I had a long conversation about Toshokan no Daimajutsushi this weekend, which was unfortunate timing really. There’s no law that says you have to compare it with this series, but there’s enough thematic overlap that it’s hard not to. And the hard truth is, Magus of the Library is just so much better, and it all comes down to the writing. Both series are gorgeous, both deliver interesting lore systems (Witch Hat Atelier is much more overtly magical of course). But when it comes to character and depth, it’s a total blowout. One could go deep on the reason(s) why a series as popular as Magus hasn’t gotten an adaptation (that was part of the conversation) but it’s not hard to see why Tongari Boushi got one first.

That’s not why I’m close to pulling the plug here, just an observation. As beautiful as the animation is, I’m finding this harder to take in anime than manga form. The seiyuu performances are really grating on me, especially Hanae and Motomura (which isn’t ideal as they’re the leads). Though TBH I’m not really vibing with any of the performances at this point. I think that’s more the fault of the way the characters are written in the other cases though – all of these apprentices are a lot to take.

There are also story elements bothering me more here, though maybe it’s a side-effect of the above. Like, how in the world can Agott not even get a scolding for sending Coco off on a “test” that – in Qifrey’s own words – could get her killed? Seriously, it’s as if it never happened. And on that note, I don’t remember Qifrey coming off as this much of a doofus in the manga. How good a teacher can he be if one of his students sends the other one off to die and doesn’t feel a trace of remorse? And he can’t even keep an eye on his pupils on a simple shopping trip? Hanae doesn’t project gravitas, that’s an understatement – maybe that is part of the problem.

On the other hand, we do finally start digging a little deeper into the mythology here – the brimmed-hat witches and all that. And more characters – Tartah and his grandfather – are introduced, and the more Atelier widens its scope beyond the core group we’ve met so far the better it does. So in that sense it would be an iffy time to quit. I just find myself dubious that I’m going to be able to get past everything about this show that rubs me the wrong way.