For all those who are unhappy with what JK Rowling is doing but don't want to give up your wizard school books, I get it. Trust me, I do.
But she is directly and intentionally hurting a lot of people with that Harry Potter money. Trans people are a part of that, but they are not all of it.
You don't have to burn your old Griffendoor Crocs, or even stop wearing them. But understand that every cent that goes to her goes to causing real damage, and exposure and popularity contribute towards that.
I describe her actions as a "betrayal" for a reason.
So... I have a proposal. A different magic school. Keep that feeling of whimsey, keep the love of stories about friendship and the sense of wonder from a story where almost anything is possible. Keep the story, not the book.
Enter this post, as a kind of recommendations list. I have a few stories that I like for different reasons, and I hope that maybe you will enjoy them as well.
Dazzling (Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ) will break you, and I mean that with as much love and reverence as I can muster. Emelụmadụ's grasp on emotionality is unique and resonant in a way I'm not entirely sure how to articulate. Dazzling will break you.
It's also a story by a Nigerian author and set in Nigeria, which makes it a really contrast to the Eurocentric storytelling of mainstream literature. Essentially, it's a cool book and if you grew up reading the Harry Potter books, I guarantee you this will be something both recognisable and completely new.
The Gatekeeper Chronicles (Jasmine Walt and Debbie Cassidy) are pure vibes. I was surprised at how essential this series and especially the first book was for this post. As in, on paper (heh) it's not that similar to the Harry Potter books, but holy moly does it scratch that itch.
It's urban fantasy with some cool worldbuilding, but it's also paced very peculiarly, and I find that fascinating. To me, one of the draws of Harry Potter was how it felt to read.
Morality and skill are not one and the structure of the Harry Potter books is engineered to keep you reading. The Gatekeeper Chronicles understands that flow of interest and anticipation and movement in a way that I guarantee you will love.
The reason JK Rowling is a bad person is her bigotry, not her writing aptitude. Do not get that twisted. The way to outdo her as a writer isn't to go overboard into flowery language, it's a lot easier. Don't be racist, don't be homophobic, don't be transphobic, DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE ONLINE. It's not hard.
Little Witch Academia (Studio Trigger) is one of the most heartfelt stories out there.
I dont watch enough Anime to comment on how the story fits into its genre or style. I've seen two episodes of Frieren and that's it. I saw LWA for the first time because a friend noticed I was writing this post and made me watch it.
That being said, Little Witch Academia is gorgeous. The art is really nice, the tone is really a sweet, the acting is adorable
This was a story that felt, to me, whimsical and folkloric, in the same way that the first few Harry Potter books felt small scale and fairy tale.
The other stories on this list are emotional or powerful or resonant. I would reccomend LWA as a comfort watch.
Genuinely, find a mug of hot chocolate and a stuffed animal and maybe a few friends to watch this with, and I promise you that it will match the experience of watching the Harry Potter films.
I have to include The Owl House (Disney Television Animation) here. It's one of my favourite stories out there, to the point where I am almost finished a series dissecting each episode. It is also a Harry Potter parody and open about that, except for one thing.
The Owl House feels like the obvious choice, but I don't think it makes this list fairly. As far as Wizard School stories go, The Owl House doesn't really have a lot of it. The story is more about the wider world.
In any case, 13/13 would recommend.
Kids On Brooms (Jonathan Gilmour, Doug Lewandowski, and Spenser Starke) is the poster child for my final reccomendation, but I could easily have put almost any any TTRPG here. Tell your own story with friends.
Cantrip (Misha Panarin) is awesome and inspired by Little Witch Academia, and DnD5e and Pf2e both have magic school adventures that are really quite good. That's coming from someone who despises Pf2e's adventure paths, so you know it must be good.
Essentially, get some friends together for a one-shot or a campaign set in a wizard school and have fun.
Also, side note, Pf2e has potions that Trans your gender and that are really accessible for low level characters and even commoners and other NPCs. Trans people are built into the mechanics of the system and settings and I think that's cool.
.......
Now, these are stories that those around me love but I didn't get much out of. I think they are worth reccomending, but I don't have much to say beyond that. So, please accept these second hand reccomendations.
Wednesday (Ashford Studios). A lot of people love this and I know tumblr itself would murder me if I didn't include it.
Wicked (Gregory Maguire). The book not the musical. I love the musical, but my sister insisted I include the book here, so here we are.
My Hero Academia (Kōhei Horikoshi and Studio Bones). I know nothing about this series. I have not seen it. But I am told it is very good.
Summoner (Taran Matharu). The only reason this book series didn't make the main list is that I couldn't convince myself the school was that important to the story. Still worth a read tho.
The School For Good and Evil (Soman Chainani). This one comes highly reccomended from a plethora of people, even if I did bounce off it pretty quickly.
A Wizard Of Earthsea (Ursula K. Le Guin). Honestly, this was the obvious answer, and The Owl House already had that spot locked down. Really good book though. Yet another property that I discovered through the film and then read the book.
