"Is it worth reading?"
That's what I wondered at first. The cover didn't make it look particularly exciting, the summary bored me, and after clicking on a random chapter I decided the art was too plain and the characters all looked like clones. I went off to find a different manga... read several... and somehow found myself back at Dear. This time I skimmed through the forum and found some intriguing spoilers that led me to chapter 21. I fell in love with Ki-chan and Chiruha in that chapter and finally steeled myself to read all 22 chapters.
And, boy, am I grateful I did. Dear is now one of my favorite series of all time. The cover and summary have taken on new depths. The art that used to seem so plain is now unique and expressive. And the characters looking like clones? No way!
In fact, it's the great characters that make this series work. You've got Chiruha, the sweet, sincere, and energetic goofball; then there's Kisara, the stoic pretty boy who's actually got a storm raging inside him. There's the weirdo captain of the punitive squad who prizes beauty above all else. There's Komomo, the obstinate lolita character, and Subaru, who's so aloof and amused all the time it's easy to forget he's a powerful demon lord. Then you've got the demon trio: Purino (the smart and beautiful but clumsy general), Kurenai (a swordsman with a level-head and a short temper), and Carol (a baby-faced boy with powerful magicks). It's not often that I see a mangaka put so much care into each character and their interactions with the rest of the cast.
Plot: All the characters are working towards a similar goal: lifting/helping their companions lift the curses put on them by lycanthropes. Lycanthropes are a mythical race of powerful creatures believed to be extinct at the start of the manga. Later, the characters learn there's one left and the discovery ties all their stories in.
Romance: I'm not going to lie--that's what got my interest at first and I haven't been disappointed. Chiruha and Ki-chan are a very sweet, tragic sort of love. He loves her but he doesn't know it or at least doesn't know how to express it, and Chiruha's too innocent to see him as anything but a friend. I'd compare it to Zero and Yuki from Vampire Knight or Kyo/Yuki and Tohru from Fruits Basket. Then there's Subaru and Komomo. Their relationship consists of Subaru pursuing Komomo and Komomo freaking out and denying her feelings. Their love reminds me a little of Usui and Misaki from Maid-sama!
Similar Manga: The vibe I get from this manga is similar to what I got from Fruits Basket, if you've read/watched that.^^
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