DearS

DearS
Cover art of first Tokyopop manga.
ディアーズ (Diāzu)
Genre	Romantic comedy, Sci-fi
Manga
Written by	Peach-Pit
Published by	MediaWorks
English publisher	Tokyopop
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Dengeki Comic Gao!
Original run	March 2002 – December 17, 2005
Volumes	8
TV anime
Directed by	Iku Suzuki
Produced by	Hisanori Kunisaki Nobuhiro Osawa Takayasu Hatano
Written by	Takao Yoshioka
Music by	Tomoki Hasegawa
Studio	Daume
Licensed by	Geneon Entertainment
Network	Chiba TV
Original run	July 10, 2004 – September 26, 2004
Episodes	12 + 1 OVA (List of episodes)
Original video animation
Kane no Tama desu no?
Directed by	Iku Suzuki
Written by	Takao Yoshioka
Music by	Tomoki Hasegawa
Studio	Daume
Licensed by	Geneon Entertainment
Released	April 21, 2005
Runtime	24 minutes
Game
Developer	MediaWorks
Publisher	MediaWorks
Genre	Visual novel
Rating	CERO: C
Platform	PlayStation 2
Released	June 24, 2004
Anime and Manga Portal

DearS (ディアーズ, Diāzu^?) is a 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 magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! from March 2002 to December 17, 2005 and was later published into a ten volume set 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.^[1]

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".

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.

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, 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 arrested.

Characters

Main article: List of DearS characters

Takeya Ikuhara (幾原 武哉, Ikuhara Takeya^?)

Voiced by: Kishô Taniyama (Japanese), Taliesin Jaffe (English)

Takeya Ikuhara is the unlikely protagonist of the series. A fastidious and impetuous student, his life becomes complicated when he becomes the unwanted target of affection and servility by a young female Dears, a citizen of the very people he dislikes. In spite of this rather, immature prejudice however, over the course of her stay and companionship with him, Takeya grows fond and solicitous of the girl, opening up more to his peers as well. Takeya lives alone rurally in an apartment and is employed as a sales associate at Bicep Videos, a video rental store. He is good friends with Neneko Izumi and Hikorou Oikawa and is the respective brother and stepson of Natsuki and Harumi Ikuhara.

Ren (レン, Ren^?)

Voiced by: Ai Shimizu (Japanese), Mia Bradly (English)

Ren Ren Ren Nagusaran Rensia Ruroonren Nakora (レン•レン•レン•ナグサラン•レンシーア•ルロオンレン•ナコラ^?),^[2] better known by her short name Ren, is a young female DearS.

Lost during shipment and freed of containment, Ren is found homeless by Takeya, who she immediately forces a covenant between and is subsequently given shelter by, much to his displeasure. Devoid of proper education, Ren is initially dysglossic and needy, but through curiosity and friends, becomes well versed in language and customs, even becoming admitted to Koharu High. As the self-proclaimed slave of Takeya, Ren is excessively altruistic to her unwelcome master, who prefers to view her as an equal than an inferior. Ren is good friends with just about everyone, is capable of superhuman abilities and has an insatiable appetite for melonpan.

Neneko Izumi (和泉 寧々子, Izumi Neneko^?)

Voiced by: Chiwa Saito (Japanese), Karen Thompson (English)

Neneko Izumi is a student and daughter of the landlord of the apartment where she and Takeya are tenants. With responsive acumen, Neneko tends to have and retain the most level head of her peers when situations go awry, especially discrepancies between Takeya and Ren. Having grown up with Takeya, the two are childhood friends, despite their constant bickering, and is usually the one who is turned to for mentoring or advice. Of the entire main cast, she is the only bespectacled character.

Miu (ミゥ, Myu^?)

Voiced by: Mai Nakahara (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)

Shia Nostal Ren Naguregyug Thanast Useim Ruki Miu (シーアノスタルレンナグレグユグ•タナスト•ァウセーム•ルキ•ミゥ, Sia Nostal Ren Naguregyug Thanast Useim Ruki Miu^?),^[3] better known by her short name Miu, is a young female DearS.

Intelligent yet sometimes conceited, Miu is a student who is assigned to study abroad at Koharu High and reside locally as a homestay. She is introduced to the group through a misunderstanding during her inauguration at school and, following a sour, rather pitiable acquaintance with Ren, invites herself to look after the oblivious girl, befriending her peers as well. Despite her proud genteel and brash disposition, Miu is in fact quite benign and empathetic, particularly when she can personally relate. Like her airheaded counterpart, Miu is capable of superhuman abilities and is respected by everyone.

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 March 2002 to December 17, 2005. The manga was compiled into ten tankōbon volumes released by MediaWorks in Japan.^[4] The series was later translated into English and German by Tokyopop, French by Semic Comics^[5] and Italian by Flashbook Editore.^[6]

Volume list

No.	Japanese		English
	Release date	ISBN	Release date	ISBN
1	March 2002	ISBN 978-4-8402-2086-6	January 11, 2005	ISBN 978-1-59532-308-8
Chapters 1–6
2	September 27, 2002	ISBN 978-4-8402-2206-8	April 12, 2005	ISBN 978-1-59532-309-5
Chapters 7–12
3	March 2003	ISBN 978-4-8402-2343-0	July 12, 2005	ISBN 978-1-59532-310-1
Chapters 13–18
4	September 27, 2003	ISBN 978-4-8402-2478-9	October 11, 2005	ISBN 978-1-59532-311-8
Chapters 19–23 Extra Contact Spring Contact Character Gallery
5	March 27, 2004	ISBN 978-4-8402-2651-6	January 10, 2006	ISBN 978-1-59532-797-0
Chapters 24–28 Setting Data Collection
6	August 27, 2004	ISBN 978-4-8402-2797-1	April 11, 2006	ISBN 978-1-59532-798-7
Chapters 29–33
7	March 26, 2005	ISBN 978-4-8402-3011-7	July 3, 2006	ISBN 978-1-59816-185-4
Chapters 34–39
8	December 17, 2005	ISBN 978-4-8402-3289-0	November 7, 2006	ISBN 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 TeaMDearS. The series was directed by Iku Suzuki.^[7] The series was broadcast on Chiba TV, TV Kanagawa, TV Saitama, Tokyo MX TV, TV Santerebi, TV Aichi and TVQ Kyushu^[8] 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.

Video game

A visual novel video game was developed and published by MediaWorks for the PlayStation 2. It was released on June 24, 2004.^[9] It received a C rating by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization.^[10]

References

1. ^ "DearS game" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks, Inc.. http://archive.asciimw.jp/mediamix/dears/dears_game.php. Retrieved November 26, 2009. 
2. ^ "Amakamitai no". Bandai Visual, Geneon Entertainment, Lantis and TeaMDearS. DearS. 2004-07-10. 23:44 minutes in.
3. ^ "Tama! Tama!". Bandai Visual, Geneon Entertainment, Lantis and TeaMDearS. DearS. 2004-07-24. 23:43 minutes in.
4. ^ "DearS manga" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks. http://archive.asciimw.jp/mediamix/dears/dears_gensaku.php. Retrieved November 26, 2009. 
5. ^ "DearS" (in French). Nantes, France: Groupe Tournon. http://www.groupetournon.com/vpc/946-dears. Retrieved August 12, 2008. 
6. ^ "DearS" (in Italian). Bologna, Italy: Flashbook Editore. http://www.flashbook-edizioni.it/serie-dettaglio.asp?idserie=24. Retrieved August 12, 2008. 
7. ^ "Staff". Long Beach, California: Geneon Entertainment (USA), Inc. http://dearsdvd.com/. Retrieved August 12, 2008. ^{[dead link]}
8. ^ "DearS アニメ情報" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks, Inc.. http://archive.asciimw.jp/mediamix/dears/dears_anime.php. Retrieved November 26, 2009. 
9. ^ "DearS". gamesfaqs.com. http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/data/919700.html. Retrieved May 27, 2009. 
10. ^ "DearS(ディアーズ)" (in Japanese). psmk2.net. http://www.psmk2.net/ps2/soft_04/avg/dears.html. Retrieved November 27, 2009. 

External links

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