Animes Similar To Rent A Girlfriend – Rent a Girlfriend, also known as “Kanojo, Okarishimasu,” is currently enjoying three anime seasons, the last of which aired in the Summer of 2023. Produced by TMS Entertainment, known for popular TV series, the show is attracting attention.
The narrative unfolds with Kazuya, a college student who is suddenly dumped by his beautiful girlfriend, Mami. Overwhelmed, he decides to hire a rental girlfriend named Chizuru to ease his distress.
Chizuru, a charming individual, spends a pleasant day with him, making Kazuya consider pursuing a relationship with her. However, he soon realized that his affection was part of his professional duties and gave him a low rating.
Surprisingly, they find out that they attend the same college, and Chizuru adopts different personalities on campus.
Kazuya knows that his actions stem from his aspirations. Fate changes when Chizuru becomes Kazuya’s “official” girlfriend in front of his grandmother, adding complexity to their bond.
Here are 16 anime suggestions similar to “Rent-a-Girlfriend,” that explore similar themes or aspects closely related to the series.
List Of Animes Similar To Rent a Girlfriend
1. Nisekoi
Raku Ichijou, a first-year student at Bonyari High School and heir to a powerful yakuza family, made a promise to his childhood friend a decade ago.
Now, all he has is a pendant with a padlock, as a reminder of that promise. The key lies in the girl he split up with.
Moving forward, Raku is a typical teenager who wants to distance himself from his yakuza heritage. He longs to spend his school days with his middle school sweetheart, Kosaki Onodera.
However, conflict occurs when the American Beehive Gang invades their territory, forcing Raku into a fake romantic relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki, the beautiful daughter of the head of the Beehive. Their initial hostility further complicates matters.
Nisekoi is a lot like Rent-a-Girlfriend, Both stories revolve around a pretend romantic relationship between a boy and a girl, aimed at appeasing the people they care about.
Set in a school setting, one is based in a high school while the other develops in a college setting.
2. 5-Toubun No Hanayome (The Quintessential Quintuplets)
Fuutarou Uesugi, an outstanding high school student, struggles with a life full of challenges due to his quiet personality and his family’s financial difficulties.
An encounter with a new transfer student, Itsuki Nakano, leads to an unexpected tutoring opportunity that could ease her family’s debt, only to find out that he is the one she clashed with previously.
Fans of comedy harem anime with typical male leads will appreciate “5-tabun no Hanayome.” The contrasting characters and unique storyline, evident from the title itself, make this series interesting. This makes this anime similar to Rent a Girlfriend.
3. Hajimete no Gal
Junichi Hashiba, who is eager to shed his virgin label, invites Yukana Yame, a girl, after a joke made by his friends.
Despite a rocky start, their relationship grows amidst a chaotic school life filled with horny girls and unexpected changes.
For those who like comedy anime featuring romantic misunderstandings and eccentric characters, “Hajimete no Gal” provides an entertaining narrative. Very much like Rent a Girlfriend, these two female protagonists challenge initial stereotypes, adding depth to their personalities.
4. Golden Time
Banri Tada, struggling with amnesia, begins a new journey at law school in Tokyo, befriending Mitsuo Yanagisawa along the way. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Kouko Kaga, who sets the stage for a transformative year.
Golden Time is very similar to Rent a Girlfriend, making it appealing to fans of romantic comedies set in college settings.
The compelling experiences of young people navigating newfound independence and love, combined with the fast-paced romance, make for a fun watch.
If you enjoyed “Kanojo Okarishimasu”, you will find a similar charm in “Golden Time”. Both protagonists are college students living independently. The series offers a mix of romance and comedy. The romantic plot develops rapidly, captivating the audience.
5. Kakkou no Iinazuke
Nagi Umino and Erika Amano, a studious high school student and a popular social media influencer, appear to have no relationship until they find out that they were accidentally switched at birth.
As this revelation emerges, their parents unbeknownst to Nagi and Erika devise a surprising proposal: to reunite them with their biological family and ensure everyone’s happiness, the two must hold an engagement.
The story unfolds as a romantic comedy, featuring the central couple trying to fake a relationship that eventually develops into genuine affection while navigating their social circles.
Kakkou no Iinazuke is very similar to Rent a Girlfriend.
Along the way, we witness the main character’s romantic entanglements with individuals who are not her partner.
6. Spy x Family
In a world characterized by corrupt politicians and tense international relations between the neighboring countries of Ostania and Westalis, fragile peace continues to be threatened.
Despite these challenges, the renowned spy and master of disguise known as “Twilight” bravely undertakes dangerous missions, driven by a desire to protect children from the horrors of war.
Set in the bustling city of Berlin in Ostania, Twilight adopts the guise of “Loid Forger”, a respected psychiatrist. However, his real goal is to gather important information about the elusive politician, Donovan Desmond, who rarely appears in public except at his son’s school: the venerable Eden Academy.
Spy x Family presents a more serious and romantic comedy-oriented narrative so it is very similar to Rent A Girlfriend.
Both series explore transactional relationships where appearances are maintained, depicting the façade of dating (or in the case of Spy x Family, marriage) between characters.
Read Too: Animes Similar To Spy x Family
7. Toradora!
In the anime “Toradora!”, we follow the story of Ryuuji Takasu, a high school student known for his gentle nature and love of homework. Despite his good demeanor, his intimidating appearance often leads others to label him as a brat.
On the other hand, there is Taiga Aisaka, a petite student with a fierce personality and armed with a wooden katana, earning him the nickname “Palmtop Tiger”.
Their paths cross due to an embarrassing mix-up, revealing Taiga’s little-known sweet side, taking an interest in the popular vice president, Yuusaku Kitamura, who is also Ryuuji’s best friend. As the storyline gets denser, Ryuuji expresses his affection for Minori Kushieda—Taiga’s closest confidant.
The anime explores tsundere relationships as its central theme, where the main characters feel reluctant to become entangled in each other’s emotions. As the narrative unfolds, their true feelings come to the surface, making “Toradora!” A heartwarming story of unexpected love and friendship. So it’s similar to Rent a Girlfriend.
8. Gamers!
Keita Amano, a typical high school gamer, lives an unremarkable student life until an unexpected encounter with the cutest girl in school makes him wish he could disappear!
Karen Tendou, the epitome of the perfect student, discovers Amano’s gaming identity, sparking a strong desire to recruit him into the school’s gaming club. Amano, after joining the club, is exposed to a different aspect of the game, a stark contrast to his beloved gaming world.
Similar to Rent a Girlfriend, the Gamers series also features “normal” main characters, a harem theme, lots of misunderstandings, and a romantic plot that keeps the audience guessing.
9. Grand Blue
Starting his first year at the coastal university of Izu, Iori Kitahara moves to the city with dreams of an ideal college experience. He lives above his uncle’s scuba diving shop, Grand Blue, and is looking forward to an exciting trip.
However, upon entering the shop, Iori is immersed in the carefree adventures of the alcohol-fueled members of the Diving Club. Persuaded by upperclassmen Shinji Tokita and Ryuujirou Kotobuki, Iori reluctantly becomes part of their eccentric gathering. When his cousin, Chisa Kotegawa, comes to one such event, Iori is met with complete rejection.
The appearance of the character aspects in Grand Blue is very similar to Rent a Girlfriend. In both narratives, the characters are forced to pretend to be in a romantic relationship.
10. ReLife
Labeled as an underachiever and hopeless by those around him, 27-year-old Arata Kaizaki bounces from job to job after leaving his first company.
His mundane life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Ryou Yoake, a member of the ReLife Research Institute, who offers Arata the chance to change his life with a mysterious pill. Without thinking, Arata took the pill and woke up the next day in the body of a 17-year-old child.
This series is similar to Rent a Girlfriend because both series feature main characters who face personal struggles.
They share a somewhat similar art and animation style, with romance targeting the main character’s friends present in both, although the approach is different in each storyline.
11. Tonikaku Kawaii
Nasa Yuzaki is determined to etch his name into the annals of history. Securing the top spot in the national mock exam and aspiring to enter a prestigious high school, he believes that his life journey is well-planned.
However, fate is unpredictable. One snowy night when he was going home, NASA’s gaze was captivated by the unrivaled beauty across the road. Fascinated, he tries to approach it—only to be struck by an oncoming truck.
Luckily, her life was saved because of the girl’s quick reflexes. Bleeding on the side of the road, he watches her disappear into the moonlight—a scene reminiscent of Princess Kaguya’s departure for the moon.
Refusing to let this chance encounter fade, he summons the strength in his wounded body to pursue her and gathers the courage to ask her out.
Even though the storyline is different, the Tonikaku Kawaii series is similar to Rent a Girlfriend.
both center on relationship themes, with a focus on romantic comedy between couples. Tonikaku Kawaii displays a sincere relationship, while Rent a Girlfriend depicts the relationship in a pretend way.
12. Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun
Fumiya Tomozaki reigns supreme as Japan’s top player in the online game Attack Families, known as “Tackfam.” Despite holding this honorable title, his lack of social skills and understanding causes him to falter in his everyday high school life.
Struggling to forge friendships, he attributes his failures to the complicated mechanics of life and what he perceives as unfair rules, prompting him to abandon hope and declare himself the bottom character in the “game” called life.
A chance encounter with another top Tackfam player takes an unexpected turn when Fumiya learns the player’s true identity—Aoi Hinami, a popular, intelligent, and sociable classmate who stands in sharp contrast to him.
Aoi, shocked by Fumiya’s lack of prowess outside the world of Tackfam, chooses to help him conquer what he considers to be the ultimate game in life. Through a challenging terrain of social interactions and relationships, Fumiya embarks on a journey to progress through the levels of the great game of life.
Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun is similar to Rent a Girlfriend, Both anime series offer light and enjoyable romantic narratives with comparable story structures.
Each features a female main character who significantly influences the growth and development of the main male character.
13. Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata
Tomoya Aki, a passionate otaku, has spent years amassing a collection of anime and light novels, immersing himself in captivating stories and characters.
Now, he aspires to create immersive gaming experiences for others through his own games. However, Tomoya is unable to complete the task on his own.
She managed to recruit her childhood friend Eriri Spencer Sawamura for illustration and literary expert Utaha Kasumigaoka for scriptwriting in her visual novel project, where she served as director.
With a talented team assembled, Tomoya seeks inspiration to base his project on and coincidentally meets the beautiful and gentle Megumi Katou, who models his main character.
Both main characters have a common obsession and struggle to attract girls, while the anime Awakens the desire for more in the end.
14. Mayo Chiki!
Thanks to his mother and sister, avid fans of professional wrestling, Kinjirou Sakamachi has developed a strong body capable of withstanding intense physical encounters.
However, he also developed gynophobia, an abnormal fear of women, causing him to have nosebleeds, excessive sweating, and fainting during physical contact with a girl.
Her life takes an unexpected turn due to a fateful meeting in the restroom. Trying to escape from a girl, Kinjirou discovers that Subaru Konoe, the school’s most popular student, and Butler to the principal’s daughter, Kanade Suzutsuki, is actually a girl! Shocked, Subaru violently confronts Kinjirou, inflicting significant damage and knocking him unconscious.
Both series revolve around male characters who struggle with interactions with women, eventually finding themselves surrounded by women and forming a harem. These anime share a light, warm, and funny atmosphere of school life.
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15. White Album
Can the relationship between an ordinary college student and an idol singer stand the test of time? That’s the question the White Album is trying to answer. Touya Fujii, an ordinary college student, grapples with the demands of his class and the work he does to fund his education. He is also worried about the limited time he can spend with Yuki Morikawa.
Yuki, an aspiring idol singer, faces challenges of her own. Though not as famous as veteran veteran Rina Ogata, Yuki attracts attention and secures a television interview.
While this is a positive development, not everyone is happy with the media attention and jealousy from rival singers. The idol industry proves to be very ruthless, with competitors keeping an eye on Yuki.
Very much like Rent a Girlfriend, this anime series, revolves around a male protagonist navigating social situations, often making missteps, leading to comedic or dramatic results. Rent-a-Girlfriend leans toward comedy, while White Album digs deeper into drama.
16. Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet
Our story unfolds in the venerable Dahlia Academy, where two nations, each with its own Pride, Meet—the “Black Dog” from the Eastern country of Touwa and the “White Cat” from the Western kingdom, embroiled in a long-standing feud. At the helm of their respective dorms, Romio Inuzuka and Juliet Persia appear to be sworn enemies.
However, hidden behind this facade, Romeo and Juliet share a deep love for each other. The truth of their affection remains hidden because revealing it will incur the wrath of their peers. Their secret romance forces them to skip the usual couple activities, all in the name of keeping the peace.
As their bond grows stronger, Romeo and Juliet grapple with the idea that secrecy may be an impossible burden to bear.
The animation is very similar to Rent a Girlfriend, although this anime series stands as polar opposites, the two share the common thread of a girl who manipulates the main character, forcing them to do her bidding.
For those of you who love Rent a Girlfriend anime, those are some anime lists that are similar to Rent a Girlfriend. Thank you for reading this article, and see you in the next article. Have a nice day.
