Everyone is familiar with stories of witches: incantations, rituals, potions, and brooms. For many of us, the enchanting tales were of endless fascination in our childhoods, and everyone has entertained this question at least once: What if these fantasies were reality? Although the concept of a fantasy world of witches and wizards is a well-explored concept, ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ creates a sense of childhood wonder that draws in individuals of all ages.
‘Witch Hat Atelier’ (とんがり帽子のアトリエ) is a Japanese fantasy Seinen manga written and illustrated by Kamome Shirahama. The series first started in July 2016 in the monthly Morning Two magazine published by Kodansha and has since won 7 awards across America, France, Spain, and South Korea. Despite being a part of the Seinen genre, which markets its works towards older audiences, it has been met with high acclaim by a wide audience from young teens to adults. It has a spin-off series ‘Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen’ (とんがり帽子のキッチン) that began in November 2019. In April 2022, it was announced that an anime adaptation was in production, and as of October the same year, ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ had sold 4.5 million copies. With compelling story and breathtaking art, readers are immersed in a tale where Shirahama brings to life the most realistic of issues in the fantastical world of ‘Witch Hat Atelier.’
The Plot
The story follows a girl named Coco, who lives in the countryside, helping her mother with her clothing shop. Despite being one of the Unknowing — a non-witch — who cannot perform magic, she expresses a sense of love and wonder towards its boundless potential. Magic is a “necessary miracle,” with the ability to aid all, and she longs to explore magic’s workings and applications. Still, because Unknowing are taught at a young age that one must be born a witch in order to perform magic, Coco is content simply admiring it.
Her life is turned on its head when, one day, a witch named Qifrey visits her mother’s shop. Coco recounts a warm tale to him of when she was younger: she recalls visiting the city during a festival and a mysterious figure selling her thin book and pen. The figure taught her what magic is — it is the boundless power that allows the city street to glow beneath her steps, and cleanse lakes for wildlife and humans to benefit from. Coco gained her love of magic through this encounter, thoroughly enchanted by the possibilities of magic. Her story is cut short by a commotion outside, caused by a magic chariot breaking. Qifrey borrows the shop and asks Coco to guard the door while he fixes the chariot. Coco’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she steals a glance at Qifrey as he works. There, Coco sees him illustrating swirling glyphs, learning the secret that is so closely guarded by witches: magic is not cast but drawn. Realizing that she has the possibility to practice magic, Coco waits until Qifrey leaves and takes hold of the pen and thin book she bought all those years ago, tracing over the glyphs drawn in the book. While absorbed in her new-found discoveries, Qifrey grabs Coco, evacuating out the window time for the magic she was tracing to start working. Once the two escape outside, they turn towards Coco’s home to see her mother calling her name as she turns to stone with the rest of the house, caused by the magic Coco had traced. As a non-witch who knows the secret to magic, the law states that her memory must be wiped. In order to prevent this, and find a way to turn her mother back, Qifrey instructed her to become a witch herself. Thus, Coco becomes Qifrey’s apprentice.
The witches in this world are not biologically different from the Unknowing: what makes one a witch is simply the knowledge that is passed down to them by their predecessors. The vast majority of witches are Pointed Cap Witches, who follow rules dictated on the Day of the Pact, a day in the distant past when wars of gruesome magic were still common, and enforced by the Knights Moralis. Two main rules bind the Pointed Caps: a witch must not be seen drawing spells by an Unknowing or teach an Unknowing magic, and casting magic directly on the body, including healing magic, is forbidden except for memory-wiping magic. Any Unknowing who learns the secret of magic or witch who performs forbidden magic must have their memory erased by the Knights Moralis.
In opposition to the Pointed Cap Witches are the Brimhats, witches who disobey the Knights Moralis to perform magic on the body. The very being who kindled Coco’s love for magic is one of the Brimhats, responsible for jumpstarting Coco’s journey to becoming a witch by providing her access to forbidden magic. This puts Coco in a precarious spot. As an Unknowing-turned-apprentice, and as a person who has casted forbidden magic (regardless of whether she intended to or not), law dictates that her memory must be wiped. This, however, would mean losing the possibility of turning her mother back to normal.
The Characters
‘Witch Hat Atelier’s’ main appeal comes from its characters. Despite Coco being entirely unfamiliar with magic and Pointed Cap society, her ever-growing love for magic and her creativity allow for her to complete feats even experienced apprentices find challenging. The goals and flaws of each character drive the story forward, providing realistic facets to an otherwise fantastical world.
Agott, Coco’s narrative foil, is a stern and ambitious girl. She is the most accomplished out of Qifrey’s apprentices and thus is a reliable presence for the others. However, she has a tendency to push herself to unhealthy limits, causing her to have harsh expectations of both herself and others around her. She comes from a prestigious family but was casted out after being accused of plagiarism.
Tetia is a cheerful and loving girl that enjoys helping others to spread joy and plays a vital role in keeping up the group morale. When Coco first joined Qifrey’s atelier, Tetia was the first of his apprentices to welcome her.
The last of Qifrey’s apprentices is Richeh, a stubborn girl who despises authority. In her years before joining Qifrey’s atelier, she was an apprentice under a restrictive teacher who admonished Richeh’s creativity.
Qifrey, the professor teaching all four of these apprentices, is a patient and caring teacher. He is able to guide the girls with a gentle hand, supportive of the girls in their individuality. Like any other skill, each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses. Coco, for example, specializes in straight lines she learned as a part of her mother’s craft, and Richeh specializes in small, intricate circles that allow for creative applications, such as the special crystal ribbon magic that she created herself.
Olruggio is the Watchful Eye of Qifrey’s atelier, a witch who monitors conduct in remote ateliers to prevent any illegal activities, as well as Qifrey’s best friend. He is the other core pillar of Qifrey’s atelier and is a kind and caring person despite his gruff attitude.
Beyond the main cast, there are many more intriguing characters who drive the story forward. With all their unique quirks and motivations, they truly color ‘Witch Hat Atelier’s’ world.
Magic in ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ is a craft much like writing, sewing, or painting. As the girls grow and develop their skills, they face roadblocks that any other person would encounter in their improvement. What makes the process of learning so delightful for the reader is through each character’s passion for magic. Coco’s endless infatuation with magic drives her forward despite any setbacks. Any individual who endeavors to acquire a new skill knows the trials and tribulations caused by unexpected hurdles, and the willpower needed to overcome them. Coco persevering despite her limitations creates a compelling story that urges readers to pursue their passions, and believe in their ability to harbor change.
All while exercising her newfound passion, Coco finds herself with inevitable questions that she must address when learning magic. How will she turn her mother back to normal without defying Pointed Witch society’s rules? Should one even follow the rules when faced with a dilemma where a person could be solved by defying them? These are questions that may perplex even the most advanced of witches, but ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ emphasizes the importance of not underestimating children, creativity, and the bonds one makes on their journeys.
A delightful trait about ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ is its open and diverse representation of people. There are seamless appearances of queer people, people of color, and disabled people that allow a wide range of audiences to feel seen. Shirahama is a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community as a whole and includes canonical queer characters. All of her representation is natural — they simply are rather than have their existence explained.
One of the most prominent displays of representation is through Shirahama’s disabled characters. Of them, Qifrey, Tartah, Coustas, and Beldaruit, have significant impacts on the story. Tartah is a young boy born into a family of witches but has an illness that causes the world to appear through a silver sheen. Witches value eyesight exceptionally, and many witches discriminate against those who aren’t able to “live up to their full potential” due to eye afflictions, representative of individuals who discriminate and limit opportunities for disabled people rather than focusing on their potential. It is because of his experiences with his disability that Tartah becomes friends with Coustas.
Coustas is a young traveling minstrel who works with his adoptive father. He starts out non-disabled when Coco first meets him and later loses mobility of his legs because of an accident. Readers are able to see him struggle with his disability while also bringing forth the moral dilemma caused by restricting the ways magic can be used. This can be used as a metaphor for real-life instances of medical procedures being withheld from those who truly need it because of political and economic reasons.
Access to magic is a privilege in ‘Witch Hat Atelier,’ which we can see through the comparison of Beldaruit and Coustas. Coustas, born as an Unknowing, must get access to magical aid through indirect means: his Sealchair, a magical device that acts much like a wheelchair does. Coustas’ Sealchair is clunky and has trouble maneuvering uneven surfaces, such as stairs. By contrast, Beldaruit is one of the Three Wise, a high-ranking leader among witches with frail health that often leaves him bed-bound. His Sealchair provides much more mobility, including the ability to float. Their difference in status as an Unknowing and a witch, as well as economic status as a minstrel and a Wise, creates a disparity in the level of resources they have access to. This mirrors the experiences of disabled individuals in the real world, like manual vs. electric wheelchairs. Although one option significantly improves mobility, it remains unattainable for many due to economic constraints.
It is important to point out how the narrative handles their disabilities. Never does the main cast try to cure any of their disabilities but instead try to open up new opportunities using magic. Beldaruit being bedridden does not take away from his status as a Wise, but, instead, readers witness creative applications for magic that allow for Beldaruit to work around obstacles, such as a spell that allows casters to create a projection of themselves that allow them to communicate with others, even if they are not physically there.
When Coco realizes how Coustas is struggling to adjust to his clumsy Sealchair, she and Tartah resolve to innovate a new mobility aid for Coustas. Taking inspiration from boots that allow them to fly through the air, one of the most widespread magical devices used by witches, they create a glider for Coustas that allows him to maneuver freely through the air without requiring the use of his legs. These are simply a few of many creative applications of magic that showcase its potential towards increasing accessibility. Magic is a form of technology in the world of ‘Witch Hat Atelier,’ but the lack of outreach of magic towards Unknowing limits its full potential to create a much more accessible world for all.
In many fantasy settings, the representation of a diverse range of individuals is arguably one of the most crucial components. It enables marginalized populations to see themselves reflected in artwork. Shirahama uses a fantastical setting to explore vast topics that influence her readers while providing hope and inspiration through her characters’ innovative solutions to problems.
The Art
Kamome Shirahama’s visuals in ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ draw clear inspiration from Art Nouveau and story books such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.’ The characteristics of her art style, reminiscent of storybooks from our childhoods, transport readers back to our first encounters with fairytales — it invokes a sense of nostalgic wonder, making Shirahama’s art style perfect for a whimsical fantasy story like ‘Witch Hat Atelier.’
Shirahama’s masterful artwork allows for the reader to seamlessly read through the story with a natural ebb and flow. Although all parts of her artwork can be called phenomenal, one of her skills that particularly stands out is her use of paneling. Through her use of a wide range of techniques, her artwork takes on more dynamic compositions that draw the reader’s attention.
Some of the most notable techniques the Shirahama employs are the overlapping of panels and unique, intricate framing. Overlapping panels can provide a variety of effects. Using panels with different screen tones, textures and shading that are overlaid over drawings, can demonstrate the passage of time, or create a particularly shocking effect when a character is experiencing intense motion. Additionally, overlapping smaller panels in differing shapes can provide a sense of motion, and the simple use of overlapping objects with panels also creates a more visually appealing image that can draw the reader’s attention.
In many instances, the use of overlapping and unique framing will be used simultaneously. A particularly charming technique Shirahama uses is the use of frames as if they are physical objects within the characters’ environment. By using this technique Shirahama is able to convey multiple pieces of information in a creative, engaging manner.
Arguably one of the most striking visual appeals of ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ is Shirahama’s intricate frames that can convey emotions and tones that add to the atmosphere of the story. She creates a more captivating experience that immerses the reader into the emotions of the characters: the inclusion of a lurking threat that reminds the reader of ongoing perils, or a well-worn page for a character reminiscing on fond memories.
In ‘Witch Hat Atelier,’ Kamome Shirahama simultaneously showcases a fantastical world full of magic and mystique while creating a narrative that allows for any reader to see themselves in. Her depiction of realistic issues through a magical world and masterful artwork creates an intriguing narrative that strikes the hearts of readers by rekindling their sense of childish wonder. ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ is a story for all to enjoy, transcending beyond its world into ours.
With compelling story and breathtaking art, readers are immersed in a tale where Shirahama brings to life the most realistic of issues in the fantastical world of ‘Witch Hat Atelier.’