will rock the core of the Mongol Empire.
