The world of anime is full of characters without magical abilities who somehow manage to overcome the odds in stories where magic is an almost essential element. In that scenario, Witch Hat Atelier might even seem like just another entry on the long list that includes community favorites like Black Clover, Mashle: Magic and Muscles or Wistoria: Wand and Sword. But the truth is that the adaptation of Kamome Shirahama's manga reaches a level of depth that makes it stand out even in such a well-represented genre.

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The first season of Witch Hat Atelier proved that it is much more than a simple story about cute little witches. Here, we see a narrative where the characters take priority over the magic itself, and even amid all the cuteness, the production still manages to find the macabre side inherent to dark magic. 

Anyone already familiar with Shirahama's universe through the pages of the manga was not surprised. Coco, a little girl who has always dreamed of becoming a witch, discovers early on that she does not possess innate magical abilities. What she does not realize is that magic is not actually a hereditary gift, but something that can be learned and replicated through drawing, in a long process that requires study, effort, and dedication. 

And speaking of that, learning is the main driving force behind Coco's story. Witch Hat Atelier constantly teaches us that “talent” is a word used to describe people who, in one way or another, had certain privileges when learning something new. In other words, effort can also be rewarded, and trial and error are elements that are part of any learning journey—and the protagonist is the greatest example of that.

Unlike those considered “witches,” Coco begins learning to use magic much later than her companions. As the story progresses, the protagonist manages to develop her abilities, guided by the mysterious Qifrey and driven by a major motivation—to save her mother, who was imprisoned by an ancient spell. So it makes sense that people who do not use magic are called “non-knowers” in this universe, since they were never even given the opportunity to access that knowledge. 

All of this teaching takes on a different form from the usual thanks to the richly detailed universe created by Shirahama. An acclaimed artist, the mangaka has an impressive résumé that includes work for entertainment giants like Marvel and DC and iconic franchises such as Star Wars. With extremely delicate and detailed artwork, Shirahama built such a dazzling universe that it was hard to imagine an anime adaptation that could do justice to all that worldbuilding. Surprisingly, studio BUG FILMS can proudly say it pulled off that feat.

Ayumu Watanabe's direction (Summer Time Rendering; Space Brothers) managed to capture the essence of the manga, presenting the mysterious world of Witch Hat Atelier and all of its characters in the most enchanting way possible. It is a work that, in particular, deserves every bit of praise, especially since the director also helmed another acclaimed anime of the season, the adaptation of the manga Akane-banashi.

From the background art to the character design, everything in Witch Hat Atelier feels truly enchanting, and the term “magical” does not seem sufficient to describe the adaptation, which gave us some of the most beautiful animated sequences in recent memory. The first time Coco uses magic and the scene in which Qifrey faces a threatening dragon are just a few examples of that.

In addition, the Brazilian Portuguese dub has also earned a special place in the hearts of Brazilian fans. Under the direction of Guilherme Marques, the voices of Coco by Helena Violante, Qifrey by Lucas Gama, and even the Brushbug (yes, it has a voice too!) by Laiis Martins, managed to capture the true essence of Shirahama's characters. 

Overall, the first season of Witch Hat Atelier arrives as one of the standout anime of its time. Now all that remains is to wait for the continuation of this adventure, with the certainty that there are still many mysteries, spells, and richly developed characters left for us to discover. 

Witch Hat Atelier | 1ª temporada

Created by: Kamome Shirahama

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