Rent-a-Girlfriend's 24th and latest episode on Crunchyroll hinting that the anime's third season will greatly alter the romantic drama's formula. If these changes come to , then Rent-a-Grilfriend's next season could be something completely fresh.
For the vast majority of the romance anime, originally by mangaka Reiji Miyajima, heartbroken Kazuya Kinoshita has only interacted with his love interest Chizuru Mizuhara in a limited way since their entire relationship is predicated on her status as a rental girlfriend. Coincidentally, their grandmothers are best friends who are under the impression Kazuya and Chizuru are actually dating. So the duo have no choice but pretend they're actual boyfriend and girlfriend in their presence. Kazuya's friends came to a similar conclusion. All of this adds up to the possibility that Rent-a-Grilfriend season 3 will force Kazuya and Chizuru to see each other much more often outside of their usual transactional relationship.
Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 3 Can Change Kazuya & Chizuru's Relationship
Although these moments allow Kazuya and Chizuru to interact outside the very limited type of dates they usually go on, each of them have been portrayed as major deviations from the norm. But season two's finale has presented a new way that they will be able to connect, and, since it will be a massive undertaking, it is expected to last for multiple episodes if not the whole season. Chizuru accepted Kazuya's offer to crowdsource enough money quickly so that she can make and star in a movie that her grandmother can see before she dies. Because her grandmother is dying, the two are on borrowed time.
Although Kazuya is doing a big favor for Chizuru, precedent dictates that this won't necessarily culminate in Chizuru itting that she loves Kazuya. After all, he saved her life when she fell off a boat, and that wasn't enough. In each instance that Kazuya has proven himself to her, Chizuru can't or refuses to view Kazuya as anything but a client, and comes up with excuses as to why she gives him preferential treatment. For example, the one time they went on a special date after hours, Chizuru revealed later on that it was only because they needed to kill time before meeting up with their grandmothers. The tragic part is that, although Chizuru's reactions to Kazuya's grand gestures and her private thoughts about him hint that she could be romantically interested, her excuses are so cold that viewers can't help but doubt.
Rent-a-Grilfriend Season 3 Will Be its Most Heartbreaking Yet
As a result, Rent-a-Girlfriend season three will undoubtedly continue to break hearts. Kazuya is truly in love with Chizuru and suffers profoundly each time she refuses to let their relationship grow, and since they will be working closely together in this season, he will only get more deeply hurt. But Kazuya won't be the only one experiencing pain. Another rental girlfriend named Ruka Sarashina who is aware of Kazuya and Chizuru's fake relationship is in love with Kazuya herself. And even though she knows how hung up Kazuya is on Chizuru, she is so devoted to the idea of giving him a real relationship that she continues to put herself out there, to the great detriment of her mental health. Ruka is so dedicated that she also tries to win the affection of Kazuya's grandmother but can't compete with Chizuru in this capacity either. Adding to the mix another rental girlfriend named Sumi Sakurasawa who undoubtedly likes Kazuya, Kazuya's jealous former girlfriend Mami Nanami, and now Mini, season 3 promises to be quite dramatic indeed.
For better or worse, it looks like big changes are coming to Chizuru and Kazuya's relationship. Season 3 of Rent-a-Girlfriend is set up to change everything fans know about the series' characters and formula.
Rent-a-Girlfriend season 3 begins streaming this July on Crunchyroll.
