Review: Someday's Dreamers

The Japanese title for this manga is "Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto", which translates literally to "Using Magic is a Very Precious Thing" or "What is Important to Magic Users".

This is another of those titles that could have worked with a longer run. It's not rushed, but it is very concise.

Plot Summary
Yume Kikuchi has come to Tokyo, following in her famous mother's footsteps, to begin training to become a certified Mage. She also wants to learn how to best use her ability for helping others.

The Review
The downside with some short series are that they are good enough and have enough material to work with to make good use of another volume or two. When they don't have this extra space, the result is a good but very streamlined series. Someday's Dreamers is one of those titles. In fact, the main story ends before reaching the end of the second volume. After the story concludes, there are two side stories that let us see a side of Yume after she has completed her Mage training, something the anime version of this series never gets to do.

My main draw to this series was the artwork. I find Kumichi Yoshizuki's work to be very beautiful. It's light and airy, and makes great use of watercolors. Yoshizuki's comic art is also very nice. It's less detailed than the cover art, but still retains a softness that highlights Yume's innocence.

As far as content, it is a different story when compared to the anime version. There aren't as many supporting characters or subplots, but in many ways this isn't a bad thing. Yume is a dynamic character, showing compassion, innocence, and humor, all while being a somewhat awkward 18 year old girl. (Yes, she's 18 in the manga, compared to 17 in the anime.) She is still growing up, and through her training learns many important lessons.

If, like me, you've seen the anime version first, the Someday's Dreamers manga is a welcome alternate take on Yume's story. If you've never seen the anime, it's a good fantasy with enough drama to draw you in to Yume's life for a short time. It is a quick story without any room for diversions, so the only real disappointment is that it ends too soon.



			Story: Norie Yamada Art: Kumichi Yoshizuki Genre: Fantasy / Drama Volume Count: 2 Vintage: 2002 Version reviewed: English Translated Date of Review: 12 Aug 2006

			Score (out of 5):

	The Japanese title for this manga is "Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto", which translates literally to "Using Magic is a Very Precious Thing" or "What is Important to Magic Users". This is another of those titles that could have worked with a longer run. It's not rushed, but it is very concise. Plot Summary Yume Kikuchi has come to Tokyo, following in her famous mother's footsteps, to begin training to become a certified Mage. She also wants to learn how to best use her ability for helping others. The Review The downside with some short series are that they are good enough and have enough material to work with to make good use of another volume or two. When they don't have this extra space, the result is a good but very streamlined series. Someday's Dreamers is one of those titles. In fact, the main story ends before reaching the end of the second volume. After the story concludes, there are two side stories that let us see a side of Yume after she has completed her Mage training, something the anime version of this series never gets to do. My main draw to this series was the artwork. I find Kumichi Yoshizuki's work to be very beautiful. It's light and airy, and makes great use of watercolors. Yoshizuki's comic art is also very nice. It's less detailed than the cover art, but still retains a softness that highlights Yume's innocence. As far as content, it is a different story when compared to the anime version. There aren't as many supporting characters or subplots, but in many ways this isn't a bad thing. Yume is a dynamic character, showing compassion, innocence, and humor, all while being a somewhat awkward 18 year old girl. (Yes, she's 18 in the manga, compared to 17 in the anime.) She is still growing up, and through her training learns many important lessons. If, like me, you've seen the anime version first, the Someday's Dreamers manga is a welcome alternate take on Yume's story. If you've never seen the anime, it's a good fantasy with enough drama to draw you in to Yume's life for a short time. It is a quick story without any room for diversions, so the only real disappointment is that it ends too soon.