Title: Kimi wa Petto aka You are My Pet
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director:
Format: 10 episodes
Dates: 9 Apr 2003 - 18 Jun 2003

Synopsis: Iwaya Sumire is a successful writer for a newspaper. However, her personal life isn’t so fantastic: her last boyfriend cheated on her and dumped her, and other men find her unapproachable and cold. One day she comes home to find a young man in a box in front of her apartment. On a whim, she takes him in as a pet, naming him “Momo” after a dog she used to own. This spur-of-the-moment decision leads to unexpected changes and events as the relationship between Momo and Sumire gradually deepens. And then, to make matters worse, Sumire’s old crush returns to renew their friendship.

The Highlights
Plot: Unique approach to discussing common aspects of relationships.
Characters: Thankfully, no villain in the love triangle.
Acting: Excellent acting by the three main characters makes this far-fetched idea believable.
Concept: Some weirdness over the master-pet relationship.

One thing can be said about Kimi wa Petto: it’s an interesting idea that you probably won’t see illustrated in quite this way again. I found Kimi wa Petto to be a mixed bag. The concept is original, but strange. Drawing too many parallels between a pet and Momo made the burgeoning relationship between Momo and Sumire a bit weird. Watching this series, I found it particularly hard to understand exactly where that line between “pet” and “potential lover” blurred for Momo and Sumire, which made it difficult to figure out when their relationship shifted from a master-pet to a more normal (although never completely normal) relationship… or if it shifted at all.

However, the strangeness of the concept doesn’t hide the fact that there is a lot of truth in what it expresses about relationships. Momo and Sumire’s relationship touches on something basic in all of us: the desire to have someone who knows who we really are and who doesn’t judge, someone who is always there for us. Set against this “pure” relationship is the romance between Sumire and Hasumi, in which Sumire hides her true self in order to become the person that she imagines Hasumi wants. At its core, Kimi wa Petto has an excellent insight into relationships, regardless of the plot device that was used to display it, and that is the greatest appeal of this show.

The most believable aspect I found in Kimi wa Petto is the fact that there is no real villain in the story. Everyone has different motives, but there is no black-and-white. Even the characters who are antagonistic have their own motives which you can’t help but sympathize with. This is especially true for the inevitable love triangle between Momo, Hasumi, and Sumire. This could so easily have turned into yet another story about one guy trying to come between the inevitable couple, like so many other love triangle romances. Luckily, for Kimi wa Petto, there is no bad guy in the love triangle either. Even though a choice inevitably had to be made, I couldn’t help but like both of the men vying for Sumire’s affection. It was difficult to guess whom she might choose, since both men have a lot going for them in terms of their relationship with her.

Superior acting on the part of all three main participants in the love triangle only adds to the believability. Matsumoto Jun won me over with his portrayal of the cheerful and vibrant Momo. Koyuki has always impressed me in the roles she has played, and her sympathetic performance as Sumire is no different. You can clearly feel and understand her Sumire’s strengths, as well as weaknesses. Tanabe Seiichi rounds out the top three with a surprisingly sensitive turn as Hasumi Shigehito, the man for whom Sumire has nursed a crush for years.

Overall, this is a better-than-average dramatic series about romantic relationships. On a personal note, I was not fond of the concept used to convey the creator’s ideas about these relationships, but I enjoyed the insightfulness and sensitivity with which those ideas were expressed. Sumire, Momo, and Hasumi are memorable characters who are fun to watch and cheer on. This is not the best series I have seen, but it is good.

The Rating: 7

Reviewed by: dheu