[Oshi no Ko]

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

Oshi no ko was quite the read, It has unique characters with strong designs and a unique story based on revenge and the entertainment industry (Acting, Idols, Ect).
--
I wouldnt call it a masterpiece but i would recommend it to anyone who are fans of idols / showbiz stories, people who like unpredictable plot twists, drama & psychological themes, and to people who enjoy writer Aka Akasakas previous works.

I would not recommend this to anyone who dislikes dark stories with tragic elements as i think this might be too intense for you.

If your planning on giving this a read i highly recommend it, tho I will ... say the ending is about the worst thing i have seen in my life and it was clearly done without much passion.

Ill be straight up, read just if you're really willing to, the plot that the manga sets up after the anime is really interesting, and the development of the characters do not disappoint at all. Unfortunely, after that for me it seemed that Akasaka lost himself in his own ideas, leaving some of those midway through the last arcs and kinda abandoning them, just to set up the ending the way that he wanted it do be from the start (he said in an interview that he intended that to be the ending since the beggining of the series). The last arc really needed more ... develpment and impact, it really does feel flat, which really letdown my expectations for a series that could've been one of the best of all time imo.

Oshi no Ko. Where do I begin.

If you look at my profile one of my all time favorite manga is Kaguya Sama Love Is War, also by Akasaka of course. Back when chapters for it were still releasing Aka sensei mentioned he wanted to write a darker and more tragic story so when Oshi no Ko was announced I was ecstatic for it. Sure enough it started out great with an interesting reincarnation plot, tragedy in the entertainment industry, and touching on bleak topics such as the storyline with Akane and I loved the idea of reading a manga about an idol group being ... formed by the reincarnated Sarina and also seeing how the relationship around all of these characters would develop. Especially after the Aqua reveal to Ruby. Then the anime came out and with the banger of an Opening by Yoasobi and a great first episode the excitement was through the roof in the anime community. All was good.

What went wrong?

The issues I'm about to bring up really start about around the halfway point in the manga. It was after the Aqua reveal to Ruby and before Miyako reunited with Ichigo at a bar. I equate the problems that start surfacing at this point to one simple fact. Aka stopped caring about his own story. He took a long several month hiatus and did nothing but played Apex Legends. At the time I was not concerned and just anticipating chapter releases returning. But after he came back with each new chapter it became more worrying. Subplots were being ignored. Reveals that just happened were left in the dust and characters were no longer getting any development. Then the entire story sure enough was getting rushed to what was one of the worst endings of all time to surpass AoT, JJK, and MHA.

It's not even just about the ending being bad, it's also how we got to the ending that was really bad. At least with the three aforementioned anime/manga there is some awesome action and there were character developments before they ended. Oshi no Ko just forgets all of its characters, has no development, no resolutions, and the most nonsensical reasoning for how it ended just to call itself a tragedy. Reminds me of those (I'm 14 and this is deep) memes. No amount of effort was put into it and it shows.

It's honestly kind of a spit in the face of all the fans, myself included, who really loved this story. Aka didn't care anymore and just wanted to get the manga over with. Kaguya had its issues near the end as well but ultimately still ended satisfyingly enough. I can't say the same with Oshi no Ko and honestly it left such a bitter taste in my mouth I don't know if I will ever give one of Aka's stories a chance again.

My recommendation to anyone that is thinking of reading the manga, don't. Maybe watch the anime if it decides it wants to take an entirely different route. Only disappointment waits.