Kanojo, Okarishimasu

[Buffalobiian]

https://i.imgur.com/55GRNZ9.png

aka Rent-A-Girlfriend, Rental Girlfriend etc.


Dumped by his girlfriend, emotionally shattered college student Kazuya Kinoshita attempts to appease the void in his heart through a rental girlfriend from a mobile app. At first, Chizuru Mizuhara seems to be the perfect girl with everything he could possibly ask for: great looks and a cute, caring personality. (1st ep spoilers following)

Upon seeing mixed opinions on her profile after their first date, and still tormented by his previous relationship, Kazuya believes that Chizuru is just playing around with the hearts of men and leaves her a negative rating. Angry at her client's disrespect towards her, Chizuru reveals her true nature: sassy and temperamental, the complete opposite of Kazuya's first impression. At that very moment, Kazuya receives news of his grandmother's collapse and is forced to bring Chizuru along with him to the hospital.

Although it turns out to be nothing serious, his grandmother is ecstatic that Kazuya has finally found a serious girlfriend, which had always been her wish. Unable to tell her the truth, Kazuya and Chizuru are forced into a fake relationship—acting as if they are truly lovers.


Ep 1-3 is out.

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Chizuru seems kind.

MC is pathetic.

Mami is such a bitch, so much that she somehow is even less likable than the MC.

The perfect girlfriend acts are the best parts of this show.

[MFauli]

Honestly, the premise of the anime is too cringe, and I expect nothing but blue-balling and an unrealistic "and then she fell in love with him FOR REALZ!!1"

Gotta keep you alone her, buff, sorry

[Ryllharu]

Well, I'm obviously watching it, since I've been reading the manga since it started, and while this series gets a lot of shit, and I mean a LOT of shit, it's better than most people give it credit for. Some of it is deserved.

What this series excels at is realism. Primarily in its characters. The situations are at times contrived, but also, this is Japan, not the rest of the world. Compensated Dating has been a thing for a LONG time. They have Rental Families (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rental_family_service). So a lot of this stuff does have basis in fact.

Kazuya? He's a beta male. No denying it, and he even admits it in the first episode, and a good chunk of the second. He's one of those guys who in general is a loser, but has a few shining examples of being kinda cool. A lot of readers can't stand the guy, and that's okay. He's normal. He's not a bishonen, he's not an isekai uplifted loser, he's not a hidden badass. He's a normal guy. That's probably why so many readers/viewers fucking hate him. There's no escapism here.

Chizuru? She's a blissfully two-faced rare gem herself. She's exactly the type of woman you see every day. Nice, pleasant, charming, and underneath she's someone very different. She's meaner, harsher, not submissive in any way. She clearly has a fairly strong and independent streak. She's the antithesis of the typical Japanese dating realm, except when she's on a rental job, where she's aced the act already (meek, demure, caring #1).

Mami...well, she's pretty obviously the antagonist. She's not supposed to be likeable. You know women like this. They wouldn't care one bit about a particular man unless someone else has him. Then she turns on the act. Until she's captured them. After that, toss em aside, and keep them wrapped around her finger, trying to drive off any other women who might want her territory. She doesn't want Kazuya. She just wants him to only want her.

All of the character archetypes in this series exist in the real world, and they are fairly well portrayed here, with way more depth than many of the manga readers would ever give the series credit for. And the casting, is fucking perfect. Kazuya is way less punchable here.

One thing that this series sucks at in the manga is progression. The manga is slow. But the anime isn't. They're jumping through the chapters, partway through Ch 6 by the end of episode 2.

[Buffalobiian]

I can stand Kazuya's dirty talk and oogling behavior, but dragging Chizuru into parties and grandma meetings pissed me off. I'm sure we wouldn't have a story if it wasn't for that, but that sort of this that Chizuru has to put up with is quite unacceptable to me.

[Ryllharu]

As a reminder, Chizuru knew he had more time left, commented on it as he fled the aquarium, and followed him to his grandma.

Her own professional pride started all of their current entanglement. A lot of people overlook that detail. She also could have turned around once she knew exactly which hospital they were headed for. She could have left when he ran off, or any time along the way.

She even rationalized it as a number of clients have her meet with their families.

[Buffalobiian]

Ah right. 1st meeting is exempt then.

[KrayZ33]

It's one of the shows I watch this season, so far it's pretty cool.

[KrayZ33]

episode 3:


I'm not good with twatter or whatever they are using on that phone.
Who is his ex writing too? Is it some kind of diary - or is she writing MC but MC doesn't get the messages because she blocked him or something? I can't make out anything on that screen.

The name she writes to, reads out as the same word japanese people use to say when subs translate it as "what a pain". So I'm thinking like it's a nickname she gave MC in her contact list. There is this "locked" symbol too.

Can someone help out?

[Ryllharu]

It's almost certainly LINE. Both it and twitter use @[username], and I think the manga called it twitter due to the translation, but the interface here is definitely more like LINE's.

I think it has open chatrooms or blog-ish spaces in Japan. Or she's posting to whatever group chat she's found a place to bitch. Filled with other sympathetic and evil toxic people. She was almost definitely using the same room/groupchat the entire time she's been dating Kazuya, and probably even before that.
I doubt any of them know who she is in person.

Or she's full on crazy and sending messages to herself or empty space.

The degree her emotional manipulation goes this episode is beyond revolting.


FYI, and very minor spoiler: [Her contacts list has Kazuya listed as "The Virgin"]

[Buffalobiian]

Interesting how despite Kazuya being completely fooled by Mami into thinking she's a nice girl, that he knows how she'll be dissing him completely if he exposes Chizuru's rental status.

In my mind I'm giving Kazuya a lot of shit, but at the same time I've actually realised this episode that Chizuru really is still rental status to him, and all of Mami's "true self" scenes were behind his back. He's really go no away to know she's a bitch.

The one thing he CAN control, and I still blame him for, is how impulsive he is with his lying and quickness to impress by pulling shit out of his ass.

If there ends up being a scene where Mami gets brought to Grandma who then tears her facade down after a brief interaction, I'd be looking forward to it.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 04

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"Kazu-chin, you ain't meant to let your dick dictate your love life."

No truer words have ever been spoken in this show. As off-the-mark Kibe is about the entire thing, his insight into Kazuya as a person, friendship towards him and recognising that Mami bad blood for Kazuya is such a relief to see in a show where the MC is confused and spinless, the girlfriend is regretfully rental and the antagonist is a possessive toxic THOT.

His words breaking Mami's facade even for just an unnoticed moment was a relief. Someone caught onto her. As for his speech about Kazuya.. someone give him a beer.

He talked about Kazuya having idiotic optimism, but this guy is this episode's optimism.

[KrayZ33]

Why does Japan not understand, that this show would have been 3 times better with a "normal" MC that doesn't start crying because of selfpitty all the time.

I really wonder why? Does the editor say something to the mangaka like "You know, this scene would be better if we make MC a whimp"
They even went so far and do the "crying boy/girl hand/arm in front of your eyes/face while running away"-pose. Who does that in real life? It's normaly used by comedy shows in anime and nearly never meant seriously.

I can live with looking at it... but I just don't understand the mindset? Who thinks it's cool/good/natural to have a wimpy MC that is so "close to water" all the time? The average guy can't possibly be *this* bad off to be able to self insert, can he?

[shinta|hikari]

The average guy can't possibly be *this* bad off to be able to self insert, can he?

False. That's the entire reason this type of show exist.

[KrayZ33]

False. That's the entire reason this type of show exist.

Really? I'm not even talking about being a wimp or not being good around girls. I'm talking about people crying and hugging their legs in front of a girl they like, because of mere self-pity with basically no trauma attached to it other than getting dumped by a girl he has known for *1* month.

I'm a total wimp myself and probably just as bad around girls and wouldn't notice a flirt when my life depended on it, but damn.

[shinta|hikari]

I know it is hard to believe, but you have to trust the economics of it. Why would a show like this get animated if they didn't have a target audience?

[Buffalobiian]

I'm a total wimp myself and probably just as bad around girls and wouldn't notice a flirt when my life depended on it, but damn.

I notice what I think is a flirt, but then I'll go "wait, what if I'm wrong.. let's not jump to conclusions.. maybe it's just me wanting to be desired."

[KrayZ33]

I know it is hard to believe, but you have to trust the economics of it. Why would a show like this get animated if they didn't have a target audience?

Because it has cute girls/college students in it who wear stylish clothes - which is why I'm watching it too, but I could do without MCs "problems".

edit: what I'm saying is, the premise of this show is that MC can't get a girlfriend and finds love while doing this rental stuff out of spite etc. yada yada. So sure thing, MC is going to be a bit of an introvert, but I doubt the people who are like that in real life would act like he does in front of a potential romance, especially when he actually doesn't even want to be that way.
Like, he would look away awkwardly, everyone is probably able to tell that he feels sad whenever he thinks about his ex-girlfriend and doesn't value himself as much due to what has happened. But that is a completely different level, especially since, as mentioned, the reason is so "small". It doesn't look like he suffered a life of solitude, he has friends (good friends) who seem rather normal guessing by what has happened in the last episode.

When you look at the first two episodes, where MC even gets angry about being "played" by the rental-girlfriend, you get a completely different picture about him too. It's just weird when he goes into complete shutdown-mode like that

[Buffalobiian]

You just reminded me that they're college students and not highschool (or middle school).

That makes the MC's ineptitude worse.

[KrayZ33]

You just reminded me that they're college students and not highschool (or middle school).

That makes the MC's ineptitude worse.

I know right?
It's just not portraying a college student in my book, so I can't even say to whom his character design caters to.
If high schoolers or middle schoolers want to self insert, they'd probably go for a high-school anime, wouldn't they?

[Buffalobiian]

The setting mandates college I guess.

You probably can't be a rental girlfriend while still in school, and having a school boy rent a college girlfriend would have a strange seniority aspect that wouldn't help the story.

[Ryllharu]

It's in Weekly Shonen Magazine, so the demographic is the same for Fire Force, Runway de Waratte, Hajime no Ippo, and Bakemonogatari. The series is quite popular in Japan. 2 million copies across 10 volumes, and 3 million by the 13th volume. 200k per tank usually rates something as very popular. Extremely popular for not being in WSJ or Hana to Yume.

I think what makes most readers and viewers angry is that see parts of themselves in Kazuya that they don't want to admit are there...

He barely moved in his apartment after Mami dumped him, and before he rented Chizuru. He's probably prone to depression, because that's what it looks like. Same with his behavior on the beach. We know he has low self-esteem.

He's not a role model, and he's doesn't feed escapism. Then again, he's entwined with a cute girl with a fiery personality, a killer body. So it does and it doesn't.

I like the series because the characters have depth and react in generally realistic ways.

Edit: I guess it hit 5 million this week.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 05

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Okay, I have to admit that I applied some double standards here. Last week old mate told Kazuya off for thinking with his dick and I couldn't agree more. Come this week, his dick points in the right direction and I'm all happy about that anyway.

[Ryllharu]

Kind of interesting that the version of Chizuru he recalled before she resuscitated him isn't the dolled-up rental girlfriend version, but her Ichinose Mode that she attends college in. Or I don't remember that from the manga, at least.

Love the scheming grandmas. They're the highlight of the episode for me. Kazuya's gram saying some deep stuff too.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 06

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So what new girl is after, is some atropine.

Or meth.

Good to not have a bitch around.I'm just happy it's progressing the Mizuhara route all the same. The awkward thing with the whole rental thing now is if someone else rents Mizuhara. They've proven that their identities are not exactly secret - though it might just mean that rental girlfriend searches aren't nearly as common as "What should I have for dinner tonight?".

[KrayZ33]

The girls look so sweet in this show :O

I'm basically watching it only because of them.
Don't even know for whom I'd root, except for not rooting for the blonde ex-girl of course.

[David75]

Blonde ex is still love material. She's got some personal troubles to clear first though.
Pretty sure Mizuhara herself needs some help.
Feels like a generic story were several perfect girls reveal themselves around a worthless guys who happens to be a good guy building his harem :cool:

[Buffalobiian]

Blonde ex is still love material. She's got some personal troubles to clear first though.

David you crazy bitch.

[David75]

Touché :cool:
I might have too much faith in anime, and that one particularily, but it feels like they do not stop at first impressions with the characters and go a bit deeper (felt that one ? :D).
Pretty much like a VN. If I'm right, we might have a backstory for Mami.
She's fairly simple in fact, probably 100% dedicated lover when she realises where her heart is, but conversly the rest of the world can go exctint that she would'nt care at all.

[Buffalobiian]

Fair enough. And here I thought you might just be going for short busty blondes because they might resemble your wife.

How shallow of me.

[David75]

Touché again, feels like my preferences got the better of me regardless of my explanations :p

[Ryllharu]

Episode 7


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Blackmail two people so you can date one of them. Mami is a pyscho-bitch, but Ruka is no winner either. Even if her goals are genuine, and her backstory marginally sympathetic (feels a bit on the contrived side), what she's doing is only slightly above what Mami was doing at the beach.

Also, Kazuya's primary worry was his buddy. It's Mizuhara who is going on the defensive with Ruka, even though she really doesn't have a lot to lose if Kazuya explained everything to Kuri. Like he said, Kazuya's entire circle of friends has looked "Ichinose" directly in the face and thought she was someone else.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 08

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Ahahaha, the friend rents out Mizuhara in next week's preview! xD

This episode itself was a little heart warming but otherwise standard fare.

[David75]

We're still waiting for the third girl...

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 10

--------------------------------













Aaaah, MC rents Chizuru for glasses dude. That makes things slightly less weird.

Now I just really want the MC and Chizuru to get together.

[KrayZ33]

Episode 11:

Oooooh snap - that's gonna be a problem.

[David75]

Mami is part of the harem, she just doesn't know yet :D

[Buffalobiian]

I thought my reaction to the ditz was going to be "yeah yeah whatever, another moe.."

But damn, her trying so hard so awkwardly was so sweet. Nothing on our queen Chizuru but still. I didn't dislike her like I thought I would have.

I really want to see this relationship to fruition. That last scene between Chizuru/Kazuya kinda hurt.

[KrayZ33]

Sumi was really cute, I love female timid characters like that, I usually agree with all the statements MCs makes about these kinda girls.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WviwYLZubSw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRtxoedAy34

I dig that

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 12


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Daaaaaaaaaamn. I thought this was going to pull an anime-original confession ending on us at ~20:00, which would have been okay since it's giving us the inevitable ending (but sad in a way because it'd mean no more sequels). But then Kazuya takes that back, and it's as if it never happened.

Well that was fun. I'll welcome a sequel. In the meanwhile I might just go check out the manga.

edit; or not. S2 planned.

https://www.monstersandcritics.com/anime/rent-a-girlfriend-season-2-release-date-kanojo-okarishimasu-season-2/

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 13-15

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After watching episode 13 I thought I was going to drop this. But then 14 and 15 got me watching for now. Mami's boss music was intense.

[KrayZ33]

Season 2 Episode 4

Even though I hate harem shows exactly because of episodes like this this one, it was still funny.
It just makes me sad that the support cast will eventually always drop out and never have a chance whatsoever.
Feels like a dick move whenever MC keeps them in his net just in case.

[Ryllharu]

It's not entirely the same because aside from Sumi, the supporting cast are actually the antagonists.

Very realistically written ones too.

Ruka knows what she wants and isn't shy about trying to get it.

[KrayZ33]

Episode 6...


oh man... that brings back memories (I'd rather forget). Overdrinking suuuucks.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 7

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I've come to love seeing Mami in this show. Yes, she's dangerous and feels like she's ruining everything for the MC. But - nothing's really happening anyway, so might as well get some tension going. It keeps the show interesting. She's perceptive too and is piecing everything together.

Her design is quite nice as well, though I'd be keen to see her wardrobe be more than the USA flag colours.

Ruka going into full territorial barking mode is as you'd expect. I do feel bad for her this episode as well. She's clingy, yes, but she's also being strung along by Kazuya and she still thinks she's got a serious chance.

[shinta|hikari]

I'd be keen to see her wardrobe be more than the USA flag colours.

Doesn't the Australia flag have the exact same 3 colors? Why say USA when you live in AU?

[Buffalobiian]

Doesn't the Australia flag have the exact same 3 colors? Why say USA when you live in AU?

We have the same colours, as does France, Britain and others.

I mention USA flag because it's arguably the most seen in media in general, and I suspect it'd be the most recognized globally secondary to that. I also mention it because in anime specifically, the Blonde American is probably the most common foreign archetype, even more so than the Blonde British, let alone the Australian.

So, in that light, I associate a blonde anime character in a medium that I consume over the internet wearing red/white/blue with USA more immediately than any other country despite living in one myself.

[shinta|hikari]

That last part is very interesting. Sort of partly explains why Canadians and people from other countries obsess or at least often notices US events and affairs.

[KrayZ33]

Episode 7

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She's clingy, yes, but she's also being strung along by Kazuya and she still thinks she's got a serious chance.

I hate that so much...
It's so mean. At this point in the show (for a while now), he accepted Female MC as his love interest.

It's not like I can't understand *why* he does it and it's not even entirely his fault, but it's still mean.

[David75]

He's a loser and a very cute girl is in love with him.
Your average male will keep her as a safe "snack" in case his target can't be reached.
That's at least one reason.
Another is he can't decide to be the bad guy or actively hurt her by just cuting ties with her.
Somehow he's got to admitt that being courted by such a fine girl is very nice too.
He's somewhat nice and decent, but not decisive enough.
He displays most average male stereotypes in a slightly caricatural manner, because everything happens at the same time.

On another note I agree that Mami has a better, or at least interresting, character développement. Mizuhara is becoming stale in comparison.

[Buffalobiian]

S2E8 (20)

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That was a fun ep.
It feels like progress even though Kazuya choked (but he did decide to be greedy). Mizuhara taking the initiative after the chokes does bring us back to the fact that she's professionally going along with the act, but it's nice to see acknowledgement that she likes him significantly as well.

Now... that crotch shot of Kazuya's before she asked him to come closer in the Ferris Wheel. WTF was that lol. That was totally a perspective shot. "Is she interested?" *Kazuya-internal-thoughts-mode*

[KrayZ33]

S2E9

---------------------------------------------


I sure hope the grandma is going to be okay.

[Buffalobiian]

When all doctors and nurses head in a single direction down a hallway, you know shit went down. :(

[KrayZ33]

When did that happen?

[Buffalobiian]

When did that happen?

As Chizuru left the hospital.

[KrayZ33]

When?

There is a patient and a nurse moving around normaly

[Buffalobiian]

When?

There is a patient and a nurse moving around normaly

Oh, you're right. I got that wrong.

[KrayZ33]

Oh man, you scared me.
I can only imagine how much it would suck for everyone involved if she died at that moment.

[David75]

Kareshi, Okarishimas?

[Buffalobiian]

Kareshi, Okarishimas?

lol.

-the look on their faces upon seeing Sayuri alive in hospital is the look I have when I receive a Code page (where a patient is supposed to require CPR or breathing support) and they're talking on arrival.

-The Gush of softdrink was so inapropriate to show right after seeing a frustrated Kazuya.

-Ruka slogging Kazuya was hot.

[David75]

Ruka is so nice, she's been unfortunate to fall for Kazuya. But this is how these stories work.

Mizuhara has had feelings for Kazuya for a while now, but she's not hooked.

Kazuya is your average guy, not an alpha, not a gifted one, but with good ethics. Only lacks self esteem and decisiveness.
Textbook male MC for such a story.

[shinta|hikari]

Alphas don't exist. The person who originated the term later took it back and regrets even creating it.

The most effective leaders in both wolves and humans are usually socially adept. It is less about being big and bad ass but more of being nice and popular.

[Ryllharu]

-The Gush of softdrink was so inapropriate to show right after seeing a frustrated Kazuya.

Did you miss the first season's ED?

[Buffalobiian]

Did you miss the first season's ED?

I saw it, and it was funny there.

What I mean by inappropriate here, is that the scenes goes:

Frustrated Kazuya -> Softdrink stream -> Grannies laughing.

After the first and 2nd scene, my brain thinks "Kazuya popped one off for post-rub-clarity?", only to then realise that the grannies were laughing at the cola.

It's most likely the effect the show was going for, so in that sense it was appropriate for this show.. but inappropriate for the "sad things were just discussed" moment.

[Buffalobiian]

Episode 12

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No one remembers Kazuya studies Business Administration.

[David75]

We're getting a season 3.
I guess the funding and movie making will be the main subjects.
And probably a crisis around Mizuhara's actress image tarnished by her rentagirlfriend job.
All of that fueled by Mami using Kazuya's loser aura to further sink Mizuhara and Kazuya himself

[shinta|hikari]

I've been reading the manga, and really, just skip the anime and read that.

No, it isn't better at all, but at least it won't waste your time.