Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa

Title: Tramps Like Us
Mangaka: Yayoi Ogawa
Age Group: Older Teens +
Series is: Completed with 14 volumes
Volume(s) Reviewing: 1-14
My Rating: 5/5

Sumire Igawa has recently broken up with her long-term boyfriend who decided to leave her for another woman. This causes the young business lady to become estrange and refuses to date anyone with a lower status than herself.

In the middle of the night, she comes across a large cardboard box in front of her condo. In frustration, she kicks it. Only to find that there is a body inside!

Sumire takes in a homeless twenty years old man and allows him to stay at her place if he becomes her pet. He immediately agrees. Sumire names him "Momo", after her beloved dog as a child. Although he's only a pet, why does she have such strange feelings towards him...?

I remembered when I first picked up this series back when I was in grade seven or so. I read the first volume and got really bored, never continuing on. Now five years later, I saw the same series completed in English. Remembering back at the plot line, I decided to try Tramps Like Us/Kimi wa Petto (Japanese title that I much prefer and will use from now on that translates to "You Are My Pet") again because I like that sort of plot now. I was instantly hooked.

A series that is finally not based on high schoolers, Kimi wa Petto takes a little encounter between two different people and make a fun, loving, and heart-aching story.

I absolutely adore the relationship between Sumire and Momo. It is way too cute/sexy/honest beyond words! Sumire is a woman in her late twenties who has always been trying to perfect herself for ages. She is afraid to disappoint others so she enclose herself in a shell where people view her as a cold-hearted person because she is so firm and blunt. Momo on the other hand is completely silly and acts just like a dog. At the same time, he does have feelings but tries not to show them in front of his master. I find him so appealing. As their lives intertwine further everyday, they learn things they couldn't have on their own.

The plot evolves around the two most of the time as they run into plenty of problems, making them doubt themselves in various aspects. Near towards the end of the series, there are a few chapters that are dedicated to the side characters but not so much that it veers away from the original plot between the protagonists altogether. A couple of chapters gives a peek into the future, which I found to be most appropriate and made me want to read more.

In the beginning when I first saw Kimi wa Petto at a younger age, I was not fond of the manga's art style. But now that I have grown with a better mindset on mangas, I think the art is perfect for the story. Simple but lovely, Yayoi Ogawa does not exaggerate with lines or shading. Her art may not be the best out there but it harmonizes with the plot to complete it whole. The more I continued to read, the more I adored the drawings, especially when I got to see my favourite couple together.

In conclusion, I think Kimi wa Petto is an amazing series of normal people for normal people. I definitely recommend it but someone at a young age should not venture into it. Not only are there is inappropriate content, but it would be harder to digest because of the setup is not meant for kids.

There's also a Japanese drama (which I never finished it because I have little patience with dramas) but I recommend for those who have read Kimi wa Petto to watch the live version also! From what I remember, it's a pretty good show where you can kick back and just relax.