English Dub Review: Witch Hat Atelier “The School of the Grassland”

Overview:

Crunchyroll recently debuted the English dub of Witch Hat Atelier with a double-episode premiere. Coco starts to enroll in magic “school” in the second episode, “The School of the Grassland.”

Our Take:

Coco first arrives at Qifrey’s household, where she encounters his other apprentices, including the cheery Tetia and the dour Richeh. Soon, she will learn a few secrets, from her already having an infamous reputation as an outsider allowed to keep her memories, to the reason why the witches became a secret society. Coco also gets to meet her new roommate, the haughty Agott Arklaum, who makes Richeh look like a ball of sunshine in their first encounter. More importantly, Coco will have a lot to learn before her adventure continues, so she’s going to have to do a lot of studying.

Secrets will also be revealed to the audience. Viewers will learn that Coco isn’t being trained under hidden circumstances, as Qifrey thanks some mysterious force for already approving her apprenticeship. In other words, news travels fast in the magical world.

The use of “school” in the title might conjure up images of a lavish magic school out of Harry Potter, The Worst Witch, or Little Witch Academia. After all, the witches comprise an “atelier” workshop. Still, one can see the archetypes play out, though the anime already teases a few twists. For example, one might think Coco’s new roommate is her new rival, but she ends the episode promising that Coco will master her skills as a witch… whether she wants to or not.

The previous episode, with its vibrant green landscapes, brought to mind classic Studio Ghibli films. This one is no exception, but goes in a different way. A brief glimpse at sea beasts, complete with a well-animated splash, through a magic window portal teases at how far things can go in this series. In another tried and true anime trope, when the apprentices sit down to dinner, it’s explicitly simple, but attention is still taken to make a simple piece of bread and a bowl of soup look delicious.

Overall, this simple episode sets up a lot of the questions fans will likely be asking this season. In particular, who was it that approved Coco’s apprenticeship?