Someday's Dreamers: Spellbound, Vol. 02

太陽と風の坂道 [Taiyō to kaze no sakamichi] #2

by Kumichi Yoshizuki, Norie Yamada

Sometimes true love can't wait forever ... Eighteen-year-old Nami is a magic user with a keen interest in helping everyone ... but herself. Ryutaro is the new boy in school--he's rough around the edges and has a mysterious past, but beneath his rough exterior is a gentle soul. When these two meet, they leave each other spellbound! It's new love in the world of Someday's Dreamers!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2004

About the author

Name (in native Japanese): よしづきくみち

Reviews

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for complete series



Nami has never managed to use her magic successfully. With her father giving her enormous pressure, she has only learned to hate magic. Soon her confidence doesn't only crumble when it comes to magic, she begins to doubt her place in life. Things only get worse when a new boy, Ryutaro, comes to her school: he seems to be angry with everything and everyone, particularly Nami.

I'm speechless - looking at the ratings this series is getting, has anyone actually read beyond the first volume? I know people like different things but, wow, you've got to have a heart of stone if you can't see even a bit of how beautiful this manga is. In my mind, Someday's Dreamers: Spellbound is a highly underrated gem of a manga.

First of all, I highly recommend reading the previous series, Someday's Dreamers, first. While the first series has less of a plot, it does a fantastic job of explaining how this world, which is almost like our own yet has professional magicians, functions. This sequel series on the other hand dives right into the lives of our characters.

Nami is such a great character - you may call her weak and indecisive, but she grows so much. Also, part of it is her personality and I think anxious people have as much right to be there as any others. Nami doesn't have a lot of confidence, but she is genuine and kind. Her confidence became a lot worse over the years due to various events; prejudice against magic users, pressure from her father, failed attempts at magic. All of this leads to her having some serious self-doubt and it makes her a very real and relatable character. While she is rather timid until the end, she finds her way and pulls herself out of her hole with her own strength.

Ryutaro starts off as a jerk - there's no way around it. But he's had a rough year which only surfaces gradually throughout the story. And unlike many other manga, his story feels very real - it hits hard but it doesn't seem overdramatic for drama's sake. As we get to know him better, we see a lot of caring sides and even some sarcasm. His story and what makes him the way he is is probably one of the main events that keep this story running and I love how naturally he and Nami grow toward each other despite being very different kinds of people.

Although there is magic, this is a very realistic story that mostly deals with the final year of school and how to start the next chapter in life. There are so many fleshed-out characters who are all relatable in one way or another. Nami's circle of school friends all have their own worries and cares as their final high school year draws to an end. This series is really a journey of how all of them developed over this last year. Being a group of friends with both girls and boys, there's a messy but realistic web of who-loves-whom and broken hearts. It's so well written with how each character takes the situation and comes out as a stronger person.

This series has so many likeable characters, I'm amazed how so much fit into this only 5-volume-long story without seeming rushed at all. I loved the teacher, he was stern but absolutely friendly and fair - that's what I imagine an ideal teacher to be like. Nami's younger brother is both bratty and caring, Ryutaro's little sister is an absolute sweetheart and, while she doesn't feature as often, is one of the most important characters. Heck, even the school bully has her moments of where it's completely relatable where she's coming from.

I am also a big fan of Kumichi Yoshizuki's art - she is by far one of my favourite manga artists. While her character designs are quite simple and probably lean more toward the realistic than the shoujo style I usually prefer, I still consider her works as absolutely stunning. There's so much to be read in characters' expressions without needing any text. But most of all, her backgrounds and pannel layouts are so atmospheric. Of course, I actually love her coloured illustrations most, they're just perfect. Some of this is lost on the inside of her manga but even there, her backgrounds and sceneries really not only bring the characters but the actual setting to life.

Someday's Dreamers: Spellbound is manga at its finest: beautiful art, a deep plot at the heart of a simple slice of life story with a touch of magic and a loveable set of characters. If you haven't read this or gave up after just a volume: go read this complete series. If you still think it's boring: I'll seriously think there's a rock inside your chest.

[Glasdow Teacosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, melancholy series. And as with the other volumes in the series, I am constantly in awe of Yoshisuki's skill at emoting with such an economy of contour lines.

[Fyre.Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much love for this series!

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this second volume a little better than I did the first, but I'm still not really sold on it. For some reason it bugs me how Nami's skirt is always blowing around so much--must be super windy in that area! Heh.