There are some anime you discover on your own… and then there are the ones you get dragged into, kicking and screaming. Rent a Girlfriend definitely belongs to the second category for me, my sister didn’t even negotiate she pressed play, shifted closer, and said, you are watching this with me, The title first of all had already embarrassed me on her behalf, and I had prepared a full speech on why I wasn’t interested. But she ignored all that, and before I knew it, I was sitting stiffly beside her, pretending not to be curious while the first episode started rolling.
But the funny part? It wasn’t even the plot that caught me first, it was the characters, each one carrying their own brand of chaos.
Kazuya , the stress generator
Kazuya Kinoshita is the kind of character that makes you yell at the TV, shake your head, then somehow end up rooting for him along the line, He overthinks everything, panics at the simplest situations, and digs emotional pits for himself like it’s a hobby, But underneath his nonsense is this painfully human vulnerability. He wants to be loved, he wants to be enough, and even when he messes up, he gets back up, my sister kept saying, “He’s annoying but he’s trying,” and honestly… she had a point.
Chizuru — the polished diamond
Then there is Chizuru Mizuhara. The girl who looks like she was handmade with premium materials, at first, she shows up like the perfect rental girlfriend polite, gentle, composed, But when the performance drops? That’s when she becomes interesting. Chizuru has dreams, backbone, and a hidden softness that slips out in small, controlled moments, She’s the emotional balance of the show, the one person whose head is actually screwed on correctly. Whenever she appeared, my sister sat up straighter like she was watching royalty.
Ruka , intensity with legs
Ruka Nanami came in like a burst of energy that the show wasn’t prepared for, She doesn’t love halfway , it’s full force or nothing, She literally decides that Kazuya is the one and then sticks to him like it’s a life mission, she’s clingy, chaotic, and dramatic, but everything she does comes from a place of pure, honest emotion. She added spice the story didn’t know it needed.
Sumi ,silence but meaningful
Sumi is the kind of character who always speaks softly but enters your heart in a big way, so she is shy to a point, but then every little thing she does is thoughtful and also sincere, she tries, even when trying does scares her, she is one of those characters that you just want to wrap in a warm blanket and cheer for the throughout.
Mami, beautiful trouble
And of course, the queen of confusion: Mami Nanami. Sweet voice, pretty smile, dangerous intentions, anytime Mami appears, something messy is about to happen. She doesn’t even need to say much , one look from her and the entire plot shifts, my sister hissed at her like Mami could hear her through the screen.
Watching it with my sister
What truly made the experience chaotic was watching it next to my sister, She reacted like she was part of the show , gasping for Chizuru, clapping for Ruka, groaning at Kazuya’s mistakes, and giving Mami side eyes so strong I could feel the heat, Meanwhile, I was pretending I didn’t care… until I realized I was leaning forward too, trying to catch every scene, every expression, every moment.
By the time we were halfway into the season, I wasn’t even fighting it anymore, the characters had pulled me in with all their complexities , the flaws, the charm, the messiness, the sincerity, What started as my sister’s stubborn insistence turned into one of those anime experiences you don’t admit you enjoyed… but you secretly did.
Images gotten from my mOvie Player
Aikay👾