Rent-a-Girlfriend Real Title Should be called "Paid-by-a-Simp"

Senior Journalist -

I know the internet is roasting Rent-a-Girlfriend as the worst rom-com ending in manga history. Fans are furious, calling Chapter 380 trash and wishing the author would burn in manga hell for dragging readers through four years of emotional investment only to deliver a cold, anticlimactic finale. But what if… that’s exactly the feeling Reiji Miyajima wanted us to have? What if the ending wasn’t about payoff, but a painful wake-up call. One that forces reflection, not gratification?

Kazuya finally confesses after all this time, putting his entire heart on the line, and Chizuru—after hesitating—rejects him. Not with cruelty, but with detachment. She bows, thanks him for everything, and says she can't return his feelings because her lifestyle and job won’t allow her to love. It’s a quiet devastation. But let's not pretend: she never truly loved him. Not once in the manga did she display the kind of genuine romantic desire that would make her even consider quitting the rental girlfriend job to pursue something real with Kazuya. Her entire character arc, while occasionally warm or sympathetic, was built on professional boundaries and emotional distance. The reality is, she saw him as a client (a kind, emotionally desperate client) and nothing more.

So maybe that’s the point. Maybe this story wasn’t meant to give us a dopamine-fueled happily ever after. Maybe it was meant to hurt... On purpose. Because this isn’t just a breakup scene... It’s a message. Stop simping. Stop tricking off your money on women who don’t genuinely like you, who never wanted you, and who see your attention as transactional. There’s a simpidemic out there right now, where young and older men alike are throwing away their self-worth and hard-earned money chasing validation from women who prioritize what’s in your wallet over what’s in your heart (OnlyFans, IG models, etc). Rent-a-Girlfriend took that modern dysfunction and stretched it across 380 chapters, only to end by slamming the door shut on fantasy. No payoff. No warm closure. Just a cold mirror.

I get it—manga and anime are often about escaping reality. But sometimes, the medium punches us in the gut to remind us that fiction can be a teacher. Some stories aren’t meant to make you feel good—they’re meant to stop you from making the same mistakes in your real life. Kazuya is the modern simp incarnate: kind-hearted, hopeful, but emotionally gullible. Chizuru represents the untouchable ideal—stoic, beautiful, and never quite within reach. And in the end, that ideal leaves him empty. Just like chasing women who don’t want you will always leave you empty. This isn’t the ending fans wanted—but maybe it’s the ending they needed.

In the end, Rent‑a‑Girlfriend may not be comfortable—but it’s effective. It doesn’t hand out cheap romance—it delivers a brutal lesson: real intimacy isn’t for sale. And sometimes, the strongest story isn’t the one that brings closure, but the one that breaks your illusions.

Don’t chase a façade. If your romance is built on looks or paid interactions, you’re investing in a shell. The ending screams: Find someone who truly values you... Who meets your emotional worth, not just your wallet.

What do you think? Life lesson or heartbreak bait?

By the way...

Now, with all that said, yes, the manga isn’t technically over. People are jumping to conclusions as if Chizuru definitively said she doesn’t want to be with Kazuya, but that’s not entirely accurate. What she actually said was that she couldn’t be with him just yet not that she never would. So technically, there’s still room for closure or redemption. However, let’s be honest... The dragging of this story has been ridiculously long and meandering. The pacing, the recycled emotional beats, and the lack of real romantic progress over 380 chapters is what’s killing this manga more than the characters themselves. The longer it delays resolution, the more it feels like emotional manipulation for serialization’s sake. Whether it redeems itself or not remains to be seen—but at this point, even the diehards are running on fumes. And best to remember: don’t believe everything you see online. People love to spark outrage for clicks and sensationalism. Sometimes, the truth is buried under a pile of overreactions and viral hot takes.