‘Witch Hat Atelier’ is an enchanting watch
For anyone who has ever wanted to become a wizard, this long-awaited series about a young woman who becomes a witch is the anime for you
Coco in "Witch Hat Atelier."
Kamome Shirahama/Kodansha/Witch Hat Atelier Committee
Words by Winter Qiu
This review contains light spoilers.
Be honest. Raise your hand if you’ve ever dreamt of wielding magic when you were a small child. If you didn’t raise your hand, you’re a liar.
Many eyes are on the fantasy genre, with recent titles like Delicious in Dungeon and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End receiving overwhelming positive reviews for their extensive worldbuilding. This anime season brings us Witch Hat Atelier, a long-awaited fantasy series that has been in production for more than three years.
While shows and films centering young wizards and witches are a dime in a dozen, none put as much care into giving meaning to the setting as Witch Hat Atelier. Why do witches use the tools they do? Why do they wear the long cloak and the iconic cone-shaped witch’s hat? The show treats the viewer like a witch’s apprentice. If you’re willing to learn, there’s an answer to absolutely everything.
In the first episode, a humble tailor’s daughter named Coco (Rena Motomura) has her world turned upside down when she accidentally discovers the witches’ best kept secret: anyone can cast magic if they have access to the right glyphs and ink. After Coco accidentally casts forbidden magic, she becomes an apprentice to the witch Qifrey (Natsuki Hanae) and learns magic alongside his other students—the sharp-tongued Agott (Hibiku Yamamura), the bubbly Tetia (Kurumi Haruki), the aloof Richeh (Hika Tsukishiro), and Qifrey’s crabby housemate Olruggio (Yuichi Nakamura).
From left, Tetia, Qifrey, and Richeh in "Witch Hat Atelier."
Kamome Shirahama/Kodansha/Witch Hat Atelier Committee
When it comes to emotionally turbulent protagonists, Coco stands at the top. She feels everything from childlike wonder to despair to the highest degree, and Motomura brings that to life perfectly. The rest of the cast are just as impressive when it comes to their range. Most notably, Hanae is so effective in delivering a kind and mellow performance for Coco’s instructor Qifrey that despite having read ahead in the manga, I am still disarmed by the character’s hostile and obsessive side.
The animation studio Bug Films does justice to Kamome Shirahama’s Art Nouveau-style illustrations by accentuating the dynamic, flowing feeling of spellcasting with a seamless blend of CGI and hand-drawn animations. The synchronicity of the animation and sound design is best shown when Qifrey brings down a dragon with a tidal wave in episode five. The composer Yuka Kitamura, known for her past work on critically acclaimed video games such as Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Dark Souls III, thoroughly expresses the wonder and danger of the battlefield with cinematic orchestral swells. While the witches are the ones casting magic in the show, the animators and the sound design team produce true magic.
When you get past the initial sparkle and shine of the introduction, the show raises the stakes with a deep exploration of the magical world’s flaws, with accessibility being one of them. Qifrey himself puts it best, “One problem with witches is how unaccommodating we are of exceptions.” In episode eight, the magic supply shop’s assistant Tartah reveals he has an eye condition called silverwash, which severely impacts his daily life. It takes an outsider like Coco to even consider using magic to create accommodations for Tartah. Even when they devise a spell to aid those with silverwash, Tartah’s disability doesn’t vanish, showing that magic is no panacea.
Hypocrisy also runs rampant among witches. Magic that wipes people’s memories is forbidden by the witches in power—until they use it themselves in the most egregious example of “rules for thee but not for me.” The Brimmed Hats, a terrorist group and the main antagonists of the show, are infamous for their use of forbidden magic, but the government-approved witches can hardly be called the good guys.
Qifrey and Coco in "Witch Hat Atelier."
Kamome Shirahama/Kodansha/Witch Hat Atelier Committee
At the eye of the storm is Qifrey’s atelier, a temporary refuge to these issues. However, taking just one step outside reveals a whirlwind of issues, and like fledglings learning to fly, the inexperienced apprentices must leave the nest in order to grow.
Like classic fairy tales of yore, Witch Hat Atelier wraps up its cautionary tales in a cozy aesthetic, making it a fantastic coming-of-age story that humbles viewers of all ages. In a world that feels increasingly unsafe and turbulent at times, this show reminds us that when you think you know the truth behind something, that’s actually the perfect time to be asking more questions.
Witch Hat Atelier is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, with new episodes airing every week and its final episode scheduled for June 22.
Published on June 9, 2026
Words by Winter Qiu
Winter Qiu is a first-generation Chinese American born in New York. When they're not playing board games or watching cartoons, they can be spotted in the wild with a cup of milk tea. They probably could've become a doctor like their parents wanted if they didn't like the creative arts so much, but then again, most likely not.