The official website for Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, the television anime of Tomato Soup‘s A Witch’s Life in Mongol (Tenmaku no Jādūgar) manga, revealed on Wednesday the anime’s second promotional video, main visual, additional cast and staff members, and one-hour July 4 premiere. The video announces and previews the opening theme song “Stella” by SEKAI NO OWARI.

The newly announced cast members are (image above from left to right):

• Kenji Nojima as Jochi, the eldest son of Emperor Genghis Khan
• Ami Koshimizu as Töregene, Ögedei’s sixth wife who harbors a deep hatred for the Mongol Empire and sees her husband as an enemy
• Hiro Shimono as Ögedei, the third son of Emperor Genghis Khan
• Daisuke Namikawa as Chagatai, the second son of Emperor Genghis Khan

The newly announced staff members are:

The anime will premiere on July 4 at 11:00 p.m. JST  (10:00 a.m. EDT) in the “IMAnimation W” programming block on TV Asahi and 23 of its affiliated channels, as well as on BS Asahi. The anime will premiere with its first two episodes as a one-hour special.

Yen Press is releasing the manga in English, and it describes the story:

The time: the thirteenth century. The place: Yeke Mongol Ulus, the greatest empire the world has ever known. The woman: Fatima, hailing from Persia, where medical technique and scientific knowledge have been perfected beyond all precedent. Fatima’s desire for a stage where she can put her knowledge to work has brought her to the palace of the Mongols, where she falls under the wing of Töregene, the sixth wife of Ögedei, the second Great Khan—a mighty woman with complicated feelings about the direction of the empire. These two women are the axel upon which the politics of the palace, and soon the very world, will turn…

The anime stars:

• Miyu Irino as Shira, a boy living as a captive of the Mongol Empire
• Jun Saitō as Muhammad, Fatima’s son and a brilliant young boy
• Akira Sekine as Shitara (also written as Sitara), a lonely girl who lost her mother and was torn far from her homeland
• Houko Kuwashima as Fatima, Muhammad’s mother and kind-hearted lady of the house
• Ryōta Suzuki as Tolui, son of Emperor Genghis Khan and the fourth prince of the Mongol Empire

Naoko Yamada (The Heike Story, A Silent Voice, The Colors Within) is serving as chief director, and Abel Góngora (DAN DA DAN season 2, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Star Wars: Visions‘ “TO-B1”) is directing the anime at Science SARU. Kenichi Yoshida (Eureka Seven, Gundam: Reconguista in G) is designing the characters and serving as animation chief, and Kanichi Katō (Black Clover, The Eminence in Shadow) is overseeing the series scripts. Kōshirō Hino is composing the music.

The anime’s staff previously announced its world premiere screening of the first 3 episodes on June 13 at United Cinemas Aqua City Odaiba.

The anime will screen in competition at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France in the TV Films category.

Anime Expo will also host the U.S. premiere screening of the anime on July 3. The anime’s chief director Naoko Yamada and director Abel Góngora will be in attendance at the screening.

Tomato Soup launched the manga on Akita Shoten‘s Souffle website in September 2021. Akita Shoten will publish the manga’s sixth compiled book volume on July 15.

The series began publishing simultaneously in Akita Shoten‘s Mystery Bonita in March 2025, on top of its publication on the Souffle website. The manga was being published bimonthly until last summer, where it then went on hiatus for Tomato Soup‘s maternity leave. The manga returned on March 25.

The manga topped the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023 rankings for female readers, and ranked #11 in the 2024 rankings for female readers. The manga was nominated for the 16th Manga Taisho Awards in 2023, and was nominated once again for the Manga Taisho Awards the following year in 2024. The manga was nominated for the Best New Manga category in the second American Manga Awards. The manga recently won the grand prize in the Comic division of the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.

Sources: Press release, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia anime’s website, Comic Natalie

Tokyo-based conglomerate U-Next Holdings has entered into an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of animation studio GoHands, making the company a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition is scheduled to close on June 1 and forms part of U-Next’s broader effort to strengthen its IP-related business and build a more integrated entertainment ecosystem.

Through the acquisition, U-Next aims to combine the capabilities of its streaming platform with GoHands’ animation production expertise, creating a structure that spans original IP development, animation production, and distribution.

Expanding Beyond Distribution

U-Next’s content distribution business, anchored by its streaming platform, has continued to grow through an expanding content lineup, loyalty programs, and a hybrid strategy combining entertainment and live programming such as sports and music. As competition within the streaming market intensifies, the company increasingly views ownership of intellectual property and production capabilities as key long-term growth drivers.

The company stated that strengthening its IP-related business has become a strategic priority. In particular, management identified the ability to consistently produce high-quality Japanese animation as a critical factor in maintaining competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. The transaction marks another step in the broader shift among streaming and entertainment platforms toward deeper involvement in content ownership and production infrastructure.

Building an End-to-End IP Pipeline

The acquisition is expected to support U-Next’s goal of creating a vertically integrated content model, linking publishing, IP development, animation production, and distribution under a unified structure.

In recent years, the company has expanded efforts around original books and comics and established internal initiatives focused on cultivating proprietary IP. By pairing those publishing efforts with GoHands’ production capabilities, U-Next is positioning itself to eventually adapt internally developed properties into animated works. The company said it aims to maximize content value and diversify revenue streams by controlling a larger portion of the IP lifecycle.

Three Areas of Expected Synergy

U-Next outlined several expected areas of synergy arising from the acquisition, the first of which involves cost optimization. The company currently incurs external expenses related to content localization and production support services. Leveraging GoHands’ facilities and production expertise could reduce reliance on outside resources and improve operational efficiency across the group.

The second centers on workflow improvements through technology integration. U-Next plans to provide GoHands with digital systems and operational expertise developed through its streaming business, including production management tools, data-sharing capabilities, and workflow optimization initiatives. The company also indicated that future expansion of production lines and staffing could support larger-scale operations.

The third area involves the development and animation of proprietary IP. By integrating internally developed publishing properties with GoHands’ animation capabilities, U-Next sees an opportunity to create a more self-sustaining content ecosystem.

GoHands Brings Established Production Capabilities

Founded in 2008, GoHands is known for titles including Seitokai Yakuindomo (Student Council Staff Members), K, Hand Shakers, and Mardock Scramble. The studio has developed a distinctive visual style characterized by dynamic camera movement and dense digital imagery.

More recent productions include Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu (The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today), Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta (The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses), and Momentary Lily. According to disclosed figures, the studio recently reported annual sales exceeding 464 million yen (approximately US$2.91 million).

GoHands has also maintained activity beyond television productions, contributing to game-related animation and various visual projects over the years.

GoHands holding an in-person information session at Industry Expo Plus 2025

The acquisition arrives amid continued investment and consolidation across Japan’s entertainment and anime industries. As competition among streaming platforms intensifies globally, companies increasingly seek direct access to production resources and proprietary IP rather than relying solely on licensing arrangements.

For U-Next, the addition of GoHands represents more than an expansion into animation production. It signals a broader move toward a vertically integrated content strategy designed to strengthen ownership, production control, and long-term monetization opportunities across its entertainment business.

Source: AdverTimes, Gamebiz, Otaku Lab