The Ecchi and the Sketchy: Anime Review of DearS

OK so I admit, I like fanservice now and then. So out of morbid curiosity I rented DearS. Please note that this anime title is definitely not for children. An anime title based on manga by the girl-duo known as Peach Pit. Now I'll be frank, if you had asked me if the art style was done by two girls I would have said "Are you kidding me?" but I have to admit they have a definite sense of softness when it comes to their style and they seem to have created a cute and enjoyable little plot.

DearS is about as oversexed as it gets but there are genuine moments of comedy interwoven in a lot of fanservice. Like most ecchi titles sexual humor abounds and sometimes you can't help but laugh in spite of yourself. Episode titles are a great blend of double entendre and ambiguity. Though some elements of the cast go too far, such as an exhibitionist high school teacher who tends to teach english wearing lingerie, the cast of characters isn't so convoluted that you'll lose yourself.

Sometimes the lead voice actors (dub) will grate on your nerves but not so much that you'll be turned away immediately. If you're the sort who is squeamish about nudity don't watch. I doubt there are two episodes where someone isn't scantly clad or in the buff.

The plot is overly condensed and at 12 episodes you don't really get to understand much of the DearS world. In a nutshell, an unfortunate high schooler winds up becoming master to a naive alien girl (Ren). Throughout the story we see how they interact with eachother and others. Takeya (Ren's master) changes from the alien-wary high schooler to an accepting human. If you've watched Ah My Goddess you have a general idea of the premise. For what it's worth though the series does give you a cavity-sweet ending that makes sense. It won't win any awards but then again I doubt the artists ever thought it would. I rate this 6.2/10