REVIEW: ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ Episode 6 – “A Light on a Rainy Day”

After such a bombastic, mind-bending episode like “The Dragon’s Labyrinth,” it would be easy to view Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6 as something more suited to the “filler” descriptor. And, certainly, it doesn’t reach for the same lavish heights as its previous outing. But, when looking again at the painstaking details, at the overwhelming sense of time and place that breathes life into the worldbuilding, the result is just as evocative but with a different intent this time around. And, if nothing else, it introduces us to the Watchful Eye of Qifrey’s atelier, the wonderfully put-upon Olruggio (Yuichi Nakamura). 

No, there are no life or death stakes for the majority of Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6. But the series still manages to visually stun in a scene of pure whimsy while also highlighting one of the main, underlying thematic cues of Kamome Shirahama’s story. We all learn differently – and there’s no right way to do so. 

It’s part of what makes Witch Hat Atelier’s coziness deceptive because it’s so much more than just that. While the series has made it clear from the jump that darkness constantly threatens to infect this world, it’s also nice to see how small self-inflicted hurts can be confronted through steady patience and a teacher’s thoughtful approach to guiding his pupil. 

Kamome Shirahama’s story understands the complexities of learning. 

Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6 splits itself into two, as Qifrey (Natsuki Hanae) and his apprentices settle after their encounter with the dragon. Coco (Rena Motomura), bright and brimming with ideas and a clear love of magic, is unmistakably gifted but lacks the same practice and experience as Agott (Hibiku Yamamura), Richeh (Hika Tsukishiro), or Tetia (Kurumi Haruki).

And, despite her best efforts, she struggles to learn the same way Agott does – studious and still, repeating the same spell until it’s perfect. And, proving that Qifrey is one of the best teacher types in anime, he quickly realizes as much and shifts gears. 

It’s a cute moment, marked by the very poignant belief that to teach well, you need to adapt to your students’ needs and learning styles. Qifrey takes a more practical approach, showing Coco how she can practice magic through daily tasks and chores, such as cooking.

Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6 weaves fantastical excellence into even the smaller moments. 

And even here, the animators’ work is striking. From the specificity of weight as Coco tries to draw a sigil that best holds the weight of the yam she’s cooking, to the tactile sensation of paper being pressed down onto a table. There’s a real, lived-in atmosphere that makes the crackling of the fire all the more effective. 

But none of it holds a candle to the wondrous sequence in Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6 when Qifrey reminds the girls they’re all witches. They’re capable of bringing magic to their daily lives and, in their efforts to embark on a picnic on a rainy day, warmth and sunlight to their fingertips. 

It’s a beautiful sequence, decadent in its whimsy, nearing indulgence in how the lighting and color contrast with one another. Frankly put, it’s magical. As Qifrey leads Coco, Richeh, and Tetia to their picnic, finding pockets of sunshine through their own efforts and skills as they eat under a small bridge, the series burns bright. And it is once again aided by the formidable prowess of composer Yuka Kitamura. Her work embellishes this entire sequence with fantastical excellence, subdued yet brimming with the excitement of discoveries, singular to the story told. 

Olruggio is poised to be (another) fan favorite. 

This reverence for the magic of the world extends beyond the visuals, baked into the literal foundation of the story itself, and it’s made apparent in our first meeting with Olruggio. An old, close friend of Qifrey’s, he works as the Eye of the atelier, ensuring that nothing is remiss. As a Watchful Eye, his role is to ensure that the teachings comply with the law. It makes Coco’s appearance and his not knowing about it all the more pressing, as he believes they need to report her to the Knights Moralis (essentially, simply, witch cops.) 

But of course it’s not just that Olruggio is trying to uphold the expectations of witch society. He’s also, seemingly, frustrated that Qifrey has brought in another stray. It instantly makes him a more likable character, and his dynamic with Qifrey is already fun to take in, even if the show has yet to dive into their bond. But it is his use of magic and what he’s known for that truly links the entire story together. 

Qifrey tells Olruggio that if he were to turn Coco in, where she’d have her memories of magic completely wiped, he wouldn’t just be ensuring that Coco never saves her mother or rids them of their lead to the Brimmed Hats. He’d also be taking away her pure adoration of magic itself. Not to mention the added threat that Qifrey would, in turn, need to have his memory wiped too. 

Every step has led to this moment in “A Light on a Rainy Day.”

This all culminates in Coco accidentally wandering into Olruggio’s quarters and discovering that it was he who came up with the steps that light up when you press on them, something that traces back to when Coco first decided she wanted to be a witch. Her memories of those steps are clouded with joy and pain, yet her awe is palpable and clearly infectious. She might not have completely convinced Olruggio that it’s worth keeping her around, but it was a major step in the right direction. 

This interaction doesn’t just serve to flesh out Olruggio. Instead, it also helps remind us of the mechanisms of how magic works in this world. Things don’t just appear. There’s painstaking effort and trial and error that go into these bursts of vibrant life. And it all ties together.

Coco wanted to be a witch because of the steps that Olruggio created, and her ability to cast comes from her work as a seamstress’s daughter, better with steady, applied work. There’s a reason there’s such detail put into catching the ink smudges on hands and the way two rings click into place to form a sigil. Each act of magic is an act of human effort. And each act links one character to another. 

With subtle emotions and strong animation, Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6 finds balance. 

Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6 ends on a major cliffhanger as the atelier is sought out to help with a nearby disaster, a caravan having fallen into the river, where a man’s son is in danger. Agott, ready to prove herself, wants to help. It’s an ominous way to end, considering how much of “A Light on a Rainy Day” deals in optimism and forward momentum.

Agott spends the entirety of the episode cooped up or wandering on her own, tireless in trying to perfect a spell that will signal her ability to progress as a witch. And while these are only seen through brief interludes, they help better establish who she is and how her practice differs from Coco’s. 

Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6 is a refreshing breather following the thrills of the witches’ battle of wits against the dragon. However, despite the more thoughtful pacing and introspective narrative, the episode offers moments of both spectacular and understated beauty. While there’s clear tension in the air, especially as the episode ends, it reminds us that the best stories are the ones that don’t just thrive in explosive sequences but also dazzle in the smaller cinematic moments of excellence. Because we won’t just think about the dragon by the time the season ends, but the way the girls and Qifrey sought refuge and cozy camaraderie on a rainy day. 

Witch Hat Atelier Episode 6 is available now on Crunchyroll. 

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