The existential fantasy of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End tugs at our heartstrings for a reason. Instead of solely dwelling on action-packed spectacle, the anime ponders the themes of mortality and lingers on the fleeting nature of lifelong friendships. The melancholic undertones of Frieren persist in its ongoing second season, but there’s a heartfelt new fantasy anime that speaks to our collective urge to stop and smell the roses.
Kamome Shirahama’s best-selling seinen manga, Witch Hat Atelier, is getting the anime adaptation treatment, with the mangaka overseeing the art and storyboarding process. In a 2024 interview, Shirahama (who has also created variant illustrations for Marvel and DC comic book titles) told Anime Corner that she’s “very, very happy” with the prospect of her most prominent work coming to life. Turns out, Shirahama’s sentiments weren’t misplaced. The Witch Hat Atelier anime is a gorgeous, evocative saga steeped in mystery and magic.
Shirahama’s Witch Hat Atelier taps into the most indulgent facets of wish-fulfillment. What if our childhood fascination with the fantastical became real? Shirahama’s manga follows Coco, a child enamored with the wonders of magic, which can only be wielded by those born with an innate ability, called witches. Or at least that’s what everyone in her world believes.
The story frames its prologue through the purest form of childhood longing. We see Coco’s love for all things magical manifest in her day-to-day life. Her eyes light up whenever she washes clothes in a self-purifying magic spring or wishes the winds could turn washed sheets into a cloak of flight. But these sweet fantasies turn into sobering reality after Coco runs into the witch Qifrey, a magical prodigy who inadvertently becomes the catalyst for her magical journey into the unknown.
The long-awaited Witch Hat Atelier anime from Bug Films (the studio behind acclaimed survival horror anime, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead) is set for a two-episode April 6 premiere on Crunchyroll. These opening episodes waste no time in ushering audiences into a world of limitless imagination while enriching the already dense source material with a whimsical bent. The fluid intricacies of Shirahama’s art style translate into the delicate visuals of an anime that understands the value of an immersive setting where nature ties into the elusive magic practiced by witches like Qifrey.
Coco and Qifrey first meet after a Pegasus carriage (an aerial mode of transport) lands near Coco’s mother’s dressmaking shop. This re-ignites her fiery curiosity toward all things magical. Qifrey senses this fascination and compliments Coco’s natural talents as a dressmaker, noting her precision and focus. “This is some real magic,” he muses.
Coco’s love for the magical doesn’t exist in a vacuum. She recounts a trip to a festival inside a castle, where she met a mysterious man selling a magical picture book, with a quill-like wand thrown in for free. This encounter is fleshed out with more sinister intent than in the manga, where the masked bookseller appears harmless in the flashback. The anime’s decision to sow the seeds of suspicion this early works in favor of intensifying the catastrophe waiting to happen once Coco discovers how magic works after spying on Qifrey. Coco’s first brush with the ethics of breaking a promise comes as she secretly watches Qifrey etch runic sigils on a broken Pegasus carriage wheel despite being asked not to. It’s hard to fault a child for being curious, but Coco’s naive enthusiasm leaves her vulnerable to the darkness inherent in human intentions and the harm that thoughtless actions can bring.
Witch Hat Atelier is primarily a coming-of-age saga that uses magic as a conduit for self-discovery. Coco’s perception of magic being “sparkly” and “wonderful” paints an incomplete picture, as she is understandably unaware that magic can also be used to orchestrate chaos. When Coco learns that magic isn’t solely reserved for witches, but can be performed by anyone aware of the proper sigils, the picture book and quill-wand turn out to be more dangerous than she thought, bringing about tragic consequences.
Qifrey comes to the rescue, but his intentions aren’t purely altruistic, as Coco inadvertently becomes a clue that can lead him to a coven using Forbidden Magic. Even so, Qifrey is the closest thing Coco has to a parental figure who can help her navigate the magical world she is now suddenly a part of. Episode 2 subtly hints at Qifrey’s shadowy goals, but this reveal feels toned down in favor of a genuine sense of protectiveness towards Coco.
The shift from Coco’s humble existence with her mother to an exciting, strange new journey as Qifrey’s apprentice is significant. Witch Hat Atelier accomplishes a lot in just two episodes, revealing a seedy magical underbelly that requires children like Coco to embrace great power and responsibility while battling real dangers. There’s also a bittersweetness to Coco’s exposure to other apprentices her age, as kids like Tetia, Richeh, and Agott react distinctly to her presence inside Qifrey’s atelier. While Tetia and Richeh help Coco out despite their misgivings about her “outsider” status, Agott takes a more abrasive approach to pushing Coco’s limits. Coco endures and challenges these complex circumstances with admirable bravery. She has already come a long way since the fateful night that turned her life upside down, and remains ever loyal to her goals.
Based on these first two episodes provided to critics for review, Witch Hat Atelier has the potential to become the next big fantasy saga offering quiet escapism along the lines of Frieren. This is a layered story that respects the love that goes into learning a mundane skill while also indulging in the boundless fantasy of a magic spell. Just like Qifrey tells Coco, not all spells are twisted or forbidden — so why not learn the ones that bring joy to people instead?
Witch Hat Atelier will premiere its first two episodes on April 6 on Crunchyroll.