Rent-a-Girlfriend’s Creator Responds to Dragon Ball Comments in Latest Controversy

Dragon Ball is undoubtedly one of the most influential anime series, inspiring countless titles over the years. Therefore, as a symbol of shōnen, Dragon Ball is often measured up against other mangas. However, to fans’ surprise, Dragon Ball has been dragged into a debate thanks to one of the most controversial rom-com mangas ever, Rent-A-Girlfriend.

At first glance, it might seem like Rent-A-Girlfriend can’t compare to that Dragon Ball or dare to surpass it. Yet, there’s a way Rent-A-Girlfriend has caught up with Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece: its length. This fact has not only been acknowledged by Rent-A-Girlfriend‘s creator, Reiji Miyajima, but he also commented on the manga’s criticisms, hinting at the reason behind Kazuya’s controversial relationship.

Rent-A-Girlfriend’s Creator Speaks Out About Getting Compared to Dragon Ball

Rent-A-Girlfriend just hit 42 volumes with its latest release. However, debate sparked after a fan highlighted that, with this new milestone, Rent-A-Girlfriend has matched the number of volumes in Dragon Ball‘s original manga. This controversy has been addressed by Reiji Miyajima in an X postwho stated that, before he noticed, the story had already reached that amount of volumes.

“The characters just wouldn’t move the way I wanted them to, and before I knew it, it had reached this many volumes”—Reiji Miyajima.

Although its first seasons were highly popular, Rent-A-Girlfriend has been criticized for its drawn-out story and the lack of progress in the relationship between Kazuya and Chizuru. While its author attributes the manga’s slow pace to the character’s natural development, saying it is beyond his control, Rent-A-Girlfriend is approaching 400 chapters with nothing to suggest its end is near.

Why Dragon Ball Fans Aren’t Wrong to Compare The Manga to Rent-A-Girlfriend

Even if it appears an absurd comparison, fans took advantage of it Rent-A-Girlfriend author’s comment to highlight how Dragon Ball may be an even better rom-com, as in its 519 chapters, Goku saved the world several times, got married, had children, and had a granddaughter.

Furthermore, other fans wanted to point out to the author how Rent-A-Girlfriend‘s story feels stagnant by comparing the current events of the manga to when Goku was traveling in the long Snake Way. Nevertheless, since the Rent-A-Girlfriend author doesn’t usually comment on the negative reactions to the manga, the comparison to Dragon Ball may have struck a chord with him.

Beyond its criticism, Rent-A-Girlfriend remains one of the most successful rom-com anime of recent years. With its latest volume, Rent-A-Girlfriend currently has 14 million copies in circulation worldwide. Furthermore, Rent-A-Girlfriend’s anime has been renewed for a fifth season, slated for 2026. So, even though Rent-A-Girlfriend may only surpass Dragon Ball in volumes, fans shouldn’t lose hope for the manga’s future.