Rental Family

American actor Phillip Vandarploeug lives in Japan where he constantly searches for a solid acting job, following his success in a toothpaste commercial. He is stuck doing minor bit parts when his agent suddenly gets him a job for an “experience”, but doesn’t tell him much else. Phillip learns he has been hired by Rental Family, a company that specializes in helping people who need to make a connection. Its employees include owner Shinji Tada, and two other actors Aiko Nakajima and Kota Nakano. While reluctant due to its rather absurd premise, Phillip takes the job as the company’s “token white guy” since he needs the money.

Phillip’s first job is to pretend to be the fiancé of a woman named Yoshie. Yoshie is actually a lesbian, already married, and wants to perform a traditional wedding for her parents before she and her wife leave for Canada. Despite nearly backing out, Phillip commits and finds the experience rewarding. Phillip takes two additional jobs. The first involves pretending to be the estranged American father to a young Hāfu girl named Mia, as her mother Hitomi needs his help in getting her enrolled in a private school. Mia hates her “father”, but Phillip convinces her to spend time with him. The second job involves Phillip pretending to be a journalist profiling retired actor Kikuo Hasegawa, who is kept under constant surveillance by his daughter Masami. Phillip quickly bonds with him, but later learns that he has dementia.

As Phillip’s new job allows him to make connections with other lonely people, he also begins to form a strong connection with Mia and Kikuo. When Phillip’s agent tells him that he won a highly coveted role, Phillip turns it down for Mia’s sake. However, Hitomi warns Phillip about getting too close to her daughter and is offended when he points out that she has Mia’s whole life mapped out for her. Additionally, Masami doesn’t want Kikuo to go anywhere as she is concerned for his health and Phillip sadly turns down Kikuo’s offer to visit his childhood home. Phillip also learns that some of Aiko’s jobs involve her pretending to be a mistress apologizing to wives of unfaithful husbands, which occasionally results in her being physically abused. Phillip is reluctant to lose the connections he has made, despite Shinji telling him that it is part of the business.

Following the successful interview, Phillip sadly tells Mia that he must return to the United States. His time with her convinces him to help Kikuo with his mission of visiting his childhood home in the country, now overtaken by nature. Kikuo finds an old buried box full of photos and mementos and thanks Phillip for taking him. Shinji calls Phillip and angrily berates him for “kidnapping” Kikuo, but Phillip accuses him of being a hypocrite for using Rental Family not to make connections, but to instead soullessly fill empty holes. It is later revealed that Shinji uses the Rental Family service himself by having a fake wife and teenage son. Kikuo collapses from exhaustion and Phillip rushes him to the hospital. He is later arrested and detained due to taking him in the first place.

Mia later learns Phillip’s true identity when her friend finds out that he was in a Japanese TV movie. She is initially upset and angry with her mother for lying to her, but soon forgives her, knowing that she didn’t want to hurt her. Aiko finally stands up to Shinji. She and Kota pretend to be lawyers so that they can try to get Kikuo to admit to what actually happened. Shinji, having had a change of heart, also shows up posing as a police detective. Phillip is released and thanks them for helping him. Sometime afterwards, Phillip learns that Kikuo has passed away in his sleep and attends his funeral, with Aiko, Shinji, and Kota attending as well.

Phillip meets up with Mia, who was accepted into her new school. While upset, she quickly forgives him and the two continue to spend time together as friends. Phillip continues working for Rental Family, which discontinues its practice of “apology services” that led to Aiko’s abuse, and he prays at the shrine where Kikuo once did during one of their usual sessions.

Last Updated: November 25, 2025 at 11:27