Witch Hat Atelier (とんがり帽子のアトリエ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kamome Shirahama.It has been serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Morning Two since July 2016, with its chapters collected in 15 volumes as of November 2025. The series follows a girl named Coco, who becomes a witch apprentice to fulfill her longtime dream of becoming a witch and restore her mother whom she accidentally turned into stone.
An anime television series adaptation produced by Bug Films premiered in April 2026.A spin-off series, Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, started in Morning Two in November 2019.
By March 2026, Witch Hat Atelier had over 7.5 million copies in circulation. In 2020 and 2025, the series won the Harvey Award for the Best Manga category as well as the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia.
Plot
Coco is the kind and daydreaming daughter of a dressmaker who aspires to become a witch, but because only innate magical users can practice and use magic, she has to give up on her dream. One day she meets a witch named Qifrey and after she witnesses how he uses magic (by drawing magical runes and using magical ink), Coco accidentally casts a spell that turns her mother to stone.
As Coco does not know which magic spell she cast and Qifrey is tracking the sinister coven that could be behind the incident, he takes Coco as his apprentice in order to undo the spell and allow her to fulfill her dream.
As it is gradually revealed, the coven in question—the Brimmed Caps—have taken an extraordinary interest in Coco, hoping that she will help them revive the free use of magic, which was outlawed because of the atrocities committed with it in past times, with some of their repercussions still enduring in Coco's world.
Because rune magic can be effectively made by everyone, the Assembly carefully watches over any abuse of it, even going so far as to erase the memories of any uninitiated (called "outsiders") when they discover this secret.
Thus, as Coco immerses herself into this new, wondrous world, a sinister plot begins to thicken around her.
Characters
Qifrey's Atelier
Coco (ココ)
A bright, blondish-green haired, optimistic young girl and dressmaker's daughter who dreams of becoming a witch, and sees her wish fulfilled at the horrid cost of her mother getting turned to stone. Subsequently, she is taken in by Qifrey and instead of having her memory erased, she is allowed to learn the ways of rune magic because of her connection to the Brimmed Caps, which gains her a dubious reputation in the magic community. While initially clumsy and naive, she is very enthusiastic about learning all she can about magic and with her background as an outsider, she is able to conceive highly creative ways of using her new-found knowledge.
Qifrey (キーフリー)
A patient and caring witch mentor with white hair who specializes in water magic. His atelier is a haven for child witches who are considered outcasts because they did not—or refused to—fit into the rigid structures of the old established schools. While it is partly out of kindness that he takes Coco in, he has also taken note of the Brimmed Caps' attention on her. He is searching for the Brimmed Caps as he holds a personal grudge against them ever since his childhood, where they used him in a ritual that made him the host of a Silverwood Tree, which took away his right eye (which he now keeps covered by his hair) and the memory of his former life. As a result of their attempts to prevent him from tracking his tormentors, he distanced himself from the Assembly, returning only for necessities. In his pursuit for vengeance, Qifrey is ruthless enough to employ forbidden memory erasing magic to prevent anyone from finding out his intentions, but still cares for his students and tries his best to teach and guide them.
Agott (アガット)
A black-haired girl from the renowned Arklaum family, one of the houses who established the vow to keep the magic arts a secret to the general populace. Agott was cast out during her test for apprenticeship when malicious rumors surfaced that the magic she was to present at her trial was plagiarized. Upon becoming Qifrey's student, she became a bitter loner, obsessed with perfecting her magic skills under her own power, and distanced herself from the other apprentices. Upon first meeting Coco, Agott initially spurns and treats her harshly because Coco was not born a witch. Agott eventually sends her off to a dangerous test to prove Coco's worth, despite knowing Coco had no practical experience with magic. As the story progresses, however, Coco's sincerity and imagination in magic win Agott over until she gradually begins regarding Coco as a dear friend and equal.
Tetia (テティア)
A bright, bubbly and upbeat girl with pink curly hair in pigtails. She loves thanking other people and spreading happiness. She wants her magic to also make others happy, desperately wanting to create useful spells so she can be remembered in history.
Richeh (リチェ)
An aloof, distant-looking young girl with long sky blue hair and a stubborn personality. She specializes in drawing very small rune circles and likes drawing original magic. She became withdrawn when her beloved older brother, Riliphin (the only person who appreciated her creative use of magic), became distant from her, refusing to learn new magic or submit to authority. However, during a placement test where she and her friends were ambushed by the Brimmed Caps who turned Euini into a wolf due to Richeh's lack of knowledge in magic, she realized the importance of learning new magic.
Olruggio (オルーギオ)
A black haired witch living as a Watchful Eye (a supervisor) for the Assembly at Qifrey's atelier. He and Qifrey are close childhood friends, although this does not stop Qifrey from erasing his memory when Olruggio gets suspicious of Qifrey's returning obsession with the Brimmed Caps. Olruggio is often seen with eyebags and a tired expression. Despite his gruff demeanor, he is actually a caring soul, and the magical items he creates are commonly meant to increase the comfort of their users. He specializes in magic creating fire, light and heat. He is from Ghodrey, City of Magic in the north where he was well accomplished and regarded as a talented witch.
Brushbuddy (フデムシ)
A fluffy caterpillar-like creature who attaches itself to Coco during her test for apprenticeship (mainly due to his species' love for the smell of magical inks) and henceforth resides at Qifrey's atelier as a pet. It is frequently hinted that he has an intelligence and persona as complex as a human's.
Brimmed Caps
The Brimmed Caps (つばあり帽) are a coven of rogue witches who reject the rules of the Day of the Pact and uses Forbidden Magic like offensive magic and body changing magic, along with the forbidden act of making spell tattoos on their own bodies, or the bodies of others. Their name comes from their hats which have long brims or other ornaments to cover their faces, as opposed to the Pointed Caps, whose cap-brims are pinned up. Some members like Iguin and Sasaran express an interest in having Coco become a practitioner of forbidden magic, claiming her to be a "child of hope". Their exact structure and motivations are mostly unknown, but it seems that they organize into big groups and then divide into smaller groups to conduct their plans. There are some Brimmed Caps with the likes of Ininia, Restys and Custas are not shown to have an alliance with Iguin and his faction until much later.
Iguin (イグイーン)
A high-ranking member—and possibly the leader—of the Brimmed Caps, who characteristically wears a cone hat with a face mask shaped like an eye. Iguin is the one who gave Coco the spellbook which ultimately became responsible for turning her mother into stone. Since then he accompanies her growth as a witch, claiming she has a yet undisclosed role in the organization's plans.
Custas (クスタス)
A young minstrel who had his legs permanently disabled in an accident that Coco and Agott rescued him from. He has come to befriend Tartah, and wished to learn all he can about apothecary from him in order to restore his legs. However, Ininia tells him a partial truth about the true nature of witches' magic, making him join the Brimmed Caps, become one of Restys' apprentices, and turning on Coco and Tartah. However, he is later betrayed when his leg prosthetics are revealed to be sprouts of a parasitic Silverwood Tree which threatens to consume him until Dagda sacrifices himself by letting the tree consume him.
The Great Hall of Witches
The Great Hall of Witches (魔法使いの大講堂) is the institution in Coco's world which governs the use of magic, its spreading (by regulating the enlistment and advancement of apprentices) and the maintenance of its secrecy. The Great Hall is located in an underwater city, which can only be reached by a certain stairwell descending into the depths of the earth, as well as special magic. This community is financed by the Five Kingdoms of the Zozah Peninsula, in exchange for freely offering their services to the people, while keeping a neutral standing in their politics.
Alaira (アライラ)
A dark-skinned senior witch and one of Qifrey's best friends, even after he left the Great Hall to strike out on his own.
Beldaruit (ベルダルート)
Known by the title "Wise in Teachings", Beldaruit is a high mage and member of the Three Wise Ones, the Great Hall's ruling council. Suffering from brittle bones, he utilizes a walking chair for locomotion, and likes to cloak his presence with illusions. His playful and seemingly scatter-brained personality hide a sharp intellect. He was once Qifrey's teacher and thus knows about his faults, and has offered to teach Coco to keep her out of her tutor's plotting against the Brimmed Caps.
Vinanna (ヴィナンナ)
The current Wise in Principles. Founder and captain of the Knights Moralis.
Lagrah (ラグラ)
The new Wise in Friendships, the High Council's diplomat and successor of the previous sage Engendale after the latter's disgrace.
The Knights Moralis
Also known as the Order of Moral Spellcasting, the Knights Moralis (魔警騎士団) is a subsidiary agency to the Assembly—specifically, its law enforcement branch. Its members are assigned to track any abuse of magic and hunt down perpetrators and victims for memory erasure.
Easthies (イースヒース)
The stern, dispassionate, by-the-book field deputy captain of the Knight Moralis.
Luluci (ルルシィ)
A leading member of the Knights Moralis, who is quietly stern but—contrary to some of her colleagues—moderate-minded. When she was young, Luluci and her best friend Eryenne were victims of a sexual assault by a local lord, which was brushed off by her master, who was friends with the offender and was later arrested for it by the Assembly, prompting her to join the Knights. The sight of others getting similarly abused is the only thing which can break down her usually serene facade.
Utowin (ウトウィン)
A brash, easy-going member of the Knights Moralis whose attitude masks a lingering feeling of self-deprecation. He is from Ghodrey, City of Magic in the north, like Olruggio.
Galga (ガルガ)
A member of the Knights Moralis, and Atwert's lover. Appearing aloof, he is really a quiet and simple man. He had his mind wiped permanently by Ininia and was about to be exiled by the Wise Ones to a solitary island called Adanlee, whereupon Atwert takes him in as his apprentice to care for him.
Ekoh (エコー) and Etlan (エトラン)
Others
Nolnoa (ノルノア)
An elderly maker of magical stationery (pens and inks) residing in the town of Kalhn.
Tartah (タータ)
Nolnoa's grandson and assistant in the shop. He suffers from silverwash, a rare sight condition which makes him effectively colorblind and thus initially unable to use magic because certain effects rely on inks differentiated by their color. After Coco helps him by teaching him magic with which to circumvent his disability, he begins forming a crush on her.
Euini (ユイニィ)
A nervous young witch apprentice, and originally Kukrow's student. During an advancement test in which some of Qifrey's students were also participating, he is kidnapped by the Brimmed Caps, who etch a magical sigil into his skin, permanently turning him into a scaled wolf. However, with the help of Coco, Agott and Richeh, he receives a talisman which reverses the transformation while worn. Because his tattoo makes him eligible for mind erasure by the Knights Moralis—despite his victimization—he has gone underground with Alaira, who has become his new tutor. He has also formed a bond with Richeh, which has become her primary motivation to expand her studies in order to help him.
Dagda (ダグダ)
A wandering minstrel and Custas' foster father. He originally died, but was bestowed with a Time Reversal Tattoo which reset his life and memories. After seeing Custas being consumed by a parasitic tree, and after asking Luluci to take him in as her apprentice, he sacrifices himself by letting the tree consume him in Custas' stead.
Production
According to Shirahama, the story "was sparked by a casual comment from a friend, who mentioned that the process of bringing an illustration into the world seemed just like magic."[7] Having grown up with the works of Michael Ende and J. R. R. Tolkien, she had always wanted to try drawing high fantasy, as opposed to the bulk of popular fantasy at the time which she felt were mostly low fantasy works set in the real world or revolving around reincarnation.[8] She cites The Lord of the Rings as one of the biggest influences on Witch Hat Atelier.[9][10] She was also strongly inspired by fantasy manga such as Knights of Alfheim by Seika Nakayama, Crystal Dragon by Yūho Ashibe, and the works of Moto Hagio, Ryoko Yamagishi, and Kyōko Shitō.[8][9]
Due to Shirahama's background as an illustrator, the art style of the series leans closer to that seen in classic children's books than manga, while also drawing from Renaissance art, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, American comics, and .[8][9][11] This, along with the original idea of art seeming like magic, also contributed to the art-based magic system of the series, in which magic is an ink-drawn precise system of glyphs, runes, and signs; protagonist Coco's journey has been likened to that of an amateur artist aiming to turn professional.[10] Unlike most contemporaries, Shirahama draws the bulk of the series using wooden ink pens and other traditional tools on paper; she cites the antique appeal of analog art as well as her unfamiliarity with digital tools.[10]
The series has been consistently noted for the diversity of its cast and setting, along such axes as race, sexual orientation, and disability.[12][13][14] Shirahama has stated that she sees this diversity as a natural thing and a reflection of the level of diversity she saw in works she grew up with, and is mindful to draw inspiration from a wide range of cultures and not overrepresent one specific region of the world.[9][15]
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Kamome Shirahama, Witch Hat Atelier started in Kodansha's manga magazine Morning Two on July 22, 2016.[16] The magazine ceased print publication and moved to a digital release starting on August 4, 2022.[17][18] Kodansha has compiled its chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was published on January 23, 2017. As of November 21, 2025, 15 volumes have been published.
In North America, Kodansha USA announced the acquisition of the series in July 2018.[19] The first volume was published on April 9, 2019.
A spin-off manga series by Hiromi Satō, titled Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, started in Morning Two on November 22, 2019.[20][21]
Volumes
Chapters not yet in tankōbon format
Chapters 89–94
Volumes
Chapters not yet in tankōbon format
Chapters 89–94
Anime
In April 2022, it was announced that the series would receive an anime adaptation.[65][66] It was later revealed at Anime Expo 2024 to be a television series that is produced by Bug Films and directed by Ayumu Watanabe, with Jun Shinohara as the assistant director, Hiroaki Kojima as the producer, Hiroshi Seko handling the series composition, Kairi Unabara designing the characters, and Yuka Kitamura composing the music.[67] The series was originally scheduled for 2025;[68][69] however, it was later delayed due to the ability "to present the charm of the project at an even higher quality".[70]
Episodes
Novel
A novel written by Jun Esaka, titled Witch Hat Atelier: Special Stories (小説 とんがり帽子のアトリエ スペシャルストーリーズ), was released by Kodansha on November 21, 2025.[79]
Reception
The manga had 700,000 copies in circulation by July 2018;[80] 1 million copies in circulation by September 2018;[81] over 2.5 million copies in circulation by April 2022;[65] over 4.5 million copies in circulation by October 2022;[82] over 5.5 million copies in circulation by July 2024;[83] over 7 million copies in circulation by November 2025;[84] and over 7.5 million copies in circulation by March 2026.[85]
Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network rated the first two volumes an "A−".Silverman praised the series for its world, story, characters and artwork, and concluded that "this is one tale you don't want to miss".[86]Writing for Barnes & Noble, Kelly Chiu listed the series on her list of "The Perfect Manga Matches for 10 Studio Ghibli Movies", and recommended the series to fans of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away.[87] American animator Dana Terrace endorsed the manga series on her Twitter account after receiving fan art from Shirahama of her recently concluded animated series The Owl House, describing Witch Hat Atelier as a "magical, queer, heart-racing story of empathy and self discovery".[88]
A Brimmed Cap who experimented with transformation magic which failed, giving him a feline appearance. In order to hide this, and to intimidate his victims, he has taken to remote-control an empty cloak and hat to impersonate his presence, leading to his nickname "Empty Cloak Witch".
Ininia (イニニア)
An adolescent Brimmed Cap disguised as a regular witch, and Restys' apprentice. Just like Custas and Qifrey, she also has Silverwood Tree sprouts implanted into her body.
Master Restys (レスティス)
A Brimmed Cap witch who converses with their apprentice Ininia through her staff. He later appears in person before Coco and invites her to be his apprentice, but is rejected.
Sinocia (シノーシア)
A friendly and caring witch physician residing in the Great Hall. Because any magic directly applied to a living body—including healing magic—is considered forbidden lore, she is limited to using conventional healing methods to treat her patients.
Kukrow (クックロウ)
A disparaging, irresponsible sorcerer and Euini's former mentor.
Riliphin (リリフィン)
Richeh's older brother and Beldaruit's current assistant. Kept apart from his sister by his abusive former teacher, he eventually reunites with her during the curtain leech crisis.
Adina Arklaum (アディナ・アークロム)
Agott's mother and Chief Librarian in the Tower of Tomes, the Great Hall's main magical library.
Atwert (アトワート)
Galga's lover, who later takes him in as his apprentice after Galga has had his memories erased.
Hiehart (ハイハート)
A dark-skinned male witch who hero-worships Olruggio.
Jujy (ジュジー)
Hiehart's dark-skinned, sassy young witch apprentice.
Loroga Roenton (ロロガ・ロエントン)
A young witch apprentice and a former peer of Agott who is deeply jealous of her talents.
Twin juvenile Knight apprentices who have yet to take their profession seriously.
King Deanreldy Ezrest (ディンレルディ・エズレスト)
The head of the royal family and the sovereign ruler of the Zozah Peninsula.
Prince Eoleo Ezrest (エオウレオウ・エズレスト)
The king's young son and heir to the throne, who adores magic but, due to his social rank, is forbidden from getting into closer contact with it. He keeps a black Brushbuddy as a pet and develops a strong liking for Tetia.
Queen Zayamaia Ezrest (ザヤマイア・エズレスト)
The matriarch of the Ezrest royal family and the loving wife of King Deanreldy.
Engendale (エンゲンディル)
An elderly male witch and the former Wise in Friendships who was apprehended by the Knights Moralis for his illicit use of magic for personal profit. Instead of having his memory erased, he was imprisoned by the Witches' Assembly. He frees himself by using a fellow prisoner as bait for a monstrous leech, which then attacks the assembled witches at a national festival. After trying to kiill Qifrey and Coco when they discover his escape, thereby striking Coco with a scar on her cheek, he is overwhelmed and apprehended by Qifrey.
The opening theme song is "Kaze no Anthem" (風のアンセム), performed by
Eve
feat.
Suis of Yorushika, while the ending theme song is "Tada Utsukushii Noroi" (ただ美しい呪い), performed by Nakamura Hak.[3]Crunchyroll is streaming the series worldwide outside of Asia,[72] while Remow licensed it in Southeast Asia.[73]
