Kimi Wa Pet!

Lately my manga reviews have been pretty disappointing. Luckily, I was very fortunate to read Kimi wa Pet!

Synopsis

The story revolves around Sumire Iwaya, a successful business women who is very independent, confident, beautiful, and talented. Many people are intimidated by her huge success and gossip about her. Her long time boyfriend felt intimidated by her height and career that he cheated on her and impregnated the mistress - soon to be wife. All the stress given by her job, romance, and other people have been bottling up inside her for quite some time until one day, she fatefully meets a young man in a cardboard box.

She proposes to give him a place to stay, cook his meals, even shampoo his hair, as long as he agrees to act as her pet. Afraid to show her true self to others, Sumire used to confess all her worries and troubles to her pet dog Momo, who died when she was 12. This mysterious man will take the pets place and provide Sumire an outlet for all her stress.

As time passes, things seem to look up for Sumire. She gets a promotion at work, her college crush (who happens to be taller, handsome, and more successful), confesses his love for her and things couldn't be better with her pet. It is then that Sumire realizes that she will one day have to let grow up and let go of her pet "dog". This is just something she cannot do. Is it because she is having trouble growing up? Or is it because Momo has become more than a canine companion?

An average day at the Sumire househould

Why this series is so good

• The true meaning of strength. It's not about physical power. It's the power to not be intimidated by other people's life or affected by other people's judgements, but to look forward and focus on your on potential and goals. Takeshi (Momo's real name), never felt intimidated about Sumire's success or ever felt ashamed by other people's opinion of him and his pet role. He has the ability to see a person for whom they are, not what they have done and can focus on making himself a better person.
• A different kind of heroine. Sumire is not your average Shoujo female lead. She doesn't need a man to solve her day to day problems. In fact, she is capable of solving them herself. What she really needs help on is her own insecurities and indecisiveness. I believe this is a better reflection on women and girls today. We don't need a man to miraculous show up when we sprain our ankle, or protect us from the pervert who gropes us on the bus. We need someone who accepts us for who we truly are, and let's us express ourselves freely without feeling insecure.
• A different kind of love. It redefines the "perfect man" and shows us that sometimes, things just don't work out and yet the thing that is meant to be, is perfectly normal and better. What makes the perfect man isn't his height, success, or looks, but how they make you feel about yourself, how comfortable you are around them, if they encourage you to be a better person, and how natural it is to interact with him - in all situations.

I can see why this won an award and why it got reproduced into a live action drama (which I am totally going to watch). It seriously left an impression on me, and still has. I recommend this series to everyone who is wants a change of pace from the mundane "Knight in shining armour" shoujo.

Rating: 5/5

Read it here

Related posts

September Review: Faster than a Kiss

Faster than a Kiss

This month, we will be reviewing Faster than a Kiss, a series written by Meca Tanaka which focuses on the relationship between Fumino Kaji and Kazuma Ojiro. Though they may seem to be just a teacher and student by day, they are really a married couple by night. But don't get any crazy ideas just yet. Though they are legally allowed to do whatever kinky thing they want, they have yet to kiss, let alone anything beyond that.

Faster than a Kiss cover

So why are they married in the first place? Well, Fumino's parents died one year ago, leaving Fumino and Teppei (her little brother) on a long road of hopping from relative to relative. Sick of it all, Fumino decides to drop out of high school and work full time to support Teppei. But before she can go with this idea, her Homeroom teacher (Kazuma), promises to take them into his home. Being the prideful being that she is, Fumino won't believe his kindness unless he makes it concrete (ie: marriage). And so our story begins.

Initial Thoughts

Though the concept and constant feeling of taboo intrigued me at first, there seemed to be a repeating story cycle in each chapter. It went as follows:

• Fumino is seen at school, defending some helpless student, Yankee style
• Fumino and Teppei welcome Kazuma home in cosplay outfits
• Kazuma hugs Teppei in an outburst of "omg you're so cute!"
• Fumino says or does something that provokes intimacy
• Fumino wussies out
• Fumino is presented with a challenge which she takes on wholeheartedly
• Fumino either fails at the challenge or is placed in danger resulting in Kazuma using his super athletic or Ex-Yankee skills to save her

One of the many cosplay scenes

It's cute and durable a few times (like maybe 3 or 4 times), but to have the same cycle over and over again could make a manga reader want to puke.

On the positive note, the artwork is pretty well done and the story does make progressions. Chapter 13 had a cliffhanger that I am curious in seeing the outcome of.

Prominent Themes

• Teacher-Student relationships: Ah yes, the taboo involved between a teacher and student, adult and child. Constant secrecy in the public eye. Every touch between them forbidden.
• Pure Female lead: Never been kissed, and blushes at every touch. The Japanese have this fetish with purity so it's no surprise that Fumino is that way. Of course, it is always fun watching all of someone's firsts.
• Mysterious Past: This seems to be staple for most mangas. We know Kazuma was an extremely talented ex-delinquint, but that's as far as the information goes. His family, ex girflriends, and childhood all remain a blur. The curious reader will continue to read just to find out more about how Kazuma came to be the plain teacher he is today.

To be brutally honest, there are better mangas out there right now. But if you want a casual laugh, it's a quick read with only 13 chapters currently out.

Rating: 3/5

Related posts

October Review: Kimi wa Pet!
August Review: Hana to Akuma

Manga Releases: August 2009

As August comes to a close, I decided to reflect on the chapters that came out/got scanlated of the manga I am following. At the moment it is a very Shoujo list since the Shounen ones I was following (Hunter x Hunter, D Gray Man, etc) seem to be in a boring standstill.

Skip Beat Chapter 144

We are still on the Valentine's day story arch-which has entertained us with Shou's gothic rendition of Kyoko and Beagle's "love affair."

Kyoko and Beagle being romantic

This chapter progressed the story by introducing Kyoko's birthday present to Ren. What made this present mysterious is the fact that Kyoko insisted that Ren open it when he is alone. Knowing Kyoko, it is going to be something super practical and unromantic. But we will just have to wait and see on the next release.

Kyoko tells Ren to open it at home

The comedic aspect of this chapter was when Kyoko was handing out chocolates to all her co-workers and explicity left out Ren. I definitely recommend reading it!

Read it here

Vampire Knight Chapter 53

Is it just me or has this story gotten incredibly dull? Things just went downhill when Kaname and Yuuki left the school. I am also not a fan of Yuuki's useless nature. Most of the time she sits around the house in pretty dresses, craving blood, and tripping around.

Why so emo?

In this chapter, Kaito is introduced as a teacher for the school. He is a vampire hunter and trained with Zero during childhood.

Did Zero just jizz in his pants?

There is a party with the Hunter Association and the Vampire Council. An old friend decides to attend the party in search of Yuuki. The chapter also ends with a bittersweet reunion.

Read it here

Other good reads this month

• Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu Chapter 35 and 36
• The One Chapter 59

Let's Translate It: よつばと！

Here is the second installment of August's Japanese lessons. Today we will take a look at a raw page of Yotsubato!. I did some research and this came up as a good beginner manga to read in Japanese.

Yotsubato! Volume 1 front cover

Prerequisites

• Hiragana and Katakana
• Some Kanji

Here is a page from chapter 1 in the first volume. We will take each cell, state the romaji then translate it as best as we can. Please remember that I am learning with you. I probably won't get the translation at 100%. But as each of these lessons go on, my skills (as well as yours) will improve, raising the amount and difficulty of the context.

Click on the image to see a bigger screen

Navigation

We will be going from right to left in an up down pattern. So Cell #1 will be the one on the top right, Cell #2 is the top left, cell #3 is bottom right, etc ...

Translation

Cell #1:

Jumbo: Have you been well?
Yotsuba: Ah! Stop it!

Jumbo: Genki ni shitetaka?
Yotsuba:Uah! Yameru!

Cell #2:

Koiwai-San: Where's Yanda?
Jumbo: He had some business come up. That guy is no good.

Koiwai san: Yanda wa?
Jumbo:A-aitsu you ga haittekara koneette. Aitsu dame dawa.

Cell #3:

Yotsuba: Jumbo, you've gotten bigger since I've seen you last!
Jumbo: Oh? Where did you learn that saying?
Koiwai san: Oh well. Jumbo will just have to do two people's worth or work.

Yotsuba:Jumbo shibaraku uchi ni mata ooki kunatta!
Jumbo: O? Doko de oboeta sono serifu?
Koiwai san: Maa ii ka. Jumbo ga futaripun hatarakushina.

Cell #4:

Jumbo: No way. Not happening. I'm not working like that!
Koiwai san: Please work...
Yotsuba:I will work!

Jumbo: Sonna! Goto wa nai! Ore wa hatarakanai!
Koiwai san: Hataraite kure...
Yotsuba:Yotsuba ga hataraku!

Cell #5:

Jumbo: Oh! That's great Yotsuba! Your dad is no good eh?
Yotsuba:My dad is no good!

Jumbo: O! Eraizo Yotsuba! To chan wa dame dane!
Yotsuba: To chan dame da!

Related posts:

Lesson 1: Translate the blog's title

Hana to Akuma (Flower and Demon) Volume I

The front cover of Volume 1

This week I started to read Hana To Akuma - a series created by Oto Hisamu about a high ranked Demon (Vivi) who runs away from hell and picks up a baby human girl (Hana) whom he finds on the street. The story begins when Hana is 14.


Initial Thoughts:

What do you get when you mix Sebastien Michaelis and Ciel Phantomhive from Kuroshitsuji? You get Vivi, who has Ciel's apathy, royalty and fashion sense, mixed with Sebastian's natural talent, dark mysterious aura and good looks.

Ciel and Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji

Hana is your typical loli heroine: naive, innocent, and persistent with an all encompassing love for Vivi. Besides from her love for Vivi, I am not getting much substance from her character, making it extremely difficult for me to like her.

There is also an incestuous nature about the relationship between Vivi and Hana: a father-daughter union turned romantic (think Lovesick). Though things seem to be on the gray line of parental and romantic, it is likely going to transition into pure romance in the later volumes.


Why it is doing so well:

• Incest: there is something about a forbidden romance between an adult and a teenager that peak the interest of so many readers. (ex: Lovesick, Loveless, Glass Mask)
• Loligoth: the fashion sense displayed by Hana is very Lolita-goth, a current trend in Japan.
  
• Perfect Demons: Popular anime series such as Vampire Knight and Kuroshitsuji have supernatural beings that have skills and physical features that surpass those of humans. They also bring along a dark aura, making themselves mysterious and just plain sexy.
• Original twists: Though it takes successful vices from other anime and manga series, the most important aspect that is making this manga a hit among readers is its own original content. This is where other manga fail. They seem more cut and paste and less original.

Rating: 3.5/5

Related Posts

September Review: Faster than a Kiss