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In those high-falutin\u2019 video game preview events, there\u2019s a development term called a \u201cvertical slice.\u201d In it, prospective gamers witness self-contained chunks of a game, thus allowing them to see all of its major systems and mechanics in action. Witch Hat Atelier<\/em> had something damn near similar to that in its fifth episode\u2014an episode that cemented its status as the forerunner for anime of the year while beckoning the question: if you aren\u2019t watching this anime now, what are you even doing?<\/p>\n By now, we\u2019ve already waxed poetic about how animation studio Bug Films\u2019 adaptation of Kamome Shirahama\u2019s manga\u2014after an initially troubling delay\u2014proved itself up to the task, animating a magical premiere of the fantasy series.\u00a0It\u2019s a series that feels especially prescient about the dangers of cutting corners with drawing (cough cough, AI), while also serving as a highly recommended alternative to circling the wagon for HBO\u2019s upcoming Harry Potter<\/em> trough-helpings.<\/span><\/p>\n But even with all the heavy lifting of its premiere, explaining its magic system as something not cast but drawn\u00a0and setting the stage for a tale rich with empathy, the joys of learning a new skill, and yet-to-be-seen menace, up until now, the show had yet to serve an episode that exemplified all of those killer qualities all at once.<\/p>\n