Many anime series follow a particular trope: the idea of a magical high school. Sometimes this is taken literally, becoming the anime version of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Other times the definition is stretched a bit, to describe any high school that is distinctly different from ordinary real-life schools. This helps provide some variety, but are these schools safe?
The staff members and headmaster of these schools will do all they can to ensure their students' safety, but sometimes they get sloppy, and the students can get hurt from their out-of-control magic. Monsters and villains may be prone to attacking the school, or the danger is actually the point of the story. These six magical schools in anime stand out as especially risky for their students.
U.A., Japan's Top Heroics School (My Hero Academia)
Any heroic school is going to be intrinsically dangerous, since being a superhero is a physically demanding job that includes constant danger while fighting villains or rescuing people from natural (or unnatural) disasters. Thus in My Hero Academia, the students of the U.A. school are challenged with many live-fire exercises, such as fighting each other with their Quirks or even facing their own teachers in mock battles.
To his credit, Principal Nezu takes security and safety very seriously, but accidents are always a possibility -- especially with Izuku Midoriya and his overuse of One For All. Not to mention other powerful and dangerous Quirks, ranging from Katsuki Bakugo's Explosion ability to Shoto Todoroki's ice and fire Quirk. On top of that, there's always the threat of the League of Villains attacking U.A. to wipe out the next generation of heroes before they can even begin their careers. Tomura Shigaraki won't wait until Izuku graduates to fight him; it's time to fight now, school or no school.
Luna Nova, Where Witches Cast Spells Every Which Way (Little Witch Academia)
The Luna Nova school for witches isn't much different from the U.A. school for heroes. In fact, Little Witch Academia has a number of interesting parallels with My Hero Academia, from its name to having a powerless protagonist who was inspired by their famous idol to enroll at a magic school. Akko is a non-magical girl who is determined to become a wonderful witch like Shining Chariot, but in this school, a stray spell can be trouble.
Even the most qualified students might lose control of their magic and accidentally hit someone with a fireball, a shrinking spell, or something worse. If Hogwarts is any indicator, even the best students can suffer when a spell blows up in their face, not to mention exploding potions that were brewed incorrectly or dangerous magical pets or familiars. Then there's the matter of bullies and pranksters who misuse their magic on other students deliberately.
Mahora Academy, Which Hides Secrets & Monsters (Mahou Sensei Negima!)
At 38 volumes, Mahou Sensei Negima!'s manga is much longer than the anime adaptation. Either way though, fans will soon realize that Mahora Academy isn't so quaint and harmless. At first this sprawling campus seems like a dream come true: a well-funded and lavishly decorated school system spanning elementary school to high school. But as the new (and young) teacher Negi Springfield discovers for himself, this place is hiding a few monsters.
One particular student, Evangeline McDowell, is an ancient and powerful vampire who is more than happy to feed on the other students and attack anyone who gets in her way. In fact, she is magically bound by this school, unable to leave even if she wants to, meaning she's been treating the place as her hunting ground for years. Another student, Chao Lingshen, launches a scheme to rewrite the future and throw the entire campus into chaos, and Negi and his most trusted classmates fight her in a great battle all over Mahora Campus. And let's not forget the no-holds-barred martial arts tournament at the school festival, either, where bone-crushing punches, kicks and magic are the norm.
Hyakkaou Private Academy, Where Gambling Reigns Supreme (Kakegurui)
The magical school of Kakegurui is not literally a place of magic and wizards, but it does fit the trend of being specialized and unusual all the same. Here at Hyakkaou Private Academy, the sons and daughters of society's wealthy elite learn how to gamble in high-stakes games with real money. This is to teach them risk evaluation, calculating the odds, strategy, and how to be gutsy enough to take big chances in life.
No one is in much physical danger here, but the downsides of a gambling school are serious. Gambling addiction is a real and substantial problem, which can impact the addict's life as seriously as a drug or alcohol problem, alienation from friends and family, financial ruin, losing a job and far more. Hyakkaou's students are all at serious risk of developing harmful gambling addictions. What is more, they experience serious psychological strain and self-esteem issues from the school's unforgiving "housepet" system, where indebted students are humiliated and degraded by all their peers. Only the heroine, gambling superstar Yumeko Jabami, seems immune to all this. But she's in a league of her own.
Ninja Academy, Where Kid Play With Weapons (Naruto)
Naruto's magical school isn't quite as dangerous as the others, but there are still inherent risks. In the Hidden Leaf Village, young boys and girls may be enrolled at the Ninja Academy, where they learn to become proper ninjas. Teachers such as Iruka Umino, and later Shino Aburame, are tasked with drilling basic jutsu and weapon techniques into students' minds.
There seems to be adequate oversight here, but all the same, this is a place where eight-year-olds are given throwing stars and kunai knives to repeatedly throw at targets or perform basic offensive or defensive jutsu. There must be countless incidents where students are accidentally cut or stabbed on these weapons, and bullying here could have serious consequences. Imagine a squad of bullies armed with knives the school itself provided, cornering a hapless victim in an empty bathroom or on the edge of campus. Not good.
Demon King Academy, An Unforgiving Institute For High-Level Magic (The Misfit Of Demon King Academy)
The Misfit of Demon King Academy features a more traditional magical school, where humanoid demons are enrolled to learn powerful magic and see who is qualified to become the next demon king. The previous king, Anos Voldigoad, set a high standard, so the teachers will do anything to hammer these students into shape and unlock their potential. And these are demons -- brutality and "might makes right" are the norm here.
Not only are these demonic adolescents shooting powerful spells all over the place in live-fire exercises, but there is also the matter of discrimination. Full-blooded students wear red and black uniforms and are highly esteemed, while half-bloods wear blue and white uniforms, opening them up to class-based bullying and antagonism. And the teachers won't do a thing to stop it. This prompts some half-blood students to form a union dedicated to reconciling with the full-bloods, but they have a long, hard road ahead of them, and all are ripe bullying targets.
