Bad news for anyone looking forward to watching the anime adaptation of Witch Hat Atelier: it’s leaving 2026 and coming sometime next year.
Animation studio Bug Films announced the delay on Twitter, explaining it needed more time to “deliver the charm of the work with even higher quality. All staff are working hard on the production, and we sincerely apologize for this disappointing news to everyone who has been looking forward to the broadcast.” Before now, Bug was pretty quiet about it since its reveal in 2024, further exacerbated by director Ayumu Watanabe also being busy with other projects.
Created by Kamome Shirahama in 2016 and still ongoing today, Witch Hat Atelier tells the story of Coco, a young girl who dreams of becoming a witch but lacks the innate skills to do so. After discovering her powers by accidentally turning her mother to stone, she becomes an apprentice to Qifrey, a local witch who wants to help Coco live out her dream and save her mom in the process. The manga has become very popular over the years and won several international awards, and considered perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away or Disney’s The Owl House.
When io9 talked to Shirahama in 2024 about the upcoming adaptation, she mentioned her excitement at being part of the current “Big Three” of fantasy anime—the other two being Delicious in Dungeon and Freiren—and how they’ll inspire new creatives to make their own fantasy series in the years to come. She also called herself the person most excited for this to come out, hence her sincere apologies to her audience for making them wait even longer for it.
When Witch Hat Atelier does come out in 2026, it’ll stream on Crunchyroll worldwide outside of Asia.