Unknown Newcomer Nakamura Hak to Provide Three ED Themes for "Witch Hat Atelier" in a Single Cour; Special Illustration of Coco by Kamome Shirahama Revealed

Singer-songwriter Nakamura Hak is making waves. Despite being an unknown newcomer, their debut single "Tada Utsukushii Noroi" (Just a Beautiful Curse) was selected as the ending theme for the TV anime Witch Hat Atelier.

In the third and fifth episodes of the anime, the track "Yoru ni Ukabu" (Floating in the Night)—which began digital distribution today, the 6th—was aired as the series' second ending theme.

Furthermore, it has been announced that the unreleased track "Hikari" (Light) has been set as the third ending theme. This creates the extraordinary situation of three different songs by the same artist being used within a single cour.

To coincide with this announcement, an illustration drawn by Kamome Shirahama, the author of the original manga, was released. Shirahama created the piece after listening to all three ending themes. The monochrome artwork features three depictions of the protagonist, Coco, each embodying a different impression based on the worldviews of the three songs.

In the center stands Coco, staring sharply ahead while dropping something pitch-black in a pure white space, as if realistically portraying the atmosphere of "Tada Utsukushii Noroi." The left side depicts a transparent Coco (or perhaps an illusion of her) soaring through the sky, inspired by "Yoru ni Ukabu." On the right, Coco is shown meta-representationally, struggling to depict hope (light) on the brink of despair.

This illustration will also serve as the cover art for the 1st CD single, "Tada Utsukushii Noroi," scheduled for release on June 10.

The CD single will contain a total of six tracks, featuring the three primary songs along with their respective anime versions.

All of Nakamura Hak’s recordings are captured in a single take consisting only of vocals and one acoustic guitar, with absolutely no pitch correction, processing, or editing. Consequently, the 89-second anime versions are not merely clips cut from the full-length tracks; they are completely separate performances recorded specifically for the TV size, making this single a truly compelling listen.

Source : ORICON NEWS