10 Things I Love About Witch Hat Atelier

Hey bookworm friends! I hope the day is treating you all well. As I mentioned in my Monday post, I recently finished the 13th volume of Witch Hat and I realized I haven’t raved enough about it. This is the first Manga I ever tried to read, and luckily for me I fell in love with it! I started reading it in 2023 and now that I’m finally caught up, I’m practically vibrating with excitement about the upcoming anime adaptation! So, let me share with you 10 things I love about Witch Hat Atelier.

Please note that mild spoilers might be included so if you care about that sort of thing, you’ve been warned.

About Witch Hat Atelier

The Art

Let’s start with what stands out the most at first glance: The art! Every page and every panel is a feast for the eyes. I simply love the art style! You can see the clear ‘Art Nouveau’ and ‘Art Deco’ inspirations in its flow-y line work and geometric patterns everywhere. Especially in the plant-life and in the character’s brilliantly detailed outfits! I can’t wait to see them in colour in the anime.

It Starts Cozy…

Witch Hat Atelier starts off super cozy, in a very cottage-core style. Coco is a young girl who lives with her mother, the village’s seamstress. She helps her mother and does her daily chores but dreams of only one thing: being a witch. But as the story progresses, the stakes slowly get bigger, the themes get heavier and the story-line more nuanced. That was such a pleasant surprise, because I was not expecting that based on the cutesy art. Silly me making assumptions, that’ll show me!

The Magic System

In Witch Hat Atelier everybody knows that witches are born, not made. Only it turns out that when Coco secretly catches Qifrey (a mysterious traveling magician) casting a spell, she realizes that everything she knows about magic is wrong. And that maybe a girl like her can learn to harness magic as well! The secret she discovers is that magic is created through drawing symbols and as she studies under Qifrey, we learn along with her. The magic system is so creative and so visual which is perfect for the manga format!

Ethical Considerations of Magic

One of the big heavy topics this series explores is the ethics around who has access to magic/who should have access, and why. Due to a historic catastrophe of when witches had too much power, there are also clear limitations on what witches are allowed to do. And there’s a governing body that polices that: enter the Knights Moralis. There are villains and characters I dislike but mostly I feel like I can empathize with every faction in one way or another. This world is full of flawed people who are doing their best to help others in a flawed system. Exploring this is fascinating.

Coco

Coco is such a sweet character and I especially love her relationship with the other students in Qifrey’s Atelier! She’s the new student and she joins the atelier under weird circumstances so it’s not always smooth sailing. But I love seeing how her positivity, kindness, and perseverance eventually tends to win people over.

Character Growth

Throughout the multiple volumes, we get the backstory for so many characters, from main characters to side characters, we dive into the personal lives and inner workings of most everyone at some point. But I’ve seen coming-of-age moments, aha moments, and lessons of self-acceptance for so many characters. Most notably, another of Qifrey’s students, Agott, has the most satisfying growth journey. At first, I seriously disliked her but now I can say that she’s grown on me and she’s one of the most interesting characters in the whole series.

Qifrey

The teacher. The mentor. The mysterious magician. He is so badass and cool! I still have many questions surrounding him but I love him. The way he cares for all of his students warms my heart. He teaches them magic and gives them guidance but he trusts and believes in them. He protects them, lets them make their own choices (at least most times ), and worries for them. I love me a good mentor figure .

The Whimsical World

Ever since she was a tiny child, Coco has been enchanted with magic and so am I. The variety of magical inventions and magical creatures that make this world vibrant! There are so many amazing locations (magical and non-magical alike) that the characters visit. We get to visit an underwater witch stronghold and a mountain rage of floating rocks among others. But speaking as a book nerd, my favourite place is the magic supply shop, aka the most enchanting stationery store you’ll ever see!

Brushbuddies

Speaking of magical creatures, get ready to meet the Brushbuddy! They are some sort of fuzzy tube-like creature with stubby legs, and they are adorable! Somewhere along the way we meet a Brushbuddy and it takes a liking to Coco so it moves in with her in the Atelier!

Hopeful Tone

Throughout the series, Witch Hat Atelier manages to maintain a hopeful tone. Despite any catastrophic events, traumas, or self-doubt characters face, the thread of hope is always there.

Everyone’s unsteady when first using a new tool. Just as a newborn foal falters as it learns to stand. Soon you’ll be full of confidence, bounding as you please.

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1

Just look and see. Find the shape the problem and difficulties around you take. Stare at them head on, and you’ll find endless ways to solve them. There’s an answer waiting to be fashioned. Every time.

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 8

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