KANOJO, OKARISHIMASU 2ND SEASON

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ComedyKanojo, Okarishimasu
ANIME ComedyKanojo, Okarishimasu
ONA ComedyKanojo, Okarishimasu 2nd Season: Date Movie
ONA ComedyKanojo, Okarishimasu 2nd Season Petit
ANIME ComedyKanojo, Okarishimasu 3rd Season

REVIEWS

• 

  Alicemagic18

  85/100
  It's time to hear the other side of a story. Rent a Girlfriend comes back for a second date <3

  This review contains some light spoilers.

  For those who hated this show, don’t waste your time reading this. But for those who are fond of this garbage, I’ll gladly for you to stay until the end!

  Kaguya-samWHAT? Sono Bisque YUCK? Shikimori/Komi-WHO? Now, after these ultra-overhyped romance shows for children have passed, it’s time for this show, to take the center stage. Ladies and gentlemen, from the studio that brought you the hit shounen Doctor Stone, the quirky Nagatoro-san, and one of the classic shoujo romantic-drama series Fruits Basket comes the biggest romance for the GIGACHADS. The widely-anticipated Kanojo Okarishimasu or Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season!

  Many people say that this show is “garbage”, “mid”, “dumpster fire”, or whatever fucking describes this show from some random users on the internet. But damn, they didn’t know what they are missing. Even I, was one of them until I appreciate the story and the message behind it. People just love to the bandwagon and jump the hate train. But those people are still watching each episode of the show, and being a hypocrite. This show divided the community into two groups; the fans and its haters. But due to its popularity, the manga is still trolling and it already has a live-action J-Drama. I’ll try to be straightforward, and precise while writing this review and explaining, how great this show is. Yes! GREAT! I’m not creating a satire review! That’s why I’m reminding you from the beginning of my review. Yes, the manga is garbage, while I’m writing this positive review about the 2ND SEASON ONLY!

  Analyze this. We all know that not all romance stories are intended and created to be perfect. Each coin has its two sides; Rent-a-Girlfriend depicts the not-so-perfect side of a romance story. Many popular romance animes out there had a perfect love story, as well as the characters. But not all stories had to be perfect or on the bright side. We also need to know the “not-good” side of a story. This is what I like about Rent-a-Girlfriend, after giving it a second chance to rewatch and continue the story. Believe it or not, we must know the fact that we can’t always be rooting for the “good” one. Sometimes, we need to give a chance to hear the side of the “losers”.

  I’ll be general about the events of the second season. It continues where the first season left off, after a year of encountering the two main protagonists of the story; Kazuya and Mizuhara. If I were to judge, the story became better than the first season. I saw some developments from the story, even though I know that they were snail-paced. I’m glad to see those parts being animated, as one of the manga readers out there. The romance was really good, and the comedy never fails to amaze me. One of the main highlights of this show is Kazuya’s expressions. It reminds me of the funniest expressions from Gintama, Grand Blue, and Baka to Test. I admit that almost the dialogue and the scenes from this show were cringing, but honestly, it’s not as bad as you think. Even in real life, cringe moments can happen when you interact with people, especially with that person you like. It happened to me before and currently to my friends. That was one of the reasons why I like this show because it’s realistic. The story isn’t that perfect, but real life isn’t perfect either. Say what you want but what happened in this show, can happen in real life. You all people are just missing the point because it’s an “anime”, and using it as a delusion to escape real life like a coward.

  The characters are back, as well as Captain Cringe Kazuya for the second curtain. The beautiful ladies that we had missed were back also! I admit that the characters sold me off. I know that many people hate Kazuya for being cringe and weirdo, but this isn’t a valid argument why he’s a bad character. Like I said at the beginning, believe it or not, you can find those kinds of people in real life. I’m so related to Kazuya as a dude, because like I said that not all of us and the main protagonist from a story had to be perfect, especially when chasing or interacting with the person we like. I found him very realistic through my friends, and even myself. “Pathetic and hopeless”, are those words I can describe to him. But not all of those guys are bad as you think. Some of them are kind and will do anything to impress the person they like, even if they are not being noticed.

  Aside from Kazuya being a well-written character, I found also the girls great, and still impressed me. Mami-chan is one of my favorite girls because she’s realistic too. I also know a girl from our school who is a backstabber and a cold-hearted witch on the inside. She doesn’t give a shit about what’s happening to any of them, but still, she couldn’t let go of her feelings. Chizuru is still a good character too, and I saw her development and the reason why Kazuya likes her a lot! She wanted to pursue her dreams and her passion for being an actress. I like how Kazuya supports her because he wanted to make her dreams true, without expecting anything in return. That’s the kind of love that I want to express to the person I like, unconditional love. Doing the best to make him/her happy is a truly special love, that will be never bought with money, even the money from Kazuya’s wallet. A person who wanted to stay by your side and help you in any time of need is a sign of true love.

  Ruka-chan is still an attention-seeker, but I know her situation. I’ve been through a puppy love back then when I hoped for a girl to notice me and my worth. Did all those good shits just to make myself enough for her. But this is the worst kind of love that you could ever receive, in retrospect though. Fascination and lust with nothing to stand on. Some girls are wanting a guy just to satisfy themselves and enjoyment. They didn’t see men as capable enough to be loved as a person.

  I’ve got to see this cute Sumi-chan this season! I like it when she comforts and supports Kazuya from Episode 11. She became dependable and her character developed from being a shy girl. I think she and Chizuru are those girls who can lend an ear when Kazuya needs to take off his mask. The problem here is that she didn’t get screen time again this season, even in the manga. I think she’s not being part of the heroines’ roster in this show. But yet, she developed.

  The animation is flawlessly smooth. It’s a peak at its finest and I didn’t expect it from TMS Animation Studio, and it caught the romantic vibe of the whole show. They did justice to the comedic moments of Kazuya’s interactions, as well as his reactions. I love how the studio made the characters more gorgeous than from the manga. They made the heroines sexier than ever, and it’s one of the best animations that I’ve seen from many romance animes. The music is one of the amazing things that I’ve heard from many romance animes. Instead of using musical instruments more like a piano or something, they used electronic music as well. It’s rare to hear that kind of soundtrack and as a musician/writer, it fits very well to the scenes. The OP and ED are the top tiers in this season. Who would’ve thought that one of the famous J-POP singers like Chico with HoneyWorks performed the OP in this season? And the ED is absolute fire and much better than from the first season. It’s a great thing that they didn’t use such upbeat tunes this time and it sounds like a mature one.

  I understand why many people hate this show, but I don’t understand why people don’t get the point of the whole thing. So far, this is one of the unique romcom harems shows in this generation. Aside from linear stories like childhood promises and the girl will win appearing from the beginning as a hinted clue, this shit is a complicated one. I don’t mean shit as bad, but a good one. This show executed well in my eyes and how it should be seen as. This season is a great building block to the upcoming great arc if the production staff announces the third season. A controversial yet groundbreaking show that pushes the boundaries of being an average romcom harem. Once you pass the negative reputation get from this show, you will see it for what it is. A mindless entertainment that you can actually enjoy, and have a great time.

  Story: 8/10
  Animation: 9/10
  Characters: 8/10
  Sound: 9/10
  Entertainment factor (Comedy: 4/5, Romance: 4/5): 8/10
  Enjoyment: 9/10
  Score: 8.5/10

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• 

  Mcsuper

  27/100
  The 2nd Lesson Of Our Favourite Bad Role Model

  If I were to assign a purpose to this show, it would be a grim reminder of how far gone some of mankind can be. Why do people seek romantic relationships so much, and get so discouraged when they can’t find someone? It’s simple. Each person has their inner narcissist boiling inside them. Everyone wants to be loved, for people to look at them positively, to be noticed. How do people try to solve this problem? They seek “cheap thrills”, instead of improving themselves. One’s youth has many paths, but some just search endlessly for relationships, instead of doing much more healthy things. Kazuya is a great example of this type of person, someone that no one should aspire to be. Alright, enough life talk, let’s get to this anime!

  Welcome back you degenerates! I can’t believe so many of you are back to enjoy the trashiness that is Rent-a-Girlfriend! The worst thing is, we know it’s trash, and still we come back for more. Are we starting to become as degenerate as Kazuya? Oh no…

  I can’t believe I have to say this, but I wish Mami showed up more this season. The reason that Season 1 was mildly enjoyable was because of all the drama, and the hate that the fandom had towards her. Her character felt quite watered down this season, and “mild”, which was unfortunate. Without all that drama, this season just felt like a generic romcom built on misunderstandings, and was kind of boring, to be honest. Well, there are some good points as well, (cough cough, Sumi), and it oddly feels like the inevitable next season might inspire just a teensy bit of hope.

  My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20

  STORY: 2.8/25

  The story is a mess, and we expected this. Misunderstandings just aren’t a good formula to tell a story, and watching Kazuya trying to diffuse them was just cringey. It’s hard to understand why the girls even put up with him, but that’s just how it is. Kazuya, you really don’t need to explain everything you do to everyone, unless it’s Ruka, I don’t think any of them care that much about your activities.

  It really could have been much better, if more of Chizuru’s ambitions towards her acting career were shown more, and if the emotional moments with her grandma were handled with more care.

  ART: 7.5/10

  It’s not fantastic, but vibrant enough to look good. No complaints about the animation overall.

  MUSIC: 7.6/10

  It’s hard to the top The Peggies, but the OP this season did somewhat grow on me as the season went along. The ED was rather tame compared to the hilarious one in Season 1.

  CHARACTERS: 3.7/20

  The terrible character writing basically makes me want every character to lose in their lives, except for Sumi. I’ll talk about my thoughts about each character briefly.

  Chizuru was rather boring to watch this season, to be honest. We knew from Season 1 that she wanted to pursue a career in acting, and we didn’t see a whole lot of that this season. She has her moments as well, since her grandma was in the hospital, which showed her vulnerability.

  Why does Ruka even want to be with Kazuya? She was literally thrown to the wayside, but she still clings, and made bold moves this season. I’d feel bad for her, but apart from her love for Kazuya, there’s not much that makes her character stand out.

  There wasn’t enough drama this season, because Mami wasn’t prevalent. I know most hate her, but she was the source of entertainment, creating division and discussion. Hope she shows up more.

  Sumi’s my favourite character in this show, because she’s what makes the plot advance. She’s a genuinely good companion, and when Kazuya’s around her, Kazuya has to be more responsible, and I believe that Sumi brings out the best qualities of Kazuya. It’s a shame she’s not the main character though.

  Kazuya? He’s still trash, most of the time. Sumi, save him please.

  ENJOYMENT: 2.2/15

  It’s not funny, it’s not trashy enough, and it’s cringe. When Sumi’s on the screen though, it’s awesome.

  THEMATIC EXECUTION: 2.8/20

  I firmly believe that this show could have been so much better if the themes were executed better. If you want to be trashy, do it to the max. If you want to be emotional, do it to the max. Instead, they throw in jokes when Chizuru’s grandma was ill, and whenever there could be a sign of plot progression, it just never happens.

  OVERALL: 27/100

  I didn’t expect this to be good, but I expected more from this season. It had the potential to be decent, if Chizuru’s acting career took centre stage, and if Kazuya cleared some misunderstandings. Instead, we just got a generic, trashy romcom that was hard to sit through. I do think though, to be a bit more optimistic, that next season (which has been announced) might be better, because the last few episodes really had Kazuya reflecting about his life a bit, and that could be interesting.

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• 

  lukacat

  40/100
  Still a trash-heap of contrivances and excuses for said contrivances, but there's a bit of merit to indulging in it.

  To the surprise of absolutely no one, Rent-A-Girlfriend returns to prove that it’s still a series whose only whole-hearted effort it insists on making is its absolute commitment to not allowing any growth or development—character or otherwise. Pretty much every time I get my hopes up and convince myself that it might actually do anything besides spin, and spin, and spin its old web of lies, bafflingly stupid conflicts and empty promises rehashed solely for the sake of keeping the marketing machine rolling, I’m slapped in the face with another repugnant helping of Kazuya Kinoshita—our cipher of a lead’s endless moping and perpetual internal monologues. At the core of the concept, the constant clash between him trying to maintain the facade while simultaneously attempting to forge a genuine relationship with a rental girlfriend, of all people, makes for scenarios I admittedly love to indulge in—even if handled in ways straight-up frustrating by design. Some of which would make even the most stone-faced viewer physically recoil in their seat with cringe or even outright yell at the screen.

  

  At this point, it’s honestly impressive how much of a degenerate Kazuya allows himself to be as long as it’s in service of the idea that he’s doing it for his grandma, which doesn’t even matter anyway, since she would obviously rather just know the truth. The headache-inducing romantic (and I use that term lightly) hijinks he somehow always manages to find himself in are not only a result of the increasingly pathetic, never-ending web of lies and misunderstandings he’s wrapped himself up in, they’re a result of his widely agreed status as one of the most utterly hopeless, downright embarrassing main characters around, only driven by his inferiority complex and general victim mentality. I mean, no one with a sliver of self-respect would have found themselves in the predicament Kazuya did in the first minute of episode one in the first place. How someone like him could feasibly manage to successfully guilt-trip a rotation of women who ought to be modeling for magazines into liking him is a feat in itself; better yet, swapping from girl to girl each episode. All the while lying to his friends and family about every aspect of his life. It’s painfully apparent that he’s the author’s own self-insert, which makes it that much worse.

  

  Way too much of this show is wasted spent inside of Kazuya’s head, detailing every redundant thought and flagrant misunderstanding that accompanies them. But to be fair, we do get hints of a few nice ideas this time around—Chizuru's confidence turning to genuine heartbreak over missing her big break because the director of that play she gave her all in chose to recruit someone who was clearly less qualified for the job, solely out of favoritism, caught me off guard. It was a much needed moment of development outside of her just being viewed through the filter of being Kazuya’s crush. Comparably, for as cringeworthy as he can be, Kazuya's earnest offer of support to Chizuru was something I was pleased to see, even though I knew it ultimately wouldn’t lead anywhere. It's nice to see them have a real conversation and get to know each other better, and I’m glad she gets to be an actual character in her own right, even if what little growth is granted to her instantly makes her the only one with some honest thought spared to them—besides Sumi, of course, who’s still the best character in the show. And I don’t just say that out of waifu loyalty–she’s literally the most likeable character at this point, just by virtue of having a respectable personal objective.

  

  Seeing her conquer her debilitating social anxiety to be the compassionate friend Kazuya has somehow been for her brought a genuine sense that these characters have grown for the better through their healthy chemistry together, which may well be a first for this series. The few episodes that put the spotlight on her are a pleasant, much-needed step back from the mildly entertaining degeneracy, which I’m so glad she’s never overtly been inserted into. Well, not yet at least. She’s endearingly purehearted, far, far sweeter than this show deserves, and the only character who brings out what few positive aspects our cipher of a lead has. Rather than the idealized Girlfriend Experience the show so often endorses, Sumi offers the sort of sincere, unconditional emotional support you would actually want from a romantic partner. It almost makes it feel as if the show itself acknowledges the fact that the rental girlfriend service is no foundation for a real relationship whatsoever. But these flickers of substance are few and far between, and the trudge to get there is so unrewarding that the only thing that might make the whole thing worth it is seeing Kazuya actually grow a pair and ask Chizuru out for real. We both know that’ll never happen, though.

  

  And while the new OP is definitely an unquestionable downgrade from The Peggies’ delightfully catchy single which practically made the first season, as far as visuals go, it still feels like this is as good of an adaptation as this series could get. There isn't much animation, and the backgrounds frequently leave a lot to be desired; however, the individual shots are beautified, and the vibrant colors almost make up for the show's dull construction. The character art is always on point, and the show's eye for fashion continues to deliver. I’m honestly convinced the author just flips through the latest Japanese fashion magazines and picks out the most popular outfits. All the girls dress like magazine models, aside from Chizuru, who dresses sliiightly more classy than her other rental girlfriend counterparts. None of them has a particularly unique taste or flair, and so you get to see lots of stylish outfits in the show, but I always feel like I’ve literally seen this while scrolling through Pinterest or something. Not to say that these girls wouldn’t wear these kinds of outfits; obviously they would because their job literally depends on them looking, dressing, and acting their best in every facet of their presentation. I guess I'd rather their outfits reflect their personalities more or be discernibly unique from one another, rather than always looking straight out of the latest fashion catalog. I realize I’m probably talking out of my ass here, since this IS the Asian style capital of the world we’re talking about, but still.

  At the end of the day, I still unironically enjoy this show way more than I probably should. I’m not sure what that says about me as a person, but I’m willing to be fairly generous and give it a 4—the same score I gave the first season—because upon taking a step back from the moral bankrupcy of it all, I've realized there may well be a tiny crumb of merit in a socially stunted lost soul like me indulging in it, indefensible construction and all.

  Rent-A-Girlfriend is immensely popular—but for all the wrong reasons, and as a result of the astronomically infamous (and whole-heartedly deserved) reputation this series has built for itself, most come away from it instantly casting it off as fundamentally ill-conceived romcom filth only appealing to the lowest common denominator. A show that has nothing to say about anything. And while I no doubt agree with the former, I think those who believe the latter are too blinded by the cringe to notice what little hints of self-awareness suggest otherwise, because I'd say there’s at least one noteworthy element under the trash heap; the show’s depiction of social dynamics. From Ruka believing that just because she’s an attractive female she has the right to be relentlessly over-the-line and all over people without permission, to how Mami is a cold and calculating, BPD-ridden social manipulator who presents herself as this bubbly, good-natured angel who can do no wrong, or even Kazuya and his pathetically pussywhipped, beta-orbiter nature, which is a look in the mirror for a concerning portion of young males in our current generation. Many of whom would be quick to clown on him, not even realizing the irony of the sentiment.

  Now, I’ve been alone and loveless all my life, but, be that as it may, I know for damn sure that there is no shortage of people this superficial, two-faced and socially reprehensible in the real world. Anyone could very well be unfortunate enough to know or happen to have been in a relationship with a Ruka, or a Mami, or a Kazuya. Lord knows there are plenty of the latter two out there. In no way do the characters themselves escape from falling snugly into place of the archetypical cookie-cutter harem or romcom dynamics. However, the way Rent-A-Girlfriend portrays the interpersonal relationships therein could genuinely be seen as a cautionary tale, if anything, for more inexperienced viewers who don't know how it really is out there; a perfect example of how NOT to approach relationships in general. And, for what little that’s worth, I think I can surprisingly say there’s a smidgen of merit to watching this stagnant, ceaseless dumpster fire that I just can’t look away from.

  Story: 5
  Animation: 7
  Sound: 7
  Character: 5
  Score: 4 | Enjoyment: 8

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