[Manga] Mini Review – 31☆idream (Vol.1~4)

31☆idream is an on-going series by Arina Tanemura, first published back in 2013 and still going. The latest volume released was released last year in November, seeing that I tried out Akumi ni Chic x Hack, I thought I may as well try this one.

It seems like the publisher for this series, Melody, asked Tanemura to make a “magical girl manga for adult readers”, limiting Tanemura from the stuff she’s well know for and the result of all that is this series. There are subtle themes/tropes that you’d find in the magical girl genre, like having an alter ego, transforming into someone else, the dual personalities one has to balance as well as their lifestyles, but rather than being pure fantasy, it is a bit more grounded and realistic than the average ‘mahou shoujo’ manga. No talking animal mascots here lol.

There are a few moments at the first two volumes where it becomes painfully relatable, especially for me seeing that the heroine is too similar personality wise haha.

Chikage Deguchi has no social life, always working hard at her office job despite having a few slip ups. Even at 31 years old, she never had a boyfriend and cannot be calm around guys unless they’re married or have a girlfriend. The followers on her twitter are bots, female co-workers talk behind her back and to top it all off, she has been labeled as a “喪女” (a woman who is not liked by men, not attractive) because she lacks the sex appeal/femininity as the women around her age has.

But back when she was 15, she was well loved by all as the class president, considered the Madonna of the classroom and on the day of her middle school graduation she received dozens of confessions from guys, especially from her crush whom she was never able to find the right words to reciprocate his feelings and left him hanging.

After going to her middle school reunion, she meets an old friend, Tokita, and a female classmate, Yumiko, who accidentally announces to the whole crowd that Chikage is still a 処女/shojo (a virgin) at 31 years old which grabs the attention of her crush from middle school, Haruki, and embarrasses Chikage that she goes and try to drink her sorrows away at home (with a small beer can that still somehow gets her drunk).

She posted it on twitter while drunk which becomes office gossip with her female coworkers that she overhears and runs away to the streets to see that Haruki dating Yumiko. That’s when Chikage snaps, attempts to drown herself in the river when Tokita finds her and stops her from taking her life.

Chikage tells Tokita that she wishes she could go back to being a 15 year old and fix her life so she won’t be a 喪女/mojo. Lucky for her, Tokita has been working on this experimental drug that makes people younger called “i dream”, but only lasts for 5~6 hours per pill. Not knowing if the drug will be lethal or not, Chikage still takes it and turns into her youthful 15 year old self.

And so begins Chikage’s double life between a 31 year old office worker and a 15 year old aspiring idol…

31 years old. Parents were strict with her which resulted in her focusing only on her work. After graduating middle school, she was put into an all-girls school which made it hard for her to get used to men.

She’s clumsy, hardly smiles and doesn’t dress too flash nor takes any risks. She’s not girly at all and very weak when drinking alcohol.

31 years old. Works at a pharmaceutical company and is the only one who knows ‘Akari’ (Chikage’s alias as a 15 year old when taking i dream) is actually Chikage. He finds anyway to help her to grant her wish to fix her life as a 15 year old girl. Also has a girlfriend.

He was friends with Chikage and Haruki back in middle school, they were the only ones who talked to him. He was bullied by his classmates.

31 years old. A business man, he began dating Yumiko after the middle school reunion party. Back in middle school he was also class president with Chikage.

As described by Chikage, he is very friendly/gentle and was an honor student. He had a crush on Chikage but it is unknown how he feels about her now.

15 years old. Chikage when she takes the i dream pill. She is bright, clumsy like Chikage, and whenever she tries to smile she always does it with a peace sign.

Chikage somehow found herself taken to an idol agency to fill in a missing idol’s spot for a photoshoot. After some thought, Chikage decides to balance life as an idol as ‘Akari’, the alias she uses for her 15 year old appearance, to help improve her life and herself.

15 years old. Bears a strong resemblance to Haruki, however has the exact opposite personality. Acts like a brat sometimes, calling Akari ugly, but has his own way of caring for people.

He is called a prodigy because he’s so talented as an idol, that some can’t seem to catch up with him, creating the rumor that he sucks away the talent from others to become a top idol. He raises his four siblings by himself as his parents died, using his idol income to support them

15 years old. Nickname is Ruu-kun (or Roo-kun because his head is like a mushroom). He is part of an idol group with Hibiki called “Valentine”. Almost quit one time because he seemed to be falling behind and not performing well.

He’s the quiet type and seems to be brooding sometimes, but when he gets close to someone he’s able to smile and have fun.

When I first read the synopsis of this manga (which is much shorter than mine and got to the point