I just finished reading volumes 4 and 5 of Renge to Naruto (れんげとなると！), which we discussed in a post a few days ago. The developments took a serious turn for once, giving depth to Shiori by developing her backstory in detail and showing exactly what she was thinking.
It turns out Shiori was mistreated by her mother during high school, and likely earlier as well, because her body matured at a young age. Her mother called her "indecent," leading Shiori to seek validation by seducing others and convincing them to compromise their relationships or positions for her.
Shinji was selected as her next target to see if she could pull him away from Renge. She managed to lure him into a hotel by faking being drunk, but Shinji repeatedly refused her, and the encounter ended without anything happening. This experience changed her perspective, and she is now interested in Shinji in a more "normal" way, as seen in her confession at the church later in the volume. Shinji is unaware of all this and think she just forgot everything due to being drunk.
We also get more insight into Shinji’s past. It appears the source of his insecurity lies with his mother, who always downplayed his chances of success by projecting her own situation onto him. This has been exacerbated now that she has returned to ask him for financial help, making it harder for him to pursue his university dream.
Thanks to Renge, however, he manages to find the willpower to keep trying despite these problems popping up. Dreams will not come true unless you try, and Renge’s effort to keep her grandmother’s Chinese restaurant open is living proof of that.
We also get a small segment featuring a cute date between Shinji and Renge, who sports a new look that makes her even more adorable. During this segment, they help an old woman see her "first love" again, an old man who owns a fish shop, and learn that the woman was a friend of Renge’s grandmother.
Before leaving, the woman mentions that Renge’s grandmother had a fight with her daughter. This helps Renge realize that it was not that her grandmother didn't want to reach out; rather, the fight simply made it impossible for her to be involved with Renge anymore.
Overall, the series is becoming more and more interesting as it goes beyond the fanservice and begins touching on serious topics. I am now quite invested in knowing if Shinji will manage to enter university to study archaeology and dinosaurs, as well as the romantic angle between him and Renge.
Shiori and Ryou are proving to be good side characters, and it looks like we are going to get a new female employee for the restaurant. I wonder what kind of dynamic this character will add to the story and if she will be supportive or negative toward the relationship between Renge and Shinji.
I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. The sixth volume is slated to be released in March 2026, and I will be waiting for it.
