Witch Hat Atelier is a modern manga success story, quickly becoming one of the most beloved and talked about manga series of the current age. When it was announced that the series would be getting an anime, the excitement grew more intense, with many fans predicting the anime version will become the next big fantasy series, one with the potential to dominate an upcoming season. And it’s easy to see why. Witch Hat Atelier‘s characters break away from the fantasy genre’s norms fantastically and memorably, leading to a highly unique manga.
Written and illustrated by Kamome Shirahama, the series debuted in Monthly Morning Two magazine in 2016. The story follows Coco, a girl who has dreamed about becoming a witch since she was young. Alas, this dream isn’t easy to realize, as in Coco’s world, only those with innate magical powers can study and practice magic. However, one day, when a witch named Qifrey comes to her mother’s shop, Coco spots him casting spells using runes. Desperate to see if she can cast magic, Coco finds a mysterious picture book she bought from a witch years before and tries drawing some runes. However, this spell goes horribly wrong, and Coco’s mother is transformed into a crystal. Qifrey, believing the picture book is linked to a mysterious group he’s been tasked with hunting, takes Coco on as an apprentice, hoping they can get to the bottom of this mystery and save her mother.
Why Coco Is a Fantastic Lead
One of the best things about Witch Hat Atelier is its core character, Coco. The most instantly noticeable thing about her is that she is a rare example of a female lead in a fantasy series. But her gender isn’t the only way she breaks from tradition. Coco has a unique personality, as despite living through many hardships and having to give up her dream, Coco is still a very optimistic and happy person, a far cry from the brooding wizards that tend to be the standard in the genre. This is shown perfectly in the first few chapters, where the mere mention of magic causes Coco to overflow with excitement, unable to hide her enthusiasm, something that’s only amplified when Qifrey arrives.
But her excitement doesn’t fade as the story continues, as Coco always retains her sense of wonder, a personality trait that many similar stories do away with once the plot is established. This is a shame as this loss of wonder can make the world feel less vibrant for readers, as once magic becomes an everyday thing, it loses its impact. But Coco’s presence, mixed with the stunning art, means that every spell in Witch Hat Atelier feels special because Coco’s excitement reminds readers that they’re seeing something otherworldly and fantastical.
Coco also embraces learning with all her heart, something that many fantasy settings often brush over, with education only appearing when the hero needs a new ability. This gives the manga a nice flow, as Coco is continually growing and improving, making it hard to put the story down once you start with it.
Coco is also emotionally complex. Her mother’s sad fate is masterfully handled as Coco goes through visceral and relatable grief during the manga, with her mood frequently swinging whenever she is reminded of the situation. In fact, as the manga goes on, it’s obvious that the event left a lasting mark on Coco, setting her further apart from other heroes. As in most magical fantasy stories, the call to adventure is often quickly forgotten and is rarely, if ever, mentioned after the first few chapters.
Also, despite Witch Hat Atelier‘s grander story arc, Coco never loses her desire to help people with everyday problems. This is a very charming and unique character trait as often, smaller, more personal tasks fall by the wayside once the protagonist starts to tackle the main story arc. This trait also perfectly fits her backstory because Coco knows how it feels to be denied your dream and how hard it can be to deal with pain, making her desire to go out of her way to help others feel organic.
The Entire Cast Breaks Tradition
This originality also extends to the rest of the cast. Once again, the most instantly notable element is the gender balance, as most of the core cast is female, with the second chapter introducing Qifrey’s other apprentices, Agott, Tetia, and Richeh. Each girl has a unique personality, and the story works hard to flesh them out in a way that makes them feel distinct but well-rounded. This is great as many fantasy manga series tend to sideline their female characters or box them into one of a handful of character archetypes, relying on the reader’s knowledge of the archetype to convey their personality rather than showing it through their actions within the story.
The only exceptions to this gender balance early on are Qifrey, Coco’s mentor, and Olruggio, another experienced magician who is the watchful eye for Qifrey’s atelier. But despite their gender, neither man is presented traditionally. Qifrey is warm and outgoing, as shown by his early humoring of Coco and his decision to take her into his home after her mother is frozen. Plus, he also has a taste for the theatrical, which is a rarely seen trait in male mentor figures, as most tend to be emotionally distant from their charges at first, only warming up to them later. Olruggio is more emotionally distant due to the nature of his job. But despite this, he is still a well-rounded character and a fantastic mentor for the girls, and he has a realistic gruffness that contrasts perfectly with Qifrey’s personality.
Also, while the cast is predominantly female, Witch Hat Atelier doesn’t feature romance elements or even romantic subplots. While the group bonds over time, the relationship is familial, with them all platonically supporting and aiding each other. This is very unusual as most modern fantasy manga tend to give the lead character a love interest of some form, even if it’s just a crush they fruitlessly pursue during the early acts. This makes Witch Hat Atelier feel very different from other similar series. Doubly so because the time most manga would dedicate to romance is instead used to flesh out the girls and their relationships, leading to a deeper and more interesting group dynamic.
Witch Hat Atelier is a fantasy series that breaks the mold in many ways. Its focus on well-rounded female characters makes it stand out against its competition. Also, the lack of a romance subplot makes it stand out even more because romance has become an expected part of the genre in recent years. However, thanks to its excellent character writing, Witch Hat Atelier is more than just a gender flip. Coco’s excitable nature and desire to overcome the odds no matter the situation makes her deeply compelling. It’s impossible to not feel for her and root for her as she does her best to harness the magic she’s always dreamed of having. So when the Witch Hat Atelier anime lands, expect it to quickly become a fan-favorite series and one of the most popular modern fantasy adventure stories.