English Dub Review: Witch Hat Atelier “A Light On A Rainy Day”
Overview:
The latest episode of Witch Hat Atelier has dropped on Crunchyroll. This is “A Light on a Rainy Day,” which sees the apprentices not let a little weather get in the way of an outdoor picnic.
Our Take:
This episode feels like it was made for fans of the Iyashikei genre in particular, making things as cozy as possible, even before the characters have their picnic. Of course, in a series like this, everything has a magic touch, with tongue firmly in cheek. In one early scene, Coco turns into a chibi over how delicious Qifrey’s breakfast stew is. Of course, she’s less than amused when he points out it’s two years old and simply regenerated by magic.
As if things couldn’t get any cozier, Qifrey decides to take the apprentices out on a picnic. Of course, the ever stoic Agott says she can eat while she works and will skip the festivities. A little rain seems like it will ruin their plans anyway, until Qifrey reminds the girls that they’re witches. Coco is so excited by the proceedings that she decides to happily run off to fetch Agott anyway.
Everything’s so cute and sweet that viewers just know things are going to take a turn. It is then when Coco meets Olruggio, “Watchful Eye” of Qifrey’s atelier. He seems unsure about the new apprentice, but Qifrey explains that it was an emergency. This is handy, as Olruggio was planning on sending her off to the knights. The brooding figure gradually seems to accept the situation, but does seem to warn that they are on thin ice.
The episode also teases a bit more about how the witches master their magic. Qifrey mentions in passing that water magic was the first one that he mastered, due in part to his inability to swim. As he muses, life is the best teacher.
Likewise, Coco later passes a magic test, with the lesson that the most important part is that it comes from her own merits. This episode actually teases what caused Coco’s interest in magic, which also proves a surprising connection to the new figure.
Ultimately, the episode does a decent job introducing a new character while exploring Coco’s character, from her ability to push forward and her growing connection to the magic. One has to wonder how everything is going to line up as the season goes on, especially as a new emergency seems to pop up towards the end.
