The popular romantic comedy anime Rent-a-Girlfriend is gearing up for its fourth season, and fans won’t have to wait much longer! The new season is slated to begin streaming on July 1, 2025, with a new “date” visual to get fans excited. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about the upcoming season.
Release Date and Streaming Information
Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 4 is set to premiere on July 1, 2025, on DMM TV and d-anime Store, three days before its terrestrial broadcast in Japan on July 4, 2025. For international audiences, Crunchyroll will be streaming the new season as part of their Summer 2025 anime lineup.
New Visuals
To build anticipation for the new season, the official Rent-a-Girlfriend accounts have been releasing a series of “date” visuals, each featuring one of the main female characters. The latest visual showcases Mini Yaemori in a wintery setting, complete with a snowman. Previous visuals have highlighted Chizuru Mizuhara, Mami Nanami, Ruka Sarashina, and Sumi Sakurasawa.
Production Details
The fourth season sees Kazuomi Koga returning as director, after Shinya Une directed Season 3. TMS Entertainment will again handle the animation. The core staff includes Mitsutaka Hirota, who is in charge of series composition, Kanna Hirayama, who is designing the characters, and Hyadain, who is composing the music.
The main cast will reprise their roles:
- Shun Horie as Kazuya Kinoshita
- Sora Amamiya as Chizuru Mizuhara
- Aoi Yuki as Mami Nanami
- Nao Toyama as Ruka Sarashima
- Rie Takahashi as Sumi Sakurasawa
- Yu Serizawa as Mini Yaemori
Story and What to Expect
Season 4 is set to adapt the Hawaii Trip arc from Reiji Miyajima’s original manga series. The official description hints at the chaos to come: “Kazuya’s ready to confess with the lush paradise of Hawaii as a backdrop. But renting Chizuru for the dream trip turns into a war zone of love due to Ruka’s aggressive advances and Mami’s scheming. Despite the chaos, this is Kazuya’s moment to bare his heart. Will his words reach Chizuru? And if they do, what will she even say?”.
Plot Overview
The Rent-a-Girlfriend story follows Kazuya Kinoshita, a college student who, after a painful breakup with his girlfriend Mami Nanami, decides to rent a girlfriend named Chizuru Mizuhara. As he continues to rent Chizuru to keep up appearances with family and friends, he begins to develop real feelings for her. The situation becomes more complicated with the introduction of other rental girlfriends and Kazuya’s ex-girlfriend, leading to romantic entanglements and comedic situations.
Season 3 Recap
In Season 3, Kazuya and Chizuru decided to collaborate on a movie project so that Chizuru’s grandmother, Sayuri, could see her on the big screen. They faced numerous challenges, including scriptwriting, crowdfunding, and filming. Despite the obstacles, their bond deepened as they worked towards their shared goal. Other key events of Season 3 include:
- Ruka’s Confrontation: Ruka confronted Kazuya and Chizuru after seeing them together, leading to misunderstandings and Ruka’s eventual involvement in the movie project.
- Mini’s Support: Mini offered her help with the crowdfunding campaign, providing valuable insights and support.
- Chizuru’s Grief: Chizuru’s grandmother passed away, and Kazuya supported her through her grief, leading to a more profound connection between them.
What to Expect in Season 4
Season 4 promises to be filled with even more romantic drama and comedic moments as the characters head to Hawaii. Key plot points to anticipate include:
- The Hawaii Trip: The change of scenery will provide a backdrop for Kazuya and Chizuru’s relationship to evolve.
- Ruka’s Advances: Ruka’s persistent pursuit of Kazuya will create tension and challenges for Kazuya and Chizuru.
- Mami’s Scheming: Mami’s continued involvement in Kazuya’s life will add another layer of complexity to the romantic dynamics.
- Kazuya’s Confession: Kazuya’s determination to confess his feelings to Chizuru will be a central focus of the season.
Themes and Character Development
Rent-a-Girlfriend explores themes of love, relationships, and personal growth. Throughout the series, Kazuya has demonstrated a willingness to support Chizuru’s dreams, while Chizuru has gradually opened up and revealed her vulnerabilities. Season 4 is expected to continue this character development, with Kazuya taking initiative in his pursuit of Chizuru and Chizuru grappling with her feelings for Kazuya.
Critical Reception and Fanbase
Rent-a-Girlfriend has garnered a dedicated fanbase, but has also faced criticism for its characters and plot. Despite mixed reviews, the series’ popularity has led to multiple anime seasons, a live-action drama, and other adaptations. The show known for its daytime soap opera-style story filled with heartbreaks and relationship drama. Warring factions of fans are split on which girl they want to “win” and are known to trash talk the other girls in this series.
Where to Watch Previous Seasons
For those looking to catch up on Rent-a-Girlfriend before Season 4 premieres, the previous three seasons are available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
Anime vs Manga
The anime adaptation has covered a significant portion of the manga series. As of February 2025, the anime had adapted up to Chapter 167, which is the first chapter of Volume 20. Given the pacing of the anime, Season 4 could potentially adapt up to Volume 30 or 31 of the manga. The Rent-A-Girlfriend manga series has been serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine since July 2017 and has over 13.5 million copies in circulation as of April 2025.
A Visual Novel
A visual novel titled Rent-A-Girlfriend: The Horizon and the Girl in the Swimsuit, developed by Mages, was released in Japan for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on November 28, 2024. The game features an original story set during the third season of the anime and includes all the main characters.
Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 4 is poised to deliver another season of romantic comedy, drama, and character development. With a new setting, returning staff and cast, and a focus on Kazuya’s confession, the upcoming season promises to be a thrilling ride for fans of the series. Be sure to tune in on July 1st for the streaming premiere!
