"Jiangshi Yaemori is Too Cute!" Illustrator Kana Hirayama's Birthday Illustration for "Rent-A-Girlfriend" Character Receives Enthusiastic Response

Illustrator Kana Hirayama, who serves as the character designer for the anime "Rent-A-Girlfriend" and "Oshi No Ko," has updated her X account. She has published a birthday illustration of Mini Yaemori, a character appearing in the series, which has become a hot topic.

Hirayama posted the illustration along with the comment "This is Yaemori-san in a jiangshi costume. Happy Birthday!!" and the hashtag "#MiniYaemoriBirthday2026."

The image depicts Mini Yaemori in a jiangshi cosplay against a Chinese-style background. Her trademark blue-streaked hair is styled in braids, and the illustration impressively captures the characteristic jiangshi pose with both hands thrust forward, the talisman stuck on her head, and her smile showing her canine teeth.

In response to this post, fans have shared reactions such as "Mini-chan in jiangshi cosplay is super cute," "Happy birthday Mini-chan, wonderful illustration!," "Mini-chan in cosplay looks really good," and "Jiangshi Mini Yaemori is too cute."

"Rent-A-Girlfriend" is a romantic comedy centered around Kazuya Kinoshita (CV: Shun Horie), an indecisive college student, and Chizuru, a graceful and lovely rental girlfriend. Kazuya's destiny begins to move when he desperately applies for a rental girlfriend service after being dumped by his first girlfriend within a month. The series carefully depicts his interactions with unique heroines and how relationships that began with lies gradually transform into genuine emotions. The original manga boasts explosive popularity, surpassing 15 million copies in worldwide circulation. The anime's fifth season will begin broadcasting on April 10th.

(C)宮島礼吏・講談社／「彼女、お借りします」製作委員会2026