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The plot premise of Tramps Like Us – a career woman adopts a homeless younger man as a pet – is farfetched. But just make your peace with it and read on, because this manga is captivating. It will shatter your stereotypes of graphic novels as only for YA or male audiences. Tramps Like Us is an adult woman’s story written for adult women, with complexity, sensitivity, and realism.
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// ]]> Sumire Iwaya, a 28-year-old journalist, has the three “highs” prized in Japanese husbands: a high education (Japan’s top university, Tokyo University, and a foreign exchange at Harvard), high height, and high salary. But these assets seem wasted on a woman. Her coworkers don’t relate well to a female boss, and men find her status and appearance intimidating. When she finds a 21-year-old modern dancer named Takeshi Gouda living in a cardboard box on the street, Sumire takes him home and jokes that he can stay, but only as a pet, with the nickname Momo. She’s amazed when he accepts. Now, Sumire and Momo are in an unprecedented relationship. She doesn’t have to maintain a perfect facade; he feels needed by his keeper. If Momo can convince Sumire to see him as a man, will it lead to true love – or ruin everything?
Tramps Like Us is about learning to recognize the right relationship for you and having the courage to choose it when it defies society’s expectations. Sumire’s paper match is her power-couple boyfriend Hasumi, a fellow journalist who’s taller, older, higher-earning, and her equal in education. Yet being with short, poor, young, and artistic beta hero Momo leaves Sumire feeling rested and recharged; by contrast, Hasumi fills her with anxiety. She tries so hard to be the “right” girlfriend that she conceals herself from Hasumi, hiding her smoking, her opinions, and even her lack of sexual desire. Similarly, Momo’s partner “ought” to be his fellow dancer – but it’s Sumire who prioritizes Momo’s health, and who inspires him to grow as a performer. While the “pet”concept is weird, she doesn’t actually treat him like an animal. Mostly it’s important because it lets Sumire fool herself about her relationship with Momo until they are already close.
The manga takes on gender issues in relationships and at work. How should a woman assert herself in the workplace or in relationships without being “bitchy?” How should competent women respond to manipulative or passive-aggressive work and love rivals? Should mothers stay home with the kids? When a couple’s careers are geographically incompatible, how should they compromise? Although the handling of all of these topics is influenced by the Japanese setting, I think they’re universal.
The art was generally effective, with occasional moments which were better or worse. I disliked how the author sometimes shows noses by drawing nothing except tiny nostril slits. I couldn’t shake the mental association with Voldemort and snakes. On the other hand, her depictions of Momo’s dancing pulse with energy, validating his talent and helping Sumire and the reader see Sumire’s goofy pet as a powerful male. Some landscapes, such as a starlit Japanese skyline and a nighttime snowfall in a Belgian city square, are strikingly beautiful. The manga does depict sex scenes, but no genital areas are shown (only breasts and bare backsides).
Despite the A grade, I won’t pretend that the manga is perfect. Sumire’s karate skills seems cartoonishly out-of-place in this realistic story, and there’s more physicality (slapping, etc.) in relationships than I like, although it’s typical for manga. Most side stories add to the plot by pushing Sumire and Momo into growth, resolving the issues of the supporting cast, or serving as foils and metaphors, but a few felt unnecessary and dragged out the page count. However, the more times I read this, the more I get out of it, and maybe I’ll eventually come to see the reasons for including some stories I didn’t get the first time around.
Sumire and Momo are good for each other. That’s my favorite thing in a romance. Add another favorite trope – delayed gratification – and a strong supporting cast of well-rounded characters, and you have a great, unconventional read. Highly recommended.
Grade: A
Book Type: Graphic Novel
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 08/04/14
Publication Date: 08/2004
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.