DearS
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox animanga/Header Template:Infobox animanga/Print Template:Infobox animanga/Video Template:Infobox animanga/Game Template:Infobox animanga/Footer Template:Nihongo 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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 on the way to their home planet of Thanatos, their spacecraft breaks down, 150 humanoid aliens are naturalized into Japanese society and lovingly 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 fictional Koharu High School with a strong prejudice against the DearS. Due to a childhood trauma, he believes that the aliens are fake, worthless beings who have generated nationwide overhype and are secretly plotting to take control of Earth.
On his way home from school, Takeya discovers a homeless DearS who, after fainting and much to his annoyance, he feeds and shelters in his apartment. The girl, who he gives the nickname Ren, is friendly yet immature and grows obsequious and dependent upon Takeya. She calls him "Master", a responsibility Takeya tries to disassociate himself from. However, her oblivious persistence keeps her around. Over time, she realizes Ren's genuine care and empathy for him, Takeya has a change of heart. Unfortunately, because Ren is deemed defective, DearS headquarters order her arrest.
Characters
Main characters
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- Takeya is 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. Despite this rather immature prejudice, 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.
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- Lost during shipment and freed from containment, Ren is found homeless by Takeya, who she immediately forces a covenant between and is subsequently given shelter by much to his displeasure.
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- Neneko Izumi is a droopy-eyed student and daughter of the apartment landlord, of which she is a tenant of.
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- Template:Nihongo,<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> 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 resides locally as a homestay.
Supporting characters
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- The main characters' knockout teacher, Mitsuka is both intelligent and resourceful. She is also a flirtatious exhibitionist who spends more time conniving to "show off" to her students than she does teaching them English. Mitsuka has a habit of popping up when it is least convenient to Takeya and company, turning normal conversations into overly embarrassing situations, usually by mistaking most things for sexual acts.
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- Takeya's male friend, Hikoro is goofy and more than a little shallow but remains a decent young man.
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- Khi is a soft-spoken DearS exchange student who goes to the same school as Takeya's sister Natsuki
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- Natsuki is Takeya's little sister who has been away overseas. Takeya is shown to be protective of her and has even expressed displeasure at the possibility of her and Khi becoming more than friends.
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- Harumi is Takeya's stepmother and one of the few people who can take care of her rambunctious daughter, Natsuki.
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- The somewhat dominatrix-like "Barker", Rubi is second-in-command of the DearS colony. Quite big-breasted like Ren, she is almost never seen without her whip in hand. Rubi has proven to be strict, and often cruel, particularly to Khi, using her whip on him to express her displeasure.
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- Xaki is the "Biter" sent by the DearS colony to retrieve Ren. He is also a mentor to cat-like DearS Nia, who aspires to become a Biter herself. Xaki believes he is the gift for Hirofumi, which leads to some awkward situations.
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- Nia is Xaki's cat-like apprentice. She is quite a flake and often forgets her assignments, even the ones she assigns herself, such as challenging Ren when Xaki fails to retrieve the wayward Zero Number.
Media
Manga
DearS began as a manga 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Graphic novel list/header Template:Graphic novel list Template:Graphic novel list Template:Graphic novel list Template:Graphic novel list Template:Graphic novel list Template:Graphic novel list Template:Graphic novel list Template:Graphic novel list Template:Graphic novel list/footer
Anime
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} DearS was adapted into a twelve-episode anime and single original video animation by MSJ with co-production by Bandai Visual, Geneon Entertainment, Lantis, and Team DearS. The series was directed by Iku Suzuki.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The anime aired on Chiba TV, TV Kanagawa, TV Saitama, Tokyo MX TV, TV Santerebi, TV Aichi, and TVQ Kyushu<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> from July 10 to September 26, 2004.
Video game
A visual novel was developed and published by MediaWorks for the PlayStation 2. It was released on June 24, 2004.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Unreliable source? It received a C rating by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
References
External links
- 2002 manga
- 2004 anime television series debuts
- 2004 video games
- 2005 anime OVAs
- Anime and manga about extraterrestrials
- Bandai Visual
- Dengeki Comic Gao!
- Geneon USA
- Japan-exclusive video games
- Kadokawa Corporation franchises
- Peach-Pit
- PlayStation 2 games
- PlayStation 2-only games
- Shōnen manga
- Video games developed in Japan