My Thoughts on the Drama 君はペット(Kimi wa Petto)
You know, when something is newly released, it's so easy to talk about it; with your friends, on social media, wherever. But when it's been years and everyone has already long said everything about it, at that point, if someone newly discovers it and wants to talk all about it - their first impressions and ideas and theories and so on - it is so hard to do so, without seeming totally out of place!
I find myself in such situations often, but I think writing my thoughts here on this journal could be a good solution. ✨️The case in point right now is a drama I recently finished watching and LOVED. It's called, '君はペット' (Kimi wa Petto/You're my Pet). It's a cute and heartwarming romance based on a manga by Yayoi Ogawa (which I really want to read now!) It actually has two TV versions, one in 2003 starring Jun Matsumoto (from Arashi!), which is the one I will be talking about, and one in 2017 starring Jun Shison, which I haven't watched (yet). It's quite odd but cool that both versions' male leads are called 'Jun', isn't it?! Was it intentional? Or pure coincidence? I also found out a few days ago that there was also a Korean movie version made in 2011! This story surprisingly seems to have remained quite popular throughout the years, then! -and quite well deserved, in my opinion!
If you haven't seen it yet, you really should. It's about a strong-willed woman who faces every struggle and challenge in her life (including surviving in a chauvinistic male-dominated workplace, being dumped by her boyfriend because her personality is too 'dominant', etc) with a cool exterior and an unemotional way. Deep inside, though, she is a lot more tender and in need of love than meets the eye. However, there is no one with whom she can be her true self. She doesn't feel comfortable letting her defence down in front of anyone. Despite her best efforts, every guy she meets ends up feeling threatened by her due to her strong personality, while some don't find her feminine enough. She finally makes up her mind that she won't date anyone unless they have 'three highs' (=higher in height, age, and income) in order to avoid future problems.
She's at the lowest point in her life, with rejection after rejection despite there being no fault on her part, and that's when she finds a (super handsome!!💓) guy who is injured and has passed out in a box (yes, a box!) outside her apartment. Looking at him, she is reminded of her beloved pet dog from her childhood days, and decides to take him in just for that night, until he recovers. But they end up agreeing on staying together after that, on a special condition that you can guess from the title of this drama. 🤭 That's where the story starts! 💖
I think it's important to mention that despite the strange premise, the story is actually very sweet and also quite relatable. Throughout the story, there is an interesting comparison between the platonic love between a pet and its owner, and romantic love between two people. I don't want to spoil too much here for you in case you haven't seen it yet, but a key point from this drama was that there are two types of people: some are clearly sweet and gentle and can love easily; they're approachable and can easily approach; while others find it hard to convey their feelings; perhaps they find it hard even admitting it to themselves; they could be afraid of losing that love, they could be perfectionists, but at the end of the day, they come off as cold and unapproachable despite being the opposite. It is exactly the latter category of people who can end up being closer with their pets than with any human; they love and want to be loved just like anyone else, only, their way is different.
The pet/owner relationship between the male and female lead is not some sick power imbalance or any such thing; it is one of mutual love and care and understanding. As the story unfolds, we also get to see why the male lead would agree to something like this, which is a very important point. All his life, he struggled to get the attention of his fighting parents, especially his mother; to get a moment of love and affection; but the only time he got this was when he succeeded in something, like in his interest of dance. So he kept on perfecting it, hungry for his mother's positive response whenever he improved, until he realised one day that the moment he stopped or wouldn't succeed, he wouldn't have his mother's attention or love anymore. When he meets the female lead, he is loved and cared for without any conditions; he also sees that he can make a difference for her, and make her life better, not by always chasing some distant goal in order to do so, the way he would have to to make his mother happy, but just by being there, the way he is.
That's what makes each interaction equally comforting for both of them; they both get something which they never got from anyone else; love and acceptance for their true selves. In Japanese, there is a concept called 'tatemae' and 'honmae'. Tatemae is the projected self that you reserve for when you are dealing with others (includes basic politeness, hiding your true emotions, etc), while honmae is your true self, the way you actually feel. In my opinion, you get to see a lot of this concept in this drama. And another key point of this story is, I think: true love is that in which you can show your honmae to the one you love. The male and female leads don't have to change themselves when they are together like they do in front of others; they don't have to hide their feelings; they are who they are, whether happy or sad, composed or totally messed-up, and that acceptance is what makes their relationship special. That is exactly the reason why the female lead's boyfriend, despite being perfect in every way, is not right for her; she is never comfortable showing her honmae in front of him.
This story also challenges certain traditional norms, for example, even though the female lead says she will not date or marry anyone without the three highs, the male lead has neither of them, and yet we can see (and eventually she does, too) that he definitely is her soulmate. ❤️ There are a lot of little instances throughout the drama, in fact, which challenge our existing perceptions about various things and make us see them in a different way, e.g. the cute tension between the psychologist and his love interest, or when the female lead speaks up in disagreement during the company dinner in which her male co-workers talk about how a guy relying on a woman's income is wrong, and so on.
There are so many moments in each episode that give you butterflies 🦋💓; and since it's MatsuJun as the male lead that is no surprise! 🥹💓 Honestly, that's my biggest point on all the other versions made of this classic; no matter how good a remake they make, how can they replace MatsuJun with anyone else! His looks and expressions and everything, are out of this world! 💗 And he just fits in this role so perfectly! And don't get me started on that cute fluffy hairstyle and the cool fashion throughout! 🥰
I really like the actress playing the female lead, too (her name is Koyuki); she's also perfect for the role; she's got the super cool career woman vibe, and yet we can see the awkward and shy side to her which is the complete opposite, and yet it fits so perfectly. Her smile is really sweet, too; especially when she is cooking delicious meals for her 'pet'; no wonder the male lead falls in love with her! 🤭
Another note-worthy point of this drama is its soundtrack! (no pun intended, but hey!) Especially the beautiful piano that plays at the emotional/romantic moments. 💗 And of course the ending song! 😁 Actually, I think I'm going to make an entire separate entry/post going in the details of the music of 'Kimi wa Petto'!
Speaking of posts, I think another one I would really like to write is a comparison between the two drama versions (and maybe even the movie), and perhaps another one to compare the drama to the manga to see how true the TV version was to the original story, etc. Who knows, maybe soon...
For now, have a MatsuJun from the drama:
🥰💘💘💘
And on that note, goodbye! 💖