Have you heard of the popular manga "The Atelier of Witch Hat"? It's a classic fantasy manga that's been generating a lot of buzz. Its picture-book, fairy-tale-like world and meticulously drawn illustrations are captivating. If you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth checking out. This article will give you a brief synopsis of "The Atelier of Witch Hat." What exactly is the story about?
What is "The Atelier of Witch Hat"?
While there are many works that feature magic, "The Atelier of Witch Hat" is a classic magical fantasy. The story and setting are both classic. The main character, Coco, is young, straightforward, and pure. The story surrounding her has a picture book-like atmosphere that will take you back to childhood. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys works that feature magic.
The artwork is simply amazing!
As you can see from the illustrations, the artwork is incredibly detailed. Each and every frame is drawn with great care. Despite the extensive detail, the balance is truly wonderful, preventing it from looking cluttered. It's an art style that makes you want to look at it forever. The creator of this work, Kamome Shirahama, graduated from the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts' Department of Design. She's a true manga artist. Her pen strokes are as authentic as a picture book, and she's particular about the characters' expressions and movements. By the way, if you look closely at this image, you'll see that the frames are connected!
All the characters are fascinating!
Another reason I recommend "The Atelier of Witch Hat" is because the characters are simply fascinating! The main character, Coco, her magic master Kifree, and the other students all have their own unique personalities and charms, which is great. The characters are drawn in great detail, and their expressions and clothing ornaments are never boring to look at. Not only that, but the characters' personalities and the worldview are also very captivating. Essentially, "The Atelier of Witch Hat" only features magic that brings happiness to people. As a result, watching it brings you happiness and makes you feel excited!
Very Popular
This series has been serialized in Kodansha's "Monthly Morning Two" since the September 2016 issue. It was so popular that in 2018 it was voted the number one recommended comic in the general category by bookstore employees nationwide in the 13th annual survey.
Brief Synopsis! Koko, the main character who dreams of becoming a magician
The main character is Koko, a girl from a small village. Koko has always dreamed of becoming a wizard. However, in this world, only those who are born with the ability to use magic can become wizards. With no other choice, Koko helps out at her mother's tailoring shop. However, she is not completely despondent. One day, a mysterious man appears before her. The man, who arrives as a customer, turns out to be the wizard "Kifree."
Koko Meets the Wizard
Koko is thrilled to meet the wizard she's always admired. At that moment, Kifree ends up re-enchanting the Feathered Carriage. In this world, it's forbidden to watch the magic being cast. Koko is ordered to keep watch, making sure no one sees him casting the spell. However, she manages to sneak in through the window and see Kifree drawing the magic circle.
Koko Becomes an Apprentice
After committing a taboo, Koko realizes that the "magic picture book" she bought at the festival years ago is actually a model for drawing the magic circle needed to cast a spell. Furthermore, the "bonus pen" she received at the time was specifically designed to draw the magic circle. That night, Koko immediately copies the magic circle from the book and begins to cast a spell. However, this is a forbidden technique. Keefree appears and removes Koko from the spell. To her surprise, Koko's mother, along with her entire house, is magically turned to stone. To help her mother, Kifree decided to keep Coco's memories and take her on as his apprentice.
What will happen next?
This is the opening synopsis of Volume 1. You're probably wondering how the story will unfold from here! It's surprising to learn that Coco, who always dreamed of becoming a wizard, actually had a book on how to use magic all her life. And now that she's committed a forbidden magic trick, how will she grow as a wizard? If you're interested, be sure to check out the original manga!
A Brief Character Introduction for "The Atelier of Witch Hat"!
From here on, we'll introduce the characters that appear in "The Atelier of Witch Hat." The wizards who appear in the story are all unique and wonderful. You're sure to find a character you like.
Coco
The protagonist. Originally an "unintelligible person," she committed a forbidden act, turning her mother and her entire house to stone. This is when she became a wizard. Coco's goal is to conquer the Tower of Books, where all books about magic are copied and stored.
Keefree
This is the true identity of the mysterious man who came to Coco's tailor shop. As a wizard, he ended up using magic there. While it's forbidden to see magic in this world, Coco sees it anyway. To save her mother, who was turned to stone, he takes Coco as his apprentice. Incidentally, Keefree hates large auditoriums and keeps his atelier in the countryside. There are also descriptions that suggest she had some kind of past encounter with a brimmed hat.
Agate
Keefree's apprentice and lives in the atelier. She is Coco's roommate. Although her family has been librarians for generations, she seems to be treated as a failure by her family.
Tetia
Keefree's apprentice and lives in the atelier. She loves being told "thank you" and dreams of designing pointed hats with twin tails when she becomes independent in the future.
Riche
Keefree's apprentice and lives in the atelier. She stubbornly refuses to draw magic that she doesn't want to draw.
Orugio
The "Watchful Eye" of the atelier. Keefree's best friend.
Nolnoa
The owner of the magical materials shop "Star Sword" in Karun.
Tata
Nolnoa's granddaughter, she helps out at the magic materials shop. She suffers from a congenital eye condition called argyria.
Eyeball Mask (working name)
She wears an ancient hat to hide her face. She is one of the wizards who uses forbidden magic. She was the one who bought Coco's magical picture book long ago, and she cast the Twin Bottle spell on Coco's magic ink.
The Invisible One (working name)
One of the wizards who uses forbidden magic, she disappears to hide herself. However, her hat and cloak are visible. She appears during the second trial that Agate and Riche take.
The protagonist of [The Atelier of Witch Hat]! What is the appeal of "Coco"?
From here on, we'll take a closer look at the charms of this work's protagonist, "Coco"! Coco's innocent and cuteness will have you smiling just by looking at her.
A Girl Who Dreams of Being a Wizard!
Koko is a girl who dreams of being a wizard. However, in this world, you can't become a wizard unless you've been able to use magic since birth. Those who aren't wizards are called "the ignorant," and Koko is certainly one of them. However, as mentioned above, an incident leads to Koko learning how to use magic. In reality, it's forbidden to witness someone using magic, and Koko's memories would have been erased. However, in order to save her mother, Koko's memories are not erased and she achieves her dream of becoming a wizard.
She looks cute!
This is what Koko looks like. She's so cute! She's a cheerful, cute, and pure girl. Another key point is that, as the title suggests, she's wearing a pointed hat. She gives off more of a Koropokkuru vibe than a wizard.
Using Forbidden Magic
Watching scenes where magic is used is forbidden, but that's because, in reality, anyone can easily use magic. This contradicts the idea that only wizards born with a wizard can use magic. However, using magic blindly without knowledge can be quite dangerous. When Coco witnesses Keyfree using magic, she realizes that the instructions for using magic are written in a picture book she owns. So she uses a forbidden spell.
Let's embark on an adventure!
By using forbidden magic, Coco causes a tragic incident: her mother and her house are turned to stone. From there, she becomes Keyfree's apprentice and achieves her dream of becoming a magician.
Who is Keyfree, Coco's master?
Now that we know more about Coco, let's next introduce Keyfree, Coco's master of magic. Keyfree first appears in the story as a mysterious man, but what kind of character is he? His cool appearance makes him a popular character among readers.
What's his personality like?
About Ki-Free's personality: He always has a calm expression and a smile on his face. He's very kind to his disciples, always smiling, and rarely gets angry. However, when the topic turns to the "brimmed hat," he instantly turns pale. It makes you wonder what happened between him and the brimmed hat.
The Atelier is in the Countryside
When teaching magic, it's usually taught in a large auditorium. However, for some reason, Keefree has set up an atelier in the countryside, where he teaches magic to his students. For some reason, Keefree seems to dislike large auditoriums. I'm curious to learn more about this as well. By the way, the building of Keefree's atelier is very cute, so be sure to take a look. This kind of intricate and wonderful design is one of the defining features of "The Atelier of Witch Hat."
It Looks Cool!
As I mentioned earlier, isn't he incredibly handsome? His fluffy silver hair and monocle are distinctive features. His pointed hat, the hallmark of a wizard, suits him perfectly, too! He's also quite tall, and you can see that he's quite large compared to his apprentices, including Coco. It's no wonder he's so popular with female fans! He also has a gentle, kind personality, and a mature, composed personality that's wonderful.
His relationship with the brimmed hat...
Kifree is usually very calm, but when it comes to the "brimmed hat," he becomes completely angry. In fact, this "brimmed hat" is the person who once sold Coco a magical picture book and pen. He likely intended for Coco to use forbidden magic. In any case, it's clear from his appearance that he's a very frightening person. However, not much is actually revealed about him in the story. While there's no doubt that he's the mastermind behind "The Atelier of Witch Hat," future developments are sure to be interesting. Perhaps we'll even see a battle between Kifree, Coco, and the others!
[The Atelier of Witch Hat] A Quick Summary!
That's a quick summary of "The Atelier of Witch Hat"! It's a classic fantasy, so I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys works featuring magic. The illustrations are incredibly detailed, drawing you right into the world. Don't you think the characters, like "Koko" and "Kifree," are also incredibly charming? You can't help but root for the innocent Koko! If you're interested, be sure to check out the manga. Thank you for reading this far.
