With Season 2 due to arrive as part of the Summer 2022 anime lineup, Rent-a-Girlfriend's newest teaser trailer puts the spotlight on recent addition Sumi Sakurasawa, who was added to the cast of main characters just a couple of episodes before the end of Season 1.
To celebrate the announcement of Season 2 -- along with Sumi's birthday -- a special trailer focusing on her and a special poster were released. This trailer hints that Sumi will play a bigger part in Rent-a-Girlfriend going forward, which may focus on helping her overcome her shyness.
A college freshman, Sumi is a shy, timid girl who has only recently begun working as a rental-girlfriend. She hardly ever speaks, though when she does she's still very quiet and doesn't raise her voice. Protagonist Kazuya Kinoshita beings using her services after Chizuru asks him to help Sumi become acclimated to the job and work on her communication skills. When first spending time with Kazuya, she uses facial expressions and sign language to express herself.
The only other time Rent-a-Girlfriend viewers hear Sumi speak in Season 1 is when she's thinking to herself. Because of her anxiety, she tends to overthink and plan ahead to ensure things go right. This anxiety at and hinderance of a social life are what prompted her to join the company. She wants to change and become more confident around people.
Sumi was introduced in Episode 11 of Season 1, meaning she got the least amount of screen time compared to the other girls. The announcement trailer for Season 2 seems to be hinting that she'll get more focus in the next installment, allowing viewers to get to know her better as she attempts to grow out of her shyness and become more confident by putting herself into situations that require her to be more outgoing. Being a rental-girlfriend is a social job, which is already out of Sumi's comfort zone. To gain new clients and continue her personal growth, she'll need to push herself even more, regardless of her anxieties.
Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 2 will offer Sumi the chance to become the person she dreams of being. Chizuru and Kazuya both seem interested and willing to help her, while also accepting her for who she is. There's only so much they can do though, and ultimately it will be up to Sumi to push herself to grow as she continues to spend time with them and other clients.
