Highlights
- Kazuya Kinoshita is one of the most unlikeable and trashy main characters in the anime community, with his simp-like behavior and desperation for a girlfriend.
- Despite his insufferable nature, Kazuya doesn't have ill-will and his heart is usually in the right place, which gives him some leeway.
- While Kazuya's perverted and creepy actions are undeniable, he still possesses redeemable qualities such as courage, loyalty to Chizuru, and a willingness to help the people he cares about.
The anime community has seen its fair share of trashy main characters and unbearable protagonists, yet none come close to Kazuya Kinoshita’s unlikeable characterization. Rent-a-Girlfriend’s protagonist has garnered notoriety among the community with his simp-like behavior and all-out desperation to get his hands on a girl. While many series portray similar characters, Kazuya’s lack of even a smidgen of growth pegs him as one of the worst MCs in rom-com history.
Author Reiji Miyajima’s attempt to make his characters a bit more relatable may have backfired as Kazuya’s antics surely seem human, but in the worst way possible. However, Kazuya isn’t a lost cause as a few new developments in season 3 of Rent-a-Girlfriend may save his botched image. While the fanbase unanimously agrees on his insufferable nature, he doesn’t bear any sort of ill-will and his heart is always in the right place, a fact that possibly gives him some leeway.
Kazuya’s Insufferable Antics
Listing down all of Kazuya’s misdemeanors and outright creep behaviors would be impossible given the sheer amount. However, a few major red flags that have been apparent since the beginning are more than enough to present Kazuya as a perverted sicko. His very first girlfriend, Mami, broke up with him because he would only want to makeout whenever the two were together. Any normal person would learn from their mistake and try to become a better person, yet Kazuya sees this as an opportunity to try out a rental dating app.
Kazuya falls victim to his own delusions when he believes that a rental girlfriend is actually into him. To make matters worse, he ends up introducing his rental girlfriend as his real one to his friends and family, almost jeopardizing Chizuru’s personal life. However, the worst of Kazuya’s deranged behavior is his capability of stalking someone for an entire day. Stalking someone would be considered a serious offense in real life, yet Rent-a-Girlfriend brushes this off as a mere playful antic. For viewers, however, this comes off as a red flag that denotes Kazuya as nothing more than a creep who is capable of going to any lengths.
Kazuya’s lewd side is vehemently depicted throughout the series as well, a projection that doesn’t do him any favors. Just when Kazuya seems to be making any sort of progress, the plot changes direction and throws him back to square one. Every single one of Kazuya’s attempts to confess his lies is blocked by some coincidental event, making it seem like the author is simply using him to drag the series.
Kazuya’s Redeemable Qualities
Despite the common perception of Kazuya as the worst anime MC ever, he still bears a few good qualities that could possibly redeem his character. Even with his feeble-minded nature, Kazuya has shown several courageous attributes. From jumping off a boat to save Chizuru to agreeing to an ambitious crowdfunding project, Kazuya has a tenacious personality, and he can surely get the job done.
Kazuya’s perverted side is visible quite often whenever he thinks of Chizuru, yet he is shown to be a man of principles too. Despite Ruka’s many advances, Kazuya has still remained faithful to Chizuru. He has shut down every single one of Ruka’s sexual advances, even refusing to sleep with her despite having an opportunity. If Kazuya were truly a creep, he would have jumped at the opportunity of having some fun, yet his loyalty to Chizuru has kept his pervertedness at bay.
Lastly, Kazuya has shown that he is willing to go to any lengths to help the people he cares about. He went above and beyond for Chizuru’s movie project and gave it his all to ensure the crowdfunding reached its target. His actions are clearly only motivated by his sentiments for Chizuru, but no one would ever go to such lengths for a simple crush. His role as a producer also shows viewers his professional side, portraying him something more than just a perverted college student.
The Final Verdict
Merely judging off the first two seasons of Rent-a-Girlfriend, Kazuya seems like nothing more than a spineless simp with no goals or ambitions in life. His desperation to find a girl and willingness to waste his parents’ money on rental dates presents him as nothing more than a creep. His stalker-like actions and possessiveness over a rental girlfriend shows that Kazuya is simply a deluded creep and a trashy MC.
However, season 3 of the series offers a slightly different perspective and promises a bit of growth for Kazuya. His business-minded side shines through and shows viewers that he has a bit more to offer other than just his infatuation with his harem of beguiling beauties. His strong-willed and tenacious nature is a side of him that even has Chizuru enticed. While his creepy antics are quite overwhelming, these new developments give him some benefit of the doubt. Coupled with his social ineptness, Kazuya could simply be seen as a socially awkward and confused guy with zero experience with girls – something that a bit of character development could fix.
Rent-a-Girlfriend is available to stream on Crunchyroll.