31 Ai Dream: Quasi Maho-Shojo with a twist?

Alchemical Night · 01-21-2015

Hi there,

As I have said in the past, I am not a frequent poster to this particular forum, but encountering shmendrik's post on new age regression manga left me fascinated; particularly in the case of a new series from Arina Tanemura, known as "31 Ai Dream".

http://www.process-productions.com/f...02&postcount=2

After mulling over what I read and have seen thus far, I will proffer a little review, though I will also say - for those that know me from other forums - I will make a few allusions to an older - perhaps the quintessential - work on dual identities; not from fixation, but to make the scenarios more immediately digestible.

Though I am familiar with Tanemura's work from the maho-shoujo franchise "Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne", and knowing of her other alter-ego, age hopping manga in "Full Moon O Sagashite", I was intrigued with the new, vivid and intelligent dynamic proffered in this story.

To date, there are ten chapters released; four translated into English, while the remaining six are Chinese translations of the original Japanese.

In essence, the story opens with an almost quintessential portrait of a maho-shojo - and Japanese - trope in a "School Idol" and class president, feted by most and endeared to all, preparing to progress to High School, but unable to confess her feelings to anyone. Moving on, sixteen years later, we find that same girl now thirty one years old, and far removed from her immaculate, promising days: Chikage Deguchi now a passively jaded, stayed and isolated member of a magazine's editorial staff. Wistful of her past, a school reunion ends in humiliation as she is confronted, ostensibly, with what she has become in her listless, cumbersome obscurity - in addition to her kiss less virginity too.

An attempt to take her own life, however, leads to a reunion with a little known member of her old class and a heartfelt, vociferous confession that she wants to go back to those teenage days when things were so different for her. Incredibly, he agrees and proposes a miraculous medicine which will rejuvenate her. Taking it, she undergoes a swift transformation back to her teenage youth, the girl she was those years past, and finds herself restored to that singular vitality and color.

It's here that a coincidence sweeps the rejuvenated Chikage into the eclectic world of J-Pop celebrity, and soon its associated challenges too. Drawn to this extraordinary, promising new youth, she eagerly grasps the possibility before her; her winsome, energetic teenage alter-ego taking up the name of "Akari" as she walks ever deeper into a remarkable new life...

Akari & Chikage (Official art taken from a fan site)

The proceeding chapters do well in their exploration of this for both personas, though one of the most singular, intriguing elements of this work is its revision - if not deconstruction - of the more classical maho-shojo narrative; something Arina does with a canny sensibility and wry wit when taken in the wider context. More so, to compound the challenges consequential to age and identity hopping shenanigans, is the sub-plot which informs and colors much of what transpires, but is left presently ambiguous.

For instance, why was the remarkable drug project abandoned? What are the potential side effects so alluded to earlier? And who else may have access to it? These questions splice the growing intrigue surrounding the issue of identity for the protagonist; an issue that has been fun and challenging but it remains, perhaps inevitably, as to what will become of the situation. Such as, are there other agendas, relative to this remarkable medicine? What role does Chikage/Akari play in their intrigues and, of course, the question of what nature compels her more. The nascent duality so sired between the thirty one year old Chikage and her teenage alter-ego in Akari has yet to latently bite, but even now there are allusions to future problems as their respective worlds can never both be wholly distinct, more so the over lap between them and the challenges therein.

Thinking now of Jekyll/Hyde, there is a good deal of this manga that bares a resemblance or is sometimes analogous to that story; in particular the reasoning and creeping dynamic which precipitates the growing duality of the main character. Even though it remains that Chikage's life has become much more exciting and colourful, it is that her more mundane existence is brought into ever more stark contrast by the sparkle and excitement of her other: a despondency fuelled by her liking of Akari's singular nature and of the growing friends and responsibilities she is gaining. All this compelling her to take the drug again becomes a major pretext for her alter-ego's existence - not to mention the possibility of relationships, intimacy and love she so felt she had long ago missed.

My detractors may rightly feel I am over analysing these trends and tendencies, though the possibility of a deciding clash between these respective natures to decide primacy could very well be the sombre, or off road conclusion to this story, as is so often the case with Jekyll/Hyde narratives. A potential which Arina has not shied away from when dealing with some of the darker, haunting aspects of her stories with transformation, identity and the existential bind which defines them.

Though a deal of this review is conjecture, I would highly recommend this series as a unique, compelling and genuinely fascinating story of divided identities and transformation from a talent who is not afraid to explore the darker, more rugged consequences of such possibilities

.

Thanks,

Alchemical Night.

godleydemon · 01-21-2015

A remarkably well written review. I used to do review's on short stories some of the authors would put on here and this specific manga had caught my eye somewhat. I had thought about several times on writing a review for it, but the problem was, I didn't know how I felt about it.

Process wise, it's very lacking in, despite her multiple transformations, from what I can remember. You only ever see any type of process the first time, but! The story line that is presented to you, is superb. It really delves into the problems associated with something like this happening and a human being trying to live two lives and what that entails. The writing is very well done and the characters excellently flushed out.

So for process material, this really isn't the type of manga you'll want to go to. For amazing story line, characters and the duality of a transformation. This is the Manga you'll want to stare at for long periods at a time, reading in your highback chair, smoking a cigar and going, "Well I say.." It's just that high class.

I can't recommend this manga enough if your into maho-shojo and give it a chance even if your not. Since as the person above me has alluded to, it goes against some of the grain that is a modern maho-shojo manga.

Shmendrick · 01-22-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alchemical Night

My detractors may rightly feel I am over analysing these trends and tendencies, though the possibility of a deciding clash between these respective natures to decide primacy could very well be the sombre, or off road conclusion to this story, as is so often the case with Jekyll/Hyde narratives. A potential which Arina has not shied away from when dealing with some of the darker, haunting aspects of her stories with transformation, identity and the existential bind which defines them.

I don't think you are over analyzing, but then again I spent a few hours reading several threads in a discussion of Madoka Magica that went into Utilitarianism and threw in Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill and others.
http://wiki.puella-magi.net/Talk:Phi..._human_race.21
^_^

I wonder where this the story may be going since it does have the possibility that if the medicine ever proves to be ineffective or harmful to her, could she even go permanently back to 'normal' life again. Most magical girl stories go from a younger girl to an adult standpoint but rarely go the other way around. So, yes, this IS quasi mahou shojo with a twist built in.

I started watching mahou shojo anime when I started watching anime in the first place and the pattern is you usually get to see the main character ultimately lose her powers in the end and the reader can see how they have matured in some way from when they got their magic in the first place.

For Chikage maybe it would be the reverse and she will get some youthful enthusiasm back. At 31, she's already surprisingly cynical and fatalistic, so what is happening to her as an idol will hopefully effect some positive change in her adult life. I'm a sucker for slice of life stories with happy (just not overly sweet or contrived) endings, since that's what keeps me reading this stuff anyway. >.<

01-21-2015	#1
Alchemical Night Watcher Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 258	31 Ai Dream: Quasi Maho-Shojo with a twist? Hi there, As I have said in the past, I am not a frequent poster to this particular forum, but encountering shmendrik's post on new age regression manga left me fascinated; particularly in the case of a new series from Arina Tanemura, known as "31 Ai Dream". http://www.process-productions.com/f...02&postcount=2 After mulling over what I read and have seen thus far, I will proffer a little review, though I will also say - for those that know me from other forums - I will make a few allusions to an older - perhaps the quintessential - work on dual identities; not from fixation, but to make the scenarios more immediately digestible. Though I am familiar with Tanemura's work from the maho-shoujo franchise "Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne", and knowing of her other alter-ego, age hopping manga in "Full Moon O Sagashite", I was intrigued with the new, vivid and intelligent dynamic proffered in this story. To date, there are ten chapters released; four translated into English, while the remaining six are Chinese translations of the original Japanese. In essence, the story opens with an almost quintessential portrait of a maho-shojo - and Japanese - trope in a "School Idol" and class president, feted by most and endeared to all, preparing to progress to High School, but unable to confess her feelings to anyone. Moving on, sixteen years later, we find that same girl now thirty one years old, and far removed from her immaculate, promising days: Chikage Deguchi now a passively jaded, stayed and isolated member of a magazine's editorial staff. Wistful of her past, a school reunion ends in humiliation as she is confronted, ostensibly, with what she has become in her listless, cumbersome obscurity - in addition to her kiss less virginity too. An attempt to take her own life, however, leads to a reunion with a little known member of her old class and a heartfelt, vociferous confession that she wants to go back to those teenage days when things were so different for her. Incredibly, he agrees and proposes a miraculous medicine which will rejuvenate her. Taking it, she undergoes a swift transformation back to her teenage youth, the girl she was those years past, and finds herself restored to that singular vitality and color. It's here that a coincidence sweeps the rejuvenated Chikage into the eclectic world of J-Pop celebrity, and soon its associated challenges too. Drawn to this extraordinary, promising new youth, she eagerly grasps the possibility before her; her winsome, energetic teenage alter-ego taking up the name of "Akari" as she walks ever deeper into a remarkable new life... Akari & Chikage (Official art taken from a fan site) The proceeding chapters do well in their exploration of this for both personas, though one of the most singular, intriguing elements of this work is its revision - if not deconstruction - of the more classical maho-shojo narrative; something Arina does with a canny sensibility and wry wit when taken in the wider context. More so, to compound the challenges consequential to age and identity hopping shenanigans, is the sub-plot which informs and colors much of what transpires, but is left presently ambiguous. For instance, why was the remarkable drug project abandoned? What are the potential side effects so alluded to earlier? And who else may have access to it? These questions splice the growing intrigue surrounding the issue of identity for the protagonist; an issue that has been fun and challenging but it remains, perhaps inevitably, as to what will become of the situation. Such as, are there other agendas, relative to this remarkable medicine? What role does Chikage/Akari play in their intrigues and, of course, the question of what nature compels her more. The nascent duality so sired between the thirty one year old Chikage and her teenage alter-ego in Akari has yet to latently bite, but even now there are allusions to future problems as their respective worlds can never both be wholly distinct, more so the over lap between them and the challenges therein. Thinking now of Jekyll/Hyde, there is a good deal of this manga that bares a resemblance or is sometimes analogous to that story; in particular the reasoning and creeping dynamic which precipitates the growing duality of the main character. Even though it remains that Chikage's life has become much more exciting and colourful, it is that her more mundane existence is brought into ever more stark contrast by the sparkle and excitement of her other: a despondency fuelled by her liking of Akari's singular nature and of the growing friends and responsibilities she is gaining. All this compelling her to take the drug again becomes a major pretext for her alter-ego's existence - not to mention the possibility of relationships, intimacy and love she so felt she had long ago missed. My detractors may rightly feel I am over analysing these trends and tendencies, though the possibility of a deciding clash between these respective natures to decide primacy could very well be the sombre, or off road conclusion to this story, as is so often the case with Jekyll/Hyde narratives. A potential which Arina has not shied away from when dealing with some of the darker, haunting aspects of her stories with transformation, identity and the existential bind which defines them. Though a deal of this review is conjecture, I would highly recommend this series as a unique, compelling and genuinely fascinating story of divided identities and transformation from a talent who is not afraid to explore the darker, more rugged consequences of such possibilities . Thanks, Alchemical Night. Last edited by Alchemical Night; 01-21-2015 at 09:20 PM.

01-21-2015	#2
godleydemon Can I have a cookie Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Wasilla, Alaska, US Posts: 706	Re: 31 Ai Dream: Quasi Maho-Shojo with a twist? A remarkably well written review. I used to do review's on short stories some of the authors would put on here and this specific manga had caught my eye somewhat. I had thought about several times on writing a review for it, but the problem was, I didn't know how I felt about it. Process wise, it's very lacking in, despite her multiple transformations, from what I can remember. You only ever see any type of process the first time, but! The story line that is presented to you, is superb. It really delves into the problems associated with something like this happening and a human being trying to live two lives and what that entails. The writing is very well done and the characters excellently flushed out. So for process material, this really isn't the type of manga you'll want to go to. For amazing story line, characters and the duality of a transformation. This is the Manga you'll want to stare at for long periods at a time, reading in your highback chair, smoking a cigar and going, "Well I say.." It's just that high class. I can't recommend this manga enough if your into maho-shojo and give it a chance even if your not. Since as the person above me has alluded to, it goes against some of the grain that is a modern maho-shojo manga. __________________