Title: You're My Pet Vol. 2Author: Yayoi Ogawa
Series: You're My Pet #2
First Published: June 13, 2001
Publisher: Kodansha
Pages: 190
Genre: Drama, Josei, Romance
Format: Ebook
Source: comiXology Unlimited
Rating:
Synopsis:
Sumire is demoted from her job on the same day that she discovers her boyfriend cheated on her, but things look up when she meets Momo, an engaging homeless guy who makes her life even more complicated.
Get the Book: AmazonReview
Two volumes in and I have some relatively mixed feelings on You’re My Pet. I like the characters, especially Sumire. For all her maturity publicly, Sumire is still pretty naieve in matters of the heart, and I like the complexity of her character.
As for the romance? Right now I’m not a fan of either of the male love interests. She understandably doesn’t see Momo as a romantic option, but rather a mutually codependent friendship. Meanwhile Hasumi checks all of the boyfriend boxes, but it is increasingly clear that Sumire is not ready for a relationship emotionally.
I understand her desire to date someone that she doesn’t have to worry about intimidating like her ex-fiancé. Having someone that you’re on par with in terms of education, career, and finance is understandable. The exploration of these themes especially during the time period in which the manga was written makes it stand out. The manga was clearly ahead of it’s time given the current climate of dating worldwide.
The story starts planting the seeds of incompatibility between Sumire and Hasumi, partially because she keeps things like important memories or hobbies a secret because they don’t match her public image. She can’t, because she’s engaging in an emotional affair with Momo. Of course she doesn’t appear to realize this. Emotional cheating was only coined in the late 80s to early 90s, so at the time that this was written the concept was less understood.
So far though, I’m not impressed with Sumire and Momo’s relationship. Out of jealousy he gives her the silent treatment for weeks to make her appreciate him more as a person rather than a pet which is toxic and incredibly manipulative. I won’t dismiss the series yet and will see where it goes.
Quote
“His education, income and height were all lower than mine. But I thought we were basically doing fine. I’ll never make the same mistake again. After that, I made up my mind to go after a guy who would never feel inferior to me as a boyfriend.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Yayoi Ogawa
Yayoi Ogawa is a manga artist from Kanagawa, Japan. Knight of the Ice is her second series to be published in English after cult classic You’re My Pet (originally published under the title Tramps Like Us), which was a 2003 Kodansha Manga Award winner.
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