Rent-A-Girlfriend Vol. 20

彼女、お借りします [Kanojo, Okarishimasu] #20

by Reiji Miyajima

At long last, Mizuhara's dream has come true. And thanks to her incredible talent, the movie screening is a great success. However, it leaves Kazuya feeling blue. This spells the end of his time with his beloved Mizuhara. Now they're just neighbors...right? But an unexpected invitation from the girl of Kazuya's dreams a few days later throws everything into chaos. Could this finally be the perfect opportunity for a confession? Hopefully, Kazuya can find the courage in time!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Comedy, Fiction, Young Adult, Humor

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2021

Reviews

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 4 out of 5]

PLEASEEEE LET THEM BE TOGETHER!!!! He confessed finally!!! Now Chizuru, stop being a robot and let yourself feel and love, woman!!!!!!!

[MargReadsManga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh!!!!! This series can be so infuriating!! I thought we were finally getting somewhere!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrified and embarrassed to report that, having watched Seasons 1-3 of the anime, I love this stupid trash series. It is absurdly repetitive, features a Loser protagonist with a capital L, and hinges itself totally on the narrative-stalling tactic of two characters who refuse to speak their minds to each other. I see your complaints. I agree with them. I also totally believe that these are not bugs but features, and ones that the mangaka is very much aware of. Rent-a-Girlfriend is billed as a harem rom-com, but is really more a farcical character study, and instead of copping to the trashy power fantasy of that genre, it chooses thrusts it onto two people that are relatably ill-equipped to deal with all the drama: Kazuya and Mizuhara. Aka, Team One-Brain Cell.

At its heart, Rent-a-Girlfriend is about the horrors of being known (to quote Film Crit Hulk), and these two characters are the best conduit for that. Kazuya is definitely a loser - an all too painfully real depiction of an insecure young man spiralling into indecision and hurting a bunch of people in the process. His POV can make the series a tough watch, but there's an truthfulness to his portrayal that keeps things believable, even when the comedy of errors threatens to spiral out of control.

Mizuhara, on the other hand, is kind of a miracle of character writing. We, tragically, do not get to experience her POV very often, and tend to see her through the eyes of Kazuya, but the specifics of her persona are so well-drawn that we understand her anyway. Where Kazuya is a bumbling buffoon who stalls romantic progress through sheer anxiety, Mizuhara is strong, self-assured, and has built a psychic wall around her so thick that even she can't accept her own feelings. Between them, the series walks a tightrope of two people who are both clearly deeply involved with one another, but also perfectly designed to never admit it.

With Season 3 over, and Season 4 a year away, you can bet your ass that I'll be reading ahead to see what happens next. The distance between Kazuya and Mizuhara is closing, but the closer they get, the more the agony of the writing sets us up for paaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnn. This is genuinely some of the most stressed I have been reading a manga in a long time, and I don't expect it to get any easier, as the two inch perilously close to actually telling the truth, only to bottle it at the last second. Very rare for me to want to hit myself in the head with a book whilst I'm reading it, and for that I have to give my kudos.

4 stars. Not recommended.

[Ray Rappisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a Ruka fan, have been since her first appearance and I will also side with her….FOR GODS SAKE, please leave that bum, Kazuya is stringing you along and there’s absolutely nothing there. Even so, I’m enjoy this cat litter lining of a manga and hope for better things for all involved.

[Sheepy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series gets so damn frustrating, but im still coming back for more! Plus, mimi-chan is back? Looks like some things are going to be happening again soon

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomo 20 argentino.

[Felicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

As usual, they seem to be about to express themselves, but nothing happens. Chizuru is intent on analysing her feelings, but does not express exactly how she feels.

[DavSchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️. I feel like maybe the series going somewhere.

[Jesse Johannsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm mad at myself for being invested in this

[Craig Schorling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall pretty solid volume where we get some serious progress before the tropes come in and put an end to it. I dislike Mami and really hope we don't get an arc with her getting into the picture.

[Paola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟

Extra star because Mami-chan is on the cover 😍😍 and Ruka-chan was super cute in some chapters~

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most intriguing things happened in this manga when Kazuya almost confessed after being asked by Chizuru how he felt about him. But my favourite so far is how Mami finally entered the scene. I have been waiting for her for a long time and it's finally time for her comeback 😁. The movie for Chizuru was a success though, and that's that.

[Houston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having absolutely no resolution to a storyline isn’t as bad when you can marathon these Vs. when you start having to wait two months between new issues. It’s even worse when you know that Japan is about 10 issues ahead of you, also probably with no resolution.