Oshi no Ko Spoiler-Filled Review

Oshi no Ko, also known as “My Favorite Idol” or “Their Idol’s Children,” is an anime which mixes the supernatural, mystery, idol, and drama genres. Daisuke Hiramaki directs this series, which is based on an 11-volume manga written by Aka Akasaka. This series is produced by Doga Kobo, a studio founded in July 1973. As a warning, this review will discuss suicide, cyberbullying, death, murder, and other related themes.

This series is intriguing from the get-go. It follows the life of Gorou Amemiya (voiced by Takeo Ōtsuka). Gorou is a doctor in a remote region and is murdered by a mysterious man. He is reborn as the child named Aquamarine “Aqua” Hoshino (voiced by Yumi Uchiyama) of his beloved Japanese pop idol, Ai Hoshino (voiced by Rie Takahashi). He adapts to this new life. His sister Ruby Hoshino (voiced by Yurie Igoma) is a reincarnated version of his former patient, Sarina Tendōji (voiced by Tomoyo Takayanagi). Their life is challenging. Ai cannot publicly reveal she has children and Aqua meets a child actress, Kana Arima (voiced by Megumi Han), who vows to be his rival. Disaster strikes when the same stalker who killed Gorou and Sarina mortally wounds Ai. This leads Aqua to begin a quest to find his father and kill him in revenge.

The above is only what happens in the first episode! I was drawn to Oshi no Ko in part because it is based on the reality of the Japanese entertainment industry. It is somewhere where are, according to Akasaka, no “union[s] for talent and writers…no guarantees…[and] opportunities…given based on the balance of power between companies.” The idol world is portrayed in a dramatic and dark way. This series shows how the women’s emotions and labor is so commodified that they internalize it. In addition, this series makes clear how the idol industry exploits those in vulnerable situations.

This stands in contrast to the many idolish anime out there, whether Kizuna no Allele, and those which have aired in previous years, such as If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, Shine Post, Cue!, 22/7, BanG Dream!, Macross Delta, and Macross Frontier. Also, this is the case for the idolish D4DJ and Alice Gear Aegis Expansion, and the multiple series in the Love Live! franchise.

Oshi no Ko is one of the only series which focuses on the dark side (and reality) of being an idol. Another example is Heroines Run the Show. In that romantic idolish series, the protagonists must deal with rabid fans, rumors, violations of privacy, being marketed and commercialized, and harsh working conditions. This is also the case for Hiyori Suzumi, a first year student who comes to a Tokyo school for track-and-field, who helps the idols as an apprentice manager.

The second episode of Oshi no Ko brings all these themes to the fore. Ruby attempts to join a huge idol group. Her brother, Aqua, tries to dissuade her, telling her about the disrespect, low pay, and violation of privacy for those within the industry. In a strange effort to “protect” his sister, Aqua engineers something. He works with the director he is working under, Takashi, so it appears that she is “rejected” from the talent pool. At the episode’s end, Miyako, the mother-of-sorts of Aqua and Ruby, re-opens the idol department of Strawberry Productions, becoming their manager.

By the second episode’s end, it seemed that the story focused more on Aqua than Ruby, despite Ruby, Miyako, and Kana being portrayed as important characters. There should be equal weight to both of their stories. This changes in later episodes. Kana becomes more involved in the life of Aqua, even following him to Takashi’s apartment. At one point, she reveals to him that she is holding back her acting so that she doesn’t outshine others.

Then there are the attempts of Aqua to learn more about the lives of his mother leads him down a strange path. He joins the cast of a hastily produced reality dating show, My Love with a Star Begins Now. It is directed by Masaya Kaburagi (voiced by Masaki Terasoma). He does a paternity test and discovers Kburagi is not related to Ai whatsoever. All the while, the series makes clear its social commentary. Storyboarders are shown sleeping on the floor to get their work done. Popular actors are brought on the dating show to gain viewers. Manga artists note their disappointment at adaptations of their work.

This all becomes intertwined. Aqua invites Kana to be part of Strawberry Productions. His sister Ruby sees idol potential in her. There are romantic vibes between Aqua and Kana. Also, Ruby and Kana are drawn close together due to their roles in the same company. Their idol group takes the name of B Komichi. It is the same name of the group headed Ai before her tragic death. Unlike other series, the close relationship between Ruby and Kana doesn’t seem to be romantic.

By the show’s sixth episode, female characters have a much bigger role. For instance, Kana and Ruby become close. The former tells the latter about egosurfing. She explains that fans, and content they consume, are in a “state of mutual surveillance.” She further argues that people in show business are “the content.” Later, she admits that she holds her tongue so that she doesn’t create flame wars online. The friendship between Kana and Ruby is one of the best parts of this series.

Women on the reality dating show, such as Akane Kurokawa (voiced by Manaka Iwami), get ample screentime. In the latter case, she claims she is vegetarian so that she won’t eat meat. It appears to be a ruse to get to her the “correct” weight and shape, and takes notes on what do for the show. This comes to a head in the sixth episode, when Akane ends up attacking another actress, Yuki, for not standing out.

Following this, they hug it out, and everything seems solved. Online fans take issue with the scene, causing a firestorm of criticism, even after Akane apologizes. The toxicity of the internet echo machine is clearly shown. Akane becomes terrified, with people even angry at her at school. She makes this worse for herself when she reads negative comments and begins spiraling. This reaches such a fever pitch that she attempts suicide. She is only saved, at the last second, by Aqua.

This episode resulted in controversy. Fans were reportedly shocked. Kyoko Kimura, mother of Hana Kimura, a Japanese pro wrestler, who recently died from suicide, also criticized the series. She said she didn’t approve of the anime’s writers using Kyoko’s death as “free source material.” She argued there wasn’t proper consideration before the series release. Later, she claimed the series causes cyberbullying victims to suffer, while acknowledging the series “raises important issues.”

The criticism by Kyoko Kimura, and others, makes perfect sense. The episode seems to have parallels to the case of Hana Kimura. That it may be triggering to some people, especially when it comes to cyberbullying. The manga’s chapters were planned prior to Kimura’s passing. The creators could not control when the series was released. The manga‘s author, Aka Akasaka, said he wanted people to know how young talent is being “hurt, exploited, and suffering.” He added that he focused on the reality of the Japanese entertainment industry. His words fit with the anime’s criticism of toxic fandoms and fans.

The Oshi no Ko staff should have reached out to her before the series aired and could have handled this with more care. The episode shows how young people can be pushed to the brink. Suicides have been on the rise, especially among Japanese women, and declining among Japanese men. Over 20,000 in Japan end their lives every year, often due to economic hardships, a number which increased due to the coronavirus pandemic. In comparison, over 40,000 Americans take their lives each year, with a total of 800,000 between the years of 2000 and 2020, with men representing over 78% of the victims.

This series is not unique in focusing on this theme. In the ever-controversial and ridiculed gen:LOCK, all the protagonists give up their lives in “ascension” to become swarms of nano-particles known as the Flow. More recently, in Volume 9 of RWBY, the subject is treated more respectfully. One of the protagonists, Ruby Rose, either engaged in a suicide attempt, or ended her life. It appears to be the former rather than the latter.

Coming back to Oshi no Ko, the seventh episode caps this “dark chapter” for Akane. It makes clear that someone’s mental state can push them toward suicide. Kana admits to Ruby, in the same episode, that she even thinks of ending her life some days! Ruby observes that lying is the best way to protect yourself. In her view, every day people are bullied online in the “name of justice and freedom of expression.” Following her rescue, Akane’s mother and fellow cast members embrace her. This proves that she is not alone and has a support network to support her. There is a slight criticism of the police. A police officer asks Akane if she is ok after she is saved by Aqua, but not before.

The same episode shows that Aqua cares about Akane. While it appears weird that he reveals that Akane attempted suicide, he also pushes to release footage taken by the production staff of the scene between Akane and Yuki, showing the reality of the situation: that the staff selectively manipulated the scene. This means the reality dating show is rotten at the core. Aqua’s actions, in coordination with the rest of the crew, change the image of Akane online, solidify her popularity, and cause criticism of her to disappear.

Not everything is that simple in Oshi no Ko. Aqua admits that the only girl he likes is Ai to the other cast members. This solidifies the determination of Akane to become Ai. She even goes to the National Citze Library, learning more about her, and embodies her. This, predictably, surprises, and terrifies Aqua, as he senses that she has Ai’s spirit within her.

There is more than a popular opening song, an incredible debut, and amazing art in the manga (which the anime is based on). In the eighth episode shows the protagonists, Akane, and others, have important character development. Akane gives off a charisma and magnetism which draws people to her. In fact, Aqua even reveals his true colors when he will only listen to Akane, and not to what others are saying. Like Aqua, Ruby sees the spirit of Ai within Akane.

Jealousy comes to the forefront. Kana is angry at Aqua for getting close to other female cast members on the reality dating show. She is caught off guard when they both skip school. They play a game of catch in the park. On some level, Aqua probably has feelings for Kana. He tells her that he has crushes on all girls his age, but prefers older girls. Later, Kana calls for him to “drop dead” and calls him “big jerk” for kissing Akane on the reality dating show. She wants him to kiss her instead.

The eighth episode of Oshi no Ko predicts what will happen in the future: the “boundary” between his former self, and Aqua, will vanish. As such, he will become one person and his former memories may fade. In fact, he states that his mind is suiting his body and environment, with his thinking influenced by his physical development.

Aqua sees Akane as someone he can use, declaring that she knows more about the personality of Ai than him, even though Ai was his mom. He even agrees to let them be “dating” on paper, until they decide to amicably end it. This is expanded upon in the season one finale. Aqua often uses people for his own ends, which fits with who his character is, but also justifies his manipulation and almost makes it seem acceptable. It is disturbing, especially since such manipulation was criticized in Tokyo Mew Mew New. It aired at the same time as this series. That series featured a character who engages in multiple creepy romantic advances toward the protagonist.

Through it all, Aqua learns more about his mom from Masaya Kaburagi, who says that the entertainment industry is a place for bluffing and lies. He notes that Ai began as a “country bumpkin fresh out of the sticks,” lacked professionalism, and would show up to work in cheap clothes. He implies that Ai fell in love while at a certain theater company and got the face of a “grown woman” as a result. Like the rest of the series, there is a criticism of the Japanese entertainment industry as a “place of creating and calling in obligations” between agencies and production, which plays a “big role in casting.”

The ninth episode is one of the best episodes of Oshi no Ko. Aqua pushes the idol department in Strawberry Productions to new heights. He invites Mem (voiced by Rumi Okubo), a cast member from the reality sating show and a well-known YouTuber, to join. In a possible commentary on fudgery in the Japanese entertainment industry, Meme admits she is not honest about her age. She had been saying she is seven years younger than her actual age! Her honesty leads Kana and Ruby to sympathize with her. In a likely incorrect observation, Ruby believes that this shows Aqua’s preference in women.

The formation of the B Komichi idol group in the ninth episode, with planning for a music video and choreography for dances, is the beginning of further comments on the idol industry. Before this point, the series had only been idolish. After this episode, it becomes more of an idol anime. Kana, for her part, thinks she can’t be as good of an idol as Mem and Ruby. She even believes that she can’t head the group, or be “the center,” and is “bad” at singing. The latter is a lie.

The same episode of Oshi no Ko raises the possibility that Masaya will have a bigger role in the future. He is taking the long game of making an alliance with Aqua, to giving him a leg up in future battles over casting, and sees potential in Mem and Kana. He even believes that B Komichi is a promising investment. This comes to fruition in the 10th episode. Aqua dresses up as Pieyon to inspire the members of B Komichi. He talks to Kana. She is worried about being the group’s center.

I found the 10th and 11th episodes to be the strongest because they focused on female characters like Kana, Mem, and Ruby, rather than Aqua. Aqua is a creepy and disturbing character, who is not very relatable. He manipulates others to achieve his goal of finding out more about his birth father, who paid off someone else to kill his mother. This isn’t the case for the female characters. Maybe Aqua is despicable on purpose.

I liked the focus on Kana and her internal struggle. She worries that everyone sees a former child actor, rather than an idol. Ruby reminds Kana that they are rookie idols, will fall down and fail sometimes, but that this is okay. Ruby relates to Kana even more than Mem, noting how she was once as an idol otaku and that Aqua’s previous incarnation was her first love. The latter is a strange and cringeworthy. Such incestual romantic love is deeply problematic.

The 10th episode of Oshi no Ko continues the commentary about the Japanese idol industry. Their manager, Miyako, words ring true. In the next scene, the underground idol groups are shown to be treated terribly: they are crammed into one room. More well-known idols get their own changing rooms.

Kana’s insecurity on the Star Stage, performing with Mem and Ruby, is front and center. Many audience members have yellow or red glowsticks, representing fans of Mem or Ruby. She sees no one with white glowsticks, representing her fans. Aqua comes to save the day. He waves yellow, red, and white glowsticks at the same time. This inspires her to outshine Mem and Ruby on stage.

The season one finale of Oshi no Ko makes the romantic feelings between Kana and Aqua clear. He claims he only dressed up as Pieyon to ensure their performance was a success, but hints at romantic feelings. Ruby notes that when he is with Kana, he is like his “old self.” Their connection is further buttressed by Aqua admitting to his manager/mom-of-sorts, Miyako, that he only has a “work relationship” with Akane. Mem realizes this means that Kana has feelings for Aqua.

The conflict for the next season is set in motion. Aqua, Kana, and Akane are cast in a stage adaptation of the Tokyo Blade. All three are in a love triangle. Kana and Akane have a long-standing rivalry. Akane feels that Kana took away “her” parts. Aqua sees the play as a way to learn more about his birth father. The Lala Lai theater company, where his mother Ai got her start, is putting on the production. He declares that he will find his father, who works in the entertainment industry. It is not known if he would kill his father after he found him.

A love triangle in Oshi no Ko isn’t surprising. Aka Akasaka, the manga’s author, also wrote Kaguka-Sama: Love is War manga. He has written other manga, such as Sayonara Piano Sonata, Ib: Instant Bullet, and Ren’ai Daikō, since 2011. None of those have anime adaptations. Kaguka-Sama had no love triangles, from what I remember. That series focuses on a wealthy girl (Kaguya Shinomiya) trying to confess her love for the school’s student council present (Miyuki Shirogane). Then they try to figure out how to advance their relationship following their romantic confessions.

Oshi no Ko has dark, mature, and depressing themes. As such, I would not rewatch it. Even so, it has value in terms of its social commentary on the Japan’s entertainment industry, especially related to idols. On the other hand, it does not represent idol anime.

The series is idolish. It becomes more of an idol anime as it moves forward. However, it does not criticize or mimic any of the tropes in idol anime. It is more about the exploitation that those who work in the industry endure rather than subverting tropes in other anime. Some online fans don’t realize the latter and think this series “defines” idol anime. Nothing could be further from the truth. I can understand why some people don’t want to watch this series and can’t blame them, as the series is a lot to take in.

I was familiar with some of the voice actors. Rie Takahashi is known for voicing Aileen Lauren Dautriche in I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, Megumin in KonoSuba, Ena Saitō in Laid Back Camp, and Takagi-san in Teasing Master Takagi-san. The same is the case for Yumi Uchiyama. She voiced Shino Natsume in Ippon Again!. Kent Itō voices Hirotaka Nifuji in the enjoyable romantic comedy, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku.

I recognized Lynn as the voice of Karin Kudaka in The Aquatope on White Sand, Sanya in Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, and Shirara Tsubaki in My Master Has No Tail. Manaka Iwami had previously lent her voice to Christina in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Euphyilla Magenta in The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, and Millie in Spy x Family. She will also voice Sakuna Memoir in The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess. Megumi Han voiced Penny Polendina in RWBY: Ice Queendom and Momo in Vampire in the Garden. Tomoyo Takayanagi previously voiced Mikan Hinatsuki in The Demon Girl Next Door. I wasn’t familiar with Takeo Ōtsuka, Yurie Igoma, Rumi Okubo, and the many other voice actors for this series.

Although Akasaka has stated that he will no longer draw manga, and will only write instead, considering the manga has 11 volumes at present, there is a lot of material to pull from. As a person who often watches anime which are 12 or 13 episodes, or Western animated series which are even longer, the first season seemed short. It could have been longer.

As I noted in my Otaku Elf review, summarizing an article in Anime News Network, companies often try to limit corporate risk by planning for each season to have between 11 and 13 episodes, but if a show is successful, there can be additional seasons. This happened with Birdie Wing and it is the case for Oshi no Ko.

The latter is no surprise as each one had a lot of fan interest. I hope that the second season is even stronger than the first one, with more character development and focus on the female characters instead of the male ones. If the series moves toward an incestual relationship between Aqua and Ruby, as is reportedly in the manga, that will ruin the entire series. Hopefully, the writers know better than to incorporate that into a second season/cour.

Oshi no Ko is currently streaming on HIDIVE.