What a lore drop! Witch Hat Atelier Episode 8 doesn’t hold back on exposing the more unsettling parts of the witch world — and it works perfectly. This episode steers the anime in a new direction; asking questions that prior to this couldn’t exist.
The great divide
At this point, it’s obvious that the world Shirahama Kamome isn’t as feel good as one might think. Similar to Delicious in Dungeon, Witch Hat Atelier lures you in with lovely characters and a compelling plot from the jump. But the darker themes that pop up sooner rather than later, to surprise the audience. Beneath the adorable, cutesy surface is the dark truth that the witch world isn’t all that great.
The prejudice around outsiders, the extreme lengths of the Knights Moralis, and the sheer hate that the Brimm Caps have toward witch society aren’t subtle. These are all topics that run through the plot at large, only becoming clear once the story encourages thinking more about it. Tackling these topics isn’t anything new for fantasy series, but the way Witch Hat Atelier weaves them into the story is.
On top of that, the way the Bug Films animators are bringing the series to life makes adds another seemingly magical layer to these themes. When Iguin pours their blood into Coco’s magical ink bottle, the scene itself is darkly whimsical. The color grading combined with the different shots of Iguin make it seem almost mystical. The animators are crafting such a unique world that even the antagonists have whimsy despite their bad intentions.
Witch Hat Atelier Episode 8 is a slow burn
In comparison to previous episodes, it’s easy to think that Witch Hat Atelier Episode 8 lacks intensity. While there isn’t much action that happens in it, the world building that happens more than makes up for it. “The Misgivings of the Knights Moralis” starts with the fun police trying to erase Coco’s memories without a shred of evidence to justify that. Easthies is clearly all about following the rules. So much so that he doesn’t bother listening to Coco or Agott explain their side of the story.
This inability to think outside the rigid rules is proof that even the people who are supposed to protect witches can also be a threat. Easthies and Qifrey to clash against once another — after an iconic move from Richeh — only for Easthies to make a comment that Qifrey is also known as a problem for the Great Hall. It’s only thanks to Olruggio that things don’t escalate further; reminding both the Knights Moralis and Qifrey that there are still people who need their help. But, helping the non-witches doesn’t prevent Qifrey from using Coco as an excuse for his own plan.
Qifrey’s shadow looms large
Revealing more of what Qifrey keeps hidden from the girls in Episode 8 is a great way to tease his true intentions. This isn’t the first hint that there’s more to him, but it is the first time Qifrey so explicitly crosses into a morally grey area. Under the intentions of buying Coco a new pen, he goes to Nolnoa to have her ink examined on a hunch.
His obsession with the Brimmed Capped witches remains a mystery, but his excitement gleaned from Nolnoa’s discovery makes it clear that it’s more personal than not. Even going so far as to erase Nolnoa’s memory proves he isn’t as honorable as he seems to the girls and to those around them.
Great representation
One of those people is Tartah, Nolnoa’s grandson. “The Misgivings of the Knights Moralis” spends enough time on him to signal that he isn’t just another witch we never see again. In fact, he has a condition called Silverwash which causes him to see the world in silver, instead of color. Because of this, Tartah can’t become a witch like Coco or the other apprentices and his relationship to magic is more strained.
While this might not seem like anything more than a struggle for Tartah, it’s an important disability representation that Shirahama makes very clear. Tartah isn’t a boy who can’t use magic, he’s someone who has to make magic accessible in ways that other witches would never think. Tartah has struggled up until this point to make magic work for him and when it comes crashing down, his reaction is understandable. Because there isn’t much room for witches that don’t fit into the norm, Tartah is left trying to figure it out for himself despite his young age.
Witch Hat Atelier Episode 8 does a great job at explaining that the world Coco now finds herself in isn’t always filled with good intentions. As the anime digs deeper, the reality that things are a lot more complicated than you might think sets in. The hits keep coming with a breakout season full of beautiful animation that hits each emotional beat from its source material. Hats off to Bug Films for making Witch Hat Atelier as magical as it is.
Witch Hat Atelier Episode 8 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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'Witch Hat Atelier' Episode 8 - 8/10
8/10
Travis Hymas is a freelance writer and self appointed Pokémon historian out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Known to be regularly obessive over pop culture topics, gaming discourse, and trading card games, he is a published critic featured on sites such as Uppercut and The Young Folks.
