Helen: Alright, I’m sold: I think that Qifrey is being genuine in his concern for Coco and not doing it just because she’s important to the brimmed hat witches. It actually wasn’t any of his interactions with her that convinced me but his interactions with another full-fledged witch who doesn’t think that well of his own apprentice and Qifrey was practically steaming the entire time.
While we still don’t know why he has a particular vendetta against brimmed witches, after a few lines in this volume I’m inclined to think that is has to do with his eyepatched eye. Maybe the brimmed witches drew a seal into it (a high crime, even if it was done unwillingly to a witch) but I’m sure we’ll find out about all of that in due time.
Witch Hat Atelier volume 4 doesn’t actually focus that much on Qifrey however, or even Coco. The stage has been set for the second test to become a full-fledged witch (the first test was the one with the floating stones that Coco conquered in the first volume) and the volume focuses on the apprentices who are taking this test (Coco herself is still way too new at everything to try attempting it). It’s very creative, one that wouldn’t be out of place in Harry Potter, and Shirahama continues to flex and show off her drawing abilities by demonstrating that “crazy architecture and structures” is yet another element that she can pull off with apparent effortlessness.
Speaking of artwork, it’s a common trope in fantasy stories to have magic and the act of using it be a metaphor for another skill and, since the magic of this world is entirely based around drawing, it’s no surprise that some of the discussions about magic feel a lot like discussions about art. One of the witch apprentices feels very strongly about being forced to learn the “correct” way to cast magic, that they have to learn spells they aren’t interested in instead of being able to pursue developing only spells that they find interesting, and doesn’t care much for either the formal structure around using magic or what any other witch thinks about their particular brand of magic. It’s possibly one of the least subtle metaphors for the pursuit of creative work while growing up and developing your skills that I’ve ever seen, but again Shirahama makes it work without feeling cliched or predictable.
All of the witch apprentices realize things about their own magic during this test and once again it’s astonishing how much Shirahama is able to accomplish in so little time; even with a slightly longer than usual volume the story still covers what feels like two volumes of material in one. Now, here’s to hoping this is enough to tide me over until the next volume!
Helen’s rating: 3 out of 5
Justin: A letter has been sent to Qifrey, and with it, confirmation that the second test is ready to begin. This excites Agott, but for Richeh, it only gives her much disdain — disdain that grows into anger once she learns the day of the test that Qifrey entered her in. After hearing why he’s entered her, Richeh begrudgingly joins Agott and another witch who’s failed this second test twice, Euini, into crossing the Serpentback Cave with a couple of birds. But while their challenges with the road itself weren’t enough of an issue, a member of the Brimmed Caps appear, all too ready to sabotage everyone involved in this trial — and that also includes Coco, Tetia, and Qifrey.
There’s a lot that happens in Witch Hat Atelier Volume 4, which likely will have repercussions moving forward. After all, if your second test was infiltrated by a Brimmed Cap when you least expect it, and you combine Coco and the rest of the group’s encounter back in volume 2, it’ll only be harder and harder to hide that Coco’s being targeted by them. At this point, Qifrey holding back what the Brimmed Caps have taken from him and his experiences with the hall is one of the things that has put everyone in dire straights. It’ll be interesting to see how this gets resolved — or unresolved at this point — in future volumes. I guess Volume 5 will be all about surviving though.
Volume 4, for the most part, uses Richeh and new character Euini to balance out their standing with magic in the witches’ world. For Richeh, she grew up with someone she cared about loving her magic, and that person (apparently, not clear just yet) has left her; she then was apprenticed to a witch who limited her creativity and discarded what she wanted to do the most. Meanwhile Euini has failed the second test twice, and being an apprentice to a pretty worthless witch only adds to his troubles; they don’t get better as he takes the second test a third time, and ends up breaking down when an unknown challenge presents itself.
I guess in that sense, it’s understandable for these two to share a common arc — deemed worthless in what type of magic they use, they each end up discovering that the ways magic can be used don’t always have to be by the books — but they don’t see it yet due to their upbringing! I guess that’s one reason why Qifrey wanted Richeh to take the test: to learn how viewing other magic can inform her own and improve upon it.
One other notable thing: this is the first time Agott mentions her origins. Makes you wonder what exactly the House of Arklaum is to her, since she’s not there anymore. It seems it is a well-known house, according to the useless witch teaching Euini. Also, one other thing that sticks out is that yes, there are also pretty terrible teachers in the witches’ world! Not too surprising, it’s totally realistic, but the contrast between Euini’s and Richeh’s first teacher is pretty apparent. Anyways, while we have gotten a sense of Agott’s drive, we still have much to delve into regarding her past.
But they first have to deal with a member of the Brimmed Caps, who is very determined to warp Coco’s view of magic for a reason. They’ve been aggressive before, but being aggressive at this test almost suggests they have to speed things up a bit. We’ll soon see if that’s the case.
Justin’s rating: 4 out of 5