Rent-A-Girlfriend: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Rent-A-Girlfriend: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 brings back the fan-favorite anime gem. Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 features animation production by TMS Entertainment (Case Closed, Lupin the 3^rd: Part 6). Created by Reiji Miyajima, Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 features theme song performances by halca (opening) and Amber's (ending).

Featuring production by Daiki Kakizaki (My Senpai Is Annoying, Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement), Hiroaki Yamazaki (Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start With Magical Tools, Jujutsu Kaisen), Tsutomu Tachibana (The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World, A Couple of Cuckoos), and Yuri Terao (Noragami Aragoto, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest), Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 features a voice-cast that includes Shun Horie, Sora Amamiya, Aoi Yūki, Nao Tōyama, and Rie Takahashi. Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 features the charm and wonder that audiences have come to love about the anime. And, of course, the romance at the heart of the series.

Kazuya Kinoshita (Shun Horie) has a new step to make in his relationship with Chizuru Mizuhara (Sora Amamiya). Kazuya has now decided to help Chizuru achieve her dreams of becoming a professional actress. In order for Kazuya to help her with these acting dreams, Kazuya decides to help with the financing. The role Kazuya takes is that of the producer of the project.

Using a combination of both crowdfunding and his own savings account, Kazuya goes out of his way to help make a dream coming true: make Chizuru’s movie. Now Chizuru can be the actress she always wanted to be. Now the question becomes – can the duo make things work in their relationship while working together on the new movie together?

Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 features character designs by Kanna Hirayama (Oshi no Ko, Selection Project). The character designs are well done. The designs certainly add something special to the production. An effective showcase for the character artwork. There is plenty to appreciate about the art of these unique character designs and what these attributes bring to the production.

The central cast of characters are important to the production, too. Kazuya Kinoshita and Chizuru Mizuhara are both charming characters. The series characters are undeniably nice and fun. The protagonists are enjoyable and it is easy to see why the characters became so popular with the enthusiastic fandom.

The animation is one of the most effective components of the series. Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 features art direction by Minoru Akiba (Grand Blue Dreaming, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea). The production features chief animation direction by Hikaru Suzuki (Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits-, Shadowverse Flame: Seven Shadows Arc) and Hiromi Ono (Yanbo, Ninbo, Tonbo, Kira Kira Happy Hirake! Cocotama). Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 brings a compelling visual style.

The animation is quite impressive and has a lot of wonder for fans to appreciate. The art style is compelling and has a sunny disposition that is a nice alternative to some of the darker-and-gloomier anime series. The style is a compelling and light-hearted one. The animators bring a sense of style to the series that is in tune with the previous seasons. The animation style is consistent. The art looks charming and fans will not find the artwork disappointing.

The cinematography by Shintaro Sakai (The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases, A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics) is well-done and an exceptional part of the production. The cinematography is strong and noteworthy. The cinematography is a top-notch part of the series. The visuals on the series are quite sophisticated – the cinematography showcases the wonder of the production with crisp imagery that shines.

The score composed by Hyadain (Yomawari Neko, Dangerous Jii-san Ja), Tadaaki Tsukada, Tomoyuki Ootake, and Yūsuke Itagaki (Santa Company) is an effective part of the series. The music is enjoyable. Airy, light, and carefree. The music provides a solid backdrop for the series sense of romantic-comedy fun. The background music certainly lifts the spirits of the production and adds a sense of charm to the whole.

Written by Mitsutaka Hirota (Bibliophile Princess, Sweet Reincarnation), Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 is a well-done effort by Hirota. Hirota has fun with the characters. The characters have charm and there is some fun with the dialogue and the sense of joy the writer brings to the series. These aspects of the series set it apart from other romantic-comedies and provides more enjoyable splendor for fans.

Directed by Shin'ya Une (Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! LOVE!, Teasing Master Takagi-san), Rent- a-Girlfriend: Season 3 brings wonder and charm in spades. Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 certainly has an impressive sense of joy. The joy is apparent on the production – a charm that is undeniable. This is an interesting aesthetic style for the production. Rent- a-Girlfriend: Season 3 brings more of the formula fans have come to expect.

Rent-A-Girlfriend: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. An impressively crisp and colorful presentation. The animation is bright and colorful. The vibrant animation is engaging and the background animation and line art add a lot to the presentation of the series. These vibrant aesthetic qualities pop in spades. The series art style is well reproduced and there is plenty to appreciate about the effort.

The presentation benefits from the encoding of physical media. Physical media provides a superior option. The Blu-ray release provides superior video encoding compared to streaming services. A presentation with higher video bit-rates compared to streaming services. Streaming services tend to offer lower quality video with a more compressed image. Not only is there a more compressed image but streaming has other variables that can impact presentation – even the occasional dip in a internet stream from the quality of a router or the quality of the internet connection.

Rent-A-Girlfriend: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release preserves the sound direction by Hajime Takakuwa (Princess Resurrection, The Quintessential Quintuplets the Movie). The lossless audio is crisp and pleasing on the release. The English 5.1 surround sound option provides a somewhat more robust sounding audio option with the surround channels expanding the soundstage for the score and sound effects. The Japanese language option is going to please fans wanting the original version in its pristine glory. These elements are well worthwhile.

Blu-ray has a distinct advantage compared to streaming services. Streaming video services are limited to lossy (non-lossless) audio quality. For audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts, there is a clear and distinct advantage to the lossless audio option provided on physical media. Lossless audio can be an improved experience with a crisper amount of detail. For those wanting to eek out every bit of data, there can be an improvement to be had and it is a distinct difference from streaming.

Rent-A-Girlfriend: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with an o-card slipcover. The o-card slipcover has a nice and unique cover-art that adds to the release. The slipcover artwork is distinct from the artwork underneath the slipcover.

The difference between the two key artworks gives the impression of "dual artwork" on the packaging. These packaging qualities add something nice to the release and make it something with more value for collectors. The slip certainly enhances the collectability of the release and it will look even nicer on a shelf and in the hands of collectors. Collectors often cherish slipcovers and it can be the difference between a purchase or a pass on occasion.

The on disc supplements include:

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:31)

Unfortunately, the release has a lackluster supplemental package. The bonus features don't add much value to the collection. The Blu-ray release could have benefited significantly from a more well-rounded supplemental package. The release could have used audio commentaries, photo galleries, cast/crew interviews, production featurettes, and more. These sorts of extras can help add significant value. Fans often pass on releases with average or lackluster supplemental packages and decide to stream instead as a one-and-done.

Rent-A-Girlfriend: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rent-a-Girlfriend: Season 3 is a charming and cute anime. The series has colorful animation and wonderful production aesthetics. The cinematography shines well on the release. The production is certainly impressive in spades and fans will want to come back for more.

The Blu-ray release features a solid high-definition presentation. The release also includes a nice lossless audio presentation. The release comes with a nice o-card slipcover, too. The slipcover is only available with the first print run. Unfortunately, bonus features are lackluster and add little value to the release. Fans who want a permanent copy for their collection may still wish to indulge and make a purchase. Recommended.