If you were lurking in the manga aisles of a Borders or Barnes & Noble in the mid-2000s, you probably saw it. The cover usually featured a stylish, somewhat stoic woman and a guy who looked a little too much like a golden retriever. Tramps Like Us—or Kimi wa Petto as it’s known in Japan—is one of those stories that sounds absolutely unhinged when you describe the plot to someone who doesn't read Josei manga.
"It's about a high-powered journalist who finds a homeless guy in a box and decides to keep him as a pet."
Yeah. It sounds weird. It sounds like something that wouldn't fly in 2026. But the Tramps Like Us book series by Yayoi Ogawa is actually one of the most grounded, emotionally resonant explorations of career burnout and loneliness ever put to paper. It’s not about literal pet ownership; it’s about the masks we wear to survive in a corporate world that wants us to be perfect.
The Sumire Iwaya Problem
Sumire is the heart of the story. She’s tall. She’s Ivy League-educated (well, the Japanese equivalent). She’s a tobacco-smoking, martial-arts-practicing powerhouse at a major newspaper. She’s also a "mess" by societal standards because she doesn't know how to be "soft."
Her boss harasses her, her boyfriend cheats on her because he’s intimidated by her salary, and she ends up punching a superior. She’s "too much" for everyone.
Then she finds Takeshi.
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He's a beautiful, younger ballet dancer curled up in a cardboard box outside her apartment in the rain. In a moment of exhausted whimsy, she says he can stay if he becomes her pet. She names him Momo, after her childhood dog.
What follows isn't a weird power fantasy. It's a relief. For the first time in her life, Sumire doesn't have to be the "Elite Woman." She can just be a person who comes home, kicks off her heels, and cries. Momo doesn't judge her for being smarter than him or making more money. He just wants his head scratched. It’s a subversion of the typical Shoujo trope where the man protects the woman; here, the woman provides the "doghouse," and the man provides the emotional labor.
Why the Tramps Like Us Book Series is More Relevant Now
We live in a "hustle culture" that has only gotten more aggressive since Ogawa first penned this in the early 2000s. The pressure on women to "have it all" while remaining "likable" is a constant theme in modern discourse.
The Tramps Like Us book treats this with incredible nuance. It shows the physical toll of anxiety. Sumire gets hives. She loses hair. She suffers from migraines. This isn't just "manga drama"—it's a very real depiction of what happens when you suppress your personality to fit into a corporate box.
Momo (Takeshi) is the catalyst for her healing, but he’s not a blank slate. He’s a genius dancer struggling with his own ego and the pressures of being a prodigy. The dynamic is messy. It’s a bit toxic at times. It’s definitely unconventional. Honestly, that’s why it works. It captures that specific type of 20-something (and 30-something) desperation where you just need one corner of the world to be simple.
Breaking Down the Volumes
The series spans 14 volumes in the English Tokyopop release. If you’re hunting for these today, you’ll notice they’ve become collector's items. Kodansha eventually picked up the digital rights, which saved us all from spending $100 on a used copy of Volume 13.
The middle volumes are where the real meat is. We see Sumire try to date "the perfect man," Hasumi. He’s tall, he’s handsome, he’s her equal on paper. He’s everything her parents want for her. But she can’t be herself around him. She’s constantly performing. Meanwhile, she’s at home feeding a man-pet on the floor. The tension is palpable because we’ve all been in that position—trying to force a "correct" relationship while our heart is somewhere totally "incorrect."
It’s Not Just a Romance
Calling this a romance manga feels like a bit of a disservice. It’s a character study.
Ogawa’s art style is distinct. It’s not the big-eyed, sparkly aesthetic of Sailor Moon. It’s sharp. The fashion is very early-2000s Tokyo—lots of layered shirts, bootcut jeans, and sharp blazers. It feels lived-in.
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You also get a look at the Japanese media industry. The deadlines, the office politics, the way rumors spread in a bullpen. It adds a layer of realism that grounds the more "out there" premise of a human pet.
The side characters aren't just filler, either. You have Fukushima, the antagonist of sorts, who is essentially the "anti-Sumire." She uses her femininity as a weapon, manipulating men to get what she wants. While it would be easy to make her a one-dimensional villain, the book eventually explores why she acts that way. Like Sumire, she’s just trying to survive a system that isn't built for her.
The Cultural Impact and Adaptations
If you’ve heard the name but never read the Tramps Like Us book, you might have seen one of the many live-action versions.
- The 2003 Japanese Drama: Starring Jun Matsumoto (of Arashi fame) and Koyuki. This is widely considered the gold standard. It captures the "pet" energy perfectly without making it feel too creepy.
- The 2011 Korean Movie: You're My Pet starring Jang Keun-suk and Kim Ha-neul. It's more of a rom-com, focusing on the laughs.
- The 2017 Japanese Remake: A more modern take that leans into the updated corporate culture.
But none of these quite capture the internal monologue of Sumire that you get in the manga. The books give her space to be truly unlikeable, which makes her eventual growth so much more satisfying. She’s a prickly, stubborn, brilliant woman who finally learns that she doesn't have to apologize for taking up space.
Misconceptions About the Ending
Without spoiling the specifics for new readers, there is a lot of debate about the ending of Tramps Like Us. Some people think it’s a bit rushed. Others think it’s the only logical conclusion.
The reality is that Ogawa was writing a story about two people who were both "tramps"—people who didn't quite fit into the societal structures of family or career. The ending isn't about them "fixing" their lives to look normal. It’s about them finding a way to be abnormal together.
How to Get Your Hands on It Today
Finding physical copies of the Tramps Like Us book is a bit of a nightmare. Since Tokyopop lost the license years ago, the original paperbacks are out of print. You’ll find them at used bookstores or on eBay, but prices vary wildly.
Kodansha Comics released the series digitally under the title Kimi wa Petto.
If you're a fan of:
- Nana by Ai Yazawa
- Honey and Clover by Chica Umino
- Blue Care
...then you absolutely need to read this. It fits into that "Life-is-hard-and-I'm-doing-my-best" genre of Josei that feels like a warm blanket for anyone feeling the weight of adulthood.
Final Takeaways for Readers
Tramps Like Us isn't a manual on how to treat people. It's a metaphor for the masks we wear. It’s about the vulnerability of letting someone see the "unedited" version of you.
If you’re feeling burnt out at work, or if you feel like you’re constantly "performing" your life for an audience, pick up the Tramps Like Us book. It’s a reminder that everyone is a bit of a mess behind closed doors, and that finding one person (or "pet") who accepts that mess is the ultimate win.
Next Steps for New Readers:
Check your local library's digital catalog via Libby or Hoopla. Many libraries carry the Kodansha digital volumes. Start with Volume 1 and pay attention to the "Notes from the Author" sections—Yayoi Ogawa’s commentary on her own life and the fashion of the time adds a lot of flavor to the experience. If you’re a collector, prioritize finding the later volumes (10-14) first, as those are the hardest to find in the wild.