DearS

DearS

Cover art of first Tokyopop manga.
ディアーズ
(Diāzu)
Genre Harem, Romantic comedy, Sci-fi
Manga
Written by Peach-Pit
Published by MediaWorks
English publisher Tokyopop
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!
Original run March 2002December 17, 2005
Volumes 8
Anime television series
Directed by Iku Suzuki
Produced by Hisanori Kunisaki
Nobuhiro Osawa
Takayasu Hatano
Written by Takao Yoshioka
Music by Tomoki Hasegawa
Studio Daume
Licensed by

‹See Tfd›

Network Chiba TV
Original run July 10, 2004 September 26, 2004
Episodes 13
Original video animation
Kane no Tama desu no?
Directed by Iku Suzuki
Written by Takao Yoshioka
Music by Tomoki Hasegawa
Studio Daume
Licensed by

‹See Tfd›

Released April 21, 2005
Runtime 24 minutes
Game
Developer MediaWorks
Publisher MediaWorks
Genre Visual novel
Platform PlayStation 2
Released June 24, 2004

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

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

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

  1. "DearS game" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks, Inc. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  2. Bandai Visual, Geneon Entertainment, Lantis and TeaMDearS (2004-07-10). "Amakamitai no". DearS. Season 1. 23:44 minutes in. TV Kanagawa.
  3. Bandai Visual, Geneon Entertainment, Lantis and TeaMDearS (2004-07-24). "Tama! Tama!". DearS. Season 1. 23:43 minutes in. TV Kanagawa.
  4. "DearS manga" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  5. "DearS" (in French). Nantes, France: Groupe Tournon. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  6. "DearS" (in Italian). Bologna, Italy: Flashbook Editore. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  7. Clements & McCarthy 2014
  8. "DearS アニメ情報" (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan: MediaWorks, Inc. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  9. "DearS". gamesfaqs.com. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
  10. "DearS(ディアーズ)" (in Japanese). psmk2.net. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
Book references

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/14/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.