Yume Kikuchi is a 15-year old girl who travels from her hometown in the north of Japan to Tokyo for an internship in the use of magic. Even though she has possessed magical abilities since birth, she is prohibited from using them until she obtains a license from the Bureau of Magic. For that purpose she becomes an apprentice, supervised and trained by Masami Oyamada, a young mage who lives in a house above the salsa cafe he runs.
Someday's Dreamers (Japanese title: Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto, literally "Things That Are Precious To a Mage") started out as a manga series by Norie Yamada and Kumichi Yoshizuki, which ran in Comic Dragon from 2002 to 2003. It takes place in a world where magic is a very common phenomenon, and where becoming mage is an official occupation. To obtain her license, Yume must perform requests by clients, which can range from trying to get into the news to recovering memories from decades ago. Most of the series deals with the serious decisions Yume faces regarding the use of her magic abilities and how it affects the relationship with her clients and the people surrounding her.
The series was animated in 2003 by J.C. Staff, with a somewhat altered plot and added characters. There is also a sequel called Someday's Dreamers II: Sora, with a storyline and set of characters so totally different that it warrants having its own page. The show very much has a Slice of Life feel, with the emphasis more on the main characters' emotional development than the magical feats themselves—even though some of those are still pretty impressive.
This series provides examples of:
- Adventurous Irish Violins: This musical motif is used invoke the innocent wonder of a young magician trying to find her place in the world.
- Ahoge: Yume has three, but she is by no means stupid.
- Her losing them becomes a plot point in one episode.
- Book Ends: The show starts and ends with Yume at the famous crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Angela has a hard time telling Inoue how she feels for him. That poor Tokyo Tower...
- And then there's Melinda's issue with Masami.
- Coming of Age Story
- Country Mouse: Yume
- Emotionless Girl: Angela , most of the time.
- Flashback: Numerous.
- Left Hanging: The question whether Masami and Melinda will get together is left unanswered.
- Male Gaze: Not used overly much, but still present, usually involving Melinda or shots of Yume's behind.
- Mental World: Yume has the power to do this , which becomes important in the end.
- When you consider that her name means "dream",
this makes complete sense.
- When you consider that her name means "dream",
- Mission Control: Apparently needed when controlling mages.
- Ms. Fanservice: Melinda.
- Mundane Fantastic
- Mundane Utility: Most of the requests for magic involve rather boring applications of such powers.
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Yume has issues with this In-Universe when she gets emotional.
- Phenotype Stereotype: Angela, being non-Japanese, is of course blond with blue eyes.
- Psychic Powers
- Shirtless Scene: Kera and Masami get one in their first appearance.
- Shower Scene
- Tearjerker: Numerous. This is a rather serious show.
- Token Mini-Moe: Runa.
- Tokyo Tower: Playing a very prominent role in one episode.
- 12-Episode Anime
- Technically eleven, since episodes 1 & 2 form a double length pilot.
- Wizarding School
