Story: 8/10
Witch Hat Atelier begins with a relatively basic, common concept: a character suddenly thrust into a new, magical world. Coco, who previously thought she was unable to cast spells, unwittingly uses forbidden magic and turns her mother into stone. Qifrey, a mysterious man who owns an atelier near her village, takes her under his wing as a magic apprentice to protect her from the consequences of using said forbidden magic. The story follows Coco's journey learning enthusiastically about the world of witches, studying under Qifrey with her friends Agathe, Riche, and Tetia, and trying to find a way to save her mother. Through the gentle, encouraging guidance of Qifrey and the companionship of Coco's friends, the tone of the story becomes incredibly uplifting even with the challenges the characters face. This is achieved without feeling forced in either direction. The lower rating I give the story is due to its relative simplicity at the moment, but it certainly has room to improve- the manga just hasn't had a lot of time to get more detailed yet.
Page 92 of Volume 1, which nicely showcases some of the optimism of the series.
Art: 10/10
The amount of care and attention put into every panel of the series makes it a joy to read. The technical skill of the creator, Kamome Shirahama, is on display throughout. Each page's layout is thoughtfully planned to accentuate its contents, often including intricate detailing along the sides or creative blending of panels. Within said panels, landscapes and characters alike receive a detailed rendering which makes masterful use of lines. The result of Shirahama's efforts in paneling, layouts, and illustrations is a unique and beautiful storybook-like style. Anyone who enjoys manga art would find this series well worth their time.
Page 21 of Volume 1, an excellent example of the standard the manga lives up to.
Worldbuilding: 9.5/10
Another strong point of Witch Hat Atelier is, of course, its worldbuilding. Using Coco's utter lack of knowledge about magic as a stepping stone, the manga shows the reader its world. Aspects of the setting begin to be revealed one by one. From magical libraries guarded by monsters to underwater cities to a labyrinth featuring a dragon, there are plenty of exciting destinations for the characters. The magic system, which is central to the plot, is interesting and makes sense without being too over- or under-powered. To some, it might feel a bit slow, but I personally enjoyed the pacing of it. Witch Hat benefits from a slow, careful read to take in all the things it does so well anyway.
The aforementioned library, the Tower of Books.
Characters: 8/10
The characters of Witch Hat Atelier may seem one-dimensional on the surface, but for most, much more is eventually revealed about them. With only 45 chapters out so far, it's worth keeping in mind that some just haven't had a chance to get much development yet. It could be argued that those who have had development receive it too quickly, which is part of why the score for this category is on the low side. (Relative to my super high scores for other categories, at least.) A focus of the story is how characters overcome their personal problems with the help of those around them, subsequently growing as people. This recurring element contributes quite a bit to the happy tone of the manga.
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No image here because I don't want spoilers in my review!I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this manga to anyone. The beautiful art, skilled worldbuilding, and optimistic tone earn it a 95/100 from me.