Most artists feel a certain way about their creations, whether it’s love, hate, or something in between. Reiji Miyajima, the creator of Rent-a-Girlfriend, is no different, although he takes these feelings a bit too far. To such an extent that his words often lead to controversies.
Whether it’s the narrative direction of the manga or his questionable attachment to Chizuru, Miyajima has a long list of controversies that have caught up over the years. It’s time to unpack them since Chizuru’s rejection in the latest chapter of Rent-a-Girlfriend has revived the discourse surrounding the manga once again.
Rent-a-Girlfriend creator Reiji Miyajima is unhinged, and these controversies are proof
All the controversies surrounding the creator are well-known among fans. Rent-a-Girlfriend is a fairly long-running manga, as it’s been eight years since the first chapter was published. Over the years, the mangaka has often shared his feelings about particular chapters and characters from the manga on X.
The things he has shared in the past make his fondness for Chizuru quite apparent. He has taken it a bit too far, sharing a series of controversial confessions. Reportedly, starting with a n*de art of Chizuru (via @Miyajimareiji/X) in the shower. Fans couldn’t believe this and shared their concerns in the comments.
夢だったので何度もTweetすみません
1/1水原千鶴フィギュア、お話頂いた時は歓喜すると共に一つだけお願いさせて貰いました「服は脱がせる様にして下さい」
むしろ燃えてやる気になったと語って下さった制作スタッフの方々に感謝です
かのかりらしい大人の全力悪ふざけが出来ていると感じています pic.twitter.com/BYn6azVbLv— 宮島礼吏 Reiji Miyajima (@Miyajimareiji) June 22, 2022
If that wasn’t problematic enough, he shared his excitement about the launch of Chizuru’s life-sized figurine. He further shared how he’d request her to take off her clothes. The mangaka even pretends like Chizuru is his girlfriend.
Aside from his obsession with Chizuru, Miyajima also shared his interest in AI. He shared an AI-generated art on his X account.
最近AIに興味持ち始めたので、僕の絵だけ学習させて水原のイラストを作ってみました！可愛い！ pic.twitter.com/WOAWi98q4B
— 宮島礼吏 Reiji Miyajima (@Miyajimareiji) March 26, 2024
Fans called the art soulless and even shared disappointment over the author’s use of AI. In this way, the mangaka goes out of his way to share his inappropriate confessions about his own character. The story in the manga is no better, as many scenes have garnered fans’ attention for all the wrong reasons.
The manga is just as problematic as the creator
Initially, the mangaka was infamous for creating unlikable characters and the slow progression of the story. The plot hasn’t moved much or in a coherent way, and it’s just an endless loop of ‘will they or won’t they’. Somehow, this loop seems interesting and better in comparison to the most problematic chapters of the manga. There are times when Reiji Miyajima takes Kazuya’s actions a bit too far.
For instance, chapter 218 of the manga raised many eyebrows. In that chapter, Kazuya fantasized about Chizuru being intimate with someone else, and it aroused him. Such instances aren’t new for the manga, but this particular scene was quite elaborate. The latest chapter has also become trending for how it completely undid all the progress Chizuru and Kazuya had made so far.
Many fans suspect that these narrative decisions are motivated by the creator’s fondness for Chizuru. Whether it’s true or not, we don’t know, but we do know that this is not normal or maybe just an elaborate prank by the mangaka, albeit a very creepy and problematic one.
Rent-a-Girlfriend is currently available to read on the K manga website, and the anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
