REVIEW: Magic Comes With a Price in Witch Hat Atelier

Spoiler: This review contains spoilers for Witch Hat Atelier, Episodes 1 and 2 “The Magic That Started Everything” and “The School of the Grassland”

One of the most highly anticipated anime series to premiere this spring was Witch Hat Atelier. Initially, I had no plans to watch it as I’m not a huge fan of shows about witches, but boy, am I glad I did.

Coco’s fascination with magic started when she was very young, leading to a lifelong goal of one day becoming a witch. Despite not being born with the innate powers of one, it hasn’t stopped her from dreaming about it day in and day out. When a witch named Qifrey comes to her mother’s tailor shop, Coco discovers a crucial secret: witches don’t cast spells. They draw them.

Witch Hat Atelier’s Unique Take on Magic

This, I thought, was very interesting and put a twist on the lore of the world as Coco, and we as an audience, initially knew it. And Qifrey’s explanation further solidified it: anyone can become a witch. But because humans can easily abuse the power and have done so in the past, only a select few are allowed to know this secret and to wield magic. Everyone else’s memories of magic were thus wiped out.

It does bring into question who gets to choose who’s worthy of being a witch. Obviously, there will be people who betray that trust and use magic for their own nefarious purposes

Magic in the Witch Hat Atelier world can only be cast on items and not people which is strictly prohibited. These forbidden spells include transformation, altering of ages or appearances, teleportation, manipulation someone’s thoughts or emotions, harming them, and most interestingly, healing. More often than not, healing is always thought of as the positive effects of magic, but I wonder if the witches’ reason for banning it is because it could either make someone immortal or bring someone back from the dead which would upset the balance of the world.

The bottom line is that these powerful spells have been banished for a reason.

Unfortunately, Coco did not know this.

Encouraged by the magic she saw Qifrey draw, she uses the “picture book” and “wand” she acquired from a mysterious masked figure when she was a child to start practicing drawing runes. While most of her runes are harmless and some aren’t particularly powerful given how unsteady her lines are, the first and only one she traces is a powerful forbidden spell that destroys her home… and turns her mother into stone.

Just as Qifrey is about to erase her memories, a desperate Coco begs him not to. Only when Coco blurts out that she knows the picture book by heart that he relents and accepts her as his apprentice.

The interaction between Coco and her mother post-Qifrey’s visit was interesting. Coco’s mother remarks that she thought Coco would follow Qifrey and become a witch to which Coco vehemently denies, saying she’d never leave her mother by herself. And it didn’t look like Coco would go against her promise, but she wanted just one last indulgence, just one last dip into the world of magic.

But magic always comes with a price. It was impossible for Coco to have both her mother and magic. And she paid the biggest price of all: she lost her mother and she broke her promise to her. And her apprenticeship also came with a condition. Qifrey was cold and dismissive to her plight and was all ready to erase her memories but the picture book is what saved Coco; he needs it to track down whoever is behind those books. So while he is kind and patient, there’s also another side he’s hiding from everyone.

Magic is Art. Art is Magic

The first two episodes felt like a love letter to art. Episode 2 was a touch more exposition heavy but Episode 1 was where the animation quality shone through. The part where Qifrey grabs Coco, bursts out of the window, and scampers across the roof tiles reminds me a little bit of Studio Ghibli’s animation style because it feels like the house is alive and getting ready to exhale.

There were numerous instances in these two episodes where there was such an appreciation for art. Qifrey complimenting Coco’s lines when he sees her draw on the fabric. The entire screen turning white, acting as a blank canvas for Coco’s first attempt at drawing runes. Scenes where books open and turn into fairytale pop-up books.

The world’s lore–how anyone can be a witch so long as they have ink, a pen, and paper–is also a leaning into the connection between art and magic. Art, like magic, takes time, passion, dedication, patience, and hard work.

Witch Hat Atelier had a gorgeous two-episode premiere and although it might be too early to say, the anime adaptation of Kamome Shirahama’s award-winning manga series is a leading contender for “Anime of the Year.”