TL;DR With Akasaka Aka's on-point dialogue and character dynamics/interactions as well as Yokoyari Mengo's (almost) consistently captivating art, Oshi no Ko delivers a visually and conceptually entertaining, promising narrative that touches upon the entertainment industry, especially that of Japan's, while still providing a great amount of comedic entertainment that hits so well.

While the shifts from the lighthearted, slice of life, romcom moments to the grander scheme of things (that is, delving deeper into scrutinizing the industry) and vice versa may be jarring to some, it allows for sufficient pacing that makes you enjoy both aspects of the manga—no less thanks to its colorful cast that gets fleshed out either way, with apt dialogue to boot. Overall, I highly look forward to how this manga will continue to deliver (or subvert) expectations as the plot continues on. It is that promising of a manga.

Right from the get-go, the premise of Oshi no Ko manages to elicit a whirlwind of emotions, and understandably so when it is a mishmash of lighthearted and serious genres: (bits of) romance, comedy, slice of life (I think), drama, mystery.

Just as much as its comedic beats hit so well, the serious aspects of it—basically allegories to the facets and realities, both good and bad, of the entertainment industry—keep you intrigued and wanting for more. Oshi no Ko is a good, equal divide between slice of life and romantic comedy as well as the drama and mystery; it is both plot-driven just as much as it is character-driven.

After establishing quite a loaded introduction and much foreshadowing through initial flashforwards, the manga takes a turn to a wholesome lens into the personal life of Ai, an idol, as well as a serious lens into prevalent issues the entertainment industry faces, such as but not limited to stalkers and the toxicity and mob-mindset of social media. We see glimpses of the inner workings of the industry, such as the nepotistic nature of behind-the-scenes, give-and-take favors conducted by entertainment figures.

It becomes a story of grander scale as it further dabbles with scrutinizing the industry, alongside Aqua and Ruby who face and experience that industry with us readers for the first time. Entering the industry depicted in the manga comes with various realizations that can be aptly summarized as harsh, unforgiving, ever-changing, and interconnected. We see these manifest in certain characters who've long worn facades, and we also see these juxtaposed in starry-eyed, idealistic, honest characters.

The main characters enter the industry for vastly different reasons, and it's precisely that contrast, in its subsequent sub-plots, that drives both of their respective stories. And we, as the readers, are carefully immersed into this discovery/mystery alongside the twins.

Of course, as mentioned, the manga knows when to shift to its more chill, lighthearted aspects. Some may find fault in that, some don't; I'm personally the latter.

With that said, Oshi no Ko shines with its hilarious dialogue—no less thanks to the well-done transitions from one panel to another—and character dynamics, and it's nice how they don't take precedence nor a backseat to the overall plot. The manga is, again, equally plot-driven and character-driven, so such moments are also necessary in fleshing out the characters. Of course, the manga does this well.

The main characters have thus far been written to be quite endearing with their backstories, quirks, and interactions with others: both in their childhood and adolescence. Thanks to how well dialogue is written, their different personalities manage to mesh so well together that conversations flow quite naturally. If comedic in nature, dialogue knows how to have hilarity ensue. If a bit depressing in nature, monologue knows how to tug your heartstrings and make you empathize with their struggles.

Meanwhile, most supporting characters have also been handled well, as they are given ample time to develop a (usually intriguing) dynamic with the main characters, without sidelining them too much to the point of non-necessity.

Despite most of them being entertainment figures, they manage to seem so human and grounded in reality that you forget this is a manga that allegorizes the industry. While the realities of entertainment often seem dark (and the manga does not shy in showing that even in subtle dialogue), it still provides characters that represent some form of mild, youthful hope within the industry. (As for how realistic that is would be up to your discretion.)

As we find the characters entangle themselves further in the industry, we can only look forward to how the story will go in relation to its ongoing, overarching mystery and hope it remains coherent throughout. While I do find pacing to be just right, I also do criticize the unequal attention given to Ruby. She does get her moments, yes, but not to the same amount as Aqua or Kana.

Nevertheless, the ongoing romantic and current tensions are sufficient (or daresay addicting) hooks that give much hype and interest for you to be heavily invested in the story, and it's exactly why I can somewhat confidently give Oshi no Ko a 9/10, where as of April 26, we've only had 41 chapters and I’ve admittedly found myself laughing way too much for the most part of the manga.