DearS

This article is about the anime, manga, and game series "DearS". For the indie rock band, see The Dears.

DearS
File:DearSAnime.jpg
Genre	Shounen, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy, Ecchi
Anime
Directed by	Tetsuji Higuchi
Studio	Bandai Visual
Manga
Written by	PEACH-PIT
Published by	MediaWorks Tokyopop Flashbook

DearS is a Japanese romance comedy manga by mangaka duo PEACH-PIT, serialised in the monthly shounen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!. The manga was produced into a 12 episode TV anime series which aired from 10 July 2004—26 September 2004. The DVD release includes an additional episode labeled "9.5" (occurring between episodes 9 and 10) for a total of 13.

Story

A UFO boarded by members of the DearS species (an alien species with a human outer appearance) makes an emergency landing on Earth. Ever since then the life of Takeya Ikuhara, a typical male high school student in Japan, and Neneko Izumi, his female childhood friend, has been complicated by the arrival of Ren and other DearS members to their city.

The DearS ship contains beings that are genetically engineered as slaves, which is why there is never any search party sent out for the disabled ship. Because the DearS are very intelligent, they do not release this to the Earth public because of public distaste for slavery. Instead, they release the completed slave models into exchange student programs, in hopes of integrating themselves into society. A DearS will imprint itself onto one person, who becomes its "Master." Since a DearS' happiness is derived from serving a Master, the integrated DearS search for someone to serve.

A pod containing an incomplete DearS goes awry, and releases a DearS into the public. This DearS is functional, but lacks any knowledge save for her model number, which is "Ren Ren Ren Nagusaran Rensia Roroonren Nakora", because she is not complete and has not fulfilled the Earth Integration Program. This program is necessary for all DearS who are involved in the homestay program. In the DearS language, the term "Ren" actually means "nothing" or "zero." Takeya saves "Ren" from an oncoming truck, and she imprints on him. The remainder of the story focuses on the chaos that results from Ren's escape and her subsequent imprinting.

Characters

Takeya Ikuhara (幾原 武哉, Ikuhara Takeya)

• Voiced by: Kishô Taniyama (Japanese); Taliesin Jaffe (English)

A hotheaded 17-year-old high school student, and the protagonist of DearS. Takeya is unused to change, which makes his acceptance of the mysterious alien girl Ren all the more difficult (especially due to the fact that Neneko constantly showed him the Alien movies when they were children). But beneath his constant mask of indifference, he has a kind heart. Takeya tends to jump into things headfirst, and waste more time panicking about a problem than solving it. He also seems to lose his temper more often than he should, and as a result, has few close friends. At the end of the manga series, he does admit his feelings for Ren. He decides to go with the other DearS who had chosen to head out into space with Io. Ren of course, decides to stay by her love's side and joins him.

Ren (レン)

• Voiced by: Ai Shimizu (Japanese); Mia Bradly (English)

Takeya's devoted DearS, who was found by Takeya after her suspension pod was lost and broke open during transport. Initially she had no given name, but Takeya dubbed her "Ren" after the first word of her identification number—at which time she "imprinted" upon him. According to DearS law, a slave that chooses a master on her own is seen as having the 'Gift' and is considered sacred. In the DearS language, the word Ren means "zero" thereby making her one of the imperfect "Zero-Numbers", in which was not intended to be revealed to the public. Big-breasted and beautiful, she is a wonder to Takeya and his classmates, but constantly needs to be watched due to her inexperience with human customs and Japanese culture. Ren absorbed the Japanese language in a single night with a pile of textbooks and dictionaries from which Takeya planned to teach her. Her favorite food is melon bread, for which she harbors a ravenous appetite. Her full name is "Ren Ren Ren Nagusaran Rensia Rurunnren Nakora" (レンレンレンナグサランレンシーア・ルルンンレン・ナコラ).

She does not understand the concept of love until the end of the manga series, after talking to a variety of people, and confesses her love to takeya, who eventually confesses his love for her as well. Ren is also considered as the 'Gate' in which all DearS respond to the emotions of the host populace, mainly the people of Earth. With her awakening, the DearS also gain back their ability to reproduce. Humorously, with Takeya being the ONLY male on the ship, Ren and the other DearS now have a new goal, making as many babies with Takeya as possible.

Neneko Izumi (和泉 寧々子, Izumi Neneko)

• Voiced by: Chiwa Saito (Japanese); Karen Thompson (English)

Takeya's childhood friend. Incidentally, his landlord is also her father. Despite their constant bickering, the two are best friends, having known one another since childhood. Neneko generally serves as the balance and common sense of the duo, and often shows up during difficult situations that Takeya is too alarmed about to solve. She helps him out of tough times so often, in fact, that one wonders how he would ever get along without her. At the end of the manga, she reveals that she will be going to America to study fashion design. Near the end of the book she admits she has "unrequited love for Takeya but she had to let him go". She also says she is unable to become Takeya's bride when they are in the classroom talking about there goals in life.

Mitsuka Yoshimine (芳峰 蜜香, Yoshimine Mitsuka)

• Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese); Wendee Lee (English)

The main characters' knockout teacher, Mitsuka is both intelligent and resourceful. She is also a shameless exhibitionist who spends more time conniving to "show off" to her students than she does teaching them English (Spanish in the English manga). Mitsuka also has a habit of popping up when it is least convenient to Takeya and company, usually turning normal conversation into an overly embarrassing situation. At times though, she does show surprising insight concerning the relationships of others, especially between Ren and Takeya.

Hikorou Oikawa (及川彦郎, Oikawa Hikorō)

• Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi

A male friend of Takeya's—though apart from being in the same class, the two have little in common. The #1 member of the "DearS Love Club", Oihiko is extremely interested in DearS, particularly female ones; he harbors an especially deep infatuation with Ren. Though goofy and more than a little shallow, at heart he remains a decent young man.

Miu (ミゥ)

• Voiced by: Mai Nakahara (Japanese); Michelle Ruff (English)

The "official" DearS exchange student to Takeya's high school, and Ren's main rival. She was seen as a "fake" upon arrival, due to an enrollment mix-up with Ren entering the school. Eventually, she took it upon herself to train Ren to become a better DearS. This tutoring has the unpredicted side-effect of her seemingly developing feelings for Takeya. She initially mistakes this as the "Gift", though she later realizes that she was experiencing love. Miu has a bit of a tragic past when she was younger, when her former master was brutally murdered and she was unable to do anything to save him, despite her best efforts. She later decided in the manga to join Io into space to find someone to truly love, since Takeya and Ren are already in love with each other. Her full name is "Sia 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).

Khi (キィ)

• Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese); Yuri Lowenthal (English)

A male DearS exchange student who goes to the same school as Takeya's sister Natsuki. He is something of a black sheep amongst the DearS colony and is generally soft-spoken, and perhaps for that reason is sent on assignments to clear up various mix-ups and solve sensitive DearS-related matters, including bearing witness to a duel and retrieving the forgetful Nia from Takeya Ikuhara's apartment. He stays behind on Earth when the other DearS leave with Io.

Natsuki Ikuhara (幾原菜月, Ikuhara Natsuki)

• Voiced by: Ryoko Shintani (Japanese); Jennifer Sekiguchi (English)

Takeya's little sister, who has been away overseas. She cozies up to Ren at first, but after hearing Ren refer to herself as Takeya's "slave", she starts to hate Ren, and pummels her big brother for "being a pervert". This is a significant change from the stereotypical "cute little sister" character prevalent in anime.

Harumi Ikuhara (幾原晴海, Ikuhara Harumi)

• Voiced by: Mariko Suzuki (Japanese); Kirsten Potter (English)

Takeya's stepmother, and one of the few people who can keep the rambunctious Natsuki in line, as well as the one who taught Natsuki all of the techniques that she uses to beat her big brother up with, or so it appears. It is also implied that Takeya and Harumi could have fallen in love but before Takeya can say these words Harumi sticks a cherry tomato in his mouth and says "it doesn't matter now I am your mother". Harumi is a truly funny character with her own "personal attacks", as "Harumi-driver"

Hirofumi Nonaka (野仲宏史, Nonaka Hirofumi)

• Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe

The playboy of Koharu High School. When Takeya's actions put Ren in doubt of his feelings for her, Hiro tries to seduce her away from her master. Even when he admits to "really liking" Ren, (the closest he'll ever admit to loving someone), Ren still only thinks of him as a friend. Eventually, Hiro gives up on her, and to his horror, Xaki has now formed an attachment to him, and makes any girl too scared to approach Hiro. In the Japanese version, Hiro-kun usually call girls "Koneko-chan" whatever their real names are. The word means something close to "kitty".

Xaki (ザキ)

• Voiced by: Hiroaki Hirata (Japanese); Patrick Seitz (English)

The "Biter" sent by the DearS colony to retrieve Ren. Unlike the other DearS, he is tall and muscular, and apparently quite versed in hand-to-hand combat—or so we hear. He is Nia's master.

Nia (ニア)

• Voiced by: Yukari Tamura (Japanese); Carrie Savage (English)

Xaki's somewhat catlike apprentice. She is quite a flake, and often forgets her assignments. As seen in some parts of the anime, she is also quite klutzy, but agile when she needs to be. She manages to befriend both Takeya and his little sister Natsuki, and when Ren is kidnapped by Rubi in the manga, Nia even helps Takeya venture inside the DearS ship to find her. She always ends her sentences with her trademark nonsense syllable "nii". She decided to join Io into outer space as Xaki, her teacher, stays behind.

Rubi (ルビ, Ruvi)

• Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese); Victoria Harwood (English)

The somewhat dominatrix-like "Barker", she is second-in-command of the DearS colony. Quite busty like Ren, she is almost never seen without her whip in hand. She assigns the "Biter" Xaki to retrieve Ren. She is subservient to Fina and stays with her on Earth.

Ayu (アユ)

A DearS visiting from another town. She seems to speak with a Kansai dialect, meaning she might be homestaying in a town near Osaka. She also forms a friendship with Natsuki right off the bat, even helping her sell takoyaki at the Koharu Summer Festival.

Fina (フィナ)

Known as "Lady Fina" to the other DearS. Her official position is that of the "Watcher", and she seems to be the leader of the DearS colony; even Rubi bows to her. She does not awaken until volume 5 of the manga, and seems to support Takeya taking Ren in as his slave. In fact, she immediately orders Rubi to stop trying to recapture Ren.

Fina seems to be the oldest of the DearS seen so far, and knows almost everything there is to know about the DearS and their "society". Fina can be quite flaky. She also seems to be narcoleptic, seeming to always doze off at the most inopportune times. Eventually, she decides to stay behind on Earth to watch over the DearS that remain on the planet.

China (チナ)

• Voiced by: Haruko Momoi (Japanese)

A DearS unique to the manga and PlayStation 2 game. Like Ren, she is also a "Zero Numbers" and much younger than any of the DearS previously seen. She is known to Earthling scientists as "Sample B7", and has been charged with retrieving another escaped "Zero Numbers", only known as "Sample A2". During her very brief foray into the outside world, she mistakes Ren for her target. She goes out into space with Ren, Takeya and the others.

Io (イオ)

A young DearS who appears to Takeya on the roof of his school in volume 6 of the manga. She can only say one word: "Ren". It is later revealed that she is the mysterious "Sample A2" that China was sent to retrieve. It is also revealed that her ability to manipulate gravity is phenomenally powerful—strong enough to levitate Takeya's entire apartment building. She may also possess the ability of teleportation. She eventually matures into the second DearS Watcher, and decided to take her people in search of a new host populace.

Takezou Ikuhara (幾原 武造, Ikuhara Takezou)

Takeya's father. He only appears in the later volumes of the manga. He's a scientist who had discovered that Ren was the key to saving the DearS .

Manga

• Volume 1 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-8402-2086-7; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-308-2)
• Volume 2 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-8402-2206-1; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-309-0)
• Volume 3 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-8402-2343-2; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-310-4)
• Volume 4 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-8402-2478-1; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-311-2)
• Volume 5 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-8402-2651-2; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-797-5)
• Volume 6 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-8402-2797-7; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-798-3)
• Volume 7 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-8402-3011-0; English Edition: ISBN 1-59816-185-7)
• Volume 8 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-8402-3289-X; English Edition: ISBN 1-59816-861-4)

Anime Episode Guide

• 1st Contact: 「甘噛みたいの」I Want to Nibble Sweetly
• 2nd Contact: 「小さかったかしら」I Wonder If It's Small
• 3rd Contact: 「たま！たま！」Ball! Ball!
• 4th Contact: 「口をふけ」Wipe Your Mouth
• 5th Contact: 「トギ……？」Partners?
• 6th Contact: 「欲求不満ですわ」I'm Frustrated
• 7th Contact: 「いやらしい……」Pervert
• 8th Contact: 「マ、マイ・ボール…」M... My Ball
• 9th Contact: 「ちくっとした」It Stung
• 10th Contact: 「らんこーするですに！」We'll Have An Orgy-nii!
• 11th Contact: 「経験……してみる？」You Want To ...... Experience It?
• 12th Contact: 「……しかも熱かった」...... Besides, It Was Hot?
• 13th Contact: 「金の玉ですの？」Is It A Golden Ball? (Unaired original 10th episode)

Theme Songs

• Anime OP: "Love Slave" (ラブスレイブ) by Under17
• Anime ED: "HAPPY COSMOS" by PoppinS

DearS and Chobits

DearS is often criticized for a number of alleged flaws, such as having shallow characters, excessive fan service and a somewhat unoriginal plot (which may not be complete). The concept of a race of perfect, beautiful beings with the sole purpose of serving mankind has previously been explored by series such as Chobits, to which DearS is commonly compared. Some claim that Ren is little more than a copy of Chobits's Chii, with a larger chest and fewer inhibitions, and Takeya as a much more caustic and modest version of Hideki Motosuwa; various other comparisons between the series' characters and storylines have also been drawn. Even with the comparisons DearS is still seen as an original by many fans.

Guest Appearance

In the 7th volume of the DearS manga Shinku and Suigintou, from Rozen Maiden, make a guest appearance at a doll festival. Neneko is the one that made Shinku and tells Takeya that she copied the design off of an anime that she saw. As for Suigintou she is standing next to Shinku on the display table. The manga didn't say that Suigintou was made by Neneko, but she is on Neneko's display so one would guess that she made Suigintou as well.

Market availability

A PlayStation 2 game based on the series was made for the Japanese market. It is a typical "dating sim"-type game. The player plays as Takeya Ikuhara, and basically lives the events of the anime and manga. The game introduces a new purple-haired DearS named "China" (チナ), who, like Ren, moves in with Takeya. It is predicted that you will have to choose one of the DearS at the end to pair off with.

The game received a CERO 15 rating.

In the North American market, Tokyopop has distributed the translated manga since January 2005 and Geneon has licensed the anime series for DVD release and as of 2006 has released the entire series on 4 DVD volumes.

External links

• Official site (in Japanese)
• Geneon licenses DearS
• DearS ({{{type}}}) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia