Someday's Dreamers: Spellbound: Volume 1

Nami has a keen interest in helping other people, and she finds herself drawn to the new boy in school, Ryutaro Tominaga.  A silent and sullen motorbike-riding teen, Ryutaro actually has a soft side, but he's reluctant to let down his guard.  Slowly, the two come together with various fits and starts.

Someday's Dreamers: Spellbound, even with the lead character having magical powers, is actually a high school melodrama and teen romance.  It is mannered in its pace, but the characters are as mercurial as real teenagers.  Writer Norie Yamada has created a compelling story of teens struggling with their futures and ambitions.  Kumichi Yoshizuki's art strikes the perfect note for this tale, acting almost like a straight man to Yamada's teen angst.

Here, the failure of magic is a metaphor for a time in life when the easy way won't get it, and here the struggle is more interesting than the magic.

6/10

Thanks to barnesandnoble.com for the images.