A special crossover illustration has been unveiled between the TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia and THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, both of which are animated by Science SARU and have been drawing strong reactions at home and abroad this summer.
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, written by Tomato Soup and serialized in Akita Shoten's "Souffle," is a harem drama set in 13th-century Mongolia. It took first place in the Women's category of Takarajimasha's "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023," was ranked in the "Manga Taisho" awards for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024, and recently won the Grand Prize in the Comic Division at the 55th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards, making it one of the most talked-about historical manga around. Its animation is produced by Science SARU, the studio behind Dandadan, The Heike Story, and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, and currently earning acclaim worldwide for THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, which is airing at the same time.
Jaadugar x THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Crossover Illustration Revealed
A crossover illustration bringing together the TV anime Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia and THE GHOST IN THE SHELL has been unveiled.
Both series have been on air since July 2026, with animation production handled by Science SARU. The illustration was drawn by Abel Gongora, director of Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, realizing a special collaboration that crosses over the worlds of the two works.
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia airs every Saturday at 11:30 PM on TV Asahi's nationwide 24-station "IMAnimation" block, BS Asahi, and other channels, and is also available on various streaming services. With both stories now reaching their midpoints and building toward even more excitement, be sure to enjoy them together.
About THE GHOST IN THE SHELL
Airing every Tuesday at 11:00 PM nationwide on the Kansai TV/Fuji TV network, in the "Hi Anibaru!!" block.
Broadcast times are subject to change without notice.
Episode 6 Broadcast Information
Airs from August 11, 2026 (Tuesday), nationwide on the Kansai TV/Fuji TV network, every Tuesday at 11:00 PM, in the "Hi Anibaru!!" block.
Broadcast times are subject to change without notice.
Episode 6 Streaming Information
- Prime Video: earliest release, available for unlimited streaming (included with subscription) from 11:30 PM on August 11, 2026 (Tuesday)
- Other streaming services: rolling out from 11:30 PM on August 12, 2026 (Wednesday)
For full broadcast and streaming details, check the official website: https://www.theghostintheshell-anime.jp/
Synopsis
The year 2029. Corporate networks blanket the globe, and even as electrons and light race across the world, society has not yet become so thoroughly digitized that nations and ethnicities have vanished — this is the near-future Japan of the story. Motoko Kusanagi, a full-body cyborg, commands an elite unit including Batou while hoping to establish a special task force dedicated to preventing crime before it happens. Daisuke Aramaki of the Ministry of Home Affairs, who has been envisioning a similar unit, scouts Kusanagi and her team. They begin operating as Public Security Section 9 — the "Ghost in the Shell" — an offensive organization. As they confront cybercrime entangled in conspiracies between nations, the investigation into one incident brings to light the presence of an unidentified hacker known as the "Puppet Master." What fate awaits Kusanagi — and what is the Puppet Master truly after? A new era of cyberpunk action begins.
Introduction
Led by the full-body cyborg Motoko Kusanagi, the offensive organization "Ghost in the Shell" —
Set in a near future where information networks and cyborg technology have advanced to the point that people are directly connected to cyberspace, this landmark cyberpunk science-fiction series follows the full-body cyborg Motoko Kusanagi and her special unit as they battle cybercrime. Originating from Shirow Masamune's original manga "THE GHOST IN THE SHELL," first published in 1989, the franchise has since expanded across countless media, including animated films, a Hollywood live-action movie, and video games, and its pioneering science-fiction concepts and visual style have had a major influence on creators and culture worldwide. The TV anime THE GHOST IN THE SHELL is the newest entry in the series, animated by Science SARU — the studio behind Inu-Oh, a Golden Globe Award-nominated animated film; The Colors Within, winner of the Best Animated Feature at the Shanghai International Film Festival's Golden Goblet Awards; and the TV anime Dandadan — all of which continue to earn high acclaim both in Japan and overseas.
Staff
Original work: Shirow Masamune, "Ghost in the Shell" (published by Kodansha, KC Deluxe)
Director: Mokochan
Series composition and screenplay: Toh EnJoe
Character design and chief animation director: Shuhei Handa
Art director: Megumi Katanozaka
Art supervisor: Osamu Masuyama
Color design: Masaru Hashimoto
Director of photography: Hikari Ito
Editing: Kiyoshi Hirose
Sound director: Yuji Tange
Sound effects: Shota Yaso
Recording: Hiroaki Ota
Music director and composer: Taisei Iwasaki
Music: Ryo Konishi, YUKI KANESAKA
Music production: Flying Dog
Opening theme: "GO GHOST" by King Gnu
Ending theme: "Blue" by MILLENNIUM PARADE
Animation production: Science SARU
Produced by: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL COMMITTEE
Title logo design: Hajime Sorayama
Cast
Motoko Kusanagi: Maaya Sakamoto
Daisuke Aramaki: Kazuhiro Yamaji
Batou: Hiroki Yasumoto
Togusa: Yuichi Nakamura
Ishikawa: Kosuke Goto
Saito: Toru Nara
Boma: Atsushi Miyauchi
Operator: Marie Oi
Fuchikoma: Tomoko Kaneda
About Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia
Story
A girl and a princess.
Bound together by a shared thirst for revenge, the two of them stir a storm within the mightiest empire on earth.
Sitara, a young girl who has lost her mother and been torn from her homeland, is taken in by Fatima, the gentle wife of a family of scholars.
"If you study and become wise, no matter what trouble comes your way, you'll know exactly what to do" — moved by these words from Fatima's son, Muhammad, Sitara comes to understand the power and importance of knowledge, and devotes herself to learning.
She dreams of one day catching up to Muhammad.
Meanwhile, the Mongol Empire, the mightiest power on earth under Emperor Genghis Khan, is expanding its reach day by day, and the tide of history eventually sweeps up Sitara's own town.
Stripped of everything and taken captive by Tolui, the empire's fourth prince, Sitara resolves to use the one thing she has left — her wits — to work her way into the royal family and bring down the empire from within.
She takes on the name "Fatima," inherited from the woman who raised her.
Carrying the fire of revenge in her heart while outwardly serving the empire, Sitara one day has a fateful encounter with Töregene, the sixth consort of the third prince, Ögedei. Töregene, too, harbors a harrowing past and a deep resentment toward the empire.
Sitara and Töregene.
When these two, who were never meant to meet, join hands, fate begins to move in earnest.
Broadcast
Airing to strong response on TV Asahi's nationwide 24-station "IMAnimation" block, BS Asahi, and other channels.
Staff
Original work: Tomato Soup, "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia" (serialized in Akita Shoten's "Souffle")
General director: Naoko Yamada
Director: Abel Gongora
Series composition: Kanichi Kato
Character design and chief animation director: Kenichi Yoshida
Chief unit director: Takuya Fujikura
Art director: Yuri Kabasawa
Color design: Narumi Konno
Director of photography: Naoki Takahashi
Editing: Kiyoshi Hirose
Music: Koshiro Hino
Sound director: Noriyoshi Onuma
Animation production: Science SARU
Cast
Sitara: Akira Sekine
Töregene: Ami Koshimizu
Fatima: Houko Kuwashima
Muhammad: Jun Saito
Ögedei: Hiro Shimono
Tolui: Ryota Suzuki
Shira: Miyu Irino
Chagatai: Daisuke Namikawa
Jochi: Kenji Nojima
Sorghaghtani: Misaki Kuno
Möge: Ayaka Asai
Kirgistani: Mayumi Shintani
Boraqchin: Kujira
Opening Theme
SEKAI NO OWARI, "Stella"
Ending Theme
Queen Bee, "Hoshi" (星)
Official Site: http://anime-jaadugar.com/
Official X
Japan: @anime_jaadugar (https://x.com/anime_jaadugar)
International: @Jaadugar_global (https://x.com/Jaadugar_global)
Original Manga
Written by Tomato Soup, "Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia" is serialized in Akita Shoten's "Souffle," with 6 volumes currently available.
URL: https://souffle.life/author/tenmaku-no-ja-dougal/
Broadcast Schedule
- TV Asahi nationwide 24-station "IMAnimation" block: every Saturday at 11:30 PM, starting July 4, 2026
- BS Asahi: every Saturday at 1:00 AM (late night), starting July 4, 2026
- AT-X: every Sunday at 10:30 PM, starting July 5, 2026, with repeat broadcasts Thursdays at 4:30 AM and Sundays at 7:30 AM
- CS TV Asahi Channel 1: every Sunday at 10:00 PM, starting July 12, 2026
- Animax: every Saturday at 9:00 PM, starting August 1, 2026, with a repeat broadcast every Sunday at 9:00 AM starting August 2, 2026
Streaming
Available on ABEMA, DMM TV, dAnime Store, dAnime Store for Prime Video, dAnime Store Niconico branch, FOD, Hulu, J:COM STREAM, Lemino, milplus, Netflix, Prime Video, TELASA, TVer, U-NEXT, WOWOW On Demand, Anime Hodai, Niconico, Bandai Channel, and more. Streaming began July 5, 2026 (Sunday), with new episodes released successively every Sunday at 12:00 AM.
