In the world of Atelier of Witch Hat, magic has very strict rules. If you were part of that universe and found yourself in a situation like Coco's, do you think you would have risked breaking the rules to do magic?

It is true that there are absolute rules in the world of Atelier, and although it is difficult to use magic within their limits, I also believe that these rules are not entirely appropriate. That is, there are cases where it should be possible to use magic. For example, if I could use magic to pluck my eyebrows and things like that, I could break the rules (laughs). I would also like to use it to warm up my shoulders and get rid of contractures. Relieving that kind of pain would be very good for me.

Let's say you were suddenly able to use magic, which spell would you use first?

If I could use magic, the first thing I would want to do is use the access windows to get from one place to another instantly. Then I could come and have a good time in Spain in no time (laughs). Ah... Today was a very tiring day... Then I'll go eat in Spain! And I would open the door and come in (laughs).

Like the magic door in Doraemon!

Yes, Doraemon is a big inspiration for me!

What would you say are your main references in the magic field?

The truth is that I make a conscious effort to read many types of works. I read both manga and novels, I also watch a lot of series, a lot of movies, and they all serve as inspiration for me.

For example, I've been watching Game of Thrones lately, and I also make it a point to watch a lot of children's shows to see what kind of messages are being given to kids and to see how I can articulate my own message.

Now that you mention message, the play brings up the dichotomy of who can use magic and who can't, and the uses to which magic is put. What message would you like to send to the readers of Atelier of Witch Hat?

It's quite difficult to summarize it in a simple way, and that's why I gave it the form of such a long story, because it's complicated to synthesize. But maybe if you look inside the work, and this is one of the most repeated phrases, is that magic exists to make people happy. Maybe that would be one of the most important points for me.

If we reflect a little bit on today's society, we see that the same thing happens with the use of technology. It can be used for good and not so good things, and sometimes it is even used to oppress or harm people. Within that range of possibilities, I believe that in both technology and magic, we always have a choice. And I would like to see the balance shift more and more toward using these kinds of tools to make people happy.

For example, I think we'd be much better off if, instead of making weapons to hurt each other, we made more manga and anime that made us happy.

Qifrey and Orugio, the Atelier girls' teachers, have very different personalities. If you had to choose a mentor for yourself, which one would you choose?

I couldn't really choose because I designed them to be very balanced in their respective personalities. And in fact, I think it is better to have several teachers, to learn from all of them, from their peculiarities. It's something that becomes more useful over time.

The students are also very different. If you were part of the studio, who would you choose as your partner?

Maybe with Tetia I would get along very well because she likes fun things as much as I do, so we would have good chemistry. On the other hand, in the case of Agete, maybe she would get angry because she would say I'm too loud (laughs).

But in terms of everyday life, I would say that my lifestyle is more like Orugio's because I like to drink, eat, sleep late and then stay up late working (laughs).

You could say that you have put parts of your personality into each of the characters.

Yes, without a doubt!

The Atelier of Witch Hat anime will be released in 2025, what can you tell us about it?

I've been lucky enough to be able to oversee several aspects of this anime first hand. I hope the fans enjoy it.