Kimi Wa Petto (2017)

I could write a novel to compare how this adaptation succeded and failed! But because this is a review and not an analysis I'll try to be as brief and fair as possible.

This is what I call the Disney version of KWP! They took the core storyline and characters but repackaged it to satisfy a broader demographic. That's not a bad thing if you like cute romantic comedies with a hint of salaciousness and happy ending! The concept of KWP is unique in itself it's interesting and satisfying. However, if you are a fan of the original manga or original series you might be disappointed at the loss of the story's hard edges.

By softening the characters it actually made the relationship between Sumire and Takeshi "Momo" feel less passionate and dynamic. It also made their growth as individuals feel less dramatic. Without those rough and uncomfortable moments you lose much of the stories impact about intolerance from social/moral/gender expectations. That probably isn't a big deal to most but if you really enjoy those wtf elements (I call it rollercoaster euphoria) from the more mature storyline then you probably won't be fully satisfied with this latest adaptation!

The acting was fine. No one in this drama stood out to me as spectacular but they were adequate. If I had one gripe it would be Iriyama Noriko startled/deer-in-headlights look that I assume is supposed to represent nervous insecurity? I'll be nice though because it seems to work with this adaptations Sumire.  But nitpicky me really wanted that composed and confident public facade in the original. The same with Takeshi "Momo" he was too adorable to the point of being childish vs Man-child. But again it feels appropriate for this version.

Nothing to add on music though the introduction was nice.

Overall rated good, but without the original uncomfortable mature situations it's nothing special. I might watch this again because I love the KWP storyline but I'm not emotionally attached to this version

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It ’s complicated…. a little weird and pretty hot.
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It’s not flawlessly fantastic but I like it. The concept of keeping a human for a pet is intriguing and unique in itself. I am neither a J-Drama follower nor a manga reader( I am living under a rock) but from what I have picked up while watching two or three J-Dramas and a few Movies is that they have most of the times unique and often bold concepts and are not scared to experiment.

The pivotal relationship of the story is based on pure selfless love. I think that’s the side of the pet-master relationship this show was aiming to depict. And I am amazed by the skill of the story, which I think was able to put across the idea successfully in this drama, at least for me. Of course, there was sexual tension between the couple, from the boy’s side it was obvious because the woman was not just a master to him(and also ‘cause “It Started With A Kiss” for him… ) but he tried to keep it that way for her sake, the woman was at first unaware and then after gradually realising she prefered to feign ignorance for her own convenience(not calling her selfish yet). I liked how they showed their inner struggle. She is beautiful, smart and intelligent but at the same time meek, awkward and lacks confidence. She is able to express herself only in front of her pet. So, basically, Momo was her emotional refuge. Momo was also seeking a shelter at first but after getting a peek at her vulnerable side, he decided to stay and then fell in love with her. The whole experience made him grow up into a responsible man and she too came out of her shell. I didn’t read the manga or watched the previous adaptation, so, watched it with no expectations and had nothing to compare to. Though it could’ve been a little short, I am fully content with what I watched.

The acting was good overall. Shison Jun, who I have seen before in a supporting role in Tadome No Kiss, was good in that show but a little annoying with his woohoos…. may be due to the character. Whereas, here I found him very skilled. He has both range and variation in his acting. I totally bought him as a pet because of his body language. He was just like a dog, sitting, clinging, asking for attention, everything to a T.
Iriyama Noriko looked stupified all the time save few scenes, I guess it was owing to her character. But damn, is she gorgeous! I officially have a crush on her now. She has great chemistry with both the leads.
The second Male Lead was good too. Handsome and acted aptly.
Didn’t like the other girl, it could be a biased taste. Don’t like clingy, desperate yet confident enough to be bitchy characters.

I don’t want to spoil anything but frequent recurrence of a certain flashback gave me the heebeejeebees.

The soundtrack is good. Nothing much to say. I won’t especially download and listen to it but still, it’s good.

Some shows are really enjoyable while you are watching but once it’s over you don’t know whether you will watch them again or not. This is one of those shows.

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Jun Shison's eyes can speak

This version as being much more lighthearted, fluffier, and sweeter than the 2003 version. Although I’m a big fan of the original. I love Shison Jun‘s portrayal of Momo. It’s very refreshing compared to Matsumoto Jun’s version. One thing I love about Shison Jun is the way he always looks at Iriyama Noriko throughout the drama. His soft eyes speak with so much tenderness and love. He did a great job at alternating between his happy, brighter side and his darker, more contemplative side. He's kind and thoughtful. There’s a lot more kissing and skinship in this version. I love how he held back his love and backed off at first for Sumire's happiness with Hasumi-senpai. At first I find the plot super strange. Who would actually adopt and treat a normal adult human being as their own pet? But after I watch on Asian Boss about Japan's Fake-Family Industry (Family Romance, a family and friend rental service), I realize that there are so many lonely Japanese people. It makes the plot less weird.

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I really liked this drama, and I give it a solid 8.5/10. Somewhat high cheese, predictable and doesn't ask much of viewers, but great chemistry, skinship, emotions, and fun makes it a solid watch.

What I loved:
• The development of the characters, especially Sumire. It does a great job of showing how lonely and tightly wound she is, and why exactly her relationship with Momo not only works but is super crucial to her emotional health. I love the way it shows in the small sometimes subtle changes in her behavior and comfort around not just Momo, but her friends, coworkers, and even Hasumi.
• Momo's development was great as well, if not somewhat secondary to Sumire's. While he is very child-ish through most of the series, it’s not to the point of being totally grating, and we do get to see him mature a little towards the end. Also his unwavering dedication to Sumire is just damn precious.
• Overall mood is great - it remains upbeat and easy to digest without being too absurd (a feat considering the premise) but doesn't skimp on the emotion. It's still deeply heartfelt, but fun and funny at the same.
• More skinship and sensuality than most Asian drama’s I’ve seen, which is totally welcome in my book. The series treats sex as totally normal, relatable, and even humorous but without ridiculing it. The sexual tension between the mains makes their developing relationship that much more fun to watch, while the lack of chemistry with other characters does a great job adding to the overall theme of their relationships.
• Sumire's wardrobe is goals.

What I didn't like:
• Most of the secondary characters and sub-plots I really couldn’t care less about. Yuri and Ran are adorable, but Yuri’s sudden marital issues were out of left field, felt pointless, and a little sexist (why did Yuri feel she needed to change?). Fukashima was a total fail redemption-arc for me and was never likable or empathetic. I couldn’t buy her relationship with a certain someone at the end, either. Sumire’s sister was a wasted opportunity, but her purpose was served at least.
• The “pet” thing at times got a little cringe, for me. I don’t like too much cheese in my entertainment and Kimi wa Petto danced on the edge of my comfort zone a few times. Thankfully there wasn’t too much of this, despite that being the core of the plot. But when it did get to higher levels of absurd I admit I fast forwarded through some of those scenes.

Overall it’s a very pleasant romp of a drama, especially if you need something uplifting after a particularly heavy show.

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Thought-provoking exploration of relationship dynamics. Lots of fuzzy feelings.

A wonderfully intriguing exploration of relationship dynamics. Sweet, cute, thought-provoking, and romantic with lots of fuzzy feelings.

The amount of comfortable and very close skinship, cuddling and snuggling, hugging, and petting is maybe the highest of any show I've seen. And it is so cozy, comforting, heart-warming, and satisfying.

I loved how the dynamic between Sumire and Momo managed to be mostly balanced despite growing into codependency. They are both capable people yet they feel better when taking care of someone other than themselves and they feel more grounded when they are needed by somebody else. She needed him just as much as he wanted to be needed by her. Sumire is extremely bad at self-regulating her emotions and Takeshi is really good at helping her with that even though he's 10 years younger. The balance in their emotional maturity made their age gap a total non-issue.

Their master/pet relationship didn't come across as a power-play dynamic to me. There were moments where an imbalance of power would bubble up during arguments (with Sumire being the home owner) but that can happen with any couple.

This was so close to being a 9 out of 10, but the screenplay choices in the last couple episodes let me down in terms of character development and resolution. The ending was still moderately satisfying, the plot just gave into clichés at the end, which was disappointing and a waste of potential (further explained under the "specific spoilers" section at the bottom of my review).

The actors were great, especially Shishon Jun as Momo. He was also completely believable as a professional-level dancer.

FYI: Extra footage!
During the end credits of each episode there is a background video that is repeated and then a smaller box with scenes that change. At first, the small box shows repeated clips from that episode, but when the background video goes from the dog under to bedsheets to the drawer of shirts, the small box starts showing things unseen before! There's no audio, but it shows little snippets of scenes that could have happened to the characters in that episode that are otherwise unshown to the audience. There are some really cute and/or steamy-ish moments between Momo and Sumire that are fun to see as a little bonus.

SPECIFIC SPOILERS BELOW

My critique of the things that disappointed me in the last few episodes. (I had no other notable issues with the otherwise wonderful series.)

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HASUMI & FUKUSHIMA:

I felt like saying Hasumi was "weak to seduction", like it was a character trait, was a bit of a cop-out. I think he was weak to being needed, just like every other main character was! And when Hasumi misses Fukushima and realizes how much he wants to be with her, I wish the screenplay had highlighted more than it did. There was repetition around her sexiness and big chest, her good cooking, and being weak, but I think there were more differences between her and Sumire that drew Hasumi in. Not only did Fukushima show vulnerability (often times faked or exaggerated as a seduction ploy), she showed Hasumi a wider range of emotions period! She showed excitement, happiness, eagerness, and desire to be with him. Hasumi could feel secure in her affection and be himself, instead of constantly and nervously trying to navigate the potential minefield of inscrutability that was Sumire. Fukushima allowed Hasumi to feel relaxed in a similar parallel to Momo and Sumire.

SUMIRE & MOMO / TAKESHI:

- I wish Sumire had at least made a decision to hold off on marriage to Hasumi and moving to Seoul, if not breaking up altogether, BEFORE she found out about him and Fukushima.

- The whole point of Takeshi not contacting Sumire first after he leaves is because, as he previously told Fukushima, Sumire doesn't go after what she wants. She may be greatly effected by losing someone yet she won't ever go after them, which is part of why he has never truly left before. So what was really needed was for Sumire to go after Takeshi. Maybe not right way, but to show her calling him first, to visit him first, to finally show her feelings in actions and words while supporting and encouraging him from afar while he pursued his career goals. NOT just WAITING 3 years in stoic silence for him. And while eventually it shows that Sumire has received letters from Takeshi, there's no indication that's she's reciprocated in any way.

- And then after 3 years she actually goes to a performance of his in Japan but leaves flowers without trying to see him! WTF? So in the end Takeshi is the one who, yet again, has to come to her. Sure, she accepts him romantically this time, but her lack in character growth negatively impacted her worthiness of him, in my opinion. So the resolution was far less impactful, meaningful, and satisfying than it easily could have been otherwise. It felt like the writers wanted a specific final scene of them meeting in the rain and sacrificed character integrity while resorting to clichés to make it happen.

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I'm usually super critical when it comes to watching doramas but this one just gets a 9/10 from me just for how much it entertained me! This is very much an emotionally created review, so definitely don't take my review critically or anything.

This dorama DOES have problematic aspects; there's some rapey vibes and some scary pin down moments which feel rapey, Hasumi is presented as someone who seems to only be interested in sex in his relationship with Sumire, I personally dislike the whole 'you're my childhood crush and my crush on you never changed' plot, cheating is not okay etc.

BUT

I absolutely LOVED this dorama! (I haven't seen the 2003 version btw because of personal dislikes of certain actors)
I was SO invested in this series! I was emotionally involved, I loved all the characters, the developments were great, all the cute moments were just amazing! I cried A LOT at this dorama; happy and sad moments!
I thought JunJun (Shishon Jun)'s acting was absolutely flawless and incredible! I really liked his chemistry with Sumire and the main actress in general.
It was a very satisfying ending.
I just loved this! I was heart and soul invested! I had such fuzzy feels watching this. I actually enjoyed the frustration of 'how is she still so blind to her feelings for Momo?!'.
And the reactions it got from me was great; I was gasping or laughing or crying or just full of happiness every episode!
I'm definitely going to be rewatching this one in a few years time!

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I loved it. It was cute and fluffy with a little bit of angst mixed in. It's a good drama for when a drama drought, haha!

Story: The story is one that I didn't want to watch because I didn't understand the story line, I thought it was going to be a little messed up, but then with I saw the cast, I didn't want to not watch it, so I gave it a try.

Cast: I really liked the cast, for me they fit their roles perfectly. Momo was so good at switching his faces between bright and dark. The main lead, while not very good at controlling her face, I think it played into making the character more, because she was such an innocent character who just wanted to have true acceptance. The other part of the cast, I think they did well- it was definitely interesting to see their arc.

Music: it fit, haha. I liked it!

Rewatch: I'll rewatch scenes probably, but not the whole drama...  I liked the scenes between the main match, so I'll probably watch them.

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This was such a peculiar series. The synopsis is not wrong. I initially thought that it would somewhat different and be a bit more interesting than what I say but I really wasn’t. Watching it play out with interesting though. I must admit I found it somewhat strange but I can absolutely understand the thoughts and feelings of the leads. Unappreciated and alone she finds someone and takes him in. She literally treats him as a pet, not joking. What I found interesting about this behavior was that she was not truly treating him as an animal but as a companion. I felt that it was somewhat heartfelt because there are so many people who rely on their pets as companions or that person that welcomes them home. It really shows the need for relationships and the support and encouragement you get from them. Weird display but still very symbolic.

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Desenvolvimento lento e frustrante.

A historia em si é diferente e estranha, assim como a relação entre os personagens. Como é uma versão recente, de 2017, o mínimo que deveriam ter feito era rever o que é aceitável e o que não é, beijo forçado é assédio e fazer sexo com uma mulher bêbada é estupro, mas ainda assim ambas as coisas foram romantizadas. Uma coisa que me deu nos nervos foi a protagonista em si, ela não é forte como no mangá ou na primeira versão de 2003, não enxerga o momo como ser humano em momento nenhum e nem trata ele como tal. além de que a cada episódio ela se tornar mais irritante e não evolui com sua trajetória, assim como os outros personagens, que a propósito não tinham muita personalidade e eram bem genéricos. A relaçãodos personagens e suas maneiras de agir e pensar são estranhas, tanto que várias vezes eu me peguei refletindo se ali existia alguém ao qual o senso comum ainda existia e era presente na vida. Eu duvido com todas as minhas forças que a personagem principal foi pra Harvard, porque sinceramente ela é bem trouxa. Isso tudo sem falar da enrolação que parecia infinita.

A melhor atuação eu considero a do Takeshi. Ele sabe fazer expressões de maneira natural, pelo menos grande parte das vezes, sem falar que tem uma boa pronúncia e tudo mais. alguns atores são péssimos, tem atuação que chega a ser ridícula, mas de maneira geral dá pra engolir e aproveitar as boas atuações ali no meio, de um(a) ator/atriz ou outro(a)

Não gostei das escolhas das músicas. a maioria delas são muito bruscas e altas, não combinam com o estilo de dramas sendo feitos nesses últimos anos. as músicas surgem do nada, não são nada discretas e não combinam. As vezes parece som de desenho animado bem infantil, enquanto o negócio em si está falando de sexo é tudo mais.

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2017 version vs. 2003

I noticed a lot of the reviews negatively compare the 2017 version of Kimi Wa Petto to the 2003 version but as someone who thought both versions had plusses and minuses I thought I'd compare them a little more fairly.

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Female Lead
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I liked the FLs in both versions but they are very different. The 2003 FL is a hard driving bitchy ice queen who would rather die than cry in front of anyone but then goes home and freaks out when no one but her pet is looking. The actress is extremely good at letting you see the vulnerability in her eyes even when she's struggling to maintain the facade. The 2017 FL is more like a class topper, she is exceptionally good at her job and always does her homework but she's deeply insecure and when she gets into a relationship with her senpai she can't bring herself to show him any vulnerabilities or flaws. It's hard to say who I prefer because they are so different from one another. I enjoyed and appreciated both.

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Male Lead
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Here's where my biases come in because I really can't stand the 2003 ML, Matsumoto Jun. He is like nails on a chalkboard for me and the main reason I wasn't able to finish the 2003 version even though I loved the FL. I'm not convinced he's a world class dancer, he's just ridiculously OTT and I couldn't ship him with the FL. The 2017 ML, Shison Jun, is much better in the role as a gifted dancer who is buckling under the pressure of his career but heals himself by becoming Sumire's pet. Shison brings a lovely vulnerability to the character but he is also able to convince you that he is actually a for real man who is maturing in front of our eyes to become a person who can truly be a partner to Sumire.

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Secondary characters
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I liked the 2MLs in both versions but the relationship the FLs have with the men is very different. The 2017 version has a lot more skinship but the sex scenes with the 2ML aren't sexy at all. The FL always looks like she's cringing whenever they get intimate and it's so incredibly uncomfortable to watch, I think on purpose to show how the FL can never be vulnerable with him. That's why I think the portrayal of the 2ML works better in the 2017 version, those horribly uncomfortable sex scenes provide an enormous contrast with the scenes of Sumire cuddling Momo.

Fukushima the receptionist was a lot more interesting in the 2017 version, we gain some insight into why she's such a schemer and it makes her a lot more sympathetic. I also found her interactions with Momo to be eye-opening, his cold-blooded side comes out with her and he's willing to harm her to protect his owner which is kind of chilling. Fukushima's relationship with Hasumi becomes poignant at the end and I was actually glad they got their happy ending.

The friend is cute in both versions, don't have much to say about that. The coworkers in the 2017 version were better developed and I especially liked the colleague who questioned the ethics of journalism.

The 2003 version has a psychiatrist with a small dog and he was great, wish they'd had the character in the 2017 version, especially because it's much longer so they had time for him.

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Story
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The 2003 version has 10 episodes compared with 16 episodes for the 2017 version. I think the 2017 version could be shorter, maybe 12-14 episodes, because it gets a little draggy and repetitive toward the end. On the other hand, the increased length means we get a lot more development of the relationship between Hasumi & Sumire and Hasumi & Momo (Momo genuinely likes Hasumi vs. the more antagonistic rivalry between the men in the 2003 version)

I think with more time to develop 2017 relationship between Hasumi and Sumire, you see how he's not a bad guy in many ways but he's insensitive and selfish when it comes to sex and Sumire will never be able to feel comfortable with him. Something I really liked is when Hasumi gets transferred to Seoul, Sumire becomes depressed and wants to call and text him and her friend observes that she prefers a relationship with an absent boyfriend. (not sure if this happened in the 2003 version since I didn't watch the whole thing)

2003 Sumire seems a lot more in love with Hasumi than 2017 Sumire who seems more in awe of him. The breakup with Hasumi is kind of heartbreaking in the 2003 version but not at all in the 2017 version.

In 2017 we also get a lot more development of Hasumi and Fukushima, including her becoming his pet and learning her back story. It made me much more sympathetic to both characters. It was interesting seeing the contrast between how the owner/pet relationship played out between Hasumi & Fukushima where she was a high school dropout with an alcoholic father vs. Sumire & Momo/Takeshi where he has a high profile career of his own.

I think the breakup was handled better in the 2017 version because it was initiated by Sumire and she and Hasumi were able to be truly honest with each other for the first and last time (both of them come clean about the pet relationships). The 2003 version had a jealous Hasumi dump Sumire after she tells him about her pet.

I prefer the ending of the 2017 version with Momo leaving to pursue his dance career in Europe while Sumire works and waits for him to return. It made more sense to me and showed the growth of the characters better than the 2003 version where the psychiatrist convinces Momo to abandon his trip to Germany and Momo ends up getting hit by a motorcycle and breaking his arm before reuniting with Surime. It feels like the 2003 version very explicitly doesn't want you to see growth in the characters and instead ends it with both of them essentially the same in an undefined relationship that isn't exactly pet and owner anymore but also isn't a full sexual relationship.

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Final Verdict
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The 2003 version has a stronger FL. The 2017 version has a more complex and interesting ML, 2ML and 2FL. The 2017 version is much longer and gets draggy but also has better character development and a more interesting ending for all the characters. Honestly, I enjoyed the 2017 version more even with the problems with the FL being significantly weaker than in the 2003 version.

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So much hugging and cuddling and petting and more hugging and cuddling! This was, hands down, the skinshippiest - is that even a word? - drama I've ever seen and the chemistry between the leads was incredible! It was funny and it was touching and the story was actually deeper than I expected. This was a nice surprise for me!

I watched this drama for Shison Jun, of course. Of course, I did, of course. I mean, he's pretty and I'm shallow, what can I say. But the story offered him as an actor so much good, juicy stuff, from pure fluff and ridiculous moments to truly heartbreaking scenes in which he made me ache for him. He was honestly ah-mazing and the true highlight of this drama!

What I didn't like was the story of Hasumi and Fukushima. Because I simply couldn't stand Fukushima. She did make me feel sorry for her at the very end, when she finally got her act together, more or less. But overall, nah. That arc I mostly skipped. The main storyline and the main couple made the drama worth it, though! So...

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Incredibly addicting concept, weird but you can't stop liking it. Great first half, but after that too much attention is given to the second couple - nobody cares about them! When the situation is finally solved the drama is at its last episode - we could have enjoyed the final couple more, I think.

The actors are really good. Nobody acts bad. Sumire is incredibly beautiful and Momo is adorable. The plot could be defined sooner, but I wouldn't say its bad paced - it just makes some choices that I disagree, although they can be irritating at times.

Overall, I'm Happy to have watched. Its rewatch value is pretty high as it is a short and lighthearted drama, with an interesting concept. The OST isn't good, but the opening credits are amazing - never skipped!

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