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Of crystal clear dolphins and magic

This review will be the last geared towards the lighter side of anime for a bit so let’s make it count shall we? Someday’s Dreamers appears to be a snooze fest at first; the show seems a bit too cutesy and childish and makes those that picked it up think of it as anything but a typical shonen. Some may look at the back cover with perplexity and think “They must have mislabeled shoujo to shonen!” In reality, the overall tone of the show seems geared towards the shoujo genre more than to its manly counterpart but the art style and character design will be set in the uncanny valley between the two and prove itself to be rather good over time.

Someday’s Dreamers is based off of a manga by the same name that had its original run from mid 2002 to the early half of 2003. The anime is a loose adaptation in the sense that it takes some basic plots from the manga and twists them around so they fit in nicely within the 12 episodes of the show (of which there’s a sequel that should see the light dubbed in English in the west soon enough). Those that followed the manga and then switched over to the anime will find a slight change of tone. Not in the overall story itself but in the representation of some minor characters and the way they interact with the main cast.

The story revolves around a young mage in training by the name of Yume Kikuche. She is in her second year of high school and has moved from her home in Tono (rural Japan) to go train under the supervision of her mentor in Tokyo: Masami Oyamada, a man that she had mistakenly thought of as a woman on account of his name. We are introduced to a relatively small yet lively cast of characters as we witness the young Yume struggle to become a fully licensed mage.

A warm summer’s breeze

The plot is centered around a set of small stories dealing with Yume’s apprenticeship, for in this world, which is in itself a mirrowed version of modern Japan, mages are openly regulated by a goverment association. The bureucratic aspect, which will seem amusing to anyone ever stuck in a similar office, keeps check on the mages’ powers and abilities and ensures that they can only be used to fulfill request brought upon the mage by normal people. It’s the basic nature of a mage to make people happy and to help them however they can. This, at least in Yume’s case, is done by channeling the person’s feelings and projecting them in the form of a spell.

Someday’s Dreamers encompasses elements of romance that will get the hopes of romantic anime fans up, only to come up short around the show’s finale. The characters are simple and easy to understand and the general air around the cast is gentle and easy going. There will rarely be an overly dramatic and drastic switch in the tempo, so those that like a calm story to relax with will find this anime to be as comforting as a soft pillow. Those who like actiony anime or drama containing more twists than a rollercoaster designed by M. Night Shyamalan will find the pillow metaphor to be fitting. Not in the sense that it will be comforting, but in the way it will make them feel drowsy.

This anime isn’t for everybody. Some will find it to be their perfect cup of tea whereas others will find it to be a cup of something that’s unlike tea at all. Don’t be discouraged by this though, because it’s as sweet as sunshine in its own sense, and manages to serve as an easy entry point into anime for many a potential viewer. It may seem a little dull to a seasoned Otaku, but it’s wonderful for its simplicity and serves as a good way to pass an idle afternoon. Some romantic couples may even get a kick out of it, as will the fans of shoujo and shonen due to the fact that this anime covers up the middle ground quite nicely.

If you find that the story and general state of affairs in the development of the plot seem unremarkable, it’s necessary to take into account that not everything needs a thick plot behind it to be enjoyable. Think of this anime like a butterfly fluttering pass your window during a slow summer day because that’s what it ultimately becomes; a moment of respite and a nice sample of how beauty lays within even the most simple of things. Don’t go in to it expecting anything great or that will more than certainly shatter your perceptions on anime. Rather, expect to see something light and nice enough to get you through an otherwise dismal day.

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