If you’ve heard about any anime this year, chances are it’s Bug Animation’s whimsical magic show, Witch Hat Atelier. The gorgeous animated scenes and charming characters have already won over viewers’ hearts. Much is due in part to the incredible cast of English voice actors, who help transport us further into the magical world. Temple of Geek had a chance to speak to two of the show’s lead actors, Joshua A. Waters (Qifrey) and Madeleine Morris (Agott), to talk about the series, its production, and how they came up with their voices.

Cast of ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ Blown Away by Stunning Anime Adaptation: “I Cried in My Car”

For Joshua Waters, stepping into the recording booth as Qifrey was the culmination of years of fandom. As a massive fan of the manga, Waters admitted that his initial recording sessions were a series of excited interruptions. While he praised the entire production for its incredibly faithful adaptation, the conclusion of the very first episodecompletely overwhelmed him. Recording episodes one and two back-to-back, Waters recalled being left entirely jaw-dropped by the ending of episode one. The emotional weight of seeing the story come to life so beautifully hit him hard after the session: “I got out of that session, and I cried in my car.”

Madeleine Morris echoed this praise, focusing heavily on the anime’s masterclass in nonverbal storytelling. To illustrate the scale of the adaptation, Morris pointed to episode five, revealing that the production team took a sequence that lasted a mere two panels in the manga and expanded it into a sweeping, powerful animated sequence.

What were your thoughts when you saw the animation for Witch Hat Atelier for the first time?

Joshua Waters (Qifrey): I’ve been a longtime fan of the manga for years and years now. So when I got into the studio to start recording, it was like every five seconds I’d be pausing during the recording and being like, it’s the part, it’s this part. They’re all done so faithfully and so amazingly. But specifically, a scene that had my mouth just fully jaw-dropped on the floor was the ending of episode one when we started recording.

We recorded episode one and two in a batch next to each other. That was the first thing that we had seen, the first session that I was a part of. So I was so excited going in and then seeing how incredibly it’s been done. And so far, not only has it been just beautifully animated, but Bug has been adding in things that aren’t even in the manga. Just advancing and making more of the story even more prevalent in very important ways. Scenes with Coco and her mother, beautifully done. But yes, the end of episode one, definitely jaw-droppingly beautiful. I got out of that session and I cried in my car.

Madeleine Morris (Agott): The nonverbal storytelling in this anime is uniquely powerful. Famously in episode five, there is a sequence that in the manga is equivalent to two panels. And I think it’s very evident from the music to the animation to the vocal performances in Japanese and all of our dub languages. Every single person who has placed their hands on this project is a gigantic fan of it. I think that is tangible and that it’s woven into the fabric of this anime. It’s everyone understanding this is special, and we’re going to make it specialer by being part of it.

How the Voices of Witch Hat Atelier Found Their Accents

Stepping into the enchanting world of a beloved manga adaptation comes with no shortage of pressure, especially when it requires mastering a brand-new dialect. Joshua and Madaline opened up about the unique, and often unexpected, ways they prepared to bring the lead characters of Witch Hat Atelier to life. From drawing on a lifelong love of British comedy and theater to leveraging real-world experience in pediatric nursing and a literal “cheat code” at home, both actors channeled their personal histories to craft the distinct voices of the series.

When crafting the characters, what were the ways you prepared for the role?

Madeleine: I was gonna say, I made a joke to myself because in our audition call and like I didn’t know anything about the manga. I hadn’t read the manga. I knew very, very little about Witch Hat at all. Oftentimes, if an audition asks you like, oh, we’re interested in hearing some takes with a dialect. I’ll jump on that because normally nobody wants to hear that. Often if they do also say, please also give us a take in your standard American natural dialect.

So I jumped all over that chance. I grew up watching British TV and British movies and comedies. I have a theater background where I’ve done English comedy and some farce and worked with dialect coaches and so I jumped at the chance and now feel an intense pressure to keep it up. Maybe there’s always been just a sassy little English girl inside me. Maybe, maybe I’ve always had a little Hermione Granger in my heart (laughs).

Joshua: For me, it’s a bit of a mix of two very important things. I, before I did voice acting, was a nurse, actually. During nursing, I had a lot of opportunities to work in pediatrics. I worked on the ventilation floor at a place called Cincinnati Children’s in Ohio. When I worked there, I worked with a lot of kids. So being able to work alongside children, realizing like, oh, you’ve, knowing how to speak to kids, get on their level, make them feel seen.

Alongside my partner, who is from the UK. So I got the cheat code back at home, all of my fun accent stuff (laughs). I’ve been with him for going on nine years now. So, being able to sort of pick up that accent and have it not just be something that I’ve practiced, which I have way too much of, not only in this but in previous roles where I’ve done accents in the past. But just having sort of exposure therapy to the accent, not just in media that I’ve listened to, but in the people that accompany that, I keep my partner just in general, we talk a lot. Cause I like him or something. So it’s been very helpful in both aspects.

Madeleine Morris on Agott’s Breakthrough Moments

For a character who usually keeps her guard up, the moments when the facade cracks are often the most rewarding for an actor. When asked about her favorite scenes in the series so far, Madeleine pointed to the emotional highs and lows that define her character’s journey.

Do you have a favorite scene/line (either one you did or not) that you really enjoyed?

Madeleine: I love all of episode five and that’s probably basic of me, but it’s a good app, start to finish. I love to yell, so I love that I got to crash out. She’s so subdued otherwise, usually, but in this most recent episode that came out on Monday, I got the very soft and very vulnerable “I don’t understand you,”. It breaks my little heart. She’s trying so hard. She found one thing that she can’t study: it’s the workings of the human heart. It’s friendship. Friendship is magic (laughs).

The Cast Teases the Future of “Witch Hat Atelier”

As Witch Hat Atelier continues to captivate audiences, fans are eager to know where the journey will take Coco, Agott, and the rest of the magical cohort next. When pressed for hints about what to expect from the remainder of the season, voice actors Joshua and Madeleine offered two different perspectives on the road ahead. While Madeline is choosing to stay in the dark, eagerly awaiting script drops to experience the twists and turns right alongside the audience, Waters is bringing his perspective as a long-time fan of the original manga. From deeper dives into forbidden magic to major character growth, the duo teases a future filled with both wonder and secrecy

What can fans expect from the rest of Witch Hat Atelier?

Joshua: I don’t want to spoil anything at all, but, as longtime fan of this series, you can expect more exploring of the magic system, more secrecy and magic in the background that we may or may not be able to use or not some forbidden things, alongside Coco’s continued journey alongside all of the other girls journey to improve as not only witches, but as people, as people, we’re going to be focusing in on some of the other characters in more stuff very soon. I’m very excited.

Madeleine: I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know what’s happened. I have read very little ahead, so I have no idea. I’m excited. I’m going to find out with everybody else.

Fans can catch up on your Witch Hat Atelier and your favorite anime series on Crunchyroll.