DearS

One thing I’ve learned about reviews and anime scores is that they vary across websites and platforms. What is considered flawed on MAL may be rated higher on a website like Anilist. I’ve seen considerable differences in opinion when comparing web review sites to essential streaming services, be it Crunchyroll or the soon-to-be-defunct Funimation. Time is also a factor when judging anime ratings, as they vary from nearest to furthest from the date of release. So when I chose DearS, did I check the ratings? Hell yes, and did I read the reviews? Not really. I skimmed a few to get an idea, but ultimately, I'll be my judge on deciding whether an anime is worth my time.

According to popular opinion, DearS is considered by many to be a knockoff of Chobits, with some even comparing it to Rozen Maiden. The latter was released the same year as DearS. Nevertheless, is it a Chobits ripoff? You be the judge; too much time has passed to dwell on trivial matters. I will say that while DearS shares some similarities with Chobits, the two series go about their execution differently.

DearS is based on the manga of the same name. The manga was written and illustrated by Peach-Pit. The eight-volume collection ran from 2002 to 2003 and was published by MediaWorks and serialized in Monthly Comic Dengeki GAO! An English release was not available until 2005. Due to its popularity, the manga has been translated into several additional languages, including Chinese, German and French. Readers unfamiliar with Peach-Pit should note that in addition to DearS, they are also well known as the original creators of Rozen Maiden! Boom Baby!!

The anime adaptation of DearS was released in the summer of 2004 and aired from July to September of that year. It aired for twelve episodes, with an unaired episode 10 released in 2005 as a side story. The episode titled DearS: Kin no Tama Desu no? or Is It a Golden Ball? was pulled due to the amount of nudity. Consequently, the Iku Suzuki-directed and Takao Yoshioka series composition anime received an R+ rating. By today's standards, this rating is probably tame, considering some modern anime that currently straddles the fence between anime and hentai.

DearS follows the high-strung perils of Takeya Ikuhara, a sophomore at Koharu High School. Takeya is as independent as they come, living in his own apartment because his family is overseas. Takeya spends most days working part-time at a video store, dealing with the sexual mechanizations of his oversexualized teacher, Mitsuka Yoshimine, and occasionally supplying his buddy Ohiko with the latest erotic cinema.

As chance would have it, Takeya stumbles upon a person he assumes requires help. Unknown to him is that the person in question is a DearS. About a year ago, an alien spacecraft crash-landed in Japan. These primarily female aliens could not return home and were given sanctuary status, becoming residents of Japan. As a result, they then became all the rave garnering a massive fandom in Japan. Much to the dismay of Takeya, who believes this is an Alien plot to take over Earth.

It's no surprise that when Takeya has his first encounter with a DearS who subsequently kissed him, he becomes the most annoying protagonist of all time, and I mean the most annoying. I thought Seth took the award in Season One of Radiant, but Takeya won the gold! His antics are beyond reproach. He is a selfish, self-centered, and immature protagonist; for most of the series, he appears to be a waste of a character. I’ve learned, though, that Takeya is an outsider, and though his outbursts are a part of the usual anime comedic tropes, he has his convictions.

The first is independence, and the second is freedom of choice. He balks at the notion that when He saves Ren, whose full name is Ren Ren Ren Nagusaran Rensia Roroonren Nakora, she chooses him as her Master. Master refers to the origins of the DearS, who were designed to be products sold into slavery, a story the DearS leadership wishes to keep secret from humans. This matter is further complicated as the story unfolds as Ren has chosen to be the slave of Takeya, an event known as "The Gift." As she has no concept of Japanese laws and customs, she often becomes the ire of Takeya and the darling of the local community.

Keeping the story flowing and Takeya from having a heart attack is the level-headed Neneko Izumi. Neneko is a longtime childhood friend of Takeya; her family owns the apartment he rents. She knows him more intimately than anyone, and as Ren seeks to please her Master, Neneko acts as a guide and the unrequited love interest of Takeya. They all are, and by “they all,” I mean Ren, Neneko, and Miu, who is another DearS. Miu seeks to bring Ren up to the DearS standards and, over time, develops a fondness for Takeya. Takeya is clueless about everything, which is an issue with this anime.

There is a lot of back and forth between the main characters in DearS, which initially makes for good comedy. Not much is explained concerning the DearS. The viewer learns that only a tiny number of DearS are on the planet, and of the 150 or so, we only meet a handful. There is not much detail concerning the aliens. We learn that there is a hierarchical structure amongst the DearS, and not all of them are slaves. Rubi, for example, is a Biter and is second in command of the community. Her subordinate Xaki is a Barker who desires to move up the ranks and become a Biter. Barker and Biter are a play on BDSM terminology, with both characters dressed in their respective roles.

Xaki has an apprentice named Nia who, in the subbed version, ends her sentences with Nyu. Her style of speech is similar to the Misaka clones from the Certain Magical Index Series. She is a DearS appearing as a feline tasked with finding Ren but is quickly distracted due to hunger and Melon Bread. Often answering to Rubi is the soft-spoken Khi. He is often tasked with maintaining diplomatic relations with Japan and the Colony. Though they appear throughout the series, they are given little, if any, backstory, another issue with this anime.

As is the case, characters are introduced in DearS to move the story along or to provide a distraction from the lack of significant world-building in this anime. Some characters, such as Miu and Natsuki, Takeya’s sister, were vastly underdeveloped. Underdeveloped characters constitute a big issue when adapting a manga-based anime as writers and directors have to pick and choose what to adapt when working on limited budgets, and the budget expenditure is conspicuous.

Most of this anime budget must have gone to the voice actors as they, in my opinion, did an excellent job with the limited material they were given. Ai Shimizu (Ren) and Kikuko Inoue (Mitsuka-sensei) were two of my favorites, but ultimately there was good chemistry among all actors involved. The leftovers went to the anime's intro and outros. The opening Intro, “Love Slave,” is a catchy piece performed by UNDER17. It's enjoyable for the first few episodes, but it became the victim of the skip as the series progressed. The accompanying outro by PoppinS was also a catchy piece of music. The remaining OSTs throughout the series were noticeable but were eclipsed by Takeya’s yelling. Sorry, but it is what it is.

There isn’t much to say about Daume’s work on this series. As a small studio best known for its work on Shiki, the studio managed to eke out a decent bit of animation and art. It’s not groundbreaking, and the colors often appear dull, but where it counts, Fan Service, and boy do we get that, the Ecchi was done well. Now you would think Ren would receive the best art and animation for her scenes, but that honor goes to Mitsuka. Though her comedic antics were way over the top, she added to the series, making it enjoyable when the pacing turned dull. The best way to describe her character is to say that she is the elder sister to a younger brother of a particular Queen Bee production.

It would be fine if we were watching the product as mentioned above, but here's the thing, Fan Service is not a cover for a bad story. That has always been my issue. I'm not thirteen; if you're going to throw hints of depth, then do it all the way. If you're only going to get thirteen episodes, make the most of them. Don't make me search for the truth nuggets. That's not my job; that's yours. Give me a protagonist I can root for, not one that makes me want to run away.

DearS had a lot of potential, and I did get caught up in the story. I laughed, yelled at Takeya, and rooted for Neneko, Ren, and Miu. I wanted more episodes, which this series needed but didn't get. There probably will not be a season two, so your best bet is to read the manga or skip it altogether. Can I recommend this anime? Yes, but with a few caveats. First, don't expect much, and second, save DearS for a rainy day if you've seen Chobits. DearS is decent but breaks no new ground, and you'll wish you stayed with Team Chi. Still, the comedy is good with a decent premise. Let me know what you think.