DearS Manga Reading Order — All 8 Volumes

DearS Manga Reading Order — The Complete Guide

DearS is a self-contained romantic comedy manga created by PEACH-PIT — a two-person manga creator team known for titles like Rozen Maiden and Shugo Chara!. It was originally published chapter by chapter in Dengeki Comic Gao! magazine — a common way manga is released in Japan before being collected into book-sized volumes. The Japanese volumes were published by KADOKAWA, a major Japanese publisher. The English edition was released by Tokyopop across all eight volumes.

One thing worth knowing upfront: DearS contains some sexually suggestive humor and revealing character designs, sometimes called “fan service” in manga circles. It’s typical of romantic comedies from this era, but if that’s something you prefer to avoid — or if you’re buying this series as a gift — keep it in mind as you read the breakdown below.

Here’s the reading order:

• Volume 1
• Volume 2
• Volume 3
• Volume 4
• Volume 5
• Volume 6
• Volume 7
• Volume 8

That’s it. No branching paths, no companion volumes, no required side-reading. DearS is a single, linear story that begins in Volume 1 and wraps up completely in Volume 8. You pick up the first book, read straight through to the last, and you’ve experienced the entire series.

The Japanese volumes were published between April 2002 and January 2006, so the series had a relatively compact run. PEACH-PIT told a complete story with a clear beginning, middle, and ending — something that’s always nice to know before you commit to a new manga.

Volume-by-Volume Breakdown — What Each Part Covers

Even though the reading order itself is straightforward, it helps to know roughly what you’re getting into at each stage. Here’s a loose breakdown of how the story unfolds across the eight volumes, grouped by the main story phases.

Volumes 1–2 — Meeting Ren and the DearS Premise

The story opens with Takeya, a high school student who isn’t particularly interested in the aliens known as DearS that have recently arrived on Earth. While most of society is fascinated by these beautiful extraterrestrial beings, Takeya keeps his distance — until he stumbles across Ren, a DearS girl who latches onto him and refuses to leave.

These opening volumes set the stage for everything that follows. You’ll get the core romantic comedy tone established quickly: Ren moves into Takeya’s life, misunderstandings pile up as she tries to navigate human customs she doesn’t understand, and the school life setting gives the series its everyday rhythm. Picture an alien girl who takes everything literally, has zero concept of personal space, and desperately wants to be useful to the one person who didn’t ask for her help — that’s the comedy engine here. But even in these early chapters, PEACH-PIT starts weaving in hints about the broader DearS alien society and the reasons behind Ren’s attachment to Takeya.

If you’re coming to DearS for the romance, be patient with these volumes. They’re doing important groundwork. The comedy is front and center here, but the relationship building happening underneath is what makes the later volumes land.

Volumes 3–5 — Deepening Bonds and Rising Stakes

This is where DearS shifts gears. The relationship between Takeya and Ren moves beyond the initial “confused boy, clingy alien girl” dynamic into something with genuine emotional weight. More DearS characters enter the picture, expanding the world and complicating things for our main pair.

Romantic tension builds steadily through these middle volumes. At the same time, questions about Ren’s true nature and purpose start becoming harder to ignore. There’s a real sense that the lighthearted comedy of the early chapters is sitting on top of something more serious — and PEACH-PIT handles that tonal balancing act well.

For readers who enjoy watching a relationship develop through obstacles and revelations rather than just instant chemistry, this stretch of the series is especially satisfying. The stakes aren’t just “will they get together?” but something tied to the larger science fiction premise.

Volumes 6–8 — Climax and Conclusion

The final three volumes bring everything to a head. The romantic relationship between Takeya and Ren faces its greatest challenges as the series moves toward resolution. Without spoiling specifics, the core conflict ties the personal romance to the bigger questions about the DearS that have been simmering since Volume 1.

Volume 8 delivers a complete ending. This is a finished story — you won’t be left hanging or wondering if there’s a sequel you need to track down. PEACH-PIT wraps things up, and you can close the final volume feeling like you got a full narrative experience.

That sense of completion is one of the nicest things about DearS as a recommendation. Eight volumes is a manageable commitment, and the payoff is a real ending rather than an abrupt cancellation or an open-ended conclusion that sends you searching for a different format to get the rest of the story.

Where to Buy DearS in English

Here’s where things get a little tricky. The English edition of DearS was published by Tokyopop, whose original North American publishing operations shut down in May 2011 (the company later relaunched publishing in 2016, but DearS has not been reprinted under the relaunched label). As a result, many of their titles — DearS included — are out of print, meaning the publisher no longer produces new copies and you won’t find them stocked on bookstore shelves through normal channels. There is no official digital edition currently available, so physical copies are the way to go.

That means finding copies takes a bit more effort than a typical manga purchase. Here are your best options:

• Secondhand book sellers — Online marketplaces that sell used books are often your best bet for out-of-print manga. Prices vary widely depending on condition and availability, so it pays to shop around.
• Used bookstores — Both physical shops and online used-book dealers sometimes have Tokyopop volumes in stock. If you have a local used bookstore that carries manga, it’s always worth checking their shelves.
• Online retailers — Major online retailers occasionally have copies available, though stock for out-of-print manga can come and go. Volume 8 in particular is worth keeping an eye out for, since it’s the conclusion and tends to be the one people hunt for last.

• Library systems — Don’t overlook your local library. Many library systems purchased Tokyopop manga during the mid-2000s, when manga was surging in popularity in the West, and you might be able to borrow the full set through interlibrary loan — a system where libraries borrow books from each other on your behalf, usually at no cost to you. Ask your local librarian how to request it.

A few pointers for the hunt: buying volumes individually over time is often cheaper than trying to grab the complete set at once. Set up alerts or save searches on secondhand platforms so you get notified when copies pop up. And check the condition descriptions carefully — manga that’s been sitting in storage for fifteen-plus years can range from pristine to rough.

Common Mistakes New Readers Make with DearS

DearS is a pretty straightforward series, but there are a few things that trip people up. Here’s what to watch out for:

Confusing DearS with other PEACH-PIT works. PEACH-PIT is probably best known for Rozen Maiden (a gothic drama about living dolls) and Shugo Chara! (a magical girl series for younger readers), which are very different in tone and genre from DearS. DearS is a standalone romantic comedy — it’s not connected to any of their other manga. You don’t need to have read anything else by PEACH-PIT to enjoy it, and reading DearS won’t spoil or set up any of their other titles.

Assuming the anime is required viewing first. DearS did receive an anime adaptation, but the manga is the original and complete version of the story. In manga and anime, it’s common for a story to start as a manga (the printed comic) and later be adapted into an anime (the animated TV version), and the two versions don’t always match. The DearS anime covers only a portion of the story and doesn’t reach the manga’s conclusion. If you watch the anime and then pick up the manga expecting to skip ahead, you’ll likely find that the two diverge, and you’ll miss important context. The manga stands on its own — start with Volume 1 regardless of whether you’ve seen the show.

Skipping early volumes to get to the romance faster. This is a common impulse, especially when you know a series is “only” eight volumes and you want to get to the good stuff. But DearS builds its central relationship gradually and intentionally. The comedy and world-building in Volumes 1 and 2 aren’t filler — they’re establishing the emotional foundation that makes the later romantic developments meaningful. Jumping to Volume 3 or 4 because someone told you “that’s when it gets good” means missing why it gets good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is DearS manga finished?

Yes. DearS is a completed series with 8 volumes total. The final volume was published in Japan on January 15, 2006. There is no ongoing sequel or continuation. When you finish Volume 8, you’ve read the whole story.

Who created DearS?

DearS was created by PEACH-PIT, a manga artist duo. They’re also known for creating several other popular manga series across different genres, including Rozen Maiden and Shugo Chara!. DearS was published chapter by chapter in Dengeki Comic Gao! magazine and collected into volumes by KADOKAWA in Japan.

Do I need to watch the DearS anime before reading the manga?

No. The manga is the original version of the story and tells the complete narrative across all 8 volumes. The anime adaptation only covers a portion of the manga’s story and doesn’t reach the same conclusion. You can absolutely read the manga with no prior anime knowledge — in fact, starting with the manga gives you the full, unabridged version of the story that PEACH-PIT intended.

If you’ve already watched the anime and want to read the manga, start from Volume 1 anyway. The adaptation made changes, and you’ll appreciate the complete story more by experiencing it from the beginning.

Is DearS a romance manga?

Yes. At its core, DearS is a romantic comedy built around the relationship between Takeya (a human high school student) and Ren (an alien DearS girl). The series has science fiction elements and plenty of comedy, but the central romance is the emotional backbone of the entire story. If you’re looking for a completed romance manga with a clear couple and a real ending, DearS fits that description.

As mentioned earlier, the series does contain sexually suggestive humor and revealing character designs — sometimes referred to as “ecchi” content in manga terminology, which roughly translates to “mildly risqué.” This was common in romantic comedies of this era. The romance itself is genuine and gets real emotional development across the eight volumes, but readers who are sensitive to that kind of humor should be aware of it going in.