The Witch Hat Atelier anime has completed its first season and been renewed for a second season, with key staff returning. The manga continues to sell strongly and win awards.
The television anime adaptation of Kamome Shirahama's manga Witch Hat Atelier completed its first season in June 2026 after a 13-episode run. The staff announced a second season immediately after the finale aired, with director Ayumu Watanabe, series script supervisor Hiroshi Seko, character designer Kairi Unabara, and composer Yuka Kitamura all returning. Crunchyroll confirmed it will stream the new season worldwide excluding Asia. A teaser trailer for the second season debuted at Anime Expo 2026 on July 3, during a panel featuring the cast and creator.
The first season, produced by studio BUG FILMS, premiered on April 6 on Tokyo MX and other channels. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired, including a same-day English dub and additional dubs in multiple languages. The English dub cast included Joshua Waters as Qifrey and Madeleine Morris as Agott, with direction by Emily Fajardo. The adaptation closely followed the manga's tonal shifts, balancing wonder with darker themes. Episodes throughout the season drew praise for their animation, restraint, and character work, with the finale giving the Brimmed Caps a concrete, terrifying presence.
The manga, which launched in Kodansha's Morning Two magazine in July 2016, has 16 compiled volumes as of April 2026 and over 7 million copies in circulation worldwide. It has won the Harvey Award for Best Manga twice, in 2020 and 2025, and the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia in 2020. Kodansha USA Publishing releases the series in English and announced a prose collection, Witch Hat Atelier: Special Stories, for spring 2026. The series ranked highly in multiple weekly anime polls throughout the spring 2026 season, often holding the top spot among new entries.
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At Anime Expo 2026, Kamome Shirahama and Dana Terrace participated in a public Q&A session at Kodansha House. The two creators discussed their mutual admiration, creative processes, and influences. Shirahama revealed Witch Hat Atelier took six years to develop, while Terrace expressed interest in an anime adaptation. They also shared insights on fantasy world-building and the theme of possibilities in Shirahama's work.
The spring 2026 anime Witch Hat Atelier concluded its 13-episode first season on July 7, 2026, and immediately announced a second season. Creator Kamome Shirahama provided a comment and end card. At AnimeExpo 2026 in Los Angeles, a super teaser PV for season 2 was released, showing Coco in a brimmed hat and hinting at deeper conflict with the forbidden magic group. The manga has over 9 million copies in print. Season 2 broadcast date is not yet set.
The staff of the Witch Hat Atelier anime released a teaser video for the second season on Saturday, July 4, 2026. The video debuted the previous day at Anime Expo 2026. The first season of the adaptation of Kamome Shirahama's manga ended in June 2026 after a 13-episode run. Ayumu Watanabe directed the first season at studio BUG FILMS, with Hiroaki Kojima producing and Kairi Unabara handling character design and chief animation direction. Yuka Kitamura composed the music. The teaser trailer was first shown during the "Witch Hat Atelier: A Magical Chat with the Cast and Creator" panel at Anime Expo. The manga, which launched in Kodansha's Morning Two magazine in July 2016, has 16 compiled volumes as of April 2026 and over 7 million copies in circulation worldwide. Kodansha USA Publishing releases the series in English. The manga has won the Harvey Award for Best Manga twice, in 2020 and 2025, and also received the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia in 2020.
Anime News Network has published its final weekly reader poll ranking for the Spring 2026 season, covering episodes aired through June 30. The list compares the final episodes of 18 series, with Witch Hat Atelier, Dorohedoro, and Nippon Sangoku taking the top three spots. The rankings are based on user ratings of individual episodes, not overall series popularity.
Kodansha USA Publishing announced during its Anime Expo panel on Thursday seven new print releases for spring 2026, including the prose collection Witch Hat Atelier: Special Stories, the yuri thriller Fatale Game, and the historical fantasy The Chronicles of Leënde. Other titles are The Serenade of Spring Thunder, Myther, and the classic Phoenix, along with Historié.
The television anime of Kamome Shirahama's manga Witch Hat Atelier will receive a second season, the staff announced on Monday immediately after the first season's finale aired in Japan. Crunchyroll confirmed it will stream the new season worldwide excluding Asia. The first season, produced by studio BUG FILMS and directed by Ayumu Watanabe, ran for 13 episodes and ended on a cliffhanger during a test for characters Agott and Richeh. The manga, which began serialization in Kodansha's Morning Two magazine in July 2016, has 16 compiled volumes as of April 2026 and over 7 million copies in circulation worldwide. It has won multiple awards including the Harvey Award for Best Manga and the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia. Key staff returning for the second season include director Ayumu Watanabe, series script supervisor Hiroshi Seko, character designer Kairi Unabara, and composer Yuka Kitamura. The announcement was accompanied by an endcard image.
Kodansha will hold its interactive pop-up event "KODANSHA HOUSE 2026" in Los Angeles from July 2 to July 12, 2026, marking the first time the event is held on the US West Coast. Newly drawn visuals by the creators of "Blue Lock," "Attack on Titan," "Witch Hat Atelier," and "FAIRY TAIL" have been released for the event, which runs alongside Anime Expo.
Kamome Shirahama, creator of Witch Hat Atelier, praised figure skater Amber Glenn's Instagram video of her performing in Qifrey cosplay, calling it 'gorgeous' and saying she looks like a 'wizard on ice.' Glenn had previously named the manga a favorite. Shirahama said it was an honor to see the performance. Glenn commented that she loved the passion for magic and Qifrey's guidance. Crunchyroll shared photos, and costume designer CutiePieSensei posted behind-the-scenes footage.
Episode 13 of Witch Hat Atelier delivers a masterclass in animation and tension, finally giving the Brimmed Caps a concrete, terrifying presence. The Invisible Witch's attack on the children makes clear the moral chasm between the two magical factions, as Qifrey's explanation of their differing philosophies is undercut by the witch's willingness to harm innocents. The episode transforms the Brimmed Caps from a nebulous threat into a nightmare given flesh.
Circana BookScan's Top 20 adult graphic novels list for May 2026 features 15 manga volumes, with Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen volume 30 at #1. Other ranked titles include Witch Hat Atelier, Gachiakuta, Kagurabachi, One Piece, Steel Ball Run, The Summer Hikaru Died, and Demon Slayer.
In an interview with Anime News Network, Joshua Waters (Qifrey) and Madeleine Morris (Agott) discussed the English dub of Witch Hat Atelier, including how director Emily Fajardo helped Waters intentionally repeat a line cadence and how Morris found Agott's voice through RP and emotional outbursts.
Singer-songwriter Nakamura Hak, who debuted in spring 2026, is handling the ending theme for the TV anime Witch Hat Atelier and the opening theme for the TV Tokyo drama Lunashii. Her first EP, released May 20, reached No. 2 on the Billboard JAPAN Heatseekers Songs chart. All her recordings are unedited single takes of vocals and acoustic guitar.
Episode 10 of Witch Hat Atelier focuses on Tartah, a colorblind apprentice who has been told he cannot be a witch. When Coco falls ill, he finds a way to work around his silverwash by using plant recognition and symmetrical spellcraft, with Coco's belief in him unlocking a new path forward.
The staff for the television anime of Kamome Shirahama's Witch Hat Atelier manga announced two new cast members on Monday. Veteran voice actor Ryusei Nakao will voice Sasaran, a member of the Brimmed Cap group, while Hiiro Ishibashi has been cast as Euini. Sasaran appears in episode 10, which aired on June 1, and Euini will join the story in episode 11 on June 8. The two characters play significant roles in the upcoming Second Pentagram Test Arc. Nakao said he was looking forward to the series because he liked its world and became fond of playing a character shrouded in mystery. Ishibashi said he was drawn into the manga's world and felt honored to join a work loved around the world. Ayumu Watanabe is directing the anime at BUG FILMS. The series premiered on April 6 on Tokyo MX and other channels. Crunchyroll streams the anime as it airs, including an English dub. The manga launched in Kodansha's Morning Two magazine in July 2016 and has 16 compiled volumes as of April 2026. The franchise has over 7 million copies in circulation worldwide.
Anime Feminist's weekly round-up for March 25-31, 2026, features a review of the new manga *Wicked Spot*, a profile of actress Meiko Kaji, and a primer on *Witch Hat Atelier*. The *Wicked Spot* review, from Gizmodo's Isaiah Colbert, describes the series by mangaka Sal Jiang as a sapphic rom-com that blends witchy elements with influencer culture, comparing it favorably to *The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All* and Kamome Shirahama's *Eniale & Dewiela*. The profile of Kaji, published by Aftermath, covers her 60-year career, including her iconic role in *Lady Snowblood* and her reflections on the grind of early acting. The round-up also includes a video primer on *Witch Hat Atelier* featuring Alex Henderson, plus links to articles on the Tokyo Pokémon Center stalking murder, Japan's citizenship law changes, and a survey of foreign residents in Saitama. Other items cover a worker fired after disclosing autism, former Nippon Ichi Software president's comments on game industry creativity, and a call for concrete woke action.
Anime Feminist reviewed the first two episodes of the Witch Hat Atelier anime, calling the premiere one of the greatest anime premieres the outlet has ever seen. The review highlights the series' use of restraint, including long stretches without music, which gives the magical sequences more impact. The character designs adapt Kamome Shirahama's detailed manga art for animation while preserving key visual moments in the original style. Director Ayumu Watanabe, known for Komi Can't Communicate, is credited with the strong direction. The review notes Coco's relatable fascination with magic and her garment-cutting skills as a foundation for her magical education. The ambiguous encounter with the witch who gave Coco a picture book is described as a key narrative hook. Fellow apprentice Agott is presented as a complex figure, initially hostile but later offering challenges rather than outright rejection. The review also mentions glimpses of the world's dark magical history and the societal structures that contain it.
Crunchyroll will launch the anime adaptation of Kamome Shirahama's fantasy manga Witch Hat Atelier with a same-day English dub on April 6. The first two episodes will stream back-to-back at 7:00 a.m. PT, with both Japanese audio and the English dub available simultaneously. Additional dubs in Spanish (Latin American and Castilian), Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, and Arabic will roll out later. The story follows Coco, a girl born without magic in a world where spellcasting is tightly controlled, who is taken in by the witch Qifrey after a forbidden experiment goes wrong. Bug Films is producing the series, directed by Ayumu Watanabe. Shirahama's manga, first published in 2016, has sold over seven million copies worldwide and won the Eisner Award and Harvey Awards.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 has taken the top spot in the Spring 2026 weekly anime rankings for the fifth time, according to the Week 8 poll from Anime Corner. The series received 20.08% of over 5,000 votes, the highest vote share any anime has achieved this season. Daemons of the Shadow Realm placed second with 5.15%, and Classroom of the Elite IV earned its first top-three finish of the season in third place with 4.65%. Witch Hat Atelier and Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Season 4 rounded out the top five. Re:ZERO Season 4 has now won five of the first eight weekly polls, extending its lead as the season enters its final weeks. The series began on April 8 and previously ranked first in Weeks 1, 2, 3, and 6. The season consists of 19 episodes split into two arcs: the 11-episode Loss Arc starting April 8 and the 8-episode Recapture Arc beginning August 12, with a two-month break in between. Anime News Network also noted that Dorohedoro and One Piece kept Witch Hat Atelier just shy of first place in their own rankings.
Episode 8 of the *Witch Hat Atelier* anime, titled "The Misgivings of the Knights Moralis," aired on Crunchyroll on May 19, 2026. The episode follows Qifrey as he investigates a vial of ink linked to the Brimmed Caps. He deduces the ink is affected by a twinned bottle spell, a lost technique once used by healer witches before the Day of the Pact. Attempting to extract a sigil from the ink, Qifrey triggers a trap that nearly drowns him and destroys the sigil, costing him his lead. Meanwhile, Coco, exhausted from guilt and overwork, collapses with a fever. Qifrey rushes her to a hospital in Kalhn. The episode also highlights the personalities of the apprentices: Tetia's optimism, Richeh's defiance, and Agott's ambition. Tartah, Nolnoa's grandson, begins to suspect Qifrey's secretive behavior. The review notes that the animation quality remains high, though the drowning sequence was less spectacular than previous action scenes. The episode advances the plot toward the second test arc, though the season's endpoint remains unclear.
Anime Corner's seventh weekly poll for the Spring 2026 season closed with over 4,000 votes. Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 2 took first place for the second time this season, receiving 8.46% of the vote and displacing last week's leader, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4, which fell to second with 6.68%. Witch Hat Atelier ranked third with 4.84%, maintaining its position as the highest-ranked non-sequel series. The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten Season 2 re-entered the top ten at tenth place. The full list of 61 ranked titles includes Classroom of the Elite IV at sixth, Agents of the Four Seasons at seventh, and Marriagetoxin at ninth. Anime Corner runs the poll weekly throughout the season, with voting for week eight already open.
Episode 7 of Witch Hat Atelier, titled "Who Is Magic For?," forces Agott to confront her motivations as Olruggio takes a firmer hand than Qifrey. The episode contrasts her trauma-driven intensity with Coco's forward-looking resilience, culminating in a rescue where Coco, not Agott, saves the day.
The Witch Hat Atelier anime announced four new cast members for the Knights Moralis group: Junichi Suwabe as Easthies, Jun Kasama as Utowin, Hiroki Yasumoto as Galga, and Yui Ishikawa as Luluci. The characters debut in episodes seven and eight on May 18 and May 25.
Episode 8 of Witch Hat Atelier suggests Qifrey may have used a forbidden spell on Nolnoa, and a close-up of his glasses hints at a possible seal on his eye. The episode also explores discrimination against Outsiders and the Knights Moralis' superiority.
The Spring 2026 anime season rankings for the week of May 6-12 show Witch Hat Atelier maintaining its lead for the second consecutive week, according to Anime Trending's chart. In the Anime News Network reader poll, Witch Hat Atelier also topped the cumulative ranking, while Dorohedoro led the weekly episode ranking. Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 2 made the largest jump on the Anime Trending chart, rising six spots to fourth place, and Dr. Stone: Science Future entered the top ten at tenth. In the character polls, Coco and Qifrey from Witch Hat Atelier held their positions as top female and male characters. The couple ship chart saw a change, with Maki and Umi from I Made Friends With the Prettiest Girl in My Class taking first place, displacing Amane and Mahiru from The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten Season 2. The Anime News Network cumulative ranking also featured Akane-banashi at third and Nippon Sangoku at fourth.
The Witch Hat Atelier anime adaptation, now streaming on Crunchyroll, closely follows the manga's tonal shifts. Early episodes pair the wonder of Coco discovering magic with the trauma of her mother being encased in crystal and the bullying she faces as an apprentice. The review notes the show maintains a deliberate balance, presenting supportive mentors alongside threats like memory erasure and the Knights Moralis, without softening the source material's harder edges.