DearS

Media franchise
DearS
Cover art of first Tokyopop manga featuring Ren
ディアーズ
(Diāzu)
GenreRomantic comedy, science fiction
Manga
Written byPeach-Pit
Published byMediaWorks
English publisher
  • NA: Tokyopop
MagazineDengeki Comic Gao! → Dengeki Maoh
DemographicShōnen
Original runOctober 2001November 2005
Volumes8 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byIku Suzuki
Produced byHisanori Kunisaki
Nobuhiro Ōsawa
Takayasu Hatano
Written byTakao Yoshioka
Music byTomoki Hasegawa
StudioDaume
Licensed by
  • NA: Discotek Media
Original networkTelevision Kanagawa, Chiba TV
Original run July 10, 2004 September 26, 2004
Episodes13 (List of episodes)
Game
DeveloperMediaWorks
PublisherMediaWorks
GenreVisual novel
PlatformPlayStation 2
ReleasedJune 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.[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". 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

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.[2] The series was later translated into English and German by Tokyopop, French by Semic Comics[3] and Italian by Flashbook Editore.[4]

Volume list

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 March 2002978-4-8402-2086-6January 11, 2005978-1-59532-308-8
  • Chapters 1–6
2 September 27, 2002978-4-8402-2206-8April 12, 2005978-1-59532-309-5
  • Chapters 7–12
3 March 2003978-4-8402-2343-0July 12, 2005978-1-59532-310-1
  • Chapters 13–18
4 September 27, 2003978-4-8402-2478-9October 11, 2005978-1-59532-311-8
  • Chapters 19–23
  • Extra Contact
  • Spring Contact
  • Character Gallery
5 March 27, 2004978-4-8402-2651-6January 10, 2006978-1-59532-797-0
  • Chapters 24–28
  • Setting Data Collection
6 August 27, 2004978-4-8402-2797-1April 11, 2006978-1-59532-798-7
  • Chapters 29–33
7 March 26, 2005978-4-8402-3011-7July 3, 2006978-1-59816-185-4
  • Chapters 34–39
8 December 17, 2005978-4-8402-3289-0November 7, 2006978-1-59816-861-7
  • Chapters 40–46
  • Later Contact

Anime

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.[5] The series was broadcast on Chiba TV, TV Kanagawa, TV Saitama, Tokyo MX TV, TV Santerebi, TV Aichi and TVQ Kyushu[6] 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.[7] It received a C rating by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization.[8]

References

  1. ^ "DearS game" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks, Inc. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  2. ^ "DearS manga" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  3. ^ "DearS" (in French). Nantes, France: Groupe Tournon. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  4. ^ "DearS" (in Italian). Bologna, Italy: Flashbook Editore. Archived from the original on June 25, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  5. ^ Clements & McCarthy 2014
  6. ^ "DearS アニメ情報" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks, Inc. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  7. ^ "DearS". gamesfaqs.com. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
  8. ^ "DearS(ディアーズ)" (in Japanese). psmk2.net. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
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

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