[Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season 【推しの子】第2期

2024 summer | Episodes: 13 | Score: 8.6 (176295)

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

Type: TV

Producers:Delfi Sound | Shueisha | CyberAgent | Kadokawa

Synopsis

With the help of producer Masaya Kaburagi, Aquamarine "Aqua" Hoshino and Kana Arima have landed the roles of Touki and Tsurugi in Lala Lai Theatrical Company's stage adaptation of the popular manga series Tokyo Blade. Co-starring with them is Aqua's girlfriend, Akane Kurokawa, who plays Touki's fiancée, Princess Saya. Due to the fanbase preferring Tsurugi as Touki's love interest, Saya has made fewer and fewer appearances in the manga, making it difficult for Akane to fully immerse herself in the role. Her struggles are compounded by differences between the play's script and the original work—differences that also frustrate Tokyo Blade's author, Abiko Samejima. Aqua, however, is more concerned with his personal goals than he is with the play. He has only one objective in mind: to grow closer to director Toshirou Kindaichi and find out what he knows about Aqua's mother, Ai. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Han, Megumi

Ootsuka, Takeo

Uchiyama, Yumi

Iwami, Manaka

News

Reviews

Yunice
01/09/2025, 08:52 PM
This season seemed to feature more about the inner workings of a stage production than anything else. It showed viewers all the hard work that went into producing a successful play, so much so that I thought it almost resembled a documentary. Even with the visually vibrant artwork and excellent storytelling, I was glad for that segment to be over at last when the play was finally put on stage. Things only started getting more exciting during the last four episodes, where we get to see more interesting parts of the story being unveiled. Loved the soundtrack; it fit with the theme of this showperfectly. It was a fantastic series nonetheless, and I cannot wait for the third season to find out more.
Legolaspt
12/20/2024, 03:48 PM
I think this season was much better. The first few episodes were great; the setting of the entertainment industry was explored very well, besides a few oversimplifications, and I could really grasp the potential of Oshi no Ko. The pacing was good for the most part, and the production was decent. Also some of the drama was great. That being said, the dialogue and most of the characters are not great. I think Akane is the only character of the main cast that I find believable and enjoyable to watch; the others are too cartoonish and annoying. The plot isn't great neither, it is frequently dumb. Inparticular, I dislike how the characters act so competitive towards each other during the play, I don't think it's believable, nor does it make a good story. It appears like the show is trying to appeal to teenagers with cheap emotional bits, meanwhile throwing logic out of the window. Overall, a good season from a mediocre series.
verbinflection
12/10/2024, 05:30 PM
It is impossible to appreciate a work of art without knowing what the artist was trying to accomplish, which in the case of a work of fiction is broadly described by its genre. Romantic comedy does not serve the purposes of science fiction, for instance, and to watch 'My Dress-Up Darling' expecting it to explore the consequences of scientific advancement would be like buying a toothbrush and expecting it to peel oranges. Notice how easy it is, in that example, to identify the genre: it's clear in the first ten minutes of the show — which is normal. It's not science fiction, so it doesn't putMarin on the moon; it's not a mystery, so it doesn't put her at the scene of a crime. I bring this up because 'Oshi no Ko' has made it singularly difficult to understand what the artist was trying to accomplish. It is a toothbrush shaped exactly like an orange peeler, sold in the produce aisle, and marketed as having citrus-piercing bristles. No one ever actually told you to peel oranges with it, but you could be forgiven for trying. 'Oshi no Ko' spent the first eighty minutes setting up a murder mystery, although it isn't one; or if it is still trying to be one now, it isn't trying very hard. 'Chinatown' is a murder mystery; 'Oshi no Ko' is a soap opera. It may be filed under melodrama. Its purpose is to contrive scenarios in which sexy teenagers can slap, kiss, and yell at one another. The closest recent match is probably 'True Beauty', which is slightly more grounded and delivers about as much social commentary. You can also watch 'Melrose Place'. With that understanding, 'Oshi no Ko' is fairly enjoyable. It does a decent job of contriving scenarios in which beautiful young celebrities living in the world's safest country can slap, kiss, and yell at one another. I can't imagine taking any of it seriously, but it's difficult to beat for sentimentality and sensationalism. Coming up next on 'Melrose Place', a beautiful young actress throws herself off a bridge during a typhoon after she was harassed by online bullies for assaulting her co-star, but her life is saved by a handsome doctor with a troubled past who was reincarnated after being murdered before he could deliver the secret twin babies of a teenage pop idol he obsessed over while treating a young girl for cancer — and you'll never guess what happens next. The teen suicide arc in season one is when 'Oshi no Ko' really takes off, precisely because it has become impossible to take seriously. Right up until the moment when discount Light Yagami defeats online bullying through the power of friendship, and yandere Nancy Drew rewards him with a sexy cosplay of his mother, it was barely possible to believe that 'Oshi no Ko' is a story about a man investigating a murder, and not about long-lost twins in love triangles with coma patients, but no longer. For comparison, if 'Oshi no Ko' were a murder mystery about uncovering the dark side of the entertainment industry, then Aqua's plan to help Akane, by making a director feel guilty about her jumping off a bridge, would not have worked until Aqua revealed the photos he took of the director with an underage girl — or boy — or Ruby, for that matter. It's not difficult to spot the difference: 'Melrose Place' is not 'Chinatown'. To be clear, I enjoyed the arc. It's not particularly outrageous stuff — Aqua could have slept with Akane, for instance, on set, still in her cosplay, while Kana was doing coke in the bathroom with Mem-Cho — 'Degrassi High' would have done it — anyway, it did enough. Yandere Nancy Drew is delightfully nutty. Most of all, I appreciate the clarity, because continued misidentification of the genre invites continued disappointment. Unfortunately, shortly after the series takes off, it crashes into a mountain called Tokyo Blade. Okay, that was unfair: I'll say it lost an engine. 'Oshi no Ko' is not a great soap opera, and a murder mystery that mostly goes nowhere and three hours of Tokyo Blade are examples of a general problem: it tries to do too many things; it's cluttered. For comparison, there is another franchise where the main character gets involved in the entertainment industry to solve a supernatural murder mystery and avenge the death of his parent: it's called 'Hamlet', and you can watch the whole thing in about four hours. Brevity is the soul of wit. 'Oshi no Ko' is like 'Hamlet' if Hamlet put on five plays to catch six killers, he was dating three Ophelias, and one of them was his sister. Tokyo Blade already featured Aqua, Akane, and Kana, and I assume they were getting up to all sorts of slapping, kissing, and yelling, but I can't be certain, because so much screen time was dedicated to fight scenes from the show within the show — some godawful shonen nonsense — not to mention the lengthy and rather dry lectures on the business of putting on plays, how a comic book may be adapted into a play, the difficulties that may arise when adapting comic books into plays, recent advances in theater technology, etc. The first episode of season one ends on the main character plotting his revenge; the first episode of season two ends on a comic book writer being unhappy with a script — and you'll never guess what happens next: she edits it. Okay, that was unfair: I mildly enjoyed the arc. The comic book writer is fine. Almost everything in 'Oshi no Ko' is fine. Two writers struggling to adapt a story; two former child stars competing on and off the stage; a pop group aspiring to one day perform at a top venue; a supernatural murder mystery — oh, wait: one of those doesn't fit. It's not just that any given thing would stand out more in less cluttered surroundings. Another problem is that some of those things, such as murder, suicide, revenge, and reincarnation, are inherently more ostentatious than others, such as a songwriter we just met feeling inspired to write a new song because he got an encouraging email; but in the adaptation, each of those things is given comparably lavish treatment. 'Oshi no Ko' is wildly overproduced. Ai's star quality just doesn't seem as impressive after it's been attributed to every single performance in Tokyo Blade. Aqua, being so cunning and manipulative, has a cunning plan to manipulate everyone to save Akane, but he also has a cunning plan to manipulate everyone to save the finale of a television show. Speaking of manipulation, if 'Oshi no Ko' has a theme, then its theme must be deception or dishonesty. It's a fine theme, but the consequences of lying would have been clearer in a more focused, less cluttered story. When Hamlet deceived Ophelia, when Iago deceived Othello, the consequences were clear and relevant to the plot. When Aqua pretended to be in love with Akane, she found out immediately and played along for two seasons. When Kana pretended not to be in love with Aqua, everyone found out immediately, literally everyone, including undiscovered tribes in the highlands of New Guinea, and they all played along for two seasons. When baby Aqua pretended to be a god for two minutes — no, I didn't forget about that one, which goes exactly nowhere. Let's get back to Aqua and his cunning plans to manipulate everyone. Okay, "discount Light Yagami" was probably unfair — unfairly generous to Light Yagami — but the character is clearly meant to be cunning and manipulative — isn't he? At least twice an episode, the man is manipulating someone into doing something, whether he's manipulating a lousy actor into giving a decent performance, or manipulating Ruby into wearing panties around the house for once in her life, for God's sake, Ruby. But why is Aqua cunning and manipulative? Why should he insist on playing three-dimensional checkers? Before he died, he was kind, earnest, and slightly awkward. Did reincarnation make him cunning and manipulative? Either commit to writing him as a cunning, manipulative teenage celebrity, or leave him the way he was and make it clear that he's in over his head when it comes to revenge and murder. As it stands, after two seasons, I still do not really understand who Aqua is, or even how many people he is. To be clear, there are plenty of things to like about 'Oshi no Ko'. I wish it spent more time on them. Yandere Nancy Drew, for instance, that delightful nut: put her in every scene. She pairs well with Aqua, of course, who pairs surprisingly well with comedy, although that might be the one element of the show that is actually underproduced. For example, Aqua, who excels academically (because he was reincarnated), enrolls in a school known only for its performance curriculum (to keep an eye on Ruby), but not as a performance major, although he does end up being one of its most accomplished performers. He floors the admissions committee by claiming to have been won over by school spirit — which is pretty funny. It's a comical series of contradictions. Why is it never brought up again? 'Love Is War' would have shown us the admissions committee once more after Tokyo Blade, patting themselves on the back for having snagged the hot new talent as a general education major. "I raised that boy," says Chika Fujiwara. It's easy to miss a few small details when you're putting on five separate plays to catch six different killers. It's hard to focus on what matters when you're lavishly animating every encouraging email. The show is not at all bad: it's cluttered, unfocused, and overproduced, but I understood what it was trying to do eventually, and 'That Time I Got Reincarnated as My Cancer Patient's Favorite Singer's Baby' does a decent job of contriving scenarios in which sexy teenagers can slap, kiss, and breastfeed one another. It was all very watchable, except when it made me watch Tokyo Blade.
Kenzu_
11/06/2024, 02:21 AM
The second season of Oshi no Ko really surprised me. At first, it was hard to motivate myself to watch it because of the not-so-interesting theater preparations, but as more and more plot twists appeared, I was pleasantly surprised. The second season doesn’t focus much on idols but rather on advancing the storyline, which initially put me off, but I grew to really like it. Thanks to the second season, I felt even more connected to the story, and it has become one of my favorite anime. The animation is excellent; the anime is both shocking and humorous, and the characters are really well-written. As I mentioned, thesecond season doesn’t resemble the first at all and focuses more on storyline development, but in my opinion, that’s a plus.
Yeetomfg2
10/25/2024, 02:30 AM
As one of the most anticipated shows of the year "Oshi no Ko" had a lot of pressure to deliver a great show and with the fact that this summer season was very weak with its sequels (the only other good one was the Monogatari series one), the show had spotlight on it do deliver. Did it manage to live up to expectations? Absolutely. The 2nd season of "Oshi no Ko" makes it clear that this season is all about Aqua. Ruby takes a REALLY secondary role in this season, barely even appearing until the last few episodes. Aqua's character arc is done extremely well. Thegreat part about the show is that while we see the story from the MC's point of view, we also usually have more information than him because of how the show is structured. This leads to a lot of purely amazing scenes involving not only Aqua's trauma and how he chooses to use it in his acting, but also his coping mechanism related to answers he has been looking for all his life. A lot of people like to focus on the theatre play part of this season or the huge reveal afterwards, but I think the best part was after everything, when Aqua now thinks that the thing he has been working towards all his life resolved by itself, and now he is only looking for a new reason to exist. An attempt to fill the husk that he becomes after all the hatred left him. And the reveal at the end that the pain isn't fully gone, actually being transferred to his sister. I think I should also mention the side-characters of the show who are amazing, as usual. The only problem I would have is that the beginning arc is kinda slow and has a pretty unfulfilling ending. The shows animation is once again fantastic, and I really love seeing smaller studios like Doga Kobo creating something that looks this good, even if the show had its fair share of production issues. The entire play, the artstyle, the impact animation has on some scenes, really fantastic stuff. Music is also really good. I don't think the opening is as good as the first season but I still enjoyed it very much. The ending song is pretty good as well and the music during the show fits very well when it appears. That's why my final rating for "Oshi no Ko" is 9/10. I highly recommend giving this entire show a try if you haven't yet for some reason and also watch it if you watched the first one.
Gortysx
10/14/2024, 12:25 AM
The Good: - Art direction is spectacular with many experiments that elevate the show to another level - Cinematic frame compositions are on top of the medium - Beautiful Character development of main and supporting roles exposing full range of emotions within the characters - Opening and Ending (especially ending) OST just fits exceptionally well (love that guitar in the endlast episode. The Ugly: - nil Conclusion: 2nd Season of Oshi No Ko is a great follow up after first one. Anime is meticulously crafted. From presentation, art direction to character development it demonstrates high creative potential and passion of the studio. Story develops with each next episode and beautifully closes the arc of Tokyo Blade show. That said, ending felt somewhat puzzling and disjointed from the whole story, but sets good grounds for the 3rd Season.
Chief_AJ
10/11/2024, 10:30 AM
Oshi no ko is fantastic. It will most definitely become an anime classic, and as I've said hundreds of times, it does a fantastic job telling stories and events about the Japanese entertainment industry, good or bad. This season extends on that as it focused on how mangakas feel when their project gets an adaptation, which yes while it is an honor, can be a huge headache. The direction and theme of that entire arc was excellent and the anime did a great job telling that story. However, I love aka akasaka and this was my same issue with the manga, the revenge plot doesfeel forced. The first entire arc had me me on the edge of my seat, but once the playwright arc ended it falls a little flat. Unfortunately at this point and time it feels like they are forcing the revenge aspect of the show onto us and it doesn't feel very consistent. Great anime overall and i really believe we have a classic on our hands here. I just thought season 1 was slightly better. I give this a solid 8/10.
Aku30
10/08/2024, 04:48 PM
Oshi No Ko is by far the best modern anime about the entertainment industry. You'll see a lot of happy faces and good/bad acting mixed with the dark sides the viewers don't usually see on screen. While you get to experience a strong and solid build-up in season 1 things will slow down quite a bit for season 2 (or do they...?) Judging season 2 by itself I have to give my personal experience which was mostly thinking about how much they talk things through to a point where I couldn't follow as much as wanted. You're slowly drifting away from the twins' story towards a fantasyland of Hollywood where your dreams come true only to wake up from that tiny bit of information needed to progress or have the next mental breakdown. When you jump up and down on your seat while tearing up from excitement about what just happened - that's when you know you are more than invested into the story and characters. There are a few examples of perfect music like Bleach where goosebumps are basically included in the fight scenes only with sound. Then there's Re:Zero to sometimes not even have an ending playing for a specific episode because someone knew it would instantly break your immersion. Oshi No Ko has a simple yet complex answer to that: Start an episode with opening, end the episode with ending. Complex for this means each episode you will be greeted with an overall opening that makes sense throughout the season but also the ending that somehow fits to every episode. Sound and ambience are not really noticeable but that's exactly what the viewer needs. Small helpers for powerful scenes to have an even stronger impact.
Eleot
10/07/2024, 07:26 AM
Absolute Cinema In Oshi no Ko Season 2, the story deepens and retains its unique charm while continuing to explore themes of reincarnation, revenge, and the complexities of the entertainment industry. Although the core plot still revolves around the twins, Aqua and Ruby, their personal journeys evolve, delving into more mature and darker territory. The season introduces more mystery, especially around the death of their mother, Ai, and hints at further supernatural elements that enhance the drama. Realism of Reactions: The emotional responses of the characters are grounded in their past experiences. Aqua’s burdened demeanor and Ruby’s eventual emotional breakdown feel natural given the weight of theirpast traumas and the overwhelming situations they face in their current lives. This psychological depth helps ground the more fantastical elements of the show
SiriusStarlight
10/06/2024, 10:03 PM
It speaks volumes about Oshi no Ko that the story arc that has by far the best character work, most engaging storytelling and least active problems with its writing also has the absolute least to do with its fundamentals. The Tokyo Blade storyline is the best its in-depth exploration of industry mechanics gets, Kana and Akane's dynamic gets explored with so much more depth, and even Aqua has some more interesting internal conflicts to deal with. Melt's highlight episode is even one of my strongest contenders for episode of the year. And once this arc ends it immediately goes back to being as shallow, pretentiousand condescending as it was in season 1 like it never stopped. My highest praises I can sing for season 2 is that the first two thirds where it stops being Oshi no Ko are also by far the best that it has to offer.
GrandioseHD
10/06/2024, 07:44 PM
Oshi no Ko season 2 is a major step up from season 1. The quality of season 1 dropped after the first episode, in my opinion. This season provided real intrigue, rather than by the numbers "here's how the industry works" and "being an idol is hard" stuff that's been done to death (just watch Perfect Blue for that). There was still some, but it was properly balanced with more gritty bits. My only major complaint is that the theater arc took too many episodes to wrap up. I wasn't interested in the side plot involving the mangaka, and I'm sure that character will never appearagain. Ruby's character development was much needed in this season. She had very little in the first season, and the first half of the second. Oshi no Ko is at its best when it delves into its horror elements, so please keep it coming! Unlike with season 1, the second half of season 2 had me wanting more, now! The animation, music, and sound were great as per usual with Oshi no Ko. I particularly appreciated the abstract animation sequences with Ruby and Akane's inner thoughts. I liked this season's OP a bit more than the first, but that's likely an unpopular take. The ED was great as well. Overall, I'm feeling a strong 7 for this season. Had the last arc been a bit longer, it could have touched a light 8. I'm liking what I'm seeing, please keep it up for season 3!
Guthem
10/06/2024, 07:12 PM
If you saw the first season, you obviously waited to see the second. The facts are now denser, the sagas are a little long, but the show holds up The story continues to delve into feelings, and also focuses on work and daily routine. Details of the work, I thought that was out of the ordinary, It's really good, because it talks about things that we like, and some may not know about. Seriously, watch the information closely I'm a designer, and one of the sagas presents details that I really liked having covered. While in the same saga, facts happen that make the saga a little long,tiring, but, knowing that the plot is good, This is normal, and for me it is one of the facts that makes me give it a 9 I highly recommend it
_Maria_chan_
10/06/2024, 04:01 PM
As a manga reader I knew everything about this season from the start. But if you haven't read the manga, you're going to get a lot of twists in this season. Many new faces are seen in this season. I never thought I'd enjoy it so much despite getting the spoiler. Talking about the animation quality, Doga Kobo has done a great job. Speaking of characters, I found some of the characters here to be pretty stupid, but you might like them. Because this is my personal opinion. But as always my favorite character Arima Kana's character has developed a lot. Also now you will seesomething new in Ruby. Here at the beginning, the anime starts with an extraordinary theatrical production (Tokyo Blade). Also along with the main character's revenge mindset, some romantic moments and the plot twist made the whole anime a lot more awesome than last season. Maybe not everyone likes this type of anime. Because everyone likes different genre. I'm an action genre lover. But despite that, I really enjoyed this season. For me 9/10
FrierenSimpKing
10/06/2024, 03:27 PM
So I have to be honest, while I *loved* the first season - and I really did love it, my rating for it is a 10 (which is a rating I am very reserved with), I also loved it because of the "gimmick". What I am trying to say is that it was a season where I felt there were a few incredible, top tier episodes that rank as among the best episodes I have ever seen across all of TV, but then the rest of the season could often feel a lot more average in comparison. There was sloppiness to it, some amazing highsthat hit fantastically well, but the rest of it wasn't coming together quite that well. So I was not sure whether I'd be able to love the second season too. Obviously the gimmick, the element of surprise, was gone. You can only do that once. Now the second season would have to stand on the basis of its story, plotting, pacing, characterization and interactions, theming, and I simply wasn't sure if it would be able to do that as well. And for the first couple of episodes, it honestly felt like it wouldn't be able to. The first couple of episodes feel very flaccid and sloppy, and it felt like my worst fears regarding this season would be coming true. But this season really hits its strides from there on out. The theatre arc is used to do some fantastic psychological deep dives into a lot of characters, new characters are introduced, and new dynamics and interactions are seen, new harsh realities about the entertainment world are learnt, new relationships are formed while existing ones grow and evolve. Oshi no Ko is often at its best when it turns a lens to the realities of the entertainment world, and season 2 is another unflinching look at how uncompromising and brutal on the very creatives that fuel it the world of Japanese entertainment truly can be. Oshi no Ko is often at its best when it delves into the psyches of its characters - and season 2 does this repeatedly, multiple times, with multiple characters. And obviously there is the larger story. It takes its time to get to it, but Oshi no Ko's second season does finally start to move things along as far as the bigger plot line goes. I don't want to delve into any specifics, but there are multiple holy shit moments, multiple scenes and reveals that gave me goosebumps, as the narrative context, the visual framing, the animation, and the music all swelled to a crescendo of realization and the weight of the moment upon me. And yes, like the first season, this is a beautifully drawn and animated show, with multiple frames that are works of art in their own right, and a lethally effective use of music that could positively be weaponized into a form of emotional warfare. The new opening and ending hold up their ends of the bargain, bringing a fantastic new flavour to set the stage and close things out respectively. Opinions will be divided on whether or not these are better than the first season's now iconic ones (personally, I think Season 1's Idol is a better opening than this season's Fatale, and I think this season's Burning is a better ending than Season 1's Mephisto), but that doesn't really matter, the broader point is they're fantastic nonetheless. And really, that's what it comes down to. Do I like this second season more than the first season? To me it is - it is comprehensively better executed on every single front across the board, it addresses the first season's weaknesses while building on its many strengths, it is far more consistent, with far fewer lulls than the first season (and the lower points being better than the lower points in the first season were), and it has its own incredibly high highs - they don't match the impact of season 1's highs, but they are *very* great regardless, and it all balances out to me preferring the second season overall. But I can very well understand why someone might prefer the first season - the first season at its best is *amazing*, and if it resonates with you in those moments, few other things can measure up to that. All of which is to say, both of these are amazing seasons. You aren't guaranteed to like season 2 more than season 1 (I do, sure, but that doesn't mean you will). But even if you don't, you're going to love it a lot regardless. Oshi no Ko is 2/2 now with two top tier peak seasons of television. I can't wait to see what Season 3 brings to the table.
noruffle
10/06/2024, 02:58 PM
Honestly, I'm not usually a fan of the drama genre, but this work of art has completely blown me away. It's the most beautiful, intriguing, and masterful thing I’ve seen in years outside of the action and isekai genres. The theater arc did an amazing job of helping us understand and explore both new and returning characters in Oshi No Ko. The dialogues are filled with emotion and depth, making every interaction incredibly impactful. I had chills almost every episode, which only increased my anticipation for the next one. I have no regrets about watching the second season—I’m a fan of the first season, and Ienjoyed both the first and second seasons immensely. I’m eagerly awaiting the third season, hoping it won’t be the last, as there’s so much more to learn about the Oshi No Ko universe. The soundtrack, opening, and ending themes are simply spectacular. I enjoyed them so much that I even added the tracks to my playlist. My verdict: 10/10.
luxray978
10/06/2024, 02:06 PM
Oshi no Ko season 2 massively builds upon the foundation set in its first season. The already amazing animation comes back stronger than ever, character arcs feel more integrated and deeper. The slightly odd aspects to the show have massively reduced screen time and previously sidelined concepts find themselves thoroughly explored. I debated a lot on rating but my feeling heading out of it is a 9/10, the greatest season to season improvement I’ve seen yet. To start with the animation here is gorgeous, the previous season had made good use of light shadow and color but still had some generic looking scenes. In thesecond season every single shot is jam packed with color and emotion. If they cannot come up with something for a shot the frequent cut aways to amazing unique animation to explain concepts serve to fill the void. Multiple color palettes are used depending on the context but all of them are amazing. The animations of the now required dynamic fights in the theater sections were also extremely well done and would’ve easily been the best in a normal season if not for strong competition from Elusive Samurai. Continuing with visuals the character designs continue to be very strong with the returning star motif and the stage outfits being great stand outs. In my opinion the star motif in particular felt even more strongly used this season and it was a great way to convey someone’s state changing without needing to spell it out for viewers. The outfit choices for everyday wear were also great and I really enjoyed looking at them for my own style inspiration. It’s very refreshing to see women dressed normally (or normal for their social status in a few cases) instead of what we often see in anime. Akane’s outfits in particular are very similar to the types of things I like to wear. I’m not a musician so I usually refrain from commentary on soundtracks as I don’t understand the dynamics at play but I wanted to call out the strong showing here. The piano themes they use for backing in tense scenes are really good and the insert songs, OPs and EDs remain great as well. My strongest criticism of Oshi No Ko in the past has been it’s treatment of women. Especially in the first season the way women hoard around aqua and fawn over him was extremely annoying and while it might be something funny or interesting for me really takes things away from me. This aspect is still present in the second season but finds itself massively diminished in favor of an arc that focuses on two women's dreams to the exclusion of their affections. This is a massively beneficial change that saves the show from what could’ve been a disaster. This is not to say they completely ignore this dynamic but I’m very happy with the direction they are going and found myself far less annoyed. Similarly I found the treatment of the Idol aspects in the first season to be a bit pedestrian and uninteresting, serving to somewhat glorify the industry in something I think should showcase why it’s terrible for young women. The second season while having a bit of this massively cleans up it’s act in this regard. The focus away from these aspects into other portions of the show I find more interesting certainly went a long way in improving my opinion of this season. Continuing on this I’m very happy with the way the show has been treating women as human beings with their own dreams. Even women with romantic attraction have other things going on in their life that they consider important. They aren’t one dimensional and can coexist on multiple fronts like real people, especially highlighted by a sound off your dreams moment in the last episode. I touched upon this earlier but this decision massively improves the stage play arc by making it about their career goals instead of something to do with possession of Aqua. The largest exception to this behavior is probably R uby and to a lesser degree Kana. In Ruby’s case I do find her brocon cutaways to be grating, unfunny, and uninteresting however it does also seem like the show portrays this as a character failing. With Kana I find the situation to be less distasteful, sometimes funny, and still a little bit annoying and once again it does seem like future development is in store for this. The characterization of the cast outside of romance is just generally extremely good. You get a great idea of *why* people do things and it refuses to play into the idea that people do things for no reason. People have convictions behind their actions which can be explored and deconstructed if you take the time to understand them. The depictions of despair are also really great and I was happy to see one of my favorite motifs portrayed so well. There’s a few blunders present, most notably an extremely simple scene involving a musician but these are stand outs in part because of their length and are easy to let fly you by. The last episode served as a capstone integrating best in the series with its otherworldly visuals, well placed insert, and deepening mystery. They’ve managed to transform me from someone who was debating watching season 2 at all to someone who is quite excited to see where DogaKobo goes next.
NiQ1
10/06/2024, 11:50 AM
Note - This review does not contain spoilers of this season, but does contain spoilers of the previous one! I love Oshi no Ko, but I feel like this season is a bit of a letdown compared to the last. What makes Oshi no Ko so different than the typical idol / showbiz anime is that it's anything but lighthearted. It has a strong dark side, about murder and vengeance. The first season ended with Aqua joining a stage play for the sole purpose of identifying his father, who is presumably the person behind the killing of his mother Ai, as well as himself in his pastlife. This season picks up from there. The main issue with this season is that the vast majority of it is the preparation for the stage play and the play itself, which really feels like an average showbiz anime, one of those that you've seen one you've seen them all. The season only picks up around the 9th episode, and only then it becomes as enjoyable as the first season. I understand that they probably wanted to stick to the source material as much as possible, which I generally consider a good thing - I don't like it when anime cuts a lot of things, but I still wander whether arc that doesn't seem very important had to take two thirds of the season. Anyway, a 3rd season has already been announced, and at the very least the last five episodes of this season are very much worth watching and will definitely be needed to understand it. Go ahead and watch, but keep in mind that the first eight episodes might feel somewhat boring.
Marinate1016
10/06/2024, 10:42 AM
Oshi no Ko season 2 might have started a little slow, but once it got going, we got episodes that were on par with if not better than anything in season 1. The Tokyo Blade Arc in the manga wasn’t my fave, but the love and attention to detail including anime original scenes that Doga Kobo added in the anime took it to a whole other level and over season 1’s story arc. It’s in this second season, which really feels more like a second cour of one continuous season, that we truly see the story of Oshi no Ko take shape. While the toxicityof the entertainment industry is certainly part of Oshi no Ko, it’s ultimately a revenge story and this season sees things begin to fall into place on that front. It’s a different experience from season 1 since it focuses on the play, characters’ internal struggles and it starts slow, but I promise you if you stick around this season you will be very satisfied with where things go. So I said it before, but it’s really important to emphasise that this season of Oshi no Ko is a different sort of story from the first. I don’t want people to come into this blind and then the first couple episodes are a little annoying with the director drama and you give up watching it. Yes, she’s annoying, and yes, it gets better. It’s a lot slower at the start than last season was. No 1 hour film-like premiere, no suicide attempts etc. Instead, a lot of the conflict in this season is internal. Akane dealing with her insecurities and achieving her acting goals, Kana dealing with her feelings for Aqua and reconciling with her past, etc., the play is used as a conduit through which a lot of this happens. The characters that the cast portray in the play have many similarities and so they’re able to express themselves through those characters in ways they normally wouldn’t be able to. ESPECIALLY Aqua and Akane who get a ton of development in this season. Aqua can kind of come off as edgy and one dimensional at times, but this season shows there’s a lot more to him. For me, the slow build up to the play was entirely worth it just for the 3-4 episodes that we got of it. Doga Kobo really absorbed me into the story as if I were on the stage during the play. Let’s face it, ship wars are a big reason for Oshi no Ko’s popularity and anime onlies could be forgiven for being a little confused on why the debate is so strong. Season 1 had Kana firmly in the lead, but this season is where the real best girl, Akane gets some of her big moments and really introduces herself as the best character in this series. This was a massive part of my enjoyment for the season because I am unapologetically a huge Akane stan and my girl delivered this season. So many memorable moments, face serves, you name it she was great. It also helps that Akane is so supportive of Aqua and is the driving force behind a lot of important plot moments. If you weren’t sure why the debates were so heated and passionate before, well you’ll know after this. Even with the staff’s obvious Kana bias, Akane was able to really shine through both in her role as Sayahime in the play and her everyday life. Production wise Doga Kobo did an even better job in this cour than season 1 in my opinion. The Tokyo Blade play looked incredible with some episodes surpassing season 1’s B Komachi concert debut. “Magical” is the best way I could describe it. But there’s also more subtle improvements that I enjoyed a lot too such as the way episodes bleed into the ED so well. I’m a huge fan of shows ending with a scene that merges into the ED because it preserves a sort of “continuity”. Speaking of which, Burning is an incredible track, as is the OP, Fatal. They might not have the radio power of Mephisto and Idol from last season, but they’re still two very good tracks. Touched on this earlier as well, but it bears repeating. The anime original scenes that DG added really took some parts of the season to another level. They really understand the story and characters so well and know exactly when to interject a new scene to connect things. Oshi no Ko season 2 is really where things start getting going and where a lot of the hype that you’ve indubitably seen online for this series comes from. It’s a different sort of story from season 1 and takes a minute to get going, but when it does the character development and emotional moments are top tier. If you like Oshi no Ko it’s a no brainer to keep up with s2 and for those potential newcomers, I really encourage you to go in with an open mind and don’t let the ship stuff on social media act as a deterrent. There’s some great stuff in this series and there’s a reason it’s so big. Oshi no Ko season 2 gets 10 stars, out of 10.
eksratu
10/06/2024, 10:29 AM
Season Two continues Oshi no Ko’s two-pronged approach to storytelling, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the Japanese entertainment industry while simultaneously serving up a long-form murder mystery. This season shifts its spotlight onto a fictional theater production, opening in media res with an unusually long static shot of the stage. It’s a fun scene as part of an anime adaptation of a real-world manga, which has an arc about adapting a fictional, in-universe manga into an in-universe stage play that you then get to experience as if you were part of the in-universe audience. As fun as these meta-layers are, though, Oshi no Ko is moreconcerned with exploring the conflicting perspectives of its characters. Many of them are involved with the aforementioned stage play, and their attitudes and creative methods constantly clash throughout the thirteen episodes of this season. Oshi no Ko also features some brilliant animation work that elevates its already-solid source material to new heights. Episode 6 in particular ends with a spectacular, wordless sequence on how a side character’s life changed as a result of his involvement with the play. For me, the main highlights of this season are the in-depth, humanized exploration of the manga-to-stage-play adaptation process that covered a lot of unexpected perspectives, the compelling narrative arcs of several recurring characters (but not all of them, unfortunately), the much smoother transitions between low-stakes and high-stakes scenes (compared to the first season), and the striking visuals. I was not a huge fan of Ruby’s general absence or the (expected) soapy melodrama. As a whole, this season was rewarding to dig into. It’s a treat for your eyes and a rollercoaster for your emotions. After seeing what it accomplished, I would highly recommend giving Oshi no Ko a try, as it was one of my favorite shows this year.
Flacion
10/06/2024, 07:00 AM
We keep digging deeper into the entertainment industry with all its drama, issues and its dark secrets behind the scenes. While we try to figure out the truth behind Aqua’ and Ruby’s past and future. In this season we first follow the Tokyo Blade arc, where Aqua stars in a theatrical show together with Akane and Kana. Where we later in the season then start to focus more on Ruby as the idol world is calling once again. For the plot of the season it is mostly structured around one major arc and then introduces a new arc. Through the major arc is the plot focused aroundthe Tokyo Blade play, and is very much focused around acting. But the plot is not just focused on their acting skill, but their reason for how they act, what drives their style of acting. This gives an in-depth feeling to the plot where it is not just a play, but a media that shows who they are as people and how they show themselves. We also get an in depth perspective to how the adaptation of a story from one media to another can be a struggle and involves many elements. For the later arc it is somewhat a build up, it is leading up to the future and what is to come. But this is not done with small plotlines being hinted at and is instead done with bold scenes that really draws in the viewer. For the characters, they are as amazing as the first season, where we keep getting highly detailed characters with great character progression. The characters are very consistent with the first season, where we now see them continue through new dilemmas and conflicts. We see how the characters are put in situations where they show their true side or are forced to face their problems, where they have to get through it or give up. This is not only done for the major characters, but is also shown for the side characters which helps build up the main characters, but also gives the whole show a really detailed feel to it. Overall the characters are just done right, they have their own personality, they show progress and feel like real people struggling with their own problems. The show is also very well known for its high quality animation, which continues in this season. The animation keeps a high quality in both fast paced scenes and more intimate scenes. Both types of scenes are also supported by its artistic styles, used as symbolism to help viewers get a visual understanding for complex emotions or situations that the characters find themselves in. They also show great detail in their animation when it comes to both big and small movements, which overall helps keep the viewer invested in every second of the show. Music has also been a big part of Oshi no Ko, for this season the music is still great but have taken a turn to songs that feel more aligned to the arcs we follow this season. This means the songs are more focused on the hard feelings characters have to go through, and less focused on the glorified idol world. To conclude it all, can i without a doubt say it's a great season, where we get to see the plot continue, characters evolve and experience both the beautiful animation and the powerful music. So if you liked the first season can i without a doubt recommend you watch this season too.

[Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season 【推しの子】第2期

2024 summer | Episodes: 13 | Score: 8.6 (176295)

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

Type: TV

Producers:Delfi Sound | Shueisha | CyberAgent | Kadokawa

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Han, Megumi

Ootsuka, Takeo

Uchiyama, Yumi

Iwami, Manaka

News

Reviews

Yunice
01/09/2025, 08:52 PM
This season seemed to feature more about the inner workings of a stage production than anything else. It showed viewers all the hard work that went into producing a successful play, so much so that I thought it almost resembled a documentary. Even with the visually vibrant artwork and excellent storytelling, I was glad for that segment to be over at last when the play was finally put on stage. Things only started getting more exciting during the last four episodes, where we get to see more interesting parts of the story being unveiled. Loved the soundtrack; it fit with the theme of this showperfectly. It was a fantastic series nonetheless, and I cannot wait for the third season to find out more.
Legolaspt
12/20/2024, 03:48 PM
I think this season was much better. The first few episodes were great; the setting of the entertainment industry was explored very well, besides a few oversimplifications, and I could really grasp the potential of Oshi no Ko. The pacing was good for the most part, and the production was decent. Also some of the drama was great. That being said, the dialogue and most of the characters are not great. I think Akane is the only character of the main cast that I find believable and enjoyable to watch; the others are too cartoonish and annoying. The plot isn't great neither, it is frequently dumb. Inparticular, I dislike how the characters act so competitive towards each other during the play, I don't think it's believable, nor does it make a good story. It appears like the show is trying to appeal to teenagers with cheap emotional bits, meanwhile throwing logic out of the window. Overall, a good season from a mediocre series.
verbinflection
12/10/2024, 05:30 PM
It is impossible to appreciate a work of art without knowing what the artist was trying to accomplish, which in the case of a work of fiction is broadly described by its genre. Romantic comedy does not serve the purposes of science fiction, for instance, and to watch 'My Dress-Up Darling' expecting it to explore the consequences of scientific advancement would be like buying a toothbrush and expecting it to peel oranges. Notice how easy it is, in that example, to identify the genre: it's clear in the first ten minutes of the show — which is normal. It's not science fiction, so it doesn't putMarin on the moon; it's not a mystery, so it doesn't put her at the scene of a crime. I bring this up because 'Oshi no Ko' has made it singularly difficult to understand what the artist was trying to accomplish. It is a toothbrush shaped exactly like an orange peeler, sold in the produce aisle, and marketed as having citrus-piercing bristles. No one ever actually told you to peel oranges with it, but you could be forgiven for trying. 'Oshi no Ko' spent the first eighty minutes setting up a murder mystery, although it isn't one; or if it is still trying to be one now, it isn't trying very hard. 'Chinatown' is a murder mystery; 'Oshi no Ko' is a soap opera. It may be filed under melodrama. Its purpose is to contrive scenarios in which sexy teenagers can slap, kiss, and yell at one another. The closest recent match is probably 'True Beauty', which is slightly more grounded and delivers about as much social commentary. You can also watch 'Melrose Place'. With that understanding, 'Oshi no Ko' is fairly enjoyable. It does a decent job of contriving scenarios in which beautiful young celebrities living in the world's safest country can slap, kiss, and yell at one another. I can't imagine taking any of it seriously, but it's difficult to beat for sentimentality and sensationalism. Coming up next on 'Melrose Place', a beautiful young actress throws herself off a bridge during a typhoon after she was harassed by online bullies for assaulting her co-star, but her life is saved by a handsome doctor with a troubled past who was reincarnated after being murdered before he could deliver the secret twin babies of a teenage pop idol he obsessed over while treating a young girl for cancer — and you'll never guess what happens next. The teen suicide arc in season one is when 'Oshi no Ko' really takes off, precisely because it has become impossible to take seriously. Right up until the moment when discount Light Yagami defeats online bullying through the power of friendship, and yandere Nancy Drew rewards him with a sexy cosplay of his mother, it was barely possible to believe that 'Oshi no Ko' is a story about a man investigating a murder, and not about long-lost twins in love triangles with coma patients, but no longer. For comparison, if 'Oshi no Ko' were a murder mystery about uncovering the dark side of the entertainment industry, then Aqua's plan to help Akane, by making a director feel guilty about her jumping off a bridge, would not have worked until Aqua revealed the photos he took of the director with an underage girl — or boy — or Ruby, for that matter. It's not difficult to spot the difference: 'Melrose Place' is not 'Chinatown'. To be clear, I enjoyed the arc. It's not particularly outrageous stuff — Aqua could have slept with Akane, for instance, on set, still in her cosplay, while Kana was doing coke in the bathroom with Mem-Cho — 'Degrassi High' would have done it — anyway, it did enough. Yandere Nancy Drew is delightfully nutty. Most of all, I appreciate the clarity, because continued misidentification of the genre invites continued disappointment. Unfortunately, shortly after the series takes off, it crashes into a mountain called Tokyo Blade. Okay, that was unfair: I'll say it lost an engine. 'Oshi no Ko' is not a great soap opera, and a murder mystery that mostly goes nowhere and three hours of Tokyo Blade are examples of a general problem: it tries to do too many things; it's cluttered. For comparison, there is another franchise where the main character gets involved in the entertainment industry to solve a supernatural murder mystery and avenge the death of his parent: it's called 'Hamlet', and you can watch the whole thing in about four hours. Brevity is the soul of wit. 'Oshi no Ko' is like 'Hamlet' if Hamlet put on five plays to catch six killers, he was dating three Ophelias, and one of them was his sister. Tokyo Blade already featured Aqua, Akane, and Kana, and I assume they were getting up to all sorts of slapping, kissing, and yelling, but I can't be certain, because so much screen time was dedicated to fight scenes from the show within the show — some godawful shonen nonsense — not to mention the lengthy and rather dry lectures on the business of putting on plays, how a comic book may be adapted into a play, the difficulties that may arise when adapting comic books into plays, recent advances in theater technology, etc. The first episode of season one ends on the main character plotting his revenge; the first episode of season two ends on a comic book writer being unhappy with a script — and you'll never guess what happens next: she edits it. Okay, that was unfair: I mildly enjoyed the arc. The comic book writer is fine. Almost everything in 'Oshi no Ko' is fine. Two writers struggling to adapt a story; two former child stars competing on and off the stage; a pop group aspiring to one day perform at a top venue; a supernatural murder mystery — oh, wait: one of those doesn't fit. It's not just that any given thing would stand out more in less cluttered surroundings. Another problem is that some of those things, such as murder, suicide, revenge, and reincarnation, are inherently more ostentatious than others, such as a songwriter we just met feeling inspired to write a new song because he got an encouraging email; but in the adaptation, each of those things is given comparably lavish treatment. 'Oshi no Ko' is wildly overproduced. Ai's star quality just doesn't seem as impressive after it's been attributed to every single performance in Tokyo Blade. Aqua, being so cunning and manipulative, has a cunning plan to manipulate everyone to save Akane, but he also has a cunning plan to manipulate everyone to save the finale of a television show. Speaking of manipulation, if 'Oshi no Ko' has a theme, then its theme must be deception or dishonesty. It's a fine theme, but the consequences of lying would have been clearer in a more focused, less cluttered story. When Hamlet deceived Ophelia, when Iago deceived Othello, the consequences were clear and relevant to the plot. When Aqua pretended to be in love with Akane, she found out immediately and played along for two seasons. When Kana pretended not to be in love with Aqua, everyone found out immediately, literally everyone, including undiscovered tribes in the highlands of New Guinea, and they all played along for two seasons. When baby Aqua pretended to be a god for two minutes — no, I didn't forget about that one, which goes exactly nowhere. Let's get back to Aqua and his cunning plans to manipulate everyone. Okay, "discount Light Yagami" was probably unfair — unfairly generous to Light Yagami — but the character is clearly meant to be cunning and manipulative — isn't he? At least twice an episode, the man is manipulating someone into doing something, whether he's manipulating a lousy actor into giving a decent performance, or manipulating Ruby into wearing panties around the house for once in her life, for God's sake, Ruby. But why is Aqua cunning and manipulative? Why should he insist on playing three-dimensional checkers? Before he died, he was kind, earnest, and slightly awkward. Did reincarnation make him cunning and manipulative? Either commit to writing him as a cunning, manipulative teenage celebrity, or leave him the way he was and make it clear that he's in over his head when it comes to revenge and murder. As it stands, after two seasons, I still do not really understand who Aqua is, or even how many people he is. To be clear, there are plenty of things to like about 'Oshi no Ko'. I wish it spent more time on them. Yandere Nancy Drew, for instance, that delightful nut: put her in every scene. She pairs well with Aqua, of course, who pairs surprisingly well with comedy, although that might be the one element of the show that is actually underproduced. For example, Aqua, who excels academically (because he was reincarnated), enrolls in a school known only for its performance curriculum (to keep an eye on Ruby), but not as a performance major, although he does end up being one of its most accomplished performers. He floors the admissions committee by claiming to have been won over by school spirit — which is pretty funny. It's a comical series of contradictions. Why is it never brought up again? 'Love Is War' would have shown us the admissions committee once more after Tokyo Blade, patting themselves on the back for having snagged the hot new talent as a general education major. "I raised that boy," says Chika Fujiwara. It's easy to miss a few small details when you're putting on five separate plays to catch six different killers. It's hard to focus on what matters when you're lavishly animating every encouraging email. The show is not at all bad: it's cluttered, unfocused, and overproduced, but I understood what it was trying to do eventually, and 'That Time I Got Reincarnated as My Cancer Patient's Favorite Singer's Baby' does a decent job of contriving scenarios in which sexy teenagers can slap, kiss, and breastfeed one another. It was all very watchable, except when it made me watch Tokyo Blade.
Kenzu_
11/06/2024, 02:21 AM
The second season of Oshi no Ko really surprised me. At first, it was hard to motivate myself to watch it because of the not-so-interesting theater preparations, but as more and more plot twists appeared, I was pleasantly surprised. The second season doesn’t focus much on idols but rather on advancing the storyline, which initially put me off, but I grew to really like it. Thanks to the second season, I felt even more connected to the story, and it has become one of my favorite anime. The animation is excellent; the anime is both shocking and humorous, and the characters are really well-written. As I mentioned, thesecond season doesn’t resemble the first at all and focuses more on storyline development, but in my opinion, that’s a plus.
Yeetomfg2
10/25/2024, 02:30 AM
As one of the most anticipated shows of the year "Oshi no Ko" had a lot of pressure to deliver a great show and with the fact that this summer season was very weak with its sequels (the only other good one was the Monogatari series one), the show had spotlight on it do deliver. Did it manage to live up to expectations? Absolutely. The 2nd season of "Oshi no Ko" makes it clear that this season is all about Aqua. Ruby takes a REALLY secondary role in this season, barely even appearing until the last few episodes. Aqua's character arc is done extremely well. Thegreat part about the show is that while we see the story from the MC's point of view, we also usually have more information than him because of how the show is structured. This leads to a lot of purely amazing scenes involving not only Aqua's trauma and how he chooses to use it in his acting, but also his coping mechanism related to answers he has been looking for all his life. A lot of people like to focus on the theatre play part of this season or the huge reveal afterwards, but I think the best part was after everything, when Aqua now thinks that the thing he has been working towards all his life resolved by itself, and now he is only looking for a new reason to exist. An attempt to fill the husk that he becomes after all the hatred left him. And the reveal at the end that the pain isn't fully gone, actually being transferred to his sister. I think I should also mention the side-characters of the show who are amazing, as usual. The only problem I would have is that the beginning arc is kinda slow and has a pretty unfulfilling ending. The shows animation is once again fantastic, and I really love seeing smaller studios like Doga Kobo creating something that looks this good, even if the show had its fair share of production issues. The entire play, the artstyle, the impact animation has on some scenes, really fantastic stuff. Music is also really good. I don't think the opening is as good as the first season but I still enjoyed it very much. The ending song is pretty good as well and the music during the show fits very well when it appears. That's why my final rating for "Oshi no Ko" is 9/10. I highly recommend giving this entire show a try if you haven't yet for some reason and also watch it if you watched the first one.
Gortysx
10/14/2024, 12:25 AM
The Good: - Art direction is spectacular with many experiments that elevate the show to another level - Cinematic frame compositions are on top of the medium - Beautiful Character development of main and supporting roles exposing full range of emotions within the characters - Opening and Ending (especially ending) OST just fits exceptionally well (love that guitar in the endlast episode. The Ugly: - nil Conclusion: 2nd Season of Oshi No Ko is a great follow up after first one. Anime is meticulously crafted. From presentation, art direction to character development it demonstrates high creative potential and passion of the studio. Story develops with each next episode and beautifully closes the arc of Tokyo Blade show. That said, ending felt somewhat puzzling and disjointed from the whole story, but sets good grounds for the 3rd Season.
Chief_AJ
10/11/2024, 10:30 AM
Oshi no ko is fantastic. It will most definitely become an anime classic, and as I've said hundreds of times, it does a fantastic job telling stories and events about the Japanese entertainment industry, good or bad. This season extends on that as it focused on how mangakas feel when their project gets an adaptation, which yes while it is an honor, can be a huge headache. The direction and theme of that entire arc was excellent and the anime did a great job telling that story. However, I love aka akasaka and this was my same issue with the manga, the revenge plot doesfeel forced. The first entire arc had me me on the edge of my seat, but once the playwright arc ended it falls a little flat. Unfortunately at this point and time it feels like they are forcing the revenge aspect of the show onto us and it doesn't feel very consistent. Great anime overall and i really believe we have a classic on our hands here. I just thought season 1 was slightly better. I give this a solid 8/10.
Aku30
10/08/2024, 04:48 PM
Oshi No Ko is by far the best modern anime about the entertainment industry. You'll see a lot of happy faces and good/bad acting mixed with the dark sides the viewers don't usually see on screen. While you get to experience a strong and solid build-up in season 1 things will slow down quite a bit for season 2 (or do they...?) Judging season 2 by itself I have to give my personal experience which was mostly thinking about how much they talk things through to a point where I couldn't follow as much as wanted. You're slowly drifting away from the twins' story towards a fantasyland of Hollywood where your dreams come true only to wake up from that tiny bit of information needed to progress or have the next mental breakdown. When you jump up and down on your seat while tearing up from excitement about what just happened - that's when you know you are more than invested into the story and characters. There are a few examples of perfect music like Bleach where goosebumps are basically included in the fight scenes only with sound. Then there's Re:Zero to sometimes not even have an ending playing for a specific episode because someone knew it would instantly break your immersion. Oshi No Ko has a simple yet complex answer to that: Start an episode with opening, end the episode with ending. Complex for this means each episode you will be greeted with an overall opening that makes sense throughout the season but also the ending that somehow fits to every episode. Sound and ambience are not really noticeable but that's exactly what the viewer needs. Small helpers for powerful scenes to have an even stronger impact.
Eleot
10/07/2024, 07:26 AM
Absolute Cinema In Oshi no Ko Season 2, the story deepens and retains its unique charm while continuing to explore themes of reincarnation, revenge, and the complexities of the entertainment industry. Although the core plot still revolves around the twins, Aqua and Ruby, their personal journeys evolve, delving into more mature and darker territory. The season introduces more mystery, especially around the death of their mother, Ai, and hints at further supernatural elements that enhance the drama. Realism of Reactions: The emotional responses of the characters are grounded in their past experiences. Aqua’s burdened demeanor and Ruby’s eventual emotional breakdown feel natural given the weight of theirpast traumas and the overwhelming situations they face in their current lives. This psychological depth helps ground the more fantastical elements of the show
SiriusStarlight
10/06/2024, 10:03 PM
It speaks volumes about Oshi no Ko that the story arc that has by far the best character work, most engaging storytelling and least active problems with its writing also has the absolute least to do with its fundamentals. The Tokyo Blade storyline is the best its in-depth exploration of industry mechanics gets, Kana and Akane's dynamic gets explored with so much more depth, and even Aqua has some more interesting internal conflicts to deal with. Melt's highlight episode is even one of my strongest contenders for episode of the year. And once this arc ends it immediately goes back to being as shallow, pretentiousand condescending as it was in season 1 like it never stopped. My highest praises I can sing for season 2 is that the first two thirds where it stops being Oshi no Ko are also by far the best that it has to offer.
GrandioseHD
10/06/2024, 07:44 PM
Oshi no Ko season 2 is a major step up from season 1. The quality of season 1 dropped after the first episode, in my opinion. This season provided real intrigue, rather than by the numbers "here's how the industry works" and "being an idol is hard" stuff that's been done to death (just watch Perfect Blue for that). There was still some, but it was properly balanced with more gritty bits. My only major complaint is that the theater arc took too many episodes to wrap up. I wasn't interested in the side plot involving the mangaka, and I'm sure that character will never appearagain. Ruby's character development was much needed in this season. She had very little in the first season, and the first half of the second. Oshi no Ko is at its best when it delves into its horror elements, so please keep it coming! Unlike with season 1, the second half of season 2 had me wanting more, now! The animation, music, and sound were great as per usual with Oshi no Ko. I particularly appreciated the abstract animation sequences with Ruby and Akane's inner thoughts. I liked this season's OP a bit more than the first, but that's likely an unpopular take. The ED was great as well. Overall, I'm feeling a strong 7 for this season. Had the last arc been a bit longer, it could have touched a light 8. I'm liking what I'm seeing, please keep it up for season 3!
Guthem
10/06/2024, 07:12 PM
If you saw the first season, you obviously waited to see the second. The facts are now denser, the sagas are a little long, but the show holds up The story continues to delve into feelings, and also focuses on work and daily routine. Details of the work, I thought that was out of the ordinary, It's really good, because it talks about things that we like, and some may not know about. Seriously, watch the information closely I'm a designer, and one of the sagas presents details that I really liked having covered. While in the same saga, facts happen that make the saga a little long,tiring, but, knowing that the plot is good, This is normal, and for me it is one of the facts that makes me give it a 9 I highly recommend it
_Maria_chan_
10/06/2024, 04:01 PM
As a manga reader I knew everything about this season from the start. But if you haven't read the manga, you're going to get a lot of twists in this season. Many new faces are seen in this season. I never thought I'd enjoy it so much despite getting the spoiler. Talking about the animation quality, Doga Kobo has done a great job. Speaking of characters, I found some of the characters here to be pretty stupid, but you might like them. Because this is my personal opinion. But as always my favorite character Arima Kana's character has developed a lot. Also now you will seesomething new in Ruby. Here at the beginning, the anime starts with an extraordinary theatrical production (Tokyo Blade). Also along with the main character's revenge mindset, some romantic moments and the plot twist made the whole anime a lot more awesome than last season. Maybe not everyone likes this type of anime. Because everyone likes different genre. I'm an action genre lover. But despite that, I really enjoyed this season. For me 9/10
FrierenSimpKing
10/06/2024, 03:27 PM
So I have to be honest, while I *loved* the first season - and I really did love it, my rating for it is a 10 (which is a rating I am very reserved with), I also loved it because of the "gimmick". What I am trying to say is that it was a season where I felt there were a few incredible, top tier episodes that rank as among the best episodes I have ever seen across all of TV, but then the rest of the season could often feel a lot more average in comparison. There was sloppiness to it, some amazing highsthat hit fantastically well, but the rest of it wasn't coming together quite that well. So I was not sure whether I'd be able to love the second season too. Obviously the gimmick, the element of surprise, was gone. You can only do that once. Now the second season would have to stand on the basis of its story, plotting, pacing, characterization and interactions, theming, and I simply wasn't sure if it would be able to do that as well. And for the first couple of episodes, it honestly felt like it wouldn't be able to. The first couple of episodes feel very flaccid and sloppy, and it felt like my worst fears regarding this season would be coming true. But this season really hits its strides from there on out. The theatre arc is used to do some fantastic psychological deep dives into a lot of characters, new characters are introduced, and new dynamics and interactions are seen, new harsh realities about the entertainment world are learnt, new relationships are formed while existing ones grow and evolve. Oshi no Ko is often at its best when it turns a lens to the realities of the entertainment world, and season 2 is another unflinching look at how uncompromising and brutal on the very creatives that fuel it the world of Japanese entertainment truly can be. Oshi no Ko is often at its best when it delves into the psyches of its characters - and season 2 does this repeatedly, multiple times, with multiple characters. And obviously there is the larger story. It takes its time to get to it, but Oshi no Ko's second season does finally start to move things along as far as the bigger plot line goes. I don't want to delve into any specifics, but there are multiple holy shit moments, multiple scenes and reveals that gave me goosebumps, as the narrative context, the visual framing, the animation, and the music all swelled to a crescendo of realization and the weight of the moment upon me. And yes, like the first season, this is a beautifully drawn and animated show, with multiple frames that are works of art in their own right, and a lethally effective use of music that could positively be weaponized into a form of emotional warfare. The new opening and ending hold up their ends of the bargain, bringing a fantastic new flavour to set the stage and close things out respectively. Opinions will be divided on whether or not these are better than the first season's now iconic ones (personally, I think Season 1's Idol is a better opening than this season's Fatale, and I think this season's Burning is a better ending than Season 1's Mephisto), but that doesn't really matter, the broader point is they're fantastic nonetheless. And really, that's what it comes down to. Do I like this second season more than the first season? To me it is - it is comprehensively better executed on every single front across the board, it addresses the first season's weaknesses while building on its many strengths, it is far more consistent, with far fewer lulls than the first season (and the lower points being better than the lower points in the first season were), and it has its own incredibly high highs - they don't match the impact of season 1's highs, but they are *very* great regardless, and it all balances out to me preferring the second season overall. But I can very well understand why someone might prefer the first season - the first season at its best is *amazing*, and if it resonates with you in those moments, few other things can measure up to that. All of which is to say, both of these are amazing seasons. You aren't guaranteed to like season 2 more than season 1 (I do, sure, but that doesn't mean you will). But even if you don't, you're going to love it a lot regardless. Oshi no Ko is 2/2 now with two top tier peak seasons of television. I can't wait to see what Season 3 brings to the table.
noruffle
10/06/2024, 02:58 PM
Honestly, I'm not usually a fan of the drama genre, but this work of art has completely blown me away. It's the most beautiful, intriguing, and masterful thing I’ve seen in years outside of the action and isekai genres. The theater arc did an amazing job of helping us understand and explore both new and returning characters in Oshi No Ko. The dialogues are filled with emotion and depth, making every interaction incredibly impactful. I had chills almost every episode, which only increased my anticipation for the next one. I have no regrets about watching the second season—I’m a fan of the first season, and Ienjoyed both the first and second seasons immensely. I’m eagerly awaiting the third season, hoping it won’t be the last, as there’s so much more to learn about the Oshi No Ko universe. The soundtrack, opening, and ending themes are simply spectacular. I enjoyed them so much that I even added the tracks to my playlist. My verdict: 10/10.
luxray978
10/06/2024, 02:06 PM
Oshi no Ko season 2 massively builds upon the foundation set in its first season. The already amazing animation comes back stronger than ever, character arcs feel more integrated and deeper. The slightly odd aspects to the show have massively reduced screen time and previously sidelined concepts find themselves thoroughly explored. I debated a lot on rating but my feeling heading out of it is a 9/10, the greatest season to season improvement I’ve seen yet. To start with the animation here is gorgeous, the previous season had made good use of light shadow and color but still had some generic looking scenes. In thesecond season every single shot is jam packed with color and emotion. If they cannot come up with something for a shot the frequent cut aways to amazing unique animation to explain concepts serve to fill the void. Multiple color palettes are used depending on the context but all of them are amazing. The animations of the now required dynamic fights in the theater sections were also extremely well done and would’ve easily been the best in a normal season if not for strong competition from Elusive Samurai. Continuing with visuals the character designs continue to be very strong with the returning star motif and the stage outfits being great stand outs. In my opinion the star motif in particular felt even more strongly used this season and it was a great way to convey someone’s state changing without needing to spell it out for viewers. The outfit choices for everyday wear were also great and I really enjoyed looking at them for my own style inspiration. It’s very refreshing to see women dressed normally (or normal for their social status in a few cases) instead of what we often see in anime. Akane’s outfits in particular are very similar to the types of things I like to wear. I’m not a musician so I usually refrain from commentary on soundtracks as I don’t understand the dynamics at play but I wanted to call out the strong showing here. The piano themes they use for backing in tense scenes are really good and the insert songs, OPs and EDs remain great as well. My strongest criticism of Oshi No Ko in the past has been it’s treatment of women. Especially in the first season the way women hoard around aqua and fawn over him was extremely annoying and while it might be something funny or interesting for me really takes things away from me. This aspect is still present in the second season but finds itself massively diminished in favor of an arc that focuses on two women's dreams to the exclusion of their affections. This is a massively beneficial change that saves the show from what could’ve been a disaster. This is not to say they completely ignore this dynamic but I’m very happy with the direction they are going and found myself far less annoyed. Similarly I found the treatment of the Idol aspects in the first season to be a bit pedestrian and uninteresting, serving to somewhat glorify the industry in something I think should showcase why it’s terrible for young women. The second season while having a bit of this massively cleans up it’s act in this regard. The focus away from these aspects into other portions of the show I find more interesting certainly went a long way in improving my opinion of this season. Continuing on this I’m very happy with the way the show has been treating women as human beings with their own dreams. Even women with romantic attraction have other things going on in their life that they consider important. They aren’t one dimensional and can coexist on multiple fronts like real people, especially highlighted by a sound off your dreams moment in the last episode. I touched upon this earlier but this decision massively improves the stage play arc by making it about their career goals instead of something to do with possession of Aqua. The largest exception to this behavior is probably R uby and to a lesser degree Kana. In Ruby’s case I do find her brocon cutaways to be grating, unfunny, and uninteresting however it does also seem like the show portrays this as a character failing. With Kana I find the situation to be less distasteful, sometimes funny, and still a little bit annoying and once again it does seem like future development is in store for this. The characterization of the cast outside of romance is just generally extremely good. You get a great idea of *why* people do things and it refuses to play into the idea that people do things for no reason. People have convictions behind their actions which can be explored and deconstructed if you take the time to understand them. The depictions of despair are also really great and I was happy to see one of my favorite motifs portrayed so well. There’s a few blunders present, most notably an extremely simple scene involving a musician but these are stand outs in part because of their length and are easy to let fly you by. The last episode served as a capstone integrating best in the series with its otherworldly visuals, well placed insert, and deepening mystery. They’ve managed to transform me from someone who was debating watching season 2 at all to someone who is quite excited to see where DogaKobo goes next.
NiQ1
10/06/2024, 11:50 AM
Note - This review does not contain spoilers of this season, but does contain spoilers of the previous one! I love Oshi no Ko, but I feel like this season is a bit of a letdown compared to the last. What makes Oshi no Ko so different than the typical idol / showbiz anime is that it's anything but lighthearted. It has a strong dark side, about murder and vengeance. The first season ended with Aqua joining a stage play for the sole purpose of identifying his father, who is presumably the person behind the killing of his mother Ai, as well as himself in his pastlife. This season picks up from there. The main issue with this season is that the vast majority of it is the preparation for the stage play and the play itself, which really feels like an average showbiz anime, one of those that you've seen one you've seen them all. The season only picks up around the 9th episode, and only then it becomes as enjoyable as the first season. I understand that they probably wanted to stick to the source material as much as possible, which I generally consider a good thing - I don't like it when anime cuts a lot of things, but I still wander whether arc that doesn't seem very important had to take two thirds of the season. Anyway, a 3rd season has already been announced, and at the very least the last five episodes of this season are very much worth watching and will definitely be needed to understand it. Go ahead and watch, but keep in mind that the first eight episodes might feel somewhat boring.
Marinate1016
10/06/2024, 10:42 AM
Oshi no Ko season 2 might have started a little slow, but once it got going, we got episodes that were on par with if not better than anything in season 1. The Tokyo Blade Arc in the manga wasn’t my fave, but the love and attention to detail including anime original scenes that Doga Kobo added in the anime took it to a whole other level and over season 1’s story arc. It’s in this second season, which really feels more like a second cour of one continuous season, that we truly see the story of Oshi no Ko take shape. While the toxicityof the entertainment industry is certainly part of Oshi no Ko, it’s ultimately a revenge story and this season sees things begin to fall into place on that front. It’s a different experience from season 1 since it focuses on the play, characters’ internal struggles and it starts slow, but I promise you if you stick around this season you will be very satisfied with where things go. So I said it before, but it’s really important to emphasise that this season of Oshi no Ko is a different sort of story from the first. I don’t want people to come into this blind and then the first couple episodes are a little annoying with the director drama and you give up watching it. Yes, she’s annoying, and yes, it gets better. It’s a lot slower at the start than last season was. No 1 hour film-like premiere, no suicide attempts etc. Instead, a lot of the conflict in this season is internal. Akane dealing with her insecurities and achieving her acting goals, Kana dealing with her feelings for Aqua and reconciling with her past, etc., the play is used as a conduit through which a lot of this happens. The characters that the cast portray in the play have many similarities and so they’re able to express themselves through those characters in ways they normally wouldn’t be able to. ESPECIALLY Aqua and Akane who get a ton of development in this season. Aqua can kind of come off as edgy and one dimensional at times, but this season shows there’s a lot more to him. For me, the slow build up to the play was entirely worth it just for the 3-4 episodes that we got of it. Doga Kobo really absorbed me into the story as if I were on the stage during the play. Let’s face it, ship wars are a big reason for Oshi no Ko’s popularity and anime onlies could be forgiven for being a little confused on why the debate is so strong. Season 1 had Kana firmly in the lead, but this season is where the real best girl, Akane gets some of her big moments and really introduces herself as the best character in this series. This was a massive part of my enjoyment for the season because I am unapologetically a huge Akane stan and my girl delivered this season. So many memorable moments, face serves, you name it she was great. It also helps that Akane is so supportive of Aqua and is the driving force behind a lot of important plot moments. If you weren’t sure why the debates were so heated and passionate before, well you’ll know after this. Even with the staff’s obvious Kana bias, Akane was able to really shine through both in her role as Sayahime in the play and her everyday life. Production wise Doga Kobo did an even better job in this cour than season 1 in my opinion. The Tokyo Blade play looked incredible with some episodes surpassing season 1’s B Komachi concert debut. “Magical” is the best way I could describe it. But there’s also more subtle improvements that I enjoyed a lot too such as the way episodes bleed into the ED so well. I’m a huge fan of shows ending with a scene that merges into the ED because it preserves a sort of “continuity”. Speaking of which, Burning is an incredible track, as is the OP, Fatal. They might not have the radio power of Mephisto and Idol from last season, but they’re still two very good tracks. Touched on this earlier as well, but it bears repeating. The anime original scenes that DG added really took some parts of the season to another level. They really understand the story and characters so well and know exactly when to interject a new scene to connect things. Oshi no Ko season 2 is really where things start getting going and where a lot of the hype that you’ve indubitably seen online for this series comes from. It’s a different sort of story from season 1 and takes a minute to get going, but when it does the character development and emotional moments are top tier. If you like Oshi no Ko it’s a no brainer to keep up with s2 and for those potential newcomers, I really encourage you to go in with an open mind and don’t let the ship stuff on social media act as a deterrent. There’s some great stuff in this series and there’s a reason it’s so big. Oshi no Ko season 2 gets 10 stars, out of 10.
eksratu
10/06/2024, 10:29 AM
Season Two continues Oshi no Ko’s two-pronged approach to storytelling, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the Japanese entertainment industry while simultaneously serving up a long-form murder mystery. This season shifts its spotlight onto a fictional theater production, opening in media res with an unusually long static shot of the stage. It’s a fun scene as part of an anime adaptation of a real-world manga, which has an arc about adapting a fictional, in-universe manga into an in-universe stage play that you then get to experience as if you were part of the in-universe audience. As fun as these meta-layers are, though, Oshi no Ko is moreconcerned with exploring the conflicting perspectives of its characters. Many of them are involved with the aforementioned stage play, and their attitudes and creative methods constantly clash throughout the thirteen episodes of this season. Oshi no Ko also features some brilliant animation work that elevates its already-solid source material to new heights. Episode 6 in particular ends with a spectacular, wordless sequence on how a side character’s life changed as a result of his involvement with the play. For me, the main highlights of this season are the in-depth, humanized exploration of the manga-to-stage-play adaptation process that covered a lot of unexpected perspectives, the compelling narrative arcs of several recurring characters (but not all of them, unfortunately), the much smoother transitions between low-stakes and high-stakes scenes (compared to the first season), and the striking visuals. I was not a huge fan of Ruby’s general absence or the (expected) soapy melodrama. As a whole, this season was rewarding to dig into. It’s a treat for your eyes and a rollercoaster for your emotions. After seeing what it accomplished, I would highly recommend giving Oshi no Ko a try, as it was one of my favorite shows this year.
Flacion
10/06/2024, 07:00 AM
We keep digging deeper into the entertainment industry with all its drama, issues and its dark secrets behind the scenes. While we try to figure out the truth behind Aqua’ and Ruby’s past and future. In this season we first follow the Tokyo Blade arc, where Aqua stars in a theatrical show together with Akane and Kana. Where we later in the season then start to focus more on Ruby as the idol world is calling once again. For the plot of the season it is mostly structured around one major arc and then introduces a new arc. Through the major arc is the plot focused aroundthe Tokyo Blade play, and is very much focused around acting. But the plot is not just focused on their acting skill, but their reason for how they act, what drives their style of acting. This gives an in-depth feeling to the plot where it is not just a play, but a media that shows who they are as people and how they show themselves. We also get an in depth perspective to how the adaptation of a story from one media to another can be a struggle and involves many elements. For the later arc it is somewhat a build up, it is leading up to the future and what is to come. But this is not done with small plotlines being hinted at and is instead done with bold scenes that really draws in the viewer. For the characters, they are as amazing as the first season, where we keep getting highly detailed characters with great character progression. The characters are very consistent with the first season, where we now see them continue through new dilemmas and conflicts. We see how the characters are put in situations where they show their true side or are forced to face their problems, where they have to get through it or give up. This is not only done for the major characters, but is also shown for the side characters which helps build up the main characters, but also gives the whole show a really detailed feel to it. Overall the characters are just done right, they have their own personality, they show progress and feel like real people struggling with their own problems. The show is also very well known for its high quality animation, which continues in this season. The animation keeps a high quality in both fast paced scenes and more intimate scenes. Both types of scenes are also supported by its artistic styles, used as symbolism to help viewers get a visual understanding for complex emotions or situations that the characters find themselves in. They also show great detail in their animation when it comes to both big and small movements, which overall helps keep the viewer invested in every second of the show. Music has also been a big part of Oshi no Ko, for this season the music is still great but have taken a turn to songs that feel more aligned to the arcs we follow this season. This means the songs are more focused on the hard feelings characters have to go through, and less focused on the glorified idol world. To conclude it all, can i without a doubt say it's a great season, where we get to see the plot continue, characters evolve and experience both the beautiful animation and the powerful music. So if you liked the first season can i without a doubt recommend you watch this season too.

[Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season 【推しの子】第2期

'"Oshi no Ko"' Third Season in Production

Summer 2024 Simulcast List [Update 6/6]

Q3 2024 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 8/25]

Summer 2024 Preview

"Oshi no Ko" Season 2 Reveals Supporting Cast Pair, Opening Theme, First Promo

'"Oshi no Ko" Season 2' Announces Additional Cast Pair for Summer 2024

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

'"Oshi no Ko"' Gets Second Season

[Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season 【推しの子】第2期

'"Oshi no Ko"' Third Season in Production

Summer 2024 Simulcast List [Update 6/6]

Q3 2024 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 8/25]

Summer 2024 Preview

"Oshi no Ko" Season 2 Reveals Supporting Cast Pair, Opening Theme, First Promo

'"Oshi no Ko" Season 2' Announces Additional Cast Pair for Summer 2024

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

'"Oshi no Ko"' Gets Second Season