Spoiler: Season 1 Episode 1-6
To anyone that’s debating on watching the Witch Hat Atelier.
DO IT!!!!
It does seem like a slower paced anime. Though they have absolutely zero trouble keeping you hooked. Which is how I ended up binging it. No breaks, barely any pauses (except for bathroom breaks and to get food), and a night full of magic. I don’t know why, but this truly scratched the perfect itch in my brain.
Season 1 is almost finished being released on crunchyroll. So the building blocks have been laid and I am excited for what is to come next.
This is one of those anime that you’ll end up being obsessed with for a good minute. It’s only been like 2 days since I finished what’s out and I’ve tried to find something new, but I just can’t.
This follows a girl named Coco. Who from a young age was very interested in being a witch. She bought a magic picture book and a wand. Though how to use them was a completely different story.
Until that one faithful day.
Leading to a traumatizing night.
Everything seemed normal at first. Her family fabric shop, flying pegasus carriage, and customers that you wouldn’t expect to be anything, but normal.
Then there is Mr. Qifrey and suddenly something seems different about him. Coco draws the fabric from the shelf, creates her line before cutting, and cuts the fabric he needs. Which sparked interest because she had done this with a perfection that even Qifrey wasn’t expecting.
Then all of a sudden the pegasus carriage was tipped over and their spell had been messed up. The women that were in the shop no longer had a way home.
Qifrey happened to be a witch that could fix their spell.
Coco was supposed to guard the room he was in. Making sure no one would get in. This was because an outsider couldn’t see how the spell was enacted. Though she proved to be way too curious. Not realizing that the one thing that she had been so obsessed over would one day possibly cause her to lose the one person she loved the most.
She had peaked and realized she had it all wrong.
That night Coco experimented.
Qifrey rushed back sensing something off and the moment he arrived a forbidden spell had been casted.
He decided to bring her back to his Atelier and accept her as an apprentice instead of erasing her memories. That would be the only way he would track down whoever had written the magic picture book (The Brimmed Caps) Coco bought when she was younger.
At the Atelier we meet Tetia, Richeh, and Agott. The other apprentices Qifrey had taken under his wings. They were born into witch families, therefore they were learning basically from birth.
The roamer spread fast. So the girls had already heard about Coco.
Outsiders were not welcome to become witches. When the whole world did know, too many spells were made that weren’t for the good. It was complete chaos.
Everyone was pretty welcoming beside Agott. She had been practicing magic her whole life. Honestly you can imagine how she might have felt about an outsider coming in when for so long that was forbidden as well.
Coco would need to prove that she was meant to be there.
Qifrey also wanted Agott to teach her while he was gone on a trip. Stating to Coco that….
“One may learn much indeed from their peers. You’ll see. Watch her closely and take it all in.”
-Qifrey
Agott had other plans. Sending Coco into a test that she was completely unprepared for. She really had no business in taking yet.
The test was to become an actual apprentice. If she were to fail then she would have to leave the Atelier. Agott didn’t care what happened, forcing her into the Dadah Range. Hoping Coco would fail because she didn’t want an outside that didn’t understand the repercussions in her world.
To her, Coco didn’t belong.
This clearly was not supposed to happen. She had not been trained properly, therefore she could have gotten very injured or could have put her life on the line.
I honestly love how they have tests though. It shows that there are ways you go through things and it all depends on you with how the outcome is. Coco could have given up after the spell on the shoes smudged so she couldn’t use them anymore. She thought of a way that would possibly work for her. Yes, sure it might not have been the conventional way, but she did it nonetheless.
Coco knew she couldn’t give up. Taking what her mother taught her and putting it to use here. Which reminded her what she was doing all this for. To save her mother.
Master Qifrey was not happy about this. He didn’t need her to prove that she could pass the test. After all, someone had already approved her apprenticeship.
She succeeded though leaving that range with a new furry friend (A Brushbuddy) and as a witch apprentice.
Also yes, of course I had to mention the Brushbuddy. That creature is just so cute how could I not.
Just because she is now an apprentice doesn’t mean practice stops. This is where Qifrey realizes that the pen he gave to Coco may not be the best fit for her.
Every pen is different and special for their user.
Which meant they get to go on a field trip to the nearest town to go to the magic stationery shop. Which happens to be in an Atelier Town. Witches had started gathering there after building a sandbar to support a watchtower to protect it against molewyrms.
This was a whole new world for Coco. Tetia kept having to remind her to keep up because they did want her to get lost.
When reaching the shop they met Mr. Nolnoa. Him and his grandson Tartah made everything that the shop had to offer. He was also nice enough to show Coco how to extract the ink that all witches use. After all she would need to know because that knowledge is elementary to witches.
Though the trip takes a turn because the Brimmed Cap she got the magic picture book from was watching her through the shop’s window. Coco and the others took off after them.
This led to Agott, Tetia, Richeh, and Coco getting trapped in a place that was unrecognizable. They had been transported without realizing and now were in danger. Using what they know to protect them from the dragon that was after them.
There proved to be some issues along the way. Tetia was terrified, Agott was frustrated, Richeh was working and staying calm, and Coco was just trying to help.
Are these obstacles in her way to what? Strengthen her powers for something? Possibly.
A Brimmed Cap was behind this. After all they were the ones that sold the magic picture book. Now that they were coming out and making direct contact made the situation a lot more dangerous. Qifrey didn’t expect this to happen. The more they were gone, the more concerned he grew about his children.
Also yes, his children. He had clearly grown to care for all of them like a father. Wanting to teach them right from wrong. You can tell by the way he drops everything when he finds out they’re in danger or doing something they may not be ready for.
Though when the girls were able to find a place that was covered and they could calm themselves. This is where they can finally work together when everything is put behind them. Bouncing off ideas to each other because once the fear has subsided means they are able to actually listen.
They would show the dragon a gentler side of magic using Tetia’s dream and bring that to life.
Agott took the lead.
While they figured out the spells. Coco watched and learned. Taking in what she could without getting in the way but applying that to what she was doing.
I honestly think this is when all the girls started really accepting Coco. As much as she needed to learn from them, there were many things they could learn from her. It’s almost like they realized she had something to offer to their Atelier.
Of course, there would be other times problems would arise. Though all the girls even Agott gained a little more respect for her.
All of them made it passed the dragon to the casting seal. Their plan had worked. Tetia decided to break the casting seal very randomly which made the space even more dangerous.
The sky opened up.
Agott fell off the stairs and almost got eaten by the dragon
Thank goodness Master Qifrey was able to save her from falling to her death or possibly getting eaten. Along with the other girls. Tetia and Richeh were able to fly because of their shoes. Coco though was found unconscious on the stairs.
Showing a Brimmed Cap talking to her unconscious body. His seed is sprouting and he needs to keep an eye on her progress.
Coco had been the target the whole time. They wanted it to be her for some reason. The Brimmed Cap even says that she is going to save them all. Which makes me want to know what is going to happen in the end.
Will Coco stay on the route of good gentle magic or will she turn and use forbidden magic? Maybe she’ll create her own type of magic? Whatever it is I can’t wait to see what it is going to be.
All got back safely. Qifrey even asked Mr. Nolnoa to check what the ink was made out of. Wanting to keep this between them and not bringing it to the Nights Moralis.
When back at the Atelier we see Agott practicing drawing with his eyes closed. Then analysing if the spell would hold or not. Wanting to excel more than where she was now.
Master Qifrey wanted Coco to learn how to apply magic to her daily life. To really immerse herself into it. The more she did that, the more comfortable she would be.
While Tetia and Richeh helped with cooking dinner.
Afterwards, they decided to have a picnic. It was even raining, but they were witches and that surely wasn’t going to stop them. Qifrey had practiced with water elements when he first started with his training so he knew how to get around it.
Agott on the other hand stayed back home, so when the sky had cleared Coco went to bring her out. She wanted to share the magic the sky revealed to them.
That’s when we meet Olruggio, he’s the watchful eye in their Atelier. He had been away on some type of business, so he was not happy about Coco’s arrival. Willing to take her to the Nights Moralis himself. He couldn’t believe that Qifrey would even take in an outsider as an apprentice.
The Nights Moralis should be the one investigating the Brimmed Caps, not them.
Qifrey wasn’t willing to let Coco go. He didn’t want them to be able to take away her passion. Nor did he want to lose the lead of the Brimmed Caps.
Olruggio agreed that she could stay because if Coco had to go that meant Qifrey was willing to erase his memories too.
Later though he realized what made Coco so passionate about magic.
I believe in that moment Olruggio had opened his heart and mind to her actually staying. Though I will say it is a little suspicious regarding the stone lights.
The stone lights reminded her why she started loving the thought of magic in the first place. Which just so happened to be one of Olruggio’s specialties.
After seeing how she got so excited with the glowing stones he kept his door open. Almost like that was a way of saying you could come back.
After everyone goes back to what they were doing before, until they get a knock on the door. A man needed help because a bridge had given way and their carriage was stuck with people in it.
Agott became eager knowing that there was outside work to be done. Requesting to go along and help. The others also grew excited for the opportunity to help on that scale.
This brings up another great learning lesson.
That being said, I’ll leave you all with that cliff hanger. Don’t worry there is a part 2 coming in the next couple weeks for the next 7 episodes.
If you haven’t started watching, it is on Crunchyroll.
Though if you are looking for another anime to read about I suggest Gachiakuta.
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