Rent-A-Girlfriend

Review time! When college student Kazuya Kinoshita gets dumped by his first girlfriend Mami Namami after only a month, he is crushed. Out of lonely desperation, he finds a Rent a Girlfriend app, that allows him to go on dates with the beautiful Chizuru Mizuhara. However, after being disillusioned with how it all seems so real but knowing it isn’t, he posts a negative review and the two have a fight on their second date. But when his grandma has a fainting spell and ends up in the hospital, he takes her along and ends up introducing her as his girlfriend! Since her grandma is also in the same hospital, and both grandmas are friends, Chizuru decides to go along with it. What follows is a lot of paid dates, lies and mixed signals that test the bounds of how much a rental girlfriend is supposed to do, and how much of it is actually unsuspecting, budding love. Rent-a-Girlfriend is a half comedy half drama, making it unique in the category of RCAs. Kazuya is honestly portrayed as a young man who not only struggles with low self esteem but also an overactive libido, as several scenes show, which gives the show a very sympathetic light. There is fan service in several points, so be aware of that. Chizuru is also one of the few Tsunderes that I actually like, as her Tsuns are not born of pride or just being standoffish for “reasons”: she is trying to maintain a professional distance between her and Kazuya, given what her job is. Though don’t worry, I’m sure those two will work it out. After all, we got another season on the way, so there is plenty of time for that! Except for Mami: she deserves nothing, vindictive little harpy….