Oshi No Ko – Season 1 Episode 7 Recap & Review

Buzz

Episode 7 Oshi No Ko begins with Aqua informing Akane that MEM-cho went out looking for her and told him to do the same. Meanwhile, Kana, Ruby, and Miyako discuss Akane’s publicity online and the drawbacks of being on reality dating shows. Miyako receives a phone call and tells Kana and Ruby that Aqua got in trouble with the police.

Miyako visits Aqua at the police station, while Akane’s mother visits Akane at the police station and learns about her internal issues. Miyako’s thankful Aqua didn’t get in trouble. She says she’s proud that he prevented Akane’s death. Akane walks out of the officer’s office with her mother. Yuki and the others rush toward her and unload their emotions onto Akane. Aqua asks Akane what she plans to do after pulling this stunt. He suggests quitting the show for her health reasons. Even though she’s under a contract, Aqua argues these circumstances will look terrible for the director. He doubts he’ll object to Akane’s wishes.

Akane says she doesn’t plan to quit because she doesn’t want her effort to go to waste. Everyone vows to support Akane through the rest of the show. Aqua’s internally disgusted by what led to Akane pulling her saddening stunt. He blames the production staff and Akane’s online critics. Suddenly, word gets out about Akane’s attempted suicide. Aqua discusses the side for and against her actions. Miyako tells Aqua she’s unsure if his plan to water down Akane’s criticism will work. He says it’s a gamble he’s willing to take.

He visits MEM-cho and asks her for photos and videos of everyone. Since the real “Love Now” paints Akane as a villain, he wants to make his version of “Love Now” to show the audience Akane’s true colors. MEM-cho knows that with the news headline about Akane’s attempted suicide in the public’s eye, most audiences are unsure if they should or shouldn’t support Akane. Therefore, many will side with Akane if they can provide them with an empathetic viewpoint. MEM-cho offers to help Aqua get the video more buzz retweets.

Aqua visits Kengo. Kengo promises to make music for Aqua’s video project. Yuki suggests Aqua include a scene from the show where Akane slaps her, but Yuki and Akane hug. Yuki believes the staff has the footage locked up. Aqua meets with one of the crew members, but he refuses to give him the clip. Aqua understands his reasoning because it’d make the director look terrible, and the show would get bashed if the footage were released.

The director explains his thinking process regarding the show. He says he wanted to make things feel real but promises Aqua he didn’t force Akane to do anything. He says she did things of her own volition, and he had his crew stage the events so people understand it. He wouldn’t have included the bit where she hurt Yuki if she objected to them using the footage. Aqua argues that even if Akane’s a pro, she’s only a 17-year-old, and people at this age make silly mistakes. Aqua asks the director what type of adult would refuse to protect a kid. The director agrees and hands Aqua the footage.

Meanwhile, Yuki and the others help Aqua through the editing process. After working long hours on the video, Aqua uploads it to the official “Love Now” Twitter page. Yuki and the others stare at the screen. They notice the likes, retweets, views, and quote ratios skyrocketing. Akane watches the clip from home as Aqua informs the audience that the video got 74,000 retweets within the first 24 hours. It transformed Akane’s image and solidified Love Now’s popularity. Aqua says Akane’s criticism is resolved to a fair degree, but he still believes there will be people out there who’ll be harsh critics.

Akane returns and says despite receiving some criticism, she’s willing to work on the show with her friends. They suggest she play a character on the show and use that role as her armor. MEM-cho and Yuki ask Aqua what type of girls he likes to give Akane an idea of what character she should play. Aqua describes his taste in women to the girls, and Akane notes everything. MEM-cho figures out Aqua’s referring to Ai, so that’s the type of character Akane will strive to be. Akane leaves her friends behind to research Ai. She wants to return the favor to Aqua for saving her and making the video.

Meanwhile, Kana and Aqua discuss Akane. Kana says she should’ve quit but only means it in a rival sense. Kana informs Aqua that Akane is as famous as a gifted performer in the theatrical world. Akane arrives at her and Aqua’s shoot for the show the next day. The episode closes with Aqua startled by how much Akane resembles Ai.

The Episode Review

Oshi No Ko continues to deliver excellent chapters and doesn’t plan to let up anytime soon. It’s unfortunate we won’t be receiving the next chapter until June since the cliffhanger will surely get fans interested to see what happens between Akane and Aqua now. This episode and previous ones showcased Akane’s skill at acting and performing.

Although she couldn’t handle criticism well, when given enough motivation she’ll do her best to make her motivators proud. It was chilling and thrilling seeing Akane look up critical data on Ai. Many may be put off by her habits since they can come off as a tad creepy. Nonetheless, seeing Akane impress Aqua with her Ai facade felt as satisfying as putting a cherry on top of a succulent dessert.

I’m looking forward to seeing her character improve and progress in future seasons. Aqua deserves praise in this chapter for stepping up for Akane and improving her online status. His critiques of the entertainment industry and its dastardly methods will resonate with people who hold similar grudges for the way they handle their stars for their projects.

While it’s a bummer that the show’s shifting focus away from Aqua locating his father, many will enjoy seeing its side characters and world get fleshed out more. Overall, this was a great follow-up to last week’s depressing episode. It had great animation, music, and deep themes. I can’t wait to see what happens next!