“Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” is an enjoyable, heartwarming anime series. There is no storyline about magical battles or magical girls fighting magical villains, it’s a straightforward coming-of-age story of a teenager learning more about her powers and her limits, but also how magic can help people. But also a love story about how two people, from opposite backgrounds, can come together and help each other. “Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” is recommended!
Image courtesy of © Norie YAMADA/Someday’s Dreamers II Sora Committee. All Rights Reserved.
DVD TITLE: Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora – Complete Collection
DURATION: Episode 1-12 (300 Minutes)
DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen, Japanese 2.0, Dolby Digital, English subtitles
COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks
RATED: TV PG
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Originally created by Norie Yamada
Directed by Osamu Kobayashi
Screenplay by Norie Yamada
Unit Director: Osamu Kobayashi
Music by Takefumi Haketa
Character Design by Kumichi Yoshizuki
Art Director: Hisaharu Iijima
Animation Character Design: Yusuke Yoshigaki
Anime Production: HAL Film Maker
Featuring the following voice talent:
Kana Hanazawa as Sora Suzuki
Tomoaki Maeno as Gouta Midorikawa
Daisuke Matsubara as Jitsu Oohara
Daisuke Namikawa as Kouji Kuroda
Eriko Matsushima as Yoshiko Satou
Fuyuka Oura as Michiru Satou
Hiromu Miyazaki as Satoru Narusawa
Marina Inoue as Honomi Asagi
Mikako Takahashi as Hiyori Yamabuki
Miku Sasao as YASUKO
Naoki Tatsuta as Gouta’s father
Porushe Okite as Mage Morishita
Rikiya Koyama as Seiichirou Hara
Takeshi Aono as Tsuneyoshi Satou
Tooru Nara as Seiko Suzuki
Urara Takano as Saori Shiraishi
Yoko Soumi as Mage Kawada
Yoshino Takamori as Seiko Suzuki
Get ready for a second magical journey to the world of Someday’s Dreamers, where spellcasting is a profession that requires both the proper training AND a license. It’s to get that license and fulfill a promise made to her late father that young Suzuki Sora has made the long journey from her distant home in the countryside town of Biei to the big city of Tokyo. It’s a daunting challenge, but she’s got a little bit of talent, a charming personality and, most important of all, the promise of an internship!
What Sora isn’t expecting, however, is how different life in the city will be, especially the people themselves. While she gets along with the ascerbic Asagi, Kuroda, and the timid Hiyori, she’s completely confused with the mysterious boy Gouta. Yet, as a result of their internships, they keep ending up in the same situations and slowly learning to understand more about each other than they ever imagined possible.
In 2002, mangaka Norie Yamada and illustrator Kumichi Yoshizuki created their magical girl manga series “Someday’s Dreamers” (Mahotsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto), which was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten’s “Comic Dragon Magazine”. A year later, a 12-episode anime series was produced and while the series would continue with “Someday’s Dreamers: Spellbound” and in 2007 with “Someday’s Dreamers: Summer Skies”.
In 2007, the third series “Summer Skies” was to be adapted into an animated film but instead, adapted into a new anime series featuring a new main character named Sora.
The series which has been renamed to “Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” features anime production by HAL Film Maker, the anime series was directed by Osamu Kobayashi (“Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad”, “End of the World”, “Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt”, screenplay by Norie Yamada, music by Takefumi Haketa (“Antique Bakery”, “Vampire Knight”, “Ikebukuro West Gate Park”) and art direction by Hisaharu Iijima (“Uta~Kata”, “Hidamari Sketch”, “Gad Guard”, “Cowboy Bebop”).
“Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” revolves around a country girl named Sora Suzuki who lives in the small town of Biei in Northern Japan (Hokkaido). She lives with her mother and her dog Joe and lives a happy teenage life. But she finds out that she has been accepted by the Bureau of Magic for her mage internship.
So, Sora takes off to Tokyo for her internship and while there, one of the first people she meets is Gota Midorikawa, who acts as if he doesn’t like magic.
When Sora gets to her live quarters which is owned by Seiichirou Hara, she finds out the other mage that lives there is Gota, along with his guardian, Saori.
Both are attending school for an internship, but unlike Sora who is happy to learn, Gota is not so thrilled. For one, he found out not long ago that his father was a mage. And because of that confession, his mother left the family because of her hatred towards mages. Also, his friends have stayed far away from him, accusing him for getting good grades because maybe he used his magic illegally.
But the truth is that Gota feels he has no magical powers. Despite his father being a mage and never using his power, Gouta doesn’t understand why his life has been changed and now he must attend school to become a a mage, where everyone can use power except him.
As both continue to attend school and are trained, both learn about the importance of magic but what one can and can’t do. But also creating new friendships with their classmates which include Kouji Kuroda , Honomi Asagi and Hiyori Yamabuki.
And the more Sora and Gota are together, the two end up getting closer with one another.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora – Complete Collection” is presented in 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen. While the character design may seem simplistic, the artwork compliments the original character designs by Kumichi Yoshizuki. The anime series incorporates actual photos, but also artwork integrated into the photos with amazing detail. There are some backgrounds that look photo realistic but the more you look, you can see how much of the backgrounds were painted. For an anime series such as “Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora”, the animation and CG work of the backgrounds bring this anime to life. The backgrounds are detailed and look fantastic! If anything, the animation and art backgrounds are remarkable.
As for picture quality, while animation and art backgrounds do look good, it looks good for DVD. But I do hope that one day, Sentai Filmworks continues releasing an HD version on Blu-ray.
As for the audio, the anime series is presented in Japanese 2.0 (Dolby Digital Stereo) and because of its emotional nature of the series, Kana Hanazawa did a magnificent job of playing Sora Suzuki. As did Tomoaki Maeno as Gouta Midorikawa. The soundtrack is front-channel driven but audio is clear and understandable. While the first series had an English dub, this second series does not.
Subtitles are in English and are in yellow with a black border and are easy to read.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora – Complete Collection” comes with the following special features:
DISC 2:
- Japanese Promo Video – (3:16) Featuring the 2008 promotional video for “Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora”.
- Someday’s Dreamers Live Action Trailer – (1:55) Japanese trailer for the live action film of “Someday’s Dreamers”.
- Clean Opening Animation
- Clean Closing Animation
The “Mahoutsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto” (Somweday’s Dreamers) manga and anime series has a strong fan following. For years, fans have waited for the first anime series to be released on DVD in the U.S and Sentai Filmworks did fans a big service by bringing the series to America. And here we are with the second anime series, with a new storyline featuring new characters.
“Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” is a series that distinguishes itself from other magical girl (mahou shojou) titles as the focus is not about sugary sweet characters in magical girl outfits. In fact, the whole setting tries to capture realism but with the fantasy element of mages co-existing with humans in society.
Instead of a series about magical girls taking on magical villains, the two series features a straightforward story of a teenage girl training to become a certified mage but learning that special powers are not going to save or help everyone. Also, that those who have been born with that power must adhere to the rules that no one can use these powers without permission.
As the saying goes, “With great power, comes great responsibility”.
With the first series, the whole concept of power and responsibility was an important part of its storyline.
With the second series “Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora”, the theme still remains relevant. But this time around, it focuses on a group of students attending school, learning about their responsibilities as mages but also a love story between a teenage girl named Sora who wants to help people with her magic but its her incredible heart that people eventually gravitate too.  But who would expect Saori to fall for a guy who is cold and distant. A guy who’s thoughts towards magic is quite negative because he is not sure if he has any power whatsoever. Suffice to say, Gota is your banal cold and rebellious teenager, while Sora is your sweet and pure character. Somehow these two individuals who are completely opposites, become attracted towards each other and want to learn from each other. And eventually, find a way to grow as individuals through their training and relationship.
Also, it was interesting to have a final episode in which the story would pick-up five years later but it’s an ending that may make it or break it for some people as even I didn’t expect it. Just prepare to have the tissue box nearby as the final episode may make you shed some tears!
“Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” features a beautiful,simple yet effective, coming-of-age storyline. While the two series have similarities with a young girl coming from the country, coming to the big city to train but also to make a difference in the people they come in contact with, both are different in story and both are very enjoyable in their own way.
As for the DVD, for a 2007 anime series, the animation holds up very well, especially with the realistic to photorealistic scenes of the beautifully painted surroundings around the city. I was surprised there was no English dub but for the most part, I was quite pleased with the Japanese vocal track. And you get a few special features included with “Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” as well! But with Sentai Filmworks including a trailer for the live film version of “Someday’s Dreamers”, it makes you wonder if there will be a chance that the film will be released in the U.S.
With the release of “Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” on DVD, having enjoyed this series…I can only hope that Sentai Filmworks brings both series to Blu-ray in the near future. Granted, I know it will be an upconvert, but it’s definitely a series that looks beautiful and may benefit from being seen in HD.
Overall, “Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” is an enjoyable, heartwarming anime series. There is no storyline about magical battles or magical girls fighting magical villains, it’s a straightforward coming-of-age story of a teenager learning more about her powers and her limits, but also how magic can help people. But also a love story about how two people, from opposite backgrounds, can come together and help each other.
“Someday’s Dreamers II: Sora” is recommended!
