An exploratory rant.
Currently, I don't think I like how inconsistent the anime seems with the characterization regarding the characters ages. This isn't like an un-usual thing for anime, I think it just stands out more to me here BECAUSE the rest of everything is so very polished (art, animation, world building... probably?).
The 10-13 year olds look their age but don't overall act it. They also don't immediately appear to be consistently treated as if they are children of that age (>!Mr. Adult Qifrey planning on leavin Coco and the other 3 alone in the atelier for days, after Coco has just had a huge destabilising event + he hasn't made sure that they all get along & won't be likely to develop any unhealthy dynamics; yk, the ones typical for kids who deal with a lotta burdens like all 4 of them seem to bear!<). They sprinkle little 'this is what a 12 year old would do' elements here n there, but forsake it expeditiously to move the narrative forward in a way that only a slightly older kid/teen/adult-aged person could/would do (i mean to say: in a way thats clearer to understand due to emotions being expressed more straight-forwardly & cleanly, in a way that allows for more controlled consequences etc.). The voice actors also underline this, since they don't particularly try to sound very childish (i DO NOT mean "loli-ish", 'high-pitched moe type way', by that), that is, they don't do much to take away their adult-like assuredness of "i know what i'm doing and saying 24/7" type vibe out of their performance. It's very typically ridgid in a way that is usually great for the adjacent genre; for comfy projecting purposes onto the ((unrealistic)) adventurer main character who's portrayal is backed by supporting characters of similar caliber. I think the lines they are given, alongside the vibe switch ups (for example: into very curated humor bits), don't ask/allow for a different performance either. (Neither would the director since they surely understand the material.) I'm saying that it doesn't do much to hide this inherent character inconsistency and my suspension of disbelief is not any less challenged. If the characters themselves weren't that young i feel my prior fantasy-anime conditioning would've sufficed more i guess? pffft
I dunno.... i guess they are 'anime children' and i expected less of it. Tho...I can tots understand the 'have cake and eat it too' way of writing (yk, add child-resemblences to lighten the vibes all around + make it have a 'hope' type baseline and adopt some of the states & stakes from the archetype for the drama, whichever is convenient, and then leave out what isn't to add characteristics from other archetypes, filling the gaps in the road to certain storybeats that allow the drama to persist, rinse n repeat), but i wish that it was less obvious for this universe/premise in specific. I feel it has much more independent potential than the writer has allowed it. Away from recognizable tropes n the likes.
I thought that one scene in the fabric shop had that quality to itself (the specific instant where >!Coco traced and cut the fabric steadily & Queefs reaction to it!<). I think it was my favourite scene. Especially when looking back, it's a great AND believable set-up that already felt like it would be relevant in the most pay-off way later on!!
Anywayz, enough complaints and such. Expressing all this has helped me think it thru and I now know how I can persist in watching it, since my god i really wouldn't wanna miss out on the animation and magical system stuff. I will simply adjust my expectations n see it for another thing i rlly do like (magical girl emotional torture indulgences).
Edit: I also forgot to say that i very much look forward to the world building, however consistent it'll be.