Attack on Titan season 4’s MAPPA studio released a brilliant fantasy anime on Netflix almost six years ago. Although the anime remains underrated and overlooked, it seems like the perfect series for fans of the Harry Potter franchise.
The new TV adaptation of the Harry Potter books is not coming out before 2027. This leaves audiences with a lot of time to explore other similar forms of fantastical storytelling that blend magic with relatable human stories in richly built worlds.
MAPPA Studio’s under-appreciated anime seems like the perfect alternative to fill the Harry Potter void as viewers wait for the HBO show’s release. Similar to the Harry Potter movies, the anime not only offers an immersive blend of wonder and danger but also comes off as a darker version of the J.K. Rowling franchise.
MAPPA Studio’s Dorohedoro Is Basically A Darker Alternative To Harry Potter
If one envisions a more rusty and misery-ridden Harry Potter world, where people are more obsessed with gyoza than butterbeers and pumpkin pastries, one would have MAPPA Studio’s Dorohedoro. Adapted from Q Hayashida’s dark fantasy manga of the same name, Dorohedoro, like Harry Potter, unfolds in a world that includes everything from secret societies to magical hierarchies. It even features a “chose one” protagonist named Caiman.
However, Dorohedoro is not as hopeful and whimsical as Harry Potter. It is unapologetically weird, and its portrayal of magic is grotesque, “industrial,” and messy.
Like Harry Potter, Dorohedoro establishes clear tensions between the “muggles” and the magic-possessing folks. In the world of the anime, though, the non-magic folks are mere lab rats for the sorcerers. The wizards in Dorohedoro also maintain a clear boundary between them and the muggles and use doors/portals (like Platform 9 and 3/4) to travel from their realm to that of the non-magic people.
Even the spells and magic rituals in Dorohedoro are far more twisted, turning people into mushrooms, sentient pies, and what not. In a lot of ways, Dorohedoro is perhaps what the wizarding world in Harry Potter would look like if Voldemort reigned supreme and the Death Eaters took over the world.
Dorohedoro‘s main character, Caiman, is also the “chosen one,” like Harry, but not because he is a gifted wizard. Instead, it is his immunity to magic that makes him a threat to evil sorcerers. Despite having bleak, rusty, gothic, and psychedelic visuals and adopting dark themes surrounding class divides, Dorohedoro also has a surprising slice-of-life element that grounds its chaos in everyday routines, friendships, and hints of romance.
Since Dorohedoro is an anime, its visual storytelling medium also allows it to give a more bizarre and fantastical portrayal of magic than the Harry Potter movies. This arguably makes it better than the popular fantasy franchise.
Dorohedoro Is Returning To Netflix In 2026
MAPPA Studio has produced some of the best anime, like Attack on Titan season 4, Jujutsu Kaisen, Vinland Saga, and Chainsaw Man. Yet, Dorohedoro often finds its place among the studio’s best creations.
Unfortunately, unlike other mainstream anime created by MAPPA, Dorohedoro remains relatively obscure and underappreciated.
Despite this, though, nearly six years after its premiere on Netflix, Dorohedoro is all set to return in 2026. MAPPA Studio has set its eyes on an April 2026 release window for Dorohedoro season 2, which is not too far and gives both Harry Potter and fantasy anime fans enough time to binge the show’s first season on Netflix.
