5 Shocking Twists And Controversies Rocking The Rent-A-Girlfriend Manga In Late 2025

The Rent-A-Girlfriend (Kanojo, Okarishimasu) manga remains one of the most discussed and debated romantic comedies in the industry, and as of December 2025, the story is heating up with over 400 chapters under its belt. Authored and illustrated by the prolific Reiji Miyajima, the series continues its weekly serialization in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine, keeping fans perpetually on edge about the central relationship between the indecisive Kazuya Kinoshita and the multi-layered Chizuru Mizuhara. The sheer longevity of the series, now pushing past eight years since its 2017 debut, is a testament to its magnetic—and often frustrating—narrative pull.

This deep-dive article brings you the freshest updates, sales milestones, and the most explosive plot points that have defined the manga's run into late 2025, including the confirmed Season 4 anime adaptation. From the fallout of the infamous Paradise Arc to the latest developments in the "First Time With My Girlfriend" storyline, the emotional stakes have never been higher for the main cast.

The Core Cast: Character Biographies and Key Entities

The intricate web of relationships in Rent-A-Girlfriend is driven by its five main characters, each a crucial entity in Kazuya Kinoshita's convoluted life. Understanding their full profiles is essential to grasping the ongoing drama:

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• Kazuya Kinoshita (木ノ下 和也): The male protagonist. A college student living in Nerima, Tokyo, who is emotionally shattered after being dumped by his first girlfriend, Mami Nanami. He impulsively uses the Diamond app to hire a rental girlfriend, beginning the central conflict. Despite his flaws and self-pity, Kazuya is shown to be genuinely kind, supportive, and capable of great determination, especially during the Movie Arc.
• Chizuru Mizuhara (水原 千鶴) / Chizuru Ichinose (一ノ瀬 千鶴): The main female protagonist. Her professional name is Chizuru Mizuhara, while her real name is Chizuru Ichinose. She is a beautiful, ambitious college student and aspiring actress who works as a top-tier rental girlfriend for the Diamond app. She maintains a strict, professional facade but harbors deep emotional vulnerabilities, particularly regarding her deceased grandmother, Sayuri Ichinose.
• Mami Nanami (七海 麻美): Kazuya’s manipulative and enigmatic ex-girlfriend. She is the catalyst for the entire story. Despite being the one who dumped Kazuya, she shows lingering possessiveness and an active desire to sabotage his relationship with Chizuru, a major element of the Paradise Arc.
• Ruka Sarashina (更科 瑠夏): A spirited, energetic girl who is also a rental girlfriend. She suffers from a unique heart condition that makes her heart rate abnormally low, but Kazuya is the only person who can raise it. She considers Kazuya her true boyfriend and is relentless in her pursuit of him, often acting as a foil to Chizuru.
• Sumi Sakurasawa (桜沢 墨): A shy and introverted girl who works as a rookie rental girlfriend. She hires Kazuya to practice her social skills. She is gentle, supportive, and serves as a pure, non-controversial love interest for Kazuya.
• Mini Yaemori (八重森 ミニ): Kazuya's neighbor and a popular cosplayer/streamer. She is the first person to fully figure out Kazuya and Chizuru's complicated relationship and actively works to help them get together, often providing comic relief and meta-commentary.

The Manga's Commercial Juggernaut and Controversial Arcs

The enduring popularity of Rent-A-Girlfriend is not just confined to online debates; it is a massive commercial success. As of September 2025, the manga has surpassed 14 million copies in circulation worldwide, a staggering figure for a romantic comedy series. The consistent release of new volumes, such as Volume 42, which appeared on the Oricon weekly sales ranking in late 2025, confirms its continued relevance in the Japanese market.

However, this success has been fueled by—and often despite—the series' most controversial story arcs. The manga is notorious for its slow pace and Kazuya's often-criticized indecisiveness, but two arcs stand out for generating the most intense fan reaction:

The Infamous Paradise Arc Fallout

The Paradise Arc, which spans a significant portion of the manga's middle run, is arguably the most divisive storyline. It culminates in Mami Nanami revealing the truth about Kazuya and Chizuru’s rental relationship to their families during a beach trip. The fallout from this arc, particularly Chizuru's reaction, is what sparked the biggest controversy. Despite Kazuya's heroic efforts to protect Chizuru and their relationship, Chizuru shockingly turned down Kazuya's emotional advances, stating that while she was attracted to him, she needed to prioritize her acting career and her role as a professional rental girlfriend. This moment was seen by many fans as a massive setback, effectively resetting the relationship after hundreds of chapters of development and leading to accusations that the author, Reiji Miyajima, was deliberately extending the series.

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The arc’s complexity lies in Chizuru's internal conflict—her inability to reconcile her professional facade with her genuine, growing feelings for Kazuya. The aftermath continues to influence the current plot, with the threat of Mami trying to get Chizuru fired from her rental job still looming over the characters.

The Latest Plot Twists: Chapter 404 and the 'First Time' Arc

As the manga progresses past the 400-chapter milestone in late 2025, the series has entered a new phase of intense, high-stakes romantic tension, centered on the "First Time With My Girlfriend" storyline. The events around Chapter 404 have caused a significant stir, showcasing Kazuya's most embarrassing and emotionally fraught moments to date.

The arc focuses on Kazuya and Chizuru attempting to navigate a new level of intimacy, or at least the anticipation of it. Chapter 404 specifically details a near-disaster scenario where Kazuya’s hopes and romantic vision of a "first time" with Chizuru are hilariously and sadly thwarted. This narrative choice is a classic Rent-A-Girlfriend move: massive emotional buildup followed by a comedic or dramatic letdown, which keeps the central conflict alive and the characters' emotional growth painstakingly slow. The chapter highlights the vast gulf between Kazuya’s desires and the reality of Chizuru’s professional boundaries and emotional guardedness.

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Simultaneously, the plot continues to develop the motivations of the supporting cast. Ruka Sarashina’s storyline, tied to her unique heart condition and her desperate search for genuine love, is a key element in the current chapters, adding another layer of complexity to Kazuya's romantic dilemma.

What Comes Next: The 2025 Anime and Ending Predictions

With the manga still ongoing and generating massive sales, the future of Rent-A-Girlfriend looks secure for the near term. The biggest confirmed news for fans is the announcement of a Season 4 anime adaptation, which is slated to air in 2025. This will undoubtedly draw a new wave of readers to the manga and reignite discussions about the plot's controversial elements.

The question of the manga's ending, however, remains the ultimate mystery. Fan predictions are wildly split:

• The "Happy Ending" Theory: This camp believes the series is building toward Chizuru finally admitting her genuine love for Kazuya, leading to a traditional romantic conclusion. Rumors of Chizuru confessing have been circulating, which would provide the massive progression fans have been waiting for.
• The "Tragic/Realistic Ending" Theory: Another popular (and more cynical) prediction, fueled by the Paradise Arc's rejection, suggests the series will end with Chizuru choosing her career and remaining a rental girlfriend, leaving Kazuya to find a new path or end up with one of the other girls, such as Ruka or Sumi.

Given the current chapter count, which is nearing the 450 mark, and the author Reiji Miyajima's tendency to extend the emotional tension, the final conclusion is likely still some time away. However, the current arc’s focus on Kazuya and Chizuru’s intimate feelings suggests that a major turning point is imminent, promising a conclusion that will either satisfy or infuriate the global fanbase.