You're My Pet

Tramps Like Us/Kimi Wa Petto/You're My Pet is the third live action version of a popular manga series in Japan. It is about a career woman in her thirties who takes in a ballet dancer eight years her junior as a pet. She calls him "Momo", the name of her old dog. At work she's in a relationship with a conventionally perfect boyfriend. The man proposes to her, but she's reluctant to accept him. Somehow she got addicted to the dopamines of petting her ballet dancer, especially his tousled hair that she washes every single day.

Imagine how weird this all is: a single lady who shares her apartment with a man under the pretence that he's her dog. She can cuddle him whenever she likes, no strings attached, like he's a living male Tamagotchi. The storyline about an older woman dating a younger man is more common in Japan, watch for instance TV shows like Rasuto Shinderera/Last Cinderella, Otona Joshi/Lady girls, Ishitachi no Reiai Jijyou/Doctor's affairs. The young men in these series share the same characteristics: they are attentive, soft, idealistic, and they aren't afraid of body contact. Perhaps this kind of man is fulfilling a need in modern Japan, who knows? I see these TV shows in a different light since I've watched some documentaries about the loss of human intimacy in Japan.

Nevertheless I enjoyed You're My Pet like a fairytale. The actors have good chemistry, I liked their dialogues, and their kisses. This adaption has a sound, fulfilling ending, so if you like sweet romance, this is for you.