*Spoilers ahead for the first episode of Oshi no Ko, as well as minor spoilers for the first season. If you haven’t seen it yet, please do so before reading.*
From the creator of ‘Kaguya-sama: Love is War’, we now have ‘The Horrors of Entertainment: The Anime’! Man’s got some serious range, you gotta admit.
Might have to turn in my weeb card for this one: I’d never heard of ‘Oshi no Ko’ before the anime. I once saw a thumbnail for a video talking about the manga in my sub box, but I never clicked on it. Blissfully ignorant, I watched the first episode with only my faith in Aka Akasaka to guide me.
The man proceeded to kick me in the nuts with a steel-toed boot, take my wallet, give me a five hour lecture on why I would never amount to anything in life, spoiled the endings of both One Piece and Berserk, posted my nudes on Twitter (this joke was written before the rebrand, but I’m too lazy to change it), and killed my dogs like a Jojo villain.
And that was just episode one!
One day, Gorou Amamiya’s favorite idol, Ai Hoshino, comes into his clinic, secretly pregnant. Shortly after delivering her twins, an obsessive fan kills him, and he’s reincarnated as her baby son, Aqua. Four years later, that same fan kills Ai. Believing his father to be involved, Aqua dedicates his life to infiltrating the entertainment industry to find him and claim his revenge, all the while protecting his sister, Ruby, from becoming an idol and sharing in their mother’s fate.
This show takes a brutally hard look at the Japanese entertainment industry. Psychotic obsessive fans, brutal working conditions, the weight of online abuse on young talents, the insane difficulty of gaining success, and so much more. It even touches on how YouTube has changed the landscape! No stone is unturned, and beneath every one is something dark and discomforting.
Not to say the show is without levity. Aka Akasaka’s signature style of comedy helps brighten up an otherwise very dark story. It’s a delicate balance, and Oshi no Ko walks that tightrope elegantly.
There’s also romance. Because what did you expect?
Visually speaking, this show is stunning! Bright and colorful yet dark and grim, it has an incredibly distinct visual style that is always a treat for the eyes. Not to mention that the animation goes hard as hell. Seriously, whenever Aqua busts out his dance moves, this shit goes so hard!
As for the music, it’s pretty good. Which is helpful, considering this is technically an idol anime. The OST itself works pretty well, but the real stand-out star is the OP. ‘Idol’ by YOASOBI is an absolute banger!
Oshi no Ko is a must-watch! The first episode alone is one of the greatest pieces of anime we’ve seen in the last decade! Seriously, check this one out!
Do it. I’m not asking.
…
What are you still doing here?
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