Man, I went down such a rabbit hole trying to find this out! 'Dears' is one of those early 2000s harem anime that flew under the radar for a lot of folks. After scouring old forums and distributor catalogs, I can confirm there was an English dub produced by ADV Films back in 2005. It's got that nostalgic early-dub vibe where some voices feel oddly mismatched—like Chizuru's VA going full tsundere while the male lead sounds perpetually confused.
What's wild is how hard it is to find now. The physical DVDs are out of print, and it's not streaming anywhere legally dubbed. I stumbled upon some grainy YouTube clips from the dub, though, complete with that signature early-aughts awkward script adaptation where they say 'mackerel' instead of translating the Japanese food jokes. Takes me back to those days when dubs were either glorious trainwrecks or hidden gems, no in-between.
As a collector who hunts down obscure anime releases, I've physically held the English dub DVD set of 'Dears' in my hands at a con swap meet last year. The cover art has that classic ADV gradient background with awkwardly photoshopped character poses. Voice-wise, it's... an experience. The dub tries its best with the material, but let's just say the script leans hard into 'localized' humor that ages like milk—think gratuitous 'whatever, loser!' lines added to teenage girls' dialogue.
Funny thing is, the opening theme got a full English cover version too, which is rare for smaller titles like this. It's the kind of dub that makes you appreciate how far localization has come, but also weirdly charming in its earnestness. If you're into retro anime artifacts, it's worth tracking down for the historical curiosity alone.
Tracking down niche dubs is my weird hobby, and 'Dears' was a fascinating case. The English version exists, but here's the kicker—it only covers the first 13 episodes! ADV folded before finishing the series, so the back half remains Japanese-only even on the DVDs. I remember emailing Sentai years ago begging them to rescue the license, but no dice.
The cast actually had some hidden talent—Laura Bailey voices like three minor characters under pseudonyms before she became Critical Role famous. The dub's real charm is how it handles the alien terminology; they just made up sci-fi sounding words instead of translating properly. Makes the whole thing feel like some lost 4Kids experiment. Honestly? It's terrible in the best way possible—the kind of dub you watch with friends while heckling the screen.
Yep, dubbed by ADV! It's exactly what you'd expect from a mid-2000s harem comedy localization—over-the-top voices, awkward pauses, and all. The main girl's 'ara ara' energy gets replaced with valley girl sass that somehow works. My favorite part is how they handled the alien names; the subtitles say 'Lyuumy' but the dub just calls her 'Loomie' like she's someone's next-door neighbor. Pure chaos.
2026-06-27 22:04:29
6
View All Answers
Scan code to download App
Related Books
Dear Daddy Series.
Panda Bloom
6
175.2K
Seven HOT age gab (forbidden) Romance Stories in one, inclusive a bonus story!
*Dear Daddy
*Dear Stepson
*Dear Stepdaddy
*Dear Teacher
*Dear Doctor
*Dear shy, sexy Professor
Bonus story: My boyfriend's uncle.
"Not everything can be solved so easily," he said. "I'll help you and fix all the issues in your company, but only if you agree to be my fake wife."
Felicity, a determined businesswoman fighting to save her family's struggling company, Lee Corp, meets Bryle, a young multi-billionaire businessman and her ex-fiancé whom she had refused to marry years earlier. Desperate to avoid her family's company shutdown, she proposes a partnership to Bryle, but he offers a different deal: a two-year fake marriage in exchange for his help resolving Lee Corp's problems. In her desperation, she agrees to Bryle's terms, not anticipating that their fake marriage would lead to unexpected complications.
Will they find themselves falling for each other, or will they remain merely fake spouses bound by desire?
In the middle of Tokyo’s relentless rush, two strangers cross paths—by accident, in the most ridiculous way, and at the most unexpected moment—yet it feels as if the universe had quietly arranged it all. What follows are hesitant steps, faltering words, and small messages that slowly create a warm, quiet space between them.
Tokyo Love Letter: Hibiki is a story where silence speaks, where ordinary days suddenly begin to matter, and where someone appears out of nowhere… only to become a place to return to, and a space to simply be oneself.
This isn’t a story about falling in love quickly, but about feeling it grow—quietly, unexpectedly—through coincidences, through distance, and through the little things we never meant to hold on to.
Forced to pretend they're in love, Lisa and Fier become unlikely companions in a web of lies and duty. But as the waves of their story rise and fall, real emotions begin to surface. Behind Fier’s perfect smile lies a secret, and behind Lisa’s strong front hides a heart afraid to fall.
My older sister, Lucy Wheeler, is an extremely sensitive person.
She'll burst into tears immediately if her doll is dirty or if a cream puff bursts in advance.
In order to maintain peace in the household, my parents will fulfill any of Lucy's wishes endlessly. Since she doesn't like me at all, my parents don't hesitate to kick me back to my grandparents' home in the countryside.
Later on, Grandpa and Grandma pass away one after the other, leaving me with no choice but to go home to my parents and Lucy.
That's when everyone sets up 3672 house rules for me to follow.
Since Lucy loves blueberries, I'm not allowed to touch any of them.
Since Lucy loves dresses, I'm not allowed to look prettier than her.
After undergoing 20 years of torment, I end up contracting breast cancer, resulting in my tragic death.
When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the first day I've gotten home after my grandparents' passing.
Lucy is extremely sensitive, right?
Well then, I'd like to see which one's the more superior weapon—her tears or my fists!
I love you so much till my eyes and heart don't want to open up to my circumstances. The state where you are the only one and I am one of you. I don’t care even if your common sense tells me to leave you. I still endure, with my character that has less trust in you. Whether my suspicion in excessive or you who really don’t put me first, you choose to leave, keep your heart away from me, throw away your feelings that you used to convey to me, then you act like we were never there before.
Man, finding legal streaming options for niche anime like 'Dears' can feel like hunting for treasure sometimes! The series is a bit older (early 2000s), so availability varies. Your best bets are Crunchyroll or HiDive—they’ve got deep catalogs of classics. I stumbled across it on HiDive last year during a nostalgia binge, but regions vary; VPNs might help if it’s geo-blocked.
If those don’t work, check Amazon Prime Video’s anime section—they occasionally license hidden gems. Physical copies are another route; Right Stuf Anime often has DVDs for retro titles. Honestly, half the fun is the search—it’s like uncovering a time capsule of early 2000s rom-com tropes!
Dears is one of those anime that feels like it flew under the radar for a lot of people, but it's got a quirky charm. From what I know, it's actually an original anime—no manga source material. I stumbled onto it years ago when I was deep into early 2000s rom-coms, and the premise about a clumsy alien girl crashing into a human guy's life had that classic 'fish out of water' vibe. The animation studio did a solid job with the character designs, even if the plot gets a bit silly at times. It's one of those shows where you can tell the writers had fun with the tropes.
What's interesting is how it compares to adaptations like 'Love Hina' or 'To Heart,' which were based on manga. Dears leans harder into sci-fi, but it lacks that extra layer of depth you often get from manga adaptations. Still, if you enjoy lighthearted harem comedies with a sprinkle of space oddity, it's worth a weekend binge—just don't expect 'Clannad'-level storytelling.
'Dears' is one of those early 2000s anime that flew under the radar but has a cozy little fanbase. It ran for 13 episodes, which is pretty standard for a one-cour series. The show blends sci-fi and romance with a harem twist, following a guy named Ren who gets tangled up with alien girls called 'Dears.' It’s got that nostalgic early digital animation vibe, and while it’s not groundbreaking, it’s a fun binge if you like lighthearted space romances with a dash of drama.
What’s interesting is how it juggles its premise—aliens integrating into human society—without taking itself too seriously. The episode count feels just right; it doesn’t overstay its welcome, but I kinda wish there’d been a second season to explore the world-building further. Still, 13 episodes make it an easy weekend watch!