Someday’s Dreamers

Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto

Also Known As: Things Precious to a Mage

Genre: Drama

Format: 12 Episodes

Allegiance: J.C. Staff/Geneon Ent.

Director: Shimoda Masami

Vintage: 2003

Intelligence Agency Report by: Djudge

In a world where magic is practiced as a common profession, Kikuchi Yume moves to the city in order to begin her studies for a mage certification exam. Her new mentor, Oyamada Masami, and his longtime friends Kera and Milinda do their best to welcome the aspiring pupil to a home away from home. Little does Yume know however, that her stay with Oyamada will not only teach her how to become a respectable mage, but also a thing or two about what it means to truly help someone.

Field Agent Report by: Djudge

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

7.75
8.25
8.50
8.50
8.75

Overall

8.50

(not an average)

In quite of number of anime, the use of magic usually denotes an action or fantasy adventure title, which would stereotypically place little value on the so-called “smaller things in life.” After all, magic has been regularly worked into stories as a device of incredible power capable of smiting enemies from afar and shaping kingdoms with arcane lore. Well, that’s not the case in Someday’s Dreamers, which relegates magic to a less grandiose role. There aren’t any grand adventures present in this series in any kind of traditional sense. However, the characters’ use of magic in this tale doesn’t serve as a catalyst for vibrant action, but rather for facilitating the execution of a peaceful and delightful plot that is sure to warm many hearts.

One of the few gripes that I can make right off the bat about Someday’s Dreamersstems from the method that the animators decided to go with to showcase the use of magical powers in the series. Every time that a mage decides to activate his/her power a shower of CG effects fill the screen with a theme unique to the spell casting character. At first these visual displays were welcomed as a bit novel, but after a couple repeat performances they lost their initial charm and the sequences became more trouble than they were worth. With that one hindrance aside, the rest of the visuals presented in Someday’s Dreamers worked well throughout the show’s run. The character designs provided by Chiba Michinori were a bit of fresh air coupled with the show’s smooth animation. A clean and soft palette of colors was also integrated well into both the characters and the backdrops making for a nice immersion between the fore, mid, and backgrounds. As for the auditory aspects of this piece, it should be mentioned that in conjunction with a relatively smooth visual performance, the mellow complementary music in the series does wonders to for the senses. Soft tunes like the show’s two themes, Kaze no Hana and Under the Blue Sky completed the laid back atmosphere of this show.

Plotwise, Someday’s Dreamers may turn off a lot of fans interested in having a fast moving, constantly developing plot. The story presented here definitely takes its time in detailing the events of Yume’s summer apprenticeship with Masami. Certain episodes in the series sometimes digress a bit away from Yume’s studies and tend to focus more on the highlighting and solving of the problems of the characters around her. While this does sound like prime material to form the foundation of filler episodes with, all of these segments end up not only tying back into Yume’s training, but also enrich the cast’s substance and drive up the whole emotional appeal of this series. Whether it’s about trying to save lives, confessing one’s love, or breaking free of a haunted past, all the scenarios that Yume will come across in Someday’s Dreamers do a great job in conveying real emotion to the viewer.

Overall, this show came and ran its course in a calm, yet beautiful display of the wonders of compassion with a touch of magic. As refreshing as a nice summer breeze, Someday’s Dreamers is a nice dramatic series that places the emphasis on using magic not only to pull off wondrous feats, but to bring people closer together.

Field Agent Report by: Kuzu Ryu Sen

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

7.00
8.00
7.50
9.25
8.75

Overall

7.75

(not an average)

One of the cardinal rules of reviewing is to analyse the subject on its own, without considering any other variables (manga, fanfiction, etc...). However, in the case of Someday’s Dreamers that was impossible as the only true barometer of the show was emotional appeal, and I will admit, having read the manga prior to viewing the anime affected that in a significant manner that could not be ignored.

The concept of Someday’s Dreamers is both simple and unique (at least when we bring the concept of magic into the equation), and is generally well executed. Yume and the newly created Angela Brooks play off each other nicely, particularly during the first half of the show, when both are just earning their wings but going about it in completely different and conflicting manners. The pacing is also excellent throughout the twelve episode run, which helps to keep the viewer captivated.

However, the latter half just simply lacks the emotional impact that the second volume of the manga provided. Whether because of censorship or for creative reasons, the anime toned down the majority of the key moments, actions, and reactions in the second half. Especially devastating was the fact that the climax/ending sequence, which comprised 80% of the final volume of the manga, has here been condensed into roughly 20-30 minutes. As a result, there is no extra level for the characterization, and everything remains in its nice, but not overly special or enchanting, shell.

Still, despite its neutered ending, Someday’s Dreamers is still a charming and endearing work. Much like its main character, it is cute, clumsy, charming, and attractive in its own special way. There’s really no good reason not to pick this show up. Heck, you can watch it for the outstanding visuals alone and still feel richly rewarded.