# Overhyped but Definitely Engaging


This review covers my impression of the 116 chapters that are out at the time of writing. There is a good chance, as with all stories that are not finished that some of my thoughts may be proven to be half-baked. I am more than willing to stand by my current thoughts until the story proves otherwise.

Oshi No Ko is something I believe I would have probably appreciated a bit more if I went in completely blind of all hype but there's a chance I may not have known Akasaka Aka's new story were it not for said hype so I don't count it as a complete negative. It's part and parcel of anime. Onto the review then. Oshi No Ko is a strong tale that in my opinion does bite more than it can chew but has an emotional center that makes the topics discussed worth the exploration. The saga follows the entertainment industry and the crazy things that people have to go through in order to have success, as well as what people feel they are entitled to once those people find success. In the midst of the chaos is one Hoshino Ai, a carefree, cunning, friendly yet reasonably distant from the very thing she works hard to show her love, namely her idol career.

The anime does a better job of showing her character, a big part being the ever fabulous voice actress, Rie Takahashi of Konosuba (Megumin), Jigokuraku(Yuzuriha) and Re:Zero(Emilia) fame. There is a spark of energy everytime she shows up and the anime using the first hour of content as a prologue does a great job of showing the gut punch that is the plot twist. I'll be among the minority that might have found the moment quite underwhelming, not because it wasn't properly executed, but because it felt very deliberately aiming for my emotions and I felt it rather deceptive a moment. To add context to those who might have somehow decided to read the review prior to the show, Hoshino Ai is stabbed to death by a crazed fan who was disappointed at what felt to him as the tarnishing of her image as an idol. The image of her dying is burnt into the memories of her children, Aqua and Ruby, who had loved her more than their lives and it shapes their future choices. Specifically for the first saga, Aqua grows with hunger for revenge against those who put his mother in that position.

The strongest points of the manga for me was two-fold. The first was the parallel the story forms between Aqua and Ruby and their former lives informing both their love for Ai as a fan and later, upon rebirth, as her children. This emotional core was by far the thing Aka hit the hardest, with the two kids holding the burden of both the legacy Ai was and the pain of losing her. There were a lot I could say I didn't appreciate but this remained consistently good. The second strongest point was the emotional highs of the series for the specific characters, where they had to tackle their hardest hurdle yet. There is an optimism to the story that revenge stories rarely like to tap into that makes the sad moments hit even harder than they would if it was simply all sad and bleak. One of my favorite moments from the series thus far was the moment a specific character felt extremely out of their depth in the presence of talent powerhouses, so much so that even the creators of the show held nothing but low expectations of them. They were then given a simple advice to make exactly one moment count because that would be what would be remembered and their hard work paid off in an emotional crescendo. I loved that moment because it was simple and was realistic to the character, instead of having them suddenly be just as good as the rest of the cast.

If you've already read Kaguya Sama, then you know there is no dull moment to be had in the story but as for where it currently lands, I have decided that Oshi no Ko is simply not for me. It is commanding a level of drama that I honesty would be exhausted to keep reading. I understand the nature of the decisions made from Chapter 90 onwards but a lot of them come off as utter derailment for the sake of increasing stakes. Honestly I hope Akasaka is going to make the decisions he's made worth it. I hold it in high regard if you're already a fan of romance and drama but if you are looking for more solid steps and thorough exploration of themes, you might be barking up the wrong tree here.

My Anime Rating System 2.0

90-99 [Balanced]

Entertainment, thematic value, worldbuilding, character development, animation, sound value, art style, expert direction, emotional sweeps and logical falls, the story has it all and is well balanced. Rewrites are virtually unnecessary.

70-89 [Compromise]
Small sacrifices to one or more important elements in the interest of upgrading others, elevating a story to more than the sum of its parts. Small rewrites can salvage plenty if not all of the project.

50-69 [Entertaining]
Deep sacrifices to one or more important elements in the interest of upgrading others, ending up with a half-baked project. Rewrites to more than half of the project if it is to get a stamp of approval.

30-49 [Effort]
Entire deletion of components that deserve the respect of being made and nothing more. Entire story rewrite at minimum.

10-29 [Indifference]
Life would have been better if such a project did not exist. Rewrites to the core of the project cannot salvage it.

1-9 [Eldritch Horror]
Project abandons logical pursuits in favor of cursing the very eyeballs that dare to consume it.