Line #3 YMMV/WitchHatAtelier


1	* {{Adorkable}}: Coco herself is quite a dork for magic, with a child-like (even for her age) widen eyed look whenever she sees things that are common for every other witch. The very magic that inspired her was a simple magic made by Orugio that caused pavestones light up.
2	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
3	** Following chapter 13, there are those who have started to see Qifrey as a BitchInSheepsClothing, while other see him as a WellIntentionedExtremist PragmaticHero, due to whether he is keeping Coco around to help her or to use her as a lead to find the Brimhats.
4	** Are the Knights Moralis simply doing their job or are they [[KnightTemplar too overzealous in their work?]] Some fans believe on the latter, although another section of the fanbase believe that their presence itself is Shirahama's critique on the restrictive and suffocating grip that authority and society have on what is considered expression. That the Knights Moralis is a reference to the various religious institutions of the past (Such as the Spanish Inquisition) that did more to stagnate society than to advance them.
5	* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: The artstyle of the manga is breathtaking, being very well detailed and gives the story the vibe of a fairytale.
6	* CatharsisFactor: Although his appearance may be brief, the unnamed perverted witch in Chapter 49 sure ''did'' made a first impression to the fanbase. Given the chapter's specific criticism and social commentary on the aforementioned chivalrous pervert trope as well as his absolutely loathsome, unrepentant predatory behavior, many found catharsis at his comeuppance and no one shed a single tear when [[spoiler:Engendill used him as a living bomb to escape in Chapter 63.]]
7	* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Richeh shows a lot of symptoms of having autism spectrum disorder. Examples include having an unusual speech pattern (her using her first name repeatedly in her speech either in third person or for alternative spelling). She also commits to using only her preferred magic and detests when others try to force her to change (this ties with autistic people having special interests or routines and becoming upset if either of them was disturbed by an outside force).
8	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
9	** Euini, the shy apprentice making the second test with Agott and Richeh. He's well liked for being an adorable woobie and an ImpliedLoveInterest for Richeh.
10	** Garuga and Atuarto for being a very rare case of a canon gay couple in manga that isn't [[YaoiGenre Boy's Love]], [[BaraGenre geikomi]], [[YuriGenre yuri]], or otherwise specifically aimed at LGBTQ+ audiences.
11	* EpilepticTrees: Given that the Brimhates have clearly taken an interest in her, not to mention that several imagination spot panels feature her in a darker attire with a brimmed cap, it's a very common theory that Coco will become a brimhat at one point, even if temporary.
12	* FanNickname: The series itself is often referred on twitter as "Δ帽子" (Δ being a symbol for a triangle, while 帽子, read "boushi", means hat, referring to the manga's title and the witches' hats).
13	* FandomRivalry: This is less to do with the fact that the fandoms dislike one another and more to do with Harry Potter's author. WHA fans aren't keen on works from J.K. Rowling due to the latter's controversial stance on the transgender community, whereas WHA has a prominent LGBT circle.
14	* FriendlyFandoms:
15	** WHA fandom has significant overlap with ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' fandom, largely due to the similar premise of a young girl discovering the world of magic and learning the darker aspects of magic society. It was revealed that both the creators of both series are [[https://twitter.com/shirahamakamome/status/1502532697142755330?cxt=HHwWhIDUyd_hiNopAAAA big fans of each other's works.]]
16	** Despite perceived tensions, the rivalry between ''{{Franchise/Harry Potter}}'' and WHA has less to do with the actual work or fanbase and more to do with J.K. Rowling's politics. In actuality, quite a number of WHA fans are actually ''Harry Potter'' fans who migrated fanbases due to growing disillusionment with Rowling's controversies.
17	** WHA fans are also on very good terms with fans of {{Creator/Studio Ghibli}}. This is not surprising given the gorgeous artwork that both works are known for, as well as the fact that WHA is as every bit as whimsical as a Studio Ghibli film on manga format.
18	** There is also some overlap between WHA fans and fans from ''Manga/ShadowsHouse'' despite both series being as outwardly different as you can imagine. This could be because both series are dark fantasies masquerading as something lighter; compounded with a layer of deep mystery that both fandoms can appreciate. The friendly relations further exploded when Shirahama herself [[https://twitter.com/shirahamakamome/status/1558321662504095744?cxt=HHwWgMDStfbSoqArAAAA drew a fan portrait of Emilico on her twitter feed.]]
19	** There is also an overlap with ''Manga/TheWitchAndTheBeast'' despite both manga being the complete tonal opposite of one another. This may be because both are traditional fantasy[[note]]At the time of Witch Hat Atelier's publication, traditional takes on the genre were less common compared to the sheer amount of fantasy takes on the {{Isekai}} genre)[[/note]], published by Kodansha, were released in 2016, are seinen titles, have excellent paneling and art direction, and are relatively underground series that had an anime announcement within the same year of 2022.
20	** Special mention goes to the fanbase of ''Literature/AscendanceOfABookworm''. Given the similar premise of young girls overcoming challenges set by society of the time and trying to make it better through their skills. It is of no surprise that both fanbases are on good terms. This goes double when considering that the author of WHA is also good friends with the author of Bookworm.
21	* HoYay:
22	** To some fans, Orugio and Qifrey, since their attitude towards their apprentices, as well as their own intimate, long-standing friendship, makes it seem like they're a couple raising four kids.
23	*** As some fans point out, Orugio is indicated to be a very well-respected and looked up to person among witchkind; it's easy to think that he could easily get a cushier job doing exactly what he does now. Regardless, his career choice allows him to spend his time living an arcadian life with Qifrey and their students in a cottage, furthering the "gay couple with four kids" reading of their relationship.
24	** The {{Spinoff}}, ''Kitchen of Witch Hat'', is basically a domestic slice of life showing the two cooking and spending time together once the kids are sleeping, like a couple that is having some time alone. One chapter even includes Quifrey making a tart shaped like a bouquet of flowers for Orugio.
25	* LesYay: Agott slowly warming up to Coco over time has a bit of a {{Tsundere}} flavor to it, complete with scenes of Agott getting red-faced and flustered over Coco's kindness, leading Agott/Coco to gain a bit of a following in a "rivals to lovers" sort of way.
26	* MemeticMutation: Jokes on how to actually pronounce half of the names in WHA is further exasperated with the [[SpellMyNamewithanS various spellings due to different translators]]; all being canon. The most infamous is Agott, [[PlayingwithaTrope or is it Agate? Agete? Agethe?]] But then there are others which are borderline unpronounceable like [[TheUnpronounceable Eolio.]] It got to the point that when the anime was announced, there were much snickering that fans would finally have a chance to know how it is actually pronounced.
27	* {{Moe}}: Pretty much all of Qifrey's apprentices.
28	* PeripheryDemographic: The series runs in ''Monthly Morning Two,'' a ''{{Seinen}}'' magazine, meaning that in theory, the intended audience would be male readers above the age of 18. However, the lack of things like nudity and gratuitous violence combined with a fanciful setting with a young protagonist has gotten the series a lot of younger readers, [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids some of whom weren't even aware that they're not the intended audience.]][[note]]However, the official English releases by Kodansha (the owner of the aforementioned magazine) are rated [[SameContentDifferentRating 10+]], which indicates they ''are'' aimed at younger readers.[[/note]] What's more, the prominent presence of handsome older male characters like Qifrey has garnered plenty of female readers as well. Likewise, it can also be said that because of how WHA handles its themes with a delicate and mature manner. WHA is able to attract [[MultipleDemographicAppeal ''various'' audiences from different age groups]] as WHA, for a seinen, is ''very'' friendly to much younger audiences as well as old folks, parents, and yes, men as well even when mature and sensitive topics are brought up in the manga.
29	* RootingForTheEmpire: Because of how dictatorial and unreasonable the Knights Moralis are when it comes to upholding the law, some fans started to be more sympathetic to the Brimmed-Hats despite their ethically callous actions. With some believing that [[spoiler: Coustas would have never fallen had the Pointed-Hat society been more flexible with their magical knowledge.]]
30	* ShockingMoments: Witch Hat Atelier has its moments when it likes to remind the reader that they are still reading a ''Seinen'' manga for a ''good reason''. Examples include:
31	** [[spoiler:Euini's transformation and the truth of the citizens of Romanon. What was meant to be the second test for Qifrey's students like those of ''Harry Potter'' or ''Little Witch Academia'', suddenly became an entire ''arc'' filled with body horror and body modifications. If anything, this is the reader's first experience of magically-induced body horror on the lines of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''.]]
32	** [[spoiler:Qifrey mind-wiping Olruggio and Nolnoa was equally shocking given that, beforehand, he appeared to be a fine, clumsy but competent and caring teacher. The fact that he coldly mindwipe even his closest friend tells us that he is hiding something really, ''really'' dark.]]
33	** [[spoiler:Custas' falling to the Brimmed Caps was equally tragic as it came right after a legitimately ''happy'' chapter of Coco and Tartah gifting Custas a new means of locomotion (i.e. to fly like a witch). Unfortunately, Dagda being ambushed not long after by bandits is where everything went downhill for him.]]
34	** [[spoiler:Chapter 62 and 63 gave us a wham shot of our first truly [[Main/EldritchAbomination Eldritch monstrosity]] which is a kaiju-sized carpet leech that looks like something out of ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]''. The fact that it was created after it ingested the corrupted blood of the witch pervert by Engendale, the most feeble-looking ex-Sage to grace this series, is equally shocking. Moreover, the pervert's body transformation as a living bomb is a level of body horror so extreme, it overshadowed Euini's transformation, as it fits more in line with ''Berserk'' and ''[[Manga/MadeinAbyss Made in Abyss]]'' of all mangas than it does with WHA. Given the overall lack of gore and violence in the series, what happened to the pervert is truly unprecedented.]]
35	* TransAudienceInterpretation: In chapter 42.5, Tetia talks about how much she loves dressing up, describing it as a kind of transformation that lets "an ordinary child become a princess. Or even a gallant knight," even hinting at a desire to learn transformation magic, a sentiment that many trans people will share.
36	* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Although they were always meant to be more on the morally grey side of things, the Knights Moralis are considered as tertiary protagonists on a technical level. However, other than Lulucy, their stubborn and borderline inquisitorial approach to law made them very difficult to emphasise with. This has made them look far more dictatorial and cold than they actually are in private. [[spoiler: This would later culminate with how they treated Garuga after he was mindwiped by Ininia. Even though Garuga was their former comrade, the fact that they decided to boot him to an island that is best described as a magical psychiatric ward, whilst coldly stating to Garuga's partner that there is nothing they can do to reverse the effect (Even though they could via forbidden magic), really soured the fandom's perception of them.]]
37	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: ''Witch Hat Atelier'' follows a young girl entering a fanciful world of magic along with some of her similarly aged peers, bringing a lot of inevitable comparisons to similarly-themed child-friendly series like ''Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia''-- but ''Witch Hat Atelier'' actually runs in a ''{{Seinen}}'' magazine, meaning the intended audience would be men aged 18 or older. ''Witch Hat Atelier'' contains very little to no instances of some of the more stereotypical markers of a ''seinen'' manga, such as graphic violence or nudity, so it is in theory perfectly acceptable for younger readers. On the other hand, it does contain more mature themes that might be confusing or distressing to a younger audience, such as disability discrimination, forced body modification and, as of Volume 9, [[spoiler: the sexual abuse of children.]]
38	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls: Because it does resemble moe slice-of-life manga of the mid 2010s and the series initially presented itself as a whimsical witch series, many have mistaken it to be aimed at the Shoujo demographic. In actuality, beneath that facade is a world filled with political strife, widespread censorship and morally grey dilemmas, which while not uncommon to shoujo manga is definitely not the child-friendly series it was initially mistaken for. Add the fact that it's published in a seinen magazine and much more blood and BodyHorror in the later parts of the series, and you have this trope.

Context YMMV / WitchHatAtelier