Idol Dreams, Vol. 3

31☆アイドリーム [31 Ai Dream] #3

by Arina Tanemura

To pursue missed chances at love and success, 31-year-old Chikage Deguchi takes an experimental drug that changes her appearance back to how she looked at age 15. Chikage meets Tokita and her first love, Haru, for drinks. Tokita has been able to keep his feelings for Chikage a secret, but Haru isn’t fooled…

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Josei, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Shojo

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2015

About the author

Arina Tanemura (種村有菜) was born on March 12, 1978. She's the author of Full Moon O Sagashite, Time Stranger Kyoko, Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne, The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross, Sakura Hime Kaden, and more.

Her favorite hobby is Karaoke. One song that she sings is Smile, originally by Myco. She has two cats, named Riku and Kai. She has one elder and one younger sister and one brother. She's the type who hates to lose in anything. She also likes Ribon.

Reviews

[Jenny Clark]

I love Arina Tanemura usually but this series is out there. I do enjoy both parts, adult and teen, and I don't mind the teen boys asking her out because they don't know the truth. My issue lies in the fact that she knows she is 31, and supposed to be a responsible adult, despite reverting to 15, and yet consents to date a 15 year old... just no...

[🌟Star🌟]

The story is going great but Chikage needs to think about the relationships she's having with these idols and the people around them. I mean, she's not really a 15 year old. It's nice that she's trying to better herself but her time with Ru and Hibiki has an expiration date imo. Sooner or later this lifestyle will come to an end.

[Melanie Schneider]

Ich mag die Geschichte ganz gern, wie sich in beiden Lebensaltern Parallelen ergeben und Deguchi hoffentlich auch nach und nach fürs Leben lernt. Noch ist sie oft arg daneben, aber sie beginnt, sich mehr zu trauen, das gefällt mir.

[Rebecca]

I love Arina Tanemura and any permutation of magical girl she cares to give me, but Akari/Chikage is making some terrible decisions in this volume.

[D.T. Henderson]

Again, this series was on display at the library, so I decided to read volumes 1 - 5.

Well, this volume was more entertaining, but the men/boys in this story are way too aggressive. I thought Haru was cool, but then he came with some foolishness. "Yeah, I lied about us having a friendly get together with another friend. I have you all alone in my apartment, so you can see me as a man/romantically." NO THANKS, HARU!

Also, we've have reached a point where a 31-year-old woman (who has taken a magical potion to become 15 years old again) is seriously dating another 15-year-old.


At some point, you have to say that's wrong. If not morally at least emotionally, you're playing with someone's heart and portraying yourself as someone else.

[Emma]

Read - Sept 2016
Re-read - Nov 2018. I loved all the scenes in the present day. I hope Chikage doesn’t pursue the younger boys, and rather uses the experience to bolster her confidence as Adult Chikage.
Re-read July 2020

[Jenna D.]

Yeesh! Is *everyone* in love with the main character?! And though I still know who I am rooting for, I'm turned off by the cliffhanger in this volume.

I'm concerned for this series, majorly concerned...

[Casey]

I need volume 4 now

[Raven]

This one was my least favourite so far. As mentioned the whole 30-year-old turning into a 15-year-old is already weird enough so now the fact that this 31-year-old is now dating a 15-year-old and seemingly taking it serious is really weird to me.

I know Japanese culture is very different from American culture but I couldn’t help that being in the back of my mind.

She knows that she’s a 31-year-old adult and she still excepted the proposal of a 15 year old to go out on a date. I just can’t… and although I know it’s not gonna go anywhere it’s still a little weird for me.

[DonutKnow]

Nothing beats classic shoujo manga in those moments when you need a little bit of cringe and cuteness ❤️

[Mai]

forget love triangles! its a love quintett(?)

[Kristin ✨]

She has two adult men chasing after her that she likes, and still she accepts the feelings of a 15 year old boy that she barely knows? That pretty out there. And I know we are supposed to let it slide since she is supposed to be innocent, but that really is unforgivable and messed up.

[Miss Susan]

i am still full of true yikes at chikage's life choices when she's presenting as fifteen years old

2 stars

[Christyn]

3.5/5 Stars

Idol Dreams, Volume 3 was quite a ride. It was both my favorite in the series so far, but also the one I was left with mixed feelings with at the end. The beginning focuses a lot on Chikage Deguchi (that is, her grown up self). We also get a better look at Haru, and at the relationships between the three, Deguchi, Tokita and Haru. There is some communication, and quite a bit of confused feelings. But I actually really liked Haru in this, he seems to be the one out of the three that is perhaps the most mature and most aware. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out through the series, especially with Tokita in his current will he, won't he.

Then we get Deguchi back as Akari, and there is even more mixed up feelings going on. But at least she is getting better with communication and more willing to try things. I'm not sure how I feel about what's going on with Ru, Akari and Hibiki (It's the fact that my brain is still, she's a 31 year old woman, and these are 15 year old boys, even if she is physically a 15 year old girl, granted there are times she has the mentality/emotional response of a 15 year old but still). I mean at least she was open with Ru about how she felt, but again, double life - someone is eventually gonna get hurt (even though I'm pretty sure there are probably at least a few characters in emotional turmoil right now). I am curious enough to continue the series and see how things unfold.

[Paul Spence]

In this volume, we get to see adult Chikage go on a date with her long-time crush from high school. This is good for her, though conflicting for the two men fighting for her and trying to be amicable to each other. Chikage has little experience, but it seems like this could be good for her to grow.

And then that half ends and Chikage goes back to being a teenager with two boys fighting over her. One of whom confesses, though I mostly feel bad for him. Because it’s clearly not going to work in his favor, and it’s just going to get messy from here.

I’m kind of annoyed that Chikage has at least four boys in love with her, two for each age. I’m also not a fan of her being a teenager again. I think her adult age is more interesting and more honest, so her changing to a kid so often bothers me.

I want to like this series more than I do. It’s Tanemura, so of course I like it on some level, but I really hope it gets better soon.

[TheCloudRunner]

I absolutely do not like where this series is going. Had I not bought the entire series at once, I would be stopping here.
I was prepared for the cliché love triangle even though I hate them, but any more than that and you've completely lost me. I've come to discover that this is called a "reverse harem" in manga and anime and I am NOT a fan.
Dumb, clueless, and naïve female lead, yet multiple guys are confessing their "love" to her. And don't even get me started on our 31 year old protagonist agreeing to date a guy half her age. Age gaps don't really bother me when both parties are at least over the age of 22. But 31 and 15????
No.
No, no, no.
Just because the MC can physically turn into her 15 year old self doesn't mean anything. She is still a 31 year old woman with her 31 year old memories, taking a pill that only makes her LOOK fifteen again.
*Sigh*
This volume still had some comedy in it that made me laugh but...yikes.

[Buchstabenschloss]

Inhalt

Endlich scheint sich alles zum Guten zu wenden. Die Liebe ihres Lebens ist in sie verliebt. Aber auch Tokita scheint immer noch in Chikage verliebt zu sein. Und als wenn das nicht reicht, verliebt sich auch noch Ru in sie. Zum Schluss ist sie mit Ru zusammen, aber nicht mit Tokita oder Haru.

​
Cover

Auf dem Cover sieht man Tokita mit den I Dream Pillen. Ich finde, dass er hier aussieht wie ein Labormitarbeiter. Das finde ich etwas schade.

​
Meinung

Dieser Band hat mich ebenfalls überzeugt. Ich liebe die Dreiecksgeschichte zwischen Deguchi, Tokita und Haru. Einfach nur zum weglachen und fremdschämen teilweise. Aber richtig gut gemacht. Ich bin echt gespannt wer von den beiden das Rennen machen wird und ob überhaupt Jemand ihr Herz erobern kann.

[L. Luck]

Love pentagrams are pretty ridiculous (I am not a fan of triangles or harems anyway). There are a bunch of moments for funny antics, but, instead of Tanemura following through on those moments which can be silly but enjoyable, she cut them short to get to the romance. With 4 love interests, it's understandable, but makes reading the story more convoluted, yet also overly cliched. It's still a fun read for something silly and light, but I definitely don't think this is Tanemura's strongest work (and she has some masterful work). I still appreciate the premise of the series, although it fell by the wayside this volume, and I plan to continue.

3☆

[Mary]

I think Imma hurt myself if she doesn't end up with Tokita. Also, I really don't think she can or should end up with one of the young boys (as cute as they are) because she can't always be 15 and isn't that sort of like stealing their youth and first love? I don't know, this series is kind of awkward for me. Plus, I feel like we really need to learn a lot more about Hina (Tokita's girlfriend!?) - she seems suspicious (or a great future plot twist).

[Joshua]

Well now it's getting a bit frustrating. The main character really just needs to pick someone and get it over with at this point because it's getting ridiculous. That said, Haru is really handsome so I will keep reading but if he leaves for whatever reason, I'm done.

[Sarah]

I looooved Chikage’s storyline but once it went back to Akari’s I was kind of annoyed because it felt like filler…but knowing this author and her work I’m hoping as I continue the series that their stories intertwine at some point…guess I’ll have to keep reading to see. 😅😂

[Galion Public Library Teens]

Review by K.M.: "I like this series, but this volume ends in a cliffhanger!! Just an f.y.i. It's a cute story, though. Can't wait for the next volume and [to] see where the plot goes."

[R]

Eek! Fun story, love all over. I can't wait to see what happens!!

[feux d'artifice]

My opinion: as an adult you should know better

[Chaela]

WHY DID SHE AGREE TO DATE THE TEENAGER WHEN THERES 2 ADULT MEN THAT LOVE HER 😱

[Dani Schreiber]

Fantastic art but can you really be saying a 15 year old idol at 31…

[Ren]

Chikage. You disaster. You have two hot guys your age. Stop this.

[Chelsea]

👏🏽CHIKAGE!👏🏽WHAT👏🏽ARE👏🏽YOU👏🏽DOING?!?👏🏽YOU👏🏽ARE👏🏽NOT👏🏽 ACTUALLY 👏🏽15!!!👏🏽

[Kennedy Ray]

⭐️⭐️⭐️. 5

Tokita is so messy lol. Honestly, I love to see not one, but TWO men absolutely down bad and groveling after a woman. Thank you, Arina Tanemura.

[TheGeekishBrunette]

This was a pretty good volume! I don’t know why but whenever I read this series, it feels like a fly through each one, ha.

The last volume ended on quite the cliffhanger and this one starts where it left off. Chikage is finally making progress is the love departmen as her 31 year-old self and even her 15 year-old self.

As her 31 year-old self, she finally is able to talk to Haru. It’s kind of awkward and she makes Tokita come with her which is hilarous. You can see the start of a love triangle but also not because Haru sees what the others don’t. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

As her 15 year-old self, someone confesses his feelings for her and she decides to give it a chance because she needs to experiment with relationships. She has never been in one and this is her chance to see what it is about. Now, I don’t know how I feel about it because technically she is an adult. It definitely can be seen as crossing a line.

It does end on a cliffhanger once again so I will continue on and see what comes of it.