A story that gives us an uncensored view of the Japanese entertainment industry, and how scarily accurate it really is. · Waifora

DISCLAIMER: This review will mainly be spoiler-free, but all relevant spoilers will be marked accordingly. However, in order to provide the best experience if you have not watched the anime, do not read the synopsis or any reviews, and watch the whole anime going in blind.

The Japanese entertainment industry is a complex system. From this massive industry, we see the production of anime and drama shows, but also rising stars of actors, voice actors, vtubers, and many others who offer their great contributions. You (who might be reading this or insta-scrolling to the bottom to check the score) and I, consumers of this content, are sucked in and enjoy what comes out of this vast production. However, this is the external front of entertainment, where favor is won by keeping the fans happy. The unfortunate reality is that there is a harsh environment here that we consumers often don't see or ignore, and this is what we observe in Oshi no Ko, where we are provided with a first-hand look at the scarily accurate truth and behind-the-scenes of this grand industry.

REVIEW OF THE ANIME

Name: A story that gives us an uncensored view of the Japanese entertainment industry, and how scarily accurate it really is.
Item: Oshi No Ko
Rating: 100
Author: dip

Since the entire anime is a spoiler by itself, this will be kept short. Pulling from the synopsis, we follow Gorou Amemiya's story as an idol-fan and a gynecologist, who is given the task to secretly deliver the child of his favorite idol Ai Hoshino and avoid any incoming scandals. He is killed by one of Ai's stalker-fans, but is reincarnated as Aquamarine Hoshino, one of Ai's twin children. He will now be living his new life, equipped with knowledge from his past life, but also looking forward at the dark truth behind the entertainment industry.

He does not go on his journey alone, as he has an incredible network and ties to many people: Ruby Hoshino, his twin little sister, Kana Arima, the genius child actor, Miyako Saitou, Ai's manager at Ichigo Productions, and many other characters that add value to the story. The way we witness the characters progress and evolve absolutely bring great value to the story, especially with Aqua's character development. The anime bringing out the nature of his character and observing through his eyes is definitely one of the strong points of this anime, allowing us to get that view of the darkness in the entertainment industry. (it's hard to explain more without any spoilers, but those who watched would understand)

The audio quality of the anime was stellar and absolutely stunning. Megumi Han as Kana Arima did not disappoint, and she really delivered to give us a strong voice for this character. Even more so, we have Manaka Iwami's great acting as Akane Kurokawa, definitely bringing the character to life and providing us with some really spine-chilling moments. However, Rie Takahashi as Ai Hoshino definitely takes the cake, stunning us all with her grand performance. Ai's character is meant to draw the audience in to fascination, and the execution was perfect and spectacular, she really killed it. The voice acting was amazing, but the opening song Idol by YOASOBI and the ending song Mephisto by QUEEN BEE were both great songs. Needless to say, the audio quality was a shining jewel for the anime.

The staff of Oshi no Ko definitely did not hold back on its production, and they delivered. Major props to Aka Akasaka for providing us with such a story that leaves us all speechless. He has stated in interviews that he has done extensive research, and it really shows in the quality of his work. The story most definitely wins favor from being unique, giving us that realistic insight to the "behind-the-scenes" we rarely get a chance to look at when it comes to the entertainment industry. However, because of how close to the truth this gets to, we start to wonder how this relates to the real world, and start to compare the many scenarios that we can observe from outside a fictional story.

REFLECTING ON THE REALITY

(oh boy here we go)
We who consume the content from the Japanese entertainment industry (anime, vtubers, whatever you enjoy) are actually wrapped around a specific irony that we realize from watching Oshi no Ko. Actually, just writing a review of the anime is ironic itself. Nearly everybody who indulges in this content are only there for the satisfaction and enjoyment, not even batting an eye to all the effort and undertaking, the lies that are required to keep the fans hooked in and occupied. We, the audience, are all for the entertainment, but the reality is they entertain us and get their salary, and it stops there. It's just how Ai said it in the anime: "Lies are an idol's weapon." Those public entertainer figures, whether it be idols, voice actors, or whoever, wrap us all in deception just to keep the fans happy. Consider things like special events or radios that come with all the different anime out there. When it comes down to it, the voice actors might be speaking their minds to us and keep us occupied, but even still there is still some layer of script or filter in place. Ironic, is is not? (im sorry i think im going off the rails a little bit)

Even more so, relating to idols or well-respected figures in the entertainment industry, it can get even more sensitive. I didn't really understand idols too much aside from watching Aikatsu! (this is literally a kids show and it's aware), where it explains that idols avoid relationships, scandals, and are for everybody to enjoy. After watching Oshi no Ko, it seems the reality behind that quickly makes sense. There are fans out there who are really enveloped in this trance, who "stan" these entertainers and do not accept any means of being rejected. It's scary, because we are closer to the truth than we ever would be (spoilers, content warning).

Spoiler, click to view

In similarity to Ai Hoshino and her murder, we have the stabbing of Mayu Tomita, where coincidentally, a stalker-fan (Tomohiro Iwazaki) whose gifts were rejected, sent death threats and assaulted Tomita with a pocket knife. Fortunately, she lived, but suffered numerous stab wounds around her body.

Some of the other real-world scenarios we can see that are relatable to Oshi no Ko are also listed below (more spoilers, content warning).

Spoiler, click to view

Similar to how Akane Kurokawa attempted to commit suicide after receiving much backlash on social media, the suicide of Hana Kimura comes to light, where she was also receiving hate comments on social media. As a matter of fact, Oshi no Ko has become so controversial that Kimura's mother criticized the anime and how episode 6 is highly similar to this situation (click for more information).

Spoiler, click to view

A little less on the relatable side but more on the scandal side, we have the incident with Tatsuhisa Suzuki who was found with his infidelity and had an affair with a fan. As expected, he received much backlash from the community and his fans as a whole.

Spoiler, click to view

More on the lighter side, many have pointed out the similarities between Kana Arima and Mana Ashida, who became a rising star as a child actor and quickly became well-known. Even their names are a bit close, so that's a little interesting.

Entertainers might be one of the more obvious coincidences between real-life and Oshi no Ko, but something that is mainly looked over is the production of TV dramas. These productions, or any similar content thereof (such as anime adaptations or movies), can be observed in the Sweet Today arc. It really captures the essence of "showbiz", and how it can be cruel and disappointing at times (more explanation/spoiler below).

Spoiler, click to view

The Sweet Today adaptation as seen in Oshi no Ko definitely brought out that cruel reality, using upcoming models as actors in order to promote them, consequently sacrificing the quality of a well-respected story to bring the audience in. Even the use of Kana Arima, a well-known actor in the story, just to promote publicity and rake in more viewership for the drama adaptation. Everything is about the money, going back to ideas of they produce, and we consume. There are a few examples of this floating around in the anime industry (im going on a tangent im sorry, but there are so many similarities that it's hard to not talk about), like this anime, with a highly loved manga but apparently horribly executed anime. There are also plenty of anime movies out there that use actors or models who mainly are not voice actors, so there are striking similarities that can be found there (some anime movies like this may turn out to be not up to standard, but there are still plenty of movies out there that are of good quality!).

The story sheds light on so many realities that we don't realize until now, and it really changes the way as to how we, the viewer, perceive the entertainment industry as a whole.

FINAL REMARKS

The story behind Oshi no Ko is an interesting one. It explores something so relatable, something so close to us within human nature and emotion. It shows us the reality that we live in which we ignore when it comes to the entertainment industry, and that unique idea is what attracts us and keeps us at the edge of our seats, wanting more of what there is to come, continually winning the audience over. While it starts out as that relationship between fans and entertainers, we come to realize that it extends beyond that fact, that this is all wrapped up in a glorified way of saying that it's all about entertainers producing the content we want to consume in the first place. After watching Oshi no Ko, I can say that this has most definitely adjusted my perspective on anime and the like, just like mostly everybody else who has watched this anime.

(also kana is best girl)