In the beginning of Episode 3 of Witch Hat Atelier, Qifrey arrives at the Great Hall and meets Alaira, another witch. She asks him about his new apprentice and offers to show him the way to the Brimmed Caps, the secret group he has been following. Qifrey isn’t sure if he should call Coco his apprentice yet because she still has to pass the Dadah Range test, which is very dangerous at this time of year.
Coco starts getting ready for the challenge because she wants to show everyone what she can do. Agott says that she can only use three things to get to the top and get a certain herb. Coco picks a Guiding Orb, a Vapor Bubble, and a pair of flying shoes that Agott lent her.
Coco steps through the portal and into a thick forest. She quickly learns how to use the Guiding Orb and eventually makes her way out. When she does, she finds out that the Dadah Range is made up of floating land masses shaped like orbs that she must climb to get to the top.
Coco has the flying shoes, but at first she has trouble controlling them. She practices for a while and slowly learns how to climb higher. When she feels sure of herself, she tries to land on one of the floating orbs, but it spins and throws her off. She barely makes it back to the ground. Her second try goes just as badly, and she has to grab onto a vine to keep from falling.
A Brushbuddy, a small, white, worm-like creature, scares her, making her lose her balance and fall into muddy water below.
Alaira suggests that Qifrey move to the Great Hall for good, pointing out that there are a lot of witches who live there. Qifrey says no, which suggests that he really doesn’t like the place. Alaira seems to find this funny.
Tetia is worried about Coco’s safety at the atelier, but Agott doesn’t care. She says that anyone who can’t pass the test doesn’t deserve to be an apprentice, especially people from outside the company like Coco. Agott is sure that Coco will fail because she is sure of her own skills.
Sadly, things get worse for Coco. Her tools don’t work anymore after getting wet, and she is floating down a river on a small boat, feeling very unsure of herself. She thinks she’s not as good as the others because she didn’t grow up with magic.
Coco remembers her mother teaching her how to sew just as she is about to give up. She worked hard and was patient, and eventually got good enough that even Qifrey praised her. Coco decides to use her own creativity after being inspired.
She makes tools that look like the ones in her sewing kit out of rocks and scraps of cloth. She makes a sail for her boat and draws a flying spell that works differently than the original one. Instead of going forward, it goes up. When she turns it on, the boat breaks apart, but the sail turns into a glider, giving her new control over her flight through the sky.
Coco won’t give up, even though getting the herb is hard. With her memories and determination as her guide, she makes one last effort and successfully gets the herb, finishing the trial.
Qifrey is nervously waiting for her to come back to the atelier. He is immediately relieved when he opens the portal and sees Coco win. She has officially passed the test and is now his student.
The atelier throws a party for her success, but Agott is angry and doesn’t believe it, so she goes back to her room alone. Qifrey tells Coco again that she never had to prove her worth to him. He gives her a witch’s outfit and pointed hat, which makes her very happy.
But the episode ends on a bad note. The mysterious witch who gave Coco the forbidden book shows up at the Dadah Range, watching from a distance and saying that the seed has started to grow.
The Review of the Episode
This episode continues to show off everything that makes Witch Hat Atelier so interesting. The visuals are still amazing, and the story has a lot of emotional weight that stays with you throughout Coco’s journey.
It may seem like the test’s result is obvious, but the way it was done is what really stands out. Coco’s problems seem real, and the people around her who support her and doubt her add depth to the story. She doesn’t have a lot of natural talent, but she keeps going because of her creativity, resilience, and the lessons she learned from her mother.
The emotional center of the episode is when she remembers her mother. They show that Coco’s past, instead of holding her back, makes her stronger. It’s smart and symbolic that she can turn her sewing knowledge into magic, which supports the idea that being different isn’t a bad thing.
Coco makes a big step forward by accepting who she is as an outsider. She shows that she belongs by using what makes her different, not by fitting in. The episode does a great job of balancing heart, tension, and beauty to get across a simple but powerful message.