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.
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