To celebrate the first season of the Witch Hat Atelier anime, author and creator Kamome Shirahama visited Anime Expo 2026 along with voice actors Natsuki Hanae (voice of Qifrey) and Rena Motomura (voice of Coco). Though Shirahama and Hanae are seasoned AX veterans, this was Motomura’s first visit to the States, generating extra excitement among both the panelists and attendees.
In addition to a live voice acting session, where Motomura in particular showcased her charm by joking with fans one moment and seamlessly slipping into character the next, the trio answered a selection of questions about the series and its first season.
Shirahama, who wore a witch hat with a face covering to protect her identity, revealed that the inspiration for the manga started from a passing comment from a friend. “That friend said that creating illustrations and manga was almost like performing magic, and that idea became the foundation for the series,” she began. “As for the characters, I create each one by weaving in little pieces of my own worries, struggles, and emotions. Every character carries a small part of me.”
For the two voice actors, portraying characters that had so much depth and so many layers was also no easy feat. “Coco is a very kind and hardworking girl. Because she’s so determined, I sometimes ended up delivering her lines too forcefully, and the director would remind me to be gentler,” Motomura shared. “Finding the right balance between her determination and her kindness was probably the most difficult part.” Chiming in to agree, Hanae also described the complexity of Qifrey as the biggest challenge. “Qifrey is kind and gentle as a teacher, but he also has a strict side and an air of mystery. The challenge was portraying all of those different sides without making any one aspect feel exaggerated. It required a very delicate balance.”
For the two voice actors, portraying characters that had so much depth and so many layers was also no easy feat. “Coco is a very kind and hardworking girl. Because she’s so determined, I sometimes ended up delivering her lines too forcefully, and the director would remind me to be gentler,” Motomura shared. “Finding the right balance between her determination and her kindness was probably the most difficult part.” Chiming in to agree, Hanae also described the complexity of Qifrey as the biggest challenge. “Qifrey is kind and gentle as a teacher, but he also has a strict side and an air of mystery. The challenge was portraying all of those different sides without making any one aspect feel exaggerated. It required a very delicate balance.”
Using magic in this universe involves drawing out your spell with special ink, and each witch in Witch Hat Atelier excels in specific different ways. For Coco, she excels with straight lines, reminiscent of the fabrics she would cut as a seamstress with her mother. “If I were a witch in this universe, even if I didn’t have a specific magical specialty, I think I’d enjoy drawing incredibly detailed magic circles with lots and lots of lines,” said Motomura. Sharing her thoughts, author Shirahama believes Motomura could give herself some more credit. “You’re such an energetic person, and you’re also an excellent dancer,” she began, pulling a gentle and shy smile from Motomura. “I imagine you’d use a huge staff and draw enormous magic circles with sweeping dance-like movements. I think you’d be really good at that.” Following the sweet moment, Hanae chimed in with his own witty response. “I’m probably not very good at drawing detailed magic circles,” he began with a sly expression. “I’d rather open something like a shop. If I had to compare it to the real world, maybe I’d start something like an In-N-Out Burger in the Witch Hat world,” he said with a bright laugh. “Qifrey is good at cooking after all!”
The cast spent a lot of time together while preparing and recording for the first season. Thinking back on their journey together, each panelist was struck with nostalgia.” Thinking back on their journey together thus far, each of the three are struck with nostalgia and gentle expressions as they remember the memories made. “If I hadn’t created this manga, none of us would have met like this,” Shirahama began with a grateful tone. “I never would have been invited to America or had the chance to meet so many wonderful people, and that makes me incredibly happy.” Just like his character Qifrey, Hanae is someone with years of experience that’s taken on a role of guiding his juniors. For him, seeing their growth during the recording process was unforgettable. “I strongly remember when we recorded the first episode,” he began. “Watching Motomura-san and the younger cast working so hard from the back of the studio really made me feel like a proud teacher.” Sharing a somewhat silly memory, Motomura also unintentionally revealed just how close the bond between the voice actors is. “I was recording once with Misaki Kuno, who plays Brushbuddy, and she swapped clothes with me during the recording,” she started. “I had accidentally worn an outfit that made rustling noises in the recording booth, and she kindly offered to switch and lent me her clothes. I was so grateful.”
On seeing her work adapted into anime, Shriahama described it as a “dream come true.” She continued, “When I draw manga, I’m already imagining everything moving inside my head, so watching the anime is almost like comparing my imagination with reality. Sometimes it’s exactly as I pictured it, and other times the anime goes even further and shows me things I never imagined. It’s been an incredibly precious experience.”
To wrap up the conversation, each of the three special guests chose one of Qifrey’s apprentices—Agott, Tetia, Richeh, or Coco—they could relate to most. “For me, of course it’s Coco,” Motomura began. “There are a lot of similarities between us. Sometimes I become so focused on trying my best that I lose sight of everything around me. And, at the same time, I always wish I could become as kind as her.” For Hanae, he found Richeh most relatable. “I enjoy pursuing things that only I can do, like finding my own unique kind of magic, so I relate to that aspect of the character.” As for Shirahama, each character contains a piece of her, so the choice was difficult. “When I was younger, I was like Agott, as I desperately wanted to improve as quickly as possible,” she started. “But, I also relate to Richeh because I wanted to make a living doing only what I loved, which was drawing. These days, when I watch the anime, I find myself reacting more like Coco as well, constantly saying, ‘Wow, that’s amazing!” But, at my current age, I probably resemble Tetia the most, as I spend a lot of time simply feeling thankful.” Finding herself in each of these students who still has much to learn, Shirahama also inadvertently revealed what makes her works so special: her continuous yearning for growth and evolution. “In the end, I think every one of the characters reflects some part of me.”
The panel wrapped up with confirmation that season two is currently in production, though no release date or timing was announced. In the meantime, season one is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
