Rent-A-Girlfriend's Downfall

Jan 14, 1:21 AM

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Nov 2020

This is something that's been rounding my head for a couple of years now (at least, since the not-less-than atrocious Paradise arc) and something that I think has gotten to a point where I don't really get what Reiji is trying to do anymore.

To be honest, it saddens me a bit because even though this manga was never something amazing, I liked it at first. I enjoyed it a lot, and it introduced me to the romcom genre. Now every chapter is the same sh*t, going on and on about the same thing over and over again. We have almost 360 chapters and it feels the main characters have less chemistry than they did in the first chapter.

Now I think this downfall starts at one very clear point: the aftermath of the movie arc. Maybe I'm a bit biased, but I remember this being a reaaaally good arc, even one of the best I had read in a romcom manga (no kidding). The autor set up a conveying story line, gave the characters situations where they had to face the difficulties and so grow up in the process. It was the perfect opportunity to give the story the final touches, with an ending that could have been incredibly heartwarming.

Instead, the author decided to milk the story to the deepest ends of the universe. Characters seemed to devolve from all the progress they had made in previous arcs and the story just turned into chapters where 90% of the pages were (and still are) about Kazuya's incelly thoughts, over and over again.

At this point, I'm just keeping reading because I want to wrap up that feeling of closure, having been here in the long run after all, although I don't think this story is ending soon (even if the ending is planned out, which I believe it isn't, given how the story is going). I'm sure these are the feelings of +95% of the fanbase that keeps reading this sh*twreck of a manga.

And just to wrap my opinion up, I want to say that it saddens me how far down Reiji has got to, because I believe he isn't that bad of an artist/writer. The greed of trying to milk something that should have ended ages ago has turned a conveying story that could have made the bases of a solid fanbase into an endless sh*tshow that has people trapped in a cycle of desperation, hoping every week that the next chapter is good, and then ending up being the same sh*t again.

Congrats Reiji. Milk your story until it dries out, because at this point I don't think anyone will ever want to read any of the stories you create ever again. At least, I won't.

Jan 14, 1:50 AM

Otakupervert890

Online

Oct 2019

2506

It's not entirely Reiji fault blame the editorial department of Shounen magazine it's milked because it sell like hotcakes before even the season 1 and with the number he sell he have no reason of stopping it's a win win situation for both him and the magazine.

Jan 14, 3:32 AM

Pabloskii_

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Nov 2020

Otakupervert890 said:
It's not entirely Reiji fault blame the editorial department of Shounen magazine it's milked because it sell like hotcakes before even the season 1 and with the number he sell he have no reason of stopping it's a win win situation for both him and the magazine.

Yeah, but that's still no reason to milk the story to that extent. I'm not sure because I'm not part of the industry, but I believe the author has the right to put an end to the story if the plot is fleshed out to the extent he planned in the beginning, for that is his story. Anyway, even if it's a win-win for the aurhor and the editorial, I believe in the long term it's better to try to write another original story, than let the one that's selling hot die like this. Sales will eventually decrease (I'm sure they already have) and people won't be interested in your future projects. Also, I believe authors might still have a little pasion for their art, so turning your work into complete sh*t is sad and devaluates your efforts as an artist. Milking the story for the sake of money even if it is because the editorial asks you to is still a reason for criticism to the author. He's the one who has let his story go this way.

Jan 14, 3:58 AM

Otakupervert890

Online

Oct 2019

2506

Reply to Pabloskii_

@Pabloskii_ sale decreased? He tripled the number of volume sold in the span of 3 seasons. Also if you claim that a author can end a series prove it because so far it's always the editorial who win just ask Toriyama with dragon ball. Also you may not know this but the series is way less criticised in Japan vs the west and as long manga sell the editorial don't care what the west think. He literally have a mega star who voice Chizuru. Everyone win in this and it's why the end is not in sight for years to come. Heck it took 350 chapters to finally close something that was in chapter 10.

Jan 14, 5:51 AM

Pabloskii_

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Nov 2020

Reply to Otakupervert890

@Otakupervert890 Yeah, I see your point. Maybe mine's a little bit occidentalized so I can't speak of how it's doing numbers in Japan (find it quite odd, since I don't think anyone is gonna find the latest 100-150 chapters anything but bad at the least, though that depends on taste). I'm just saying that it's sad how the quality has decreased dramatically the last few years, compared to how it was in the first 150 chapters. Also, the points I made in the other response were just mere speculation so I might be wrong, of course. Even so, I don't see how an author is literally obligated to continue a story (?). I mean, if you have your story planned out from start to finish then how is anyone gonna force you to extend it unless you agree to it? Editorials may try to convince them to go on with it because it's doing numbers, but unless I believe they're threatening them or something of the like then I don't see how the author must be obligated to make trash just because they're telling him the story must not finish. My point of criticism is, the editorial and Reiji must have come to an agreement to milk the story and make more money. If the author wouldn't agree to it and just wanted to do what he orginally planned, how would the editorial force him to continue? Just asking, but I don't see any logic behind it. The author is benefiting from taking out sh*tty chapters because he and the editorial win more money apparently, and that can be criticized since he isn't making a good manga. You just gotta see the general reviews.

Jan 14, 6:02 AM

Otakupervert890

Online

Oct 2019

2506

Reply to Pabloskii_

@Pabloskii_ how they do it? They sign a contract with the author with projection of sales and volumes. With notifications of reprint through certain numbers to go on. Unless you are a small author on his first try which you are submit to the popular vote regardless of what you told the editorial about planning. The biggest giveaway that it's milked on both sides with no sign of ending it's the fact that in 7 years of publication Reiji never come out to tell what he is planning with the story which all of his peers eventually do at some point with their stories. He never told the number of volume expected which consider it's been running for 7 years you kind expect that though on that I can give him benefit of the doubt as George Morikawa took 30 years to tell his fan that Hajime no ippo is only halfway through it at 1500 chapters so maybe it's what Reiji hope to do.

Jan 14, 6:16 AM

Pabloskii_

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Nov 2020

Otakupervert890 said:
@Pabloskii_ how they do it? They sign a contract with the author with projection of sales and volumes. With notifications of reprint through certain numbers to go on. Unless you are a small author on his first try which you are submit to the popular vote regardless of what you told the editorial about planning. The biggest giveaway that it's milked on both sides with no sign of ending it's the fact that in 7 years of publication Reiji never come out to tell what he is planning with the story which all of his peers eventually do at some point with their stories. He never told the number of volume expected which consider it's been running for 7 years you kind expect that though on that I can give him benefit of the doubt as George Morikawa took 30 years to tell his fan that Hajime no ippo is only halfway through it at 1500 chapters so maybe it's what Reiji hope to do.

Ok, I see, but that doesn't undermine the fact that he's been taking out trash. Those kinds of contracts go both ways, if the author doesn't agree to them then they're meaningless. If he's obligated to take out a certain amount of volumes then he's got to flesh the story out in regards to that, because he's the one who signed that contract, not just publish filler chapters with crappy content. I think that is also bad planning on Reiji's part, and my point still holds. The story has worsen dramatically, that is the general opinion, and that is what I'm trying to discuss here and criticize, and why there might have been other ways the story could have improved as well. In that case, Morikawa is doing a good job as I've heard Hajime no ippo still holds quality, whereas Reiji apparently doesn't even have an idea how to follow through with his own story. That's the difference.

Pabloskii_Jan 14, 6:20 AM

Jan 14, 8:02 AM

DaCraziGuy

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Aug 2018

2168

I think that everyone agrees that after the movie Arc the story got worse, at least in the west. I agree too.

The thing Is that the average jap Otaku seems to be as useless as the mc, so maybe that's why they don't care that much.

Jan 14, 2:58 PM

Dumb

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Jun 2020

4320

i am only reading for Mini i hate everything else in this story

Jan 14, 6:20 PM

#10

Suntanned_Duck2

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Mar 2017

1303

I haven't gotten that far but I assume like others industry/editors are the case.

Takagi-san got too long, ended (felt like S2's ending and just was very eh to me, S3 anime had a better original ending and showcasing of the characters dynamic compared to the formula so it being less formulaic helped S3 besides the brief hints in S2).

The author went got another idea/similar series (https://myanimelist.net/anime/45653/Soredemo_Ayumu_wa_Yosetekuru flipped characters personalities and add Shogi to it, it has ended pretty sure and I think it's good enough lasting of that long then longer, even if it was a bit dragged out) and completely different with a fantasy one as well/other works they have made.

Yet Takagi-san with them older is by a different author (it's a fair series and I kept up enough with chapters) and I think still going and yet a new one with their daughter (different author again I think) and I just went nah it's not that it's the daughter it's just this is being dragged out regardless of the daughter being there as she is just like the father and the friend being like the mother was when she was a kid even if different family the dynamics are pretty obvious).

It's like a soap opera going, ok their kids, and their kids and their kids.

Like only so much will change and a series will be milked.

A similar series had a rental girlfriend (this one https://myanimelist.net/manga/130186/Rental_Kanojo_Tsukita-san) dynamic and it was short/ended pretty well.

Anything over done and concluded enough/dragging out further is not worth it at all.

Suntanned_Duck2Jan 14, 6:25 PM

Jan 14, 8:37 PM

#11

Connort1998

Online

Mar 2018

361

Reply to Otakupervert890

@Otakupervert890

not full up to date but 38 did about 39k, which yea is a huge drop but honestly 39k is still more then 99% of manga

Connort1998Jan 14, 8:41 PM

Jan 16, 9:48 PM

#12

MandoUzumaki

Offline

Oct 2022

fall off in the plot is insane, kazuya has no semblance of a functioning human being and mizuhara is just the only reason there are people actually speaking out loud in the manga

Jan 18, 10:07 AM

#13

official_brown

Offline

Jan 2021

2344

Not gonna lie, idrk if it’s milked, it’s fun drama. RaG hate is so forced. So many anime like it and they don’t get hate. It is what it is ig

The right mindset when watching an anime is hoping that it will break your top 10

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Rent-A-Girlfriend's Downfall

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