《Rental Girlfriend》 Live-Action Version: Who Plays Chizuru Mizuhara? An In-Depth Analysis of Her Physical Charms

“Rental Girlfriend” Live-Action Trend: Cross-Media Presentation from Manga to Screen

The popular manga “Rental Girlfriend” (Kanojo, Okarishimasu), created by Reiji Miyajima, has accumulated a large number of fans worldwide with its unique “rental relationship” setting and complex character relationships. This work has not only been adapted into an anime version but has also extended into the live-action field in recent years, including a live-action Japanese TV drama series and special promotional videos, allowing characters like “Mizuhara Chizuru” to step out of the two-dimensional world and appear before the audience in a more concrete form. One of the most concerning questions for everyone is: Who plays the live-action version of Mizuhara Chizuru?

Japanese Drama Version of “Rental Girlfriend”: Hiyori Sakurada Plays Mizuhara Chizuru

In July 2022, the live-action Japanese drama version of “Rental Girlfriend” officially aired in Japan, bringing the story from the manga to the television screen. The role of the female lead, Mizuhara Chizuru (also known as Ichinose Chizuru), is played by the young Japanese actress — Hiyori Sakurada (Sakurada Hiyori).

The casting of Hiyori Sakurada sparked considerable discussion at the time. As a young and promising actress, she co-starred with Ryusei Onishi (Onishi Ryusei), a member of the Johnny’s idol group “Naniwa Danshi,” who plays the male lead Kinoshita Kazuya, together portraying this complex romance that begins with a rental relationship47. Many fans had mixed reactions to the casting; some felt that their images differed somewhat from the original characters, while others looked forward to the actors bringing new vitality to the roles7.