Shun Horie:"Rent-A-Girlfriend" Interview: The struggles of confronting Kazuya, the unloved protagonist; the turning point of Season 3

The fifth season of the TV anime " Rent-A-Girlfriend , Okarishimasu), based on the romantic comedy manga by Reiji Miyajima serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha), began airing on April 10th at 2:23 AM on MBS, TBS, CBC's late-night anime block "Animeism," and other channels. Approximately six years have passed since the first season began in 2020, and while the unique heroines have become popular, Kinoshita Kazuya may be an unfortunate protagonist. Kazuya is a protagonist who elicits both praise and criticism. He has his flaws, but he is also devoted, human, and kind. While his charm gradually becomes apparent, his shortcomings may have seemed more prominent in the early episodes. We asked Horie Shun, who plays Kazuya, about his thoughts on the series and Kazuya.

◇How should I love?

"Kanojo, Okarishimasu" (Rent-A-Girlfriend) tells the story of Kazuya, a hopeless college student who gets dumped by his girlfriend, and his encounter with Chizuru, a beautiful girl who works as a rental girlfriend. The manga began serialization in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" in 2017. The first season of the TV anime aired from July to September 2020, the second season from July to September 2022, the third season from July to September 2023, and the fourth season from July to September 2025.

Although it's a popular series that has been running for about six years, this is actually the first time that Horie-san has been interviewed solo about "Kanojo, Okarishimasu." Kazuya, what does he think is the appeal of this long-loved work?

"It's the first time in the fifth season (laughs). I'm happy about that. At first, Kazuya was the kind of character I didn't want to project myself onto, thinking 'he's different from me,' but I think there are parts of him that people will start to relate to, thinking 'maybe Kazuya is actually me.' He's very human, and his feelings for the people he cares about are 100% pure and completely genuine. I think that's what touches people's hearts, and they might gradually start to think that he's similar to them, or that they want to be like him. I think that side of Kazuya also helps to highlight the cuteness of the heroines. It's not just the cuteness of the heroines that makes this work work. I think the charm of this work lies in the fact that Kazuya, despite his pathetic appearance, supports them."

Horie began by honestly sharing his feelings about Kazuya, saying, "At first, my reaction was pretty much the same as everyone else's (laughs). In the first season, he was refreshingly stupid and a total jerk."

"With other characters, there were times when I couldn't find anything in common with myself, but I was still able to love them. But Kazuya was different... (laughs). I wondered how I was supposed to love him. I might not have been able to love him at all during the first season. In order to play a character so far removed from myself, I didn't think too much about whether I liked him or not. When I was working with Ten-chan ( Sora Amamiya, who plays the heroine Mizuhara Chizuru) on another project, I told her, 'I really don't understand Kazuya.' Ten-chan is my senior, and when I was assigned a character that I couldn't find anything to love about, I was so confused that I consulted her about what I should do. Ten-chan's reaction was, 'Well, Kazuya is...' (laughs)"

Horie himself was aware of the public's perception of Kazuya while he was performing the role.

"Not only was there a public reaction, but even actors on other sets who watched 'Rent-A-Girlfriend' would say things like, 'Isn't Kazuya kind of weird?' (laughs). For seasons 1 and 2, I was like, 'No, but I'll do my best.' The recording for season 1 was before it aired, but once it aired, I realized, 'He's not loved at all...' Seeing how much people were saying about him made me feel heavy-hearted during the recording for season 2. I felt like I was trying to be hated. Not as a villain to be hated, but as the protagonist. So I thought about not trying to stand out as Kazuya. Kazuya talks quite a lot, but I tried to condense his lines as much as possible, so that the heroines could have more screen time. I felt like I was just there to make them look better."

While I had mixed feelings about it, I also enjoyed playing Kazuya.

"There was a struggle and conflict with the feeling that I couldn't like him. However, just because he was the complete opposite didn't mean he was difficult to play. There were some parts that were easy to understand. For example, if he were a complex character like Asami, who has many layers of feelings hidden beneath her words, there might have been more to think about, but Kazuya is a straightforward, pure character, and it was fun to let loose with him. It's just that I couldn't understand his feelings (laughs)."

◇Kazuya changed in the third season

Kazuya is also a character who grows and develops. There were turning points in the process of continuing to play the role.

"The things I keep in mind when acting haven't changed much, but there was a clear turning point where I finally felt like I could love him. It was the third season, the film production arc. My opinion of Kazuya skyrocketed. Until then, he was just rushing ahead without thinking about the consequences, but he started to think. I felt like he developed a more three-dimensional quality as a person, and I think everyone else also discovered that 'he actually has some good points' and 'he's lovable after all.'"

Kazuya does change in some ways, but Horie tried not to be too conscious of that when he was acting.

"I tried not to let my feelings as Horie Shun show too much. I didn't think things like, 'Finally, it's Kazuya's moment to shine! This is where I'm going to steal everyone's hearts,' and that's something I'm careful about not letting my ego get in the way, not just with 'Kanojo, Okarishimasu'. When I first debuted, I sometimes tried to leave some kind of catchy, attention-grabbing element, but I realized that it would cause the character to lose focus or fall apart, so since then I've tried not to let my ego get in the way. I want to cherish the intentions of the director and the original author, and what comes out from the interactions with my co-stars. Right now, I'm in a phase where it's better not to let meta-ego get in the way. That's why I wasn't too conscious of the highlights in season 3."

Kazuya has outrageous fantasies about women, and some of his lines include lewd jokes.

"At first, I would feel a little embarrassed, and there were times when I couldn't give 100% during tests, or my skills simply weren't up to par, so I had to do several takes. But I've been doing this for six years now, and I can do it without feeling embarrassed anymore. However, I still can't understand when Kazuya is thinking about something naughty when we're having a serious conversation (laughs). Even in the fifth season, Kazuya still has that side to him."

◇ Respect for senior Yuuki, who is "Asami"

After a turning point for Kazuya, the fourth season entered the popular Hawaiianz arc from the original manga. The fifth season continues from there. Kazuya and Chizuru's devilish ex-girlfriend, Nanami Mami, who knows the "true" relationship between them, approaches Chizuru, leading to a series of tense scenes, and Aoi Yuki's captivating performance as Mami has become a hot topic.

"I knew it would be like this, but I still thought Yuuki-senpai is such a terrifying senior (laughs). I had seen Mami-chan's unsettling and nasty side many times before, but that side of her was rarely directed at Kazuya. In season 5, that malice is directly unleashed. Watching Chizuru and Mami-chan arguing from behind, it's a hellish scene that feels like you're seeing something you shouldn't be seeing. It's so tense that I wonder if I should leave my seat (laughs). She's always been scary, of course, but in season 5 The season has a palpable realism. I was with Yuuki-san at our previous agency, and our manager at the time told her, "This role is absolutely only for you," and that's most evident in season 5. While season 5 tends to focus on Asami-chan's story, Chizuru and Kazuya's relationship also changes significantly. There are developments that put a kind of period on their relationship, which had been on parallel lines for so long, so I think viewers will enjoy that and be on the edge of their seats."

In "Rent-A-Girlfriend," besides Chizuru and Mami, there are many other unique and charming heroines. The heroines are voiced by a stellar cast of voice actors, including Nao Toyama, Rie Takahashi as Sumi Sakurasawa, and Yu Serizawa as Mini Yaemori.

"The atmosphere on set hasn't really changed. Even with the introduction of the new character Mini-chan and the addition of Serizawa-san, the atmosphere remains the same. It's a relaxed and friendly set in a good way. There were some scary developments in season 4, but the atmosphere was still friendly. In seasons 1 and 2, recordings were in the evening, so we would all go out for dinner together afterward, and even when I meet other cast members from 'Kanojo, Okarishimasu' at other projects, I feel a sense of camaraderie."

"Kanojo, Okarishimasu" is a story centered around Kazuya and Chizuru. The chemistry between Kazuya and Amamiya, who plays Chizuru, is outstanding.

"I first co-starred with Ten-chan in 'Kanojo, Okarishimasu,' and at first I had this preconceived notion that she was a cool beauty with an unapproachable aura, but when I got to know her, that wasn't the case at all (laughs). She's lively, treats everyone equally, and has a big-sister personality."

Each of the heroines has a unique personality, but when asked which character Horie herself finds most interesting...

"It depends on your perspective, but if we're talking about someone who's 'interesting,' then it's definitely Asami. I'm curious about what's fundamental to Asami. However, I'm also interested in Chizuru. She's the classic choice. Ruka is cute too, but her distance and assertiveness are a little scary. Sumi is cute too, but she's a little too frail. And I don't think I'd have a romantic relationship with Mini."

Kazuya may be a flawed man, but he's gradually becoming a lovable flaw. I understand there will be mixed opinions about him, but there's no doubt he's a character with a certain charm that makes you want to talk about him. That charm is largely due to Horie's acting. I hope you'll continue to pay attention to Kazuya's actions and Horie's performance. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)