Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 3, Episode 10, “Spontaneous Trip and Girlfriend,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
Rent-a-Girlfriend’s ever-expanding character roster features a number of beguiling beauties, each serving a unique purpose in Kazuya’s odd harem situation. Despite their popularity among viewers, a clear disparity between these characters exists in terms of screen time and overall character growth. WithChizuru and Ruka at the forefront,Rent-a-Girlfriendhad seemed to have forgotten the rest of Kazuya’s charming babes, or at least until this episode.
Episode 10 of Season 3 finally shines the spotlight on the introverted yet ever-thoughtful member of Kazuya’s harem – Sumi Sakurasawa. Due toher crippling social anxiety, Sumi is unable to speak as she communicates either through signals or typing messages on her phone. While Sumi has remained sidelined for the most part, this episode finally sheds some light on her character and adds on to her role in the series.
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Sumi and Kazuya’s Rental Date
Despite theheart-wrenching premise of the previous episode,Rent-a-Girlfriendcontinues on with its regular light-hearted approach. Kazuya rents Sumi for a one-hour date, though he explains to her that the purpose of this date is seeking advice. Concerned for Chizuru and her lack of vulnerability, Kazuya is constantly on the lookout for ways to help cheer her up in her time of grief.
Since the two only share a rental relationship, Kazuya can’t seem to find a way to add himself into the equation. If he wereChizuru’s actual boyfriend, cheering her up would have been his responsibility. In this case, however, Kazuya stands in an odd predicament as he has no official place in Chizuru’s life, yet he feels oddly close to her considering everything they have been through in the past year.
After listening to Kazuya’s thoughts and feelings on the matter, Sumi quickly gets up and grabs him along the way. Her destination is the Fujisawa train line, meaning the two were headed for the beach. To his surprise, Sumi’s sudden urge to visit the beach is simply a way for Kazuya’s worries to wash away. While she didn’t give any advice pertaining to Kazuya’s predicament, her effort to visit the beach was more than enough for him.
A Spontaneous Trip to the Beach
As with anyRent-a-Girlfriendepisode, Kazuya spends most of the time lost in his inner-thoughts, overthinking the events unraveling around him. For a guy like him, being at the beach with a cute girl is a dream come true, and Kazuya intends to savor every moment of it. The thought ofseeing Sumi in a swimsuitfloods his mind, though his fantasy is soon thwarted by the swimming ban placed on visitors.
Instead, Sumi takes Kazuya by the hand and points towards the observatory located on top of a hill. While Sumi takes in the views and embodies her true free-spirited self, Kazuya simply notices the envy and attention of those around him, flailing in the shallow thoughts of the social prestige of hanging out with a cute girl like Sumi.
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However, Kazuya redeems himself by realizingSumi’s shyness to speak up. He yells at the top of his lungs for fun, something that Sumi wanted to do herself, yet her social anxiety barred her from it. Instead of focusing on those around him, Kazuya begins to make Sumi feel comfortable, ensuring she has a great time. The entire beach trip idea was for Kazuya to feel better, yet he ends up being the one taking care of Sumi. However, there’s no denying that the initial purpose of washing away Kazuya’s worries was achieved either way.
Sumi Grows Out of Her Shell
By the end of the day,Sumi and Kazuyasimply sit by the shores, staring at the vast expanse. However, she suddenly gets up and walks into the water, splashing the waves like a child. Kazuya joins in, and the two enjoy a heartfelt moment by the beach. The atmosphere suddenly becomes a bit more tense as Sumi begins writing something in the sand. With her written words, she explains that she feels like she isn’t capable of doing much, which is why putting a smile on the faces of those in pain is the least she could do.
Finally, she answers Kazuya’s predicament and shares her thoughts on the matter. For Sumi, anyone who tries to cheer her up will put a smile on her face. She believes thatChizuru would feel the same way, and any effort in making her feel better will not be in vain. For the first time, however, Sumi actually speaks up in front of Kazuya, a feat that shows how much she has grown from her initial shy personality.
Sumi not only helped Kazuya gain clarity on his own matters but also grew out of her introverted shell. While Sumi herself deserves most of the credit, there’s no denying that Kazuya’s kindness is what allowed her to open up in front of him and actually speak up for once.Rent-a-Girlfriend’snarrative doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but at least its characters are getting some love with a bit of character development and growth.
