{"rewrite":{"id":"r_e425ecc9f2ae1c17a2d7d861","clusterId":"c_f1c80bda2bc9bfb2259ed305","slug":"rie-kugimiya-joins-100-girlfriends-season-3-cast-as-yaku-yakuzen","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Rie Kugimiya Joins 100 Girlfriends Season 3 Cast as Yaku Yakuzen","summary":"Rie Kugimiya has joined the cast of the third season of the anime adaptation of Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa's manga 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You. The official website announced the casting on Monday, revealing that Kugimiya plays Yaku Yakuzen, the grandmother of character Kusuri and the newest girlfriend of protagonist Rentaro Aijo. Yaku debuted in the season's eighth episode, which aired on Sunday. The season, which premiered on Tokyo MX on July 5, is directed by Hikaru Sato at Bibury Animation Studio, with scripts by Takashi Aoshima and character designs by Akane Yano. Other new cast members this season include Kaori Ishihara as Chiyo Iin, Ayana Taketatsu as Nadi, Hana Tamegai as Yamame Yasashiki, and Aoi Koga as Momiji Momi. The opening theme, 'Daisuki♡Zutto Eien ni♡' (I Love You♡Always and Forever♡), is performed by the Rentaro Family. The season is also airing on Sun TV and BS11, and is streaming on Crunchyroll. Seven Seas Entertainment releases the manga in English.","whyItMatters":"The casting confirms that the season will introduce a surprise girlfriend not featured in its opening or ending sequences, a pattern the show has used to keep manga readers guessing, as noted in a review of the episode.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe review of episode 32 notes the casting confirms a pattern the show has used all season: slipping in a surprise girlfriend who is not shown in the opening, ending, or marketing materials. The piece calls it \u0026#34;a fun game to play, keeping viewers guessing about what absurdities might be around the corner.\u0026#34;\n\nKugimiya\u0026#39;s Yaku is 89 years old and is the grandmother-in-law of Rentaro, which the review describes as \u0026#34;the rank outlandishness of the scenario.\u0026#34; The episode has Yaku decide to go along with the romance early in the meeting, but the review notes she does not take Rentaro seriously, and he \u0026#34;finally hits a paramourous barricade he can\u0026#39;t scale.\u0026#34; Yaku tells him she already experienced true romance in her youth and is ready for \u0026#34;a different kind of love.\u0026#34;\n\nThe episode ends with Yaku joining the rest of the girlfriends on the rooftop, and the ending sequence confirms her as a main cast member by inserting her into it. The review also flags a running background element of Iku realizing how much she craves Yamame\u0026#39;s strength. Music composition is handled by Shūhei Mutsuki, Shunsuke Takizawa (Trytonelabo), and eba at Lantis. The season premiered on Tokyo MX at 10:30 p.m. on July 5.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Rie Kugimiya joins 100 Girlfriends as Yaku Yakuzen, a grandmother turned girlfriend. The casting turns the show's harem premise into a three-generation romance, since Yaku is Kusuri's grandmother.","twitterPost":"Kugimiya's Yaku is a grandmother in a harem, making 100 Girlfriends a three-generation romance.","threadsPost":"Rie Kugimiya voices Yaku Yakuzen, Kusuri's grandmother and the newest girlfriend, in 100 Girlfriends season 3. The casting makes the harem span three generations, which is the kind of escalation the series is known for.","newsletterBlurb":"Rie Kugimiya joins the 100 Girlfriends anime as Yaku Yakuzen, an 89-year-old grandmother and Rentaro's newest soulmate. The character debuts in the season's eighth episode, which aired this Sunday, and the series continues to stream on Crunchyroll.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-23/100-girlfriends-who-really-really-really-really-really-love-you-season-3-casts-rie-kugimiya/.240890\",\"title\":\"100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 3 Casts Rie Kugimiya\"},{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-100-girlfriends-who-really-really-really-really-really-love-you-season-3/episode-32/.240887\",\"title\":\"The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 3 Episode 32\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":11857,"outputTokens":1396,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787869816,"createdAt":"2026-08-27T22:25:37.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-27T22:26:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-27T22:25:37.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_f1c80bda2bc9bfb2259ed305","canonicalTitle":"News\n'100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You' Season 3 Casts Rie Kugimiya","representativeArticleId":"a_e6371400a5077fcf5b8b72c0","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Rie Kugimiya\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-24T03:18:53.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-24T15:30:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-27T22:26:46.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-100-girlfriends-who-really-really-really-really-really-love-you-season-3/episode-32/.240887","title":"The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 3\nEpisode 32"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Rie Kugimiya"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Rie Kugimiya joined the cast of the third season of 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You as Yaku Yakuzen.","Yaku Yakuzen debuted in the third season's eighth episode, which aired on Sunday, August 23, 2026.","The third season premiered on Tokyo MX on July 5 at 10:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. EDT).","The season is directed by Hikaru Sato at Bibury Animation Studio, with scripts by Takashi Aoshima and character designs by Akane Yano.","The season is streaming on Crunchyroll."]}