From your first glance at its volume cover, it is clear that one of Witch Hat Atelier’s great strengths is its lush illustrations, which delight in both their whimsical form and detail-rich content. Even the chapter index is adorned with herbs and baubles, speaking to the love of tiny mysteries and scene-setting details attendant in this realm of old woods fantasy. A pinch of this rare herb, a shaving of root, and something bright and glittering from the high jars of the atelier; the magical artisan at work is this story’s quintessential image, capturing both the wonder and the skill of true creation.

In both its ornately framed composition and the story of its actual heroine, Witch Hat Atelier calls to mind the endless source of inspiration that is a treasured childhood picture book. I can still vividly recall the best picture books of my own childhood, which delighted not just through their narrative wanderings, but through the endlessly generous surfeit of drawn details that would accompany each new tapestry. Little creatures milling about in the corners, shells and trinkets festooning the high reaches, stained glass windows promising further secrets out beyond some witch’s cottage. These illustrations are built to ignite the imagination, inviting us to explore a world brimming with mysteries, yet also somehow cozy and familiar, safety assured by all these carefully cataloged rows of glass bottles. This world is wild, but we will come to understand it, gently nudged along by our picture book guide.

Atelier emphasizes the alchemy of inspiration right from the start, opening with a reflection on how no one’s life path is decided at birth, and thus we must be inspired and coached into greatness. Beloved picture books unlock the doors to our potential selves, helping shape the scale of our dreams and ambitions. Giving our heroine Coco a book of spells and a taste of magic was highly reckless, but it certainly unlocked a magic inside her, telling her that with effort, she could summon her own glow beneath her feet. The panel of her feet flickering out as she walks home is a quietly poignant moment, neatly realizing the glow anyone feels when they first brush against their true passion, a bright halo that fades unless nurtured.

But it need not be a book that inspires that sense of wonder. Through its thoughtful paneling and use of negative space, Atelier frequently evokes the awe of discovery through its imagery as well. Take page eight, with its descending pair of panels on the top right, leading the audience’s eye into that vivid landscape shot of the lake. Both the panels and the actual lines of the landscape draw the audience’s eyes towards that moment of stillness, even the ground beneath the deer forming an insistent V shape, guiding us towards that quiet miracle of the deer and its doppelganger, a traveler peering through the glass and seeing a shifting mirror world. This elegance of paneling in pursuit of moments of visual catharsis, where our thoughts are hushed by the stark contrast of some fantastical intrusion in the mundane world, reoccurs again and again throughout this volume, and never fails to steal my breath away.

Seeing magic in every margin, and inspiration in every setting sun, makes unique thematic sense for the world of Witch Hat Atelier. After all, the great secret of this world is that magic is not unique, not the special purview of a specific chosen class. Though ordinary people are told that they “can only receive the blessings of magic,” and not become witches themselves, this is in fact untrue. With the right tools and training, anyone can conjure magic into being: all it takes is the commitment to the slow, steady work of practice and refinement, a discipline familiar to seekers of any craft or artistic persuasion.

The fact that magic is available to anyone is more than just a novel worldbuilding choice. It speaks to Witch Hat Atelier’s generally broad, accommodating conception of what magic truly is, and what the process of pursuing magic involves on a day-to-day basis. When Coco’s soon-to-be master Qifrey supervises her deft skills with knife and cloth, he murmurs “to think there are such marvelous artisans in this village! Now this is magic.” Qifrey is not being coy or condescending here; with magic being available to anyone with the tools and training, it is less a unique class of creation than one more artisanal skill, of equal merit to any master seamstress or storyteller. Though magic inspires awe, it is never inexplicable; to a practiced mage, what is truly incredible is the hand behind, so assured in its practice that it might bring such visions to life.

This unique conception of magic dances gracefully with Atelier’s focus on both inspiration and artisanal study. Rather than describing magic as some natural force which we must drag out of the world, Atelier imagines magic as something we draw out of ourselves, our visions brightening and inspiring those around us much in the manner of a picture book. And as Coco’s training under Qifrey soon demonstrates, Atelier possesses a clear reverence for the slow, solitary process of artisanal refinement and artistic creation. Though we are generally only familiar with the magical, masterful final project, the true work of creating magic is generally conducted while huddled over a desk, scrapping and rewriting and gradually, gradually nurturing something fantastical into being. In Kamome Shirahama’s hands, the almost holy solemnity of that process is realized with all the hushed splendor and awe that it deserves.

Magic’s universal availability in this world also informs its perspective on how magic should actually be used. “Only witches can use magic” is a lie, but it is a lie meant kindly, as this volume’s tales of harrowing magical wars attests. Everyone is capable of greatness, yes, but greatness can itself be a dangerous thing. Where so many stories center on the willful, reckless pursuit of power, Witch Hat Atelier is concerned from the very start with the management of power, that it might not invite suffering. It’s a refreshing perspective; rather than having to prove anyone can become great, this story takes it as a given, and instead urges us to harness our greatness for kind, considered tasks rather than reckless or hurtful ones.

Time and again throughout this first volume, caution and harm reduction are prioritized over the pursuit of power. The terrible wars of prior eras essentially necessitated a global reimagining of magic’s application, and casting magic upon the human body is now strictly forbidden. Even studying forbidden magic simply to counteract it must be pursued with caution, in the spirit Coco exemplifies when she states “I’m too scared like this. If I don’t know anything, I can’t do anything.” Qifrey is heartened to learn Coco has such strength of character, yet cannot help but defend the true aims of his profession by replying “other than the forbidden spells, the world is simply full of magic that exists to make people happy.” Turning to his apprentice, he utters a wish that seems to conjure the author’s own voice, the prayer that inspires this whole beautiful text: “if you’re going to learn magic, then I hope you’ll learn more about those kinder, gentler magical spells.”

In this volume’s most triumphant moment, wonder, diligence, and caution interweave to bring Coco her first victory on this difficult road. Tricked by a scornful fellow apprentice, Coco is tasked with retrieving a rare flower from a mountain top, only to learn that the “mountain” in question is an earthen orb floating high overhead. Overwhelmed by the scale of this quest, Coco falls into despair, seeing this as proof that only certain special people can become witches. But then Qifrey’s words return to her mind, praising the true magic of her tailoring abilities. Combining those hard-earned skills with a little magical know-how, Coco’s hands leap across her sail; though she is surrounded by impossibly levitating spheres, the true magic of this moment is how “my fingertips fly and dance so freely.”

We are all capable of magic, though that magic will take different forms for each of us. For there is magic in every line of the brush, every strike of the hammer, every word from the pen. It may not be the embellished fantasy of our favorite picture books, but those stories have nonetheless served their purpose: through their inspiration and even their caution, they have taught us to seek that dazzling power of creation, of building something with your own hands. The road is long, and the journey fraught not with thrilling dangers, but only the inevitability of setbacks, and the essentiality of long diligence. But if you hew to your training and stay true to your ambition, Witch Hat Atelier promises that you too can soar, buoyed on the winds of whatever magic you have found.

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