Voice Actor Interview – Witch Hat Atelier: Anjali Kunapaneni, Joshua A. Waters, Madeleine Morris – Coco, Qifrey and Agott
I had the amazing honour of sitting in an interview with the English dub voice actors of the main characters in the Spring 2026 mega-hit, Witch Hat Atelier!
Witch Hat Atelier is a series that has been highly praised for author Shirahama Kamome’s artistic talent, the series’ incredible writing and the exceptional logic behind its magic system. BUG FILMS’ (Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead) adaptation of the series has taken years to finally hit our screens since its initial announcement in 2024, and I must just tell you now: this is going to be anime of the year.
So you can imagine my excitement to reveal the amazing conversation I had with the three main cast members of the English dub of Witch Hat Atelier:
Anjali Kunapaneni, voice of series protagonist Coco
Joshua A. Waters, who plays the ultimate husbando of Spring 2026, Qifrey
Madeleine Morris, who plays the proud, antagonistic, but deeply insecure Agott!
We spoke about the series’ impact on their voice acting, their experiences working on Witch Hat Atelier and a few more aspects; however, I did only get 10 minutes to talk to the three of them, and by the end there, I was pretty sure no one really wanted to leave!
This was actually one of three interviews I conducted as part of a massive, multi-title press junket hosted by Crunchyroll! I’m very proud of what I did in these interviews, and I was heavily complimented by the Witch Hat Atelier cast for the questions I asked them – in fact, they enjoyed them so much that Madeleine (Agott) asked me to email her afterwards. You don’t know how much of a confidence booster Madeleine was
Naledi: Hi everybody, I’m Naledi. I am a freelance writer. I’m really glad to be able to sit with you today. So. Thank you.
Madeleine: Hi Naledi! We’re excited to have you! How are you?
[Madeleine’s energy really calmed the nerves, it was so clear that she was really happy to be there!]
Naledi: Alright. Thank you. How are you?
Madeleine: I’m great. And so is my cat.
Naledi: Is that a cat? Oh, yay! Please pet the cat for me!
So I want to start with a question for everybody. From what I’ve gathered, you do a lot of your voice acting in home studios, and the magic system in Witch Hat Atelier is set up in a way where it’s fundamental that magic is done away from people’s eyes.
So do you also record the series at home, and how does that experience color performances, given the fact that a lot of the magic of the series happens at home?
Anjali: We do not record at home; HOWEVER...
Joshua: A lot of what we record for this show is in studio, COMMA, but...
Madeleine: But you’re still right!
Anjali: We’re in a little room where no one looks at us. There’s a mess.
Madeleine: And we don’t. Yeah, we don’t get to work together like we’re all in our singular sessions.
Joshua: It’s a very interesting situation where we had talked about this a little bit, but, you record and you work alongside – You, the director and the engineer are shut away in this booth, it’s just you three in there, and you’re working. You might hear some of the other people who came in to record before you, but it’s just you three in that room, and you throw your voice out into the void, and then you leave.
And then for that week, it’s just like, well, that’s done. So the idea of the magic being created outside of people’s purview, I think, is exactly equated to this, where we create it and then we we toss it out into the world, and we don’t get to immediately see sort of the response to it. We we come back to it once the episodes come out and see people’s response to it.
But in-universe, art being magic and this being our art that we create is such a one for one.
Anjali: So in a way, the process is incredibly hidden. The product is everywhere. So 100%. And I mean, these two are in Texas. I’m, recording from L.A., so I don’t even see our director. Our incredible director, Emily [Farjardo] is just in my ears and is a disembodied voice! And so, yeah, it’s it’s such a strange thing that we do sitting in a box and talking at a mic.
Joshua: Yep.
Anjali: But yeah. I love that question, though. It really is such an apt analogy.
Madeleine: Yes, you are. You are dead on.
Joshua: Fantastic.
Madeleine: Yeah, they nailed it. I have nothing to add.
[This might have been the only time that I encountered voice actors who worked together but had barely met. If all you had to go on was this interview, you’d never guess that they haven’t had many opportunities to meet!]
Naledi: Thank you so much. It’s really interesting, like the different kinds of setups. I didn’t realize that this was a series that you recorded in a booth, and then you go home. So there’s very little contact between voice actors…
How does that affect the relationship you have as colleagues and how does that, y’know, impact on the performances?
Anjali/Joshua: It’s–
Joshua: Oh, go ahead.
Anjali: I was just going to say it’s really interesting. Because, in this case, this is the first time I’ve spoken to Maddie for real, with words!
Madeleine: Yes, yes! We have never spoken 1 to 1 with our faces and voices. I met Josh for the first time in person this weekend!
Anjali: We’ve known each other for years now, but we haven’t met in person until literally, like a few days ago.
So it’s really interesting because like, we. But there are, you know, there are members of this cast who I have not spoken to in any way whatsoever. So I’ve only heard their performances. And so in a certain way, in my head, they are currently – they are those characters.
Joshua: Yep.
Anjali (continues): You know them as a character, who is like a separate entity from them, as the actor, who I might not be familiar with whatsoever – which is such a weird, weird dynamic.
It does help, certainly, to go in and see my little baby girl and know how self-critical she is. And knowing what that feels like and knowing how gutting that can be. We are our own worst critics.
– Madeleine Morris
Madeleine: But albeit, part of the same, part of the same, family tree of being in Witch Hat [Atelier]. We’re a family. It’s a very specific and weird sort of family!
Joshua: It’s also a very interesting situation where, if people do go in and record before you, as this relates to how it affects our performances, you can hear people sometimes if they have recorded some time before you’ve gone in, when you go in for your takes so you can react to their act. So it’s a lot of knowing how they’ve read things in the past.
If they haven’t gone in or you’re setting the basis for them to react to later with their takes. It’s acting is all about reacting. And sometimes you’re the set up, sometimes you’re the second.
Anjali: Which is why the funniest part in dubs is when you are reacting to nothing.
Madeleine (singing melodically): To nooooothiiiiiing!
Anjali (continuing): It’s a lot. We gotta have big imaginations!
Naledi: We have five minutes left, so I’m going to try and just [chopping gestures to indicate speed}
Madeleine: Rapid fire. Let’s go!
The process is incredibly hidden. The product is everywhere. These two are in Texas. I’m, recording from L.A., so I don’t even see our director. Our incredible director, Emily [Farjardo] is just in my ears and is a disembodied voice! It’s such a strange thing that we do sitting in a box and talking at a mic.
Naledi: Rapid fire! So I’m going to start with Madeline, because I have this really cool question. So in Sigils and Spells, episode seven, you mentioned feeling nervous about being judged about your role in voice acting performance as Agott.
How has the sense of anxiety about your craft, which I might add, you’ve been doing for a long time? Has that brought you any closer to the character, given the critical inner voices that she has about her own magic?
Madeleine: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely, yes. Oh my goodness. I, I said so if if I don’t know if y’all. But, the Sigils and Spells episode that I did, but, I mentioned that when I found out that this dub was going to be in Emily Emily Fajardo’s hands... I immediately, like, let go and let God like, “Great! I cannot imagine this project in better hands.”
And I turned my audition in, like, “No matter what choice Emily makes, it will be the right choice.” And I fully believe that. I’ve always believed that about working with her. And so now, the challenge is that I have to believe that I was the right choice.
So I’m thinking... Yeah… That’s a me problem – that’s a Maddie problem! It does help, certainly, to go in and see my little baby girl and know how self-critical she is. And knowing what that feels like and knowing how gutting that can be. We are our own worst critics.
And they may have they may be speaking through different voices in her head, but it’s still in her head.
That’s a really good question. I need to dwell on that for a while.
Naledi: I just have to say, your performance as Agott is... it’s brilliant.
Madeleine: Thank you so much!
Naledi: Anjali, there was a story you told in an interview, about Pokémon – not about the show, but about the erasure of your cousin’s data on the Game Boy.
My question is, given how devastating that must have been for the both of you an is that experience something you might draw upon when thinking about the terror of memory erasure, in Witch Hat Atelier?
Anjali: These questions are incredible. You know (laughs)
Joshua: I’m scared for my question!
Anjali: That didn’t occur to me until this very moment, but I think you might be right! I think some some part of me deep down inside must be channeling that pain and trauma. Just thinking about this – the possibility of losing my memories about magic and something that I love. Like, I love that Pokémon game. I really do!
I do think you you you you’re right on the money there. I completely agree!
Naledi: I feel your pain!
So Joshua, when Qifrey shifts between, being a warm, caring teacher and something a bit more guarded and secretive, how do you decide what kind of emotion to reveal through tone? Like, how do you how do you make him scary, because he gets terrifying!
Joshua: The fear comes from the dichotomy.
I think it doesn’t just come from him being loud, it’s menace. It’s not terror. It’s the act of him being so warm and cuddly at one moment, and being able to flip on a dime, say, at the end of episode five where he’s calm and just having a conversation, and then in literally a second, it’s music cut out, ringing in the ears and a flat affect. It doesn’t need to be projected.
It doesn’t need to be huge.
It doesn’t need to be loud.
It just needs to be present.
And I think presents and the act of like, “I’m confident enough to not have to raise my voice to make you afraid about this.” I think that’s where it comes from. That’s where the fear comes from. That, plus him being able to do it on a dime.
Naledi: Thank you. Thank you all so much for this.
Anjali: Thank you!
Joshua: Thank you! Amazing questions.
Madeleine: Killer questions, oh, my gosh!
Naledi: I had so many more!
Joshua: I’m sure!
Naledi: Thank you so much. Please enjoy the rest of your day.
Madeleine: I love your good questions. Email me!
Naledi: Please, please, please, please!
Madeleine: I’m like. I’m so for real!
[WAIT. WHAAAAT?!]
About the voice actors:
Anjali Kunapaneni as Coco
About Anjali Kunapaneni (they/them): Anjali is a voice actor known for their work as Coco (Witch Hat Atelier), Roy (Pokémon), Yuki Tsukumo (JUJUTSU KAISEN), Shi Qingxuan (Heaven Official’s Blessing), Ayaka (Fate/strange Fake), Lemon (Mashle), Dori (Genshin Impact), Sushang (Honkai Star Rail), Alma (Monster Hunter Wilds), Feri (Trails), Lalah Sune (Gundam), Sakura (Nikke), Shinigami (Master Detective Archives: Rain Code), Kiruko (Heavenly Delusion), Yuri (Gnosia), Miori Mito (Rascal Does Not Dream), Immi & Mimi (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Quadra/Pri Forsythe (Beyblade), Jessica Alkirk (Lunar), Sachertorte Cookie (Cookie Run), plus Trainers Danika & Courtney and Pokemon Dipplin, Tarountula, & Pincurchin (Pokémon), and more!
Follow and tag Anjali on social media: @hereliesanjali on X
Joshua A. Waters as Qifrey
About Joshua A. Waters (They/He): Joshua Waters is a voice actor, Pikmin super-fan, and living Paper Mario encyclopedia based in Texas that voices characters such as Qifrey in the recent magical hit Witch Hat Atelier, Miyano from Sasaki and Miyano, Shuto Sendou from Blue Lock, and Inu-Oh from INU-OH, and even indie works like Eddie Dear in Welcome Home, Steve Cobs in Inanimate Insanity, Onyn Ring from Chikn Nuggit, and Stone from Ramshackle alongside many more! Joshua also voices characters spanning from video games, such as Phainon in Honkai Star Rail, Gilbert in Unicorn Overlord, and Edward in Fire Emblem Heroes. Joshua is passionate about their craft, streaming, making song covers, and working their best to make cool things people enjoy.
Follow Joshua on social media: @thejoshuawatersva on Instagram,;
@TunnelVA on X/Twitter; and
@ToodlesClown on YouTube, Twitch
Madeleine Morris as Agott
Madeleine Morris is a Texas-grown voice actor, stage actor, and localization specialist, as well as a lifelong anime fan. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in performance in 2013 and established her decade-long career as an artist in the anime industry shortly thereafter. Outside of Witch Hat Atelier’s Agott, she is best known for her roles in Mushoku Tensei (Rudeus), One Piece (Vegapunk Lilith), How heavy are the dumbbells you lift? (Hibiki), and TRIGUN STAMPEDE (Zazie the Beast). Other favorites include Zenshu, Fire Force, Kemono Jihen, and Kaguya-sama: Love is War. Some of her favorite projects as an adaptive writer/localizer include Mushoku Tensei, Beastars Season 2, Heavenly Delusion/Tengoku Daimakyo, Hokkaido Gals are Adorable, Murai in Love, and Wandance.
Follow Madeleine: @missmaddiemorris on Instagram;
@MaddieMorrisVA on X/Twitter, and
@Madeleine Morris on Facebook
Witch Hat Atelier is available to stream on Crunchyroll. New episodes are released on Mondays.
The series is described by Crunchyroll as follows:
In a world where only witches can cast magic, they must avoid being seen by ordinary people while casting. While Coco does her chores, she daydreams of becoming a witch. When a young witch named Qifrey visits her village, Coco uncovers the “absolute secret,” becomes Qifrey’s apprentice, and begins her studies. This is the story of children who encounter despair, yet reach out toward hope.
Such a great interview!
This was truly such an exceptional interview what!!🔥🔥🔥