[Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season

melamuna

***

The first season of Oshi no Ko was released back in spring 2023 and seemingly blew up because of its original premise. Viewers are treated with an hour-long premiere episode that provides the laughs and the heaviest of tears because of the plot it proposes to convey throughout the story. Oshi no Ko is a series that explores the entertainment industry and the flaws around them through the perspective of Aqua Hoshino (Takeo Ootsuka) navigating through the industry in an effort to take revenge for the death of her mother, Ai Hoshino (Rie Takahashi). This is pretty much a simplified explanation of the hidden, complex nature of the series sprinkled with a touch of anime trope elements. This resulted in a series that is absolutely entertaining and captivating, beautifully enhanced by interesting characters, powerful moments, and a glossy and attractive animation that leveled up from your standard animation you see with other animes. With that in mind, this gathered enough fan base along with its manga readers to see something more in this world, and thus a 2nd season was inevitable as it was announced just right after season 1 ended. Will Season 2 hold up to the same standards as Season 1?

Simple Answer. Yes. In fact, this might have a step up better than the first season, and there are multiple reasons for that:

The 2.5D Stage Play Arc is the main highlight of this season, and it adapted a story that hadn't really been explored much in the anime scene, and that is stage play. We have seen glimpses of it, especially in romance shows, but the entire element of theater is pushed aside in favor of focusing on character moments. This season, however, it decided to tackle both the technicalities of theater—albeit a modernized fictional futuristic take on a stage play—as well as providing deep character development all throughout. We get to see the complications of the production starting from the script to the inner turmoils from the main and side characters presented well in this dramatized take in an attractive form of its animation that cranks up to 11. This season is not afraid to delve in with the shounen elements and apply them to an unusual setting where the inner monologues of characters are even more compelling than in the traditional sense.

Another aspect this series is willing to do is put a huge spotlight on side characters or characters that we already have a bad impression of. In season 1, we've seen this with the character of Kana Arima (Megumi Han), who had a brat personality when she was introduced, but as the episodes come a long way, we get to see that she understands her flaws as a character but is also a center of conflict from the characters around her, in which this season encapsulates it. Another example is the character of Melt (Seiji Maeda), another character that we had a bad impression of in season 1 who had a jaw-dropping redemption. All of the elements of this season are greatly conveyed through the imaginative and attractive animation that keeps you glued to the screen for long.

The second season of Oshi no Ko provides an original setting in its storytelling while providing captivating characters that keep you hooked episode by episode and providing eye-catching animation as the cherry on top. If you're not a fan of the series, Season 2 might not recapture you to be hooked in the series. But if you're a fan of Season 1, the second season will become your favorite season or your personal anime of the year for a very long while. ***

HomuraDesu

_This review contains __SPOILERS__ for [Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season_ ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . ⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ webm(https://v.animethemes.moe/OshiNoKoS2-OP1.webm) What a season, Summer 2024 was. As a romance enjoyer, I couldn't have been more happier to experience quality shows like Makeine and Roshidere, so the fact that we're ending it off with Oshi no Ko's banger of a finale brings joy to my nether regions ;)). Of course, the weekly watch of other shows were nice, but there's always that one anime you desparately wait for every night- that being [Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season. Welcome to peak. #__Theater__ img2200(https://media1.tenor.com/m/GO87r-SqyCsAAAAC/oshi-no-ko-season-2.gif) Let's start the review by talking about the premise. Last season ended with the finale pointing towards a 'Tokyo Blade' live action theater play. The sequel immediately picks up from where it left off and introduces us to the fresh cast of individuals directly related to the play, as well as some quite interesting information about theater plays, acting and the entertainment industry as a whole. Script-writing, emotional acting, chain of communication amongst the staff were all knowledge given to us by the story and we were happy to be fed. Nothing too spectacular was presented, until the actual theater play began. img2200(https://animetv-jp.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GTz6GTGbYAAc5Wz-scaled-e1722441095760.jpeg) Each cast member clad in their new colorful designs were to act on a 2.5D rotating stage. The fact that we see the play from the audience's perspective, rotating and reforming, simply shows how much potential the premise had from the start. An exceedingly different type of directing which managed to continueously amaze the viewers both inside the anime and outside. The stage was set(pun absolutely intended) for the characters to act as they willed and undergo their own arcs, and so they did. #__Melting people's hearts. (Episode 6)__ Melt Narushima resonated within me. I honestly had a feeling I would end up liking him ever since the trailer for this season, but not this much. Melt was a star. He was deeply revered for his natural looks, his charms and his ability to achieve things without trying. He grew overconfident, and spent the rest of his teenage years thinking he's special. However, after witnessing Kana's breathtaking emotional acting and Aqua's skill in making use of his surroundings to receive results, Melt realized how pathetic he was. In reality, he wasn't good at acting and was quickly overshadowed by people who genuinely work hard for their goals. This crushed his ego down to a pulp and led him to begin his real acting journey. Though, even after signing up for 'Tokyo Blade', he still wasn't good enough. The higher-ups constantly questioned his presence amongst the loaded cast and this made him feel completely inferior. Everybody else could absorb their parts so well, so easily, but Melt didn't have an inkling of how. As he was reading the source manga for the live adaptation, Melt found himself in the pages. The character he was playing was so much like him that emotional acting suddenly became possible. Naturally, [Doga Kobo ](https://anilist.co/studio/95/Doga-Kobo) masterfully animated this crucial part and proved, once again, why the series is one of the best adaptations in the industry. Conclusion? Melt is underrated as shit. img2200(https://media1.tenor.com/m/nTnt1vol_koAAAAC/oshi-no-ko-melt-narushima.gif) img2200(https://media1.tenor.com/m/tZfIlzszfy4AAAAd/oshi-no-ko-melt-narushima.gif) #__Akane and Kana's closure (Episode 7)__ Akane's backstory and why she came to dislike Kana was shown in the very next episode. Peak production after peak production. Akane idolised Kana. Actually, she was the reason Akane got into acting in the first place. The shy, timid, crybaby Akane was constantly blown away by Arima Kana's bright and charismatic acting, until she met her in person(never meet your idol irl kids). At that point in time, Kana had already started undergoing her struggles of desiring to be needed, so she lashed out at her enthusiastic fan. Granted, this was not the reason Akane came to hate her. She couldn't comprehend why Kana acted that way, so she studied up on human psychology to understand her idol, thus the crazy experience in investigating and imitating. See, her reason for hating Kana wasn't so childish, or simple. It was because, after Kana's dark days began, she didn't perform the art of acting like the bright Kana anymore. In order to be picked up by people in the industry, she began acting as a perfect supporting actor who elevated other cast members' performances. This disgusted Akane because she wanted to see her idol- the charming star Kana once more again. img2200(https://media1.tenor.com/m/mZDFuRsbv9IAAAAd/oshi-no-ko-onk.gif) img2200(https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1oRtWA.img?w=768&h=384&m=6) After Aqua romantically declared that this time he would be the supporting actor and shined the spotlight on Kana, it convinced her to embrace her role. Arima Kana wasn't a star anymore, she was a solar system. Her eyes brimming with sparkles and her fans(mostly Akane) screaming from pure joy. img2200(https://media1.tenor.com/m/DthCP0I3fPYAAAAd/tsurugi-oshi-no-ko.gif) img2200(https://cdni.fancaps.net/file/fancaps-animeimages/28680886.jpg) #__Aqua's purpose (Episode 7)__ Here's the last character arc for the _theater play_. Can you believe it? There's another character arc after this one. Oshi no Ko be piling them peak up. Anyways, here's the summary for Aqua's arc. Aqua was also unable to do emotional acting, but Kana helped him in discovering a very easy method(For most people). If Aqua wanted to express sadness, rage and the desparation of losing somebody, he had to visualize Ai's death. This instantly triggered his PTSD and made it impossible for him to express his emotions, while also enjoying acting. He had to despise hating, in order to express his hate. A very chilling performance from him right after Kana's showcase. Stacked episode. img2200(https://i.imgur.com/2uGG4wO.jpeg) img2200(https://media1.tenor.com/m/ETFjIUsSmaEAAAAC/oshi-no-ko-season-2-episode-8.gif) Through multiple DNA tests, Aqua found out that Himekawa Taiki was his stepbrother. As you know his whole purpose in living as his reincarnated self is to identify his biological father and take revenge by murdering him. Himekawa informed Aqua that 'their father' had already died in a car crash and this freed Aqua from his shackles, erasing the star in his eye. It's really sad that he subconsciously negated the possibility of his dad not being the same person as Himekawa's dad, due to him wanting to be free. #__Back to the plot, Ruby's arc begins__ HELL YEAAAAAH. Twist after twist, suspense after suspense. We back to the main plot and we know season 3's gonna be fire. Aqua and Ruby's biological, charismatic dad presents himself after all the pain he's caused and has the audacity to place the same white flowers that Ryousuke was carrying, on Ai's grave. img2200(https://i.redd.it/oshi-no-ko-season-2-episode-11-v0-20ypcb5dbrpd1.jpg?width=2340&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f448e52695369c6e11a6842909f62a8f29011836) img2200(https://www.dexerto.com/cdn-image/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/26/oshi-no-ko-reunion-1.jpg?width=1200&quality=60&format=auto) Ruby, who wanted to meet her first love (sensei), who wanted to show him that she had made it as an idol, was met with tragedy as she found his corpse hidden in a small cave. As a result, her other eye now projects a star, as well, directing her towards a path of revenge. Her twisted demeanor and a complete 180 in attitude sent shivers down my spine. The changed ED version reminded me a bit of DDLC. #__Conclusion__ I don't even think I have to talk about the animation. Oshi no Ko delivered before and will stay delivering. It's crazy that a psychological drama has better animation sequences and more creative visuals than most action series. I don't know about y'all, but I don't think the OnK manga can compare the anime with the way its being handled and loved. Even the story-telling is enhanced due to the visuals, creating room for creativeness. Not to mention, the enjoyability factor is so high because of the colourful characters and their dynamics, as well as the great voice acting(particularly Melt and Aqua). Whenever Oshi no Ko airs, they're immediately a candidate for anime of the year, and you better remember that. A 9 to 9.5, pinnacle of modern anime and an absolute hype train. ~~I must say, nothing beats when a theory/prediction is right. Check out my posts back in July, if you're interested.~~ webm(https://v.animethemes.moe/OshiNoKoS2-ED1.webm) (gets better the more you listen to it ong) ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . ⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ [Click here for more goated reviews ](https://anilist.co/user/HomuraDesu/reviews) ~~~img2200(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Oshi_no_Ko_logo.png)~~~

TheAnimeBingeWatcher

In case you're new around these parts, let me just pull a Kendrick Lamar and say that I'm Oshi no Ko's biggest hater. I staked my claim on this show being crap twenty minutes into the first episode and I've stuck by that assertion ever since. It's a shallow, insincere, cynical piece of crap masquerading as a Serious Examination of the entertainment industry, claiming to portray the true nature of working in this business while being just as plastic and pandering as the very attitudes it pretends to critique. No matter how many self-important speeches it puts into its characters' mouths, it can't hide the fact that at heart, it's a juvenile power fantasy about an self-insert edgelord who boringly broods and cringes his way through a half-baked murder mystery while amassing a harem of teenage girls, sister included. As I said in my season 1 review, if lies are the highest form of love, then Oshi no Ko must be the greatest lover of all. So imagine how infuriating it was when I put on season 2 and realized it was actually really good. Listen, I didn't want to believe it. How was this show getting me so invested? How was this show making me pump my fist and cheer with triumph? But the facts are the facts: for the first time this season, I saw Oshi no Ko rise to become the best possible version of itself. After all the garbage it put me through, I suddenly found myself watching a show that was propulsive, beautiful, earnest, and filled with genuine insight into what drives people to throw their lives into art against all better judgement. _This_ is the kind of show Oshi no Ko was always promising to be but never lived up to before. _This_ was a show at least a little worthy of the tsunami of hype it crested into the anime world on. Unfortunately, it was also proof that this show is never going to be truly great. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. The first two thirds or so of season 2 are taken up by the Lala Lai arc, in which Aqua, Kana, Akane, and a smattering of new and old faces get together to put on a 2.5D stage play adaptation of a long-running shonen action manga. On concept alone, that's a pretty novel direction to take things; we don't really have 2.5D plays in the West, so seeing all the technical stagecraft necessary to translate manga into a theatrical performance was fascinating. Ditto the insight into the complicated process of adaptation, how communication can break down between parties and the conflict between keeping a work's original soul and adjusting to fit the demands of the new medium. I've long been an advocate of adaptations making big changes when it makes the work better, and watching those conflicts and conversations play out made me much more appreciative of how _difficult_ that process can be. For the first time, it felt like all the industry info-dumping was actually enriching my understanding of how this business works, and how it informed the characters' place within it. Speaking of those characters, what makes the Lala Lai arc really shine is in broadening the spotlight. This is no longer the Aqua and Ruby show; this is a full-on ensemble piece, where pretty much every member of the production has a moment to shine. It bobs and weaves between countless little stories playing out both during the rehearsal process and during the first performance of the play itself, flashing back and forth as it digs into the heart of each individual passion that drives these actors to shine so brightly. And watching those passions collide and cascade makes that performance absolutely _riveting._ Seriously, I can't count the number of times I just about leaped out of my seat and yelled "Fuck yes!" at someone reaching their full potential on stage and seizing the spotlight in a brilliant display of emotion (and animation; the swooping camera and surreal colorscapes that take over this part of the show are the best Oshi no Ko has ever looked). Natural genius, amateur, it doesn't matter; on the stage of Tokyo Blade, everyone is a star. And no one's served better by this kaleidoscopic focus than Kana and Akane, who are probably the true protagonists of this arc. I'm still annoyed at how dumb and retconny Akane's backstory has been treated- I swear, season 1 gave us three different conflicting backstories for her- but her rivalry with Kana over the years is the best stuff in all of Oshi no Ko. They've admired each other from afar for so long, but resent each other for their incompatible acting styles. They're determined to outshine each other but never believe they can measure up. They can't stand each other, but they're entwined by fate so deeply they know they'll never be truly alive without each other. That push and pull of wanting to live up to someone while wanting to surpass them, hating and loving them at the same time, is the singularity that makes this entire arc resonate. It's gripping and heartbreaking and _beautiful,_ and if Aka Akasaka has any self-respect, he'll end the manga with the two of them collectively realizing Aqua isn't worth their time and marrying each other instead. But of course, that's not gonna happen. Because Aqua is the one albatross Oshi no Ko will never be able to untangle from around its neck. And this is why for as excellent as the Lala Lai arc is, it can't save Oshi no Ko. It's why _nothing_ can save Oshi no Ko. On a fundamental level, it will never be able to shake the fact that it's saddled itself with one of the worst protagonists in all of modern anime. Or at least, one of the worst not to come out of your average seasonal isekai slop, but I don't watch enough of those to know how hellishly low the bar truly is, and I intend to _keep_ it that way, thank you very much. The point is, Aqua _sucks._ He's always sucked, he always _will_ suck, and his mere presence in this story makes even its best ideas turn sour and ugly by the end. Even if you took out the fact he's technically a grown man involved in romantic subplots with three underage girls, he's the worst kind of edgy self-insert Light Yagami wannabe, and he forces the whole story to bend around him and suck his dick at the expense of what it's supposedly trying to say. Gut-wrenching portrayal of online hate mobs driving a young talent to suicide? Nope, it's all so he can save the day and add Akane to his harem with no further repercussions. Showing the difficulties of new idol groups struggling for attention in the modern age? Nope, just another chance for him to show off at Kana's concert and save her emotional state. Hell, even Kana and Akane's rivalry is tainted by the knowledge that they're ultimately fighting over this reincarnated pedophile's dick as much as for each other's respect. No matter what ideas this show tries to explore or how earnestly it tries to grapple with the realities of the entertainment industry, it always ends up coming back to "Yeah, but isn't Aqua such an edgy chad badass saving the day and getting all the bitches? Damn, what a cool brooding dude!" In other words, the _real_ reason the Lala Lai arc works as well as it does isn't the focus on the stagecraft process, or the expanded cast, or Kana and Akane. It's because turning into an ensemble piece means Aqua gets at little screen time as humanly possible, so he's mostly not around to fuck everyone's great moments up for a change. And even then, every time he _does_ show up in that arc feels like all the air being let out of a balloon. And he's probably at his _best_ during the play! At least dealing with the lasting trauma of Ai's death gives him some actual internal conflict to play with! But even that's not enough to keep _the protagonist of this fucking show_ from feeling like a sickening blemish on his own supposed series. And once that arc's over and the focus returns to Aqua and Ruby in the season's final third? Hooooooo _boy_ does it immediately go to shit again. All the masturbatory chauvinism I ripped into season 1 for is back like it never left, no lessons learned from how much better Lala Lai was charting an entirely different path. Hell, it's arguably even worse, because it ends up reminding us that Ruby's just as irredeemably broken a character as Aqua at this point. I know, the teenage girl trying to marry her adult doctor who is secretly her reincarnated brother also makes this show worse? I'm shocked, I say! Shocked! Speaking of, can we acknowledge at this point that the whole reincarnation aspect of Oshi no Ko just should not have existed? There's nothing in this story that couldn't work just as well if Aqua was just a normal edgy teen who watched his mom die as a kid and developed PTSD/a desire for vengeance from that. It's only just become even somewhat plot relevant, it's barely present in any character interactions or relationships (even between Aqua and Ruby, they almost never talk about it!), none of its themes have any reliance on their past lives to get the point across... Really, its only contribution is making every potential romantic subplot with Aqua a five-alarm emergency siren while the show limply tries to pretend he totally counts as a normal teenage boy for dating purposes, honest! It's a ten ton weight dragging the entire story down for no goddamn reason and you'd barely have to edit the earliest chapters at all to get rid of it entirely. That wouldn't fix all its problems, but it would at least make it salvageable. Which currently, despite how shockingly good this season started, it is not. So where do we go from here? Who fucking knows. I'd like to think Oshi no Ko could somehow learn from its successes with Lala Lai and continue shooting for greater heights, but everything I've heard from my friends who've read the manga suggests that was the high point and it's all downhill from here. All I know is that for better or worse, I'm on this train to the end. If only to continue rubbing in everyone's faces that I was right from the start about what a turd this would turn out to be. But I'll save that gloating for when it's truly deserved, and god knows, it will be deserved later on based on some of the spoilers I've picked up. For now, though, I'll just hope the murder mystery roaring back into focus in the season's final couple episodes means this show will start being trashy in a fun way going into season 3 instead of just making me want to gag. We can only hope.

luxray978

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 the second 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.

CallMeWeeeb

[Spoiler-Free] Let me make it clear, I didn't actually enjoy watching the first season. Given how immaculate the episode1 was, the rest of the S1 felt pretty bland to me and the I never really liked the character dynamics, which is why I decided to not continue watching the series and eventually dropped the plan to watch the S2. This was until S2 finished airing, and everyone around me started to praise it, for basically everything, animation, characters, story, plot twists and what not, which made me want to give oshi no ko another try, I did, with literally 0 expectations from it, and here I am, writing my first ever review on an anime which I disliked initially. That's how good this season was. --- ~~~__PLOT__~~~ This season revolved around the Tokyo Blade arc, and man, that was beautiful in every aspect, be it character interactions, the execution, the emotions, basically everything was so damn perfect I couldn't even believe I was watching the same show. Initially, the plot felt repititive but as we progressed with each episode, things started getting interesting and I personally loved how they ended each episode on a cliffhanger, making audience eagerly wanting to watch the next episode asap. ---- __~~~CHARACTERS~~~__ Aside from the main cast, the side characters were really well written as well. Melt, a character who I despised in the S1 had an amazing comeback this season. This time he had a conviction, the urge to do something, the urge to be better than his previous self, which made me root for him in the final play. Himekawa, he is introduced as the main cast of the Tokyo Blade play, although initially looking boring and unattractive due to his visible unwillingness towards acting, he turned out to be interesting as the season ended. I liked his interactions with Kana and Aqua during the final play and how smoothly he was able to turn the tide of the play with just one move was truly astonishing Kana, I hated Kana Arima in the S1, her arrogant attitude towards others was such a massive letdown and I considered her to be just one of the losing heroines of a typical harem story. I was so wrong. This season we got to see her past with Akane, and how they both praised each other mutually, her positivity and her love of acting was shining in the final play of Tokyo Blade. Akane, she has one of the biggest glow ups this season, not only in terms of likability, but in terms of being important to the plot as well. She's a likable, and a scary character at the same time. We see her getting tensed and uncomfortable whenever Aqua talked about his past and the motive to kill someone, as if there was something she knew, which is kept a mystery for the time being Aqua and Ruby, their characters went completely 180 this season. Ironically, I believe it's safe to say that Ruby was my favorite character this season even though she had the least screen-time. Aqua's emotional act during the stage play was goosebumps inducing because of how tragic his emotions were. And Ruby, she was phenomenal in the final episode with those black intimidating stars on her eyes, her resolve and hatred towards the murders feel more intense than anything we've seen so far in the show. So exicted for the future arcs to get adapted --- __~~~The Execution~~~ __ Narrative of this arc was the main reason I liked it so much, instead of Aqua, it emphasized on all the characters equally, giving them enough room to shine on their own and not giving Aqua the main character treatment was the best thing Oshi No Ko delivered so far. Also, DogaKobo killed it with the adaptation, the stage fights felt more like a battle straight out of a beautifully done battle shounen, the animations and the perspectives were CLEAN. Its also amazing how well they blended the personal lives of actors with their professional lives. I feel like S1 emphasized too much on the professional lives of characters that made them uninteresting to an extent --- In conclusion, I'd like to say that Oshi No Ko is still worth giving a try. It gets so much better, which is the reason why I believe it was the best sequel to any anime I've seen so far, as not being too different than the first season, it escalated the characters and the story to a much higher level with deepening mysteries to unfold. --- I'm sorry if the review was poorly written because its the first time I'm writing something like this, I just let out everything I liked about this season. Thanks!

SirAvenger97

~~~ # __Oshi no Ko__ _Second season_ ~~~ ~~~≫────────≪•◦✲◦•≫────────≪~~~ ~~~img220(https://external-preview.redd.it/oshi-no-ko-season-2-key-visual-v0-o8EhcuSHC2__9L52lzjMGI9pHds9z3J3PWFGnhIcPLY.jpg?auto=webp&s=aac0190e186e592c06fed9d998156798fce99fe6)~~~ ~~~≫────────≪•◦✲◦•≫────────≪~~~ >He does promise," answered Samson, "but he says he has not found it, nor does he know who has it, and so we doubt whether it will come out or not; and for this reason, and also because some say, 'Second parts have never been good,' and others say: "The things written of Don Quixote are enough," there is doubt that there will be no second part: "Of the things of Don Quixote that are written are enough," there is doubt that there will be no second part; though some who are more jovial than saturnine say, "Come more quixotadas: Don Quixote attacks and speaks Sancho Panza, and be that as it may, we are content with that." . Cevantes, Miguel de. “Chapter IV. In which sancho panza gives a satisfactory reply to the doubts and questions of the bachelor samson carrasco, together with other matters worth knowing and telling”. The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. Second Part. 1620. When Samson declares to Sancho that some say that second parts are not always good, he was fully convinced that in the case of the Ingenious Quixote of La Mancha it would not be so. In that sense, it is worth asking what could be expected from the second season of Oshi no Ko? Since, after an exemplary and spectacular first chapter in its first part, it promised to be everything it did not show during the entire first season. Therefore, with that in mind, I will briefly break down the first part in order to get into what we are about. ~~~img220(https://areajugones.sport.es/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/oshi-no-ko-ai-muerte-1024x576.jpg.webp)~~~ # First season Strong beginning, describes the life of the idol Hoshino Ai, a super talented artist devoid of the knowledge of what love is, in parallel, our main characters, Amamiya Gorō and Tendōji Sarina, later known as Hoshino Aquamarine and Hoshino Ruby, if indeed, carry the same surname as the idol, because, this is because they reincarnate, the former dies abruptly after being killed by an unknown outside the hospital where he worked in the treatment of Sarina, and the latter dies of her terminal illness. They both had in common their time together at the hospital (as doctor-patient) and their idolatry to the idol world, but above all to Hoshino Ai, who, by mere chance is going to be treated by Gorō due to the pregnancy of twins, in absolute secrecy, since, for the idols, these issues are very sensitive, since they swear eternal love to their fans, but of course, there are people who generate possessiveness in other people and become from fans to stalkers. Anyway, these twins end up being Aquamarine (from here on Aqua) and Ruby, who upon reincarnation keep their memories of their past life and get to enjoy this “dream” of having Ai close to them as their mother until the young age of 3 years, since she is killed by one of these stalkers I mentioned above. It is here where the story starts, a plot that wants to turn the revenge, specifically Aqua's, towards whoever was responsible for the death of Ai, however, although the first season addresses the issue chapter by chapter and we see how Aqua in his eagerness to kill the culprit, uses acting and manipulation to enter the industry and get information from the culprit, we see how this initiative is fading (towards the viewer) and is losing this strength that showed his feelings, animation, tension and musical accompaniment during his first episode, that is, in my opinion, Aqua loses this strength, goes unnoticed and becomes flat, but with surprisingly convenient skills for the plot, I understand that it is necessary but I think that rather than contribute, and despite the entry and display of other characters, they do not drive it. # Second Season In that sense, the second season is quite the opposite, after having finished the reality show of couples and ending as a couple (at convenience) of Kurokawa Akane, we see that other characters enter the scene, the environment no longer sticks, or wants to do so, of Aqua's goal of revenge, the main focus is another, of course, the goal is still there until almost the end of the season, but the proposal follows a highly reinforced line of what I addressed futilely the first, which is the environment and the entertainment industry, addressing the development and drawing of manga, with the theater, in this case, the theater 2. 5D, an affirmative and very rich proposal for the representation of stories of this style, all this, under the umbrella of the play Tokyo Blade. The characters such as Kurokawa Akane, Arima Kana, Himekawa Taiki among others, generated a completely different satisfaction to that provoked by the first episode of the series, wasted fullness, energy enthusiasm, frustration, during rehearsals and during the presentation of the work, bring much humanity to the work, and the frivolities in which the industry is sustained, as well as the personal desires of the directors, screenwriters, certain producers and indeed, the actors and actresses themselves participants. ~~~img220(https://i0.wp.com/blog-media-cloud.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/2024/08/Osh-no-ko-s2-episode-9-013.png?ssl=1)~~~ Thus, not only do we see this main plot Aqua, but we see the subplots, and to a personal epithet, well treated, of all the characters who participated in the production of Tokyo Blade and we even begin to see other profiles of Aqua, obstacles that will be resolved throughout the play, driven by revelations and personal learnings, as well as stimulated by his fellow cast members. ~~~img220(https://i0.wp.com/blog-media-cloud.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/2024/08/Osh-no-ko-s2-episode-6-022.png?ssl=1)~~~ Within the technical aspect, it is a good thing that the first season achieved an economic success, since, although the animation was already good, we saw how we can highlight all these emotions and the plot with an increased budget. A delivery full of color, saturations, psychedelia and catharsis, enhanced with superb drawings, as we were accustomed to during the first season, CGI to the height and movements that look natural and dynamic. About the soundtrack, the opening and ending were appropriate for the background of the series, however, for me what really stood out was the Original Soundtrack of the anime, really beautiful, and sometimes sinister, which perhaps wanted to reflect the story, the illuminated world of acting and the aftermath of bad practices embodied in Aqua and transferred to Ruby. The use of sounds supported the emotions and gestures in dialogues, and emotions that the author wanted to highlight. ~~~ ~!img220(https://i0.wp.com/blog-media-cloud.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/2024/10/Osh-no-ko-s2-episode-13-014.png?ssl=1)!~ ~~~ ~!Finally, I must admit that I missed some more depth in Ruby's thought, for when she gets this avenging feeling, I think it was a good plot twist, the fact that Aqua managed to get rid (halfway) of these chains that prevented her from being happy; Also, the fact that we learned about Gorō's childhood, which reinforced our understanding of the character and his excessive resentment, and on the other hand, this resentment was welcomed by Ruby, was not well exploited, so, taking into account the high expectations that the second season just left me, I hope that this situation is better handled and indeed, I hope for another excellent season of this anime.!~ ~~~img220(https://ramenparados.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/oshi-no-ko-S3-key.jpg)~~~ ~~~≫────────≪•◦✲◦•≫────────≪~~~ ~~~__Score, proposal as a whole (Season 1 and 2): 72 Score, individual proposal: 85__~~~ ~~~≫────────≪•◦✲◦•≫────────≪~~~

HeigiGames

DISCLAIMER This review contains spoilers, so if you haven't watched this season yet, don't read on. INTRODUCTION So, with season 1 we are remained with an incredible adaption and with an incredible 1st episode that has shocked many people. We had an incredible episode with really important themes, like Akane's attempted suicide. Of course, for those who do not read the manga, it was fair to ask: would the second season manage to surpass the first season in terms of plot and adaptation? Well, now we can confirm that the answer is “Absolutely yes”. Now, let’s talk about this season, of his quality and his flaws. webm(https://i.imgur.com/bFVOOEV.mp4) PLOT With the finale of the 1st season, we remain with the start of production of the stage adaptation of Tokyo Blade. So now is the starting point of the Tokyo Blade Arc (manga chapters: 41-66). Tokyo Blade Arc (episodes 1-9) This is the first long arc of the series, but in spite of this, the question of revenge is put on hold momentarily and introspection on the characters is preferred, preferring to let us get to know the protagonists better with their fears, strengths and weaknesses. We can know even more in deep the world of entertainment industry in its different forms. Focus in this Arc will be placed on theatrical adaptations and what they entail, with all the issues that come with them. We will learn more specifically about all parts of the production, who works behind it and their interactions. The actors, who have to play the roles on stage, will be able through acting to convey their emotions. Emotions that they will use to understand their own feelings and thus be able to mature. The Tokyo Blade Arc is not a story of revenge, but a story of feelings, which will bring joys, sorrows and sufferings to those who have to act. webm(https://i.imgur.com/eBIW16I.mp4) Private Arc (episode 9-13) A fairly short arc but one that will bring with it many changes to the story. Although the story arc is short, the number of twists and turns will follow one after another, inexorably bringing the story to a turning point. Some will be freed of their pasts after years of suffering, while others will begin their fall into the vortex of despair and hatred. Some will decide to deceive themselves, while others will discover the reality behind their pain. Despite the path they decide to take, their future will continue to be intertwined with their past from which they seek to escape. Only the passage of time will tell whether the path they have chosen is the one that will lead them to success or destruction. webm(https://i.imgur.com/4v2P0v3.mp4) CHARACTERS In this season we have an important character’s development for all of them. In the first season we only got to see their introduction, but now we are finally able to peer deeper into their souls and appreciate them more, both the primary ones but also some of the secondary characters. Each of them tells of their worries, hopes and sorrows in such a way that they can convey emotions to us. Aqua Hoshino In the first season we can know Aqua as someone who is calculating and manipulates people in order to achieve his goal. Now in this season this characterization remains, However, unlike many other anime where the protagonist is shown as someone perfect and emotionless, here we are shown his emotional and human side, under the mask he has imposed on himself after the death of his mother. His personality, his emotions are not statics, quite the opposite. After the Akane understand who is his mother and she decides to be on his side (ep.4) his mask will slowly begin to disintegrate, giving us a glimpse of what lies beneath. Not a cold calculator, but a wounded boy who cannot overcome his traumas and fears. With all his soul, he would like to move on, to be a normal person, but he cannot. The pain of his wound is too deep. The suffering of that day will never pass. And THIS is what he is. The regret that he could not save his mother and the unattainable desire to be able to go back and change things is what characterises him. webm(https://i.imgur.com/fIu9QyQ.mp4) Akane Kurokawa In the first season she doesn’t appear so much, but it has certainly left its mark with his attempted suicide. Now, however, we will no longer see an unsafe and needy Akane. We have seen his darkest period, now his time to shine has come. Now is she who help other people. Now it is Aqua who needs help. Now, however, he must not save him from others, but from himself, from his own demons that are slowly consuming him. Understanding the boy's pain and suffering, she decides to help him, decides to stay by his side. Finally, someone has managed to break through the boy's mask. In spite of his lies, in spite of his deceptions she will be able to understand Aqua's true nature. She will decide to shoulder his burden together with him. webm(https://i.imgur.com/KBTdBB1.mp4) Kana Arima Since the themes of this character are the same as in the first season, I don't want to go into too much detail. Kana is the character who was given the most space in the first season, and here we can see the continuation of her story. The story of a young girl and the entertainment industry. A girl that is set aside and now is finally returning to shine on stage. Now that others have put her at the center of attention, she can no longer remain in the shadows to let others shine. webm(https://i.imgur.com/rLLbmo2.mp4) Melt Narushima Few probably thought that a secondary character like Melt could have such a development. An arrogant guy, who the only value is to have a handsome face decide to change. A man who decides to change himself, someone who has finally realized his pathetic acting performance and decides to change, not only to improve his acting, but also to change himself. A side character, but whit a fantastic story and probably with a best animated scene of this season (final part of episode 6), really wonderful. webm(https://i.imgur.com/fVpsMlu.mp4) Ruby Hoshino Ruby is the character who has had the least space of all so far, a protagonist is in theory but not in fact. Even in the Tokyo Blade Arc, she hasn't played practically no relevant role. This is probably the main problem of the OnK story on the first and most of the second season. But this change with the Private Arc. Finally, is Ruby's time to shine, or it would be more accurate to say that it is the beginning of her slow descent into darkness, where nothing can reach her soul. Such darkness and despair that even her brother never managed to reach. This is where Ruby Hoshino's story really begins. webm(https://i.imgur.com/YEca8Tw.mp4) ANIME ADAPTION / ANIMATIONS This is the first long arc of the series, and in the manga fanbase there are 2 types of opposite way of looking at this arc: either as the best arc in the series or as a very boring arc. Although it may have come across as heavy for some of the manga this was not the case in the anime. This I consider to be a great merit of the series, since by adapting the same things, it managed to maintain such a pace that it never got boring. The animations are of high quality, especially in the climactic scenes. The anime does not just take panels from the manga and animate them; it offers a version that is a mix of scenes taken from the manga and original anime scenes. These additional scenes serve to make the adaptation better, without distorting the work but also not bringing it back the same as the manga version (lol that's literally what they talk about in the anime). To give an example, just look at the highlight scene of Melt's recitation. In the manga, it doesn't have anywhere near the same impact that was achieved in the anime. webm(https://i.imgur.com/jU5SnQC.mp4) Unfortunately, this method of animation could take away space from some beautiful manga plates that one can't wait to see animated. This happened in episode 7. It's not a bad scene at all, but personally this is the only episode that I consider superior in the manga. Really a shame. (For example, Akane's scene in the manga is better). Perhaps for me the worst thing about this adaptation is the timing of Chapter 65 (Aqua and Ai scene). The scene itself is spectacular. The problem though is the timing: WHY was it put at the beginning of the episode? Doga Kobo please explain me this. It would have had a much greater impact if it had been placed in the finale of the episode. Personally, this is the only thing I really dislike about this adaptation. Nevertheless, I consider the method by which they decided to animate the series to be right. Doga Kobo really did a wonderful job. CONCLUSION The studio managed to take the manga is to improve it in their adaptation (and the manga also has wonderful drawings). Whether one likes the story or not, the studio's commitment to making Oshi no Ko is unquestionable. As a big fan of the manga, I am really happy about it. I am also glad that they have already announced the third season, as a reader of the manga I can say that we are going to see some good things. I thank everyone for reading my review, I hope you enjoyed it. P.S. I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize for any grammatical mistakes