The creator of the popular rom-com Rent-a-Girlfriend brought out the main character aspects of the series in his own personality.
As detailed on Anime Senpai, Reiji Miyajima explained in a recent interview how he has a lot in common with Rent-a-Girlfriend’s protagonist, Kazuya Kinoshita. When asked if there are parts of Kazuya that reflect his own personality, Miyajima said that they both have difficulty dealing with emotional pain. “Like Kazuya, there are things I can’t stand no matter how hard I try, such as dealing with pain,” Miyajima said. “I say what I want through Kazuya. As a result, readers told me the story was funny and easy to understand, and that helped me a lot emotionally.”
Miyajima also shared the main inspiration behind the Rent-a-Girlfriend story, which began when Kazuya Kinoshita used an online dating app to “rent” a girlfriend after his ex, Mami Nanami , abandoned him. Although the artist was aware of the existence of such services, he became more excited about using the setting for a romantic comedy after reading an article about how Chinese families Quoc pressured their son to bring his girlfriend home for the Lunar New Year. This often results in young men using these apps to appease their parents. Miyajima found this quite endearing and drew inspiration from the script when creating Kazuya’s character. “Their desire to reassure their parents is real, but I’m sure they also want to show it off. Those mixed feelings are what makes Kazuya.”
Manga For Rent A Girlfriend
In the manga, Kazuya’s actions are also influenced by his family. Immediately after meeting Chizuru Mizuhara through a dating app, Kazuya’s grandmother is hospitalized. When Chizuru and Kazuya visit her at the hospital, she believes they are a real couple and expresses her relief that her grandson has found someone to be with. Despite initially underestimating Chizuru on the app, Kazuya continues to date her to maintain the presence of her grandmother and other family members. According to Miyajima, he and Chizuru also have certain personality traits. “She is a hard worker, but definitely an unlucky girl. She didn’t give up despite that. I believe the world can be so cruel sometimes, and my stoicism is reflected in hers.
The Rent-a-Girlfriend manga series launched in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in July 2017. The popular TMS Entertainment anime adaptation premiered in July 2020 and currently consists of two seasons. The studio has refreshed the series for a third season, which is set to premiere this July. Since Season 2 deals with the tragic details behind Chizuru’s past story, Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 3 is expected to cover Chizuru’s first DIY movie project that she wants to complete. before his ailing grandmother passed away.
Rent-a-Girlfriend is currently available to stream on Disney+ and Crunchyroll. The comic is available in English from Kodansha US.
Source: Anime Senpai