Tongari Boushi no Atelier
Witch Hat Atelier

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Are athletes, athletes from the moment they're born?
What about astronauts or idols? These things aren't decided at birth

So then what about witches?

Story starts off :

In a world run by the magic that flows through it, there are humans known as witches. Such individuals are male or female because the title of witch applies to both genders. Using a special type of ink, magic is drawn rather than being cast with voice or song. Different patterns represent different spells and they are often cast in secrecy. Why? To prevent the misuse of magic in the hands of the naive. If magic is used in such ... hands, the consequences are detrimental, enough to take away the lives of others or cause great harm to many. Magic is a power that requires the responsibility that comes with it.

Realizing her love for magic, Coco bought a magic book and a pen with the ink that can be used to cast spells from the mysterious witch. And thus she enjoyed watching magic ever since, yet just seeing it didn't satisfy her curiosity. What exactly is magic then? And more importantly, how could it be used?

When a flying chariot comes by her house and breaks down with the meddling of two boys, she gains a chance. Flying chariots cannot fly on their own and require a spell to be fixed if they are broken. Once of the individuals who visited her house for cloth was a male witch known as Qifrey. Witches are known by the pointed hats they wear and he carries one with him.

He casts a spell within her house and by coincidence or perhaps by fate, she realizes how magic is cast. Using ink and patterns, spells become real. Ignoring his warnings to not look inside, Coco has the necessary knowledge to cast. Realizing that she had the tools to draw magic for years, she copies the shapes in her book with her wand with the tip of a pen.

However, the consequences of her actions cost her greatly, at the cost of a life dear to her.

Introduced as the very beginning, he enters the shop of Coco's mother to buy smoke-colored cloth. Perhaps it is for another uniform or for something else, it is never clarified.

With just how busy the shop is, with noblewoman from the flying chariot looking at the hanging lace, the tidy trim, the Harian knitted lace and more, Coco takes his measurements for him. Gazing at the cloth with a practiced eye after setting it on a table, she smooths it out and making a hole, cuts a straight line across, in a completely accurate fashion, showcasing her concentration and skill.

He admires her skill and then the flying chariot breaks down. Revealing his identity as a witch, he enters Coco's house to recast the spell on the chariot. Using a pen with the magic imbued ink, he draws runes which will then activate the magic spell.

After all, anyone who holds the magic ink and has the knowledge of the magic glyphs can use magic. These are the greatest secrets of a witch.

He admires her skill and then the flying chariot breaks down. Revealing his identity as a witch, he enters Coco's house to recast the spell on the chariot. Using a pen with the magic imbued ink, he draws runes which will then activate the magic spell.

After all, anyone who holds the magic ink and has the knowledge of the magic glyphs can use magic. These are the greatest secrets of a witch.

Towards the Future

This one chapter ends with a few open ends. Who did the book belong to that caused all of the damage? Which glyph caused the tragedy? How exactly will Coco become a witch? And will Coco's mother return to her former state?

Taking from the same mixed concept between LWA and Ran to Haiiro Sekai with some of an urban fantasy twist. At first, you could take a close glimpse how visualizing and stunning the art express more aesthetic tone and the story within it's chapter focuses over more subpar witchcraft elements. Twice as simple where it granted to be a lot philosophic theme about witches. However, more than the basic story, what enraptured me was the artwork itself. Every panel, every composition and transition seems like a true work of art, a piece that one would hang up on the wall. Not of the traditional style of shounen or shoujo, but like that of a painting.

Magic express which invoke the inner aspects more than saving peoples lives other than gaining a miracle. Genuine thoughts beyond witches may once receive unholy divine blessing by gathering so much blessings through crafting. Telling where once who born as witches may soon be the most choosen one of all.

Granting a tale which can sums up from a picture book, where every color pallets are not only black and white by not only you can think of thoughts about viewing our new beginning through your new chapter once it ends as it tells that magic is the miracle that colors the world.

A path of witchcraft can depicts by soaring through the amidst in the beacon of light, from the light on the pavestones down to your feet.

UPDATED 26/12/2021
Updating this as a lot more chapter has been released since I initially wrote this. If you wanna know the TLDR: read it, it's good.
With that out the way, here is the more lengthy review.

Story 10/10:
I won't lie and say this catch was quite generic: " girl, who isn't supposed to know magic, learns of magic and now is off to become a witch so she can save her family." It's nothing new. What is new however is how the author really expands on the world they have created. Asking questions we the reader would be asking if we were ... in that situation. It makes the world feel and scenario so believable. This is helped as the magic system used within the manga is "hard"- meaning there are well-defined rules. Things don't appear out of nowhere making us, the readers, able to follow along.

It's just very satisfying to read a manga that knows what world it has built and the limits of that.

Art 10/10
The first thing to grab peoples attention is probably the art style. It's more unique compared to your traditional manga and I love it for it being so. This is also shown within the panelling of the manga, where sometimes it's framed more so like a picture book.

Characters-8/10
If you have seen a magical girl anime, you would get a picture of what our main characters are like. Not saying that's bad in any way (quite the opposite) but it's not a new dynamic. Coco is our positive, outgoing type who is new to the world, Riche is the one that's the most outcast at first, Agete is the one who goes by the books type one and Tetia is the cheery one of the group. This is not bad and the characters undergo their development (some more than others as of now). If all else fails, I at least think our main characters charm can pull you through. Also a mention to Qifrey, the girl's teacher and a character who, though is kind to our protagonists, is clearly hiding something and he provides most of the mystery around the manga.

Side characters are a delight and I often find myself likening them more than our main characters. Mainly since each explores a different question relating to their world and how magic is used there. It gave these one-note characters just a bit more depth that is always welcomed.

Enjoyment/Overall-10/10
After reading thus far, my initial review is the same and that is "this is a good manga - go read it if you can". It has been many chapters since then and this manga has still held up and gotten better as it was able to explore more of its theme and questions.
I do admit that some bits fall flat such as the initial hook. I can't lie and say that our main girls are super developed despite being this far it. I still like them but I can't help but believe I like them since they are just charming to watch and their concepts are interesting (without fully being fleshed out in them as of writing this).

Even so, nothing is ever bad in this manga and I expect it will get better with time. Please give this a read if you get the chance!

I’m not a seasoned critic at all, but there’s so much to love about Witch Hat Atelier that I felt compelled to write a little bit on it, and then this review happened, so.

Witch Hat Atelier’s best and most salient quality is, of course, its artwork. Every page and panel is a marvel to behold, both in its expression of Shirahama’s technical skill and creativity in presentation. There is no effort spared, and even the mundane trappings of baking a potato are made so attractive and satisfying to look at, all in a style that so perfectly conveys a world of magic and wonder. The ... paneling and page layouts are the most creative and engaging I’ve seen in any manga, period. I strongly believe the artwork alone is a strong enough selling point, and I’m happy to report that Witch Hat’s dramatic visuals don’t betray the story’s substance.

There is much more to Witch Hat than its art, which exists in its characters and worldbuilding. Keeping this review as spoiler-free as possible, the story introduces our bright and cheery young protagonist, Coco, who is characterized by her love of magic and wonder, the secrets of which are concealed by witches. Through a somewhat cliché set of hijinks and shenanigans, she is introduced to Qifrey, who takes her on as an apprentice due to her extenuating circumstances. Where Witch Hat Atelier makes itself unique amongst other works in this genre, is strong and charismatic characterization. Everyone introduced throughout the plot of the story has a well-defined persona established through both character design and dialogue. There is a sense of realism to their lives; they’ve existed before the events of the plot being told, and will continue to exist long after this series has concluded. This holds true for over 60 chapters I’ve read thus far.

Being a magical fantasy story, I’m delighted to report that the setting and world building is phenomenal. Conversely, strong and substantial worldbuilding is a prerequisite to the success of any fantasy story of this nature, and I believe that Witch Hat Atelier’s worldbuilding is much stronger when it's expressed through backgrounds and character designs rather than dialogue. Being a story presented from the perspective of a child with no knowledge of the magic world, long-winded exposition and large dialogue bubbles are an inevitability. Fortunately, Shirahama’s visual presentation of key moments of exposition certainly make these far less than unbearable. From the tools and contraptions to the animals and foliage, and even the traditions that witches practice; it’s so refreshing to see mangaka spend time on the intricate details that make a fantasy world come to life on the pages.

The most delightful and surprising quality of Witch Hat Atelier is how deftly it presents and tackles its greater themes: injustice, childhood vs. adulthood, loss of innocence, and most notably, the morality of controlling and limiting access to knowledge, in this case, knowledge of magic. Presented from the perspective of a 12 year old child, it’s almost incomprehensible how Shirahama is able to weave these greater questions and conflicts into the story without compromising its magical charm and wonder, even going so far as to tackle sexual assault and victim blaming in one section. Witch Hat Atelier has a surprising amount of meat on its bones for a story that is primarily marketed towards young girls. While there are certainly numerous physical threats presented throughout the plot of Witch Hat, the psychological conflicts in Coco's alienation in the world of witches, and the greater war between the Pointed Cap and Brimmed Caps are certainly the highlights of the plot. Placed alongside compelling characterization, intricate artwork, and strong worldbuilding, even a few lines of dialogue and can make a story beat hit like a ton of fucking bricks.

- - - - - -

This was originally written in ~20 minutes in the MAL Review textbox, but Witch Hat Atelier is just so compelling to me that I wanted to do it justice, and express just how much it means to me. Having sat on this review for 4 days in a Google doc, I can certainly proclaim that this story is definitely worth your time.

Thanks for reading, much love. ✧∘*

May contain some spoilers

Tongari Boushi no Atelier sets a fairy-tale esque world in a beautiful way with a dark theme in the background.

Story-8/10

The main protagonist Coco is an eccentric girl who wants to be a witch but only those who are born as witches can be it.Well there is a twist in it which i won't spoil.Ina series of actions Coco gets a chance to become one.The story sets a mystery theme since the beginning.It flows in a lucid manner which is easy to understand.

Art-9/10

The art style is fluid and pretty artistic in a way.It is done well.Might not be the best in the manga ... history but it still pretty good.

Characters-9/10

The characters are done in a realistic way as much as possible.They show their strengths,weaknesses and other negative emotions like jealousy,hatred and even pure surprise in down to earth manner.

Coco shows amazement at everything magic related but she shows character depth in adverse circumstances.No character in this show is one dimensional and remain stagnant.

Enjoyment-9/10

I think this mystery/magic manga will surely make you feel interested.This is pretty good and you won't be able to stop as you read.Try it.

I’m only on volume two, so bear with me here… but oh my is this manga 10x better then I expected.
I picked out two volumes of it at the library, not expecting much (I was trying to get enough books to last me for at least a week), but I now need to read more volumes.

Story? 8/10
The story is nice, but a bit overused… I don’t have much to say about it.

Character designs? 9.5/10
It would be 10/10 but there’s this one character that I just hate his design. I forgot the name though… anyways, I love the way everyone else is designed. Especially how Iguin ... looks. I also like Agotts design a lot

Character personalities? 8/10
Im unsure of much about the characters, but I think the personalities are cool.

Art? 10/10
The art looks great. The amount of detail is amazing!! And I just like the art style!!

I think this is about what reviews should cover, so the end.

This is my first review :3

As a newbie in the anime/manga world, I can say that I loved this piece of art so much!

It's been a while since I've read something that brought me to a distant place and made me wanderlust. Such beautiful work of art and amazing character designs and scenarios.

~There might be small spoilers in this review~

Tongari Boushi no Atelier tells the story of a young girl, Coco, who lives in a small village and helps her mom on their family business. In this world, there are magicians/witches, they became people who help unknows (unmagic people) with their problems and natural ... damages. It's known that witch's magic comes only in birth. Coco loves magic and dream of becoming a witch, but people who don't know how to use magic since birth are unable to become magicians.

Coco accidentally saw a magician, that was visiting her village, casting a spell and discovered an important secret. From here on, there would be spoilers, but I rather not to jeopardize your experience with this manga.

What else can I say... if you enjoy wandering through pages looking for details on the background or even losing yourself in the details of the clothing and hair of the characters with a really cool storyline, you should give this manga a chance! As you read, the story only gets better and more catchy.

Many others have written about the extremely intricate relatable tale of becoming someone you've always wanted to be.

I want to write about the extremely gorgeous art that is this manga. The panelling is straight-up out of the world with spiraling bridges extending out of the page to fairy tale-esque designs adorning whole pages for increased immersion, the art is in this manga is probably one of the absolute best I've seen in this genre.

Some manga like Berserk, Vagabond and such have incredible detail and double spreads which makes people gasp for breath. But Atelier on the other hand has highly creative yet detailed ... panels which to me changed how I look at panelling. Some panels interconnect like no other, and some are stark contrasts of one another!

It made me giggle like a toddler discovering a pack of crayons and opening up a world of possibilities.
Witch hat Atelier is a must-read for any art enthusiast who leans towards a more "Alice in Wonderland" style design perfected.
(Did I mention the story is damn interesting?)

For starters, I want to make clear that this story is worth reading even from a purely artistic standpoint, Kamome Shirahama is an excellent artist in the full sense of the word, always searching for ways to bring wonder to the pages and new inventive panelling to accompany it. The way she transmits her story conveys the wonder of magic by itself.

Going a bit more in-depth in the story, is one of the best implementations of a magic world I have seen, taking full consideration of the moral implications it would bring and touching moral dilemmas time and time again, showing both the reasons the ... world is like it is and how much it would improve if it was allowed to change. There are multiple organizations with power in the world, and all of them have an understandable standpoint to support their actions. It's not arbitrary, the world has been fully shaped by magic and all the things it brought to it on the past.

The characters are the simplest part here, reminiscent on some levels to the cast of Little Witch Academia, but with a deeper analysis on the motives behind their behavior and what shaped them to be like they are. It's pretty compelling overall.

The story is pretty well paced, sometimes I feel like it was getting a bit heavyhanded with the messages it tries to portray, but when i put all it's arguments on a scale I can see how deeply the author has thought of the implications of everything she wrote. I would delve on it more on depth, but I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible, I'll just say it's not laser focused neither on the objective of the protagonist nor in the plans of the antagonistic group. It's more than anything an exploration of the different sides a magic world would have, what it could have and all the wonder and pain it would bring.

I feel as if I have said nothing with this review, purely by saying general non-specific stuff, but to be honest, the only important takeaway is that I recommend to anyone of any age and demography. It's a story worth reading.

Twelve volumes in, Witch Hat Atelier is a spectacular piece of work. I fell in love with it from the very first chapter and that love has only grown as the story has progressed. There are two things, kept in perfect balance, that I think make this such a special comic. Firstly, this is a story with teeth. This is a world where people can, and do, come to serious harm, through the horrifying use of magic, through the neglect of systems and individuals, through acts of cruelty, through the weight of the responsibilities and expectations that are placed upon them. The threats that assail ... the characters are real and pervasive and come from all sides. While the series was originally published in a seinen (adult men's) magazine, the English volumes are labelled for ages 10+, which I think is about right. I absolutely don't think any of the content would be too much for a mature preteen to handle, the unpleasantness isn't depicted too viscerally, but there is some blood, body horror, and a short chapter that concerns a sexual assault that happened in a character's past. There is also a serious moral complexity, as the rules around magic are mostly social and cultural conventions that hinder one's ability to help those in need even as they protect society at large from the consequences of unchecked use of magic, and these issues are examined in great detail. However, this is not a grim and miserable story. It is joyous. For all the darkness, all the nastiness, at the heart of Witch Hat Atelier is a genuine sense of warmth and love and a belief that while good people cannot fix everything, they can always do something to make things better. A tragedy is the inciting incident that leads Coco into the world of witches, and the hurt of that never goes away, but neither does her wonder at magic's capacity to do good in the world. She's surrounded by an excellent supporting cast, each with believable weaknesses and hang ups, yet not to the extent that you ever doubt that ultimately they want to do the right thing. I particularly like Qifrey, who is the main adult character and Coco's teacher in magic. He has his own baggage and hidden agendas that threaten to intrude on the lives of his pupils, but it is rare to find a character in fantasy stories like this who openly, earnestly and dearly loves children like Qifrey does. They are all tested and tempted and threatened in their own ways and these things have meaning because that very tangible sense of care and comfort is what's at stake.

It's also consistently beautiful to look at. Shirahama's art is full of intricate detail and texture, and the aesthetics of the clothing and the other elements of this fantasy world are wonderful. Impressively, she can also properly integrate this detail into the action scenes, which feel dynamic and fluid while still retaining the same delicate touch. She also knows when to wield a deformed or chibi rendering of her characters, to give a little more life to small panels, without them clashing with the overall art style.

The combined effect is a manga that, so far, I have no complaints about whatsoever and should delight children and adults alike.

I heard the the name of this title when i was still under the impression that if there’s a manga out there that is a masterpiece, I should have at least heard the name of it. I imagine looking at the way I worded the last paragraph and the score I gave on top right you won’t have a hard time guessing how I thought of myself after reading this manga.

Now I’m here after having caught up with Atelier of Witch Hat and being blown away by it in every possible direction and style thinking it’d be a good idea to try to introduce it ... to others and have more people understand what a amazing piece of art it is, using the only valid method possible, Myanimelist reviews.

So what makes Atelier of Witch Hat so special? I’m going to try to explain this in terms of art and story, and to me, the first thing coming to mind speaking of the magic in Atelier of Witch Hat is the art.

I think a lot of times there is a certain degree of leniency demanded from the readers when reading a manga. Small points of compromise that we already know we have to make to a certain extent because after all these are only some pictures put together and are all drawn by a person. These compromises might come from two places:

For example a lot of the times the drawings aren’t perfect or consistent, if you think too much you won’t find them believable and they might look rough here and there. Instead some mangas will try to have a story absorbing enough to make you invested, get your attention and eventually force you into making the compromise and ignoring the rough parts. And then there are some mangas that are the exceptions. mangas that have such high quality of art that they wouldn’t even need to bother with such concerns.

“So what’s the case with the art in Atelier of Witch Hat?”
…it is definitely of of the latter. Shapes and designs that make the world so real you get a feeling of nostalgia seeing simple objects. Characters with designs and facial expressions so abundant that you find them precious and dear to you even if it’s the first time you’re seeing them. landscapes and scenery with such detailed and creative settings that grab your interest before you’ve even gotten a good grasp of the story. All of these are more than well enough reasons to consider this manga to be a great piece of art.

BUT! this isn’t the first thing that struck me by awe when I read the first few pages of the first volume.

Going back to the two persistent factors in manga that demand compromise from the readers, The second one is the pacing of the event taking place in the story. A character appears in the first panel of a page… speaks their line…the panel ends. At this point two things are expected from the reader: move on to the next panel and then spend a slight amount of time to understand where it is that is shown on the next panel. You can’t avoid this. It isn’t a hard task in the first place and all of this process might take less than half a second, but I think the result is a feeling of disconnection which obviously is a big reason for the difference between manga and animation. manga’s try to fight off this sense of in-continuity by drawing the exact right moments, designing the most fluid panels, and of course coming up with the most interesting stories in order to draw our attention.

Atelier of Witch Hat is what happens if you perfect the methods I mentioned to the extreme.
You see, as a manga reader I’m not unfamiliar with manga that have such high quality and consistency in their drawings that make me doubt if they were drawn by hands of a human. But the special experience I had with Wicthhat’s atelier comes from more than just the art quality. Once I opened up the first page of this manga, I felt as if the opening scene of a movie start to play and before I realized I was sucked into a movie that had about half an hour of runtime only to realize I was just reading the first volume a manga the entire time.

Atelier of Witch Hat doesn’t just present you with beautiful pieces of drawings but confronts you with masterfully choreographed pages devoted into giving you the most fluid experience when reading. as you turn over each page you see panels designed in a way that makes you feel emotions before you’ve even started reading anything. moving from a panel is not accompanied by a sense of pause and it’s as if you can follow the characters and the objects moving freely between one place to another with your eyes. Everything is flowing so naturally that looking back later on I’m not entirely sure if there wasn’t a background music being played during all of this.

This is where the magic of Atelier of Witch Hat comes into play and gives you a special experience and this is why I need you to give this a try even if you haven’t heard of it’s name before or don’t like stories of girls in fantasy worlds full of magic.

“So what about the story? is this it? just a very beautifully drawn story about little girls in fantasy world?”

The short is answer is no.

The long answer is Atelier of Witch Hat is a well crafted and delicate story that introduces you to character you can easily understand and relate to.
This is the kind of story that puts a lot more focus on journey of each character and their motives, it also touches on subjects such as freedom and limitations, the chaos that can be caused by having too much freedom , the sacrifices that need to be made in order follow those limitations and how hope can find its place in all of this. Sometimes it looks like a optimistic world about happy girls solving their problems and sometimes it looks like a dark and violent world where there is barely any hope for things to get fixed. the beauty of it is in how effective it is at taking you along the ups and down of its journey. Because of how every character is depicted so lovely and because of how easy it is to understand their actions and motives it becomes common to find yourself happy when you see the people in the story being kind with each over simple things and to feel down when they they lose hope in the face of their problems.

as it seems to be the theme with this manga. the world building being the framework in which the story is taking place is one crafted with great attention to details. the settings and systems created, even though they’re using magic in their core, make just enough sense for you be amazed every time you learn about the way they work. Reading along the story and getting a better understanding of the magic system eventually lead up to moments that give you a sense of awe and once you meet structures that are called “miracles” by the main character you can’t help but find yourself agreeing with them.

At the end, I can’t help but think everything in this manga is designed in a way that would give joy to its reader. Some stories might be written to transfer some kind of message, some are told in a way to transfer the author’s emotions; Most mangas have both of those as part of their purpose. Atelier of Witch Hat is not an exception. But the message behind the events, the emotions it tries to instill, and even the art style that it tries to perfect, all come after one question, and that’s wether the audience can enjoy it or not. I enjoyed reading manga a lot and hope you do the same.
◦

I cannot describe in words really how much I love this series. I picked this up late last year after one of my best friends from elementary school had recommended it to me a few years ago and then took a long time to actually start reading through the first couple of books. The way it hooked me however was astounding. If you need a non-terfy "magic school" series to fall in love with, with incredible art, an extremely robust and interesting magic system, and two definitelystraight men taking care of a squabble of middle-school-age witches I can't recommend this book enough. If anything, read ... it for the art and the magic system alone. It truly is explained and illustrated in a way that I haven't seen many mangaka or authors do successfully. Kamome Shirahama is an art-witch through and through, and it's very clear that this series is a work of passion.

I loved it. This manga is exactly my sort of thing. It's so whimsical and cute with an amazing plot, and it's honestly one of my favorites.

I kinda wish Coco joined the brim hats. While both groups are shady, I don't like how hypocritical and restricting the pointy hats high ranking officials are, like they don’t even bother to listen, and just jump straight to threatening to erasing your memory or doing so right off the bat;
I don’t like the brim hat’s methods, but I can sympathize with them more, and understand them. I think there should be less restrictions on magic.

- Art: 10
- Characters: 9
- Story: 9

I find myself just staring for a couple minutes at a page or two, enthralled, absorbed in the world, art is gorgeous. Maybe given the authors background in design, the framing and page composition are on another level. Beautiful Mucha inspired flourishes around the page, frames breaking frames, breathtaking spreads. Characters are full of personality and everything about them from clothing to how they interact with each other is carefully conveyed. This is one of my top 3 alongside Berserk and Akira in the art department. Love it so much.

Characters are also well written and full of personality, they ... all have interesting back stories and distinct from each other.

The story is about a little girl who wants to learn witchcraft, a very secretive art only allowed to a few privileged, how she gets into the profession due to an unfortunate turn of events, her progress as a witch and her motives to make it to the top. A story about friendship, loss, inequality and how to face the world even when it wants us down.

I hope all the awards it received in the west help to bring manga to a larger audience.

Solid manga with amazing artwork. Think studio ghibli artwork meets the setting of a magic focused final fantasy world.

Lets start with the art. The art is very picturesque and beautiful. Honestly, the amount of detail put into every page is just astonishing. It invokes such a warm, happy fantasy sort of feeling. This is easily the manga's strongest pointand warrants reading it just because of this alone.

The setting is about this kid who wants to be a mage but cant since she was not born into it, but suddenly gets a chance to start studying magic after a series of events. Sounds familiar? While ... you may be thinking harry potter, the tone here is way more lighthearted and akin to a studio ghibli movie instead. Everything revolves about how fantastic and beautiful a world with magic can be. I also love that magic actually has some science behind it here. The glyphs are the root for magic, and they go over all these details in drawing and mixing shapes to create it. So clever and creative.

Despite all the greatness about this manga, I do find myself a bit bored with it sometimes. Its a bit too "look at how cool a world with magic is" sort of story with not much actual action going on. Yeah, there is a story and some cool dark magicians and forbidden magic or whatever, but the manga is so lighthearted that it is hard to imagine any sort of actual tragedy happening. I feel no thrill or suspense as I know it will always turn up well for the girls. Feels too fairy taleish.

Overall, a solid manga to read while snuggled up in a blanket with some hot chocolate to fantasize about a world with magic.

I'll keep the review spoiler free so no worries there, but TL;DR: it's absolutely fantastic. Anyone can enjoy this sort of story, but especially those that find interest in the medieval fantasy setting. I seriously cannot put into words how amazing this manga is, please give the first chapter a try.

Story - Simple yet told in great delivery and execution. It never feels like it dwells too long on subjects and arcs, while still staying at a mild pace in order to not leave readers feeling rushed. One major thing I feel like is how the magic system is delivered and told, as it's explained ... in such a simple yet sensible way, making every interaction with magic feel absolutely special. Everything gets explained to the reader, sure, but this is absolutely excusible because of the protagonist's position.

Art - This is where the mangaka truly shines. Oh my gods, I cannot tell you what this manga does to not only the art, but the paneling, to make you feel immersed and enchanted as you read through each and every page. Seriously, words alone cannot do the visuals justice. Every page-turn is a masterpiece!

Character - All of the characters are unique, most get developed within the story arcs they participate in and overall you want to root for them. All of them are charming and relatable in some way or manner, especially if you're a creative thinker. The main character is such a joy to experience with and I feel is almost a outlet for the author to express their love for art.

Overall Enjoyement - It was an absolute blast reading this manga and catching up to it. By sheer chance I discovered the name of the manga on twitter, by sheer luck I found interest in it and my gods am I glad I found interest in it. Please, do give it a try as you will not regret having your eyes tour around each and every page.

I don't know how to start. Maybe I should say that this manga is awesome.
I really love it, and I think that is one of the best manga in history. Don't understand why it doesn't have an upper score.

It is obvious that Shirahama Kamome is like an sponge: she have absorbed a huge amount of painting, literature and many other art's knowledge. She is the Johann Sebastian Bach of manga. I have enjoyed each picture of her work.

Really, if you have not read yet, you should do it. You will discover a new world full of beauty and passion.

Also, you should see this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDQrr9OkimQ

This is ... an explanation of Shirahama-sensei's art focused on panelling which is wonderful.

Enjoy Atelier of Witch Hat :), it does not let down.

This could have been the best fantasy manga out there, but plenteous plot holes are displayed too blatantly. There were some characters who needed some background development. Lastly, the concept switch is just too much, which is not my personal taste at all, it's hard to bind overwhelming fluff with the dark atmosphere in a single manga, and this proves it. Although, needless to say, the magic system in this manga is executed astronomically, it inspired me to pursue my knowledge about witchcraft knowing there are many types of magic out there. Although, needless to say, the magic system in this manga is executed astronomically, ... it inspired me to pursue my knowledge about witchcraft knowing there are many types of magic out there.

"Witch Hat Atelier" is a captivating manga that brilliantly showcases the imbalance between good and evil, delving into the complexities of moral dilemmas and the consequences of playing God to save the present based on the past. The series intricately explores the situations and moral quandaries that many individuals encounter throughout life. Each character is perpetually striving to bend the rules and alter the laws to make life easier for others, only to be confronted with the harsh reality that their well-intentioned efforts to save the world are often deemed "forbidden."

What sets Witch Hat Atelier apart is its unique take on forbidden love, not in ... a romantic sense, but in the realm of magic. The manga delves into the idea that there are inherent limits to what one can do to make the world a better place, and these limitations are often rooted in societal taboos and restrictions. The narrative masterfully addresses the challenges of navigating the realms of good and evil while striving to break free from the constraints that keep one trapped.

The story is well-structured, providing a clear path that readers can follow, and it does so without sacrificing depth or complexity. The characters are richly developed, each grappling with their own struggles and growth, making their journeys relatable and engaging.

Beyond the compelling storytelling, the artwork in Witch Hat Atelier is nothing short of exquisite. The intricate detail and beautiful panels will leave readers in awe, with many moments that invite one to pause and appreciate the sheer artistry on display. The visual style perfectly complements the magical and often whimsical world of the manga, enhancing the overall reading experience.

In summary, Witch Hat Atelier is a mesmerizing blend of profound narrative and stunning artwork. It is a must-read for anyone who appreciates a well-crafted story that tackles significant themes with grace and thoughtfulness, all while being visually enchanting.

This manga could have been an 8 for me, for some even a 9, maybe a 10, and if you gave it a score like that, I honestly can't blame you. The only reason that's not the case for me because the main character is as obnoxious as they come. I've read 20 chs and I just can't force myself to continue. Coco ticks me off every time magic is involved or new information is revealed. I still respect everything its done which you can see in other reviewers' reviews e.g. magic system. That's the only reason it's not a 3 and how I managed ... to read so far.

The first 40 or so chapters are amazing and I would give them a easy 8 or 9. To be concise the issue with this manga is everything after those first 40 chapters. The world building is great until the author falls over themselves and creates a convoluted arc full of walls of text and boring as shit.

With this step back it leads me to give this a 6. I believe that its possible to become great again after this boring ass arc, but I have my doubts with how the author has been approaching this after building a great foundation. The characters are amazing, ... the world was/is interesting, and the ideas are fleshed out. The only hope is that next arc the author doesn't fumble it and completely ruin the story.

Quick Summary: first 40 chaps amazing with characters and world building, afterwards its a shit show. Also, art is great.