Ask John: Which Anime Setting or World Would John Like to Live In?

Question:
Which anime setting or world would you like to live in if you didn’t have the abilities or skills of the main character (if you are simply one of the regular inhabitants)? For example, I love Fullmetal Alchemist, but if I didn’t know any alchemy, then I don’t know that I would want to live there.

Answer:
Honestly, this question may not be particularly educational, but it is fun. And answering it seriously might encourage a second thought about one’s favorite anime series.

I’m personally inclined to exclude worlds or universes that resemble our own in different times. Living in the future depicted by Cowboy Bebop, or the realistic past such as Victorian Romance Emma may be fun or interesting, but a desire to live in a time either ahead or before our own suggests an unhappiness with my present life. Since I’m perfectly happy living my present life in the present time, I can’t envision myself transposing to a primitive world. While I respect frontiersmen, I’m too addicted to my modern conveniences and comforts to eagerly give them up. I think it’s also reasonable for me to want to avoid dangerous living conditions. There are far too many anime worlds that may be interesting or attractive for a safe and comfortable external observer, but dangerous for an actual resident. For example, I like the world of Dragon Ball, in which humans and humanoid animals co-exist, and hoipoi capsules provide instant access to virtually anything. But the Dragon Ball world has a tendency to get destroyed frequently, and everyday citizens in the Dragon Ball universe meet untimely, random deaths much too often to make me feel comfortable.

After some consideration, I’m partial to the world depicted in Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Someday’s Dreamers~ because it’s essentially the familiar modern world, but with a bit more magic, literally. In typical magical girl anime set in the real world, access to, and the benefits of magic are only accessible to select individuals. In the world of Someday’s Dreamers, magic is a public resource that everyone has access to. The world of Someday’s Dreamers is our world, with the added benefit that nothing is impossible; it’s a more hopeful version of the everyday world that all of us are familiar with. That setting would allow me to continue my life as it is right now, but always have the security of knowing that there’s always a solution for every problem – a bit of magic around to serve as a last resort to overcome seemingly insurmountable problems.