Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire 1

Witch Hat Atelier has been a strong presence in the manga sphere since its Japanese release in 2017. This Grimoire Edition coincides with the release of the anime, providing a chance for new fans of the series to jump in with the first three volumes of the original manga.

I myself picked up Witch Hat Atelier for its original English release and have been an avid fan ever since. Shirahama's linework — especially her skill with thatching and shading — is iconographic in this piece. On this second read, though, it became clear that her greatest talent is in paneling. The characters spill, hop, and lean out over the panel lines in a way that makes reading as effortless as it is enjoyable. It gives the work its clean sense of pacing and strong visual style, especially with the pastoral landscapes that are built into each and every scene. I have never been happier to see a full-page spread in black and white than this.

The translation of this edition, handled by Stephen Kohler, is very good. There are a few points where the dialogue trips a little — a jolt in the otherwise perfect pacing — but translating Japanese literature is notoriously difficult and this is a very good showing nonetheless.

As for the material added in the Grimoire Edition itself, I am highly interested in the behind-the-scenes. Books like this have incredible life and detail even in simple sketches. The full color illustrations are where I'm on the fence; they're a natural inclusion in a collectors edition, of course, but I found myself missing the crisp lines of the black and white introductions. For me, I think it's a matter of preference. Witch Hat Atelier is beautiful in both watercolors and ink — it's just a different kind of beautiful, one that I suspect that I will get used to in time.

A beautifully illustrated storybook adventure, Witch Hat Atelier comes highly recommended. This Grimoire Edition, a collector's edition of the first three volumes, is also recommended for collectors and for anyone who doesn't already have the first three volumes in their library.