Customer Reviews

Someday's Dreamers: Spellbound Volume 1

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Sometimes true love can't wait forever"...or so it says in the book description and on the back of the book itself. I've no idea why it says that, as that phrase has absolutely nothing to do with the story. So, ignoring the marketing...

Matsuo Nami is an eighteen year old schoolgirl and magic user in Nagasaki who has never cast a magic spell successfully in her life. She's terrible at magic, and it has gnawed away at her on the inside, turning her into a shy, apologetic and closed-off girl who puts on a sweet front but doesn't think she can talk about her real feelings. So, instead of practicing magic, she has turned to photography, and somehow finds some solace through taking pictures, though she herself is not sure how or why.

Then enter the guy of the story, Tominaga Ryutaro, a transfer student from Yokohama with a "mysterious past" (didn't Suzumiya Haruhi say something about "mysterious transfer students"?).....which in my opinion "mysterious past" only means that nothing is revealed about his background in this volume. At first he seems like a sullen, violent delinquent who misses way too much school, but soon it's discovered that he has a soft and caring side as well. This catches the attention of Nami, as she begins to have growing feelings for him.

One thing that's nice about this story is that it seems very subtle. Nothing's really over-the-top. Thoughts and feelings aren't out in the open (usually). Many times characters aren't even aware of their own feelings, or motivations for why they do what they do.

Yet, why Nami would have feelings for Ryutaro in the first place is still a little beyond me. After he nearly runs over her with his motorcycle in the first pages of the story, and then was very rude to her about it.....and then later on when he yells at her over something and she realizes through his yelling that she's in love with him.....I just have to wonder where this girl is getting her feelings from. Doesn't make much sense to me. But I guess that's just romance manga for ya.

I'll probably plow through a second volume of this series anyway, since Nami herself is cute. The cute artwork of her on the cover and throughout the book is mainly what drew me to pick up this manga (and that I was already familiar with the Someday's Dreamers world). And also there's a couple of other sidelong crushes that pop up in the story. Apparently another guy....and another girl....have crushes on Nami, while Nami herself is unaware of their affections. And so yes, I just gotta find out what happens next.