Pet and Mistress

From the way I have been presenting mangas so far I could be deduced to be a bishonen-otaku. What has been missing so far is a heroine in the spotlight. That is probably because so far I have been reading mostly shoujo mangas, made for girls and young women - very much like young adult books. But I am not a highschool girl myself and maybe that is why I have my difficulties to really feel with the typical shoujo heroines. If you think it is because I am more attracted to the men ... I kind of feared it could be so myself, but lately I have been reading the 14-volume-josei-series "Kimi wa petto" (other titles/translations: Kimi wa pet, Tramps like us, You are a pet, My pet Momo) a manga that is not a shoujo but meant for more mature women. And suddenly I feel more with the heroine - Sumire is not a young virginal blushing high school girl, but a career woman with some dating and relationship experience and a chain smoker to boot. I feel much closer to her as a person. ;-)
The basic plot idea is something like this: Iwaya Sumire seems to have everything: high education, intelligence, beauty and a fast progressing career as a journalist. But that is exactly why people don't seem to appreciate and bully her with their envy and why she got dumped by her cheating ex-boyfriend with his inferiority complex. She sets a new rule for dating: no men that are shorter than she is, who earn less or are less educated. So when she picks up a good looking boy from the streets and lets him stay with her for free, she decides he can't be her boyfriend, because he does not meet any of the requirements ... she makes him her pet instead and calls him Momo after her old dog. And while Sumire finds a boyfriend who seems perfect for her, the only person who gets to see a certain side of her is her "pet" Momo. Sumire tries to train her pet, but instead it sometimes seems that in this case the pet has a lesson in store for his mistress.

Ah, when I read the plot like this it has a distinct possibility for cheesiness. But despite Sumire's sometimes outlandish views about her pet, the story never wanders into the regions of D/s or other weird stuff. It is mostly romance, a bit of comedy or drama mixed in here and there. There is some sexual content, Sumire has a sex life ... to some degree, but it is not depicted in detail and manages to stay appropriate and almost demure. The characters are nicely built and show a good depth. Sumire is a strong woman who has been hurt a lot and who seems cool and aloof to people when she really is not and does not see herself that way. Her actions are founded on a very peculiar sense of logic that strangely makes her seem almost real. She is also really beautiful. The artist Ogawa Yayoi, who has published at least four other manga books or series, has a simplistic, very clear and trendy style. I especially like the way Sumire's eyes are drawn, less round and glossy than in the shoujo genre, but almost more like the eyes of a bishonen - quite befitting for a woman out of her teens. The Hero, the pretty little pet boy Momo and various side characters are also really well created, but not as vivid as Sumire by far.
I would recommend "Kimi wa petto" to anyone who longs for a more mature heroine or a romance outside of highschool that has sexual tension without smut, a clear and very hip and appealing artwork, an original idea and really good character development.