Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia Interview with Cristina Vee & Yussef Benelbar

By Justin D Williams

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia immediately stands apart from most anime. Between its historical setting, cultural influences, focus on education and a protagonist whose greatest weapon gradually becomes knowledge itself, the series explores territory rarely seen within the medium. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Cristina Vee, the English voice of Sitara, and Yussef Benelbar, the English voice of Mohammed, about what attracted them to the series, Sitara's evolution, the importance of representation, Mohammed's lasting influence on the story, and the collaborative process of finding these characters inside the recording booth. We also ended things with a fun question inspired by one of the show's central themes: If they could teach their own characters one new skill, what would it be?

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Imaginative Visions: Cristina, Sitara begins the series as someone who doesn't really understand why education matters, but eventually that knowledge becomes her greatest weapon. How did you approach showing that growth in your performance without losing the young girl we meet at the beginning?

Cristina Vee: I think the most obvious vocal trick was that I intentionally started her off very high-pitched, maybe even a little higher-pitched than the Japanese performance, because I knew we were going to see her grow up. The animation director, the Japanese voiceover director and our own director also did a great job creating the world and allowing us to see that growth happen.

I'm very lucky because I can step into something that's already so well constructed and add my own spin to it. For Sitara in particular, I think it was very well written and paced, and that gave me a lot to work with as her character continued to develop.

Imaginative Visions: This next question is for both of you. We really haven't seen many anime stories quite like this one, especially when it comes to its characters, culture and setting. What was your reaction when you first encountered the series and landed your roles, and how did you go about finding the voices for these characters?

Cristina Vee: It was very surprising. I watched the first two episodes before I auditioned, and I was hooked. I loved it so much, and I was surprised by all the turns it took. You're right that I personally haven't seen another show quite like this either, so it was very exciting to know that I was going to be a part of it.

Sometimes you just have a feeling about when a show is really going to resonate with audiences, and I got that feeling instantly with this one. I'm very happy to know that I was correct in that assumption.

Yussef Benelbar: For me, I was super excited to be part of the project. Growing up, I had never really seen an anime like this, and as an Arab, it means the world to see Arab representation. To actually be part of the series and authentically portray Mohammed meant the world to me.

When it comes to surprises in the script, we generally get them when we step into the booth rather than beforehand. I had read the manga and watched the Japanese episode before recording, so I already had some idea of what was coming. What was really refreshing was hearing different Arabic words and references beyond names like Mohammed, Ahmed or Fatima. There was a moment where they mentioned the hammam, and I remember thinking, "Whoa, they just mentioned that?" Seeing those kinds of details included was really cool.

Imaginative Visions: Yussef, Mohammed's relationship with Sitara has an impact that continues even when he's no longer physically present on screen. What's it like playing a character whose importance continues to be felt through another character?

Yussef Benelbar: I don't think the impact really hit me until after I finished recording. Once I got to watch the episode with everybody and hear people saying things like, "Wow, Mohammed is so cool," and that they were rooting for him, I started realizing it.

Then, as the series progresses, you see Sitara continue to think about my character and other people from that first episode. It's something you don't necessarily think about too much as a performer while you're recording, but when you step back and see the overall impact that character has, it's very special. Personally, I do hope Mohammed returns somewhere down the line.

Imaginative Visions: Cristina, as the story progresses, we begin to understand Sitara's perspective more deeply, especially as she encounters revenge and experiences a completely different way of life. How do you see those experiences changing her viewpoint?

Cristina Vee: I think she believes that she's lost her world and everybody who was part of it. My personal interpretation is that she almost lives for revenge because that's what is keeping her going. She pretends that she has adapted to these new customs and these new rules, but then we get glimpses inside her head and realize that she really does resent some of them.

There's an example involving the way animals are killed for meat. Outwardly, she's essentially saying, "Of course, I understand. It's delicious." But internally, we hear this monologue where she's thinking, "This is wrong. We have our reasons for doing it our way, and they just don't see that." She's very layered and nuanced. She's such a challenging and interesting character.

Imaginative Visions: Yussef, without getting into spoilers, what do you think would surprise Mohammed the most if he could see what Sitara has become?

Yussef Benelbar: This is all hypothetical because I have no idea what's going to happen, but if Mohammed were to see what Sitara is doing, I think he would be very proud of her. He would understand that, out of necessity, she's had to act the way she has and that she's utilizing knowledge to her benefit.

I think, in its purest form, that's what Mohammed wanted: to apply knowledge for the betterment of mankind. For Sitara, she's applying that knowledge to survive, and I think that's a very admirable thing. If they ever meet again down the road, though, it would also be really cool if they could just sit around and talk about random fun facts. I think that would be a fun moment.

Imaginative Visions: This next question is for both of you and goes more behind the scenes. When you're in the recording booth, how do you decide what tone, pitch or delivery you want to use for a particular scene? Do you arrive with an idea already in mind, or does that develop through direction once you're recording?

Cristina Vee: You kind of have to have an idea, but you also have to remain open to direction. It's very important for actors not to become so set on what they've planned that they become undirectable. We may have our own idea of how something should work, but we don't really see ourselves from the outside in the way a director does. The director also has a greater understanding of the series as a whole, the tone and the other performances.

I used to watch the episodes beforehand partly because I loved the show and wanted to know what happened next. I've actually reverted to my old philosophy, which is what I do with most other shows, where I prefer to experience things alongside the character as if I'm experiencing them for the first time.

Yussef Benelbar: Piggybacking off what Cristina said, as actors we have to be prepared in the sense that we should have some idea of what we're expecting, but it's important that we're able to take direction and move together. Sean Gannaway, who's a fantastic director, guides us through that process.

It's a collaborative effort. It's not simply, "Hey, this is how we're going to do it." We can talk about things and say, "I want to try this," or, "I want to try that." He fosters that kind of relationship with his actors where we're all painting the picture together as we go. You don't have to worry too much about things like pitch because you already have your instincts once you step into the booth, and then the director can guide you toward the right buttons to press for that particular scene. From there, you have fun with it.

Imaginative Visions: Final question, and this is the fun one. Sitara's entire journey is built around learning, so if you could teach your character one subject or skill they don't already have, what would you choose?

Cristina Vee: Oh my gosh. What would I teach her? I honestly feel like she's teaching me things more than the other way around. I think I would teach her meditation, though. She's pretty stressed.

Imaginative Visions: I agree with that. Pretty stressed.

Yussef Benelbar: I'd teach Mohammed time travel so he could avoid—no, I'm just kidding. Although if we could, that would be cool. What I love about Mohammed is that I think he's the kind of person who, if you told him something, would say, "Cool, that's awesome. Now I want to figure it out myself. I want to learn how that works and play with it."

If I had to choose a skill for him, I think I would go with public speaking. His moment with Sitara is very special and leaves an indelible mark on her, and I could imagine him standing at a little podium saying, "Okay, all right class, settle down." Maybe he becomes a professor. Public speaking is something I think Mohammed could really do, at least in my personal interpretation.

VIDEO INTERVIEW

https://youtu.be/WQtrWHs9Bpk