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The magic book given to Coco by a stranger in a shady alley is the ultimate Chekhov’s gun of Witch Hat Atelier. It is the single item that set the events of the entire story in motion.
Now, you could argue that if Coco hadn’t seen Qifrey perform magic, she never would have thought to trace the magic circles inside it. However, I feel the book was simply a landmine waiting to go off.
Naturally, this makes you wonder who exactly handed a book containing forbidden magic to Coco in the first place. I mean, even Qifrey had his suspicions! But more on that later.
We do finally get an answer to that question as the series progresses. So, consider this your official spoiler warning – read on at your own discretion!
Who gave the Magic Book to Coco?
Well, to answer in short, the magic book was given to Coco by a witch named Iguin. He is a member of a faction/group called the Brimmed Caps (or Brim Hats).
The Brimmed Caps are essentially a coven of rogue witches. They oppose the rules established on the Day of the Pact, which classify certain types of magic as forbidden, and are actively trying to overthrow them.
If you have any doubts about their motives – like wondering if they have the greater good in mind – fret not. Based on what we have seen in the story so far, we have absolutely no reason to like them. They are certainly a mysterious group, with many of their goals and methods still shrouded in secrecy. But make no mistake, they are the “big bad” of Witch Hat Atelier.
So, coming back to the main point, Iguin, a member of the Brimmed Caps, was the one who gave Coco the magic book. And from what we see later in the story, he may have done it on purpose.
In the chapters where Iguin teleports Coco and the other apprentices to the location with the dragon, he explicitly calls Coco their (the Brimmed Caps’) “one and only hope.”
Later, in Chapter 7 (after the events surrounding the dragon), Iguin once again notes that he had been waiting a long time for Coco, waiting for the seed he had planted to sprout.
Let’s try to understand why he said this!
Usually, when someone uses forbidden magic, or when outsiders learn the truth about magic, their memories are erased. However, Coco is an exception. She is one of the few people alive who has used forbidden magic but is still allowed to remain an apprentice with her memories intact.
But that isn’t all. While Coco is initially terrified of forbidden magic because of what happened to her mother, her views and convictions are eventually shaken. She realizes that forbidden magic, if kept within limits, can actually be used to help people.
For instance, healing someone with magic is considered forbidden, as it falls under the category of altering the human body. However, if used wisely, healing magic could help a lot of people.
So, at this point, Coco is someone who exists on both sides of the spectrum. In a way, she is Witch Hat Atelier’s equivalent of a One-Eyed Ghoul.
This explains why Iguin was so excited to see what kind of witch Coco would develop into. And all of this happened just because he gave her that picture book!
Why did Iguin give the book to Coco?
Now we move on to the second part of our question: Why Coco? Why not someone else?
Well, as we see in both the manga and the anime, Iguin had multiple books with him, which he was likely handing out to unsuspecting kids like Coco.
So, my first assumption, naturally, is that Coco was a completely random choice. She just happened to wander into that alley and fall victim to Iguin’s schemes.
Later, as fate would have it, Qifrey happened to be present when Coco drew the forbidden spell. This, in turn, led to her becoming a witch and the perfect piece for the Brimmed Caps to place on their chessboard.
In short, this was the one-in-a-million outcome the Brimmed Caps were hoping for, and it played out exactly that way.
Naturally, I assume there might have been other kids like Coco who somehow figured out the secret behind magic, recreated a forbidden spell, but ended up with a much worse outcome than she did. I would absolutely love for this to be explored, though I doubt it will happen!
The other possible reason Coco received the book is that she might be related to Iguin or the Brimmed Caps in some way. Given how obsessed they are with her, especially Iguin, it’s possible she was specifically chosen for this purpose.
It is mentioned early in the series that Coco’s father passed away. However, there is some speculation that he could either be a part of the Brimmed Caps, or that he is actually Iguin himself (meaning “the seed he planted” has sprouted, quite literally).
However, I am less inclined to believe this version of events. It would take away the charm of Coco being a nobody thrust into this magical world as a consequence of her mistake, and instead turning her into a chosen hero archetype. Honestly, that would just be a bit too clichéd.
Image Ⓒ Kamome Shirahama/KODANSHA/ Witch Hat Atelier Committee
