There are few book series as beloved as the Harry Potter saga. More than twenty years since the first book in the series was published, the British boy wizard is still enchanting newer generations through the eponymous film series, the various theme park attractions at Universal Studios, and, of course, the seven books themselves.
Despite the high demand for a TV series, Harry Potter has yet to make the jump from the silver to the small screen. Many have asked for an animated series, or better yet, a multiple-season anime in the vein of famous shonen like My Hero Academia and Naruto. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort seems to be in the works.
10 Seven Books, Seven Seasons
Given that Harry's exploits have already been neatly separated into seven books, one for each year Harry spends at Hogwarts, translating them into seven anime seasons should be relatively smooth.
The first season could start with Harry discovering he's a wizard, as depicted in The Sorcerer's Stone, and the last season could end with the seventeen-year-old hero of the magic world as he appears in The Deathly Hallows. Seeing his growth over several seasons would finally do the books justice and would give fans a longer journey with the characters.
9 The Potential For Slice-Of-Life Episodes Is Endless
As with any book-to-movie adaptation, the Harry Potter films are largely plot-driven, with little to no scenes dedicated to the characters' daily lives, and prioritizing the main arc of each movie. As a result, many of the small, fun scenes from the books where Harry and company are just being regular kids had to be modified or cut completely.
On the other hand, anime series are known for having entire episodes dedicated to their characters just enjoying themselves, away from the perils of the plot. Having episodes where Harry, Ron, and Hermione just hang out in Hogsmeade or have a standalone adventure unrelated to Voldemort would make a nice change of pace from all the madness of Harry's life.
8 More Spells To Love & More Monsters To Fear
It's much easier to depict fantastical elements in the medium of animation. Accordingly, a Harry Potter anime would have no problem introducing a larger variety of spells and magical beasts than the films.
While the movies did introduce most of the relevant jinxes and magical critters, there are still quite a few that never made it out of the books. Spells like Colovaria, a handy little charm used to change an object's color, or creatures like Hogwarts' Giant Squid, a prominent resident of the lake in the castle's grounds, have never made a live-action appearance.
7 The Inter-House Quidditch Cup Would Make For A Perfect Tournament Arc
Naruto has the Chunin exams, My Hero Academia has the sports festival, and Harry Potter has the Inter-House Quidditch Cup. While not treated as a proper arc in the books, the Harry Potter anime could easily adapt the Quidditch matches, infuse them with the classic shonen competitiveness, and turn the Inter-House Quidditch Cup into an iconic tournament arc.
The anime could also introduce the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff teams, both of which have never made a significant live-action appearance despite being mentioned several times in the original texts. Fans could finally get to see Gryffindor play someone other than Slytherin for once.
6 Harry, Hermione, & Ron Are Already A Classic Anime Trio
Good things come in threes, and the Harry Potter saga already has its own powerful Golden Trio in Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Representing the soul, heart, and mind respectively, the three Gryffindors are already a perfect leading trio for an anime adaptation as their friendship and loyalty towards each other are what drives the story in the first place.
Just like many classic anime trios like Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke or Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, the Golden Trio have been best friends since childhood and have grown up battling the forces of evil together, fortifying their bond and making them an incredible team. They were only eleven when they defeated a twelve-foot-tall troll.
5 Long-form Content Means More Character Development
One of the advantages of anime is the long-form storytelling. Rather than a two-hour movie summarizing the most important plot points of a seven-hundred-page book like Order of the Phoenix, an entire anime season of about twenty-five episodes grants the audience more time to get to know and understand their favorite characters.
Secondary characters like Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley went through such monumental development in the books, that it was a huge disappointment when it wasn't effectively reflected in the films. The anime version of Harry Potter could allow them to grow at a more reasonable pace without taking too much time away from the main characters.
4 Book-Only Characters Could Finally Make Their Debut
As the Harry Potter books have over seven hundred characters, it made sense for many of them to be cut from the films. Many movie-only fans may have never heard of Peeves, the trickster poltergeist that resides in Hogwarts and loves tormenting the students. On the other hand, many may have heard of Charlie Weasley, Ron's second oldest brother who works with dragons in Romania, only to completely forget about him since he never made a formal appearance in the films.
Peeves, Charlie, and many other book-only characters like Ludo Bagman and Tonks' parents, who were considered unnecessary for the film, could easily make their debut in animated form since anime series have no problem juggling large casts of characters, as demonstrated by shows like Dragon Ball Z and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
3 Epic Magical Battles, Shonen-Style
Fights between the hero and their enemies are such an intrinsic part of anime that a Harry Potter series could fully exploit all the magical aspects of the wizarding world and give fans some of the best battles in the medium.
Anime battle sequences are known for their grandiose animation and heavy emotions, and while the Harry Potter films brought spectacle and tension to several of the important confrontations in the book, nothing beats a shonen main character's inner conflict as they prepare to beat their foes. Getting into Harry's head would also mimic the book's introspective style far better than any live-action production.
2 Giving Fans What They Want Via OVAs
Fans have been asking for films, TV shows... literally any kind of extra content about the Marauders since rumors of a Harry Potter spin-off movie started doing the rounds on the Internet. Unfortunately for the hopeful Potterheads, this film turned out to be Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, which was as unexpected as it was disliked.
Circumventing the casting of live-action actors and the enormous amount of money needed to recreate the wizarding world, the anime could finally give fans what they want in the form of OVAs. The Marauders would be the obvious first choice since they're fan-favorites, but stories about other groups like the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore, or even the Death Eaters could satisfy the loyal fans who have been fans of Harry Potter for decades.
1 Harry Already Ticks All The Anime Protagonist Boxes
Tragic backstory? Check. Zero to hero? Check. Chosen one with incredible power? Check and check. Taking these and many other traits into consideration, Harry is already a bonafide anime protagonist. Also, he's already a magical boy - all he needs is a signature move (does Expelliarmus count?) and he's all set.
Harry is stubborn and charismatic, a born leader and a star Quidditch player, and loves his friends above everything else. These traits immediately place him amongst compelling and hardworking shonen protagonists like Izuku Midoriya, Eren Jaeger, and Edward Elric. Watching him grow from an eleven-year-old who thought he was nothing special into a fully-grown wizard with a big family is inspiring, and that's what makes him great in the first place.