Crunchyroll's 100 Girlfriends Is Its Most Controversial Romance, And It Just Crossed A Line

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Published Jul 8, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Joshua Edward Ryan Fox is a freelance writer for Screen Rant with a passion for pop culture. Joshua grew up in Connecticut where he developed an appreciation for writing and entertainment and has earned a Master's degree in professional writing and technical writing. His writing has been quoted by both the anime streaming site Crunchyroll and the anime YouTuber Gigguk.

Warning: Contains spoilers for The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You season 3, episode #1.The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You is easily one of the best romance anime on Crunchyroll. Not only does it completely subvert the typical conventions of a harem anime by committing to the harem from day one, but the series also puts a lot of time into developing both Rentaro’s romances with his girlfriends and the girls’ friendships with one another, which gives it far more depth and heart than its contemporaries. Add in consistently hilarious meta humor and pop culture references, and there’s no other anime like 100 Girlfriends in the best of ways.

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You is a romance anime unlike any other, but as good as it is, it hasn’t been without its share of controversies; many people hate it simply for being a harem anime, and with one of Rentaro’s girlfriends being both an adult and the mother of another one of his girlfriends, it’s not uncommon for people to completely write it off as trash. That’s only gotten worse with the season 3 premiere, as it’s now done something many people are calling unforgivable, and unfortunately, it’s hard to blame them.

How 100 Girlfriends Season 3 Crossed A Major Line For Anime Fans

Bibury Animation Studios' The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You just released its first episode of season 3, and that, of course, meant introducing a new girlfriend, Chiyo Iin. While everyone aside from Hahari had been close to Rentaro’s age, Chiyo was far younger than Rentaro at only 12 years old; that would be a problem in and of itself, but what made it even worse was that Chiyo is Rentaro’s cousin, and Chiyo’s father had spent years plotting to make them a couple.

While it’s technically legal for someone to marry their cousin in Japan, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s incest, which is largely seen as taboo for both medical reasons and the moral implications of it all. Add in how Chiyo is barely out of elementary school, and the season 3 premiere of 100 Girlfriends was quick to catch heat from old and new critics alike, with many feeling that even a show like it had finally gone too far.

Why 100 Girlfriends’ Latest Controversy Doesn’t Ruin The Anime

It’s very easy to see why people are so critical about Chiyo being the latest girlfriend in 100 Girlfriends, but it might not be as bad as people think. The nature of Rentaro and Chiyo’s relationship is very problematic, but the show is completely aware of that; when Chiyo becomes Rentaro’s soulmate, Rentaro breaks the fourth wall to ask the production committee if that’s really okay, and the weirdness of it all is repeatedly brought up in the episode, so the idea is obviously to make a joke out of something that would otherwise be disturbing.

That, of course, is nothing new for the series; Rentaro and Hahari’s relationship is arguably even weirder for having an even larger age gap; he's also dating Hahari’s daughter; and the fact that Rentaro has a harem at all crosses tons of lines. It's always been an anime that's gone too far, but it works because the show plays it for laughs and asks people not to think too hard about the negative implications of it all, and the same can be said about Rentaro dating his younger cousin.

Fans have every right to criticize 100 Girlfriends for making Rentaro’s 12-year-old cousin his latest girlfriend, but crossing ethical lines is nothing new for the anime, and considering its track record, even this won’t prevent it from delivering some great comedy and heart at every turn. The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You is just as exciting in its third season, and despite its recent controversy, it’s still more than deserving of a proper watch during the summer 2026 anime season.

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You releases new episodes Sundays on Crunchyroll.