Oshi No Ko’s impact on the manga and anime community was enormous. One can argue its success was guaranteed considering Aka Akasaka’s previous work Kaguya-sama Love Is War was well-received. While some parts of Oshi No Ko could’ve been better, some readers will be satisfied.
Oshi No Ko follows Gorou Amamiya. He’s a doctor who must safely deliver Ai Hoshino’s (a popular idol’s) children. While Ai gives birth to her kids, someone murders Gorou. Then, Gorou and his former patient named Sarina reincarnate as Ai’s children Aqua and Ruby.
After something bad happens to Ai, it’s up to Aqua to bring the culprit behind Ai’s downfall to justice. Oshi No Ko gave readers a thought-provoking and thrilling tale to read over the years. Its commentary on the idol, film, and manga industries was eye-opening and gripping.
From competitive rivalries to unfortunate upbringings, there was much to discuss during its four-year run in Weekly Young Jump. The series’s mystery elements were entertaining. From fascinating twists to puzzling deities, readers can tell Akasaka had fun crafting this story.
Additionally, the series contained great tension throughout its run. It’ll be difficult for some fans to put this manga down with its heartfelt character interactions and shocking reveals. On top of tackling notions such as revenge, tragedy, mental health, and more, Oshi No Ko could have become a flawless work.
While Oshi No Ko’s story started strong, several shortcomings hindered the manga’s chances of becoming a classic. Oshi No Ko’s conclusion and final message are a few examples. One of the main stars must tackle life as usual. They must rely on lying to overcome their sadness over a loved one’s death.
This isn’t a great image to leave readers with. The series’s dialogue-heavy segments weren’t all that appealing. For instance, there are times when Akasaka has characters like Akane narrate through several crucial events. Opting for a “show and not tell” approach would’ve been great.
These numerous narration segments made it feel like Akasaka was speedrunning through his story’s events to get to the finish line. The story had questionable moments regarding specific character actions and developments. Ruby’s actions in the Mainstay Arc and Aqua’s plan in the final arc come to mind.
Seeing Ruby go from this adorable and friendly girl to a female Light Yagami was puzzling. At the same time, Aqua’s plans for Hikaru and himself were jarring as some could develop other ways for Aqua to make Hikaru pay for his actions. Oshi No Ko’s cast was done semi-dirty in this manga.
Aqua’s journey was quite the roller coaster in Oshi No Ko. Seeing Aqua climb the entertainment industry ranks and use people for intel was gripping. Having Aqua fight his inner demons during the 2.5D Stage Play Arc was equally entertaining. Aqua’s subtle moments with Akane, Kana, and others were great too.
Unfortunately, Aqua’s decision at the end made most of his journey feel meaningless in the grand scheme. Ruby’s character was an okay deuteragonist. Some of her actions will leave fans speechless and others unimpressed. Ruby doesn’t receive the best screen time.
However, Ruby’s positive aura gives readers a source of comfort to latch on to as they read this tale. While Ruby’s character arc won’t please many readers, some will be happy knowing she didn’t end up in a coffin. Kana and Akane were notable supporting characters in Oshi No Ko, the latter more than the former.
Both girls have great backgrounds and personalities, but as new chapters were released, it became apparent who Akasaka preferred over the other. From assisting Aqua in secret to hogging most of the series’s narration segments, Akane had more of a role to play in this tale than Ruby, which is baffling.
Granted, the story gives Kana’s character some attention, especially during the Scandal Arc. Yet, given what Akane’s done in the tale, we wouldn’t blame readers for preferring Akane over Kana, Ruby, or Aqua. Hikaru was a poor antagonist. While readers will empathize with his depressing background, the guy doesn’t do much else in the story.
Nonko, one of Ai’s former friends, gives our protagonists more problems than Mr. Kamiki himself. It’s unfortunate given Hikaru’s potential. The story’s remaining cast was either fine, with some having untapped potential in places. Oshi No Ko’s artwork is its greatest offering. That’s thanks to the series’s artist Mengo Yokoyari.
Readers can tell a lot of passion and heart went into each page and panel. From fantastic shading work to its great panel structure, readers will have a hard time taking their eyes off each page. Hopefully, Yokoyari will release an art book for aspiring artists and manga enthusiasts to purchase and look at.
Oshi No Ko is another manga series that couldn’t escape the mixed series finale curse. The entire story isn’t awful, but the possibility of it becoming a cult classic is as dead as the Hoshino lineage. Nonetheless, we’re optimistic Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari can provide readers with a stronger story to read, be they together or apart.
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Verdict - - 7/10
7/10