Witch Hat Atelier Volume 14 Review

Beware: spoilers for The Silver Eve Saga!

The Silver Eve celebrations in the capital city of Ezrest have been ruined by the monstrous valance leech, created by the vengeful Lord Engendale (now a brimmed cap) and the witches are doing their best to fight the monstrous invaders and to rescue the citizens. But Quifrey has been seized by a terrible premonition and Coco, although injured, is determined to do all she can to defeat the hungry blood-sucking leech. She explains her plan to Lord Beldaruit the Wise – and demonstrates it by smashing an inkwell to pieces on the floor. Her plan is to surround the valance leech and use the Counterclock spell to rewind time and undo Lord Engendale’s evil spell. Her fellow apprentices Richeh, Tetia and Agott support her idea, coming up with a brilliant scheme to use the cup-shaped Floatforms from the Silver Eve procession to make a giant circle, each one inscribed with the same spell to float above the leech. The witches get to work drawing – only to be interrupted by Vice Captain Easthies of the Knights Moralis in a crazed fury, insisting that they are breaking the law.

Easthies – for reasons that are as yet unclear – turns against the witches and especially Coco. He’s always suspected her of trying to break the witches’ strict codes since the time she rescued Custas from the flood and threatens her with the hideous Sinsinger Talons which will wipe her memories. Captain Vinanna steps in to protect Coco but Easthies strikes her down too. The other Knights Moralis, including Luluci, try to stop Easthies’ crazed attack – but it seems no one can calm him down until Coco and Tartah come up with a plan. Will they succeed before Easthies destroys all their good work?

Witch Hat Atelier has entered its darkest chapter yet but it’s gripping writing, brilliantly illustrated by Kamome Shirahama who goes from strength to strength in bringing her story to life. There’s a moving central sequence in which Coco imagines all the people she loves and wants to support – and we see them as if she’s drawing them, pen in hand (just like a mangaka). And no matter how far away they might be… I can always draw in my mind the people who care for me, and draw strength from them. So long as I remember I’m never alone in my heart… I’ll have the courage to stand alone. In fact, one of the main themes of this volume is the witches uniting to draw the spells to defeat the leech.

However, the volume starts with Utowin and Easthies fighting the leach, both nearing their physical limit but determined not to fall back. Utowin remembers when he was a child and first encountered Olruggio, a boy with great magic-casting ability (Utowin was not gifted in that way) – and how young Easthies inspired him to join the Knights Moralis. So when Utowin comes across Olruggio who’s doing his best but at the end of his strength, he can’t resist teasing him a little, telling him, “Leave the dirty work to us and put that magic to good use… finding some other way to save the day.” There’s no hint here, though, of what will make the noble but stern Easthies go berserk and turn against his own knights, even his commanding officer.

Even though Quifrey’s presence is felt in these chapters, he doesn’t appear; Olruggio, however, is there to support the girls in his place, although he’s exhausted and aware that he’s not the good role model he feels he should be. And also in Quifrey’s place is Lord Beldaruit who’s there to support Coco’s ideas (‘apprentice of my apprentice’) and determined to see her plan through against all the considerable odds. The volume ends on another breathtaking cliffhanger (as it should) and we’re left eager to read Volume 15 but it’s going to be a long wait as it’s not slated by Kodansha until December!

Translation for Kodansha is again by Stephen Kohler and, as before, he delivers a vibrant rendition of the dialogue and all the evocative magical artefact names created by the mangaka; all this is well conveyed by Lys Blakeslee’s lettering. There’s a two-page ‘trailer’ for Volume 15 at the end. No colour images inside, sadly, but the cover art images of Coco and Utowin are gorgeous.

As early adopters of Witch Hat Atelier (2019) at Anime UK News, we’re very excited about the anime TV series which will be airing on Crunchyroll (April 6th) after a very long wait. But if the original manga hadn’t been such a rich and imaginative creation by Kamome Shirahama, I doubt there would have quite been the same buzz about the anime – and I’m here to encourage everyone to continue to read the manga!

• Witch Hat Atelier © Kamome Shirahama/Kodansha Ltd.

Our review copy from Kodansha was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.