Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season Episode 11

Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season Episode 11

All Aboard the Sumi Train

Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season Episode 11 is a Sumisode (Sumi episode). And while this may be an unpopular opinion, I’d argue that makes it one of the worse episodes of the season. Sumi’s cute. But, as I’ve said before, she’s not as interesting as the characters who actually speak.

At this point in the series, I’d rank the four main girls like this: Chizuru > Ruka > Sumi > Mami. But, despite the fact that I hate Mami and everything she stands for, she’s more interesting than Sumi. At least with Mami, we get some drama.

I don’t want this to be a review all about the negatives of Sumi. However, I do have one more thing to say. Sumi’s school uniform that shocked Kazuya wasn’t that good of an outfit. She normally wears things that look like that anyway. If she wore the same uniform Chizuru did, that would be noteworthy.

Sumi Sakurasawa wearing a school uniform from the anime series Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season Episode 11
Sumi Sakurasawa wearing a school uniform

This week, Sumi took the lead during her date with Kazuya. She planned out the entire date, from what she wore to where they went. She had a full itinerary, much like Kazuya did during his own school uniform date with Chizuru.

Eventually, Sumi’s plan for the date falls apart (somewhat). But, I was actually surprised that it was successful for as long as it was. We got to see some minor hiccups, such as Kazuya losing track of her in a dark room. But, considering this is Sumi, I expected a lot more to go wrong.

That’s not to say that Sumi is a bad rental girlfriend or anything. It’s just that she’s very shy and also seems somewhat clumsy. And those aren’t negative attributes for her — they’re what make her cute. So, I expected those aspects of her character to be highlighted more.

Sumi vs. Wonder

Who do you think would win, Sumi Sakurasawa or Wonder the dolphin? If you predicted Wonder the dolphin, you’d be right. The finale of the dolphin show at the aquarium is when Sumi’s plan fell apart. Everything was going perfectly until that moment.

Wonder the dolphin woke up this morning and chose violence. Despite intentionally sitting beyond the splash zone, Sumi and Kazuya still got soaked. I’m not going to lie, getting soaked like that is a day ruiner. I don’t want to have to walk around for the rest of the day in wet socks.

However, getting soaked like that could be the perfect opportunity to take the date to the next level. “Oh, no. We both need to get out of these wet clothes. We’d better go back to my apartment so you can take a shower.” There’s no way that wouldn’t work.

Sumi Sakurasawa soaked by Wonder the dolphin from the anime series Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season Episode 11
Sumi Sakurasawa soaked by Wonder the dolphin

After getting soaked, Sumi reveals the true reason she asked Kazuya out on a date today. She likes him (duh, this is a harem anime). Well, that’s only part of the reason. She also invited him on this date as a way to celebrate his birthday.

The birthday thing is boring, though. Let’s focus on Sumi’s confession. I guess the first thing I need to mention here is that Sumi has absolutely no shot. Kazuya’s more likely to date Chizuru, Ruka, and even Mami than he is to date Sumi. She doesn’t stand a chance.

I’m also a bit surprised that she would even confess to Kazuya at all. I mean, he didn’t hear it. But, she still said it. She knows he’s obsessed with Chizuru. So, it’s possible that she confessed knowing that if he heard her confession, he’d reject her. Also, does she know about Ruka?

Sumi’s Turn

At the end of the episode, Sumi gets Kazuya to talk to her about what’s bothering him. I fully expected him to mention Chizuru by name and then go on and on about her. That kind of lack of awareness is what I’ve come to expect from Kazuya.

But, that’s not what he did. Of course, he did talk about Chizuru and her current situation. However, he didn’t mention her name once. So, it’s possible that Sumi didn’t realize who he was talking about. After all, I don’t see why Sumi would know about the situation with Chizuru’s grandmother.

Something I didn’t expect was for Sumi to say she understands how Kazuya feels. What part of what he said does she identify with? Does she also know someone who’s about to lose their last remaining family member? Okay, she does. But again, I don’t think she knows about Chizuru’s situation.

Sumi Sakurasawa crying from the anime series Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season Episode 11
Sumi Sakurasawa crying

My best guess is that what Sumi understands is wanting to help someone she cares about, but not knowing how. Kazuya doesn’t know what he can do to help Chizuru. And Sumi doesn’t know what she can do to help Kazuya.

Now, something I was hoping for after Sumi held Kazuya’s hand was a kiss scene. We already got a Ruka kiss scene in Episode 10. That was spicy enough since Chizuru was in the other room. But, just imagine how spicy a Sumi kiss would be. That would be the big twist of the season.

Also, we need Sumi to become a real contender for Kazuya’s love. I like seeing the battle between Chizuru and Ruka. But, a true third option would make the series more interesting. And I don’t see Mami actually putting in the effort to get Kazuya to like her again.

Conclusion

What do you think of Rent-a-Girlfriend 2nd Season Episode 11? Did you like Sumi’s school uniform? Who do you think has a better shot at dating Kazuya right now, Sumi or Mami? And how long do you think it will be before we get a Sumi kiss scene? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 12 is available now.

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