DearS, Vol. 1
This shonen manga mixes familiar elements: a high school boy, a buxom young woman and an alien invasion. The twist is that the alien invaders are hot girls. They appear to be docile, polite, complacent new arrivals to Earth, but there are hints to a darker side of their society (such as a mention of slavery). Typical teenager Takeya gets involved when he rescues an invader from a traffic accident. At first, he's unaware that this improbably proportioned girl is a space alien, but when she changes into aStar Trek-meets-bondage type of uniform in the blink of an eye, he realizes he's been duped. Typical complications ensue when Takeya brings the alien home and must deal with explaining the naked girl in his bed to his housemates and classmates. Ren, as she's called, also wants to serve Takaya in every way, given that she was a slave in her society. Many embarrassing and titillating situations arise, as Takaya improbably refuses to do what any teenage boy in his right mind would do in a heartbeat. Despite the completely unoriginal story, manga collective Peach-Pit's detailed and lush art makes this workbearable. Fans of the "regular boy must live with incredibly hot alien who is almost always naked" genre will get just what they expect here.(Jan.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.