Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1 review: TMS Entertainment delivers Kazuya's self-realization with solid production

Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1, titled Routine and Girlfriend, aired on July 1, 2025, and quickly established the season's main objective. Although Kazuya had managed to weave a rather complex relationship with Mami, Ruka, and Mizuhara so far, episode 1 made it clear that he perceived the error of his ways. He had decided to look for a solution to sort everything out.

The anime is being directly adapted from the manga, covering chapters 168 to 171. Given the constraints posed by the anime's limited runtime, it is recommended that fans read the manga for a better story experience.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1.

Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1 review: A narrative criticism

Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1: Kuri, Kazuya and Mini (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1 began with a flash-forward sequence, depicting Kazuya with a determined expression as he confronted Mizuhara, seemingly prepared to confess his feelings before the narrative shifted to present-day events depicting his rather mundane and repulsive daily routine.

Following his fantasies, Kazuya eventually headed to university after his vacation break. He eventually met a tanned Kuri, realizing that Kuri had enjoyed his break to the fullest while Kazuya was preoccupied with filming.

Kazuya's mental iimage of his meeting with Mizuhara (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Mini's sudden appearance created yet complications. Apparently, Kuri and Mini were next-door neighbors, which sent Kazuya's mind into yet another breakdown. Given the presence of this many friends as well as their overlapping lives, Kazuya realized that while they might understand the rental girlfriend business, his relationship with Ruka posed concerns.

Eventually, Kazuya was able to realize his feelings toward Ruka, mentioning that she was an admirable individual. Although he held respect for Ruka, he realized that he only truly loved Mizuhara and decided to resolve the complex web of relationships he had created. Sometime later, Kazuya met with Mizuhara and slightly opened up about his feelings for her. Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1 ended with Kazuya inviting Mizuhara to lunch.

Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1 review

Kuri and Mini as seen in the anime (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1 served as both a slow induction into the new season and an introduction to its main agenda. It also functioned as a brief recap of the past season. Although many fans have expressed their dissatisfaction with Kazuya's rather unsavory demeanor and habits, episode 1 made it clear that Kazuya is beginning to realize the error of his ways and is actually trying to improve the complex situation surrounding his relationships.

The production of the series remained consistent, with almost no hiccups present in the overall viewing experience. However, the soundtracks remain rather unremarkable. Given the extraordinarily detailed art and backgrounds in the manga, the anime still appears somewhat lackluster in comparison.

Kazuya asking Mizuhara to lunch (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Considering TMS Entertainment’s recent performance with Sakamoto Days, it is still possible that Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 could suffer from production issues in future episodes. That said, such problems are unlikely due to the series' lack of action scenes or sequences requiring intense animation.

The pacing of four chapters per episode maintained the sense of coherency expected of romance anime. The cast overall delivered a performance consistent with the previous seasons. However, the upcoming emotionally heavy sequences will reveal whether the voice acting manages to maintain its quality

Final thoughts

Rent-A-Girlfriend season 4 episode 1 managed to clearly establish Kazuya's immediate goal while also setting the stage for his future development. Episode 2 will be released on July 8, 2025, and will be available for streaming on Crunchyroll.

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About the author

Anupam is an anime and manga writer at Sportskeeda. Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Logistics & Transportation, Anupam has simultaneously gained professional experience of almost 2 years as a content writer, having worked previously for Otakukart and Sportslumo.

Being part of the anime fandom for over a decade, Anupam believes his greatest strength lies in theorycrafting around animanga series and predicting their plots. His personal experiences have guaranteed him detailed knowledge about the reputation, reception, and plot points of several anime, which he combines with extensive research to report on a topic. They have also taught him the significance of respecting and accurately reporting on community sentiments attached to a particular series, which has now become a non-negotiable part of his writing process.

Anupam’s favorite artist is video game designer Hideo Kojima, whose ability to nonchalantly embed deep messages in his games he deeply admires. When not debating fresh anime theories, Anupam can be found reading or playing combat games.

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Edited by Tiasha