Those who watched Witch Hat Atelier earlier this year and hadn’t already read the manga probably clocked some similarities with Disney’s The Owl House. With similar magic systems and the starting point of an ordinary girl introduced to the world of magic, fans on both sides have eagerly paired both series together, further supported by creators Kamome Shirahama and Dana Terrace praising each other’s work. Earlier in July, the two met in real life at a Kodansha House Q&A. There, they talked through their respective creative processes and what inspired their fan-favorite works. Shirahama pointed to fellow mangaka Moto Hagio (The Poe Clan) and Akira creator Katsuhiro Ōtomo, plus western artists Alphonse Mucha and Arthur Rackham as inspiration for her artwork. Notably, she draws her manga on pen and paper, allowing for a distinct inking style that comes through on the page and is core to Witch Hat’s magic system. Thematically, Shirahama looked to Studio Ghibli movies, in particular Princess Mononoke. It’s a film both she and Terrace love, and many have found to be about possibilities, an idea which also runs through Witch Hat Atelier. The idea of humans gaining independence and finding themselves gave Shirahama “a lot of hope” and helped her characterize the manga’s main characters: when it comes to problem solving, Coco is “bound by a sense of responsibility,” whereas Agott “rushes to a point where she can feel confident.”