DearS

DearS (ディアーズ, Diāzu) is a 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 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 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, 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

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. An impetuous student, his life becomes complicated when he becomes the unwanted target of affection and servility by a young female DearS, a member of the very people he dislikes. In spite of this rather, immature prejudice however, over the course of her stay, Takeya grows fond and solicitous of the girl, opening up more to his peers as well. Takeya lives alone 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); Karen Strassman (English)

Ren Ren Ren Nagusaran Renshia 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] which can also be written '000-3901-0', better known by her short name Ren, is a young female DearS.

Lost during shipment and freed of containment, Ren is found by Takeya, with whom she immediately forms a covenant, and he takes her home with him. Devoid of proper education, Ren is initially diglossic and needy, but through her curiosity and friends, she becomes well versed in language and customs, even becoming a student at Koharu High. As Takeya's self-proclaimed slave, Ren is excessively altruistic to her master, who prefers to view her as an equal rather than a subordinate. 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 fellow student and daughter of the landlord of the apartment where she and Takeya are tenants. Neneko tends to be the most level headed of her peers when situations go awry, especially issues involving Takeya and Ren. Having grown up with Takeya, they are childhood friends, and despite their constant bickering, she is the one who Takeya usually turns 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•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 the DearS 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. At her school, Miu is a very stern and strict martinet of a student, who strives to be the best example of DearS exchange student. At her causal life, however, she tries to seek out friendship, in order to comfort her loneliness. Like her airheaded counterpart, Miu is capable of superhuman abilities and is respected by everyone. In the past, she witnesses her master being murdered, after he hid her in a dark room in order to protect her, which left traumatized and quite claustrophobic. Eventually, she warms up to everyone, and starts a cordial friendship.

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

Anime

DearS was adapted into a thirteen 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.^[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. 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.^[9] It received a C rating by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization.^[10]

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