cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/50020858

Otherwise known as Tenmaku no Jaaduugar or A Witch’s Life in Mongol.

Next up on our tour through educational animation and comics is Jaadugar. This historical drama manga and anime series follows a captured Persian slave girl as she maneuvers through the Mongolian Court during the time of Genghis Khan and his progeny, bearing witness to (and getting herself wrapped up in) court politics while the Mongolian Empire quickly conquers Asia and beyond.

As with all historical fiction, I of course question the historical accuracy of the work (doubly so with any works about cultures other than the creator’s). However my impression is that the series is at least somewhat accurate, and given that I walked into the series knowing almost nothing about 13th century Asian history, I’m filing this series in the “educational” category, as I left it knowing much more than I did coming in.

I haven’t seen the anime (currently airing), however I can attest to the beautiful aesthetic of the manga, drawn in a manner akin to Ranking of Kings meets Persepolis. Whether you’re drawn by the history, the political drama, the tale of revenge, the art, or the fish-out-of-water story, there’s a lot going for Jaadugar.

What are some of your favorite historical works in animation and comics? Is historical accuracy important to you? What examples of historical fiction had you walking away feeling more informed than when you went in?