WARNING: The following contains minor spoilers for Rent-A-Girlfriend and Monster Girl Doctor.
Rent-A-Girlfriend (also known as Kanojo, Okarishimasu) and Monster Girl Doctor both debuted at the same time to very different levels of success and viewership. Although this pairing may seem like an unfair comparison at a glance, there's a lot to unpack under the surface. They've also got a surprising amount of commonalities, not the least of which is the fact that both of these are controversial shows, though for wildly different reasons.
Let's see how the level of quality in these two shows matches up in terms of world/character-building, plot, and -- most importantly -- “tasteful” erotic moments.
Monster Girl Doctor: Strengths
Monster Girl Doctor has been bombarded with negative reviews from Monster Musume fans anticipating a fantasy take on the older show. However, despite both the negative reviews and the expectations that it would be a mindless and ecchi-focused show, it has a surprisingly detailed and thoughtful take on how different fantasy species function, both as members of society and in terms of biology. The girls received some proper backstory reveals as the show progressed, and the episodic pacing felt natural and engaging as well.
Every monster girl introduced has a different, species-specific ailment. These fantasy illnesses and the ways they’re cured are genuinely creative and interesting even without all of the fan service. Examples include an albino snake with sensitive skin, dry gills and throat in a mermaid, and a sleepy giant with a persistent sniffle -- one that’s lasted a couple of hundred years, to be exact. Although their treatments obviously involve generous fan service, the development of the world and the fantasy species in them feels detailed and realistic.
Monster Girl Doctor also does a superb job of compartmentalizing ecchi moments, setting up for lewd scenes rather than inserting them willy-nilly into the conversation. The reason why it’s actually good to confine ecchi into certain types of scenes is very simple: it allows for more viewer immersion. When a premise is being established or tense drama is occurring, the situation onscreen should match the atmosphere and tone. By avoiding the over-use of erotic (and comedic) moments, Monster Girl Doctor tells a story that is immersive, even with the constant presence of ecchi.
Monster Girl Doctor: Weaknesses
Glenn is way too touchy-feely as a doctor and doesn’t listen to his patients’ requests to stop. It’s arguable that he’s just too focused on healing to think about anything else, but even in an ecchi anime, his wandering hands are very suspicious. Lack of consent is a common problem in many romantic comedies, and Monster Girl Doctor is no exception to the norm.
Admittedly, the show as a whole also had a pretty weak start and a somewhat odd finish. The first few episodes were nothing too special. The last episode, a celebratory feast with all of the girls and cured patients making a cameo, was also a bit strange. There was a whiplash-inducing personality change with Skadi: the previously cool and mysterious dragon girl suddenly turned into a clingy little-sister character. Without this change, the ending would have been much more satisfying as a finale.
With regard to animation, the use of 3D models was unobtrusive at best and clunky at its worst. Glenn has a pair of fairy-pixie assistants that, while cute, are never elaborated on; they’re also animated entirely in extremely obvious 3DCG, which broke immersion. There were also several other instances where lackluster 3D animation was used for some of the main monster girls, and it definitely detracted from enjoyment of the show.
Rent-A-Girlfriend: Strengths
Rent-A-Girlfriend features a stellar voice cast, catchy music and cute animation. Although there were brief moments where the quality of animation dropped during the series, most of the show (and especially the opening sequence) never failed to impress with every watch. It truly felt like the animators spent time laboring over every expressive movement, both delicate and bold, to make it all feel smooth and natural.
The character designs are colorful and interesting, with a variety of personalities butting heads; even small details like their clothing choices were pleasing and added to the atmosphere. Stylized text, cute chibi-fied expressions and beautiful girls were the cherries on top for this eye-candy anime. Occasionally, there would be invasive fan service or ogling from Kazuya’s point of view, even during a serious conversation -- which detracted from the tone -- but this is forgivable in an ecchi show. In the end, the name of the game is to flaunt what they’ve got. Overall, the show was a playful experience that gave viewers the feeling that the creators genuinely had fun making the show.
Rent-A-Girlfriend: Weaknesses
Both readers and watchers have complained that the plot and pacing are severely lacking. Although there’s some (heavily drawn-out) development between Kazuya and Chizuru, the other girls are left completely by the wayside. For example, we get heavy foreshadowing regarding Mami’s poisonous tweets… and no follow-up whatsoever. The latter two girls to be introduced get barely any development -- with the way they're treated, the show would likely have been the same without them.
Many of the issues with Rent-A-Girlfriend’s plot have to do with Kazuya. Don’t get this wrong -- there are definitely shows that do a great job of illustrating an underdog character and how he changes for the better. (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, anyone?) However, Kazuya gets away with zero character development and still gets praised for it. He’s done some good: he stood up for Chizuru when Mami insulted her personality, attempted to save Chizuru when she fell overboard, made up with Kuribayashi, and dragged Sumi away from some unsavory guys (to impress Chizuru).
However, these minor positives are vastly outweighed by his selfishness and entitlement. Not to mention, for every time he’s tried to come clean about his relationships, he never actually finishes his sentence or apology: someone always interrupts to forgive him or give him an out. Talk about never owning up to your mistakes. That’s the biggest issue with the way Kazuya’s presented: the show never gives him a real opportunity to grow. He always gets out of hot water due to pure circumstance or convenient pity from Chizuru, without doing anything to deserve forgiveness.
It wouldn’t be as big of an issue if his transgressions weren’t so awful -- he nearly forces a kiss onto Chizuru after only meeting her for a second time, constantly humiliates her in public and then guilts her into helping him; repeatedly makes empty promises about growing out of using rental girlfriends, and literally spends a whole day just stalking Chizuru. He also completely leads on Ruka even though he has no feelings for her, and the show also never brings up the issue of a five-year age gap between a 16-year-old Ruka and a 21-year-old Kazuya. It was frankly difficult to watch as the show continued to cheerfully reward him for exploitative behavior.
Rent-A-Girlfriend Vs. Monster Girl Doctor: Which Ecchi is Better?
All in all, the cracks run too deep in Rent-A-Girlfriend to be crowned the winner. It was a show with a great deal of potential but the inconsistencies regarding character development, as well as the encouragement of unsavory behavior, make it hard to defend. Monster Girl Doctor may not have been the most polished show, but the realism and attention to detail gave it far more substance than Rent-A-Girlfriend ever had.
There’s something to be said about the fact that a less popular show from a less well-known studio is a more complete and satisfying experience than the bombshell rom-com of the season. Often, popularity is not the best measure of quality, and comparing these two shows really brings this truth to the forefront.
