With the first season of Rent-A-Girlfriend (Kanojo, Okarishimasu) over, it's time to reflect on the chart-topping summer harem hit. From its memorable cast and vibrant art style to the way that the anime conveys a distinctly different vibe from other harem series, there's a lot to praise. So, let's discuss how Rent-A-Girlfriend succeeds where its predecessors fall short.
Mizuhara Chizuru, the number-one ranked rookie rental girlfriend, takes pride in conducting herself as the “perfect” girlfriend. When she puts her game face on, she is infallible. She dresses to the nines, laughs at the right times and exudes compassion and grace. When Kinoshita Kazuya, a guy who just can’t seem to catch a break, gives her a one-star rating and a grilling in the middle of a date, she breaks her facade. She goes off on him in private, berating him back for the low rating and inappropriate outburst where she, in fact, delivered exactly what he ordered. Through each situation the two are thrust into, we learn more and more about Mizuhara’s true character.
This is one of the reasons for Rent-A-Girlfriend's success. The women in many other harem anime are too often flat characters designed to fit specific niches. Mizuhara feels refreshing because of her multidimensionality. She is both the cereal box “perfect girlfriend” and something else entirely in her private life. She is more introverted, down-to-earth and genuine than many other anime characters. She cares for both her and Kazuya’s grandmothers. She isn’t afraid to call Kazuya out when needed. She takes the rental girlfriend job to make money to pay for her acting school, showing both her hard-working spirit and ambition. And even in this temporary side-hustle, she excels, further displaying her diligence as a person.
One advantage Rent-A-Girlfriend has over other harem series is that it's set at a university rather than high school. This opens more doors than available to a high school setting: since the characters are young adults, the content itself can expand to encompass prevalent adult themes including drinking and sex. This brings an inherent maturity to the series as a whole that achieves so much more than formulaic cookie-cutter high school tropes.
The weight of the narrative extends past the central romantics: the characters are conscious of the effects their actions have on the rest of their social circles. The relationships between friends carry as much weight as the central romantic relationships do—just like real life. It’s about more than just ‘getting the girl and roll credits; it’s about Kazuya’s journey to better himself for his sake and for the sake of those he cares for. It takes itself and its characters seriously and tells a more mature story as a result.
In a bit of a blindside, Rent-A-Girlfriend brings a conscious thoughtful bildungsroman in the guise of a feel-good summer harem. But as much as it achieves narratively, it doesn’t make it any more difficult to fall in love with the characters and relate to their relationships. Let's hope this series receives a second season!
