Yumi continues her training to become a fully licensed magician in this second volume of the quite, yet absorbing Someday's Dreamers.

In a world magic is normal, but rare, people with the talent for magic must be trained and register with the Mage Labor Bureau before they can use their powers.  The powers can only be used when the proper authorities have officially approved a request.  Having a power is only part of the process of becoming a mage.  The training can be difficult, and many people never achieve their goal of becoming licensed.

Yumi, having a powerful magician mother, has always assumed that she will one day become licensed mage.  She never really thought about anything else.  But when she meets people who have magical powers but didn't make the grade, she starts to have doubts.  She has made several mistakes and broken some rules.  Is she cut out to be a mage, and what will she do if she doesn't make it?

This disc includes the following episodes:

Episode 5 – An Apron and Champaign:  Runa, a little girl that Yumi has befriended, runs away from home.   Runa's mother is worried about her and would like Yumi to use her powers to find the missing girl.  But Yumi suspects that it might be better to look for her on foot.

Episode 6 - I Want to be a Mage:  Kera, the man who works in a nearby bar, grew up in an orphanage.  When some children from the same home are hurt in a flash flood, Kera wants to help them badly, but he can't because he doesn't have any powers.
 
Episode 7 – The Mage Who Couldn't Become a Mage:  Yumi learns how had it is to get a license when she meets young Inoue, an apprentice with a big heart, but not much talent.  She is also introduced to several people with powers who couldn't pass the tests.  Will all the mistakes she has made, Yumi starts doubting herself.  Will she be able to accomplish what these other people haven't?

Episode 8 – Enormous Power on the Name of Love:  Yumi's friend Angela comes from a strong magical family.  She is apprenticed to the greatest mage in Japan, and is confident to the point of being arrogant.  But why does she dislike Inoue so much?  And is it possible that her confident exterior is hiding the fragile scared girl underneath?

In this volume Yumi starts growing up.  She realizes that everything isn't as easy as she thought it would be, and that failure is a real possibility.  She starts examining things from a more mature perspective, and though she doesn't always like what she sees, Yumi doesn't run from it.

I really like this show.  As I said in my review of the first volume, Someday's Dreamers is not hectic and fast like much anime is, but deliberate and gentle.  The tone is subtle but not boring or dull.  The easiest comparison would be to Kiki's Delivery Service.  This show is very reminiscent of that movie, but it's not a clone or copy.  It has tone and voice all its own. This is a show that is well worth checking out.
 

This DVD gives you the option of listening to the show in the original Japanese or an English dub.  Both are in stereo.  There are removable subtitles for the signs in the show, and an English translation.

I viewed this DVD listening to both tracks, and I prefer the audio for the original language to the English dub.  The dub was a good one, with the voice actors putting a lot of feeling into their characters, but it didn't seem to have the impact that the Japanese track did.   I also didn't care for Angela's voice in the dub.  She is from England, and while the actor dubbing her voice wisely decided not to give her a strong British accent, the accent they did give her, while more subtle, didn't sound realistic.

The sound is very clear and crisp.  The slightest background sound was easy to discern.  The music would often start of softly and swell over the course of a scene.  It was very effective technique and added a lot to the feel of the show.  There was good use made of the front soundstage also.

Video:

The video was presented with a 1.33:1 aspect ration, and looked pretty good.  The image was soft, and the colors were a little muted, but I suspect that was a conscience choice that the creators made.  The tones and colors of the show fit well with its slower pace.

The Extras:

There were three short Japanese TV commercials advertising the show, a five-minute interview with Japanese voice actress Aio Miyazaki, and a 7 ½ minute reel of previews.  I really don't like preview reels were all the trailers are strung together.  I much prefer being able to see a menu of the available shows so I can chose which one's I'd like to view.

Final Thoughts:

Someday's Dreamers is quite and simple, but touching.  It is a nice change of pace from the battle intensive anime that is very popular of both sides of the Pacific.  The magic in this show takes a back seat to the story of a young girl who is learning what it means to be an adult.  Highly Recommended.