Kanojo, Okarishimasu
Rent-A-Girlfriend

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I want to make a case for the protagonist, Kazuya Kinoshita.
I analyzed his character and I wanted to share it with you guys:

Kazuya is a heavily misunderstood protagonist. Hes actually peak writing. IMO hes the best written anime/manga, and he is above Joe Yabuki, Reinhard, Johan Liebert etc etc. Yk, in most cases I do agree that writing is subjective, but not with Kazuya. Kazuya is objectively the best written anime/manga character, and possibly even the best written character in all of fiction.

Development:

One critique I hear many people say is that when he gets development, he just returns to his former self really quickly. ... Well, thats the beauty of his character!! I want to make a parralel of Kazuya and the “Underground Man” from the book “Notes from the Underground” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Both characters undergo moments of self-discovery and growth, only to regress or stagnate at times. The Underground Man grapples with his own existential angst and the constraints of society, often oscillating between moments of clarity and nihilistic despair. Similarly, Kazuya confronts his insecurities and fears throughout the series, experiencing moments of personal growth and emotional maturity.

However, unlike the Underground Man, Kazuyas development is not linear. He frequently encounters setbacks and struggles with relapses into old patterns of behavior. Despite his efforts to overcome his insecurities and embrace authenticity, Kazuya often finds himself reverting to familiar coping mechanisms or succumbing to self-doubt. This is what makes Kazuya better than the Underground Man.

This cyclical nature of personal growth and regression is a poignant reflection of the human condition, characterized by its complexities and contradictions. Both Kazuya and the Underground Man navigate the internal conflicts and external pressures that shape their identities, often wrestling with conflicting desires and existential dilemas.

Kazuyas development mirrors the existential themes explored by Dostoevsky in Notes from Underground, highlighting the inherent struggle of individuals to reconcile their inner selves with the demands of society. Like the Underground Man, Kazuyas journey towards self-discovery is fraugt (its either spelt fraugt or fraught. Im not really sure) with challenges and uncertainties. When he gets development, both Kazuya and the Underground Man experience discomfort when confronted with the prospect of change or growth. This discomfort arises from a variety of factors, including fear of the unknown, societal expectations, and deeply ingrained habits and beliefs. In response to this discomfort, both characters may revert to familiar, albeit unhealthy, patterns of behavior as a defense mechanism. For the Underground Man, this may manifest as a retreat into cynicism and nihilism, as he struggles to reconcile his desires with the realities of the world around him... Similarly, Kazuya may find himself reverting to his former "pathetic" self when confronted with challenges or moments of self-doubt. However, Kazuya possesses a glimmer of humanity that compels him to keep fighting, even in the face of adversity. This innate resilience and determination set him apart from the Underground Man, suggesting that despite his flaws and insecurities, Kazuya is capable of growth and change. Id like to compare this side of him to Sisyphus. In mythology, Sisyphus is condemed by gods, and punished for eternity to lift the boulder up a hill. Everytime Sisyphus gets close, the boulder comes crashing down. Kazuyas character symbolizes this struggle. Kazuya is just so close to becoming a well-developed character, but it all crashes down. But Kazuyas spirit hasnt given up! Its still pushing up the boulder! You know whats the obstacle the rock encounteres while Kazuya struggles to lift the rock up the hill? ITS HIMSELF! He is the one bringing himself down, subconsiouscly of course. He is scared, and afraid, and he is very traumatized, but he keeps on fighting! This is the indomitable human spirit everyone! With this writing comparison, he is already better than all the anime characters in writing. Now, Ill have to write more to the point that he becomes better written then ANY fictional character.

Kazuyas love life:

Kazuyas love life is a journey filled with highs, lows, and everything in between and stuff. From his initial decision to rent a girlfriend to fill the void left by a recent breakup, to his evolving relationships with Chizuru Mizuhara, Ruka Sarashina, and Sumi Sakurasawa, Kazuyas romantic journey is a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences.
At the cire of Kazuyas love life is his complicated relationship with Chizuru. What begins as a transactional arrangement quickly becomes something more as Kazuya and Chizuru navigate the blurred lines between reality and performance. Their dynamic is characterized by moments of tension, tenderness, and genuine emotion as they grapple with their own insecurities and desires.
Despite their undeniable chemistry, Kazuya and Chizurus relationship is far from smooth sailing. Misunderstandings, miscommunications, and external pressures constantly threaten to derail their budding romance, forcing Kazuya to confront his own feelings and the true nature of their connection.
In addition to Chizuru, Kazuyas love life is further complicated by his interactions with other love interests. His relationship with Ruka Sarashina, a fellow rental girlfriend, introduces new challenges and dynamics as Kazuya navigates the complexities of honesty, communication, and commitment. Similarly, his encounters with Sumi Sakurasawa, a shy and reserved rental girlfriend, offer moments of introspection and growth as Kazuya learns valuable lessons about empathy, patience, and the importance of mutual respect in relationships.

Throughout his romantic journey, Kazuya experiences moments of passion, longing, and heartache as he navigates the complexities of love and desire. His relationships with Chizuru, Ruka, and Sumi serve as catalysts for personal growth and self-discovery, forcing Kazuya to confront his own insecurities and vulnerabilities.

Despite the challenges he faces, Kazuyas unwavering determination to find love and genuine human connection shines through, serving as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

There are a lot of characters I can bring up parallels for, for Kauyas love life. Kazuyas romantic journey reflects timeless themes explored in literature, drawing parallels to iconic characters such as Holden Caulfield from "The Catcher in the Rye," Jay Gatsby from "The Great Gatsby," and Romeo from "Romeo and Juliet."

Kazuyas search for authenticity and connection mirrors Holden Caulfields quest for truth amidst a world filled with phoniness. Both characters grapple with feelings of alienation and disillusionment, longing for genuine human connection amidst societal expectations. Kazuyas interactions with Chizuru, Ruka, and Sumi echo Holdens desire to break free from superficiality and find meaningful relationships.

Similarly, Kazuyas romantic pursuit shares similarities with Jay Gatsbys relentless quest for a love that transcends societal barriers. Both characters are driven by an idealized vision of romance, often to the point of obsession. Kazuyas infatuation with Chizuru mirrors Gatsbys pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, both fueled by a longing for a love that seems just out of reach.

Monologues:

Now this is his weakes point. His monologues are horrible. Chapter 218 of the manga is a testement of this.
Firstly, they often disrupt the flow of the story, halting the momentum of key scenes with extended internal reflections. This interrupts the natural progression of events.

Secondly, Kazuyas monologues tend to be repetitive, reiterating the same thoughts and emotions multiple times throughout the series. This repetition can feel redundant and tiresome.

Additionally, Kazuyas monologues sometimes veer into melodrama, exaggerating his emotional reactions and undermining the authenticity of his character. This excessive dramatization comes across as forced and insincere.
I didnt write about it in detail, but that doesnt mean that it isnt a big deal. No, it is a big deal, and its horrible, I just don’t know what else to write about lol.

Ok, in these 3 sections, I talked about pretty important stuff about his character. I wrote about his monologues, Internal and external conflict, characterization, symbolism, love life, development, parallels. Everything was perfectly done, except for monologue, which were horrible, so because of this one flaw, he isnt really one of the best fictional characters. He is the best ani/manga character tho in writing. If you disagree with this take, then sure, thats fine, but you have to agree that he has one of the best developments. Btw, yes, him developing and reverting to his old self is development. Ohh yeah, he is also very consistent in this, making him a very consistent character.

Also, yes, the manga has a lot of flaws like fan service and bland and annoying characters, which makes the manga bad, but the protagonist is absolutely peak. Geniuenly one of the best written characters of all time. Just because of the protagonist, I think this is the best manga ever written.

Also, while I was doing re-search for my analysis, I came across this reddit post, and I wanted to share it with you guys: Many of the readers are infuriated by Kazuyas behavior because he still acts like a teenager. But do you know that actually Kazuya also tries hard when helping others like Chizuru, Ruka, Sumi, Mami and Yaemori. Like chizuru sank on the seabed and was saved by kazuya, chizuru's dream of becoming a film artist was finally realized by idea of kazuya. Ruka almost crashed on the stairs and then saved by Kazuya, ruka could finally feel "normal human being in love". Sumi who was almost harassed by perverted men in public places and then rescued by Kazuya and thanks to that sumi became brave to talk with people. Mami, who always uses the nature of manipulating others, but now she wants a "truelove" because of the relationship between Kazuya and Chizuru.

So there's this new manga that recently caught my attention called "Kanojo, Okarishimasu", or in English: "I Want to Borrow a Girlfriend". What is this about? Quite frankly, it's literally what the title says. The main character is literally paying to be a sugar daddy to set up dates with a girl that sells her time for dating services. Controversial topic? Let's see.

Kanojo, Okarishimasu is a shonen romance manga serialized in one of the most popular shonen manga magazines - Weekly Shonen Magazine. Written and drawn by Reiji Miyajima, it competes directly with other romance titles in the magazine like Domestic Girlfriend, Boarding School Juliet, ... and 5-toubun no Hanayome. It sells decently, but not as much as its competitors and I'm sure you can guess why.

Paying for dating and sex services has always been a controversial topic among the dating community. The majority of people hold the firm belief that you can't "pay" for love, which is true, but the reason why these kinks exists is because they are substitutes for real relationships.

Our protagonist, Kazuya Kinoshita is a freshman college student who was recently dumped by his ex. Looking to relieve himself of his breakup, he seeks solace in a rental girlfriend app called "Diamond". There, he comes across one of the top-ranked rental girlfriends named Chizuru Ichinose (she uses a different last name for her Diamond profile for privacy purposes). And the romantic comedy shenanigans go from there.

Frankly, if I were to compare this manga to its competitors, I wouldn't say it's any different. Its romantic tension is derived from ridiculous coincidences that force the two main romantic interests to be in the vicinity of each other, which is what normally captures readers since this is next to improbable in real life. In fact, I would say the closest comparison in my opinion would be Nisekoi - both the romantic love interests are pressured to fake their relationship due to family pressure.

So let's move on to the juicy stuff: the main criticism of this manga. The premise. Kazuya is like any other shonen romance main character; spineless, unmanly, and not willing to take risks which is what makes it easy for the author to continue writing chapters without anything significant happening. However, Kazuya gets a lot more criticism that other main characters not because he's indecisive, but simply because of the fact that the romance revolves around a sugar daddy service. I'm not going to go into depth about the morals of this premise but I will say: if this romance was based off any other setting, it would be much less criticized and more popular.

The reason why I absolutely love this manga though, is because the author had the guts to use a premise that is highly controversial, and create a semi-realistic romance story out of it. Everything in this manga is extremely well done, including the characters and plot contrary to popular belief. If you treat this premise like you're not offended just by the fact that it's controversial, then you will have an insanely fun time reading this if you self-insert as Kazuya.

The story doesn't exactly portray Kazuya as a bad person even though he does stupid things you would expect from a romance lead. He is in fact, quite genuine with what he desires and tries to make things right regardless of the outcome. In fact, he is so relatable if you've been through romantic troubles that it's insanely easy to self-insert into him. The only difference is that he's a realistic protagonist that gets into unrealistic situations, which makes it the perfect story to enjoy as long as you don't have a problem with the premise.

If you would like to read a manga where the setting and characters try to take a risk to do something different, then this is definitely the manga for you. If you like to stick to vanilla manga and don't like reading anything that might offend your morals and values, then don't read this. However I would still like everyone to be more open-minded and give this manga a shot, because you will never discover anything new if you only stick to what you're comfortable with.

I've read some and I already like it. Can't wait to finish it off.

Author is well versed in the topic and has shown skills. Male MC is ok, Female characters needs improvements.

Characters are well-rounded? Male characters lack imagination. Characters did react to the situation. I enjoy the series and can't wait for more.

Why should you not read Kanojo, Okarishimasu?
1. Every arc MC turns back into a beta male with little to no improvement of his character
2. All of the girls except Sumi are a bunch of nutjobs
3. Literally MC gets an NTR fetish and gets hard on a public pool of all places
4. Main ... Heroine acts so retarded, early chapters to mid chapters she was fine and thinking logically but now shes one of the nutjobs girls EXCEPT SUMI

This manga is definitely frustrating because you know the thoughts of the characters but can't help but feel helpless when something happens and you're stuck there just reading it what they choose to do in every situation. I highly recommend it because it'll keep you entertained and personally I believe the ecchi tag is almost unwarranted. It's very simple this manga keeps it very close to real life and so there is going to be sexual scenes as the plot advances. I feel like ecchi as a whole get's a lot of hate but this is a manga that shouldn't be glossed over because of ... that tag.

Now for my actual review of it.
Storyline:
The main character starts off as what we believe to be a coward, but if you look beneath that he's just another broken heart-ed kid and if you put yourself in his shoes you'd very clearly see that. The author keeps you intrigued by either the progression of the story or the absolute frustration knowing you can't control what happens next. You just want a single thing to happen and just want it to progress but you keep enduing either the main antagonist or some other series of unfortunate event. Be it the MC's own voice inside his head telling him he's being stupid or something getting in the way. The MC himself isn't weak by any means, I'd argue he's what you would call reliable. He stands up for people when they need it and he sacrifices for the people he loves. This isn't a manga about best girl because he loves them all but from the moment he has a realization there is no wavering as to who he's after. The storyline up to where I've read, which is completely caught up is amazing. I genuinely love reading this and from the last chapter issues we're waiting to see if finally the spark turns into a small flame. This is definitely worth your time to read if you enjoy long, breath holding romances about a college student who's struggling in relationships and his own virginity and sexual fantasies. It isn't crude and it doesn't push the ecchi aspect at all, if it happens, it happens naturally it isn't over the top as some artists would go.

Art: Honestly I've taken like 20 different screensnaps of certain images and scene's to make them into memes because some of the moments in this manga are just great, that aside, while this isn't the manga if you want to see amazing forests and what not. It's still very beautiful, the art is intricate and definitely does the story justice. It doesn't take itself too seriously in some area's either, there are area's where the art get's less intense for comedic value or to stress the mood. Definitely love the way it's drawn.

I'm going to keep following this manga till the end and since a million+ copies have sold, I don't see it ending and hope if it ever does turn into an anime. It gets the justice it deserves. The female character's are beautiful and adorable in their own ways (except one evil person) and as we watch the MC grow as a human being we can't help but smile and see that he's truly becoming the person he wished to become from the beginning. It's a beautiful experience.


TLDR;
This is definitely worth your time to read if you enjoy long, breath holding romances about a college student who's struggling in relationships and his own virginity and sexual fantasies. It isn't crude and it doesn't push the ecchi aspect at all, if it happens, it happens naturally it isn't over the top as some artists would go. The story pushes itself along naturally and we read the next chapter fingers crossed to finally get that long awaited real kiss.

This is underrated as fuck, people hate the MC but act just like him. Kazuya is def the weakness of this manga and the plot progression is drawn out as fuck, like any other romcom manga. But the Character development, and relationship development is really good, i think Chizuru is one of the best written female protagonists. The art is great as well, very very pretty drawings, the outfits are creative and fresh, eyes have good shading, and the hair is the best part. once. you get past chapter 150, thats when this manga started to get good. If you can bear through the unbelievably ... cringe parts of kazuya being a depraved, horny motherfucker. You get something really good and a really wholesome relationship. Don't let the shallow minded basement-dwellers of this site prevent you from reading this masterpiece.

Edit: This review is a couple years old and I haven’t read this manga in years. Dunno how badly the manga has degraded but eh.

In short: It's a romcom that feels realistic in a way. It can make you laugh and giggle at times, but what it truly excels at is drawing you in with its characters, and in the later chapters, pulling on your heartstrings. I highly recommend it.

Srory 9/10
The manga starts off okay, albeit quite frustrating due to the MC's shallow nature. Its only saving grace was the heroine, Chizuru, and her interesting personality. But then it took the boring "everything's built on ... a lie" turn and I really considered dropping it. But I kept reading, and I'm truly glad I did.
Every chapter is satisfying because it pushes the story forward, never taking a step backwards unlike some romcoms. The plot, while dramatical, feels somewhat realistic, it's something that could happen to someone in college, with minimal exaggerations(except the coincidences that's its own thing).
In the later chapters (vol7 onwards) things get more serious, and there are parts that really pull on your heartstrings and give you the feels.

I can't say too much without spoiling, but I find it similar to an "Omakase": it's a slow but very enjoyable experience, with every course satisfying you to the fullest, and getting better and better.

Art 7/10
Honestly the art is standard, but when the artist wants to make a scene that hits hard, oh boy it hits harder than truck-kun hits isekai protagonists. Those scenes are so detailed, every stroke placed strategically to paint a beautiful picture.

Characters 8/10
As mentioned before, the MC starts off as very unpleasant. As the story progresses however, he is shown to be a kind and genuine person, and an all-round likeable protagonist. The main heroine is by far the best part of the story, her personality opens up as the story progresses, and you'll find yourself wanting to know more about her as you read on. New characters always bring something new to the table, with strong, distinct personalities that make them standout in their own way. The manga does however, completely forgets about some characters for several volumes, which is quite a waste.

Enjoyment 10/10
Personally I REALLY enjoyed this manga, mainly because of its always-progressing story, and its characters and their banter. The story pulls you along and before you know it, you'll have reached the 10th volume.

Overall 9/10
Overall it's a great manga that, in my opinion, is very underrated. Admittedly it isn't for everyone, and it starts off pretty weak, but if you give it time and keep reading, I really do believe you'll like it as much as I do. Worst case scenario is that you'll have wasted some time on a manga that isn't for you, but the best case is that you'll keep reading and really enjoy it, so I'd say you should definitely give it a shot.

This review is based on all 36 available RAW chapters at this time.

It is very easy to dismiss the show based on the earliest chapters, especially if you generally don't like the romantic comedy genre in the first place. The characters can be annoying, the lead MC seems like an indecisive whiny jerk, the humor is a bit hit-and-miss... so why would you read this?

In a nutshell: Because the setting (rental girlfriend) is fresh and original, and the storyline is built on bit by bit in a very logical way. The implications of what it actually means to gradually fall in love with a _rental_ ... girlfriend (hints: it is extra hard on the MC) are developed with great sensitivity and care, in a way that makes sense. As you will see, the show will develop a significant drama element which is generally missing in this genre. Also, developments are permanent - it's not "issue of the week", and then the reset button slapped so that nothing really changes.

+ If you're looking for a romance story with gradual, permanent developments, in a fairly original setting, this is for you.
+ If you're looking for a show with great art (Mizuhara is nothing short of stunning), this is for you.
+ If you enjoy strong-headed characters bickering, compromising and in the end cooperating, this is for you
- If you hate embarrassing situations (like me), you need a tolerance for pain.
- If you're the impatient type or dislike the romcom genre, stay away.
- If you're looking for the next Nisekoi or To-Love-Ru, stay away.

It sure gets my recommendation, and I didn't ever expect to give it when I started reading.

there are some interesting characters:

1. Rental Girlfriend as well as the MC (overall rating: 8/10).
2. Ex-girlfriend (overall rating 7.5/10) she has yandere looks, I guess. but still awesome.
3. Trial Girlfriend (The Best girl, cheerful, care, and pretty. Therefore, I give it 9.5/10)
4. Practice Girlfriend (Cute girl = 8/10)

I do hope that MC end up with the trial girlfriend because she can make the readers feel goosebumps and sometimes heartwarming. But, obviously I know the MC is going to choose the female MC (rental girlfriend one) eventually. Still, I want to know the progress of trial girlfriend (Ruka).

the story is awesome so far (after reading ... 99 chapters).
Highly recommended for those who are single :').

I read this manga after watching "Day in the Life of a Japanese Manga Creator" and boy am I glad I did.

It takes the general RomCom formula and kinda plays around with the possibilities to make it feel kinda refreshing.

Story: 8
Well I'm a sucker for those slice of life, romcom manga or anime so this is for me. But the start was a bit rocky as this series wouldnt even exist if the MC said "Oh yeah she is just a friend" at the beginning (which any normal human being would do but whatever it was funny). OVerall, it gets better as there are actual ... development and moments where you feel sympathetic for the characters.

Art: 10
Yeah I fw it. Very clean.

Character: 8
I didn't like the MC at first. Not a bit. He is extremely flawed (constantly lying, spineless and a bit pathetic). But, he does grow more mature (albiet really slowly) as the chapters go by.

However, there are instances where I felt like everyone's the asshole. An example would be when the MC didn't flat out reject a girl who is heads over heels for him but instead does a "trial" date that doesn't seem to end till the universe explodes. Or when the heroine is acting bitchy towards the MC for no apparent reason. Sometimes the MC is a bit entitled too but I'm not going too deep into details on that. Oh and the MC's ex is manipulative as fuck so theres that. But I mean she doesn't get too much screentime so its aight.

What makes me give it a high score would be moments where characters have heart to heart exchanges. Those are really warm. I know a lot of manga and anime, hell even any story, does these at least ONCE. But the heart to hearts just feels kinda natural here and I really like it. It's really cozy.

Enjoyment: 10
With everything combined, I find it a really enjoyable read and would definitely reread it if I have time :)

Overall: 10
I really like this series. Yeah I ranted a lot on the characters but still, there are character developments so I'm fine with a rocky start, as long as it works out for the better.

peak fiction right here

story: 8/10
some arcs last a little bit too long, such as the most recent arc of this review, still really good tho

art: 10/10
chizuru is hot

character: 4/10
kazuya is a pretty shit mc, mami has a toxic personality, and ruka is annoying. other than those three, the other important characters (chizuru and sumi) are pog
...
enjoyment: 10/10
like i said, this peak fiction. it took me one day to read chapters 1 to 174, and was having a great time all throughout.

overall: 10/10
i know the previous four ratings average out to an 8.5, but this title is still peak fiction. why? because chizuru exists.

My first time doing the after watching anime and read the manga thing.

Boy is the manga good, but, its only good after the "The 3rd Rental is the 1st's Junior" Arc.

Overall:8.5

Story:7
See here now up and until the introduction of Sumi, id give the story a 4/10 because to be honest its your typical college shy boy with pretty girl yada yada..
But , after the birthday arc, and even the confessions chapters, it all changes. I have to say these chapters and arcs are some of the best i have read in a long long time . They definitely get a 10/10 ... in SoLs and romances, every thing is perfect the pacing, emotion and even the fact that we see the MC, Kazuya, acting all serious. AND NOT SIMPING.
It is really heartwarming to watch the two and of course Ruka is well Ruka and it is annoying to watch but she's a much needed "refreshment".I don't remember seeing a lot of Mami tho so yeah thats that...
But in all seriousness it is a must read for the people who read anything other than Naruto and DBZ manga.

Art:10
The art is absolutely fantastic their faces are very original and different they arent your typical art and even the stills are drawn fantastically. No complains here whatsoever

Character:5
Yeah dude its very obvious that Kazuya is a simp. Ruka is little too annoying, and Mami should pose more of a problem as the main "antagonist". More importantly Chizuru also starts becoming a thick headed woman, and Kazyua is even more afraid to confess.But these aspects, ironically, actually help the story in my opinion.

Enjoyment:8
You can watch the anime(12eps) to get to chapter50 of the manga. But the manga is better so id recommend that.
Anywhoo This manga does become enjoyable after a point that is, i would really recommend you to read it, yeah its a bumpy start but it gets very good later on. Also it has 157 chapters (as of 26th sept 2020) so it will keep you hooked for a long time.
Those who aren't SoL and romance readers and just read the first 20 chapters, dissed about this manga on social media and gave a one star rating, please do give this manga another try. It is definitely worth you time.

The series "Kanojo, Okarishimasu" is a high brow commentary on the nature of the rental girlfriend service, critiquing the very nature of young adulthood and the material nature of chasing carnal desires. The main character, Kazuya, is a young lad who desperately like many a man his age desires nothing more than to chase skirts, only for him to fall in love with his rental girlfriend - who is someone who symbolically and poetically desires to be an actress, a role consistent with her rental girlfriend role where she acts (haha, get it) affections. What follows is Kazuya's endeavors to break out of his superficial ... mentality and love her for who she is rather than the role she plays, being a scathing criticism of Japanese society's rental girlfriend service. The other members of Kazuya's harem all signify some archetype commonly presented in the landscape of Japanese media, amplified for the sake of criticism, making KanoKari a deep deconstruction of the harem genre where the conventions often celebrated - the plot going nowhere for hundreds of chapters, the characters being flanderized endlessly and the main character having the charisma of a fruit fly - are instead shat on, lending itself to this series that at once is anti-escapist while also being a reminder of how excellent stories in the genre can be.

This is my first review on this site, and I definitely did not expect it to be on Kanojo Okarishimasu (Kanokari) when I started this manga. I was introduced to this story from the anime, and admittedly I felt it at first it was just the average romcom, with renting girlfriends being a weak and unrealistic premise for a logical romance. Some moments caught my eye, however, and that made me curious enough to start reading the manga. I changed my mind enough that I rated it from a 6 to a 9. And I'm glad I did give it another chance!

(TL;DR at the bottom ... if you want it)

Story - 7

The story for the first 50 chapters (which covers the anime) is not the best in my opinion. Originally it made me feel guilty even giving this show a 6 because of it. I feel this is mainly because this first part of the story focuses on the struggles of MC Kazuya at his lowest. It doesn't cover Chizuru's thoughts much, and seeing him struggle and make mistakes foolishly is also what made a lot of people hate Kazuya and possibly even this entire show.

However, after 50 chapters, which is coincidently where the anime ends its first season is where I believe the story starts getting good. It explores not only Kazuya's struggles and thoughts but also the other MC Chizuru's life, outlook and struggles. From there onwards, I felt the story got much. much better because it was multi-faceted. By chapter 100 and onwards. I was finding myself really enjoying the story.

Also, if you don't like the premise of renting girlfriends (similarly to me), there is much more in store for you after Chapter 50, so I'd like you to give it a chance if that's your query.

Art - 10

I'm going to keep this section short. The panels are beautiful. Miyajima Reiji draws indoor landscapes and expressions exceptionally well. Something I also loved was the outfits that he picks for all of his characters, being inspired by fashion magazines and very aesthetically pleasing in my opinion. There is also almost always a full large panel shot at the end of each chapter, which almost puts colour in the colourless manga with its vivid art.

Character - 9

This is the part of this show that I really was surprised by. Earlier I mentioned that I really liked a few moments in the anime, that made me want to read this man. Without spoiling anything, these were moments like Kibe's character, Kazuya's relationship with his friends (not only Kibe but Shun as well) and Kazuya realising who he actually likes surprisingly very early on when compared to the typical romcom.

Even in the first 50 chapters (the first season of the anime), which was arguably the weakest part of the story, there were a few moments like these that were a breath of fresh air from your average romance story. I thought these might just be accidental, but boy was I wrong. The manga elevates these moments and has many more with developing each character in at least a semi-realistic fashion.

What I'd like to highlight is amazing is the duo of Kazuya and Chizuru. Many of you might be confused as you might see Kazuya and Chizuru as drastic polar opposites at the start of the story. At the start, I really liked Chizuru for her seriousness and how well she was able to express her emotions, and how blindingly perfect she seemed. She was pretty, kind and knew how to help people without being nosy. Kazuya seemed to represent the opposite of that. He was average-looking, selfish and useless. That's what made many people hate him as well. But Kazuya just had his first love throw him away. Even if we know how bad a character is in a story, in real life, it's hard to accept that someone you love is "bad" for you.

Quickly, nobody expects anything from Kazuya. Both us and the characters in the story write him off as useless. Chizuru however, is everything that we strive for, and so everyone has the highest expectations from her. Seeing Kazuya's strengths and Chizuru's weakness when they both betray expectations is the most satisfying thing of this series in my opinion. Without spoiling anything, I loved it.

Give Kazuya a chance.

Enjoyment - 9

Going to keep this section short as well, due to ranting too much (typical me) in the previous section. Character development is not what I expected from this show. I came for a few laughs and ended up staying for the development, plot and romance. Kanokari after the anime in my opinion is the best part, and so starting the manga after the anime is a great way to get into it.

Overall - 9

I think I've ranted a lot about why I like this show, so I'd like to take this chance to just address a few concerns that people have.

-"They drag on the story a lot with filler so that the manga gets to a specific amount of chapters"

I feel that some characters haven't fully been explored into with their motives like Mami, and ending it now would be kind of anti-climatic and overall, we would end up regretting not getting closure on all of these characters.

-"Kazuya / The author is trash because they are not able to express emotions properly and quickly"

I think one of the reasons Kanokari is more realistic is because it expresses the change in emotions over time. People don't start loving or hating someone instantly. It's a gentle process.

-"Kazuya is too trash for me to continue this incel simp story"

I hate the word simp but moving on from that, just give the guy a chance. If you (the reader) really hate the show because of this, please take my word and give Kanokari another chance. I promise you won't regret it.

TL;DR: I unexpectedly loved this show due to the characters at the heart of the story, and I'd really recommend it. All the author has to do is bang the ending now, and I think I'll give this a 9 or above overall, with my only concern being that this current arc is becoming very long. If Kazuya's your only concern, please give this manga a chance.

I can see a few conflicting reviews, presumably because the start of this manga (around the first 5 volumes) is quite weak, enjoyable enough but nothing special.

But let me tell you, I was almost shocked at how much it improved. At the start I just started reading it from vol 1, having seen the anime, and wanting to improve japanese reading. Without spoiling anything, the story really picked up after that (especially around volume 10), much further than the initial gag and awkward situation. I have just finished volume 19, and once again I went from laughing to almost crying, on more than one ... occasion. I have almost never gotten invested like that in a book of any sort. So why is this?

Story: 9

I was talking about a great story, but it's still not a 10. It has it flaws, especially an average start, with a filler chapter here and there. I can't really detail the later developments, but a major arc between vol. 11 and 18 approximately really made the story for me. It's all the more satisfying considering the premise of a gag fake-romantic comedy didn't leave much room for interesting story telling. But the author still made it happen, which is an achievement in itself. This manga is not just jokes, misunderstandings and a MC jerking off to random girls, the themes do get a lot heavier at times which gives everything more depth while not forgetting where the story comes from.

Art 10

Once again an area of great improvement. it was good at the beginning, the artist got a lot better as the story went on especially on smaller panels. We are also blessed with many beautiful double page illustrations. But the strongest point is the effort put in transcribing emotions, these faces are definitely human faces feeling very happy, extremely sad, in love, angry... They really feel as if they could start moving on their own. In a recent volume, the author did not hesitate to draw 4 pages of a slowly changing facial expression, and that changed the impact of the scene completely, from slightly sad to heartbreaking.

Character 10

Easily the strongest point of the manga. Are you not tired of romance or other manga where characters look like they come from a different universe, beyond cultural differences? Finally salvation has come, because (depending on how old you are and your experiences), you are likely to have met all the girls and some of the guys in this manga (especially in university). This changes the experience completely, they are all flawed in different ways, and have their qualities, obviously with some exaggeration, it's still a manga, butt they do feel much more real than usual.

MC/Kazuya: He is (or starts off as) a pretty despicable character, spending his time squandering his money and jerking off and not getting anything done in his life or at uni, and generally enjoying his turbo virgin life (lol). But (especially later on), an aspect of his personality becomes more prominent, he can actually get good things done when the time calls for it, though his limits are still there, I think many of us in the 18-22 range have had ups and downs, fuck-ups, shitty moments, but also the occasional achievement we're proud of and which pushed us a bit further in a busy period of life. And this is represented well with him. Though he is frustrating to watch at times but so are you!

MC/Mizuhara (Chizuru): Probably everyone's favourite character, once again a type that most of us have met, almost too nice for her own good, but with a strong personality regardless. Definitely a good example of a strong girl character without resorting to being rude, violent, or just a pain the ass (looking at you Hori-san). Once again representing everyone at that age, with dreams which can become plans, or plans which can be reality, all in the short term, but which need luck and hard work to pull off. Dealing with the difficulty of facing the reality of your ambition, feeling like you deserve something which gets taken away, while having inexplicable success and luck in unexpected ways. Not knowing what next year is really gonna look like, not being sure who you can or should rely on. Not knowing if your heart or your mind is guiding your kindness and your actions. Fighting emotions in certain time because you feel like you need to get things done and not realising where you are in the end.... The author is writing a lovable character (as in, you could fall in love with her), without resorting to cheap tricks like "no personality but huge boobs and she just wants to suck MC's dick!' or "Does everything perfectly and for no reason whatsoever falls in love with unremarkable guy where she then makes sure to not be herself".

Ruka: once again, simple character on the outside, annoying and over-attached, and providing some comic relief, but her personality evolves or is shown off more as the story progresses. Probably my least favourite of all, but it's in a way that the author certainly planned for. Once again, I've certainly met her (type) in real life before !

Mami: If you want to write a bitch character, this is the gold standard! Hateful, full of hate, and hated. Once again no overly cheap trick like being excessively violent with words or actions, just fake and manipulative personality (if you're a guy you've probably broken up with her type before lol). She takes a bit more of back seat later on but I'm sure the author still has her in mind.

Sumi Chan: Undoubtedly here for the "cute relief" and adorable moments, she takes on a more and more important role, not so much in terms of screen time but in her influence on other characters despite her difficulties to communicate. It's like Komi san got teleported into a world where romance actually happens. She also has her own (average) spinoff, though I've only read vol.1, which deepens her character a bit. You will probably love her still.

The grandmas: Great success, funny and modern while still fulfilling the role you'd expect in the story, limited screen time but enormous influence on the story (for the better, usually....).

Honestly there is no bad character in there. Even those I haven't mentioned like friends etc. are good and play the correct role. When you're angry or you hate a character's personality it means they really make you feel something, which is a lot better than forgettable characters of some series.

Enjoyment: 10

Pretty much, you get the picture, huge laughs, ridiculous moments, serious moments, tearjerker scenes, I'm waiting for the next volume eagerly. If you stick with it (if you watched the anime you can start at vol. 6) you will definitely enjoy it.

Overall 10

I wouldn't really give out a 10 so easily, not that the manga can't be improved, but it fulfilled me when I read it, in every way, with no major criticism I can make... the characters are great as I said, and there are many other stories with the fake relationship idea, or love triangles but they're all mediocre, because their characters are so god damn forgettable, and the story to go with it. Plus it takes place in university which is refreshing especially in shonen genre. It doesn't feel as if it's been written with fulfilling fantasies, fetishes in mind, or if the author has only read about men/women/young adults/relationships in a book and written about it. Whatever it tries, it does well, everything contributes to the manga overall, and it manages to feel refreshing in a mostly overdone genre, so I give it 10.
There's probably a fair bit of the story left to go, 10-15 volumes, and it should end on a high - but not necessarily happy - note, so looking forward to that.

Unfortunately not a lot of it has been officially translated yet (04/2021) but there's surely some way to read it somehwere if you don't know japanese. Please do check it out, especially if you are in uni, or have recently finished, it will be up your street for sure.

Thank you for reading!!

This is my first review. I've read up to the most recent chapter (180) and I've come to appreciate the uncomfortable parts where you scream at the protagonist to "JUST DO THIS" but that's part of the character development. A lot of people comment on this manga as being an interesting concept but extremely pathetic. BUT THAT'S GOOD! WE RARELY SEE PATHETIC PEOPLE, FINALLY A 20 YR OLD VIRGIN WITH INSECURITIES TRYING TO DATE SOMEONE OUT OF HIS LEAGUE THAT ALSO HAS INSECURITIES. The manga is the story of a boy, becoming a more mature boy, and a professional girl slowly breaking down the ... walls around her heart.

Story (8): I gotta admit, this manga does a great job creating an original theme of the Rent-a-GF app and twisting it with just funny stuff. And it's pretty emotionally deep. Chizuru closes herself off to everyone to pursue her dream of acting. It's her dream to pursue acting for family and that's awesome. On top of that she has a part time job which conflicts with her relationship with Kazuya yet Kazuya still pursues her. In order to maintain Kazuya's dignity of "renting a gf" and bragging about Chizuru being his "real gf" to his friends and fam, there's a lot of funny ways they maneuver thro life. Without going into much detail, there's blackmailing, intense convos with exes, and big drama. I did find it stupid; however, how Kazuya doesn't give up on Chizuru. It's unrealistic in the fact that almost anyone would take a hint and stop pursuing this girl, but what's interesting is that Kazuya continues to pursue her.

Art (10): Very pretty. All girls are best girls. The detail of the backgrounds are superb, the clothing of each person is ridiculously detailed, and the art expresses lots of emotion. The art clearly expresses happiness, sadness, empathy, and awkwardness. I cried plenty of times during the crying scenes, and smiled plenty of times during the cheerful moments.

Characters (9): I love the characters! We have Mimi, the ex gf that ruins everything. She' extremely annoying, childish, and selfish. A lot of reviewers hate her and make the overall score lower, but that's her job as a character! She always secretive and is 2-faced. We have Ruka, the blackmailing trial gf that is dummy cute and in high school. She's also childish, annoying, and a tad selfish but she does it for good reason. Lots of people say she isn't a necessary token for Kazuya's development and interferes a lot with Kazuya x Chizuru; and that's her job! Makes the manga pretty interesting honestly with her in the way. Chizuru is this serious, professional, talented soon to be famous actress with lots of emotional insecurities. Finally, a girl with insecurities and emotional scars! She may appear as a blank slate at first, but her character development is pretty wild. Lastly, Kazuya is a horny, silly, and average college kid that just wants a gf. His character development is amazing; starting out as an immature boy. I was screaming at the manga saying "JUST STAND UP FOR YOURSELF!" or "PLEASE JUST DO IT, DO THE THING" and eventually matures later on to become a strapping young man. People say this manga made them feel uncomfortable in the first 5 chapters; that means the author did a GREAT job expressing Kazuya's pathetic side!

Overall (8): There's dull spots in the manga, times where the author flushes out an arc for too long, times where you say "Geez this could be reduced to like one panel instead of 20" but the OVERWHELMING majority of the manga is funny, original, and interesting! I loved the emotion expressed throughout the manga. I loved the annoying characters interfering with crap. It's pretty grounded in reality with some sprinkles of exaggeration that make this manga enjoyable. If you're annoyed, uncomfortable, happy, smiling, crying, or screaming at people to do something, then the manga is doing a great job portraying what the author is expressing! This manga is very good at expressing emotion and drama.

This manga has a sort-of rough start. If you are coming from the anime you will surely be pleasantly surprised at how the manga differs and grows throughout the story. The story in the manga begins to branch off from the premise of renting a girlfriend all while never forgetting it.

The development of characters such as Chizuru becomes one of the best things about this manga and as the story progresses I found myself forgetting it was even Rent-a-Girlfriend. If you even slightly found the anime enjoyable and are curious about where the story goes after, I highly suggest you read the manga.

Even ... characters you don't like are not as bad in the manga (looking at you Ruka). Near the beginning of the series, the characters are not the greatest and you may even dislike Kazuya and find him cringy. Don't worry I did too. The greatest thing about having a meh character is how much room for growth there is and the path that Kazuya takes to become a man he can respect is worth reading in and of itself.

If you enjoyed the anime or are just wondering if the manga is good at all, imo its 10x better than the anime and then some. I found the anime unwatchable at times due to the highly cringy moments Kazuya would bring about but the manga is in a different league of quality.

Hey fellow Rentheads, just finished my 26th viewing of the series film (Rent a girlfriend) and I have but one word to describe the experience: Wow. The series was incredible, to put it lightly. I thought I had noticed everything there was to notice on my 10th go, but I wasn’t even close. Kazuya’s performance leaves so much up to interpretation, and he truly builds the character presented for is in the RGCU (Rental girlfriend Cinematic Universe). Every rewatches that I view just leads me further into the Renti-hole(a term I coined just now), and I spot things I never would’ve seen on my first ... few goes. The world isn’t ready for Rent a girlfriend - and I wasn’t either. When I say that I broke into tears every time I watched it, all 26 times, I’m not lying. I cried during the entire series. I’m not even sure how my body is producing more tears, but I make sure to stock up on XL popcorn and 3 drinks each viewing. My tears are pure sugar water, butter flows through my veins.
Anyway, I’ll try to keep this review short, as the credits are finishing up and I’m about to go in for my 27th round, but know this; Rent a girlfriend is one of the greatest pieces of fiction of our generation - or better, this decade. The raw power behind each scene is only amplified by Kazuya’s stellar performance. If he doesn’t win every Crunchyroll Award available, I’ll be shocked. To say it was a masterpiece is an understatement. On my 15th viewing, I heard someone yawn during one of the dialogue scenes. I followed him up to the parking lot and decapitated him with my limited editionTM Chizuru Bodypillow. (Shop rentagirlfriendmerch.com) Please - if you haven’t already, do yourself a favour. Watch Rent a girlfriend, and watch it again. And again. And again. You won’t regret it.

In my town, every half year there is an amateur play I go to. Not that I'm an active theatergoer, this group of people always nail to entertain me. Why? Because their type of plays are door comedies: a comedy where lies stack upon lies, each one getting more insane making it one big chaotic mess that makes you tear up from laughing.

Rent-a-Girlfriend is that, but in manga form, and pretty much the reason why I enjoy this manga so much.

Don't buy/read this for top-tier storytelling or DEEP characters, this is a dumb chaotic comedy, wich is what manga is supposed to be. People always ... want something to be a masterpiece or it's garbage; this is neither of those: it's just pure entertainment.

What does Rent-a-Girlfriend do right:
- Really conveys a feeling of social awkwardness
- Hilarious moments
- The girls are cute and some panels are really well drawn
- Each character has their strong and weak points (both likeable and unlikeable)

What does Rent-a-Girlfriend do wrong:
- It can be really repetitive. Even though I don't mind this so much, pretty much the same thing happens in every volume: 'date' goes awkward, Kazuya tells a lie that will bite him in the butt in the future, Chizuru saves the day.
- It's not for everyone: a lot of weebs on this site will find Kazuya to be too relatable to enjoy it. He's a pathetic loser who only thinks about getting laid, wich the majority of this site hates since it's like looking into a mirror.
- Plot inconsistencies: Kazuya is the horniest guy alive, he would fuck everything in his way. Yet, when a girl pretty much forces herself on him, he refuses. Doesn't make sense at all. This sort of thing happens quite a lot and can be mildly infuriating.

All by all, this is a really enjoyable manga. It's spicy, extremely awkward and hilarious. But it has to be your taste to be enjoyed.

I decided to write a review for this one because the hate train on this is nonsensical to me. The argument that "there is no story" is just false. This starts as a bland formulaic harem story, and progressively starts to get more complex as more characters get bits of info on different aspects of the big lie both the main characters are keeping. The crowdfunding arc is REALLY good, hitting the feels constantly, and the latest "pool trip" arc I did enjoy a lot (although it is a little too dragged out). In the latest arc, which I guess is probably the last before ... an epilogue (as I am writing, the manga is still publishing), the author manage to gather a lot of open hooks left behind throughout the story, and did not shy away from a "shit hits the fan" situation, which I did think was going to happen. I think that's most I can talk about it without spoiling it too much.

Most just hate the story for two reasons: the moral argument of paying for a girlfriend service, NTR, and the whole web of lies, and because the MC is as stupid as one can be. Look... for me the story is better because of this reasons. It tackles a real thing, real situations, and real problematic characters. Some, like Ruka, seem to be very straightforward (and annoying and dumb), but turn out to be very nuanced and complex in later chapters. She's my favorite character btw.

To me the whole "MC is stupid" is a weird incel narrative young manga readers all over the world are developing, expecting their heroes to be "alpha", "chads", and whatever terms kids are using. Hate the "beta", "simps", "white knights", men have to be strong and assertive. This used to something just conservative old people seemed to care for, and manga used to be created exactly for people who can't fit in that narrative. Truth be told, the main public of this type of work is totally not this alpha stereotype. I guess the dumb MC character used to be relatable back in the 90s and 2000s, but online life gave most people this random impression that they are just perfect and supposedly can't accept relating to a not very social character. I also don't like the main character. He is creepy, dumb. That doesn't mean the story is automatically bad. In fact it is quite the opposite. When the character spends 5 chapters mustering courage to do something assertive, just to be shut down by some of the confident characters again and again, I can truly feel that.

I do like stories about manipulative characters, webs of lies, different minded characters, situations where no one's wrong/everyone's wrong so there is not a fully clear path of righteousness. This feels to me as a japanese version of Gossip Girl / Mean Girls.

So I do hope people start leaving this weird conservative perfectionist mentality and just enjoy stories as they are presented, not as they should be. Almost seems as if every story should be written in the exact same formula, with the exact same MC...

SPOILERS HEAD!

I think this is like my second review for manga because I'm seriously enjoying this so far! The manga is well thought out and the whole "Rental Girlfriend" thing is a nice thought way of getting turning it into a romance manga. The romance is slow and you'll almost find no extreme romantic moments between the main characters at all which will make you feel all lovey-dovey. As you read on you kinda think "Damn this is gunna turn into a harem" and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up that way lol. The art isn't over the top amazing but it's ... average and the characters are decent with the tsundere towards the beginning and then it slowing down as it goes. I don't know if I'll find myself back reading it after today simply because I'll forget about it because it's not finished.. but I definitely think this manga needs an anime adaptations to top it off.