Dear (manga)

dear (dear(ディア), dia) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Cocoa Fujiwara. It was first serialized in the shōnen manga magazine Monthly Gangan Wing in June 2002, published by Square Enix. Currently, twelve volumes have been released in Japan. dear is set in the same world as Fujiwara's other work, Watashi no Ookami-san.

Summary

This story is about a girl named Chiruha who is a Lycanthrope, a mythical creature thought to have died out. She lives in the mountains alone in an abandoned hut with only a small television. Chiruha decides to leave her home and live with the humans. When there she discovers her childhood friend, Kisara. Kisara, though, has no memories of when he was friends with Chiruha. What he does remember is that he was supposedly cursed with immortality by a Lycanthrope. He believes Chiruha gave him immortality as curse and hates her for it, although this is not the case. Kisara was the adopted son of a rich nobleman and was being bullied when he was saved by Chiruha. They became friends, but after Chiruha was attacked by some villagers they both run away to live on their own. Two men who were sent to get Kisara and kill Chiruha accidentally hurt Kisara fatally. During that moment Chiruha unintentionally gave Kisara her immortality. When being used as a human sacrifice to drive away demons, Kisara remembers this and does not know what to feel since he can no longer hate her but can't go back to the past. He decides to just keep going forward and asks the captain if he could stop being the military's pawn.

After that it switches to characters from Watashi no Ookami-san. This is back to the past when Chiruha was using her powers. Both Subaru, the ex-demon lord, along with Komomo and General Purino (along with Kurenai and Carol) react to Chiruha's powers and go to find the source. Purino and Subaru all come on a mission to go to where Chiruha is. When they meet Chiruha doesn't know how to help them but wants to become friends.

Characters

Chiruha

Chiruha can be considered the main protagonist, since the story focuses on her in the beginning, but the story switches perspectives, so there are many main characters. Chiruha is suppoesedly the last remaining lycanthrope at the beginning of the series. She thus is supposed to possess immense power, however, she does she understand how to use it. It is revealed early in the series that when she was young she isolated from society for purposes of protection, as her potential power was too great. At this time, she knew Kisara, and they were friends. One day while running away from home, they ran into a group of men who were trying to take Kisara back home. While trying to kill Chiruha, the men accidentally wound Kisara fatally. In an attempt to save Kisara, Chiruha unknowingly transfers her immortality to Kisara. Years later, Kisara seemingly out of her life, Chiruha summons her courage and joins the human world, walking to a nearby village. Here she reunites with Kisara, and starts living with him and becoming friends with the punitive squad, while meeting new demon friends who join them. It is implied that Chiruha has developed feelings for Kisara.

Kisara

Having forgotten his childhood memories of the strange girl who lived in the mountains, Kisara grows up with the police force, knowing that he is immortal and remembering only that a lycanthrope (revealed to be Chiruha) "cursed" him with it. Over the years, he developed a hatred for the lycanthrope who changed his body. When Chiruha appears out of the blue, Kisara seems determined to gain her trust and then kill her, as revenge for the "curse". After attempting to kill her in her sleep, his memories return and he realizes that she saved his life, and that she didn't even know what she had done. After this, Kisara slowly starts falling in love with her.

Captain Cain

Cain is supposed to be the head of the Punitive Squad and is the superior of Kisara, having met Kisara for the first time and his special abilities, he intended to use Kisara for missions. But later on he realizes Kisara's true pain from the events of his childhood, and started thinking of him as a brother. He is constantly praising the "beauty" of others and is specially attracted to Kisara and Subaru. When Chiruha's identity get revealed by accident, Cain resolves to make a pact between the "demon lord's army" saying that the both parties are trying to protect their companions and they will have to act together onwards to reach their goals.