Get ready to dive into the magical world of Witch Hat Atelier, as director Ayumu Watanabe spills the beans on what’s got him nervous about bringing this beloved manga to life!

Ayumu Watanabe is no stranger to the anime world, having directed some of your favorite shows like Komi Can’t Communicate, Great Pretender, Doraemon, Ace Attorney, and many more. But with the upcoming anime adaptation of Witch Hat Atelier, Watanabe is taking on a new challenge that has him feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. We caught up with him at Anime Expo to talk about what’s got him worried about animating Coco’s magical journey.

So, what’s got Watanabe nervous about Witch Hat Atelier? For starters, it’s the fact that the entire production team is huge fans of the manga! While that might seem like a dream come true, it’s actually causing some delays. “No flattery or lies here – everyone on the production team, all of the staff, are huge fans of Witch Hat Atelier,” Watanabe revealed. “On the one hand, of course, having a team that really likes the franchise is great and reliable for the director. But because they love it too much, a lot of the scenes are taking longer than I would like to complete… I’m quite happy, but still, the schedule has started to concern me a little bit.”

Get Ready for Magic!

Witch Hat Atelier is not just a magical journey, but a team effort between Ayumu Watanabe and the production house Bug Films, known for their work on Zom 100: Bucket List of The Dead, Mononoke, and The Ancient Magus’ Bride. If you’re new to the world of Witch Hat Atelier, the English iteration of the manga is available via Kodansha. Here’s a sneak peek at what the series is all about: “In a world where magic is a part of everyday life, Coco dreams of becoming a witch. But everyone knows that magic is born, not made – and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem…”