Tramps Like Us, Volume 13

Over the past two years, I've gone from a mildly interested in manga person to being a real fan of the artform. Enough so that I frequent forums about manga, am trying to learn Japanese better to see if there are differences between the original Japanese and the translated (and there are differences but that's another story), and my shelves at home are full of manga where it used to be romance novels and murder mysteries. The point of the above is that I've read a lot of manga over the past two years. Some good, some not so good, and some really eyescratching awful. But then there are some manga that are so good that they defy the restrictions of their genre. So it is with Tramps Like Us (aka Kimi wa Petto). Tramps is not shoujo, but rather, of the josei category which is written more for older teens and young women. but with Tramps, the target audience can easily fit in older women and throw in some guys too. Why? Because the story is just that good. The premise is about the only thing that is "out there". Sumire, after having a really bad day, finds a homeless guy in a box at her doorstep. She's takes him in and because he reminds her of her long-gone pet dog, Momo. Hence, he becomes her pet, Momo. But what happens after that is pure romantic comedy gold with a bit of drama thrown in. Sumire is a woman who is easy to relate to. Yes, she's beautiful and smart but she's also got her insecurities and personality tics. And it is so refreshing to see a heroine whose natural reserve is part of her charm. Momo is actually Takeshi Gouda. He's cute but he's also younger than Sumire, shorter than Sumire, less educated than Sumire and he's dancer so he doesn't make much money. In Japan, there are the three Highs - High Education, High Income and High Height. Momo fails all three in relation to Sumire because she's taller, she's more educated, and she makes more money. But instinctively, he knows that she needs a guy just like him in her life. And he's right. What follows isn't a quick path to romance. What comes first is friendship and family and disappointments and fun and hurt and finally, romance. The journey that Sumire and Momo take on the road to romance includes a fiance (who is actually a very nice and handsome man), co-workers who are unique unto themselves, family encounters of 'gads, my family is like that too' kind, and hints of a love that could be destined if one just gives it a chance. But the best thing about this story: The characters, none of them, are dumb or mean when all is said and done. They may do stupid and hurtful things at one time or another, but when the dust settles, they are actually good people. And that's what reading Tramps Like Us is like: Getting to know some people who are good and interesting. There are few manga that I recommend higher than this one. In fact, I can only think of three off the top of my head. But if one is starting out with manga for the first time, especially of th