DearS

DearS
Cover art of first Tokyopop manga featuring Ren
ディアーズ (Diāzu)
Genre	Romantic comedy, science fiction
Manga
Written by	Peach-Pit
Published by	MediaWorks
English publisher	NA: Tokyopop
Magazine	Dengeki Comic Gao! → Dengeki Maoh
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	October 2001 – November 2005
Volumes	8
Anime television series
Directed by	Iku Suzuki
Produced by	Hisanori Kunisaki Nobuhiro Ōsawa Takayasu Hatano
Written by	Takao Yoshioka
Music by	Tomoki Hasegawa
Studio	Daume
Licensed by	NA: Discotek Media
Original network	Television Kanagawa, Chiba TV
Original run	July 10, 2004 – September 26, 2004
Episodes	13
Video game
Developer	MediaWorks
Publisher	MediaWorks
Genre	Visual novel
Platform	PlayStation 2
Released	June 24, 2004

DearS (ディアーズ, Diāzu) is an ecchi shōnen Japanese manga series co-written and illustrated by Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara, credited under their pen name Peach-Pit. It was serialized monthly by MediaWorks in their magazines Dengeki Comic Gao! from October 2001 to September 2005 and Dengeki Maoh from October to November 2005 and was later published into ten volumes by the company. The manga was licensed and translated into English by Tokyopop. A 13-episode anime was adapted by MSJ and a PlayStation 2 video game was produced by MediaWorks.

Plot

Exactly one year prior to the beginning of DearS, humanity made unprecedented contact with extraterrestrial life. Forced to crash land into Tokyo Bay when, en route to their home planet of Thanatos, their spacecraft breaks down, 150 humanoid aliens are naturalized into Japanese society and affectionately nicknamed "DearS"; a portmanteau of the words "Dear" and "Friends". The crashed aliens consist entirely of individuals from a genetically modified "slave race" designed to enjoy slavery.

Takeya Ikuhara is a temperamental seventeen-year-old Japanese student attending the fictitious Koharu High School with a strong prejudice against the DearS. Due to a childhood scare, he believes that the aliens are fake, worthless beings that have generated nationwide overhype and are secretly plotting to take control of Earth.

On his way home from school he discovers a homeless DearS who, after fainting and much to his annoyance, he feeds and shelters in his apartment. The girl, who he nicknames Ren, is infantile and friendly, and grows obsequious and dependent upon Takeya, and calling him "Master", a responsibility he tries to disassociate himself from. Her oblivious tenacity keeps her around, however, and over time, realizing Ren's genuine care and empathy for him, Takeya has a change of heart. Unfortunately, because Ren is deemed defective, DearS headquarters orders her arrest.

Characters

Main article: List of DearS characters

Media

Manga

DearS began as a manga series co-written and illustrated by Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara, credited under their pen name Peach-Pit, which was serialized in MediaWorks' Dengeki Comic Gao! manga magazine from October 2001 to November 2005. The manga was compiled into ten tankōbon volumes released by MediaWorks in Japan. The series was later translated into English and German by Tokyopop, French by Semic Comics and Italian by Flashbook Editore.

Volume list

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	March 2002	978-4-8402-2086-6	January 11, 2005	978-1-59532-308-8
Chapters 1–6
2	September 27, 2002	978-4-8402-2206-8	April 12, 2005	978-1-59532-309-5
Chapters 7–12
3	March 2003	978-4-8402-2343-0	July 12, 2005	978-1-59532-310-1
Chapters 13–18
4	September 27, 2003	978-4-8402-2478-9	October 11, 2005	978-1-59532-311-8
Chapters 19–23 Extra Contact Spring Contact Character Gallery
5	March 27, 2004	978-4-8402-2651-6	January 10, 2006	978-1-59532-797-0
Chapters 24–28 Setting Data Collection
6	August 27, 2004	978-4-8402-2797-1	April 11, 2006	978-1-59532-798-7
Chapters 29–33
7	March 26, 2005	978-4-8402-3011-7	July 3, 2006	978-1-59816-185-4
Chapters 34–39
8	December 17, 2005	978-4-8402-3289-0	November 7, 2006	978-1-59816-861-7
Chapters 40–46 Later Contact

Anime

Main article: List of DearS episodes

DearS was adapted into a twelve episode television and single original video animation anime by MSJ with co-production by Bandai Visual, Geneon Entertainment, Lantis and TeaM DearS. The series was directed by Iku Suzuki. The series was broadcast on Chiba TV, TV Kanagawa, TV Saitama, Tokyo MX TV, TV Santerebi, TV Aichi and TVQ Kyushu from July 10 to September 26, 2004. Four DVD compilation volumes were released from August 2, 2005 to February 21, 2006. The anime's opening theme is "Love Slave" (ラブスレイブ) by Under17 and the ending theme is "Happy Cosmos" by Poppins. The anime has been re-licensed by Discotek Media.

Video game

A visual novel video game was developed and published by MediaWorks for the PlayStation 2. It was released on June 24, 2004. It received a C rating by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization.

References

Book references

• Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (2014). The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation. Stone Bridge Press. 1200. ISBN 9781611729092.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• DearS (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• DearS (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia