Helen: At the end of volume 1 of Witch Hat Atelier it wasn’t yet clear if it was by accident or design that Coco was handed a book of real magic by a masked, brimmed witch years ago along with the tools to use it. While it’s still not clear if Coco specifically was targeted by this witch, it’s clear that this is all now part of a deliberate plan and that this witch plans to make use of Coco and will throw her into dangerous situations to see what kind of magic she produces based on her unique life experiences. Not only do these situations threaten the lives of Coco and her classmates, who ended up tossed through a portal to face a dragon alongside of her (again it’s not clear if that was what the brimmed witch intended all along but they seemed unconcerned that Coco didn’t come alone either way) but the threat of discovery of her connection to these banned magics seems to only grow greater every day. And while Qifrey may be a good teacher and seems to care about his students, his intense drive to find these brimmed witches, and plans to raise up Coco so that she can help to her fullest extent, his actions are also becoming more and more worrisome.
Kamome Shirahama has done a great job so far in fleshing out Coco and demonstrating to the readers that yes, while Coco is quick-minded and often has a different idea about how to approach magic than her classmates, she’s no prodigy and neither is her “rival” Agott either. Agott seems like she’ll be one of the most important characters in this series — heck it’s her and not Qifrey on the cover of volume 2 which indicates just how large her role is, and we get a concise yet biting look into her past in this volume and what drives this girl so hard to create effortless magic. Coco’s other two classmates haven’t gotten as much time to shine yet but since their escape from the dragon was a true group effort, and we see Coco applying some of the ideas she learned from the other girls during a water rescue later in the volume, I’m sure they’re going to be fleshed out sooner rather than later.
We also get a greater look into how witches practice magic without letting ordinary people figuring out the secret! Given that magic is widely known and it seems to be fairly widely used (including magical objects produced by witches, like the light up cobblestones or the toilet to the void) I still have my doubts at how “easily” witches have been able to control access to their greatest secret. Even with the liberal use of mind-altering spells, surely someone has found the designs on these objects and wondered if they were part of the process right? Heck, it looks like many of the designs, like those on the slyph shoes, are drawn on, not carved or otherwise inlaid, so it shouldn’t be that hard to muss them up and break the magic in the process, something that people would be sure to notice. But the idea that witches wear long robes so that they can hide their hands while drawing is a neat idea and like others have noted it’s a nice nod to our real-world “magic” which is a product of stagecraft and slight of hand distractions. I suspect that it’s going to be a long time before Coco is anywhere near this level of expertise however; she’s still having trouble adjusting from her old tailoring tools to the drawing pens of witches and after having this issue brought up in not one but two volumes I wonder if Coco is going to end up with an unusual and creative drawing implement as a result (like say something shaped more like the triangular tailor’s chalk she’s more adept at using).
So far, Witch Hat Atelier continues to be delightful and in many ways it reminds me of “classic” (Victorian/Edwardian-era) children’s books where the best books had magic, daring, actual danger, and yet satisfying resolutions every time. Atelier is aimed at a slightly older age-group, more on the cusp of middle grade and young adult rather than a strictly children’s book but this almost historical sensibility of it only adds to it’s many many charms. Here’s to many more charming volumes to come!
Helen’s rating: 4 out of 5
Justin: When we last left off one of the strongest debut manga of 2019, Coco, Agott, Richeh and Tetia were in dire straights. Whisked into a magic maze due to forbidden magic, they encounter a dragon inside it. The four have to find a way to defeat it and escape, but first they have to avoid being torn apart personally, as both Tetia and Agott draw their ire and fears towards Coco. How will they ever get out of this predicament?
Well, it does involve making a dragon enjoy its slumber.
Witch Hat Atelier volume 2’s biggest strengths is the art, but a close second is the characters and their underlying motivations. Coco’s obsession regarding magic is well known, but through this event with the dragon (and throughout volume 2) we learn more about the cast, starting with Tetia and Agott. Both Tetia and Agott’s interactions with Coco and how they talk to her either while furious, frightened, etc. ultimately gets them out of multiple predicaments throughout this volume, and it’s that type of creativity that makes reading this manga super enjoyable.
The art is still a marvel of course; from Qifrey drawing a water dragon to when Coco learns of the Knights Moralis, Shirahama’s art is beautiful to look at. But one of the things that sticks out is how unexpected the resolutions for certain moments can be. This is a good thing, as there’s constant surprise at how Coco will either learn how to use magic or how everyone will attempt to do a task. I am very curious about how they will solve their latest problem that popped up at the end of the volume though.
I do want to talk a bit about Agott though. At about every opportunity she does what she can to exclude or diminish what Coco does because she’s an outsider — what will get her to change this mindset? It starts becoming clear as the volumes goes on that it’s not just because Coco’s an outsider, it’s more or less built up because Agott wants to desperately stick it to the person who called her magic worthless. That’s why she’s training hard, but at what cost? At some point we will have to see if this attitude will change or not, but it does stand very much in stark contrast to Coco’s passion for magic.
Witch Hat Atelier volume 2 is a bit of step down from the first volume, but this is still very much worth your time. At this point we still have a lot to learn about Qifrey and his motivations to find the Forbidden Book of Spells and the mysterious witch that did something to Coco — though we’re also still wondering who that witch really is though. There’s so much to still learn about this world and the journey these characters have to through, and I will for sure be reading to find out what will happen next.
Justin’s rating: 4 out of 5