The popular and zany rom-com anime Rent-a-Girlfriend is set to return for Season 3 in July as part of the Summer 2023 lineup. In this latest season, protagonist Kazuya Kinoshita will aim to crowdfund a movie production to fulfill Chizuru Mizuhara’s dream of having her grandmother see her on the “big screen.”
To prepare for the new season, here’s a recap of the critical events in Season 2 that affected Kazuya and all the girls surrounding him. These particular plot points are important because they may influence the storyline and character development in the upcoming Season 3.
Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 2 Brought Kazuya and Chizuru Closer Together
Season 2 of Rent-a-Girlfriend saw both Chizuru and Kazuya interact more with their relatives, and Kazuya became more supportive of her acting dream. Episode 12, “Girlfriend and Me,” finally revealed Chizuru’s tragic but inspirational backstory, and viewers understand why she wants to become an actress. There’s a sense of empathy and understanding as to why Kazuya is motivated to help her, and one cannot help but root for their movie project’s success. Chizuru wants to have her grandmother — who is exceedingly ill — see her as an actress before she passes away, which results in Kazuya suggesting they make a movie together.
As the main story arc for Season 3, fans should expect that this project will bring the two closer together. Season 2 saw some much-needed growth in Kazuya’s character; he planned to reveal the truth about his relationship with Chizuru and Ruka at his family’s dinner table, and he took the initiative in supporting Chizuru’s dream by proposing to make a movie. These personality changes aren’t too dramatic but they are signs of growth, and fans can only hope Kazuya’s character becomes more dynamic as the series continues.
Rent-a-Girlfriend’s Zany Supporting Female Cast Won’t Be in the Backdrop Forever
Kazuya’s manipulative ex-girlfriend Mami Nanami didn’t have an impactful role in Season 2, but her role in the story will grow more significant later on. Mami is playing detective and trying to figure out whether Kazuya and Chizuru are dating. Early in Season 2, Mami stopped by Kazuya’s apartment and saw Chizuru’s white purse but did not see the two there. She later visits Kazuya at work, where Ruka reveals that she is Kazuya’s girlfriend. Mami was quite surprised by this revelation. Soon after, Mami encounters Chizuru at the train station and asks if she is going out with Kazuya. Chizuru denies the claim, which confuses Mami.
Rent-a-Girlfriend fans can only speculate what Mami will do with all the intel she’s gathered in Season 2. By following Kazuya’s grandmother on social media, Mami may reveal the truth about Kazuya and Chizuru’s relationship or use the information as blackmail against Kazuya. All that’s certain, though, is that Mami is up to no good.
Like Mami, the adorable and timid Sumi Sakurasawa didn’t play a significant role in Season 2. Sumi has also developed feelings for Kazuya but is too shy to reveal them. She spent time with Kazuya at the aquarium and even gave him a birthday gift at the park. Thus far, she’s growing into Kazuya’s supportive and kind friend as she helps him with a situation involving Chizuru.
Meanwhile, Ruka Sarashina became Kazuya’s “self-proclaimed” girlfriend at the end of Season 1 — although Kazuya doesn’t see it that way — and was even more of a nuisance to him in Season 2. Their relationship gets more complicated when Ruka forcefully kisses Kazuya on the lips at his parents’ home. Yet when seeing how Kazuya and his family care a lot about Chizuru, she decides to stop pursuing him until he sorts out his issues and feelings. Fans can assume both Sumi and Ruka will be involved in more mischievous mishaps, causing more mayhem and flustered feelings for Kazuya.
So far, the first two seasons of Rent-a-Girlfriend have been wild and placed Kazuya into unexpected romantic entanglements. With the upcoming Season 3, fans can expect that Kazuya will continue his romantic adventures with all four girls — but hopefully the story will provide some genuine progression with at least one of them.