Witch Hat Atelier is a work of art and a story about magic, access to knowledge, and shaping the minds of those that will lead our future. It’s also a story about found family and defining your life based on your own wants, needs, and dreams for the future. And it’s told through a master who encourages his apprentices with a gentle and guiding hand, and the apprentices who are just starting to figure out who they want to be in a magical world.
Based on the beloved manga by Kamome Shirahama, Witch Hat Atelier has the most stunning art I’ve ever seen in an anime and has the kind of world building you want to know absolutely everything about. And it’s perfect for fans of coming-of-age stories but also for those who love fantasy, action, friendships, and exploring really complex concepts through an otherworldly lens.
So if you’ve been on the fence about whether you should watch Witch Hat Atelier, now is the time that Season 1 is done, and hopefully Season 2 is on the horizon!
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The Message Behind Witch Hat Atelier
When it comes to the message of Witch Hat Atelier, it’s not truly about magic. It’s about access to knowledge and power.
On one hand you have the pointed cap witches that consist of Qifrey, Olrugio, the apprentices, and a whole established society. These are the witches who do not show their magic to humans due to a fractured past where everyone having access to magic caused destruction, pain, and suffering. And then you have the brimmed cap witches who have no rules and wish to return to a more chaotic time where everyone had magic and you could control your destiny by any means.
At the center of this conflict are the apprentices. Coco in particular is targeted because she’s a human who doesn’t practice magic. And the brimmed cap witches are trying to sow discontent within the population by basically going, “See this is what you can accomplish with magic. Anybody can do it. The pointed cap witches are holding you back.” And it’s simply manipulation of the next generation for the needs and wants of the past.
This fight for access to knowledge and the apprentices being stuck in the middle, is really a reflection of our world and feels like a universal concept. That’s what makes Witch Hat Atelier so effective but also so easy to understand. Because every generation is fighting to shake off the previous generations’ errors and desires. And I feel like Witch Hat Atelier is doing a really good job at establishing all of the main characters’ intentions, faults, and how they’re going to change the world in a way that they want to, and not because of what the past wants.
Qifrey, My Love
A huge part of why Witch Hat Atelier works is because of Qifrey. On the surface he’s a gentle, inquisitive, and encouraging teacher to his atelier. But underneath that all, he’s hoping to empower the next generation to think outside of the box and outside of these rules that the pointed cap witches are adamant about. He’s training them to think for themselves and not for others while choosing kindness and a gentler magic.
Outside of Qifrey being a teacher, he feels like the linchpin of Witch Hat Atelier because he isn’t just a gentle teacher. He’s also a warrior who can defend his lessons or point of view with a sword or a piercing stare. This duality with him where we see the light and the dark makes it so he’s not as black and white as the pointed cat witches and the brimmed cap witches. Qifrey is essentially the gray of this world that understands that rules are needed but sometimes they are meant to be broken to help those in need.
Also we can’t do this review without talking about the masterful English voice acting by Joshua A. Waters. I know that dubbed versus subbed is a huge discussion amongst anime fans. And do what you will. But there was something so magical, warm, encouraging, and often frightening about Waters acting as Qifrey. Their voice added another layer to Qifrey that made me want to know why he’s so adamant to teach these girls in the way that he does and what he’s hiding behind those glasses that he’s willing to dabble in forbidden magic. (I bought the manga but haven’t read it yet, so don’t spoil me, please!)
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The Kids Are Going to Be All Right
On the surface, Witch Hat Atelier can feel like it’s a kid’s show. But it’s not. It’s a story about growing up. And that’s a universal feeling and experience. It’s just the case that for these kids and apprentices, they’re also dealing with magic and the life-threatening moments that come with it based on what adults with an agenda want.
And I’ll be the first one to tell you, I don’t like all the apprentices on Witch Hat Atelier. Agott is tiring when it comes to her rigidity and how she treats Coco. And Richeh is so “I don’t want to be like other girls” that she comes off as snooty. But they’re kids. And they’re learning what kind of world they live in and the kind of people they want to be. They’re not going to get everything right and they will be annoying as they figure it all out. But with the support of a teacher like Qifrey in their lives, they’re going to be allowed to make mistakes with the knowledge that they have someone that will support them and guide them no matter what.
As a viewer, I also really like that Coco, Agott, Tetia, Richeh, Tartah, and now Euini, have really distinct personalities and challenges that they’re facing. And you can’t help but want them to succeed but also carve a path of their own that isn’t dictated by the pointed cap witches or the brimmed cap witches. This creates a tapestry in Witch Hat Atelier where no matter what, you’re going to find a character that you connect with. And for the kids in particular, you’re hoping that they keep trying no matter what and in the face of a world that just wants to put them in a box and then force them to pick a side.
Witch Hat Atelier is about breaking that pattern and choosing a life of your own.
Witch Hat Atelier Season 1 is now available on Crunchyroll.
