Someday’s Dreamers ~ Summer Skies episode 4
Posted by: Yamcha in Anime, Someday's Dreamers: Summer Skies
This episode shifts the focus to Gouta, who has largely been ignored up to this point. Gouta spaces out during class and remembers the normal life he had until his father’s mage lineage was revealed, which caused his parents to have an argument and split up. Once the word spread, Gouta faced discrimination as a mage from his classmates and former friends at school.
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Gouta’s current magic request is to help a freelance writer find an insurance card. Once he and Saori-sensei arrive, the client asks the mages to clean his house and the card will eventually appear in the process. The client’s demand angers Gouta, but he and the instructor have to honor the request. Meanwhile, Sora and Hiyori enjoy a day on the town. Later that evening, Gouta treats Sora to dinner at a turntable sushi restaurant.
Gouta’s and Saori-sensei’s magic request the next day is for a woman trying to remember a nostalgic taste. After hearing the description of what she wants, Gouta makes a suggestion to Saori-sensei to conjure breast milk in a glass. Gouta explains that it is, “a taste full of love”. The client is truly grateful and thanks Gouta for knowing what she wanted. Later we also learn a bit about Saori-sensei whose daughter ran away from home three years ago.
Thoughts:
Gouta finally gets some screentime. Though his past was briefly explained, his story and relationship with Sora are still shallow. At least the mage discrimination point so prominently featured in the first two series was finally brought up. It’s an accurate insight that normal people fear and loathe those that are different. Gouta’s shallow friends were quick to accuse and shun him for his mage lineage. They sound like great friends to me. I think Summer Skies may be oversimplifying the discrimination but at least it’s getting covered.
The way the anime is going, I don’t think the Sora/Gouta relationship is going to happen. The two bonded from the very beginning of their manga meeting with an initial love-hate relationship, but Gouta hardly talks to Sora in the anime. The relationship would have progressed nicely had Gouta told his backstory over dinner. At least that way they still wouldn’t seem so distant from each other with 1/3 of the story now finished.
I’ve said this a couple of times before and I’ll say it again. Anime Sora and Gouta are totally different from their original counterparts. They’re kind of like Twinkies with the cream filling taken out. They still look like what they’re supposed to be, but they’re lacking that special something… The spark. Well no matter. I’ve made myself hungry just writing this. I’m on the fence about dropping Summer Skies. Next episode will be make or break time.
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Not knowing the original Gouta, I thought this was a pretty good character introduction episode. But I definitely agree that there isn’t that much valuable interaction for the major personalities in this series.
I’m also not altogether sure if this show will turn out right, but it’s still quietly satisfying in an uneventful but pretty way, although the “oh yeah, I’ve got breast cancer” bit was kind of lame. I guess they’ll try to rally the plot for a late emotional climax, who knows whether the writers can do it?
I guess I’m not giving this show a fair shake since I already have experience with the series. This wasn’t a bad introduction to Gouta’s character but too much time was wasted to finally get to this point.
There are still plenty of episodes left but the pacing still feels a bit off. I suspect the story will lead to a late emotional climax like you said. The original series did the same thing, but there was proper build up to it. So far the Sora/Gouta relationship is barely off of square one. At least the original writer, Norie Yamada, is on the staff so the story is still salvageable.
Personally, I love the pacing. Seems so realistic. The way Gouta and Sora talk, the way they sort of avoid each other.
Also, it’s amazing how they make Gouta appear. He has some deep thoughts all the time and was a gifted student back in his old life but now he’s taken off guard in his new school, he has trouble communicating effectively because of the discrimination he faced. He’s really a mess and it’s the only thing other people see. He’s stuck in between discrimination and being some sort poster-mage that can’t use magic.
I really hope he can pull off some magic.
I have no experience with the series and I didn’t read the manga BTW.
jp_zer0s last blog post…Anime, a giant waste of time?
@Jp_zer0: Nice philosophical, objective look at the situation. I suppose I’m still too focused on the manga to look at what really matters. I may have to borrow that snippet for the next post since you hit on the point so well. ^_~