[Oshi no Ko] 【推しの子】

2023 spring | Episodes: 11 | Score: 8.6 (539294)

Updated every Wednesdays at 23:00 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Delfi Sound | Shueisha | CyberAgent | Kadokawa

Streaming: HIDIVE | Akiba Pass TV | Ani-One Asia | Anime Digital Network | Aniplus TV

Synopsis

In the entertainment world, celebrities often show exaggerated versions of themselves to the public, concealing their true thoughts and struggles beneath elaborate lies. Fans buy into these fabrications, showering their idols with undying love and support, until something breaks the illusion. Sixteen-year-old rising star Ai Hoshino of pop idol group B Komachi has the world captivated; however, when she announces a hiatus due to health concerns, the news causes many to become worried. As a huge fan of Ai, gynecologist Gorou Amemiya cheers her on from his countryside medical practice, wishing he could meet her in person one day. His wish comes true when Ai shows up at his hospital—not sick, but pregnant with twins! While the doctor promises Ai to safely deliver her children, he wonders if this encounter with the idol will forever change the nature of his relationship with her. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Han, Megumi

Takahashi, Rie

Igoma, Yurie

Ootsuka, Takeo

Uchiyama, Yumi

News

Reviews

alexnorette
07/25/2024, 08:52 PM
"Oshi no Ko" is an extraordinary anime that transcends typical genre boundaries, delivering a mesmerizing blend of drama, mystery, and social commentary. It captivates from the very first episode and continues to enthrall with its profound storytelling, complex characters, and striking visuals. The narrative follows the life of Aquamarine and Ruby, twins with an unusual and tragic backstory tied to the dark side of the entertainment industry. Their journey is one of seeking truth, uncovering secrets, and navigating the perilous world of fame and stardom. The plot is masterfully crafted, weaving together intense emotional moments, shocking twists, and thought-provoking themes that keep viewers on the edgeof their seats. The characters in "Oshi no Ko" are nothing short of remarkable. Aqua and Ruby, each with their unique strengths and vulnerabilities, drive the story forward with their deep personal motivations and evolving relationships. The supporting cast is equally compelling, adding richness and depth to the narrative. The character development is handled with great care, making every interaction meaningful and impactful. Visually, "Oshi no Ko" is a feast for the eyes. The animation is top-notch, with vibrant colors and detailed character designs that bring the story to life. The artistic direction effectively captures the contrasting atmospheres of the glamorous yet ruthless entertainment world and the characters' more intimate, personal moments. The music, too, is exceptional, enhancing the emotional resonance and dramatic intensity of the series. One of the most commendable aspects of "Oshi no Ko" is its willingness to tackle complex and often uncomfortable themes. It provides a sharp critique of the entertainment industry, addressing issues like exploitation, media manipulation, and the personal costs of fame. The series encourages viewers to reflect on these realities while still delivering an engaging and entertaining narrative. In conclusion, "Oshi no Ko" is a must-watch anime that stands out for its brilliant storytelling, richly developed characters, and powerful thematic exploration. It is a series that will leave a lasting impression, sparking both emotional and intellectual engagement. Whether you're a seasoned anime fan or new to the genre, "Oshi no Ko" is an experience not to be missed. Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Pennisland
05/07/2024, 02:20 PM
I'll keep this review short. You can't make a show criticizing the entertainment industry yet have every aspect of the show pander to it and the anime industry. It's like you took all of the surefire hit trends in the anime community and slapped in with a song that's just asking to trend on TikTok. Why is there a harem? Just why?????? Did we really need a love triangle? Why is there pandering to mommy kinks? I feel like every positive aspect of this show is just nullified by the fact that I just can't immerse myself in the ethos/pathos of the story when it feelsit is constantly contradicting itself for the sake of commercial success. Also, the portrayal of suicide in the show left a really bad taste in my mouth. Just everything from how lazily it was set up to how Akane requires a man to redeem her self-worth. Just disgusting.
keirashii
12/12/2023, 12:51 PM
This review contains minor spoilers. To this day I fail to understand how Oshi no Ko not only managed to be crowned as the highest rated anime of all time but also with a peak score of 9.32 and, currently at the time of writing this review, a score of 8.73, ranking 48th of all time; I fail to understand it, as Oshi no Ko fails tremendously in dealing with its central themes. It is impressive how an anime from this very year is already outdated in comparison to an anime that deals with similar themes, such as Perfect Blue, which came out 25 YEARS AGO;this last work is written in a much more intelligent, mature and interesting way, it is a visionary, thought-provoking anime and a masterpiece in comparison to the concert of mediocrity that Oshi no Ko offers in every sense, an anime that is dedicated to absolute mediocrity and to criticize the consumerism that this same anime uses in its favor. It is ironic how the show that pretends to show the consumerism in the entertainment industry and the superficial falsehood of entertainers is at the same time a huge waifu collection with a flat as an ironing board personality and with a 2cute4you design destined to sell dakimakuras and produce merchandise; it is also a show that goes from pretending to deal with serious issues to being a melodramatic drama of teenagers soaked in embarrassing & poorly-timed humour with shock value added for morbid curiosity. This show assumes that the audience is stupid and it overexplains absolutely everything with idiotic platitudes; fragile, vapid and completely harmless. Oshi no Ko criticizes what Oshi no Ko itself does, this anime commits the same sins that it condemns in its plot and I believe that this hypocrisy cannot go unnoticed. Oshi no Ko tries to be self-aware, it aspires to be an anime that tells you about how fake the entertainment industry is and how their only objective is to make money when this anime does this very thing in a blatant way. It tries to be serious, cynical, mocking and provocative but falls short in any way. Oshi no Ko is food for people who want to feel superficially satisfied and feel "aware" of much-more complicated and real issues, this anime feeds people a digested, ridiculous version of enormous, real-life problems. Not only does Oshi no Ko bastardize such a complex issue as abuse on the Idol and entertainment industry, it also fucks up bullying and harassment in a specific arc. I'll start with the famed episode one, which boasts the length of basically a movie and was the main reason this anime managed to claim the number one spot on this page. It begins with an off-key dialogue of a narrator exclaiming "This story is a fictional work; in fact, almost everything in this world is fiction. They fabricate, exaggerate and cover up every minute detail that does not fulfill their narrative. Therefore, fans love to be cleverly lied to. In this world, lies are weapons." at this moment, from the very first second, the anime is covered with a pretentious and insulting attitude; exclaiming things that are already common knowledge to all those who consume any kind of entertainment and that are absolutely clear in this time; it is not even said in a way that incites an interesting point of view or even becomes provocative, it is already obvious and not worth mentioning. Saying obvious facts and being tremendously bland and pretentious is a common theme of Oshi no Ko; it is an anime that tells you "fire burns" and it stands there, with a sly little smile, as if it has unveiled a hidden truth in the industry, when the depravity and darkness of the entertainment industry is something well-known, something that has been continuously fought against and a degenerate sewer which goes much deeper than this anime presents; the attitude of this show and its attempts to be provocative are not only insulting, but it also fails miserably at being thought-provoking or rebellious. After this show of pretentiousness where they tell you that water is wet, they proceed to introduce for the first time our protagonist; Gorou Anemiya, a degenerate otaku doctor obsessed with underage girls (this is his comedy gag for the next 30 minutes and his only personality traits) and Hoshino Ai, who is the most notorious talent of the idol group called "B Komachi" and is clearly the light of the stage; Hoshino Ai also a character who offers no interesting insights into her occupation as such an acclaimed idol and sets out to make exposition dumps and regurgitate information that a viewer already knows or can deduce for themselves. Episode one furthermore consists of a miserable comedic tone, like when the nurse mocks Gotou by calling him a pedophile..., after the death of a girl from cancer, I don't think it's a good time to insert comedy. Anyways, the two of them revive as Hoshino Ai's twins and this is something I find funny; it's a supernatural element of resurrection suddenly inserted in an anime that pretends to represent the harsh reality, something supernatural that never comes back and just happens without reasonable explanation within what this anime is; also, are you going to tell me that in 16 years that the two of them lived together nothing ever came out about this in this regard? Not only this, Oshi no Ko as a whole suffers from tone problems; its dark atmosphere pretends to uncover raw facts about the industry but it comes off as pretentious, clumsy, obvious, and the light humorous moments are embarrassing and mainly repeat the same comedy gags over and over again. The cast of characters in Oshi no Ko is tremendously bland and one-dimensional; none of them are relatable, they don't feel realistic and are absolute clichés. Each of them spits out the same platitudes about the entertainment industry constantly, without any interesting or thought-provoking additions to prompt the viewer to think or have a new point of view. From the edgelord gigachad 50000 IQ galaxy brain of Aquamarine Hoshino, who is surely the worst character in this anime (which is saying a lot) and who undertakes a ridiculous Walmart Death Note style cat and mouse story; while this is going on, every now and then Aqua turns to the camera, in edgelord 50000 IQ mode and tells the viewer for the fifth hundredth time "the entertainment industry is fake................ all of these people have a facade and they hide all the details that would ruin their narrative........" and the camera focuses on him as if he were the Albert Einstein of anime or the revolutionary of the industry, when the things he says are not only observable and deductible to the viewer by themselves, but, again, are OBVIOUS things that have already been repeated a million times over. Perhaps I am too cynical and pessimistic, but it is a fact that most famous people in entertainment hide dirt under their carpets and there are probably still many degenerates to be uncovered, it is something already assumed, much deeper and known. They introduce Ruby Hoshino who is a classy cliché idol and essentially resurrected Ai Hoshino, Kana Arima who is the talented actress and who, like Aquamarine, spews out expositions of information all the time about painfully obvious things and Akane Kurokawa, a girl who is SO tormented; everyone hates her and talks bad about her because she is SO talented and SO hardworking, everyone talks bad about her and of course the one who should help her is Aquamarine, there is no one else in her life who cares about her more than the protagonist. Anime as a medium often sins of treating bullying as a topic so extremely superficial that it hurts, and Oshi no Ko is no different from them; the bullying towards Akane is treated in an incredibly shallow and flat way, and it's all so bland it's disgusting, her mental health is also treated in an incredibly shallow way and I feel like this character is just made as a plot device to make Aquamarine into a hero and of course after he helped her she proceeds to fall in love, everyone knows the best way to romance the galaxy 50000 IQ brain gigachad is to pretend you're his mother, that's totally something a person would do. I didn't mention Mem-Cho because she is so flat that I can't consider her a character. Oshi no Ko is nothing more than a brick wall with pretty paint, it's pure style over substance and offers nothing new. It is the same stuff puked again on the table, it is a melodramatic and ridiculous teen drama with an immature revenge story pasted as a stamp on top and I'm convinced it's one of the most overrated anime to come out lately; it's immature in its execution and treatment of its core themes. What did I like about Oshi no Ko? The animation looks decent.., there really isn't much else, it's all style over substance, there's nothing here for the taking that's anything fresh. Oshi no Ko does what Oshi no Ko criticizes, it's a rebellious pretense that goes nowhere and is a vomit of common knowledge about the ceptic pit that is the celebrity world, Oshi no Ko's criticism of the idol and entertainment industry comes off as lukewarm and fragile; there is nothing of real value, this show is steeped in superficiality, pretentiousness and immaturity. For a show that deals with Oshi no Ko's core themes in a better way there is Perfect Blue, which is a million times better in every way; more mature, better directed, better written, better atmosphere, improved in every way, and that came out in 1998, Oshi no Ko could only DREAM of still staying relevant 25 years later. It feels like a show with no soul or essence behind it, it's something without substance and completely bland in nature. It's a show that deals with its themes in an immature way and which fails in all its attempts to provoke the viewer, which turns into a melodramatic anime of teenagers in a high school with extremely one-dimensional characters with super ridiculous revenge story stamps, which at the same time pretends that the viewer is left amazed; but in reality it is nothing more than a compilation of mediocrity, edgyness and obvious platitudes. Not only this, it is also a crude way to make money at the expense of a real problem using marketable character designs and dumb, easily digestible episodes and plot, do not let Aka Akasaka cook.
Tablekun
11/23/2023, 06:25 PM
I finally came around to watching what many dubbed "Anime of the Year". I was skeptical then, and by the end of it, this is not AOTY. It is good, enjoyable, with a great prologue episode, which hooked me, but the story is plagued by a 10 episode aftermath of the prologue, which fails to stay focused. I get that this anime is building towards something, but this is why I absolutely hate half seasons, or cours or whatever you want to call it. We have seen what can be done in 10, 12, or 13 episodes with other series thatknock it out of the park. Oshi no Ko doesn't lend itself to settling a score, and instead focuses on a long game strategy to build this anime over a period of time. This is fine, and I'm sure once it has built upon this foundation, it will turn out great. Going off of these 11 episodes, I have to say the story could have been more substantial, something important could have been done for a cliffhanger. The biggest happening of the series was episode 1, and then the series has a bit of an identity crisis. Is it a mystery, slice of life, harem? Yes, it's all of the above, but doesn't stay in a lane. If this was a 24-26 episode proper season, maybe we would have gotten that substantial cliffhanger, or something to really bring this story together. As of now, it's not there for me. Animation 10/10 - Absolutely beautiful eye candy as Frill would say. Sound 10/10 - Great music, and voice acting. Story 3/10 - Lacks focus, trading its story for character development for later seasons. Characters 8/10 - Great characters and development, but Ruby is third string to Kana, which doesn't make sense to me. She is the first character the author asks you to care about, and by the end of the season, she is almost a background character. Enjoyment 7/10 - Despite my perceived flaws of the show, I had no trouble watching it, and enjoyed every episode except ep 2. I have mixed feelings recommending a series like this, because it's clear, this anime intends to drop multiple seasons, and IMO a series like this should be enjoyed in binge fashion, especially when the first season fails to deliver substantial plot development. If you are okay with the start/stop fashion of cours, then I recommend it.
kingofthanks
11/22/2023, 05:52 AM
So I checked the this anime recently over top on my animelist so I sit down and watched this show to the end I mean watching it like a owl in the night but after I feel ashamed what I watched a grown ass otakus reincarnated into a 16 old girls sons the plot makes no. So many plot holes in this anime how the director accepts the aqua to host a actor in the show without parents signature or guardians signature to let their child act but no,oh my god the waifus is so sexy man kana🎂mim cho🍨Ruby🍺oh wow what a pair of boobs andtits shit🤦 I think this is going to be an interesting murder mystery because the first episode was not good but ok but the rest of the are free fall to garbage girls falling for the main character as usualy for silly reasons. Every girl is so sexy dude oh my god this idiots take their tissues ready before watching this. I mean the main character is so edgy and unrelatable I tried to relate but I can't the side characters are trash all one dimensional garbage why these girls have no personality other than embarrassing and simp for main character why every girls in this show used for simp the main character man their goals are confusing. It becames a waifu war highschool drama who gonna be with aqua themain character oh my god it's super fun. It's confusing this show is trying to show positive or negative traits of the entertainment industry because every character has always sad and it's so annoying bro. You are a actor and actress why are you depressed you know what you are doing in your life to get money and cheat people with your sexy boobs and body but why do I have to care about you. You are doing this for money right every people in ordinary life has struggles than this actors you are payed off a huge amount of money even you acted a one movie but an ordinary person struggles everyday and we get less profit from that why should we care about this girls doing this for money and they can't stop doing it👎🤦 Drama is worst nothing worked even I don't cried when ai hoshino died because the anime lacks and dramatalogy they where talking talking enough.🥱😢 Not a single scene is emotional or relatable think about this for a example if a anime fails any dramatalogy how many hours can a anime hold you kana please don't simp for aqua do something protective. Characters are boring these lack depth I mean the character kana the anime forced me to like her but it did not work for me every character has cliche sob backstory how are we going to care about them bro why don't you give a full episode to explore a character's feeling without a cliche that would be perfect I think but every backstorys cut and another cut stop it ok. Music is average the ost the op end ending is pedophile. The anime was popular for pedophile content for Ai hosino dropping her big tits into a baby's mouth and the baby happily sucks her breast and I checked the reaction to people reacting to this it's just disgusting man the people's reaction to this scene is what in the world are we in there is no protection for girls🌍 The characters motivations are one dimensional you tried to make kana sympathetic repeating her cliched backstorys again and again but it doesn't add up dog. The final episode was a rivalry between akane and kana who pair up with aqua I thought I was watching a drama for emotional connect between characters but what we ordered but what we got a tons of cute and sexy waifus with big tits. Why there's no other male character has depth why was only one main character in this show presented because he's the protagonist like mother fuckers this show is full of waifus how am I supposed to relate to a waifus why can't you add a additional male character like kaguya sama why bro please add a one best male character other than aqua please. Overall I think this show is pretty dump I don't ever wait for the season 2 and watch this trash boring,one dimensional characters,I hate kana and aqua annoying as shit I can't stand their loving back an fourth anymore💩👎thank you for reading comment🌍😘
eksratu
07/03/2023, 05:04 PM
The characters played off each other well. I thought the story moved forward without rushing. And the art style, animation, and overall production quality all impressed me. I really enjoyed this first season and would highly recommend watching it. I had only two major complaints. First, the twins' interactions felt somewhat unrealistic--I thought they were too sparse and inconsequential to be believable. Ruby and Aqua somehow avoided learning anything about each other for an entire decade and a half. Brothers and sisters growing up together should have a tremendous impact on each other's lives, reincarnation notwithstanding. And second, I disliked the transitions between the serious, mystery-drivenscenes and the slice-of-life showbiz scenes. While the scenes themselves were individually engaging, Oshi no Ko neglected its larger plot. The show thrives on being a revenge story and simultaneously a deep dive into the entertainment world, so I wouldn't want a story that is only one of those halves, but I was still left wondering if there was a better way to split the difference.
veroubri
06/30/2023, 09:35 PM
aaah... I really wanted to enjoy this anime as much as it was hyped and God knows how I really waited for that to happen but in the end, it just felt flat and I was a little disappointed. I will not go into an in-depth review but I will touch on the main key points that stood out to me without trying to spoil anything. I will start by saying despite a few comments I saw later online the first episode was by far the best episode of the whole season which now, looking at the whole picture is a little sad. Despite being the bestepisode of the season it had a few issues starting with the pacing, In an hour and a half we felt like we knew something but at the same time also nothing bout the characters. Ai who seemed to be an airhead but also a loving person has an almost complete change of character in the last five minutes of the episode. Bringing me to my next point, the complete disregard for the "show, don't tell" rule. The show seemed to compensate for its lack of emotional impact or sufficient world-building with the dumping of information (which in my opinion does not seem relevant) to somehow make us sympathetic towards the characters. The best way for us to relate to a character in a way is to be able to go through whatever pain they went through. Instead of being spoon-fed. A show who succeeded perfectly in doing so will be fruits basket (well at least in the first two seasons) PS: I don't want to talk about the third season. Anyway... by bringing us into this character's world, by drawing us into his mind we are able to understand why he feels the way he feels. Are his actions warranted? and even if they are stupid do they make sense to him? A very good example is Thorfinn in Vinland Saga seasons 1 and 2. His way of acting is triggered by the internal conflict happening inside of him so whether he acts out of revenge or decides he has no enemies we can feel empathetic towards him even though we do not fully agree on one decision or the other. The point is he feels painfully real. And yes every anime will still be an anime in its own delusional way but the point here is, in attempting to make a deep plot and character-based anime the character should at least have some depth. The most disappointing point of this whole show was the lack of direction in this story. The story hooked me up with the premise of a revenge-murder mystery. Which I was expecting after watching the first episode but then it turns into a slice of life but not really but also a dive into the dark side of the entertainment industry but not so deep to see some real substance and since there is a lack of proper direction the main point plot (which was getting revenge) gets relayed to the second plan. We see less and less of the main character and get distracted with futilities wondering if they are relevant to the whole picture The whole story nevertheless has some potential and just needs to be well executed. Aside from that, the story is watchable but do not expect it to be as awesome as it was depicted on Tiktok(which seems to be extremely biased for some reason). Matter of fact I think if you intend to watch it start with the second episode and end with the first. Aside from all the above the animation and sound is quite decent and it can be quite enjoyable without a high expectation.
Tiago_Vaz_007
06/29/2023, 04:54 PM
I was reluctant to watch it and started believing it wouldn't be worth anything, but I ended the season knowing it was one of the best works ever created by mankind. I guarantee strong emotions and lessons on how to make a good anime. This is one of the hardest reviews I've ever written. Since it is easy and good to talk about the mistakes, the difficult thing is to communicate the successes and to criticize an almost perfect anime is a challenge. Therefore, I will focus on what I consider the strongest points of this anime, which make it so loved and recognized, which isprecisely being able to convey a lot of emotion and content. Most critics try not to talk about emotions, because it is something subjective and stigmatized by society, but the truth is that this is the soul of this industry. What makes someone offer the most valuable thing that human beings have, which is time? Above all, this is what entertainment is based on. It doesn't matter a high complexity, something outlandish, something innovative, something extremely realistic. Absolutely having all these things means nothing if they can't convey emotion, because that's what the directors want and what the public wants. Like critical, artistic and cultural values, they are secondary, often temporal and, despite not being labeled as such, have greater degrees of subjectivity than things that transmit emotions. One of the trademarks of this work is that in all episodes, or almost all, they close with a climax, leaving a suspense that captivates the interest for the continuation. Some will say that this hook technique is old and that's true, but it works and few works managed to perform as well in as many episodes as this one. It is also something that, because it is no longer so usual, and not done correctly in anime, seems innovative. It was obviously a great job by the director of series composition who knew how to divide the material of the episodes well. Merit not only from this director of composition, but from the whole team, because I read the manga and these scenes would not have the same weight without the right choice of music, framing, rhythm, colors, shadows and incrementing more frames . Animated art enables greater sensory sensations, therefore it has more possibilities to provoke emotions. However, I got to know the plot before watching most of the episodes and the story is addictive in itself. As much as the anime team has many merits and great achievements, I must recognize that the author of the source material and the manga artist had the greatest contribution. The characters in this story make us empathize with them, to the point that we have their desires, their anxieties, their anger and their sadness. One of the biggest marks for us to know if the characters are good is when the work manages to put us in them and feel with them. These characters also have full arcs, but they're good essentially because they move us. The most impactful scenes in order are: All the scenes in the final part of the 1st episode are spectacular and that's what sells the work the most. I just need to comment that there was something missing from the manga during the death of a character and that if it had been shown in the anime it would have avoided some silly criticism. The scene at the end of the 7th episode, without any exaggeration, I watched it again at least a hundred times because it was so good and so emotional. Interesting that it's not that different in the manga, but the little they've changed improves it tremendously. They made a simple scene look grandiose with just a camera movement, shadows and a very accurate soundtrack. It may not be the most impactful, but it's my favorite. After that scene, I couldn't help but recognize that this anime was a masterpiece. The scenes at the end of the 10th episode, improved absurdly compared to the manga. Well, it was extended, the dialogues were deeper, the scenery was changed, they made new framings, put shading that didn't exist, gave spectacular colors and put a fantastic soundtrack. If the scene in episode seven made me recognize that this anime is a masterpiece, the one in episode ten made me place this anime in the top ten of all time. This scene was so deep and moved me so much that I cried from beginning to end, it gave me satisfaction and a constant smile. Furthermore, if I could retouch the Mona Lisa I would just put more layers with more detail in this beautiful photograph. The scene at the end of the 8th episode was also improved in the anime due to framing and the use of camera movement. Naturally, the plot would make this scene empathetic, with a somewhat sad tone followed by one of satisfaction, but the work made it more dramatic with the character's great facial expressions. At the end of the 9th episode there was an addition of a clip with an entire song, which in the manga this was only represented by a comic. It certainly enriches the work, but as much as I see value in it, what really impacts me is Kana's part. So maybe it turned out better in the manga, because without that clip in the middle of the scene they contrasted better. The scene at the end of the 6th episode has something very heavy, it couldn't not be impactful, but I preferred it much more in the manga because they left the character hysterical and also the soundtrack was not the best choice. A curiosity is that I saw a youtuber who hates the work comment that this episode was unreal, artificial. Only for him to break down soon after, when the manifestations of a mother criticizing the work for accomplishing something very similar to the real case of her daughter came to light. The scenes at the end of the 5th episode, I think it goes without saying that Pieyon's music video went viral, many people sharing, many people doing a live-action version, even Ruby's Japanese interpreter participated in one of these versions. Overall I enjoyed this scene, but the anime didn't use the same framing as the manga and the clip was a little weird. Thoughts in the form of speech also messed up the scene in the anime. The one with the manga writer getting emotional in the 4th episode, it's the kind of scene with content, with a critical value, but what's more important is how it's conveyed. The character conveys the emotion of watching an adaptation of her manga and we cry watching her cry. It was great! The scene at the end of the 3rd episode was great, because it gave the protagonist stage presence, made him imposing and generated suspense for the continuation of it that would come at the beginning of the next episode. For me this was the part that turned the key on that it would not be just a prologue and that I needed to raise the grade of the work. I also saw a youtuber complaining that the ending scene of episode three should have been a little further on. The problem is that it wouldn't generate a cliffhanger for a continuation and this scene later on is the one at the beginning of episode four that wasn't as good as it could have been. The fact is that they wanted to increase things that took away from the great grandeur that the scene of the fourth episode has in the manga. In this scene in the manga, the protagonist conveys much more the idea that he is doing a very talented performance, being in fact a star. Nor is it just a matter of passing on the idea, it is about doing it with the assurance that you will do something brilliant. This is extraordinary! The concert scene of the 11th episode, again the anime expanded, put on a song, gave choreographies, conveyed emotion, in short, it had an excellent complement. That whole arc from the beginning to the lead-up to the show had me moved the entire time with tears and laughter. However, I have to be annoying, because the visual part of this scene of the show fell short of what I expected, what could be and what should have been, especially in a few moments that focused on the public and in terms of detailing the scenarios . Making it clear that with this I am not saying that it was bad, this scene is sensational and worthy of closing a season, it just deserved more affection. If I were the director, I would close the season on that part, or on the car scene, because it would give a greater sense of closure. The car scene is an excellent part that if more explored would be much better. Other scenes worth mentioning are in the 1st episode and are: the death of a character at the beginning; the baby dance that went viral on the networks; that of Amaterasu; Ruby scolding Aqua for not being woken up. The anime deals with some themes of the entertainment industry, such as: talent is not the most important thing; bureaucratic obstacles; financial difficulties; celebrity behavior; trouble maintaining an ideal image; relationship between stars and fans and between fans and stars. On top of these themes, the anime brings knowledge of this artistic world and makes scathing criticism. This is something very satisfying, as it does not leave the feeling that other works bring that we are wasting our time without receiving something aggregating in return. In addition, they are approaches with new perspectives that do not need to be complex and profound to reach a wider audience. The theme of the entertainment industry is recurrent because the plot is set in that industry, but this is not the main theme of the anime nor the only one of the secondary themes. The work even deals with other secondary themes in much more depth than this one. Topics such as: love, family, resilience, hypocrisy, maturity and responsibility. They are very intertwined with the main theme of the work, which is about revenge and lies, in such a way that they are confused and sometimes they are the same thing. I understand that common things are more easily perceived, but only shallow analyzes that do not understand the philosophy of this work only see the surface of the iceberg. Another point that few people pay attention to is the richness of the symbolism that this work uses and the primary source of philosophical, mythological, mystical and legendary inspiration. The creator god of Shintoism Izanagi had a daughter named Amaterasu, the sun goddess who was born from his left eye and from which the Japanese imperial family descends. From Izanagi's right eye, his son Tsukiyomi, the moon god, was born. It is not only in the colors and stars in the eyes that this symbolism is clear, but also in the personalities of the characters.
Vyaiskaya
06/28/2023, 05:28 PM
We'll give it a ten. Probably a 9.7+, but why not round up? e1: solid 10, due to the storytelling, pacing, time given to the plot, set up, delivery, seiyuu, animation, effects and cinematography. This is worthwhile even standalone. It's simply excellent and was perfect as the introduction or prologue. Perfectly executed. e2 on, holds strong, it was captivating throughout with several very notable highs you won't want to miss. Where I felt e2 on felt occasionally some minor, weakness was as a necessity of moving the medium to standard episode length and the demands of television. And a slight lowering of "cinematagraphic feeling" atpoints here - and perhaps points where it made sense. But this is very, very minor, and you'll definitely be hooked. Each bend in the series was remarkably well done, and the entire production team deserves high praise. The animation, design, timing of effects and cinematography are all excellent. I am excited to see Season2, with high expectations and wonder if it can outdo Season1? Did I mention I am excited?? Overall, the execution was impeccable, the storyline and characters are riveting - with mutiple plot threads and characters/their personas beings explored from mulitple angles making for excellend character development and excellent drama as we grow close to a growing and diverse cast. And of course, Kurokawa Akane <3 <3 <3
NogueraB
06/28/2023, 04:55 PM
Like every anime that I watch, I tell the person to watch it and form their own opinion. When I look at some reactions to this anime, it’s like I’m seeing herd behavior because I can’t see anything that people are saying in the anime. For example, if you want something mysterious about a murder investigation, this anime is horrible. Do you want content about the idol or actor industries? This anime has nothing more than a shallow approach to the subject. Amazing character development? Nothing to see here either, my friend. Unfortunately, it’s 11 episodes of nothing happening and the same short red-haired girl in thesame loop. I was really waiting for an amazing story and incredible animation, but this anime was a disaster in everything it tried to talk about. For me, it’s a shame since I believed that this work could become something bigger in its final episodes, but that’s not what happened
Chaya2
06/28/2023, 12:28 PM
*[Oshi no Ko]* *QUICK REVIEW!* Reliable narration supported by beautiful illustrations, amazing cast, and it does an excellent portrayal of an entry view into the components of the entertainment industry. Oshi No Ko has a unique portrayal of the dark side of the entertainment industry which some may enjoy. Story was unique, semi-predictable, but enjoyable because of how the genre was portraying the entertainment industry. Art style definitely fit during bone-chilling scenes. Most characters are average. One character Aqua, stood out to me personally. Others may find a different character to stand out. Characters are realistic in most of their reactions.If somebody is looking for 100% realism, then I doubt they'd enjoy this. However, if they're looking for a quick watch and insight into the entertainment industry, then I would recommend.
Eanki
06/28/2023, 08:35 AM
It has been a while since I have been active. I came back from massive burnout to anime seasonal because of the greatest animated show pilot episode of the 2020s. But we are not here to talk about the pilot episode of Lackadaisy (the episode is available on YouTube). We are here for Oshi No Ko. Let’s try to temper expectations here because there is solid chance that you were marketed to in an unintentionally misleading way by several YouTube content creators as to the kind of story Oshi No Ko is. That is okay. I was too. I tried to go into this show blindbut even with that, I still ran into video recommendations talking about Oshi No Ko, cases it draws from, and how it is an expose on the seedy underbelly of the idol industry. With those video essay titles and fan marketing, you can be forgiven for having a particular set of expectations, namely: that this will be an uncomfortable character-focused psychological storytelling. It is not that, not nearly enough that. What it is is more a slice-of-life with some humorous beats mixed in when it is not trying to beat you over the head with its point about how dark the idol industry is (which is an open secret even a decade ago). It has a little bit of whodunnit mystery in the background that is unfortunately not being handled well. And for us adults in the audience watching, several enjoyable bits of talking shop (editor’s note: talking shop = to talk about your job with those you work with, even when not at work) in the show-within-a-show format of some of its arcs. And I am serious when I say the part where characters talk shop, with bits of humor mixed in, is the best part of the show for me. This is not a back-handed compliment. Look, the breakdown of the expenses you incur as an idol and your net salary are the more eye-opening parts of the show/the idol industry to anyone who has been on the internet for the last five years or more. The show proper has a very clear linear break (some call it a tone switcharoo) that you should be wary of when deciding if this is a show for you. The first episode’s story attracts audiences that might be turned off by the story beats of episode two onwards. Meanwhile, the audiences that might enjoy the story of episode two onwards might have been turned off by episode one’s introduction and what they felt might be the direction of the series. (The kind of humor this show has stays consistent all throughout the season however so if it is the humor that caught you, you should be pleased to know that.) Episode 1 is the most talked about part of the series and with a run time of almost an hour and a half it could have been a movie all on its own, centered around Ai as she tries to navigate the seedy underbelly of the entertainment industry while trying to keep her children a secret. The problem is that she must share screentime and development with her children. They need this setup for their eventual roles after the episode, but they eat into her story progression. Combined with the multiple mini time-skips, you eventually get the message that her story is not the important part of Oshi No Ko. She is the call to arms, the setup for the story of her children. They are the main characters. If you were here for her, it can feel like a switcharoo. I want to clear that up first with you, potential future viewer. What can you expect? If you have a fascination with behind-the-scenes stories or show-within-a-show formats, this show has that. Do you want to see contractually obligated participants in a dating show talk about their “strategies” and real goals when the camera is not looking? How about a former child actress starring in a manga adaptation that she likes and is currently being butchered in the adaptation table to launch the careers of several up-and-coming male models with little acting experience? I must admit that last part could have been more interesting if it had been given enough time to build it up. This is the second biggest weakness of the show, after marketing. It had multiple character arcs but it did a poor job managing its timetable. But enough talk of spilled rice, this is more in line with what you should expect going into this show.
TheRealist68
06/28/2023, 08:07 AM
“I have absolutely no interest in idols or the culture surrounding them. Frankly, I find the concept of grown-ass men (and to a lesser extent women), idolizing girls as young as 15 to be… strange at best and utterly creepy at worst. The only reason I picked up Oshi No Ko is because Aka Akasaka wrote it; the author that just happened to write Kaguya-sama, my favorite overall series. Despite the name behind it, I admittedly still had my prejudices.“ That is how I introduced my preliminary review; an admittedly vapid work where I sung my praises about Oshi No Ko by sucking off the firstepisode in ways previously thought impossible by scientists. That review somehow got away with mentioning the second and third episodes for a total of 29 words: about 5% of the entire review. What you may see as shameless pandering to an internet-breaking episode in an effort to drum up updoots on the internet, (in hindsight, it probably comes off like that, although it wasn’t intentional) I see it as an accurate portrayal of the general consensus of the series through the first 3 episodes. You cannot deny the quality of the first episode without blatantly hating. It serves as the perfect hook to the series by building up a faux premise that is subsequently destroyed by a Madoka Magica-level plot twist. This destroys any type of preconceptions that the viewer had before the series and even during the episode, while also getting the viewer hyped for what’s to come next. The decision to make the first episode 80 minutes long as opposed to making the 4 episodes of normal length also benefits the hook as some viewers may have dropped the series during the first 3 episodes before the actual premise was revealed. However, the second and third episodes were just traditional set-up episodes that were nowhere near first in terms of impact or scope. As the third episode ended, when the hype of the first episode had begun to subside, some people, including me, were beginning to wonder “Would this shit fall off”? In hindsight, I can laugh at this. I tried so hard not to like this series between my preconceptions of the idol genre at the beginning and my skepticism towards the series through the third episode. But here I am, writing a 10/10 review and preaching to the masses that Oshi No Ko is the FUCKING ANIME OF THE SEASON. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me dispel a misconception about Oshi No Ko. This shit is not an idol anime. It’s not an acting anime, or a mystery anime, or even a romance anime. This series is a damn near exposé that reveals the good, bad and the ugly of the Japanese entertainment industry. That statement is a bit fictitious as the “good” is shown to be what we, the audience, get to see. That perfect smile, the flashy performances, the love confessions, all of the stuff we consider to be the “good” parts of the entertainment industry mask the “bad”: the lies, the suffering, and the depression. The “ugly”: terrible situations that make news and garner support and sympathy on social media before fading into obscurity as all news does. It doesn’t appear an obsessive amount in the series, but it keeps the audience on their toes because, at any moment, shit can hit the fan. This premise works so well because of its novelty to the genre and because it affects characters that the audience is quick to empathize with. Oshi No Ko deals with real problems that really happen to real people, and as a result of that, it handles those problems with a large amount of realism that permeates into every aspect of the story: especially the characters A large amount of realism helps the characters be more relatable, which in turn makes the audience more likely to empathize with the characters, which allows the aforementioned concept to flourish. Most anime develop their characters with tragic backstories or extraordinary experiences to garner sympathy or excitement for the character moving forward. The only problem with this is that most of these developments are completely unrelatable for the audience. The audience is unlikely to relate to having their family killed by demons or being sold into slavery at a young age. The audience is less likely to empathize with or enjoy unrelatable characters. This isn’t a problem in most story-driven series as the objective there is to create a character that the audience can sympathize with, not empathize with. This is perfectly fine because, in many of these stories, the audience only needs to feel bad for the character; they don’t have to understand or relate to what they are feeling. However, in character-based stories like Oshi No Ko, it’s much more important to make the audience sympathize and empathize with the characters through relatability founded in realism. In an effort to make relatable characters, stories must also make sure that they don’t outright pander to the audience with characters whose sole objective is for the audience to project upon them. The characters of Oshi No Ko perfectly straddle that line in a way that makes the audience empathize with their problems and root for their successes to a far greater extent than what is common in the genre. A childhood phenom that fell off as she matured who is hungry for her next opportunity to get back into the limelight while perpetually writhing in the cynicism and despair that comes with the possibility that reviving her career may be impossible. A theater performer driven by feelings of uselessness and ineptitude that cause her to overact in a way that ruins her big break and causes an abundance of heinous discourse to befall her. A content creator who aged out of her dream due to familial obligations. Upon first glance, the relatability of some of these side characters may seem minuscule at best. However, upon a closer look, you can see that the side character archetypes in Oshi No Ko underlie some of the basic human fears that threaten self-actualization. The fear of falling off, the fear of not living up to other's expectations, the fear of aging out of the things you love to do, it’s all here and is probably the most relatable aspect of the series. Now, for the past two paragraphs, I pretty much exclusively talked about how relatable the characters in this series are and how that makes them easy to empathize with. However, throw that shit out the window for Aqua and Ruby as they both fail into the former category of characters in story-driven series, rather than the latter category of series like Oshi No Ko. (You might be able to explain this because they are reincarnations that aren’t from the present day, but I digress.) This doesn’t affect Aqua as he’s probably the best character in the series. He’s really similar to a Light Yagami or a Lelouch VI Britannia: a genius who masterminds the plot to accomplish their extreme goal. The reason why he is a genius is actually a little better explained than Light or Lelouch; He was a doctor in his previous life, so he’s naturally intelligent and he uses the experiences he gained in his previous life to make deductions as Aqua. Unlike the two aforementioned characters, he actually hides his genius well through his acting. I’m not implying that Aqua is a better character than Light or Lelouch; it would be silly to say that after just 11 episodes. But I will say that Aqua invokes the same feeling that Lelouch and Light invoke in the audience, and at the very least, he deserves a spot at their proverbial roundtable. As for Ruby, she heads the B plot while Aqua heads the A plot. However, the A plot takes priority up until the final episodes. The B plot is intermittently developed along with the A plot, and it’s actually Aqua’s motivation for some of the stuff he does throughout the series, but it’s to a far lesser extent than the A plot. Even when the B plot does get screen time as the primary focus, it mainly focuses on Kana and later Mem-Cho. Because of this, Ruby is a far less developed character than Aqua. (This is actually one of my only complaints about the series.) She’s not a bad character, her backstory is actually pretty moving, she just clearly lacks the development that Aqua gets. I expect this to change in later seasons, but as of right now, Oshi No Ko’s B plot is less impactful than the A plot by a decent margin. There has been a recent trend in the anime industry where production quality just keeps improving; Bocchi the Rock and Chainsaw Man were last year’s proof of that. Oshi No Ko follows that trend of improvement by having way better direction, animation, and music than is necessary for the genre. The quality of direction can easily be shown by the decision to make the first episode 80 minutes long, or how each episode ends with an impactful moment to hype the audience instead of a cliffhanger. The animation quality can be seen literally everywhere, but it’s most impactful when it involves a character’s eyes, especially Aqua’s dark star eyes. And for the music, the Op and Ed are my personal choices for the best in their respective categories for the season. I understand that music is subjective, but if you do a lyric analysis, you can understand that both Op and Ed correlate to the story to a much greater extent than in other series. Not to mention that both of them slap. In conclusion, Oshi No Ko is the FUCKING ANIME OF THE SEASON. The first episode hits like a Mac Truck, ushering in a unique and novel premise. This premise is supported by realistic characters that deal with realistic problems, which makes them relatable. This allows the audience to easily empathize with them. The main characters are excellent, well, Aqua is excellent, Ruby isn’t fully developed yet, and that’s why I’m off to the manga to find that coveted Ruby development. Thank you for reading and fuck HiDive.
Stark700
06/28/2023, 07:40 AM
For you and me, and everyone, Oshi no Ko has transcended beyond logic this season. You know, before I even added this show to the watchlist, this anime hit a lot of genres and ideas that stunned me in their promotional material. The preview video and theme songs in particular caused an Internet sensation. Plus, this franchise wasn't created by some nobody. It's made by the same author as Kaguya Love is War, the same series that had psychological elements tied with love and war. Watching Oshi no Ko is one of the most stunning experiences I had in recent years. I kid you not. Thefirst episode extended to 70+ minutes may be one of the most mind-boggling, peculiar, or perhaps disturbing introduction for an anime you've seen in years. Do not let the colorful key visual deceive you. This is so much more than about cute idols doing cute things. The entertainment world is a complex realm of possibilities that tipify the very fabric of our emotions. Let me just say that Oshi no Ko has one of the most complex mixture of themes this season. Adapted into a 11 episodes season, it follows the manga story by the one and only Aka Akasaka. It's clear Oshi no Ko wanted to catch our attention with not just its strange premise, but also the full creativity of its first episode. Being a double length, this is essentially a mini-movie aimed at introducing the main story and some of the most important characters. We meet Goro Amamiya as he is murdered on the night of delivering idol singer Ai Hoshino's children. The twist comes as Goro is reincarnated as one of Ai's children and now goes by the name 'Aqua'. The rabbit hole goes deeper with the introduction of Ruby, his fraternal twin and this sets the foundation of the story. It sounds mind-boggling and you truly need to watch the first episode to experence it. Words alone cannot describe the amount of mind shattering direction of this show. But again, maybe you are used to seeing anime with reincarnation elements. It has been a dominating force in today's anime industry after all. Oshi no Ko does not contain the fantasy isekai elements but instead take place in an entertainment world. And as I mentioned before, the entertainment world is a complex realm of possibilities. Perhaps one of the most pivotal moments in the show is the death of Ai Hoshino. The anime is bold enough to kill off an important character because it's needed to develop the overall plot. For you see, love and revenge becomes a part of this anime's themes. Ai's experience with love hits its peak when she truly tells her children that she loves them. Similar to Akasaka's Kaguya Love is War, this anime has themes related to lies. But in those final moments, Ai was able to express herself truthfully in the most natural way possible. Meanwhile, the anime wants Aqua to avenge Ai's death. For him to discover the truth, the most important way is to enter the entertainment industry. Oshi no Ko touches on several themes and although love, lies, and revenge are among these, it doesn't stop there. For there's love, there's also hate and Aqua is one of the best representation of such feelings. Aqua is the easily the coldest character in the show with a single dedicated mind focused on finding out the truth. Willing to take any risks and go as far as a man can go, Aqua will stop at nothing in his goal and this season showcases some of his talents. You may question if Aqua is entitled to this because truth be told, everything he sets out to do is for revenge and we all know that revenge isn't going to bring back Ai. However, I want to say Aqua represents the very instincts of human nature. It's natural human instinct for us to feel angry when we lose a loved one. For Aqua, he makes it a personal journey to avenge his mother and find out the truth. Although this season doesn't have enough time to solve the eerie mystery, it does uncover Aqua's talents and enough for us to know his personality. Beyond the boundary of hate and revenge, we should also take a closer look at Ruby Hoshino and her presence this season. To put it simply, she represents a foil of Aqua, being outgoing with a bubbly personality and being easily able to make friends with others. Instead of seeking revenge, Aqua hopes to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Growing up in her previous life as a happy person, it would appear her personality didn't change much at all since Ai's death. While this seems to put odds against her brother Aqua, the show does make it clear that he cares about her greatly. Their relationship is described as peculiar because they contrast each other so much. But at its core, the two are a close family since the tragedy of their mother. The entertainment industry introduces us a rather colorful cast and among them is Akane Kurokawa. One particular episode showed not just her sensitive side but just how tough the entertainment industry can be and its high expectations. However, this anime wanted Akane to be a mirror image of Ai Hoshino. She may not be as talented but with a resourceful mind and rejuvenated determination, Akane draws us in as an inspirational role model. Watching Oshi no Ko showcases an element of surprise where we should always expect the unexpected. Akane's character turnaround is just one such example and if you don't believe me, just see for yourself. Ultimately, your decision to watch Oshi no Ko could be for its themes, character cast, story, or the overall tone of the series. It's not the usual showbiz type anime where characters compete for a spotlight and make a career. This is about controlling a path and following it through any obstacle. This isn't just a romance either so don't go into this show expecting a love story between the cast. As with Akasaka's style of writing, you should expect one with emotional drama combined with psychological attributes. It has some sensitive themes including death, suicide, and among other topics that can be deemd as controversial. Yet, Oshi no Ko is outlandishly entertaining for not being afraid to take risks. And to me, it's also why this anime is a must-watch. Adapted by studio Doga Kobo, the most noticable element for the character designs are the starry eyes that may go beyond just asethetics. Sure, the author wanted to give our characters unique looks with their radiant emotions. However, there's yet no definitive answer why we see those sparkling eyes. Perhaps they represent emotions and how humans behave. Or perhaps they really are designed to give the anime a colorful look. Nonetheless, Doga Kobo captured the esseence of the character designs at its finest straight from the manga. The theme songs also combine a balanced style of J-pop and dark tone when watched carefully. And thankfully, the animation quality throughout this anime remains concrete throughout. Whether you agree or disagree about Oshi no Ko's rating is a topic on its own. But I speak for everyone when I say that this anime and manga will be talked about for years. We now live in a social media age where anime like this can instantly spark debates. Controversy makes cash and there's no doubt Oshi no Ko is sitting on a gold mine.
RebelPanda
06/28/2023, 07:31 AM
Lies. Who among us hasn't told a lie or two? Whether it's telling a white lie or presenting a false version of ourselves. Celebrities, actors, musicians, and artists must constantly maintain a public image, which may require telling a lie or two. As a famous idol, Ai Hoshino's life revolves around lying. "The lie becomes the truth" are words she lives by. She lies to her friends and fans, but no one can see through the facade beneath her starry eyes. Oshi no Ko's most provocative scene tragically occurs in its feature-length premiere. The tearjerker ending propelled the series into popularity, leading to disappointment when therest proved to be an entirely different beast. Some viewers may build false expectations, but those who approach it open-mindedly will enjoy where it takes them. The premiere was a well-written story best left in the past. It initially evokes the untouchable masterpiece Perfect Blue, but aside from the final scene, the juvenile execution pales in comparison. The episodes after the premiere are more refreshing. Oshi no Ko's content is comparable to my all-time favorite anime, Kaleido Star, for its realistic approach to performing arts while maintaining an uplifting message. It never shies away from showing singers, dancers, and actors' struggles to preserve their image and criticize demanding audiences. Writer Aka Akasaka does not condemn consumers but provides a mirror to reflect on their behavior. Oshi no Ko honestly portrays the Japanese acting and idol industry. Seeing how child actors phase out, stunt casting, agency competitions, and differences between writers and studios add to the realism. There are many things they should have taken into account, such as numerous reshoots, scheduling, and post-production. They seemingly picked and chose the most exciting parts of show business to portray and ignored the less appealing but equally crucial aspects. Through Ai Hoshino's twin son and daughter, the series explores the ups and downs of acting and idol careers, respectively. Both children secretly lived past lives, in which they adored Ai. Her son, Aquamarine, was Ai's gynecologist, murdered by her stalker. Her daughter Ruby was only a young girl when she died of cancer. They take their reincarnations surprisingly well, but who wouldn't when you get around-the-clock attention from your favorite celebrity? Well, probably some people. The kids pursue futures that live up to their mother's legacy and do right by her. For Ruby, this means carrying on Ai's legacy as an idol and rebuilding her group B-Komachi from the ground up. For Aqua, it's rather intense; he dedicates his life to searching for their absent father, putting aside any personal goals. Aqua and Ruby attend Yoto High School, which offers a performing arts program only for students attached to a talent agency. Luckily for the kids, Ai's previous manager Miyako Saito adopted them and made them part of her company. A common critique of Oshi no Ko is that the reincarnation plot device is unnecessary. I disagree with that judgment because it's necessary to advance the plot. Aquamarine uses his skills of talking to seniors as a doctor in his past life to smooth talk a director, which gets his mother a film role. He uses his people skills to dig up clues to track down his lost father. Unlike many other high school geniuses in anime, Aqua behaves like an adult due to his reincarnation; it is better that the plot provides a reason other than the simple notion that he's a prodigy. Some viewers may find Aqua's infatuation with Ai overwhelming, and it is nearly an oedipal nightmare. Still, it rides the line carefully—quickly reminding us that his love for Ai is admiration, not romance. Ruby's past life provides an obstacle to overcome rather than skill. She struggles with dancing, a crucial skill as an idol, partly because having cancer made it difficult for her to dance, causing her to have difficulty with her mindset. Aqua and Ruby are deeply flawed, socially awkward, and very traumatized, like the other characters. The side characters stand out with vibrant personalities that leave a lasting impression without gimmicks. Each character possesses their own set of goals, struggles, flaws, and endearing qualities. Among them is Kana Arima, a former child prodigy in acting who now finds herself a mediocre teenage actor. With a theater kid persona, Kana exudes excessive confidence that can seem condescending. However, her knack for maneuvering within the industry helps her secure roles. Like others, her character development involves confronting inner demons caused by past trauma and present triggers. As a freelancer, she often gets trapped in undesirable parts. However, when she joins Ruby to form their idol group B-Komachi, Kana discovers self-respect. Together, they build their team from scratch, with relentless effort and determination. Another key supporting character is Akane, an up-and-coming actress who works alongside Aqua on a reality TV dating show. Through Akane's arc, the writer explores a theme touched on during the premiere. Social media: How it helps and harms performance artists. There's a focus on positive and negative responses to Aquamarine's TV shows, but it peaks with online hate and canceling Akane faces. Harassment's disastrous effects on her mental health are realistic and portrayed with uncommon sensitivity. Regardless of how the arc plays out, it is cathartic to see the people responsible for her turmoil condemned by the author. This includes the grossly misogynistic haters online and the scumbag producer of their reality TV show. Aside from the tearjerker premiere, Oshi no Ko manages a few other genuinely moving moments—a mental health crisis and a near breakdown before a major performance—but surrounding those is a bit of contrived drama. Aqua's slow quest to find his father loses steam quickly. However, future seasons can revive that subplot. Ruby must navigate rising as an idol, a path well-worn by music anime. Though they mostly avoid pedestrian school drama, there's romance stalled by misunderstandings. It's as if the anime keeps seeking narrative conflict when there is plenty to dig into with the characters' turmoils—especially Ruby and Aqua's rich history. Tell us more about how their past lives inform their present! And it would've been fascinating to learn more about their adoptive mother; surely, a chapter or two can be spared for her. Despite the story's slight drawbacks, it's consistently elevated by one of Doga Kobo's most impressive presentations alongside Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun. Although it is less well-directed than Akasaka's prior adaptation, Love is War, Daisuke Hiramaki handles the drama in Oshi no Ko excellently. The combination of orchestral background music and close-up shots creates a sense of immersion during the dramatic scenes. With soaring melodies and dynamic arrangements, orchestral compositions heighten the emotional intensity. As the music swells, it accentuates everything felt by the characters; anguish, joy, and depression, evoking an impactful response from the audience. Furthermore, the well-timed close-up shots sweeten the effect of these moments by capturing the characters' raw expressions. Oshi no Ko delves into the intricate world of lies and facades that permeate celebrities' and performers' lives. It explores the challenges and consequences of maintaining a public image while delving into its characters' personal trauma. While the tearjerker premiere may have set high expectations that the subsequent episodes couldn't fully meet, the series delivers refreshing and immersive portrayals of the performing arts. The reincarnation plot device, although debated, advances the storyline. The side characters shine with their distinctive personalities and genuine character development, with Kana and Akane standing out as memorable figures. Despite some contrived drama and missed opportunities for deeper exploration, Oshi no Ko is consistently elevated by Doga Kobo's strong presentation. Ultimately, the anime provides a cathartic experience, while taking the coming-of-age genre from a fresh angle.
Marinate1016
06/28/2023, 07:31 AM
Oshi no Ko is one of the best introspective critiques of the Japanese entertainment industry ever. It handles topics like the toxicity of the industry in a way that we haven’t seen before and is a must watch. Often, foreigners have conflated perceptions of Japan, due in large part to the success of anime as a cultural export. They see Japan as this ideal haven full of advanced technology and waifus. The reality of the matter is that like all countries, Japan has its issues. One of the biggest, being the virulent nature of the entertainment industry. Whether it be obsessed fans or abusive talent agencies,there’s a lot of issues here. Despite the bright character designs and cheery visuals, Oshi no Ko gives us an unprecedented view of the struggles of actors, idols, content creators and the dark underbelly of the industry. It takes us through situations inspired by real life events and deals with topics like cyber bullying, stalking, depression, suicide, anxiety, insecurity and others in a very realistic and tasteful manner. While some things are played up for the sake of entertainment, these are very real issues that affect many people on a day to day basis and I’m happy with the job Doga Kobo did bringing it to life and even surpassing the manga in many instances. While it may have gained its initial popularity from Aka Akasaka’s reputation, Oshi no Ko has charted its own course and carved out its own legacy thanks in large part to its phenomenal story, great characters and relevant subject matter. This isn’t just riding on Kaguya’s coattails. It’s genuinely a master class in its own right. From voice acting to art direction, this is truly Doga Kobo’s finest work. It has to be stated, this is not an idol show. Despite how much you may see people going around talking about it being a subversion or reinvention of the idol genre, they’re wrong. This is a drama focused on the Japanese entertainment industry and it’s truly one of a kind. I’d argue this is a must watch, not just for the artistic merits of the show, but for the message. The advent of the internet brought with it many great things. But, it also created opportunities for harassment and bullying, and seeing how that affects people is really important to ensuring you don’t fall into that category of person. As I touched on earlier, the art direction is stellar in this adaptation. As a manga reader, I already knew all the big twists and plot points coming into the season. So my biggest point of evaluation was the quality of the adaptation and how the studio would handle the big emotional set pieces. As expected of DG, they did an awesome job. Admittedly even better than I could’ve hoped. In many situations, the cinematography amplifies scenes allowing viewers to truly feel the weight of the moment more than a manga ever could do. The voice acting from both industry stalwarts like Han Megumi(Kana) and newcomers like Igoma Yurie(Ruby) is incredible. Love the more muted and subtle voice acting style for the main characters. Adds a level of immersion to keep you focused on the subject at hand. Art style of course is great too. Great work all around. You don’t get a number 1 song on billboard 100 without having a fervent fanbase behind you. The Oshi no Ko fanbase is extremely passionate about this series and for good reason. It’s got some of the most loveable characters/waifus in animanga, a gripping story, pertinent topics and emotional moments that hit you like a truck. Not only is it one of the best anime of the season, it’s one of the best anime in recent memory and it deserves all the hype. Oshi no Ko gets 10 stars, out of 10.
Mcsuper
06/28/2023, 07:30 AM
There is no doubt that Oshi no Ko was one of the most popular anime this season, and it’s easy to see why. There is some realistic commentary of the idol and entertainment industries, especially the dark side, which made for an interesting watch. Through all the mystery and dark subject matter, there was also a bit of comedy mixed in, which I will admit was hit or miss at times, but it all boded well for me in the end, perhaps due to the high production standards of this anime. Now, I know the reincarnation subplot has some people up in arms, and I dounderstand that can be the weak link of the show, but anime in the end is a medium that has a lot of goofy ideas in it, and this was one of them. I would also agree to some extent it wasn’t a particularly strong way to start the show, but that didn’t really hamper my enjoyment too much. Like I mentioned earlier, the real hook of the series is the commentary on the entertainment industry. Streamers, vtubers, actors, models, idols, and many other people in the online sphere face a lot of the issues that this anime talks about. The idea that the entertainer has to be “pure”, especially if they are a female, can bring about a lot of online hate once said entertainer is found to have a relationship. Viewers feel betrayed and hurt, so they try to cancel them, threaten them, and that can cause major ramifications to the entertainer’s mental state. If there’s one thing to take away from this anime, even if you don’t like it, is to be wary on the Internet, and to simply be a kind person, to not be so desperate for the one moment of Internet clout. Unfortunately, cyberbullying due to these events is very common, and to be honest, unlikely to ever go away, but does that mean we should stop trying to stop the behaviour? Definitely not, but in this day and age, one also has to have thick skin to handle such toxic words. People, just remove likes/retweets on replies to tweets or Youtube videos, not the dislike button entirely. I did appreciate the comments on the industry a lot, and it’s clearly issues that the author, Aka Akasaka is trying to point out to people, but I do think there wasn’t really enough of that throughout the series, as the series shifted its priorities quite often, with other themes like the mystery and idol performances taking over. Not to say that wasn’t a good thing, as the other parts of the anime have their own respective charms, but I did enjoy the industry talk the most. The characters offer a variety of personalities, and I think it’s fair to say that many viewers may find themselves relating or resonating with a certain character, and for everyone, that might be a different one. The cast is solid overall, and it was clear to me how much the production staff love Kana Arima, the famous child actress that struggled as she grew up. I found myself resonating with her character the most, and having fun watching her interactions with the rest of the cast. She has a foul mouth with snappy comments, but in the end, she cares about the people around her a lot, and wants them to succeed, to not face failures like she did after her child actress days were behind her. A lot of the time, I felt she was the voice of the main message of what the author, Aka Akasaka wanted to convey, with the information around the industry and how people have to act. For many, I’m sure that Akane Kurokawa, the actress who had her fair share of struggles in this series to say the least, will be their favourite character. While her character moments led to much discourse among viewers, I feel her arc was resolved a bit quickly, though it was still very impactful. Mem-cho, the Vtuber/Youtuber had some humorous moments as well, and had some relatable things to say. The supposed two main characters in Ruby and Aqua felt like the weakest in the show, especially Ruby, who didn’t have much to do after the first episode, though her positivity and naiveness about being an idol had me a little scared, and Aqua just didn’t feel like a very strong protagonist, as his traits are being manipulative, and having the mind of an adult, not much else. I get that you’re not really supposed to think he’s a good guy or anything, but he didn’t really give me anything to cling on to or relate to. I hope that improves with future seasons. The production behind this show is definitely something to be admired, with splendid directing, compositing, and beautiful scenes throughout. Props to all the staff behind this, as I could tell this was quite the passion project, with some bias toward Kana, which I have absolutely zero complaints about since she’s my favourite character in the show. The darker moments were handled well to really emphasize how eerie and uncomfortable it felt, especially in Episode 6, while the lighter moments had their charm to it as well. The soundtrack was fine, though mostly highlighted by the popularity of the OP and ED, and especially YOASOBI’s music video on the opening, Idol, which topped the Billboard charts outside the United States. There were various records that this anime broke, and it is just so overwhelmingly popular, and when I went to Japan for a vacation a couple months ago, I saw and heard a lot of things related to Oshi No Ko everywhere, including merch, and the music. Overall, this show provides a solid, and perhaps relatable look at the entertainment industry, while mixing in themes of mystery, and more light hearted moments as well. If you’re curious and want to watch this show, you’ll know if you like it after the 90 minute premiere, which sets the stage very well. Not everything was perfect, as I did want a deeper look at the industry, but what we got was still an excellent product that will resonate with a lot of anime fans, and also myself, for some time to come. Remember to be kind to others, especially online. It’s not that difficult to do.
SpRayquaza11
06/28/2023, 07:30 AM
I tried akasaka, I tried my best to love this new series of yours for which you so mercilessly murdered your already beloved kaguya sama love is war , I tried to love it like i loved love is war even joined the hype , but just like the idol Ai, it was completely a fabricated love that only got converted to indifference as the episodes went by. Since it's by all means just a …. A ONE EPISODE HIT WONDER, Which is very polarizing in its depiction of the film industry and is for the most part, just a revenge porn story since thatis the primary motivation of the main character and adds the illusion of meaning and motivation for us to follow this edgelord of an ‘adult’. Oshi no ko the next big thing by akasaka sensei who had the credibility and popularity of kaguya sama behind them and the faith of the fans to produce yet another masterpiece. Kaguya sama, a loved series, rushed to completion so that akasaka could completely focus on this manga alone. Many anitubers or should i call them social media influencers with podcasts now ?praised it as the one true holy grail of immaculate writing and heartbreaking drama with a headspining mystery in the mix. And what came off of all this? a one episode shocker that set expectations but failed to meet any of them so far. There was only ONE episode of oshi no ko that even deserves any of the attention the show has got till date, I am no hater , I completely agree that the first episode of oshi no ko WAS AN IMMACULATE masterpiece, but we are here for the review of the entire season are we not? While the rest of the episodes are not bad by any means some of them are actually pretty good, but I can't help but feel that we go through a downward spiral from episode one onwards. Plot (5/10) The whole plot is kinda meh because of these three things 1)reincarnation seems pointless other than giving the MC and FMC an unfair edge. 2)The whole story is a convoluted excuse to gather sympathy for film industry workers because the story could literally be the same without the media industry gimmick. The whole show has a solemn and negative look only and it hardly EVER BOTHERS to show the positives of the film industry. 3) literally half of each episode past episode 1 is monologue heavy rants on why the industry is shit , and then the second half is usually showing it being shit. The whole reincarnation aspect is just cardboard armor to give validity to the rage of aqua and also him not being able to let go. Just as spyder95 said in the forums it's to make it “different from being a fan and son to simply a son. his love for ai was insane and without that it wouldn't give him the true driving force he needed to seek revenge”. And not to mention the level of hypocrisy of the main character who actively hates the industry for having caused AI harm but then also proceeds to actively manipulate and maneuver people to achieve his less than ideal goal of revenge. Except for showing us any of the positives for many people here who could be aspiring actors, youtubers and whatnot , it tries to devolve more and more into the negative aspects of the film industry. And what is the whole theme of the story? Actors and actresses have it hard because they are popular and pretty. So well do normal people not have stalkers? Are normal people not murdered? Do you think common people aren't used to negative attention and flaming in social media? The formula of oshi no ko is very clear to garner fake empathy for these stars and of course to utilize the under tapped idol otaku market. Of course they get all of the above in a bigger scale , but they make a much bigger impact so it's unavoidable. The film industry people who, more often than not, lead a much more fun and comfortable life than any of us are glorified for what purpose. I understand none of it. There is no description of the film industry here , only showing the dark side of it. Yes there is some drawbacks and politics in this industry but that IS EVER PRESENT everywhere for every fucking job, so just going on and on about how manipulative and shitty this industry is they never ever explore any of the positives like how complicated acting is , how hard it is to learn to dance and sing to produce and direct and add VFX and SFX.the concept of talent in acting , facial expressions and the very complex art of costume design and cosmetics in this industry is all just a SKIP, they only ever concentrate on drama. It's just the internet hates them sob sob , the industry manipulating them sob sob again. Where is the love and adoration of fans,pure wow moments of acting and productions, where is the bugatti and alcohol and posh life with free connections to the upper echelon of the world? SO AKASAKA SENSEI are you really just gonna preach about HOW SHITTY IT IS TO work in the film Industry and there simply no reward for doing that? No love , recognition , fame , influence , wealth and satisfaction in working in this industry? Oh sorry aka sensei you must think i am just an internet troll and definitely not worth your time. Now to be completely fair , it does do what it set out to do perfectly well. The depiction of the struggles to make it big into the film/idol industry is depicted pretty well in the journey of kana but it does it in a much more negative spiral. The cons of working in the film industry the ironically two faced political nature of this industry and them even using up and coming stars who are still underaged teens or children even as pawns is sadly something that is a reality and more so in japan than one would like to believe , the deranged nature of the idol otaku fandom with the love for only 20 or below girls who show off their airhead cutesy nature while very clearly showing off body lines with the dance is depicted as well with a good amount of accuracy.it's no wonder that the most heinous and weird sort of crimes occur mostly with the fans of idol otaku involved, so the setting and what ends up happening in end of episode one have a very good amount of credibility. Character (7/10) The characters are made as miserable as possible with most of them having some sort of issue due to the industry. There is a big attempt at comedy as well , most of which falls short of what we know akasaka sensei to be capable of. The setting is mostly based on the MC POV of aqua, and he is the most boorish and annoying adult reincarnated as a kid who spent three years brute forcing a phone for revenge rather than enjoy his SECOND chance at life (even counting isekai here this is just pathetic) are we supposed to teach people who tragically lost their parents in a crime to YEAH BOI GO GET EM attitude? He has mostly depressive and monotonous dialogues on being cautious of the industry and it being very dangerous is completely fed to us at regular intervals by especially by him and sometimes kana and the adoptive mother.But we barely ever move on from this (just like aqua ig :3) are we seriously supposed to believe that the industry is not for positive and driven people at all? so sadly yeah this does tend to turn out more like a drama with a very selectively negative outlook. The MC is also a complete hypocrite who will blame and lash out on the industry for all he cares and still be manipulating the underage teenagers for his less than ideal objectives which is frankly also putting them in harm's way since he is looking for a literal criminal using these girls. The girls in question tho are given much more attention than the MC which i am kinda thankful for due to his edgelord tendencies, the girls are a bit more enjoyable due to them still being able to add a bit of positivity and cuteness to this anime but they too get hit with some quite disturbing and depressing arcs at times. The whole kana redemption arc from start to finish did establish who the main girl is , and if there is romance , I guess we know who is winning( first meet takes the meat :3). The subtle changes in her personality from a very confident and sassy little child, to a a confident front and sassy attitude which has a deeper defeatist mindset was honestly good writing and i was very satisfied with the kana character arc alone. The FMC and mem characters honestly felt like filler side characters so far. While this is fine for the obvious side, cutey MEM with a hidden cult just like hayasaka, this is unacceptable for ruby to be so much outshone by her brother and kana while showing not much character other than having a bad past life and being able to move on unlike her brother. The mystery and the hunt for revenge is in a very early stage so its hard to comment there , also because the pseudo emo boy with dark past nature of Aqua (even tho he is supposed to be an adult and even the kid was able to let go and move forward) is kinda annoying so I tend to fast forward to those scenes. Sound VA (9/10) Ok make no mistake here that the sound and VA performance in this series is the best of the best , if it would have been carried by better characters and plot id easily give it a 10.the Voice actors are from the top and best of the industry since oshi no ko has a very big presence and is one of the biggest productions they all definitely gave their 100% and it shows . The most notable was obviously Hoshino AI who was able to convert the first episode into an absolute hit and a shocker. Adult FMC and MC also do a good job in their on screen moments. The side characters the most shining example is kana and the rest are memorable as well for the most part. The OST of shi no ko needs no introduction , the OP is a universally acclaimed banger and almost everyone who is an anime fan acknowledges this , the ED while being a bit overlooked flows in at the end of each episode perfectly and is able to add a bit of excitement for the next. The art in OP as I have been seeing a trend of lately is better than that of ED, the sound and VFX of the anime are able to add a good amount of effect in the scenes but most of the sad melodramatic things are kinda overshot IMO.the ed really helps bring out the best of the cliffhanger ends and adds that effect. Art and animation ( 9/10 ) The art in this anime is actually flawless , the way they were able to represent and actually full show in the first episode with the hype tension and audience was really good,the dance and synced very well with the song and much of it is carried through to the later episodes , the stalker scene with aqua had very good art and animation as well . I have to also give a huge shout out to the beautiful way the Eyes are drawn in this anime and they do add a separate layer of immersion when they are on highlight. Ok i still think it is a must watch anime. yeah sure that it was only a one episode hit wonder In my Opinion and those who really wanted an unbiased decent narrative may find themselves a bit disappointed , but overall I can say it was a good ride and I will still look forward to the next season and hope that it improves upon the flaws, and hopefully stops being a sad soap opera and show us the bright side of the picture. At Least give the first one a go. It's an one hour long episode which was actually really good.
NomineMalum
06/28/2023, 07:30 AM
“By the time I was in a state to chase my dreams, I wasn’t at the age to chase my dreams” Oshi no Ko is a brilliant manga that brings excellent themes of idolism and pop culture into reality. Despite different motivations, Aqua, Ruby and Kana’s key to success in the entertainment industry is the same; to achieve their goals, they need to play the game. The staff’s passion gave birth to an industry-defying first episode that runs over eighty minutes in length. In recent years, it has not been uncommon to see a season or series premiere for an anime series receive an extended length,especially if it's being adapted from a popular light novel or manga series. However, a series with a feature-length premiere episode of over 80 minutes is rather ambitious. That is the length of four episodes or a miniseries right off the bat. The passion the animation production team has for Akasaka and Yokoyari’s manga series is visible in every frame of the premiere episode. They were not willing to make any compromises when adapting the source material. No scenes were cut or rearranged. The anime staff truly brings the intriguing world of the manga to life and sets the stage by establishing the lives of Ruby and Aqua. However, the supernatural twist for these twins is that they were reincarnated from their past lives. Besides faithfully adapting the incredible early chapters of the manga, the feature-length premiere episode does a tremendous job setting up the show’s unique premise. It spends a decent amount of screen time establishing the past lives of Gorou and Sarina. They share a weird connection through their love of Ai Hoshino’s music. Before her tragic death, Sarina dreams of being reborn as the child of a popular idol such as Ai. As one of Ai’s No. 1 fans, Gorou was very protective of her well-being. Now, they’ve been reborn and given a second chance at life as the children of an up-and-coming idol. Learning about Gorou and Sarina as characters, especially Sarina’s tragic backstory, makes the supernatural premise more relatable. The audience gets to know them better as characters before their reincarnations. OSHI NO KO SYMBOLISES A PROPER ADAPTATION Some anime adaptations miss the mark in their early episodes because they fail to properly adapt the early chapters of the story and hook the viewers. Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest is the perfect example of an anime adaptation that butchered the source material in its first episode, so it lost a lot of the impact that ran through the rest of the series because it lacked a proper setup and foundation. Oshi no Ko took its time with the early chapters for the anime adaptation, and that properly developed and established the characters. The extra time for the premiere made Ai Hoshino more like a secondary protagonist instead of a supporting player, which strengthens the rest of the season where the reincarnated Gorou, embodying Ai’s son Aqua, seeks to solve the mystery behind his mother’s murder. OSHI NO KO SHOWS THE UGLY SIDE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY Similar to the premise of The Idol, Oshi no Ko shines a reflection on the darker side of the entertainment industry and the lifestyle of working pop idols, showing its less-than-glamorous aspects, especially the predatory nature of its overseers, the way it exploits young people, and how it can have a devastating effect on their mental health. The series does not shy away from the vapid nature of fan culture, and how fans and social media users treat actors and pop artists as nothing more than commodities who can be discarded at their leisure. After Ai Hoshino is tragically murdered, the social media reactions are callous and startlingly realistic, with people posting nasty fake rumours, hashtags, and memes for the sake of entertainment. After Ruby loses her mother Ai, her viewing of the social media trolling is another devastating emotional blow. The way the show depicts public reactions to tragedies in the entertainment industry rings very true to real life, but adds a layer of authenticity to the series despite the supernatural aspects and premise. OSHI NO KO PRODUCES AUTHENTIC CHARACTERISATION Oshi no Ko does a fantastic job with its depiction of its central characters, who are fully fleshed out and realized. Series director Daisuke Hiramaki and writer Jin Tanaka spent a great deal of time developing Ai Hoshino as a fully realized character and a genuine individual with hopes and dreams before her tragic death. The show establishes that while there is a mysterious side to Ai that is yet to be fully revealed, her love for her children was genuine. Another great standout character in the series is Kana Arima. Kana is a child actor who is known as a prodigy for her ability to cry on cue, and the series depicts many events from Kana’s perspective. Kana represents a young person who found stardom at a very early age. Kana continues to act into her teen years, but her career and stardom are waning. Kana showcases childhood stardom's negative effects on a person who is forced to grow up working in a toxic industry. Aqua propels the narrative as he spearheads solving the mystery behind his mother’s murder. His scenes are always entertaining due to his weirdly mature and "precocious" nature since he literally has the mind of an adult in a child's body. He’s even humorously nicknamed "Precocious" by the director Gotanda due to his ability to carry on incredibly intelligent conversations as a three-year-old. Aqua embodies the strong, confident, smart anime protagonist who is laser-focused on his goal. At times, Aqua can come off as a manipulative, cold individual, committing shady, sketchy acts, even if he does so in the hopes of protecting his sister and uncovering his mother’s murderer. Gotanda acts as both comic relief for the series and a mentor of sorts for Aqua. While the show explores dark thematic material, Gotanda provides well-placed humor to lighten the mood throughout the series. Gotanda still lives with his mother, who humorously dotes on him and interrupts whenever Aqua visits. CONCLUSION Oshi no Ko is a joy to watch and adds another level of intrigue and drama to the unfolding mystery. The staff clearly shows passion for Akasaka’s work in bringing the manga to vivid life. Thank you for reading and please check out the manga :)
ZNoteTaku
06/28/2023, 07:27 AM
*[Oshi no Ko]* is a series caught within a bizarre Catch-22 as an actual piece of entertainment. It wants to follow the comedic and dramatic conventions for storytelling that Akasaka has in mind, and also wants to unravel the disquieting undercurrent of the entertainment industry within its gaze. But to do so would involve having its cast be outsmarted or exploited by the teeth of the very beast that they seek to enterprise in, and by the nature of the show’s framing, it cannot have that. As a result, the show does not actually delve into the darkest contortions and disquieting undercurrents of the entertainmentindustry that Akasaka supposedly wants to discuss. It hints at the phantoms on the wall rather than confronts them. The whole reads more as someone who only just discovered what the entertainment industry is like, is repulsed by what they saw, and has a lot they want to say, but must make a contractual deal with the devil in order to get the story told, a provision of which is to not wholly besmirch his name in the process. Entertainment is, just as a general note, a strange entity. Stranger still though is the relationship we have with it. Even in the supposed “reality” of reality television, we all know and acknowledge on some level that everything in entertainment is manufactured or a conglomeration of lies to get a desired affect or impression. It’s engineered by hundreds of people we never know beyond the abstract to make something we think is worth the time and financial or emotional investment. We also know that the industry is not run by angels. Yet no matter how many times we get shocked by the reality that we see when the curtain gets pulled back, there’s always the next cultural object or talking point to swallow our attention even as the people within its own industry cry out to let their pleas for mercy be heard. The para-social relationship we have with the media we consume is sometimes not as simple as “I like this thing” with posters or casual merchandise; it can move beyond human ugliness or frailty and into the abyss of pure horror I emphasize this para-social quality between entertainment and consumer because it is the very lifeblood that *[Oshi no Ko]* uses to get its start, and stubbornly refuses to emphasize or embrace further as it goes along. As two idol-obsessed people watching Hoshino Ai, doctor Amamiya Gorou and hospital patient Tendouji Sarina have formed an obsessive bond with her and her almost-divine performance presence, capitulated further when she discreetly arrives at Gorou’s hospital pregnant with twins. The day of delivery is struck down by Gorou being murdered, and both he and Tendouji are reincarnated as Ai’s children with all their mental faculties in place, now named Aquamarine and Ruby respectively. Two people in the thick of idol fandom, one of whom is killed by someone in the thick of idol fandom, now finding themselves the objects of their idolized idol’s attention. The perverse relationship between entertainment and consumer comes back around again as Ai is killed in her own home by a crazed fan, angry at her for having children, and Aqua suspects they were sent by their real father. It is, after all, against the law for idols to do anything sexual, unless the agency or someone within is facilitating it. With the light of their life extinguished, they’re left to pick up the pieces of what remains. Ruby channels them into becoming like her mother and an idol herself, a depressing irony in that she naively has no clue what she’s getting into. Aqua channels them into joining the industry behind the scenes and finding their father-murderer that way, a journey of personal doom. The para-social sense of naïve optimism and slip into despair via the industry and their products never leaves the characterization (they’re always being fueled by Ai, even in death), but it does get reprioritized—if not shoved to the side outright—as the show’s scenarios begin manifesting. It chooses to focus its attention instead on how the industry functions and the people within it, functioning as a quasi-exposé. The result is *[Oshi no Ko]* effectively abandoning its original framing device for something vastly less interesting. The series wants to have its cake and eat it too, to be profoundly crushing on the emotional level while delivering its timeless message that the entertainment industry is a monolithic hydra of lies and politics that the cast nevertheless tries to succeed in. The irony is that, in Akasaka and series composer Tanaka Jin’s bid to do this, they cannot resist flexing their knowledge by having characters just spell out “the truth” of how the industry works, robbing the show of its opportunities to impose such things on the characters, barring some flashbacks. It is so on-the-nose that there is little to be discovered organically through the narrative. And Aqua’s positioning within *[Oshi no Ko]’s* structure drives this point home, especially. He became after Ai’s death a cold, calculating genius when it comes to the industry as a whole, in-part helped by having worked in it. Whether in front of the camera or from the production side, there is seemingly nothing he cannot adapt to. Such a characterization undercuts the looming danger of the industry itself because if anything bad happens, Aqua will always be able to salvage the situation or come up with some solution that makes sure everything and / or everyone is okay. It is difficult to be apprehensive of the shadows on the wall when a character keeps flicking on the lights, never truly getting caught off-guard. It is a given that not everyone who works in the entertainment industry is a terrible person, that many involved indeed are trying to create the best product possible, and they know that being nice to their actors is one of the ways to do so. But *[Oshi no Ko]* has its depiction of the industry be more abstractly monolithic in its malice as opposed to actually having people in it who are malicious. Because Aqua and Ruby are born into the business through being Ai’s children, they are constantly sheltered from its grimmer possibilities by being in a “good company” and “knowing the right people” who will oblige Aqua’s thirst for vengeance in exchange for a favor, either wittingly or unwittingly. The monologuing by the characters keeps talking about how the industry is rough, unfair, and “that’s how it is,” but any sense of unfairness is barely allowed, if at all, to directly interrupt finding Ai’s killer or pose a sincere obstacle to Ruby’s progress. Thus, there is a shorter draw distance with which *[Oshi no Ko]* can cast its muckraking net, leaving many of the emotional moments to fall strangely limply rather than fuel a brutal collision. But even so, there are rare times where the para-social relationship I hinted at before does return, and it occurs in the moments where the series shines at its brightest (or is it darkest? You decide). Aqua is hardly out of focus, but when he’s gone, the darker specters are finally allowed the chance to come out of the corner and consume the room. Left to their own devices, characters are forced to fight their way through new torments and problems—which does unfortunately paint just how reliant on Aqua they all are. Especially aided by the show’s aesthetic care and attention, apparent effort is poured into key animations and storyboarding that, when aligned with the material, elevate the punches into a sharp viscerality. Director Hiramaki Daisuke and the sizable number of animation directors understood that, particularly for a story pertaining to the entertainment industry, presentation matters. It’s a sign of just what the series is perfectly capable of doing, but ultimately decides to opt for something markedly less knotted. *[Oshi no Ko]* insists on the dangers of the entertainment industry and pulling back the curtain, but holds itself back too often by not letting it gets its claws into everyone enough. The actual horrors of the industry it proports to share are kept at a safe and comfortable distance, aiding the narrative that being an idol, and their industry, is glorious, glamorous, and worth it. It is all at once a reincarnation story, a revenge quest story, a story about idols, a story about the relationship between the industry and its fans, and an exposé on how the industry functions. I genuinely admire its ambitiousness, but it’s a case of trying to do too much, and not having the finesse to handle it all effectively. Maybe Aqua can salvage it.

[Oshi no Ko] 【推しの子】

2023 spring | Episodes: 11 | Score: 8.6 (539294)

Updated every Wednesdays at 23:00 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Delfi Sound | Shueisha | CyberAgent | Kadokawa

Streaming: HIDIVE | Akiba Pass TV | Ani-One Asia | Anime Digital Network | Aniplus TV

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Han, Megumi

Takahashi, Rie

Igoma, Yurie

Ootsuka, Takeo

Uchiyama, Yumi

News

Reviews

alexnorette
07/25/2024, 08:52 PM
"Oshi no Ko" is an extraordinary anime that transcends typical genre boundaries, delivering a mesmerizing blend of drama, mystery, and social commentary. It captivates from the very first episode and continues to enthrall with its profound storytelling, complex characters, and striking visuals. The narrative follows the life of Aquamarine and Ruby, twins with an unusual and tragic backstory tied to the dark side of the entertainment industry. Their journey is one of seeking truth, uncovering secrets, and navigating the perilous world of fame and stardom. The plot is masterfully crafted, weaving together intense emotional moments, shocking twists, and thought-provoking themes that keep viewers on the edgeof their seats. The characters in "Oshi no Ko" are nothing short of remarkable. Aqua and Ruby, each with their unique strengths and vulnerabilities, drive the story forward with their deep personal motivations and evolving relationships. The supporting cast is equally compelling, adding richness and depth to the narrative. The character development is handled with great care, making every interaction meaningful and impactful. Visually, "Oshi no Ko" is a feast for the eyes. The animation is top-notch, with vibrant colors and detailed character designs that bring the story to life. The artistic direction effectively captures the contrasting atmospheres of the glamorous yet ruthless entertainment world and the characters' more intimate, personal moments. The music, too, is exceptional, enhancing the emotional resonance and dramatic intensity of the series. One of the most commendable aspects of "Oshi no Ko" is its willingness to tackle complex and often uncomfortable themes. It provides a sharp critique of the entertainment industry, addressing issues like exploitation, media manipulation, and the personal costs of fame. The series encourages viewers to reflect on these realities while still delivering an engaging and entertaining narrative. In conclusion, "Oshi no Ko" is a must-watch anime that stands out for its brilliant storytelling, richly developed characters, and powerful thematic exploration. It is a series that will leave a lasting impression, sparking both emotional and intellectual engagement. Whether you're a seasoned anime fan or new to the genre, "Oshi no Ko" is an experience not to be missed. Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Pennisland
05/07/2024, 02:20 PM
I'll keep this review short. You can't make a show criticizing the entertainment industry yet have every aspect of the show pander to it and the anime industry. It's like you took all of the surefire hit trends in the anime community and slapped in with a song that's just asking to trend on TikTok. Why is there a harem? Just why?????? Did we really need a love triangle? Why is there pandering to mommy kinks? I feel like every positive aspect of this show is just nullified by the fact that I just can't immerse myself in the ethos/pathos of the story when it feelsit is constantly contradicting itself for the sake of commercial success. Also, the portrayal of suicide in the show left a really bad taste in my mouth. Just everything from how lazily it was set up to how Akane requires a man to redeem her self-worth. Just disgusting.
keirashii
12/12/2023, 12:51 PM
This review contains minor spoilers. To this day I fail to understand how Oshi no Ko not only managed to be crowned as the highest rated anime of all time but also with a peak score of 9.32 and, currently at the time of writing this review, a score of 8.73, ranking 48th of all time; I fail to understand it, as Oshi no Ko fails tremendously in dealing with its central themes. It is impressive how an anime from this very year is already outdated in comparison to an anime that deals with similar themes, such as Perfect Blue, which came out 25 YEARS AGO;this last work is written in a much more intelligent, mature and interesting way, it is a visionary, thought-provoking anime and a masterpiece in comparison to the concert of mediocrity that Oshi no Ko offers in every sense, an anime that is dedicated to absolute mediocrity and to criticize the consumerism that this same anime uses in its favor. It is ironic how the show that pretends to show the consumerism in the entertainment industry and the superficial falsehood of entertainers is at the same time a huge waifu collection with a flat as an ironing board personality and with a 2cute4you design destined to sell dakimakuras and produce merchandise; it is also a show that goes from pretending to deal with serious issues to being a melodramatic drama of teenagers soaked in embarrassing & poorly-timed humour with shock value added for morbid curiosity. This show assumes that the audience is stupid and it overexplains absolutely everything with idiotic platitudes; fragile, vapid and completely harmless. Oshi no Ko criticizes what Oshi no Ko itself does, this anime commits the same sins that it condemns in its plot and I believe that this hypocrisy cannot go unnoticed. Oshi no Ko tries to be self-aware, it aspires to be an anime that tells you about how fake the entertainment industry is and how their only objective is to make money when this anime does this very thing in a blatant way. It tries to be serious, cynical, mocking and provocative but falls short in any way. Oshi no Ko is food for people who want to feel superficially satisfied and feel "aware" of much-more complicated and real issues, this anime feeds people a digested, ridiculous version of enormous, real-life problems. Not only does Oshi no Ko bastardize such a complex issue as abuse on the Idol and entertainment industry, it also fucks up bullying and harassment in a specific arc. I'll start with the famed episode one, which boasts the length of basically a movie and was the main reason this anime managed to claim the number one spot on this page. It begins with an off-key dialogue of a narrator exclaiming "This story is a fictional work; in fact, almost everything in this world is fiction. They fabricate, exaggerate and cover up every minute detail that does not fulfill their narrative. Therefore, fans love to be cleverly lied to. In this world, lies are weapons." at this moment, from the very first second, the anime is covered with a pretentious and insulting attitude; exclaiming things that are already common knowledge to all those who consume any kind of entertainment and that are absolutely clear in this time; it is not even said in a way that incites an interesting point of view or even becomes provocative, it is already obvious and not worth mentioning. Saying obvious facts and being tremendously bland and pretentious is a common theme of Oshi no Ko; it is an anime that tells you "fire burns" and it stands there, with a sly little smile, as if it has unveiled a hidden truth in the industry, when the depravity and darkness of the entertainment industry is something well-known, something that has been continuously fought against and a degenerate sewer which goes much deeper than this anime presents; the attitude of this show and its attempts to be provocative are not only insulting, but it also fails miserably at being thought-provoking or rebellious. After this show of pretentiousness where they tell you that water is wet, they proceed to introduce for the first time our protagonist; Gorou Anemiya, a degenerate otaku doctor obsessed with underage girls (this is his comedy gag for the next 30 minutes and his only personality traits) and Hoshino Ai, who is the most notorious talent of the idol group called "B Komachi" and is clearly the light of the stage; Hoshino Ai also a character who offers no interesting insights into her occupation as such an acclaimed idol and sets out to make exposition dumps and regurgitate information that a viewer already knows or can deduce for themselves. Episode one furthermore consists of a miserable comedic tone, like when the nurse mocks Gotou by calling him a pedophile..., after the death of a girl from cancer, I don't think it's a good time to insert comedy. Anyways, the two of them revive as Hoshino Ai's twins and this is something I find funny; it's a supernatural element of resurrection suddenly inserted in an anime that pretends to represent the harsh reality, something supernatural that never comes back and just happens without reasonable explanation within what this anime is; also, are you going to tell me that in 16 years that the two of them lived together nothing ever came out about this in this regard? Not only this, Oshi no Ko as a whole suffers from tone problems; its dark atmosphere pretends to uncover raw facts about the industry but it comes off as pretentious, clumsy, obvious, and the light humorous moments are embarrassing and mainly repeat the same comedy gags over and over again. The cast of characters in Oshi no Ko is tremendously bland and one-dimensional; none of them are relatable, they don't feel realistic and are absolute clichés. Each of them spits out the same platitudes about the entertainment industry constantly, without any interesting or thought-provoking additions to prompt the viewer to think or have a new point of view. From the edgelord gigachad 50000 IQ galaxy brain of Aquamarine Hoshino, who is surely the worst character in this anime (which is saying a lot) and who undertakes a ridiculous Walmart Death Note style cat and mouse story; while this is going on, every now and then Aqua turns to the camera, in edgelord 50000 IQ mode and tells the viewer for the fifth hundredth time "the entertainment industry is fake................ all of these people have a facade and they hide all the details that would ruin their narrative........" and the camera focuses on him as if he were the Albert Einstein of anime or the revolutionary of the industry, when the things he says are not only observable and deductible to the viewer by themselves, but, again, are OBVIOUS things that have already been repeated a million times over. Perhaps I am too cynical and pessimistic, but it is a fact that most famous people in entertainment hide dirt under their carpets and there are probably still many degenerates to be uncovered, it is something already assumed, much deeper and known. They introduce Ruby Hoshino who is a classy cliché idol and essentially resurrected Ai Hoshino, Kana Arima who is the talented actress and who, like Aquamarine, spews out expositions of information all the time about painfully obvious things and Akane Kurokawa, a girl who is SO tormented; everyone hates her and talks bad about her because she is SO talented and SO hardworking, everyone talks bad about her and of course the one who should help her is Aquamarine, there is no one else in her life who cares about her more than the protagonist. Anime as a medium often sins of treating bullying as a topic so extremely superficial that it hurts, and Oshi no Ko is no different from them; the bullying towards Akane is treated in an incredibly shallow and flat way, and it's all so bland it's disgusting, her mental health is also treated in an incredibly shallow way and I feel like this character is just made as a plot device to make Aquamarine into a hero and of course after he helped her she proceeds to fall in love, everyone knows the best way to romance the galaxy 50000 IQ brain gigachad is to pretend you're his mother, that's totally something a person would do. I didn't mention Mem-Cho because she is so flat that I can't consider her a character. Oshi no Ko is nothing more than a brick wall with pretty paint, it's pure style over substance and offers nothing new. It is the same stuff puked again on the table, it is a melodramatic and ridiculous teen drama with an immature revenge story pasted as a stamp on top and I'm convinced it's one of the most overrated anime to come out lately; it's immature in its execution and treatment of its core themes. What did I like about Oshi no Ko? The animation looks decent.., there really isn't much else, it's all style over substance, there's nothing here for the taking that's anything fresh. Oshi no Ko does what Oshi no Ko criticizes, it's a rebellious pretense that goes nowhere and is a vomit of common knowledge about the ceptic pit that is the celebrity world, Oshi no Ko's criticism of the idol and entertainment industry comes off as lukewarm and fragile; there is nothing of real value, this show is steeped in superficiality, pretentiousness and immaturity. For a show that deals with Oshi no Ko's core themes in a better way there is Perfect Blue, which is a million times better in every way; more mature, better directed, better written, better atmosphere, improved in every way, and that came out in 1998, Oshi no Ko could only DREAM of still staying relevant 25 years later. It feels like a show with no soul or essence behind it, it's something without substance and completely bland in nature. It's a show that deals with its themes in an immature way and which fails in all its attempts to provoke the viewer, which turns into a melodramatic anime of teenagers in a high school with extremely one-dimensional characters with super ridiculous revenge story stamps, which at the same time pretends that the viewer is left amazed; but in reality it is nothing more than a compilation of mediocrity, edgyness and obvious platitudes. Not only this, it is also a crude way to make money at the expense of a real problem using marketable character designs and dumb, easily digestible episodes and plot, do not let Aka Akasaka cook.
Tablekun
11/23/2023, 06:25 PM
I finally came around to watching what many dubbed "Anime of the Year". I was skeptical then, and by the end of it, this is not AOTY. It is good, enjoyable, with a great prologue episode, which hooked me, but the story is plagued by a 10 episode aftermath of the prologue, which fails to stay focused. I get that this anime is building towards something, but this is why I absolutely hate half seasons, or cours or whatever you want to call it. We have seen what can be done in 10, 12, or 13 episodes with other series thatknock it out of the park. Oshi no Ko doesn't lend itself to settling a score, and instead focuses on a long game strategy to build this anime over a period of time. This is fine, and I'm sure once it has built upon this foundation, it will turn out great. Going off of these 11 episodes, I have to say the story could have been more substantial, something important could have been done for a cliffhanger. The biggest happening of the series was episode 1, and then the series has a bit of an identity crisis. Is it a mystery, slice of life, harem? Yes, it's all of the above, but doesn't stay in a lane. If this was a 24-26 episode proper season, maybe we would have gotten that substantial cliffhanger, or something to really bring this story together. As of now, it's not there for me. Animation 10/10 - Absolutely beautiful eye candy as Frill would say. Sound 10/10 - Great music, and voice acting. Story 3/10 - Lacks focus, trading its story for character development for later seasons. Characters 8/10 - Great characters and development, but Ruby is third string to Kana, which doesn't make sense to me. She is the first character the author asks you to care about, and by the end of the season, she is almost a background character. Enjoyment 7/10 - Despite my perceived flaws of the show, I had no trouble watching it, and enjoyed every episode except ep 2. I have mixed feelings recommending a series like this, because it's clear, this anime intends to drop multiple seasons, and IMO a series like this should be enjoyed in binge fashion, especially when the first season fails to deliver substantial plot development. If you are okay with the start/stop fashion of cours, then I recommend it.
kingofthanks
11/22/2023, 05:52 AM
So I checked the this anime recently over top on my animelist so I sit down and watched this show to the end I mean watching it like a owl in the night but after I feel ashamed what I watched a grown ass otakus reincarnated into a 16 old girls sons the plot makes no. So many plot holes in this anime how the director accepts the aqua to host a actor in the show without parents signature or guardians signature to let their child act but no,oh my god the waifus is so sexy man kana🎂mim cho🍨Ruby🍺oh wow what a pair of boobs andtits shit🤦 I think this is going to be an interesting murder mystery because the first episode was not good but ok but the rest of the are free fall to garbage girls falling for the main character as usualy for silly reasons. Every girl is so sexy dude oh my god this idiots take their tissues ready before watching this. I mean the main character is so edgy and unrelatable I tried to relate but I can't the side characters are trash all one dimensional garbage why these girls have no personality other than embarrassing and simp for main character why every girls in this show used for simp the main character man their goals are confusing. It becames a waifu war highschool drama who gonna be with aqua themain character oh my god it's super fun. It's confusing this show is trying to show positive or negative traits of the entertainment industry because every character has always sad and it's so annoying bro. You are a actor and actress why are you depressed you know what you are doing in your life to get money and cheat people with your sexy boobs and body but why do I have to care about you. You are doing this for money right every people in ordinary life has struggles than this actors you are payed off a huge amount of money even you acted a one movie but an ordinary person struggles everyday and we get less profit from that why should we care about this girls doing this for money and they can't stop doing it👎🤦 Drama is worst nothing worked even I don't cried when ai hoshino died because the anime lacks and dramatalogy they where talking talking enough.🥱😢 Not a single scene is emotional or relatable think about this for a example if a anime fails any dramatalogy how many hours can a anime hold you kana please don't simp for aqua do something protective. Characters are boring these lack depth I mean the character kana the anime forced me to like her but it did not work for me every character has cliche sob backstory how are we going to care about them bro why don't you give a full episode to explore a character's feeling without a cliche that would be perfect I think but every backstorys cut and another cut stop it ok. Music is average the ost the op end ending is pedophile. The anime was popular for pedophile content for Ai hosino dropping her big tits into a baby's mouth and the baby happily sucks her breast and I checked the reaction to people reacting to this it's just disgusting man the people's reaction to this scene is what in the world are we in there is no protection for girls🌍 The characters motivations are one dimensional you tried to make kana sympathetic repeating her cliched backstorys again and again but it doesn't add up dog. The final episode was a rivalry between akane and kana who pair up with aqua I thought I was watching a drama for emotional connect between characters but what we ordered but what we got a tons of cute and sexy waifus with big tits. Why there's no other male character has depth why was only one main character in this show presented because he's the protagonist like mother fuckers this show is full of waifus how am I supposed to relate to a waifus why can't you add a additional male character like kaguya sama why bro please add a one best male character other than aqua please. Overall I think this show is pretty dump I don't ever wait for the season 2 and watch this trash boring,one dimensional characters,I hate kana and aqua annoying as shit I can't stand their loving back an fourth anymore💩👎thank you for reading comment🌍😘
eksratu
07/03/2023, 05:04 PM
The characters played off each other well. I thought the story moved forward without rushing. And the art style, animation, and overall production quality all impressed me. I really enjoyed this first season and would highly recommend watching it. I had only two major complaints. First, the twins' interactions felt somewhat unrealistic--I thought they were too sparse and inconsequential to be believable. Ruby and Aqua somehow avoided learning anything about each other for an entire decade and a half. Brothers and sisters growing up together should have a tremendous impact on each other's lives, reincarnation notwithstanding. And second, I disliked the transitions between the serious, mystery-drivenscenes and the slice-of-life showbiz scenes. While the scenes themselves were individually engaging, Oshi no Ko neglected its larger plot. The show thrives on being a revenge story and simultaneously a deep dive into the entertainment world, so I wouldn't want a story that is only one of those halves, but I was still left wondering if there was a better way to split the difference.
veroubri
06/30/2023, 09:35 PM
aaah... I really wanted to enjoy this anime as much as it was hyped and God knows how I really waited for that to happen but in the end, it just felt flat and I was a little disappointed. I will not go into an in-depth review but I will touch on the main key points that stood out to me without trying to spoil anything. I will start by saying despite a few comments I saw later online the first episode was by far the best episode of the whole season which now, looking at the whole picture is a little sad. Despite being the bestepisode of the season it had a few issues starting with the pacing, In an hour and a half we felt like we knew something but at the same time also nothing bout the characters. Ai who seemed to be an airhead but also a loving person has an almost complete change of character in the last five minutes of the episode. Bringing me to my next point, the complete disregard for the "show, don't tell" rule. The show seemed to compensate for its lack of emotional impact or sufficient world-building with the dumping of information (which in my opinion does not seem relevant) to somehow make us sympathetic towards the characters. The best way for us to relate to a character in a way is to be able to go through whatever pain they went through. Instead of being spoon-fed. A show who succeeded perfectly in doing so will be fruits basket (well at least in the first two seasons) PS: I don't want to talk about the third season. Anyway... by bringing us into this character's world, by drawing us into his mind we are able to understand why he feels the way he feels. Are his actions warranted? and even if they are stupid do they make sense to him? A very good example is Thorfinn in Vinland Saga seasons 1 and 2. His way of acting is triggered by the internal conflict happening inside of him so whether he acts out of revenge or decides he has no enemies we can feel empathetic towards him even though we do not fully agree on one decision or the other. The point is he feels painfully real. And yes every anime will still be an anime in its own delusional way but the point here is, in attempting to make a deep plot and character-based anime the character should at least have some depth. The most disappointing point of this whole show was the lack of direction in this story. The story hooked me up with the premise of a revenge-murder mystery. Which I was expecting after watching the first episode but then it turns into a slice of life but not really but also a dive into the dark side of the entertainment industry but not so deep to see some real substance and since there is a lack of proper direction the main point plot (which was getting revenge) gets relayed to the second plan. We see less and less of the main character and get distracted with futilities wondering if they are relevant to the whole picture The whole story nevertheless has some potential and just needs to be well executed. Aside from that, the story is watchable but do not expect it to be as awesome as it was depicted on Tiktok(which seems to be extremely biased for some reason). Matter of fact I think if you intend to watch it start with the second episode and end with the first. Aside from all the above the animation and sound is quite decent and it can be quite enjoyable without a high expectation.
Tiago_Vaz_007
06/29/2023, 04:54 PM
I was reluctant to watch it and started believing it wouldn't be worth anything, but I ended the season knowing it was one of the best works ever created by mankind. I guarantee strong emotions and lessons on how to make a good anime. This is one of the hardest reviews I've ever written. Since it is easy and good to talk about the mistakes, the difficult thing is to communicate the successes and to criticize an almost perfect anime is a challenge. Therefore, I will focus on what I consider the strongest points of this anime, which make it so loved and recognized, which isprecisely being able to convey a lot of emotion and content. Most critics try not to talk about emotions, because it is something subjective and stigmatized by society, but the truth is that this is the soul of this industry. What makes someone offer the most valuable thing that human beings have, which is time? Above all, this is what entertainment is based on. It doesn't matter a high complexity, something outlandish, something innovative, something extremely realistic. Absolutely having all these things means nothing if they can't convey emotion, because that's what the directors want and what the public wants. Like critical, artistic and cultural values, they are secondary, often temporal and, despite not being labeled as such, have greater degrees of subjectivity than things that transmit emotions. One of the trademarks of this work is that in all episodes, or almost all, they close with a climax, leaving a suspense that captivates the interest for the continuation. Some will say that this hook technique is old and that's true, but it works and few works managed to perform as well in as many episodes as this one. It is also something that, because it is no longer so usual, and not done correctly in anime, seems innovative. It was obviously a great job by the director of series composition who knew how to divide the material of the episodes well. Merit not only from this director of composition, but from the whole team, because I read the manga and these scenes would not have the same weight without the right choice of music, framing, rhythm, colors, shadows and incrementing more frames . Animated art enables greater sensory sensations, therefore it has more possibilities to provoke emotions. However, I got to know the plot before watching most of the episodes and the story is addictive in itself. As much as the anime team has many merits and great achievements, I must recognize that the author of the source material and the manga artist had the greatest contribution. The characters in this story make us empathize with them, to the point that we have their desires, their anxieties, their anger and their sadness. One of the biggest marks for us to know if the characters are good is when the work manages to put us in them and feel with them. These characters also have full arcs, but they're good essentially because they move us. The most impactful scenes in order are: All the scenes in the final part of the 1st episode are spectacular and that's what sells the work the most. I just need to comment that there was something missing from the manga during the death of a character and that if it had been shown in the anime it would have avoided some silly criticism. The scene at the end of the 7th episode, without any exaggeration, I watched it again at least a hundred times because it was so good and so emotional. Interesting that it's not that different in the manga, but the little they've changed improves it tremendously. They made a simple scene look grandiose with just a camera movement, shadows and a very accurate soundtrack. It may not be the most impactful, but it's my favorite. After that scene, I couldn't help but recognize that this anime was a masterpiece. The scenes at the end of the 10th episode, improved absurdly compared to the manga. Well, it was extended, the dialogues were deeper, the scenery was changed, they made new framings, put shading that didn't exist, gave spectacular colors and put a fantastic soundtrack. If the scene in episode seven made me recognize that this anime is a masterpiece, the one in episode ten made me place this anime in the top ten of all time. This scene was so deep and moved me so much that I cried from beginning to end, it gave me satisfaction and a constant smile. Furthermore, if I could retouch the Mona Lisa I would just put more layers with more detail in this beautiful photograph. The scene at the end of the 8th episode was also improved in the anime due to framing and the use of camera movement. Naturally, the plot would make this scene empathetic, with a somewhat sad tone followed by one of satisfaction, but the work made it more dramatic with the character's great facial expressions. At the end of the 9th episode there was an addition of a clip with an entire song, which in the manga this was only represented by a comic. It certainly enriches the work, but as much as I see value in it, what really impacts me is Kana's part. So maybe it turned out better in the manga, because without that clip in the middle of the scene they contrasted better. The scene at the end of the 6th episode has something very heavy, it couldn't not be impactful, but I preferred it much more in the manga because they left the character hysterical and also the soundtrack was not the best choice. A curiosity is that I saw a youtuber who hates the work comment that this episode was unreal, artificial. Only for him to break down soon after, when the manifestations of a mother criticizing the work for accomplishing something very similar to the real case of her daughter came to light. The scenes at the end of the 5th episode, I think it goes without saying that Pieyon's music video went viral, many people sharing, many people doing a live-action version, even Ruby's Japanese interpreter participated in one of these versions. Overall I enjoyed this scene, but the anime didn't use the same framing as the manga and the clip was a little weird. Thoughts in the form of speech also messed up the scene in the anime. The one with the manga writer getting emotional in the 4th episode, it's the kind of scene with content, with a critical value, but what's more important is how it's conveyed. The character conveys the emotion of watching an adaptation of her manga and we cry watching her cry. It was great! The scene at the end of the 3rd episode was great, because it gave the protagonist stage presence, made him imposing and generated suspense for the continuation of it that would come at the beginning of the next episode. For me this was the part that turned the key on that it would not be just a prologue and that I needed to raise the grade of the work. I also saw a youtuber complaining that the ending scene of episode three should have been a little further on. The problem is that it wouldn't generate a cliffhanger for a continuation and this scene later on is the one at the beginning of episode four that wasn't as good as it could have been. The fact is that they wanted to increase things that took away from the great grandeur that the scene of the fourth episode has in the manga. In this scene in the manga, the protagonist conveys much more the idea that he is doing a very talented performance, being in fact a star. Nor is it just a matter of passing on the idea, it is about doing it with the assurance that you will do something brilliant. This is extraordinary! The concert scene of the 11th episode, again the anime expanded, put on a song, gave choreographies, conveyed emotion, in short, it had an excellent complement. That whole arc from the beginning to the lead-up to the show had me moved the entire time with tears and laughter. However, I have to be annoying, because the visual part of this scene of the show fell short of what I expected, what could be and what should have been, especially in a few moments that focused on the public and in terms of detailing the scenarios . Making it clear that with this I am not saying that it was bad, this scene is sensational and worthy of closing a season, it just deserved more affection. If I were the director, I would close the season on that part, or on the car scene, because it would give a greater sense of closure. The car scene is an excellent part that if more explored would be much better. Other scenes worth mentioning are in the 1st episode and are: the death of a character at the beginning; the baby dance that went viral on the networks; that of Amaterasu; Ruby scolding Aqua for not being woken up. The anime deals with some themes of the entertainment industry, such as: talent is not the most important thing; bureaucratic obstacles; financial difficulties; celebrity behavior; trouble maintaining an ideal image; relationship between stars and fans and between fans and stars. On top of these themes, the anime brings knowledge of this artistic world and makes scathing criticism. This is something very satisfying, as it does not leave the feeling that other works bring that we are wasting our time without receiving something aggregating in return. In addition, they are approaches with new perspectives that do not need to be complex and profound to reach a wider audience. The theme of the entertainment industry is recurrent because the plot is set in that industry, but this is not the main theme of the anime nor the only one of the secondary themes. The work even deals with other secondary themes in much more depth than this one. Topics such as: love, family, resilience, hypocrisy, maturity and responsibility. They are very intertwined with the main theme of the work, which is about revenge and lies, in such a way that they are confused and sometimes they are the same thing. I understand that common things are more easily perceived, but only shallow analyzes that do not understand the philosophy of this work only see the surface of the iceberg. Another point that few people pay attention to is the richness of the symbolism that this work uses and the primary source of philosophical, mythological, mystical and legendary inspiration. The creator god of Shintoism Izanagi had a daughter named Amaterasu, the sun goddess who was born from his left eye and from which the Japanese imperial family descends. From Izanagi's right eye, his son Tsukiyomi, the moon god, was born. It is not only in the colors and stars in the eyes that this symbolism is clear, but also in the personalities of the characters.
Vyaiskaya
06/28/2023, 05:28 PM
We'll give it a ten. Probably a 9.7+, but why not round up? e1: solid 10, due to the storytelling, pacing, time given to the plot, set up, delivery, seiyuu, animation, effects and cinematography. This is worthwhile even standalone. It's simply excellent and was perfect as the introduction or prologue. Perfectly executed. e2 on, holds strong, it was captivating throughout with several very notable highs you won't want to miss. Where I felt e2 on felt occasionally some minor, weakness was as a necessity of moving the medium to standard episode length and the demands of television. And a slight lowering of "cinematagraphic feeling" atpoints here - and perhaps points where it made sense. But this is very, very minor, and you'll definitely be hooked. Each bend in the series was remarkably well done, and the entire production team deserves high praise. The animation, design, timing of effects and cinematography are all excellent. I am excited to see Season2, with high expectations and wonder if it can outdo Season1? Did I mention I am excited?? Overall, the execution was impeccable, the storyline and characters are riveting - with mutiple plot threads and characters/their personas beings explored from mulitple angles making for excellend character development and excellent drama as we grow close to a growing and diverse cast. And of course, Kurokawa Akane <3 <3 <3
NogueraB
06/28/2023, 04:55 PM
Like every anime that I watch, I tell the person to watch it and form their own opinion. When I look at some reactions to this anime, it’s like I’m seeing herd behavior because I can’t see anything that people are saying in the anime. For example, if you want something mysterious about a murder investigation, this anime is horrible. Do you want content about the idol or actor industries? This anime has nothing more than a shallow approach to the subject. Amazing character development? Nothing to see here either, my friend. Unfortunately, it’s 11 episodes of nothing happening and the same short red-haired girl in thesame loop. I was really waiting for an amazing story and incredible animation, but this anime was a disaster in everything it tried to talk about. For me, it’s a shame since I believed that this work could become something bigger in its final episodes, but that’s not what happened
Chaya2
06/28/2023, 12:28 PM
*[Oshi no Ko]* *QUICK REVIEW!* Reliable narration supported by beautiful illustrations, amazing cast, and it does an excellent portrayal of an entry view into the components of the entertainment industry. Oshi No Ko has a unique portrayal of the dark side of the entertainment industry which some may enjoy. Story was unique, semi-predictable, but enjoyable because of how the genre was portraying the entertainment industry. Art style definitely fit during bone-chilling scenes. Most characters are average. One character Aqua, stood out to me personally. Others may find a different character to stand out. Characters are realistic in most of their reactions.If somebody is looking for 100% realism, then I doubt they'd enjoy this. However, if they're looking for a quick watch and insight into the entertainment industry, then I would recommend.
Eanki
06/28/2023, 08:35 AM
It has been a while since I have been active. I came back from massive burnout to anime seasonal because of the greatest animated show pilot episode of the 2020s. But we are not here to talk about the pilot episode of Lackadaisy (the episode is available on YouTube). We are here for Oshi No Ko. Let’s try to temper expectations here because there is solid chance that you were marketed to in an unintentionally misleading way by several YouTube content creators as to the kind of story Oshi No Ko is. That is okay. I was too. I tried to go into this show blindbut even with that, I still ran into video recommendations talking about Oshi No Ko, cases it draws from, and how it is an expose on the seedy underbelly of the idol industry. With those video essay titles and fan marketing, you can be forgiven for having a particular set of expectations, namely: that this will be an uncomfortable character-focused psychological storytelling. It is not that, not nearly enough that. What it is is more a slice-of-life with some humorous beats mixed in when it is not trying to beat you over the head with its point about how dark the idol industry is (which is an open secret even a decade ago). It has a little bit of whodunnit mystery in the background that is unfortunately not being handled well. And for us adults in the audience watching, several enjoyable bits of talking shop (editor’s note: talking shop = to talk about your job with those you work with, even when not at work) in the show-within-a-show format of some of its arcs. And I am serious when I say the part where characters talk shop, with bits of humor mixed in, is the best part of the show for me. This is not a back-handed compliment. Look, the breakdown of the expenses you incur as an idol and your net salary are the more eye-opening parts of the show/the idol industry to anyone who has been on the internet for the last five years or more. The show proper has a very clear linear break (some call it a tone switcharoo) that you should be wary of when deciding if this is a show for you. The first episode’s story attracts audiences that might be turned off by the story beats of episode two onwards. Meanwhile, the audiences that might enjoy the story of episode two onwards might have been turned off by episode one’s introduction and what they felt might be the direction of the series. (The kind of humor this show has stays consistent all throughout the season however so if it is the humor that caught you, you should be pleased to know that.) Episode 1 is the most talked about part of the series and with a run time of almost an hour and a half it could have been a movie all on its own, centered around Ai as she tries to navigate the seedy underbelly of the entertainment industry while trying to keep her children a secret. The problem is that she must share screentime and development with her children. They need this setup for their eventual roles after the episode, but they eat into her story progression. Combined with the multiple mini time-skips, you eventually get the message that her story is not the important part of Oshi No Ko. She is the call to arms, the setup for the story of her children. They are the main characters. If you were here for her, it can feel like a switcharoo. I want to clear that up first with you, potential future viewer. What can you expect? If you have a fascination with behind-the-scenes stories or show-within-a-show formats, this show has that. Do you want to see contractually obligated participants in a dating show talk about their “strategies” and real goals when the camera is not looking? How about a former child actress starring in a manga adaptation that she likes and is currently being butchered in the adaptation table to launch the careers of several up-and-coming male models with little acting experience? I must admit that last part could have been more interesting if it had been given enough time to build it up. This is the second biggest weakness of the show, after marketing. It had multiple character arcs but it did a poor job managing its timetable. But enough talk of spilled rice, this is more in line with what you should expect going into this show.
TheRealist68
06/28/2023, 08:07 AM
“I have absolutely no interest in idols or the culture surrounding them. Frankly, I find the concept of grown-ass men (and to a lesser extent women), idolizing girls as young as 15 to be… strange at best and utterly creepy at worst. The only reason I picked up Oshi No Ko is because Aka Akasaka wrote it; the author that just happened to write Kaguya-sama, my favorite overall series. Despite the name behind it, I admittedly still had my prejudices.“ That is how I introduced my preliminary review; an admittedly vapid work where I sung my praises about Oshi No Ko by sucking off the firstepisode in ways previously thought impossible by scientists. That review somehow got away with mentioning the second and third episodes for a total of 29 words: about 5% of the entire review. What you may see as shameless pandering to an internet-breaking episode in an effort to drum up updoots on the internet, (in hindsight, it probably comes off like that, although it wasn’t intentional) I see it as an accurate portrayal of the general consensus of the series through the first 3 episodes. You cannot deny the quality of the first episode without blatantly hating. It serves as the perfect hook to the series by building up a faux premise that is subsequently destroyed by a Madoka Magica-level plot twist. This destroys any type of preconceptions that the viewer had before the series and even during the episode, while also getting the viewer hyped for what’s to come next. The decision to make the first episode 80 minutes long as opposed to making the 4 episodes of normal length also benefits the hook as some viewers may have dropped the series during the first 3 episodes before the actual premise was revealed. However, the second and third episodes were just traditional set-up episodes that were nowhere near first in terms of impact or scope. As the third episode ended, when the hype of the first episode had begun to subside, some people, including me, were beginning to wonder “Would this shit fall off”? In hindsight, I can laugh at this. I tried so hard not to like this series between my preconceptions of the idol genre at the beginning and my skepticism towards the series through the third episode. But here I am, writing a 10/10 review and preaching to the masses that Oshi No Ko is the FUCKING ANIME OF THE SEASON. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me dispel a misconception about Oshi No Ko. This shit is not an idol anime. It’s not an acting anime, or a mystery anime, or even a romance anime. This series is a damn near exposé that reveals the good, bad and the ugly of the Japanese entertainment industry. That statement is a bit fictitious as the “good” is shown to be what we, the audience, get to see. That perfect smile, the flashy performances, the love confessions, all of the stuff we consider to be the “good” parts of the entertainment industry mask the “bad”: the lies, the suffering, and the depression. The “ugly”: terrible situations that make news and garner support and sympathy on social media before fading into obscurity as all news does. It doesn’t appear an obsessive amount in the series, but it keeps the audience on their toes because, at any moment, shit can hit the fan. This premise works so well because of its novelty to the genre and because it affects characters that the audience is quick to empathize with. Oshi No Ko deals with real problems that really happen to real people, and as a result of that, it handles those problems with a large amount of realism that permeates into every aspect of the story: especially the characters A large amount of realism helps the characters be more relatable, which in turn makes the audience more likely to empathize with the characters, which allows the aforementioned concept to flourish. Most anime develop their characters with tragic backstories or extraordinary experiences to garner sympathy or excitement for the character moving forward. The only problem with this is that most of these developments are completely unrelatable for the audience. The audience is unlikely to relate to having their family killed by demons or being sold into slavery at a young age. The audience is less likely to empathize with or enjoy unrelatable characters. This isn’t a problem in most story-driven series as the objective there is to create a character that the audience can sympathize with, not empathize with. This is perfectly fine because, in many of these stories, the audience only needs to feel bad for the character; they don’t have to understand or relate to what they are feeling. However, in character-based stories like Oshi No Ko, it’s much more important to make the audience sympathize and empathize with the characters through relatability founded in realism. In an effort to make relatable characters, stories must also make sure that they don’t outright pander to the audience with characters whose sole objective is for the audience to project upon them. The characters of Oshi No Ko perfectly straddle that line in a way that makes the audience empathize with their problems and root for their successes to a far greater extent than what is common in the genre. A childhood phenom that fell off as she matured who is hungry for her next opportunity to get back into the limelight while perpetually writhing in the cynicism and despair that comes with the possibility that reviving her career may be impossible. A theater performer driven by feelings of uselessness and ineptitude that cause her to overact in a way that ruins her big break and causes an abundance of heinous discourse to befall her. A content creator who aged out of her dream due to familial obligations. Upon first glance, the relatability of some of these side characters may seem minuscule at best. However, upon a closer look, you can see that the side character archetypes in Oshi No Ko underlie some of the basic human fears that threaten self-actualization. The fear of falling off, the fear of not living up to other's expectations, the fear of aging out of the things you love to do, it’s all here and is probably the most relatable aspect of the series. Now, for the past two paragraphs, I pretty much exclusively talked about how relatable the characters in this series are and how that makes them easy to empathize with. However, throw that shit out the window for Aqua and Ruby as they both fail into the former category of characters in story-driven series, rather than the latter category of series like Oshi No Ko. (You might be able to explain this because they are reincarnations that aren’t from the present day, but I digress.) This doesn’t affect Aqua as he’s probably the best character in the series. He’s really similar to a Light Yagami or a Lelouch VI Britannia: a genius who masterminds the plot to accomplish their extreme goal. The reason why he is a genius is actually a little better explained than Light or Lelouch; He was a doctor in his previous life, so he’s naturally intelligent and he uses the experiences he gained in his previous life to make deductions as Aqua. Unlike the two aforementioned characters, he actually hides his genius well through his acting. I’m not implying that Aqua is a better character than Light or Lelouch; it would be silly to say that after just 11 episodes. But I will say that Aqua invokes the same feeling that Lelouch and Light invoke in the audience, and at the very least, he deserves a spot at their proverbial roundtable. As for Ruby, she heads the B plot while Aqua heads the A plot. However, the A plot takes priority up until the final episodes. The B plot is intermittently developed along with the A plot, and it’s actually Aqua’s motivation for some of the stuff he does throughout the series, but it’s to a far lesser extent than the A plot. Even when the B plot does get screen time as the primary focus, it mainly focuses on Kana and later Mem-Cho. Because of this, Ruby is a far less developed character than Aqua. (This is actually one of my only complaints about the series.) She’s not a bad character, her backstory is actually pretty moving, she just clearly lacks the development that Aqua gets. I expect this to change in later seasons, but as of right now, Oshi No Ko’s B plot is less impactful than the A plot by a decent margin. There has been a recent trend in the anime industry where production quality just keeps improving; Bocchi the Rock and Chainsaw Man were last year’s proof of that. Oshi No Ko follows that trend of improvement by having way better direction, animation, and music than is necessary for the genre. The quality of direction can easily be shown by the decision to make the first episode 80 minutes long, or how each episode ends with an impactful moment to hype the audience instead of a cliffhanger. The animation quality can be seen literally everywhere, but it’s most impactful when it involves a character’s eyes, especially Aqua’s dark star eyes. And for the music, the Op and Ed are my personal choices for the best in their respective categories for the season. I understand that music is subjective, but if you do a lyric analysis, you can understand that both Op and Ed correlate to the story to a much greater extent than in other series. Not to mention that both of them slap. In conclusion, Oshi No Ko is the FUCKING ANIME OF THE SEASON. The first episode hits like a Mac Truck, ushering in a unique and novel premise. This premise is supported by realistic characters that deal with realistic problems, which makes them relatable. This allows the audience to easily empathize with them. The main characters are excellent, well, Aqua is excellent, Ruby isn’t fully developed yet, and that’s why I’m off to the manga to find that coveted Ruby development. Thank you for reading and fuck HiDive.
Stark700
06/28/2023, 07:40 AM
For you and me, and everyone, Oshi no Ko has transcended beyond logic this season. You know, before I even added this show to the watchlist, this anime hit a lot of genres and ideas that stunned me in their promotional material. The preview video and theme songs in particular caused an Internet sensation. Plus, this franchise wasn't created by some nobody. It's made by the same author as Kaguya Love is War, the same series that had psychological elements tied with love and war. Watching Oshi no Ko is one of the most stunning experiences I had in recent years. I kid you not. Thefirst episode extended to 70+ minutes may be one of the most mind-boggling, peculiar, or perhaps disturbing introduction for an anime you've seen in years. Do not let the colorful key visual deceive you. This is so much more than about cute idols doing cute things. The entertainment world is a complex realm of possibilities that tipify the very fabric of our emotions. Let me just say that Oshi no Ko has one of the most complex mixture of themes this season. Adapted into a 11 episodes season, it follows the manga story by the one and only Aka Akasaka. It's clear Oshi no Ko wanted to catch our attention with not just its strange premise, but also the full creativity of its first episode. Being a double length, this is essentially a mini-movie aimed at introducing the main story and some of the most important characters. We meet Goro Amamiya as he is murdered on the night of delivering idol singer Ai Hoshino's children. The twist comes as Goro is reincarnated as one of Ai's children and now goes by the name 'Aqua'. The rabbit hole goes deeper with the introduction of Ruby, his fraternal twin and this sets the foundation of the story. It sounds mind-boggling and you truly need to watch the first episode to experence it. Words alone cannot describe the amount of mind shattering direction of this show. But again, maybe you are used to seeing anime with reincarnation elements. It has been a dominating force in today's anime industry after all. Oshi no Ko does not contain the fantasy isekai elements but instead take place in an entertainment world. And as I mentioned before, the entertainment world is a complex realm of possibilities. Perhaps one of the most pivotal moments in the show is the death of Ai Hoshino. The anime is bold enough to kill off an important character because it's needed to develop the overall plot. For you see, love and revenge becomes a part of this anime's themes. Ai's experience with love hits its peak when she truly tells her children that she loves them. Similar to Akasaka's Kaguya Love is War, this anime has themes related to lies. But in those final moments, Ai was able to express herself truthfully in the most natural way possible. Meanwhile, the anime wants Aqua to avenge Ai's death. For him to discover the truth, the most important way is to enter the entertainment industry. Oshi no Ko touches on several themes and although love, lies, and revenge are among these, it doesn't stop there. For there's love, there's also hate and Aqua is one of the best representation of such feelings. Aqua is the easily the coldest character in the show with a single dedicated mind focused on finding out the truth. Willing to take any risks and go as far as a man can go, Aqua will stop at nothing in his goal and this season showcases some of his talents. You may question if Aqua is entitled to this because truth be told, everything he sets out to do is for revenge and we all know that revenge isn't going to bring back Ai. However, I want to say Aqua represents the very instincts of human nature. It's natural human instinct for us to feel angry when we lose a loved one. For Aqua, he makes it a personal journey to avenge his mother and find out the truth. Although this season doesn't have enough time to solve the eerie mystery, it does uncover Aqua's talents and enough for us to know his personality. Beyond the boundary of hate and revenge, we should also take a closer look at Ruby Hoshino and her presence this season. To put it simply, she represents a foil of Aqua, being outgoing with a bubbly personality and being easily able to make friends with others. Instead of seeking revenge, Aqua hopes to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Growing up in her previous life as a happy person, it would appear her personality didn't change much at all since Ai's death. While this seems to put odds against her brother Aqua, the show does make it clear that he cares about her greatly. Their relationship is described as peculiar because they contrast each other so much. But at its core, the two are a close family since the tragedy of their mother. The entertainment industry introduces us a rather colorful cast and among them is Akane Kurokawa. One particular episode showed not just her sensitive side but just how tough the entertainment industry can be and its high expectations. However, this anime wanted Akane to be a mirror image of Ai Hoshino. She may not be as talented but with a resourceful mind and rejuvenated determination, Akane draws us in as an inspirational role model. Watching Oshi no Ko showcases an element of surprise where we should always expect the unexpected. Akane's character turnaround is just one such example and if you don't believe me, just see for yourself. Ultimately, your decision to watch Oshi no Ko could be for its themes, character cast, story, or the overall tone of the series. It's not the usual showbiz type anime where characters compete for a spotlight and make a career. This is about controlling a path and following it through any obstacle. This isn't just a romance either so don't go into this show expecting a love story between the cast. As with Akasaka's style of writing, you should expect one with emotional drama combined with psychological attributes. It has some sensitive themes including death, suicide, and among other topics that can be deemd as controversial. Yet, Oshi no Ko is outlandishly entertaining for not being afraid to take risks. And to me, it's also why this anime is a must-watch. Adapted by studio Doga Kobo, the most noticable element for the character designs are the starry eyes that may go beyond just asethetics. Sure, the author wanted to give our characters unique looks with their radiant emotions. However, there's yet no definitive answer why we see those sparkling eyes. Perhaps they represent emotions and how humans behave. Or perhaps they really are designed to give the anime a colorful look. Nonetheless, Doga Kobo captured the esseence of the character designs at its finest straight from the manga. The theme songs also combine a balanced style of J-pop and dark tone when watched carefully. And thankfully, the animation quality throughout this anime remains concrete throughout. Whether you agree or disagree about Oshi no Ko's rating is a topic on its own. But I speak for everyone when I say that this anime and manga will be talked about for years. We now live in a social media age where anime like this can instantly spark debates. Controversy makes cash and there's no doubt Oshi no Ko is sitting on a gold mine.
RebelPanda
06/28/2023, 07:31 AM
Lies. Who among us hasn't told a lie or two? Whether it's telling a white lie or presenting a false version of ourselves. Celebrities, actors, musicians, and artists must constantly maintain a public image, which may require telling a lie or two. As a famous idol, Ai Hoshino's life revolves around lying. "The lie becomes the truth" are words she lives by. She lies to her friends and fans, but no one can see through the facade beneath her starry eyes. Oshi no Ko's most provocative scene tragically occurs in its feature-length premiere. The tearjerker ending propelled the series into popularity, leading to disappointment when therest proved to be an entirely different beast. Some viewers may build false expectations, but those who approach it open-mindedly will enjoy where it takes them. The premiere was a well-written story best left in the past. It initially evokes the untouchable masterpiece Perfect Blue, but aside from the final scene, the juvenile execution pales in comparison. The episodes after the premiere are more refreshing. Oshi no Ko's content is comparable to my all-time favorite anime, Kaleido Star, for its realistic approach to performing arts while maintaining an uplifting message. It never shies away from showing singers, dancers, and actors' struggles to preserve their image and criticize demanding audiences. Writer Aka Akasaka does not condemn consumers but provides a mirror to reflect on their behavior. Oshi no Ko honestly portrays the Japanese acting and idol industry. Seeing how child actors phase out, stunt casting, agency competitions, and differences between writers and studios add to the realism. There are many things they should have taken into account, such as numerous reshoots, scheduling, and post-production. They seemingly picked and chose the most exciting parts of show business to portray and ignored the less appealing but equally crucial aspects. Through Ai Hoshino's twin son and daughter, the series explores the ups and downs of acting and idol careers, respectively. Both children secretly lived past lives, in which they adored Ai. Her son, Aquamarine, was Ai's gynecologist, murdered by her stalker. Her daughter Ruby was only a young girl when she died of cancer. They take their reincarnations surprisingly well, but who wouldn't when you get around-the-clock attention from your favorite celebrity? Well, probably some people. The kids pursue futures that live up to their mother's legacy and do right by her. For Ruby, this means carrying on Ai's legacy as an idol and rebuilding her group B-Komachi from the ground up. For Aqua, it's rather intense; he dedicates his life to searching for their absent father, putting aside any personal goals. Aqua and Ruby attend Yoto High School, which offers a performing arts program only for students attached to a talent agency. Luckily for the kids, Ai's previous manager Miyako Saito adopted them and made them part of her company. A common critique of Oshi no Ko is that the reincarnation plot device is unnecessary. I disagree with that judgment because it's necessary to advance the plot. Aquamarine uses his skills of talking to seniors as a doctor in his past life to smooth talk a director, which gets his mother a film role. He uses his people skills to dig up clues to track down his lost father. Unlike many other high school geniuses in anime, Aqua behaves like an adult due to his reincarnation; it is better that the plot provides a reason other than the simple notion that he's a prodigy. Some viewers may find Aqua's infatuation with Ai overwhelming, and it is nearly an oedipal nightmare. Still, it rides the line carefully—quickly reminding us that his love for Ai is admiration, not romance. Ruby's past life provides an obstacle to overcome rather than skill. She struggles with dancing, a crucial skill as an idol, partly because having cancer made it difficult for her to dance, causing her to have difficulty with her mindset. Aqua and Ruby are deeply flawed, socially awkward, and very traumatized, like the other characters. The side characters stand out with vibrant personalities that leave a lasting impression without gimmicks. Each character possesses their own set of goals, struggles, flaws, and endearing qualities. Among them is Kana Arima, a former child prodigy in acting who now finds herself a mediocre teenage actor. With a theater kid persona, Kana exudes excessive confidence that can seem condescending. However, her knack for maneuvering within the industry helps her secure roles. Like others, her character development involves confronting inner demons caused by past trauma and present triggers. As a freelancer, she often gets trapped in undesirable parts. However, when she joins Ruby to form their idol group B-Komachi, Kana discovers self-respect. Together, they build their team from scratch, with relentless effort and determination. Another key supporting character is Akane, an up-and-coming actress who works alongside Aqua on a reality TV dating show. Through Akane's arc, the writer explores a theme touched on during the premiere. Social media: How it helps and harms performance artists. There's a focus on positive and negative responses to Aquamarine's TV shows, but it peaks with online hate and canceling Akane faces. Harassment's disastrous effects on her mental health are realistic and portrayed with uncommon sensitivity. Regardless of how the arc plays out, it is cathartic to see the people responsible for her turmoil condemned by the author. This includes the grossly misogynistic haters online and the scumbag producer of their reality TV show. Aside from the tearjerker premiere, Oshi no Ko manages a few other genuinely moving moments—a mental health crisis and a near breakdown before a major performance—but surrounding those is a bit of contrived drama. Aqua's slow quest to find his father loses steam quickly. However, future seasons can revive that subplot. Ruby must navigate rising as an idol, a path well-worn by music anime. Though they mostly avoid pedestrian school drama, there's romance stalled by misunderstandings. It's as if the anime keeps seeking narrative conflict when there is plenty to dig into with the characters' turmoils—especially Ruby and Aqua's rich history. Tell us more about how their past lives inform their present! And it would've been fascinating to learn more about their adoptive mother; surely, a chapter or two can be spared for her. Despite the story's slight drawbacks, it's consistently elevated by one of Doga Kobo's most impressive presentations alongside Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun. Although it is less well-directed than Akasaka's prior adaptation, Love is War, Daisuke Hiramaki handles the drama in Oshi no Ko excellently. The combination of orchestral background music and close-up shots creates a sense of immersion during the dramatic scenes. With soaring melodies and dynamic arrangements, orchestral compositions heighten the emotional intensity. As the music swells, it accentuates everything felt by the characters; anguish, joy, and depression, evoking an impactful response from the audience. Furthermore, the well-timed close-up shots sweeten the effect of these moments by capturing the characters' raw expressions. Oshi no Ko delves into the intricate world of lies and facades that permeate celebrities' and performers' lives. It explores the challenges and consequences of maintaining a public image while delving into its characters' personal trauma. While the tearjerker premiere may have set high expectations that the subsequent episodes couldn't fully meet, the series delivers refreshing and immersive portrayals of the performing arts. The reincarnation plot device, although debated, advances the storyline. The side characters shine with their distinctive personalities and genuine character development, with Kana and Akane standing out as memorable figures. Despite some contrived drama and missed opportunities for deeper exploration, Oshi no Ko is consistently elevated by Doga Kobo's strong presentation. Ultimately, the anime provides a cathartic experience, while taking the coming-of-age genre from a fresh angle.
Marinate1016
06/28/2023, 07:31 AM
Oshi no Ko is one of the best introspective critiques of the Japanese entertainment industry ever. It handles topics like the toxicity of the industry in a way that we haven’t seen before and is a must watch. Often, foreigners have conflated perceptions of Japan, due in large part to the success of anime as a cultural export. They see Japan as this ideal haven full of advanced technology and waifus. The reality of the matter is that like all countries, Japan has its issues. One of the biggest, being the virulent nature of the entertainment industry. Whether it be obsessed fans or abusive talent agencies,there’s a lot of issues here. Despite the bright character designs and cheery visuals, Oshi no Ko gives us an unprecedented view of the struggles of actors, idols, content creators and the dark underbelly of the industry. It takes us through situations inspired by real life events and deals with topics like cyber bullying, stalking, depression, suicide, anxiety, insecurity and others in a very realistic and tasteful manner. While some things are played up for the sake of entertainment, these are very real issues that affect many people on a day to day basis and I’m happy with the job Doga Kobo did bringing it to life and even surpassing the manga in many instances. While it may have gained its initial popularity from Aka Akasaka’s reputation, Oshi no Ko has charted its own course and carved out its own legacy thanks in large part to its phenomenal story, great characters and relevant subject matter. This isn’t just riding on Kaguya’s coattails. It’s genuinely a master class in its own right. From voice acting to art direction, this is truly Doga Kobo’s finest work. It has to be stated, this is not an idol show. Despite how much you may see people going around talking about it being a subversion or reinvention of the idol genre, they’re wrong. This is a drama focused on the Japanese entertainment industry and it’s truly one of a kind. I’d argue this is a must watch, not just for the artistic merits of the show, but for the message. The advent of the internet brought with it many great things. But, it also created opportunities for harassment and bullying, and seeing how that affects people is really important to ensuring you don’t fall into that category of person. As I touched on earlier, the art direction is stellar in this adaptation. As a manga reader, I already knew all the big twists and plot points coming into the season. So my biggest point of evaluation was the quality of the adaptation and how the studio would handle the big emotional set pieces. As expected of DG, they did an awesome job. Admittedly even better than I could’ve hoped. In many situations, the cinematography amplifies scenes allowing viewers to truly feel the weight of the moment more than a manga ever could do. The voice acting from both industry stalwarts like Han Megumi(Kana) and newcomers like Igoma Yurie(Ruby) is incredible. Love the more muted and subtle voice acting style for the main characters. Adds a level of immersion to keep you focused on the subject at hand. Art style of course is great too. Great work all around. You don’t get a number 1 song on billboard 100 without having a fervent fanbase behind you. The Oshi no Ko fanbase is extremely passionate about this series and for good reason. It’s got some of the most loveable characters/waifus in animanga, a gripping story, pertinent topics and emotional moments that hit you like a truck. Not only is it one of the best anime of the season, it’s one of the best anime in recent memory and it deserves all the hype. Oshi no Ko gets 10 stars, out of 10.
Mcsuper
06/28/2023, 07:30 AM
There is no doubt that Oshi no Ko was one of the most popular anime this season, and it’s easy to see why. There is some realistic commentary of the idol and entertainment industries, especially the dark side, which made for an interesting watch. Through all the mystery and dark subject matter, there was also a bit of comedy mixed in, which I will admit was hit or miss at times, but it all boded well for me in the end, perhaps due to the high production standards of this anime. Now, I know the reincarnation subplot has some people up in arms, and I dounderstand that can be the weak link of the show, but anime in the end is a medium that has a lot of goofy ideas in it, and this was one of them. I would also agree to some extent it wasn’t a particularly strong way to start the show, but that didn’t really hamper my enjoyment too much. Like I mentioned earlier, the real hook of the series is the commentary on the entertainment industry. Streamers, vtubers, actors, models, idols, and many other people in the online sphere face a lot of the issues that this anime talks about. The idea that the entertainer has to be “pure”, especially if they are a female, can bring about a lot of online hate once said entertainer is found to have a relationship. Viewers feel betrayed and hurt, so they try to cancel them, threaten them, and that can cause major ramifications to the entertainer’s mental state. If there’s one thing to take away from this anime, even if you don’t like it, is to be wary on the Internet, and to simply be a kind person, to not be so desperate for the one moment of Internet clout. Unfortunately, cyberbullying due to these events is very common, and to be honest, unlikely to ever go away, but does that mean we should stop trying to stop the behaviour? Definitely not, but in this day and age, one also has to have thick skin to handle such toxic words. People, just remove likes/retweets on replies to tweets or Youtube videos, not the dislike button entirely. I did appreciate the comments on the industry a lot, and it’s clearly issues that the author, Aka Akasaka is trying to point out to people, but I do think there wasn’t really enough of that throughout the series, as the series shifted its priorities quite often, with other themes like the mystery and idol performances taking over. Not to say that wasn’t a good thing, as the other parts of the anime have their own respective charms, but I did enjoy the industry talk the most. The characters offer a variety of personalities, and I think it’s fair to say that many viewers may find themselves relating or resonating with a certain character, and for everyone, that might be a different one. The cast is solid overall, and it was clear to me how much the production staff love Kana Arima, the famous child actress that struggled as she grew up. I found myself resonating with her character the most, and having fun watching her interactions with the rest of the cast. She has a foul mouth with snappy comments, but in the end, she cares about the people around her a lot, and wants them to succeed, to not face failures like she did after her child actress days were behind her. A lot of the time, I felt she was the voice of the main message of what the author, Aka Akasaka wanted to convey, with the information around the industry and how people have to act. For many, I’m sure that Akane Kurokawa, the actress who had her fair share of struggles in this series to say the least, will be their favourite character. While her character moments led to much discourse among viewers, I feel her arc was resolved a bit quickly, though it was still very impactful. Mem-cho, the Vtuber/Youtuber had some humorous moments as well, and had some relatable things to say. The supposed two main characters in Ruby and Aqua felt like the weakest in the show, especially Ruby, who didn’t have much to do after the first episode, though her positivity and naiveness about being an idol had me a little scared, and Aqua just didn’t feel like a very strong protagonist, as his traits are being manipulative, and having the mind of an adult, not much else. I get that you’re not really supposed to think he’s a good guy or anything, but he didn’t really give me anything to cling on to or relate to. I hope that improves with future seasons. The production behind this show is definitely something to be admired, with splendid directing, compositing, and beautiful scenes throughout. Props to all the staff behind this, as I could tell this was quite the passion project, with some bias toward Kana, which I have absolutely zero complaints about since she’s my favourite character in the show. The darker moments were handled well to really emphasize how eerie and uncomfortable it felt, especially in Episode 6, while the lighter moments had their charm to it as well. The soundtrack was fine, though mostly highlighted by the popularity of the OP and ED, and especially YOASOBI’s music video on the opening, Idol, which topped the Billboard charts outside the United States. There were various records that this anime broke, and it is just so overwhelmingly popular, and when I went to Japan for a vacation a couple months ago, I saw and heard a lot of things related to Oshi No Ko everywhere, including merch, and the music. Overall, this show provides a solid, and perhaps relatable look at the entertainment industry, while mixing in themes of mystery, and more light hearted moments as well. If you’re curious and want to watch this show, you’ll know if you like it after the 90 minute premiere, which sets the stage very well. Not everything was perfect, as I did want a deeper look at the industry, but what we got was still an excellent product that will resonate with a lot of anime fans, and also myself, for some time to come. Remember to be kind to others, especially online. It’s not that difficult to do.
SpRayquaza11
06/28/2023, 07:30 AM
I tried akasaka, I tried my best to love this new series of yours for which you so mercilessly murdered your already beloved kaguya sama love is war , I tried to love it like i loved love is war even joined the hype , but just like the idol Ai, it was completely a fabricated love that only got converted to indifference as the episodes went by. Since it's by all means just a …. A ONE EPISODE HIT WONDER, Which is very polarizing in its depiction of the film industry and is for the most part, just a revenge porn story since thatis the primary motivation of the main character and adds the illusion of meaning and motivation for us to follow this edgelord of an ‘adult’. Oshi no ko the next big thing by akasaka sensei who had the credibility and popularity of kaguya sama behind them and the faith of the fans to produce yet another masterpiece. Kaguya sama, a loved series, rushed to completion so that akasaka could completely focus on this manga alone. Many anitubers or should i call them social media influencers with podcasts now ?praised it as the one true holy grail of immaculate writing and heartbreaking drama with a headspining mystery in the mix. And what came off of all this? a one episode shocker that set expectations but failed to meet any of them so far. There was only ONE episode of oshi no ko that even deserves any of the attention the show has got till date, I am no hater , I completely agree that the first episode of oshi no ko WAS AN IMMACULATE masterpiece, but we are here for the review of the entire season are we not? While the rest of the episodes are not bad by any means some of them are actually pretty good, but I can't help but feel that we go through a downward spiral from episode one onwards. Plot (5/10) The whole plot is kinda meh because of these three things 1)reincarnation seems pointless other than giving the MC and FMC an unfair edge. 2)The whole story is a convoluted excuse to gather sympathy for film industry workers because the story could literally be the same without the media industry gimmick. The whole show has a solemn and negative look only and it hardly EVER BOTHERS to show the positives of the film industry. 3) literally half of each episode past episode 1 is monologue heavy rants on why the industry is shit , and then the second half is usually showing it being shit. The whole reincarnation aspect is just cardboard armor to give validity to the rage of aqua and also him not being able to let go. Just as spyder95 said in the forums it's to make it “different from being a fan and son to simply a son. his love for ai was insane and without that it wouldn't give him the true driving force he needed to seek revenge”. And not to mention the level of hypocrisy of the main character who actively hates the industry for having caused AI harm but then also proceeds to actively manipulate and maneuver people to achieve his less than ideal goal of revenge. Except for showing us any of the positives for many people here who could be aspiring actors, youtubers and whatnot , it tries to devolve more and more into the negative aspects of the film industry. And what is the whole theme of the story? Actors and actresses have it hard because they are popular and pretty. So well do normal people not have stalkers? Are normal people not murdered? Do you think common people aren't used to negative attention and flaming in social media? The formula of oshi no ko is very clear to garner fake empathy for these stars and of course to utilize the under tapped idol otaku market. Of course they get all of the above in a bigger scale , but they make a much bigger impact so it's unavoidable. The film industry people who, more often than not, lead a much more fun and comfortable life than any of us are glorified for what purpose. I understand none of it. There is no description of the film industry here , only showing the dark side of it. Yes there is some drawbacks and politics in this industry but that IS EVER PRESENT everywhere for every fucking job, so just going on and on about how manipulative and shitty this industry is they never ever explore any of the positives like how complicated acting is , how hard it is to learn to dance and sing to produce and direct and add VFX and SFX.the concept of talent in acting , facial expressions and the very complex art of costume design and cosmetics in this industry is all just a SKIP, they only ever concentrate on drama. It's just the internet hates them sob sob , the industry manipulating them sob sob again. Where is the love and adoration of fans,pure wow moments of acting and productions, where is the bugatti and alcohol and posh life with free connections to the upper echelon of the world? SO AKASAKA SENSEI are you really just gonna preach about HOW SHITTY IT IS TO work in the film Industry and there simply no reward for doing that? No love , recognition , fame , influence , wealth and satisfaction in working in this industry? Oh sorry aka sensei you must think i am just an internet troll and definitely not worth your time. Now to be completely fair , it does do what it set out to do perfectly well. The depiction of the struggles to make it big into the film/idol industry is depicted pretty well in the journey of kana but it does it in a much more negative spiral. The cons of working in the film industry the ironically two faced political nature of this industry and them even using up and coming stars who are still underaged teens or children even as pawns is sadly something that is a reality and more so in japan than one would like to believe , the deranged nature of the idol otaku fandom with the love for only 20 or below girls who show off their airhead cutesy nature while very clearly showing off body lines with the dance is depicted as well with a good amount of accuracy.it's no wonder that the most heinous and weird sort of crimes occur mostly with the fans of idol otaku involved, so the setting and what ends up happening in end of episode one have a very good amount of credibility. Character (7/10) The characters are made as miserable as possible with most of them having some sort of issue due to the industry. There is a big attempt at comedy as well , most of which falls short of what we know akasaka sensei to be capable of. The setting is mostly based on the MC POV of aqua, and he is the most boorish and annoying adult reincarnated as a kid who spent three years brute forcing a phone for revenge rather than enjoy his SECOND chance at life (even counting isekai here this is just pathetic) are we supposed to teach people who tragically lost their parents in a crime to YEAH BOI GO GET EM attitude? He has mostly depressive and monotonous dialogues on being cautious of the industry and it being very dangerous is completely fed to us at regular intervals by especially by him and sometimes kana and the adoptive mother.But we barely ever move on from this (just like aqua ig :3) are we seriously supposed to believe that the industry is not for positive and driven people at all? so sadly yeah this does tend to turn out more like a drama with a very selectively negative outlook. The MC is also a complete hypocrite who will blame and lash out on the industry for all he cares and still be manipulating the underage teenagers for his less than ideal objectives which is frankly also putting them in harm's way since he is looking for a literal criminal using these girls. The girls in question tho are given much more attention than the MC which i am kinda thankful for due to his edgelord tendencies, the girls are a bit more enjoyable due to them still being able to add a bit of positivity and cuteness to this anime but they too get hit with some quite disturbing and depressing arcs at times. The whole kana redemption arc from start to finish did establish who the main girl is , and if there is romance , I guess we know who is winning( first meet takes the meat :3). The subtle changes in her personality from a very confident and sassy little child, to a a confident front and sassy attitude which has a deeper defeatist mindset was honestly good writing and i was very satisfied with the kana character arc alone. The FMC and mem characters honestly felt like filler side characters so far. While this is fine for the obvious side, cutey MEM with a hidden cult just like hayasaka, this is unacceptable for ruby to be so much outshone by her brother and kana while showing not much character other than having a bad past life and being able to move on unlike her brother. The mystery and the hunt for revenge is in a very early stage so its hard to comment there , also because the pseudo emo boy with dark past nature of Aqua (even tho he is supposed to be an adult and even the kid was able to let go and move forward) is kinda annoying so I tend to fast forward to those scenes. Sound VA (9/10) Ok make no mistake here that the sound and VA performance in this series is the best of the best , if it would have been carried by better characters and plot id easily give it a 10.the Voice actors are from the top and best of the industry since oshi no ko has a very big presence and is one of the biggest productions they all definitely gave their 100% and it shows . The most notable was obviously Hoshino AI who was able to convert the first episode into an absolute hit and a shocker. Adult FMC and MC also do a good job in their on screen moments. The side characters the most shining example is kana and the rest are memorable as well for the most part. The OST of shi no ko needs no introduction , the OP is a universally acclaimed banger and almost everyone who is an anime fan acknowledges this , the ED while being a bit overlooked flows in at the end of each episode perfectly and is able to add a bit of excitement for the next. The art in OP as I have been seeing a trend of lately is better than that of ED, the sound and VFX of the anime are able to add a good amount of effect in the scenes but most of the sad melodramatic things are kinda overshot IMO.the ed really helps bring out the best of the cliffhanger ends and adds that effect. Art and animation ( 9/10 ) The art in this anime is actually flawless , the way they were able to represent and actually full show in the first episode with the hype tension and audience was really good,the dance and synced very well with the song and much of it is carried through to the later episodes , the stalker scene with aqua had very good art and animation as well . I have to also give a huge shout out to the beautiful way the Eyes are drawn in this anime and they do add a separate layer of immersion when they are on highlight. Ok i still think it is a must watch anime. yeah sure that it was only a one episode hit wonder In my Opinion and those who really wanted an unbiased decent narrative may find themselves a bit disappointed , but overall I can say it was a good ride and I will still look forward to the next season and hope that it improves upon the flaws, and hopefully stops being a sad soap opera and show us the bright side of the picture. At Least give the first one a go. It's an one hour long episode which was actually really good.
NomineMalum
06/28/2023, 07:30 AM
“By the time I was in a state to chase my dreams, I wasn’t at the age to chase my dreams” Oshi no Ko is a brilliant manga that brings excellent themes of idolism and pop culture into reality. Despite different motivations, Aqua, Ruby and Kana’s key to success in the entertainment industry is the same; to achieve their goals, they need to play the game. The staff’s passion gave birth to an industry-defying first episode that runs over eighty minutes in length. In recent years, it has not been uncommon to see a season or series premiere for an anime series receive an extended length,especially if it's being adapted from a popular light novel or manga series. However, a series with a feature-length premiere episode of over 80 minutes is rather ambitious. That is the length of four episodes or a miniseries right off the bat. The passion the animation production team has for Akasaka and Yokoyari’s manga series is visible in every frame of the premiere episode. They were not willing to make any compromises when adapting the source material. No scenes were cut or rearranged. The anime staff truly brings the intriguing world of the manga to life and sets the stage by establishing the lives of Ruby and Aqua. However, the supernatural twist for these twins is that they were reincarnated from their past lives. Besides faithfully adapting the incredible early chapters of the manga, the feature-length premiere episode does a tremendous job setting up the show’s unique premise. It spends a decent amount of screen time establishing the past lives of Gorou and Sarina. They share a weird connection through their love of Ai Hoshino’s music. Before her tragic death, Sarina dreams of being reborn as the child of a popular idol such as Ai. As one of Ai’s No. 1 fans, Gorou was very protective of her well-being. Now, they’ve been reborn and given a second chance at life as the children of an up-and-coming idol. Learning about Gorou and Sarina as characters, especially Sarina’s tragic backstory, makes the supernatural premise more relatable. The audience gets to know them better as characters before their reincarnations. OSHI NO KO SYMBOLISES A PROPER ADAPTATION Some anime adaptations miss the mark in their early episodes because they fail to properly adapt the early chapters of the story and hook the viewers. Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest is the perfect example of an anime adaptation that butchered the source material in its first episode, so it lost a lot of the impact that ran through the rest of the series because it lacked a proper setup and foundation. Oshi no Ko took its time with the early chapters for the anime adaptation, and that properly developed and established the characters. The extra time for the premiere made Ai Hoshino more like a secondary protagonist instead of a supporting player, which strengthens the rest of the season where the reincarnated Gorou, embodying Ai’s son Aqua, seeks to solve the mystery behind his mother’s murder. OSHI NO KO SHOWS THE UGLY SIDE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY Similar to the premise of The Idol, Oshi no Ko shines a reflection on the darker side of the entertainment industry and the lifestyle of working pop idols, showing its less-than-glamorous aspects, especially the predatory nature of its overseers, the way it exploits young people, and how it can have a devastating effect on their mental health. The series does not shy away from the vapid nature of fan culture, and how fans and social media users treat actors and pop artists as nothing more than commodities who can be discarded at their leisure. After Ai Hoshino is tragically murdered, the social media reactions are callous and startlingly realistic, with people posting nasty fake rumours, hashtags, and memes for the sake of entertainment. After Ruby loses her mother Ai, her viewing of the social media trolling is another devastating emotional blow. The way the show depicts public reactions to tragedies in the entertainment industry rings very true to real life, but adds a layer of authenticity to the series despite the supernatural aspects and premise. OSHI NO KO PRODUCES AUTHENTIC CHARACTERISATION Oshi no Ko does a fantastic job with its depiction of its central characters, who are fully fleshed out and realized. Series director Daisuke Hiramaki and writer Jin Tanaka spent a great deal of time developing Ai Hoshino as a fully realized character and a genuine individual with hopes and dreams before her tragic death. The show establishes that while there is a mysterious side to Ai that is yet to be fully revealed, her love for her children was genuine. Another great standout character in the series is Kana Arima. Kana is a child actor who is known as a prodigy for her ability to cry on cue, and the series depicts many events from Kana’s perspective. Kana represents a young person who found stardom at a very early age. Kana continues to act into her teen years, but her career and stardom are waning. Kana showcases childhood stardom's negative effects on a person who is forced to grow up working in a toxic industry. Aqua propels the narrative as he spearheads solving the mystery behind his mother’s murder. His scenes are always entertaining due to his weirdly mature and "precocious" nature since he literally has the mind of an adult in a child's body. He’s even humorously nicknamed "Precocious" by the director Gotanda due to his ability to carry on incredibly intelligent conversations as a three-year-old. Aqua embodies the strong, confident, smart anime protagonist who is laser-focused on his goal. At times, Aqua can come off as a manipulative, cold individual, committing shady, sketchy acts, even if he does so in the hopes of protecting his sister and uncovering his mother’s murderer. Gotanda acts as both comic relief for the series and a mentor of sorts for Aqua. While the show explores dark thematic material, Gotanda provides well-placed humor to lighten the mood throughout the series. Gotanda still lives with his mother, who humorously dotes on him and interrupts whenever Aqua visits. CONCLUSION Oshi no Ko is a joy to watch and adds another level of intrigue and drama to the unfolding mystery. The staff clearly shows passion for Akasaka’s work in bringing the manga to vivid life. Thank you for reading and please check out the manga :)
ZNoteTaku
06/28/2023, 07:27 AM
*[Oshi no Ko]* is a series caught within a bizarre Catch-22 as an actual piece of entertainment. It wants to follow the comedic and dramatic conventions for storytelling that Akasaka has in mind, and also wants to unravel the disquieting undercurrent of the entertainment industry within its gaze. But to do so would involve having its cast be outsmarted or exploited by the teeth of the very beast that they seek to enterprise in, and by the nature of the show’s framing, it cannot have that. As a result, the show does not actually delve into the darkest contortions and disquieting undercurrents of the entertainmentindustry that Akasaka supposedly wants to discuss. It hints at the phantoms on the wall rather than confronts them. The whole reads more as someone who only just discovered what the entertainment industry is like, is repulsed by what they saw, and has a lot they want to say, but must make a contractual deal with the devil in order to get the story told, a provision of which is to not wholly besmirch his name in the process. Entertainment is, just as a general note, a strange entity. Stranger still though is the relationship we have with it. Even in the supposed “reality” of reality television, we all know and acknowledge on some level that everything in entertainment is manufactured or a conglomeration of lies to get a desired affect or impression. It’s engineered by hundreds of people we never know beyond the abstract to make something we think is worth the time and financial or emotional investment. We also know that the industry is not run by angels. Yet no matter how many times we get shocked by the reality that we see when the curtain gets pulled back, there’s always the next cultural object or talking point to swallow our attention even as the people within its own industry cry out to let their pleas for mercy be heard. The para-social relationship we have with the media we consume is sometimes not as simple as “I like this thing” with posters or casual merchandise; it can move beyond human ugliness or frailty and into the abyss of pure horror I emphasize this para-social quality between entertainment and consumer because it is the very lifeblood that *[Oshi no Ko]* uses to get its start, and stubbornly refuses to emphasize or embrace further as it goes along. As two idol-obsessed people watching Hoshino Ai, doctor Amamiya Gorou and hospital patient Tendouji Sarina have formed an obsessive bond with her and her almost-divine performance presence, capitulated further when she discreetly arrives at Gorou’s hospital pregnant with twins. The day of delivery is struck down by Gorou being murdered, and both he and Tendouji are reincarnated as Ai’s children with all their mental faculties in place, now named Aquamarine and Ruby respectively. Two people in the thick of idol fandom, one of whom is killed by someone in the thick of idol fandom, now finding themselves the objects of their idolized idol’s attention. The perverse relationship between entertainment and consumer comes back around again as Ai is killed in her own home by a crazed fan, angry at her for having children, and Aqua suspects they were sent by their real father. It is, after all, against the law for idols to do anything sexual, unless the agency or someone within is facilitating it. With the light of their life extinguished, they’re left to pick up the pieces of what remains. Ruby channels them into becoming like her mother and an idol herself, a depressing irony in that she naively has no clue what she’s getting into. Aqua channels them into joining the industry behind the scenes and finding their father-murderer that way, a journey of personal doom. The para-social sense of naïve optimism and slip into despair via the industry and their products never leaves the characterization (they’re always being fueled by Ai, even in death), but it does get reprioritized—if not shoved to the side outright—as the show’s scenarios begin manifesting. It chooses to focus its attention instead on how the industry functions and the people within it, functioning as a quasi-exposé. The result is *[Oshi no Ko]* effectively abandoning its original framing device for something vastly less interesting. The series wants to have its cake and eat it too, to be profoundly crushing on the emotional level while delivering its timeless message that the entertainment industry is a monolithic hydra of lies and politics that the cast nevertheless tries to succeed in. The irony is that, in Akasaka and series composer Tanaka Jin’s bid to do this, they cannot resist flexing their knowledge by having characters just spell out “the truth” of how the industry works, robbing the show of its opportunities to impose such things on the characters, barring some flashbacks. It is so on-the-nose that there is little to be discovered organically through the narrative. And Aqua’s positioning within *[Oshi no Ko]’s* structure drives this point home, especially. He became after Ai’s death a cold, calculating genius when it comes to the industry as a whole, in-part helped by having worked in it. Whether in front of the camera or from the production side, there is seemingly nothing he cannot adapt to. Such a characterization undercuts the looming danger of the industry itself because if anything bad happens, Aqua will always be able to salvage the situation or come up with some solution that makes sure everything and / or everyone is okay. It is difficult to be apprehensive of the shadows on the wall when a character keeps flicking on the lights, never truly getting caught off-guard. It is a given that not everyone who works in the entertainment industry is a terrible person, that many involved indeed are trying to create the best product possible, and they know that being nice to their actors is one of the ways to do so. But *[Oshi no Ko]* has its depiction of the industry be more abstractly monolithic in its malice as opposed to actually having people in it who are malicious. Because Aqua and Ruby are born into the business through being Ai’s children, they are constantly sheltered from its grimmer possibilities by being in a “good company” and “knowing the right people” who will oblige Aqua’s thirst for vengeance in exchange for a favor, either wittingly or unwittingly. The monologuing by the characters keeps talking about how the industry is rough, unfair, and “that’s how it is,” but any sense of unfairness is barely allowed, if at all, to directly interrupt finding Ai’s killer or pose a sincere obstacle to Ruby’s progress. Thus, there is a shorter draw distance with which *[Oshi no Ko]* can cast its muckraking net, leaving many of the emotional moments to fall strangely limply rather than fuel a brutal collision. But even so, there are rare times where the para-social relationship I hinted at before does return, and it occurs in the moments where the series shines at its brightest (or is it darkest? You decide). Aqua is hardly out of focus, but when he’s gone, the darker specters are finally allowed the chance to come out of the corner and consume the room. Left to their own devices, characters are forced to fight their way through new torments and problems—which does unfortunately paint just how reliant on Aqua they all are. Especially aided by the show’s aesthetic care and attention, apparent effort is poured into key animations and storyboarding that, when aligned with the material, elevate the punches into a sharp viscerality. Director Hiramaki Daisuke and the sizable number of animation directors understood that, particularly for a story pertaining to the entertainment industry, presentation matters. It’s a sign of just what the series is perfectly capable of doing, but ultimately decides to opt for something markedly less knotted. *[Oshi no Ko]* insists on the dangers of the entertainment industry and pulling back the curtain, but holds itself back too often by not letting it gets its claws into everyone enough. The actual horrors of the industry it proports to share are kept at a safe and comfortable distance, aiding the narrative that being an idol, and their industry, is glorious, glamorous, and worth it. It is all at once a reincarnation story, a revenge quest story, a story about idols, a story about the relationship between the industry and its fans, and an exposé on how the industry functions. I genuinely admire its ambitiousness, but it’s a case of trying to do too much, and not having the finesse to handle it all effectively. Maybe Aqua can salvage it.

[Oshi no Ko] 【推しの子】

North American Anime & Manga Releases for July

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Setting the Stage: A Deep Dive Into the【OSHI NO KO】Anime

'"Oshi no Ko"' Gets Second Season

Spring 2023 Simulcast List [Update 5/19]

Q2 2023 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 6/13]

'"Oshi no Ko"' Reveals Pair of Additional Cast, Second Promo

Spring 2023 Preview

'"Oshi no Ko"' Unveils Additional Cast, Staff, Opening Theme

'"Oshi no Ko"' Reveals Additional Cast, Teaser Promo, Spring 2023 Premiere

Manga '"Oshi no Ko"' Gets TV Anime

[Oshi no Ko] 【推しの子】

North American Anime & Manga Releases for July

North American Anime & Manga Releases for June

TAAF 2024 Anime of the Year Winners Announced

Setting the Stage: A Deep Dive Into the【OSHI NO KO】Anime

'"Oshi no Ko"' Gets Second Season

Spring 2023 Simulcast List [Update 5/19]

Q2 2023 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 6/13]

'"Oshi no Ko"' Reveals Pair of Additional Cast, Second Promo

Spring 2023 Preview

'"Oshi no Ko"' Unveils Additional Cast, Staff, Opening Theme

'"Oshi no Ko"' Reveals Additional Cast, Teaser Promo, Spring 2023 Premiere

Manga '"Oshi no Ko"' Gets TV Anime