Something I am currently thinking about a lot is the way different cultures engage in the conversation and deconstruction around Harry Potter.
Because... "Magic school slop" definitely is in general a genre that was not invented by Rowling, but HP made it very popular. I mean, I remember the early 2000s and how they tried to push so much magic school slop down our throat. Both in the English language market and the European market as well. Like, we had at least two bigger German magic school book series. It was a thing.
But now that at least some people are more aware of how HP was kinda shitty and fascist all along, I do still see how a lot of western magic school books do variations that do not really deconstruct the actual main issue of the magic school.
Like, the issue of HP is not inherently that it is a British boarding school with very little in terms of child safety guidelines. The issue of HP is how the worldbuilding is inherently built around the idea of blood purity, British supremacy, ableism, racism, misogyny and more. Yes, obviously the boarding school does kinda play into it as it is very intrinsically linked into British aristocracy. And there is definitely a point to be made about how HP as a franchise revels in the harm come to some of the children. But all the "it is like HP BUT PEOPLE DIE" is not really a deconstruction of any of that. And it feels to me that a lot of the English language magic school series that I am aware of that were written by people being rightfully critical of Rowling lack teeth on that end. And... I mean, I am honest. It is likely linked to how publishing and wider entertainment is run.
I just think about it a lot right now because... like, there is a ton of magic school slop from Japan as well. A lot. Like, "magic school but it is a harem and isekai slop" is a genre we have a lot of.
But at the same time, the main franchises I can think of that do engage with this "magic school" idea in the most critical extent - and at least in two cases very pointedly aimed at HP - are all from manga series. Well, okay, in one case it is actually an original anime. But still.
And it is also still insane to me that the series that points at HP and the fascism inherent in the worldbuilding the most clearly is the bloody gag shonen manga. (Mashle, for those wondering.) Like, that series really just sits there like: "Did you ever notice how HP is kinda fascist?"
Like, I get that this is likely another case of how the Japanese publishing system is working very differently from the western publishing system. Mostly in how in Japan you get even more exploitation from your art, but in turn you have more chances to throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. But it is fascinating none the less.
(The other series, for those wondering, by the way: Ancient Magus Bride, Little Witch Academia, I Want To Love You Till The Day You Die, and obviously Witch Hat Atelier.)
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