Rent-A-Girlfriend Author Calls Kazuya His Clone, Chizuru the Ideal Woman
Miyajima's latest remarks reinforce the long-held perception among critics that Rent-A-Girlfriend functions as the author's personal fantasy, a charge he has previously addressed by stating all characters are based on himself.
Reporting from 1 sources: Animehunch.
In a recent interview, Rent-A-Girlfriend creator Reiji Miyajima stated that protagonist Kazuya Kinoshita is essentially his clone, and that Chizuru Mizuhara represents the ideal woman. The comments have intensified long-standing criticism that Miyajima uses the manga as a self-insert fantasy, a charge he has addressed before by saying all characters are based on aspects of himself.
Reiji Miyajima has previously acknowledged that he channels his own thoughts through Kazuya. In a 2023 interview with Kodansha, he said, "I say what I want through Kazuya." The latest interview with Anime Corner goes further, calling Kazuya his double. The timing is notable: after Chizuru rejected Kazuya's proposal, the protagonist underwent a makeover in chapter 399 that made him resemble Miyajima's own hairstyle, fueling the self-insert theory. Miyajima also called Chizuru the ideal woman, though he has stated in the past that no character is based on a real person.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.