Kanojo, Okarishimasu 2nd Season

"Hey, that was so entertaining!"
*gives it a low rating*

Sometimes, I feel like I’d rate the Rent-A-Girlfriend hentai doujins higher than their anime. I get to see the same borderline pornographic shit (well, not borderline), but I also get to see Kazuya not be a little bitch. Watching Rent-A-Girlfriend’s second season, I did not feel liberated. I felt hopelessly shackled to the “flee all” mentality of one of the worst protagonists in modern harem history. Let me explain.

I think that Kazuya’s grandmother has actually traumatized him into being the wimpy, pathological liar that he is now. Ironically, she’s now on the receiving end of his dumbass ... lies, so whatever goes around comes around. The only plot-productive thing that Kazuya has ever done in his whole life is help Chizuru out with her acting confidence once. Literally everything else that comes out of his mouth is a lie, an insensitive slip up, a self-deprecating statement, or some horny ass monologue about how "Mizuhara‘s thighs look like they could be used as a bouncy house for little children" or something.

There is literally nothing redeeming about the way he acts around his friends and family. Yet somehow, our lovely heroine is hinted to be somewhat conscious of him. I think there have been more than 3 instances just this season of Chizuru sitting right behind her front door, blushing because of something Kazuya said or did. Why? Because he’s the main character, of course! This logic is probably the part of the show that pisses me off the most. There’s absolutely no reason for Chizuru to put up with or like Kazuya, but the narrative portrays their shitty relationship as some kind of necessity to both of them and their families.

The visuals are as clean and poppy as the last season (though the chibi shots are a bit annoying), so overall, the quality is high. There’s nothing to note about the soundtrack in particular, apart from it adequately fitting scenes when it’s important (like the Ruka scene lmao).

All complaints aside though, I won’t pretend that it wasn’t entertaining as hell to watch a new episode every week, anticipating every misunderstanding, slip-up, and down bad scene with the joy of knowing that “at least it’s not as bad as the latest arc of the manga”. In terms of enjoyment, this season of Rent-A-Girlfriend is just as strong as the last, though it’s definitely beginning to feel a little bit old at this point. Knowing that the next season will be better, I advise anime onlys to keep your heads up and buckle in for the long run because we all know that this romantic train wreck is going absolutely nowhere!

I will proudly admit that I really enjoyed the first season of KanoKari. I understand why most of the anime community dunked on it with memes and harsh reviews, however, I thought there was a lot of potential for a well-executed, character-driven story. So going into season 2, my expectations were set high and I was hoping for a RomCom that would blow critics away. Instead, what I got was a story that began tearing itself apart from the inside. So this review will dive into how KanoKari threw away all the potential it had in exchange for milking a money-making concept to near death.

STAKES ... - Set them high, then make them disappear.
The main conflict at KanoKari’s heart is having Kazuya overcome his low self-esteem and maidenless behavior in order to confess to a girl out of his league. What I really enjoyed about the finale of season 1 and the first half of season 2 is how they set a ticking time bomb for Kazuya to make this confession. We saw in season 1 that Chizuru is an actor hoping to make it big within the next year or so, which would mean Kazuya won’t be able to “date her” anymore. In season 2, we also turn up the heat with Ruka and Mami where both girls add far more tension to a fake relationship than any grandma or childhood friend could do. In a nutshell, all this pressure is screaming at Kazuya to wake the fuck up and make some actual progression.

The problem is, when Kazuya does finally come to his senses, the show suddenly removes all this pressure and even forces him to maintain this facade. In fact, the author uses the same excuse from season 1 to justify this odd development… keeping the grandmas happy. It’s such a huge step backward in character development when the character finally comes to the right conclusion, but suddenly the whole world is telling him to keep doing the dumb shit he is doing, so he now plays along and starts the whole cycle over again.

COMEDY - Down Bad + Maidenless + No Bitches + Seek Help
The comedy for season 2 was definitely a downgrade from season 1. In season 1, the audience is laughing with or at Kazuya when he acts like your average horny teenage boy or a cringy loser, but that’s because the punchlines are diverse and well-timed. This changes for the worse in season 2 when dirty jokes seem to be the only thing the show can make. Kazuya must have been more bricked up than a chimney because at one point he couldn’t stop seeing these girls as sex dolls wanting to do the hot, sexy SEX with him. Every 30 seconds was “look at her thighs/tits/ass/face/clothes, it’s like a walking fuck toy.” Do you get it, dear reader? Kazuya is REALLY horny, and the show makes it REALLY clear to you. On top of this, it was extraordinarily painful how bad Kazuya was at hiding this fact, even in public or during interpersonal sharing time, which gave me huge second-hand embarrassment.

GIRLS - Started okay, got worse with time.
One of the biggest questions and criticism this show got was “Why do any of these girls like Kazuya?” Just like a clickbait YouTube video, I watched to get my answer and ended up getting absolutely nothing. While you can make the argument that Chizuru likes Kazuya because he’s kind-hearted to her, a lot more would argue he is just a simp with no redeeming qualities. Kazuya also treats Ruka like garbage and yet she is still obsessed with him, even more so than she was in season 1. Even Mami is trying to wrap Kazuya around her finger again. But for the love of god, can this show explain why they all care about him??? What do 10/10 lookers find so attractive in an average or less-than-average guy who does nothing particularly significant? Fuck, I wish my dating life was that easy.

Overall, I felt like this season falls into the “what could have been” category of anime. While I will check out the third season, if it ever comes, I’m not looking forward to it based on what I hear about the manga. Unless you have a special attachment to one of these characters, I would think carefully about whether or not you want to continue watching KanoKari.

Kanokari is like cocaine. You know it’s awful for you, but damn does it feel good to consume. At this point, we all know it’s an unequivocal train wreck with arguably the worst mc in the history of the medium. Yet, we keep coming back to it.

Why? That’s a subjective answer that will vary from person to person. For me it’s down to the waifus, particularly Mami and Ruka. At times it almost feels like the girls are the main character(s) and with Reiji literally coming out and saying he’s in love with Chizuru, his own creation, that probably is the case. Kazuya is only ... there as a tool for us to see our waifus do cute things and to self insert, imagining scenarios where we would react like a normal human instead of a loser. There are also some among us who just want to watch the world burn and see how bad the show can get.

Mami and Ruka are the literal only reason I continue to watch this show. Say what you will about Ruka. Many people will call her annoying, but her personality is perfect for me. Mami, one of the most hated waifus in recent memory, but she gets so much hate because she is the only normal person in this series. My love of these two characters is enough to keep me invested in the series.

From a technical aspect, the production continues to be mediocre with the only substantial quality animation coming from THAT Ruka and Kazuya moment, The OST seems like it alternates between at max 3 songs and has become so incredibly repetitive at this point that I damn near want to mute the show when watching it. On a positive note, I do legitimately love the character designs in this series. I love the colour palate as well.

Kanokari season 2 is more of the same old garbage from season 1, but arguably even worse because of less Mami this season. If you liked season 1, you'll continue to enjoy it and if you didn't like season 1, well you'll probably hate this even more. The show has done absolutely nothing to attract new viewers or change existing impressions, instead devolving further and further into a cesspool with no purpose or ambition and with a 3rd season announced, I see absolutely no reason why this will change.

Kanokari s2 gets 3 out of 10.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Rent-A-Girlfriend returns to prove that it’s still a series whose only whole-hearted effort it insists on making is its absolute commitment to not allowing any growth or development—character or otherwise. Pretty much every time I get my hopes up and convince myself that it might actually do anything besides spin, and spin, and spin its old web of lies, bafflingly stupid conflicts and empty promises rehashed solely for the sake of keeping the marketing machine rolling, I’m slapped in the face with another repugnant helping of Kazuya Kinoshita—our cipher of a lead’s endless moping and perpetual internal monologues. ... At the core of the concept, the constant clash between him trying to maintain the facade while simultaneously attempting to forge a genuine relationship with a rental girlfriend, of all people, makes for scenarios I admittedly love to indulge in—even if handled in ways straight-up frustrating by design. Some of which would make even the most stone-faced viewer physically recoil in their seat with cringe or even outright yell at the screen.

At this point, it’s honestly impressive how much of a degenerate Kazuya allows himself to be as long as it’s in service of the idea that he’s doing it for his grandma, which doesn’t even matter anyway, since she would obviously rather just know the truth. The headache-inducing romantic (and I use that term lightly) hijinks he somehow always manages to find himself in are not only a result of the increasingly pathetic, never-ending web of lies and misunderstandings he’s wrapped himself up in, they’re a result of his widely agreed status as one of the most utterly hopeless, downright embarrassing main characters around, only driven by his inferiority complex and general victim mentality. I mean, no one with a sliver of self-respect would have found themselves in the predicament Kazuya did in the first minute of episode one in the first place. How someone like him could feasibly manage to successfully guilt-trip a rotation of women who ought to be modeling for magazines into liking him is a feat in itself; better yet, swapping from girl to girl each episode. All the while lying to his friends and family about every aspect of his life. It’s painfully apparent that he’s the author’s own self-insert, which makes it that much worse.

Way too much of this show is wasted spent inside of Kazuya’s head, detailing every redundant thought and flagrant misunderstanding that accompanies them. But to be fair, we do get hints of a few nice ideas this time around—Chizuru's confidence turning to genuine heartbreak over missing her big break because the director of that play she gave her all in chose to recruit someone who was clearly less qualified for the job, solely out of favoritism, caught me off guard. It was a much needed moment of development outside of her just being viewed through the filter of being Kazuya’s crush. Comparably, for as cringeworthy as he can be, Kazuya's earnest offer of support to Chizuru was something I was pleased to see, even though I knew it ultimately wouldn’t lead anywhere. It's nice to see them have a real conversation and get to know each other better, and I’m glad she gets to be an actual character in her own right, even if what little growth is granted to her instantly makes her the only one with some honest thought spared to them—besides Sumi, of course, who’s still the best character in the show. And I don’t just say that out of waifu loyalty–she’s literally the most likeable character at this point, just by virtue of having a respectable personal objective.

Seeing her conquer her debilitating social anxiety to be the compassionate friend Kazuya has somehow been for her brought a genuine sense that these characters have grown for the better through their healthy chemistry together, which may well be a first for this series. The few episodes that put the spotlight on her are a pleasant, much-needed step back from the mildly entertaining degeneracy, which I’m so glad she’s never overtly been inserted into. Well, not yet at least. She’s endearingly purehearted, far, far sweeter than this show deserves, and the only character who brings out what few positive aspects our cipher of a lead has. Rather than the idealized Girlfriend Experience the show so often endorses, Sumi offers the sort of sincere, unconditional emotional support you would actually want from a romantic partner. It almost makes it feel as if the show itself acknowledges the fact that the rental girlfriend service is no foundation for a real relationship whatsoever. But these flickers of substance are few and far between, and the trudge to get there is so unrewarding that the only thing that might make the whole thing worth it is seeing Kazuya actually grow a pair and ask Chizuru out for real. We both know that’ll never happen, though.

And while the new OP is definitely an unquestionable downgrade from The Peggies’ delightfully catchy single which practically made the first season, as far as visuals go, it still feels like this is as good of an adaptation as this series could get. There isn't much animation, and the backgrounds frequently leave a lot to be desired; however, the individual shots are beautified, and the vibrant colors almost make up for the show's dull construction. The character art is always on point, and the show's eye for fashion continues to deliver. I’m honestly convinced the author just flips through the latest Japanese fashion magazines and picks out the most popular outfits. All the girls dress like magazine models, aside from Chizuru, who dresses sliiightly more classy than her other rental girlfriend counterparts. None of them has a particularly unique taste or flair, and so you get to see lots of stylish outfits in the show, but I always feel like I’ve literally seen this while scrolling through Pinterest or something. Not to say that these girls wouldn’t wear these kinds of outfits; obviously they would because their job literally depends on them looking, dressing, and acting their best in every facet of their presentation. I guess I'd rather their outfits reflect their personalities more or be discernibly unique from one another, rather than always looking straight out of the latest fashion catalog. I realize I’m probably talking out of my ass here, since this IS the Asian style capital of the world we’re talking about, but still.

At the end of the day, I still unironically enjoy this show way more than I probably should. I’m not sure what that says about me as a person, but I’m willing to be fairly generous and give it a 4—the same score I gave the first season—because upon taking a step back from the moral bankrupcy of it all, I've realized there may well be a tiny crumb of merit in a socially stunted lost soul like me indulging in it, indefensible construction and all. Rent-A-Girlfriend is immensely popular—but for all the wrong reasons, and as a result of the astronomically infamous (and whole-heartedly deserved) reputation this series has built for itself, most come away from it instantly casting it off as fundamentally ill-conceived romcom filth only appealing to the lowest common denominator. A show that has nothing to say about anything. And while I no doubt agree with the former, I think those who believe the latter are too blinded by the cringe to notice what little hints of self-awareness suggest otherwise, because I'd say there’s at least one noteworthy element under the trash heap; the show’s depiction of social dynamics.

From Ruka believing that just because she’s an attractive female she has the right to be relentlessly over-the-line and all over people without permission, to how Mami is a cold and calculating, BPD-ridden social manipulator who presents herself as this bubbly, good-natured angel who can do no wrong, or even Kazuya and his pathetically pussywhipped, beta-orbiter nature, which is a look in the mirror for a concerning portion of young males in our current generation. Many of whom would be quick to clown on him, not even realizing the irony of the sentiment.. Now, I’ve been alone and loveless all my life, but, be that as it may, I know for damn sure that there is no shortage of people this superficial, two-faced and socially reprehensible in the real world. Anyone could very well be unfortunate enough to know or happen to have been in a relationship with a Ruka, or a Mami, or a Kazuya. Lord knows there are plenty of the latter two out there. In no way do the characters themselves escape from falling snugly into place of the archetypical cookie-cutter harem or romcom dynamics. However, the way Rent-A-Girlfriend portrays the interpersonal relationships therein could genuinely be seen as a cautionary tale, if anything, for more inexperienced viewers who don't know how it really is out there; a perfect example of how NOT to approach relationships in general. And, for what little that’s worth, I think I can surprisingly say there’s a smidgen of merit to watching this stagnant, ceaseless dumpster fire that I just can’t look away from.

Story: 5
Animation: 7
Sound: 7
Character: 5
Score: 4 | Enjoyment: 8

I watched the first season of 'Rent a Girlfriend' when I was but a baby weeb. Back then, my thoughts were something along the lines of 'Funny MC? Females with big features? I love this anime!' However, the more I changed the more I realized that this show is a wreck. Although I can't say I hate it, I don't like it either.

Story: 6/10
This might surprise you, as I literally just called this show a wreck. But there actually is a story! In my opinion this, broadly speaking, is a harem with a decent story. However, don't get your hopes up too high.

Art: 8/10
The art ... is by far my favorite aspect of Rent a Girlfriend. There are either vibrant colors or a very well animated scene at all times during the episodes. Well done.

Sound: 6/10
The music is decent. I don't really have anything to say about it.

Character: 3/10
And here we have it. The single worst reason that this anime is where it is. Let's start with the MC, Kazuya. Simply put, he is a degenerate. Now I know that I'm writing a review on an anime right now so I can't really comment on that but come on! He gets a hard-on at the sight of a female's hair strand. He also has the intelligence of a housefly, overthinking every little thing, none of which turn out to be true. The real worst part about this is how the 4 main girls, who are supposed to be attractive and have nice personalities (except one) fawn over Kazuya ,who is a literal loser with
a horrible personality. If what I listed in this section wasn't the case, this show would probably have gotten a 9/10 from me. Maybe if the MC was a functioning human being who wasn't such a degenerate and the girls actually had standards and brains.

Enjoyment: 4/10
The butterfly effect does indeed exist, and solely because of the characters all the actually decent parts of this anime get overshadowed. There are just so many cringeworthy parts in this anime that you can't help but close your eyes every few seconds to numb out the pain.

Overall, I give this a 5/10, just because of the animation. If not, this was a 4/10 easily.

Rent a Girlfriend Season 2 - The cringe fest continues.

If you expect anything more happening in the 2nd season of this abomination then I have to disappoint you. The first episode was fine, really - which as an anime only, gave me hope. But I couldn't have been more wrong. The second and third episode made me cringe harder than the first season altogether surpassing my expectations of this absolute circus of a show. Kazuya's role has now become completely irrelevant as he is not capable of even forming a full compund senctence. If you talk to Kazuya, you may even be better off talking ... to a wall. Seriously. You could benefit more from that than talking to this MC. His inner monologue has increased in frequency and because of his lack of confidence and his down-bad syndrome there hasn't even been one normal conversation in this season so far. Everything happening makes so little sense and makes you want to drop this anime, yet you continue.

Mizuhara is carrying literally everything so far, as she's the one with the most dialogue. Then there is Mami Chan. I can't really recall the first season but what is her business? Why would she care what the two of them are doing and if they're hanging around together? This all makes no sense at all and is leaving me frustrated.

I think we can all agree that under normal circumstances we would've already dropped this show, but we all hope for even the slightest glimpse of hope leading to character development and Kazuya's brain functioning like a normal human being.

This review probably didn't have that much information as you'd hope - but that all is the fault of this tv show. Watching this and pausing multiple times an episode to not lose my cool made my brain melt.

Have you ever been a witness to an accident like a car crash or a building collapse? Because that's honestly how I would describe watching Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 2. It's a disaster, but you just can't take your eyes off of it.

While the art style is nice, the soundtracks were enjoyable, the voice acting was done pretty well, and the CONCEPT of the story is decent, the main character is really unbearable. Kazuya overthinks everything, is immature for his age (Feels like the college-aged character is an early high school student), and is not very bright at all.

Although each of the 4 girls have ... distinct personalities, everyone except Chizuru feel like their one goal in life is to date Kazuya. What makes Kazuya attractive? Honestly, I can't tell you. Why do they all like him? Again, I can't tell you. It feels to me that the only reason that the girls find Kazuya attractive is because he's the main character...

Mami and Sumi feel like distractions from the main story, which already feels a bit slow. The show mostly explores the relationship between Kazuya and Chizuru and Ruka, but give Mami and Sumi less attention, so having them in the show at all feels irrelevant. It isn't even a problem of having too many characters, because in the Quintessential Quintuplets, there are 5 girls fighting over the main character, but the show actually had story arcs for more than just 2 characters. This one just kind of introduced Mami and Sumi, gave them a bit of screen time, and plop them in sometimes because why not. As it stands, in my opinion, they show could have just not dealt with them for the entire second season so far, and we wouldn't really miss anything.

Overall, I'm not sure if I would really recommend this to anyone, but I certainly will continue to watch the disaster unfold. Perhaps the last 2 episodes of the series will make me change my mind, but I highly doubt that, as I constantly feel that the creators of the show did not really want to try exploring new ideas. I love the concept of a relationship budding from a rental-girlfriend platform, and like the idea that perhaps there's more than one love interest for the main character, but the execution for Season 2 of Rent-A-Girlfriend is just not great at all.

(NOTE: I WROTE THIS REVIEW AFTER WATCHING EPISODE 10)

Welcome to the bruh moment simulator 2022

I have no idea what I saw in this show when it first aired. It was hot garbage but entertaining, but this season not so much. It is fun to watch with a friend since you can comment on Kazuya and the absolute stupidness that is this show.

The good: It looks absolutely stunning, the art, the animation and the music are all above average and just look fantastic. There are genuinely heartfelt moments. Of course this show can offer all kinds of waifus for all your needs. We have the beautiful and confident Chisuru. The cute and outgoing Ruka. ... The Adorable and Shy Sumi and the spawn of Satan and the only girl for the bruh moment that is Kazuya, Mami.

The Bad: Kazuya. There is not much about the man you can say. He is very awkward around women, he is a bruh moment of a man, he lacks any good sides to him. You could say he represents the average enjoyer of Rent A Girlfriend or anime in general, but he is pumped to 100%. He should have told his Grandma the truth about him and Chizuru and choose one of the girls who actually love him and not chase the one girl it makes no sense for him to get even though the source says otherwise. Mami is the spawn of satan who really tries to stop Kazuya getting anywhere. Two faced, manipulative, stalking and a bitch. Perfect for Kazuya

Conclusions: You can watch this if you want, you might like it for what it is, but this is more like popcorn entertainment while you watch it with a friend.

I really enjoyed season one of Rent-a-Girlfriend and was really excited when the second season was announced, but things have taken a really different direction from what I expected.

What has changed? I think the biggest thing is that the pacing is really off. In season one, we already established the characters and their motivations. Going through all that again in season two is a waste of time. In the first three episodes there have been no major developments in terms of the plot since season one. Season two feels more like a slice of life which is a big turn off because of what ... we had come to expect from Rent-a-Girlfriend

Unlike a lot of other romance anime, the characters in Rent-a-Girlfriend are its weakest point as there is not much that is interesting in terms of their background story and motivation. They are just average. Instead the conflict in the plot and the ridiculous situations that our characters find themselves in and the difficult decisions that they have to make is what I found appealing in the first season and so far there has been none of that in the second season.

I might pick this up again in the future just to see if ends up moving along but I am dropping it for now.

Side note: The animation, music and voice acting are all really good, just like the first season.

There's not much to say about Konojo Okarishimasu except that it is a definite catastrophe of harem anime. This show hurts to watch in so many ways and I can't believe that it has garnered as big of a fan base as it has despite its numerous flaws. Nonetheless, I'll be watching every episode this season and probably the next. It is something I cannot take my eyes off, for it is like witnessing a tragic accident; I cannot look away, but what I may see will likely scar me for life.

Anyways, see you at next weeks episode.

IF you're genuinely curious of how the story, ... characters, art, sound, and soforth breakdown...

Story :: 4/10
The story is just bad. If you want something good, you're in the WRONG place.

Characters :: 5/10
I think the main girls are pretty cool. Alright personas for a harem I guess. And then there's Kazuya... Kazuya is the kind of person that makes you appreciate the fact you were born with the correct number of chromosomes because this man is either suffering from serious brain damage or the writers have forgotten what human interaction looks like.

Art :: 8/10
Pretty anime girls! The only good thing about this show.

Sounds :: 7/10
Way too much music, and it's very obvious when they reuse the same 4 songs over and over and over and over again. What they do have is good though. I like the OP.

Entertainment :: 6/10
Very hard for me to enjoy this show, but I somehow keep coming back to watch, so that's worth something I guess.

Overall :: 5/10

The most infuriating show to many has come back, and this may as well be my hot take of the season, but I genuinely thought that season 2 was good. I know just as much as the next person that this anime has some really bad flaws, but in my honest opinion, this season improved on a good amount of those negatives from season 1. The biggest one is Kazuya, yes Kazuya still has his moments where he is just a complete degenerate, but I can’t sit here and say that he did not improve at all from where he was last season. Plus as ... much as a dumpster fire it can be, it still manages to be enjoyable to watch.
Art: 8
It's the same animation and art season 1 gave us. It's really solid for a rom-com, and all the character designs are plenty enjoyable to look at, while the animation is pretty clean. The characters blush so much though.
Sound: 8
Hear me out, the opening kind of bangs, and the background music that comes with his anime always seems to fit the awkward tones that the anime gives off. Solid overall.
Characters: 7
I know I said that Kazuya improved a bit this season, and while that is true, the characters as a batch can still be kind of annoying. I think Chizuru was great, especially the development she went through, and Kazuya went from bad to okay, but aside from that Mami is trash, Sumi can’t speak, and Ruka is legitimately a lunatic. But most of the season revolved around Chizuru and Ruka so it gets a good score.
Story: 7
I think the background we got with Chizuru was phenomenal, but aside from that, this has to be my biggest negative. The story barely progressed. Like we got some good Kazuya and Chizuru moments, but there are still so many things that have been left unresolved. I still enjoyed it watching it though.

Alright people will definitely be up and arms on this but rent a girlfriend season 2 is pretty solid and a worthwhile watch. The only reason why people is giving this such a low rating and not recommending is because of the manga and all the hate towards it which is not the anime's fault at all. I bet if Reiji actually did something with the story in the manga and there is no bias towards it while watching this season, it would be an easy 7/10.

Character 5/10
Big surprise there is pretty much no character development from the last season and all the flaws that ... pisses people are still present.
Kazuya is still the king of simps, Ruka acts like a 5 year old kid, Mami is being an asshole for no reason at all other than being petty and so on. In my opinion, the simpness is not as bad in this season compared to the former but there is still an incredibly annoying amount of it.

Plot 6/10
It's just more Kazuya paying a girl who may or may not having feelings for him on dates and trying to fend off Ruka and Mami. I mean I like the addition of grandma chizuru being on her deathbed and almost confessing to his family that his a gigantic liar. Also there is more Sumi which is the only good character but she still does not appear enough for a girl that is suppose to be one of the four main girls.

Music 9/10
Heard a lot of people hated the opening song for this season which I just don't get. Yeah at first I hated it too because it's not a centimeter by the peggies but a few episodes started liking it more and more until I thought this op was pretty solid but it's no centimeter thou so keep that in mind. The choice of background music is pretty good too.

Animation 8/10
I always had liked the animation from last season and it's basically just copy and paste but more cleaner and nicer so there is no complaints for me. But the close up lip scenes are weird thou, I would always de turned off because of these lips.

Personal enjoyment 8/10
Don't get me wrong I still think this anime is trash but I still liked it and enjoyed it. I'm confident if people haven't heard about how bad the manga is, they would too. It's a fast food, there are so many better healthy and tasting options but you still go to it and still like it.
If you haven't read the manga yet, I definitely recommend you watch this but if you did read the manga, you should just don't even bother you won't like it.

Rent a girlfriend is an anime with major events.

Let's be real, watching Rent a Girlfriend is a waste of time. Honestly, you are better off finishing anime on your list than watching this.

Story: 3/10
Like I said before, this anime has small major events that are more like small events. If you've read or at least seen the manga, then you know how it takes forever for something big to happen.

9/10 for Art + 9/10 for Sound
Amazing animation plus amazing sound. You have to give credit where it's due. It's very amazing quality. I couldn't complain.

... Characters 4/10

There is hardly any character development, which is kind of the downside of this anime. Honestly, could this anime and manga be better with more character development? Yeah, I think both manga and anime would be better with more character development. Just my opinion.

Enjoyment 4/10

This anime is a sleeper. Like I said before, you are better off watching something else on your list than watching this anime.

Overall, 5.8/10 or 29/50.

This anime is a complete sleeper. I can't judge you if you like this anime. It's your opinion and my review is also my opinion, which is why I'm giving this anime 5.8/10. Not the best anime nor the worst.

"It felt like she was telling me that one didn't need to be family to share in the pain."

-- the following is a discussion on everyone's favorite mc and character underuse. --

I feel like Rent-a-Girlfriend gets a mass amount of hate for simply being what a lot of its contemporaries are too - a romance with a weak male MC.

There's a reason why Kazuya is so hated, even by people who just have a general idea of what this show is. He has an innate ability to make situations more awkward and his inner-monologues don't really help. Whenever it seems to be going a little ... too well for him when it comes to Chizuru, he seems to throw in a "is this okay given our provider-client-relationship?" and other interjections which bring his interactions to a grinding halt. Every time a heartwarming scene takes place, there's a mention of money, rent status, etc. Hell, the first episode has Kazuya saying he'll support Chizuru's dream financially by renting her more than before... being supportive is good, but it has the silver lining of being a mainly monetary investment rather than an emotional one. I have to admit that while Kazuya is growing as a character, realizing what other people want from him and being able to, well, understand human emotions a bit better, he's still a very unenjoyable protagonist to follow. It's hard to root for him in any sense and most laughs seem to be at him rather than with. Everything seems to always just fall into place to be almost terrible and then somehow work out. That isn't to say that he's completely devoid of usefulness. There are genuinely good moments not only centered solely on the female MCs, but also ones involving him. These several outliers though aren't enough to ignore Kazuya's failure as a MC.

I joked with my friend during last season that Sumi really isn't in the running at all. And, well, now this season it seems like her AND Mami are completely ignored. Sure, Sumi has a great episode near the end (probably the best thus far) and Mami is involved during the beginning of this season, but their presence compared to the other two is insanely disproportionate (Chizuru is the main, but having the other love interests be this underrepresented is a weakness). At least that by the end of the season, each female MC seems to have something going for them that could prove interesting in the future.

It's a standard offering of romance that fails pretty hard in the comedy department. There's good character design, the animation is usually pretty smooth, the OP and ED continue the pretty great trend (while the actual OST is decently varied), the voice acting is quality, and the scenarios that are depicted are enjoyable to witness. I think this whole series as a 'trainwreck we all can't stop watching' is an overstatement - more like two trains hurling towards each other, but there are a few redirects and five miles before collision. It's still not a great situation and doom is possible, but it isn't that bad.

This is my first review
I'm learning english, sorry if I use the wrong word

CHARACTERS : 4/10

The terrible character writing
Kazuya is less annoying this season, that good but Kazuya has yet to decide who to choose which is extremely annoying
Chizuru's past is fine but her annoying

ART: 7/10
...
It's an art suitable for lovecom

MUSIC: 7/10

Not bad, the music of this story is appropriate, the timing for the opening of the song was just right.

STORY: 3/10

The story is a mess, it’s hard to understand why the girls even put up with him, Kazuya you really don’t need to explain everything you do to everyone

OVERALL: 5/10

I didn’t expect this to be good, but I expected more from this season, I'll watch the next season to see if it gets any better

assuming we all knew it was an anime with a lot of cringe so it makes me laugh how people complain about it when it's from season one that it's like that
yes the story is a bit slow but all in all it is done well I have not yet read the manga to compare it but I think it does not go so far from it so I do not understand all this hatred for this second season when the expectations were these
the characters are well made apart from the MC which is a little childish but it is like this from the first ... season so no harm is done while with regard to the story it is slow but I personally like that touch of cringe in the anime so I like it and will like it until in the end then obvious if you can not stand the cringe you should skip the anime

Rent a Girlfriend is an enjoyable series, though it's important to note that watching the previous season is essential to fully grasp the story's context.

The second season primarily centers around the main character, Kazuya, as he gradually works towards realizing his lifelong dream of being in a relationship with Ichinose. It's worth mentioning that, in all honesty, the first season surpasses the second season in terms of quality and engagement.

One of the standout features of Rent a Girlfriend is its exceptional comedy, particularly when it comes to exploring the intricacies of relationships. It has the ability to make you laugh while delving into the complexities ... of human connections.

Review Breakdown:

Story: 8/10 - The storyline is engaging, but it does require prior knowledge from the first season to truly appreciate the narrative nuances.

Art: 10/10 - Rent a Girlfriend maintains its high standard of animation and art, ensuring a visually pleasing experience.

Sound: 10/10 - The sound design and soundtrack continue to excel, enhancing the emotional depth of the series.

Character: 10/10 - The characters remain a strong point, with well-developed personalities that contribute significantly to the show's appeal.

Enjoyment: 8/10 - While the second season is enjoyable, it falls slightly short of the first season's charm and excitement.

Overall: 8/10 - Rent a Girlfriend Season 2 delivers a solid continuation of the story, featuring outstanding art, sound, and character development. However, it's important to emphasize that watching the first season is crucial for a complete understanding of the series. Despite this, it doesn't quite reach the same heights as its predecessor, earning an overall rating of 8/10.

In summary, Rent a Girlfriend Season 2 is a worthy follow-up that maintains its artistic and auditory excellence. It also excels in delivering humor and insightful commentary on relationships, making it a well-rounded anime. Nevertheless, the first season remains the standout, and viewers should consider it a prerequisite for a full appreciation of the series.

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

I watched "Kanojo Okarishimasu" when it first came out in 2020. Back then i saw a few issues with it, but because it was such a memorable show i instantly got hyped about the new season debuting this year. I will compare this to S1 a lot and try to find out why the show worked way better in this season.

STORY - 7/10

The story resumes where S1 lefts of however, the narrative structure changed quite a bit. While the first season mainly focused on the relationship between Kazuya and Chizuru, this show felt much more like a typical harem rom-com with ... multiple female characters. It is also much more episodic than the first season, with each episode following it's own little story. The humour has gotten a lot better than season one. It was way less forced and the often cringy or iredemmable actions of the protagonist are way more uncommon. This season is also a lot more emotional than the first, leading to some really dramatic and tearjerking scenes which i did not expect. I do have to critisize the "ending" though. It cuts at a very unfitting point and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Season 3 was already announced yesterday, so i guess the show is in good hands for the future.

Art - 8/10

In recent years it happened very often that a show received amazing praise for it's animation in the first season but dropped the ball in the second one. This did not happen with "Rent-a-Girlfriend" . The animation improved a little bit. Much more lively backgrounds, good portrayal of comedic situations and a fitting and unusually detailed character design. It isn't the most unique artstyle ever, but it sets itself apart from other rom-coms by being a bit more mature. The setting is in university and not in highschool, so instead of school-uniforms we are blessed with a wide variety of trendy dresses, skirts and shoes for the female cast.

Sound - 8/10

I don't know what it is, but i love the use of music in this show. Outside of the dramatic elements in the later episodes it is mostly used for comedic timing. Every joke and every unsettling scenario in the show is perfectly underlined by the music. The use of insert songs greatly benefits the effect. Insert songs can 1) be easily overused and 2) can come of as extremely corny. "Rent-a-Girlfriend" however finds a great middleground. The opening really grew on me. It isn't as iconic as the first one but it gave of the same vibe. The ending was also fantastic, especially visually.

Characters - 7/10

There is a lot to talk about here. The main character, Kazuya, has actually matured a little bit in this season. He is still a loser, yes, but at least he didn't always go for the worst possible solution to his minor problems. The infamous "best-girl" question is still open i'd say. I have been on team Ruka since season one (for obvious reasons!) but you can't deny that Chizuru has evolved into an extremely well written character. She absolutely stole the spotlight in a few scenes. Unfortunately, Mami is still severely underused in the story. She creates so much tension when she is on screen, but she appears only in like two episodes. Sumi on the other hand was given her own little story arc in this season, putting her back in the race. There is a lot of room for future development, and i am looking forward to where this series takes the characters next.

Enjoyment - 8/10

Everyone who likes romantic comedies will enjoy this. It is a lot more mature than the average romance because it is set in a university. If you already like season one, then this is a must-watch.

- Marco_Yooo

FINAL SCORE - 7/10

And here we go again. Same Rent-a-Girlfriend, but a new season. And while the overall story progresses, the overall feel to the series, did not. I'll assume you've seen the first season for the purposes of this review.

Story & Characters: Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season continues our little tale of Kazuya, renting out Chizuru, especially now that he knows that the service funds her ambition to be an actress some day. This is actually a neat gesture for a guy that wants to support her, while selfishly hiding his obvious obsession with her. The story successfully takes steps into telling us what ... else is going on in Chizuru's life, including what made her want to take up that goal to begin with. It adds a lot of better story elements that was mostly absent in the first season, and that's a good way to keep current audiences. Chizuru was mostly strong character, but the added story elements push her up even higher. Kazuya, however, is still likely one of the worst main characters in all of anime, and it still makes it really difficult to enjoy this season. He might not be as annoying as from season 1, but there are still plenty of moments where you just facepalm and what he does.

Throughout the season, we continue to run into our side cast of characters. Kazuya's and Chizuru's grandmothers haven't changed much, and even though they likely achieve what they're meant to be there for, they're not any less annoying. Which seems to be a trend with this series' characters. Mami doesn't really take any meaningful development either, and while we, as the audience, can clearly see what she's doing, Kazuya's too much of a bonehead to take note. Her feelings feel very random, and it doesn't even feel like she's trying to antagonize Kazuya. Ruka continues on as Kazuya's "girlfriend", but as you watch her more and more, the less and less tolerant I became of her. Any story elements for her in the first season feel wasted. Sumi takes some steps in the story, most of which I welcomed. Behind the shy, anxious personality lies something there, and I was a fan of the limited screen time that she had. Kazuya's friends were mostly absent, but that's probably for the better, considering their role in the previous season.

As previously mentioned, the backend of the season focuses around Chizuru's goal to become an actress, and anything revolved around that was very strong. The main problem is that that's basically the only storytelling that I enjoyed. The rest of the cringe-fest, outside of Sumi's interactions, weren't very good at all. And even Sumi's wasn't a deep story, so much as it being decently executed with what they had. The characters already make the story hard to enjoy, but lacking, even in side story elements, makes this series difficult to watch. So while certain story elements take a step forward, many side elements do not. (Story: 6/10, Characters: 5/10)

Art: The animation mostly remains consistent with the previous season, though there are still minor hiccups here and there. So while this is never going to be top-of-the-line to watch, it's not at the bottom, and that's fine with me. Much of the fan service from the previous season are absent, which is probably fine as well. (7/10)

Sound: The OST remains from the previous season, and it's probably fine, based on the story that's going on. It 'does' manage to mesh with the weirdness going on in front of us. The OP, Himitsu Koi Gokoro, was an improvement over the previous season. The VO cast returns from the previous season and are mostly fine, outside of Aleks Le (Kazuya), who I still am not a huge fan of in this role. Lizzie Freeman (Chizuru) is actually really strong here, and Sarah Williams (Ruka) continues to impress with another good showing. (8/10)

Overall: Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season is about as meh as the previous season, and I only kept it at the same score because Chizuru's background was slightly more fleshed out. Let's face it, her story is really the only story element that most audiences will care about, and that's the part that's half decent here. Season 3 has been announced and I might watch it for the sake of watching it, but I doubt it's at the top of my "needs to watch" list. (6/10)

Although there are some humorous and emotional moments, I have the impression that the story's quality is deteriorating. Most of this season feels like it's trying hard to get better but ends up being a regular anime with some good ideas. With only 12 episodes, the story starts to get interesting at the end.
Did you watch the first season and did you find it acceptable or good? If so, then watch this season.


Versión al Español ^_^
Si bien hay momentos emocionales y divertidos, la calidad del anime empieza a decaer. Gran parte de la temporada se siente que en verdad quiere mejorar, pero solo termina siendo ... una anime regular con una que otra buena idea. Con tan solo 12 episodios, la historia empieza a ponerse interesante al final.
Viste la primer temporada y te pareció buena o aceptable? Si, entonces ve esta temporada.
*Bonus* Tuve que ver la primer temporada nuevamente para recordar si el prota era así de ridículo. Kazuya en esta temporada me dio pena ajena. A nivel de desarrollo del romance, no va a ninguna parte y se siente forzado.