The 10 Points to Understand Correctly in Order to Enjoy the Anime Second Season of "Kanojo, Okarishimasu".
Hi! Are you enjoying Kanokari? I'm Korakuone, a heavy Kanokari fan, blogger, and Chizuru otaku.
This article is for those of you who have seen the first season of the anime (chapters 1-50 of the original manga), are looking forward to the second season, and would like to read the original manga! I would like to share with you some points on how to enjoy the story of "Kanokari" even more!
That's 10 points that you are likely to misunderstand!
Only this time, I'd like to send you a commentary without spoiler on the second season of the anime (book 7-12).
The core of the manga "Kanojo, Okarishimasu" is an unfamiliar relationship of "rental girlfriends and customers". It is a romantic comedy that takes place in a relationship that is more complicated and harder to understand than you might think. In fact, if you want to properly understand the characters' actions and dialogues, it is a work that is bottomlessly swampy.
In this article, I have collected some of the things I misunderstood about the story and characters on my first viewing, as well as some of the things I thought were wrong after reading some reviews and explanations by various people.
If you can understand the story correctly, you will be able to enjoy the story from the second season of the anime and beyond. When you review the first season of the anime, you will be convinced that, "I see!" Also, you will think, "I want to read the original manga too!" As a self-proclaimed Chizuru Mizuhara Otaku, I would like to present this article responsibly.
Misconception 1: Kanokari Is Just a Manga/Anime with Cute Heroines
The heroines of Kanokari are not only cute to look at, but they are all very unique and have strong characters! Chizuru Mizuhara, a pretty, innocent girlfriend with long black hair (but inside she is a serious girl with a strong core); Mami Nanami, a fearful ex-girlfriend; Ruka Sarashina, a foolhardy, reckless, and straightforward girlfriend (trial); Sumi Sakurazawa, a shy but hardworking girlfriend. The cuteness of the heroines is the charm of Kanokari! Of course, the qualities of Miyajima-san's illustrations and the drawings in the anime production, which have made this a reality, are also factors in the popularity of the series.
TV anime "Kanojo, Okarishimasu" official website
But the charm of Kanokari isn't just in the cute characters! The real charm of Kanokari lies in the originality of the story that comes from the relationship between the rental girlfriend and the customer. The unpredictable storyline created by a "false lover relationship" and renting "girlfriends" is what has won the hearts of the fans. And the characters that are vividly portrayed in these stories are the attraction. It is not only the cuteness of their appearance. Kazuya, the main character, is sometimes troubled by the heroines and sometimes saved by them as the story progresses. The "Rental Girlfriend" will continue to be the core of the story in the second season of the anime and beyond, so keep your eyes peeled for it.
Misconception 2: Kanokari Is a Harem Romantic Comedy
This is also not true. This may be a bit of a spoiler, but Kazuya, who fell seriously in love with Chizuru Mizuhara in the first season of the anime (chapters 1-50 of the manga), will never look at any other girl after that.
The term "harem romantic comedy" here refers to a romantic comedy in which the story progresses without the main boy being able to choose any girl, and the reader does not know who he will choose until the very end.
Kazuya is popular with Mami, Chizuru, Ruka, Sumi, and all the heroines lol, but his love will be all for Chizuru Mizuhara. In his words, the other heroines are cute and exciting as girls, but he doesn't "love" them. There is no "I can't decide which girl I love best..." as is often the case in harem romantic comedies.
From the second season of the Kanokari anime onward, the story will focus on the cooperative relationship between the main character Kazuya and the main heroine Chizuru Mizuhara (please look forward to the second season for specific details). So it is a pure love story like "Mezon Ikkoku"? Sorry if you are a Ruka-chan fan. It's a straight line to the end of Chizuru's win. It is decided the moment Kazuya fell in love with Chizuru in the first season.
Is it fun to know that Chizuru is going to win? You who thought so! Don't worry about that. It's really great!
That's because Kanokari has a completely different appeal from romantic comedies that don't let you know who will win until the very end, as depicted in "Nisekoi (False Love)" and "Gotoubun-no-hanayome (Quintessential Quintuplets)". The appeal of the story lies in the realization of Chizuru Mizuhara's "dream," her cooperative relationship with Kazuya, and the "changes in distance" and "surechigai*" between the two that are depicted through this dream. And then there are the other heroines who are also involved in the story! This is not just a romantic comedy in which the main character and heroines flirt with each other, but a drama centered on human relationships. It is a story about surechigai. In this respect, it is similar to "Quintessential Quintuplets". Chizuru, Ruka, Mami and Sumi are all very active, so please look forward to it.
*NOTE: "すれ違い surechigai (passing each other)" is when two things that are trying to get closer to each other pass each other by without meeting. In a love story, it means that although you really love each other, you can't become lovers (or your relationship falls apart) because you don't realize your feelings for each other or you misunderstand each other. In Japanese romance stories, this kind of misunderstanding is an important element that makes the story more exciting, and viewers feel both thrilled and frustrated when they see the two people approaching and leaving each other.
Misconception 3: Kanokari Is an Opportunistic Story
This is another mistake! Kanokari is not an opportunistic story at all. On the contrary, Kanokari is one of the manga that pursues "reality".
What I mean by "reality" here is not that the characters' settings resemble those of the real world. It does not mean that the encounters between characters are realistic.
It would be the author's convenience that Kazuya and Chizuru are neighbors. Its impossible in real life. When Chizuru and Mami confronted each other (in episode 12 of the first season of the anime), they visited Kazuya's part-time job by chance, which is a very opportunistic and unlikely development.
However, if you accept this fiction, you would find out that the drama that is created there is depicted with a sense of reality.
For example, Ruka Sarashina's episode is out of the ordinary. Since she was a child, she had a disease that made it impossible for her heart to pound, and it became a complex for her. She has always thought that she was like a robot and suffered from it. It was then that she met Kazuya. When she saw how hard he was working on his rental girlfriend Chizuru, she felt, "This guy is so cool," and her heart started pounding like never before. There is nothing realistic about that in itself. You would never hear that story ever in your real life.
(This was explained in the special ending of the anime, so I know it was hard for those of you who haven't read the original manga to understand, but that's how Ruka is set up in the original.)
But if you honestly accept the life she has lived, there is realism in the feelings that have been created.
◆I'M NOT JUST SOME ROBOT! (original manga, chapter 28)
I've been worried that I'm a robot because I can't get my heart pounding.
Today, for the first time, I saw a guy who looked cool.
And then my heart was pounding faster than I'd ever felt it before.
I'm not a robot! I am just a normal girl who can feel heart pounding.
I will be so happy to be with him.
Surely, this is the man of my dreams.
Let's be honest and accept Ruka's life. Kazuya is her first love and he is a superhero who showed her that there is a world where she can feel a pounding heart. Being next to him fills you with happiness. If you were Ruka, you would feel like it was destiny! You never want to lose him! The "reality" of the feelings that arise in this kind of fiction is carefully crafted.
I gave the most extreme example for a moment... but it is the same for Chizuru. Why does she help Kazuya? Her feelings are very carefully expressed. There is nothing said or done that goes against the character's feelings, either for the author's own convenience or because it fulfills the reader's desires. Chizuru's feelings may be difficult for many viewers to grasp, but they are very carefully portrayed in the work. You should carefully follow the story from Chizuru's point of view. If you want to know quickly, please check out my blog post "Volumes 1-6, Chizuru Mizuhara's Love Story, Chapter 1".
Furthermore, the portrayal of Kazuya and Chizuru's relationship has a great reality. It is safe to say that Miyajima-san's talent and attention to detail are overflowing in that.
◆Well, I GUESS IT'S FINE... (20)
For example, after being rescued at sea, Chizuru accepts a rental offer from Kazuya with a simple "yes," even though she was initially reluctant to accept it. This is because a relationship of trust has been established between the two. Kanokari" shows us the current relationship between the two through the changes in their responses.
In the fictional relationship of "rental girlfriend and customer," Kazuya was just a customer at first for Chizuru, but she accepted him, opened up to him, and supported him. Kazuya too accepts Chizuru, who was at first just a rental girlfriend, is attracted to her kindness, and falls in true love with her. The "Kazuya for Chizuru" and "Chizuru for Kazuya," as depicted in the story, are sure to change. The changes in the two of them are carefully expressed in the way they talk to each other, in the way they respond to each other, in the way they speak, and in the way they act.
Please pay attention to the "reality" of the drama created within the fiction.
Misconception 4: The Main Character Kazuya Kinoshita Is a Bum
This is the misconception that needs to be cleared up the most! Readers who have read up to the 19th volume of the original manga are all saying, "Kazuya is too cool!" I'm not a fan of the other heroines. Next to Chizuru Mizuhara, Kazuya is my favorite character. It is Kazuya by far, ahead of Sumi-chan and Ruka-chan! That's because from Chizuru's point of view, Kazuya is a really cool boy! He's a superhero who saves Chizuru. Keep an eye out for Kazuya in the second season of the anime.
In the first season of the anime, Kazuya does not have the coolness that heroes in shonen manga show. There is no courage, will, or effort. At first glance, he may look dull, pathetic, and unattractive.
But if you look at him on an everyday level, he is not a bum.
The reason he initially lashed out at Chizuru was because he had suffered a terrible heartbreak and was so hurt that he could not believe in love. It was because he had lost a love that he was so serious about that he swore he would make her happy. If you've ever been in a similar situation, you know that it's hard to make the right decision.
He seems to be a man who is easily swayed by circumstances, indecisive, and all talk, but from a different perspective, he is a man who can read the air and the situation, and act accordingly. The fact that he lied repeatedly only means that if he had not done so, he would have been in a situation where there was nothing he could do. If you imagine if you were in the same situation, you would easily understand.
The reason why he came to Chizuru's room and caused so much trouble in the beginning is because he is a boy who loves his grandmother (a grandma boy) and will go straight for the sake of those he cares about. From Chizuru's point of view, it would look like he was doing something selfish. But after Chizuru herself has been the person he cares about, what happened? He went all out to save her, right? It's diving from the ferry into the sea. And when he unintentionally involved Chizuru, he always booked an "empty date" and thanked Chizuru for her help.
Kazuya Kinoshita is a normal guy who wants to be cool, sometimes fantasize delusions naughty things, and can get hurt when he loses his true love. He is a family-oriented, courageous, and very kind man who goes all out for the people he cares about. He is a kind man who can be serious for his friends, willing to expose his shame for the sake of the hurt Kuri-kun. He is a very single-minded and straightforward man who swears to make only one girl happy.
I think we, who are looking at Kazuya from the outside, don't try to understand his situation and just judge him as a scab when we see him causing trouble for the heroine, Chizuru. We are just getting frustrated on our own by imposing our desires on him without considering his situation. The situation he was in is definitely depicted in the work. Please, I hope you will understand that and realize how good he really is.
Certainly Kazuya is not a hero type in terms of skills, abilities and talents. His status and appearance are quite normal. He gets carried away by the situation and doesn't make decisions that are convenient for the audience (reader). That's why he looks like a bum. But he has his own circumstances and reasons. And if you think about it on an everyday level, his sincerity, humility, kindness, and courage are very nice.
◆HE'S NOT A BAD PERSON, Y'KNOW. I'M SURE HE'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY IN THE END. (original manga, chapter 13)
WHEN YOU SPOKE UP FOR KAZU-CHIN AT THE PUB,
I THOUGHT HE HAD FAINALLY FOUND SOMEONE WHO APPRECIATES THE GOOD PARTS OF HIM.
HE'S NOT A BAD PERSON, Y'KNOW.
I'M SURE HE'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY IN THE END.
Kazuya doesn't have much in the way of looks or talent. But he's a good guy. Because of knowing that, Kibe-kun said this.
In fact, Chizuru realizes that kind of good quality in him too. That's why Chizuru helps Kazuya as a rental girlfriend. That is what was portrayed in the first season of the anime.
And after the second season, Kazuya, who has recovered from his broken heart and fallen in love with Chizuru, is really cool. He's not the smartest guy in the world, but you can't help but admire his clumsy but hard-working attitude! What will Chizuru feel then? Keep your expectations high.
Misconception 5: Rental Girlfriends and Customers Can Be Lovers
The story of "Kanojo, Okarishimasu" begins with Kazuya renting a rental girlfriend, Chizuru Mizuhara. Furthermore, the two do not want to make their grandmother sad, so they decided to pretend to be real lovers. Then you would expect that the two, who met as a rental girlfriend and a customer, would be attracted to each other and become lovers.
But in reality, it doesn't work that way. This is because in the story of Kanokari a rental girlfriend is never a potential girlfriend.
The rental girlfriend is portrayed as a cheerleader for love, who fills the customer's loneliness until he or she can move on to a real love, and sometimes offers advice on love (perhaps it would be more appropriate to call her a counselor). Chizuru promises Kazuya that she helps him to get a real girlfriend, and this is because that is her role as a rental girlfriend. As depicted in her date with Kuri, Chizuru herself finds it rewarding to be able to support her customers' real love through her work as a rental girlfriend. In her confrontation with Mami (episode 12 of the first season of the anime), her attempt to convey Kazuya's love to Mami is truly the sense of responsibility as a rental girlfriend. Thus, Chizuru, as a rental girlfriend, is in a position to support Kazuya's love. When the moment he gets a real girlfriend comes, it should not be Chizuru who is chosen. Chizuru herself also recognizes this. She has no intention to be Kazuya's real girlfriend.
◆The agreement between a rental girlfriend and a customer without romance. (original manga, chapter 32)
Above all, as Chizuru warned Kazuya after Christmas (anime season 1, episode 8; original manga, chapter 32), there should be no private romantic relationship between a rental girlfriend and a customer. If Chizuru finds out that her customer, Kazuya is really in love with her, then she cannot have him rent herself. Definitely a violation of the Terms of Service. Yes, as long as Chizuru and Kazuya are in a rental-girlfriend-customer relationship, they will never get together...
Love between a rental girlfriend and a customer is much more difficult than you might think... It is not as easy as saying that if they fall in love with each other, they can become lovers. Always the "rental girlfriend/customer" relationship lies in their way as an obstacle. But that is the originality and charm of "Kanojo, Okarishimasu". With that understanding, please watch the second season of the anime. Something will happen to Chizuru and Kazuya!
Misconception 6: Kazuya Was an Unpleasant Customer for Chizuru Mizuhara when They First Met
This is another misunderstanding. In the first episode of the anime, when Chizuru goes to the aquarium on her second date with Kazuya, he verbally abuses her and she explodes in anger. Afterwards, he introduces her to his family without her permission, "'She's my girlfriend. From our point of view, it seems as if Chizuru has suffered a terrible inconvenience from Kazuya. Many of you might think that Chizuru thinks he is a lousy person, just as they do. But in fact, Chizuru doesn't think that way. As proof, she is all smiles when she finds out that Kazuya gave her a rating of 5 Stars (the highest rating) after this date.
◆HAHA! YOU DORK! (original manga, chapter 1)
Rental Girlfriend is a job to help customers as a 'girlfriend'. Some people rent her because they want to introduce her to their families (according to Chizuru). Above all, for Chizuru, who is a very grandma girl, Kazuya's desire to please her grandmother was painfully well understood. So Chizuru is not particularly angry about that. She even forgave Kazuya for being so rude to her, because she knew that he had suffered a terrible heartbreak. Because a rental girlfriend is a cheerleader for love, and her job is to support people who have had their hearts broken to get back on their feet.
I DOUBT I'LL FORGET ABOUT HER SOON...
BUT AT LEAST I CAN PICK MYSELF UP AND FORCE MYSELF FORWARD
I'LL APOLOGIZE TO GRANDMA, TOO...
SND SOME DAY, I'LL BRING HOME A REAL GIRLFRIEND.
Chizuru must have been happy to hear Kazuya say this at the end of their date, because she loves her job as a rental girlfriend. For Chizuru, Kazuya was a very rewarding customer, and she was very happy to help him as a rental girlfriend.
By no means did she forgive Kazuya only because she is a super good-natured person and highly professional. She didn't mind that because she empathized with his feelings and had a good time.
◆IF YOU'RE STILL FEELING A LONELY RABBIT IN A CAGE... JUST CALL ME. (original manga, chapter 1)
BUT LOOK... I'M NOT GOING SAY I DON'T GET WANTING TO PLEASE YOUR FAMILY.
IF YOU'RE STILL FEELING A LONELY RABBIT IN A CAGE... JUST CALL ME.
These words are not lip service. Chizuru said them because she wanted him to rent her again. The two appear to be in a slapstick fight, and viewers often feel stressed out by Kazuya's failure to meet their expectations, so it is likely to misunderstand Chizuru as if she hates Kazuya. However, the image of Kazuya from Chizuru's perspective is anything but. If he could have booked a rental in the legitimate way without interfering with her private life, Chizuru would have been happy to be rented by him.
Misconception 7: Chizuru Mizuhara Is a Very Good-Natured Person who Takes Care of Kazuya, a Bum
This is another obvious misunderstanding.
I mentioned it a bit in "Misconception 4: The Main Character Kazuya Kinoshita Is a Bum"
It is true that Chizuru is a good-natured type who likes to help others and can relate to their feelings. Kazuya is a character with a pathetic and vulnerable side. There were times when Chizuru was caught up in Kazuya's lies and had no choice but to cooperate. So it is not unreasonable to understand that Chizuru is a very kind girl and that she cannot refuse a request from the scum Kazuya.
But there was never a time when Chizuru saw Kazuya's no-good ways and felt sorry for him, so she helped him. Chizuru is a person who clearly says that she does not want to do what she does not want to do. The truth is the opposite: Chizuru helped Kazuya because he seemed nice to her and because she herself wanted to help him.
In the original story, Chizuru's feelings are portrayed as possible to grasp (although Chizuru herself rarely speaks of them). Perhaps they were not cut in the anime either. When Grandma Nagomi visited Kazuya's room, Chizuru, who lived next door, went to greet her with food, not because she could refuse the pathetic Kazuya's request. It was because Chizuru herself did not want to make Kazuya's grandmother sad. The reason why she said "Okay" to Kazuya's request "I want to rent you" at the inn where they stayed, and later continued to be the false lover (and promised to help him get a real girlfriend) by saying "Don't worry, I won't leave you alone as long as I'm your 'girlfriend'" was not because she could not refuse his request. It was because she found him to be a nice person when he saved her at the sea, and Chizuru herself thought, "I want to continue the false lover relationship with Kazuya." and "I want to help him." When she was asked to go on a rental date with Kuri-kun by Kazuya, she did not accept it out of choice. She accepted it because she was happy when Kazuya said to her, "Anyone would be happy to go on a date with you, right?" and because she felt Kazuya was a nice guy who seriously cared about his friends when he said, "I think Kuri would feel he wants a girlfriend."
◆Confrontation with Mami: Chizuru tries to convey Kazuya's love to Mami (original manga, chapter 49)
In the first season of the anime (chapters 1-50 of the original manga), Chizuru comes to know Kazuya's good qualities through their relationship as rental girlfriend and customer. Even though he may seem like a bum to viewers, and even though people around him may say he is not a good match for her at all, Chizuru sees Kazuya as a nice guy. It is safe to say that he passes her boyfriend-test. In her confrontation with Mami (anime season 1, episode 12), Chizuru held Mami back because Kazuya was so important to her that his love seemed precious to her.
Chizuru Mizuhara herself is not a character who talks about her true feelings very often. Being a tsundere, Chizuru does not say, "Kazuya is a wonderful person." So it may have been difficult for viewers to understand. But instead, she showed it by her actions. So Chizuru was showing her fondness for Kazuya by "helping him out as a rental girlfriend. That is Chizuru Mizuhara's dere.
The reason I say that Chizuru's feelings are realistic is because each time she tries to help Kazuya, the reason why she tries to help him is carefully depicted. It is because Chizuru's "flow of feelings" is carefully expressed. Not once in those is it because she felt sorry for the pathetic Kazuya. If you want to know more details, please read my blog post "Volumes 1-6, Chizuru Mizuhara's Love Story, Chapter 1".
I think this kind of misunderstanding is likely to occur because the character Kazuya itself is easily misunderstood. The reason why Chizuru cooperates with Kazuya is because Chizuru herself wanted to do so and because Kazuya is nice. It is not because she was too good-natured to refuse a request, nor because she liked pathetic boys. It was simply because she was attracted to Kazuya.
Misconception 8: Kazuya thinks Ruka is insurance in case Chizuru rejects him. He's not determined to reject Ruka
This is another misunderstanding. I don't want you to easily say, "Kazuya, make it clear whether you'll dump Ruka-chan or go out with her.
First of all, Kazuya loves Chizuru and does not love Ruka. He has no intention of going out with her in the first place. If he could dump her, he would. But it is not that easy. Because he doesn't want Ruka to expose the fact that Chizuru works as a rental girlfriend and that he is continuing a false lover relationship with her. It is also because Chizuru has asked him to "go out with Ruka" so that she will not expose the lie.
◆Ruka-chan will expose that Mizuhara is a rental girlfriend! (original manga, chapter 25)
Ruka shows her love for Kazuya so honestly that we tend to forgive her because of her cuteness, but in fact she threatened Chizuru and Kazuya that she will expose that their relationship is a lie. In return for keeping it quiet, she is allowed to be his trial girlfriend. She is quite a selfish girl. Well, but Ruka's argument is also justified, since it is against the rules to have a private relationship between a rental girlfriend and a client in the first place. So I don't feel like anyone is the bad guy.
Readers (especially Ruka fans) were stressed out by Kazuya's unwillingness to answer her even though she had so honestly shown her affection for him, and they might give a selfish interpretation like, "Maybe Kazuya thinks Ruka-chan is insurance in case Chizuru rejects him anyway." or "Kazuya, who won't break up with Ruka-chan, is a scumbag." Also, they would not want to admit that Ruka-chan, whom they love, is doing such a terrible thing as threatening somebody. But in fact, the main reason Kazuya cannot break up with Ruka is because Ruka is blackmailing him, and because Chizuru asked him to go out with her so that the lie would not be exposed.
If I force her to break up with me, she'll expose that Mizuhara is a rental girlfriend!
So Kazuya can't break up with Ruka, and he has to go on dates with her so as not to offend her. Please don't make Kazuya an indecisive character on your own. Please take Kazuya's situation into consideration.
Misconception 9: Kazuya Is a Chicken Shit who Can't Confess to Chizuru
This is also a misunderstanding. Kazuya tells Chizuru, "I want you!," but then covering it up, it was not simply because he was afraid to confess his true feelings. In fact, the reason is more complicated.
◆AS A GIRLFRIEND, YOU KNOW? THOUGH, YOU'RE A 'RENTAL' ONE. (original manga, chapter 50)
The first and most important reason is that he needed to continue the false relationship with her. Chizuru and Kazuya are in the relationship as a rental girlfriend and a customer, and are not allowed to have a private relationship, not even a confession of love or a date. It is a violation of the terms of service. If you confess that you love her, you will be blacklisted and banned from the office for sure. Confessing to a rental girlfriend is not allowed. If he did, he would no longer be able to rent Chizuru or ask her to play his girlfriend. Then he would have to tell his grandma that he broke up with Chizuru.
Next, because he thinks that if he reveals his true feelings to Chizuru that he loves her, he will have broken the promise and terms of service that the two of them agreed upon, and she will dislike him. Chizuru would scold him, "You were renting me with such ulterior motives! I told you that I'm just a rental girlfriend! Don't ever rent me again!" (I mean, that's how it looks from Kazuya's point of view).
Finally, because he wanted to date Chizuru in a rental girlfriend/customer relationship if there was no way to win. For Kazuya, Chizuru Mizuhara is truly a beautiful flower on a high peak (Of course, I mean that's how it looks from Kazuya's point of view). It is obvious that he will be rejected if he confesses his feelings for her. The "I want you" was not a confession with the determination to tell her that he wants her to be his girlfriend, but rather just an outpouring of emotion because Chizuru is just too nice. In the first place, Kazuya does not have the determination to tell her that he want her to be his real girlfriend. It is natural that he misrepresented his true feelings.
It is not such a simple situation that we can say, "If you're in love with her, you should confess it to her." Grandma Nagomi is very important to Kazuya and he doesn't want her to be sad. He has to have Chizuru play his false lover. There is no way that a customer would confess to a rental girlfriend (i.e., ask for a private relationship). Thus, Kazuya can't let Chizuru find out that he is in love with her.
Even after the start of the second season of the anime, Kazuya is unable to express his true feelings to Chizuru. But please understand that there is a reason for this. What kind of incident will happen between Kazuya and Chizuru, and what kind of feelings will he use as energy to overcome this situation and confess his feelings? That is the biggest point of interest in this story.
Misconception 10: Chizuru Mizuhara Wants to Be Kazuya's Real Girlfriend
Hmmm. This is half misunderstanding and half correct. But it would be better to say it is more of a misunderstanding. "What the heck is that!" you may want to shout, but let's take a closer look.
In episode 12 of the anime (chapter 50 of the original manga), Kazuya confesses to Chizuru, "I want you!" But Kazuya quickly corrects her and says that he means he wants her to help him as a rental girlfriend.
◆... WHAT ON EARTH... WAS THAT ALL ABOUT...? STUPID. (original manga, chapter 50)
◆Chizuru puffs out her cheeks. (original manga, chapter 50)
Then Chizuru shows her disappointment and dissatisfaction in her room alone, and she puffs out her cheeks.
Chizuru is very confused by Kazuya's words because at first she thought it was a true confession of love. She was like, "It's not Mami-san, it's me!?" Looking at this expression alone, I think many people might expect that she really likes him, and are looking forward to the rest of the story.
In fact, she is not without the desire to do so. For Chizuru, Kazuya seems like a wonderful boy, you know. It is true to say that she is in "love" with him, even if it is a small one. But if you ask me if Chizuru wants to be Kazuya's real girlfriend at this time, the answer is clearly no.
I'm helping him because it's my job and because I don't want to make our Grandmas sad.
I'm there for Kazuya because I want to help him as a rental girlfriend.
In Chizuru's mind, the perception is this. Chizuru doesn't think that her desire to help him is love. It could be said that she is unaware of her own small feelings of love, and it has manifested itself in the form of her wanting to help him as a rental girlfriend. Her feelings for him are not yet big enough for her to recognize them as love. So after Christmas, Chizuru was able to clearly tell him that their relationship was a cooperative relationship without love (anime season 1, episode 8; original manga, chapter 32).
At the same time, Chizuru's perception of Kazuya is as follows.
No romance between us. He and I are just cooperating.
Kazuya just says he likes myself as his rental girlfriend.
He doesn't have feelings for me. He has no intention to have a real relationship with me.
From the viewer's (reader's) point of view, it is clear that Kazuya is in love with Chizuru. With such an obvious expression on his face, it would seem that Chizuru would be aware of Kazuya's feelings for her. But in fact, that is not the case. Chizuru thinks that Kazuya has no intention to have a real relationship with her because after Christmas he told her that he didn't have feelings for her. So Chizuru believes that Kazuya likes her as a rental girlfriend, a collaborator, and that he is not in love with her.
Chizuru and Kazuya have a false lover relationship, which is based on the premise of no romance. Chizuru made it clear that day that she had no intention of falling in love with Kazuya. Kazuya told her, "I don't have feelings for you." Suppose Chizuru fell in love with Kazuya and wished to be his girlfriend. But at that time, she's not in a relationship with him that she can believe that Kazuya would fall in love with her. There is no romance between me and Kazuya, I don't know if it is Ruka-chan or Mami-san, but he is trying to find love with someone else but me. And if he gets a real girlfriend, it should not be me who would be chosen. That is what Chizuru thinks. Also, as a rental girlfriend, she cannot ask her client, Kazuya out on a date, much less tell him that she loves him. Chizuru is the same as Kazuya in that she has to be troubled with the relationship between a rental girlfriend and a customer.
I say that the attraction of Kanokari is the change in distance and surechigai between Chizuru Mizuhara and Kazuya, which is created by the relationship between a rental girlfriend and a customer. I wonder if you guess what I mean by surechigai. In the second season of the anime, something will happen to Kazuya and Chizuru's relationship! Keep an eye on that.
For those of you who read the original manga, please also check out the "Kanojo, Okarishimasu" review and commentary from Chizuru Mizuhara's point of view, "Chizuru Mizuhara's Love Story"!
