#oshi no ko 157

[tenebriskukris]

Oshi No Ko Chapter 157 - My Thoughts/Analysis

Terribly paced chapters really do seem like the bread and butter of this manga for the past few chapters, so the less said about that the better. Let’s get down to business. As always, spoilers for Oshi No Ko 157 below.

The chapter starts off with a pseudo(?) timeskip? Or a series of flashbacks detailing Ruby’s concerts as an idol. One of the larger pitfalls this series has displayed over the various chapters is its inability to both keep a consistent timeline as well as communicate said timeline to the viewer. This would be fine for a series that doesn’t ground itself as heavily as reality as Oshi No Ko, but the massive number of timeskips and large number of events that happen offscreen really make that an annoyance for the reader. 

Another thing that sort of irks me: Showing off these B-Komachi concerts. It’s a shame we never got to see more of them in detail. Kana unfortunately hogged the spotlight during their first public concert, and we never got to see Ruby or Mem’s emotions about performing and being an idol when on stage in more detail. A shame too, since out of the three members Kana is fundamentally the only one of the three who simply is not an idol—she’s an actor. She has the least emotional investment out of the trio about the job and her feelings on it are less about being an idol itself and more about being an idol to get into Aqua’s pants.

And we’re finally back with the twins. Are we going to get any important details on the status of their relationship or the plot or is the manga going to focus on something else? Judging from the first few panels of them interacting it looks like it’s going to be a more casual chapter. 

It’s your first day off in a while. You may want to take a breather with your friends. And the way Ruby and Aqua smile at each other…damn. Makes my heart go all gooey seeing it. How long has it been since we’ve seen Aqua smile? It implicitly conveys to the reader that there’s nowhere else Ruby would rather be than with Aqua at this moment since free time is such a luxury for people in their lines of business.

Aqua drying Ruby’s hair!!! He remembered!!! Interlude 4 seems like such a long time ago. Heavens only know where that takes place on the timeline now that we’ve flashed forward so much since then and without much to ground the reader. 

Is being an idol…fun? This is an interesting question from Aqua. My first impression is that he isn’t really asking Ruby if being an idol is fun—Ruby being an idol is something we’ve seen her actively enjoy and pursue throughout the series. It shouldn’t be a fact that he has to clarify directly with her.

Perhaps what’s hidden underneath his words is: Is being an idol fun after everything that’s happened? Namely, all the stuff that Ruby’s experienced in becoming an idol? I don’t need to turn to read further to already know that it’s a resounding yes. Now that she has Aqua next to her and supporting her—she doesn’t have any hangups. Her own revenge scheme to avenge both Ai and Goro has been fulfilled—even though I have plenty of issues on how it was basically shoved down the readers’ throats offscreen and not enough screentime for it to feel organic—and the person she’s spent her entire new life looking for has been by her side and is now supporting her. There isn’t much more that she could ask for.

Of course, this could also be touching up on something that we saw in Chapter 123: Namely, the fact that Ruby described being an idol as difficult—and not always fun. For all that Ruby enjoys being an idol, it’s still not something that can be considered easy by any means. With enough experience and the right people around her, the process of performing as an idol and all its ups and downs becomes easier, but I don’t think it ever becomes easy. The amount of restrictions that any person with sufficient popularity has in the western world is already suffocating—and it’s even more draconian in Japan where idols are under much more scrutiny than the average Hollywood movie star.

Everything that Ruby did in order to avenge Ai and Goro also slot nicely into this. Ruby going to such great lengths to achieve popularity isn’t something that I see her pursuing unless she was driven by revenge. While playing the industry game is a skill that isn’t widely advertised to anyone that’s looking to get their foot in the door—it certainly isn’t something that can be discounted for anyone within the industry itself. For all the “critiques” that the series has about the idol industry at large, it never quite seems to quite remember that the idol industry is still an industry. Those who can achieve more success than others in similar positions will obviously be able to shine brighter than the rest.

I do wonder though…how much did Ai do behind the scenes to reach the heights of popularity? Ruby was able to achieve success by going beyond what was expected for her as a sheer idol and gaining popularity via playing the industry game—but we never quite get to see how Ai was able to do the same. The obvious answer is that she basically followed in similar paths that Ruby took—since Ichigo was there to advise her—to achieve that level of popularity in a more moderate manner. Just a thought.

It’s also curious to see that Ruby’s mentioning performing at the Dome. Obviously this is setting up what we’ve already seen in the earlier interview flashforwards—a topic that should definitely get a hell of a lot more screentime and quality than the horribly executed Aqua-Hikaru confrontation—but there’s also the fact that we don’t know when exactly B-Komachi’s going to be performing at the Dome. My first instinct is before Kana graduates but at this point who knows. The series and its inability to convey timescales strikes again.

An ordinary day like this is also wonderful as long as you’re here with me. And Aqua smiling again after Ruby says that? Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think we’ve seen the other girls make Aqua smile. I could be completely wrong though, but I don’t want to spend my limited time reading through over 150 chapters in this mid-ass manga just to confirm it. Still, it’s a very cute moment in my book. Aqua definitely could use some more happiness in his life.

A series of snippets of them cooking for Miyako and spending time together. Very cute and domestic. That’s a two page spread of them lying together close to the ending panel, too. And with the same effects as Chapter 143? It’s a cute little touch and reminder that we still haven’t shown Aqua’s reaction to that entire mess. The authors aren’t slick for that detail—I’d much rather have confirmation as to the nature of their relationship rather than leave it hanging in between the margins for readers with less reading comprehension.

The chapter ends with a Miyako appearance commenting on how close the twins are. Nice to finally see her back. I was waiting for the plot hammer to drop during this entire chapter and for something to happen. This chapter almost screams the calm before the storm.

All in all, this was a decent chapter to see after the clusterfuck that were the previous ones—in a vacuum. There’s nothing wrong with a chapter whose only purpose is to take a breather, but placing it just after the key reveals given a few chapters back is just bad form all around. Really, this couldn’t have been done before the massive flashback we got a couple chapters ago? Hell, it would’ve even been slightly better placing this one before said massive flashback and the movie screening since this chapter actually gives dates on its first few pages. Give that sense of time passing, y’know? It’s not like there are a thousand other plot relevant points that need to get touched up on and were shunted offscreen—or were promptly discarded.

That said, it’s so utterly hilarious seeing people try and brush off this interaction as evidence that they’ve transitioned their relationship to be more platonic—especially when they used the same effect that was done in Chapter 143 during the kiss scene, as I’ve mentioned. Kind of the opposite image that the writers want to convey if that was the case, y’know. If it was Akane or Kana who had this entire interaction with Aqua so close to the ending there’d be considerably more noise about shipping and romance and all that jazz.

One final thing I want to consider before I end this off. I wonder if we’ll see another nightmare/dream inside Aqua’s subconscious now that Ruby’s right beside him. I highly doubt it—since the narrative seems to be shrouding Aqua’s inner thoughts and internality ever since the movie arc has started—but it’s a possibility. One that could finally solidify this entire will-they-won’t-they dynamic between the two of them that the series sorely needs at this point for clarity.

[youngboy18plus]

ONK Chapter 157 is for the incest fans. Spoilers and leaks dropping live here: Oshi no Ko 157 raw scans, spoilers, and live leaks

[sunsetsmakemesad]

Oshi no Ko chapter 157

Some sort of concert?

Ruby looks so happy here :>

Not being able to buy souvenirs is the saddest part here

Yay aqua ruby alone time :D

Let's hope it doesn't turn into incest :D

Wow it's actually relatively normal

It's nice that ruby gets to live a life she couldn't as Sarina

This is actually really sweet

Crying they're a happy family

🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

Adorable

Nothing happened this chapter again, but I enjoyed it nevertheless

Adorable fluff is needed sometimes too

Stick around for ch 158!

[aihoshiino]

chapter 157 thoughts

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 14… IN THIS CHAPTER OF ALL CHAPTERS…????

Aqua Hoshigan Status: White

Congrats to 157 for taking 144's crown as the Oshi no Ko chapter that has vexed and confused me the most. Taken entirely in isolation, it's a sweet, lowkey, calm before the storm moment… but it's entirely because it stands in such stark isolation from the events surrounding it that it feels so baffling. It's like an amped up version of the issues with 156 - when viewed in isolation, you can't strictly say there's anything wrong with it, but as a part of the sequential storytelling of Oshi no Ko it just feels off. I'm reminded of the weird, off-kilter pacing of the Movie Arc, where story beats fell at weird places as if the story was falling out of tempo with itself. Because of that, this chapter review is probably going to be a bit disjointed but tbh besties i am fighting for my life on this one

I will say at the top of things though that it's darkly funny to me that we're fastforwarding through so much of the B-Komachi tour lol. Offscreen no Ko strikes again!

Honestly, this chapter in general kind of defies any attempt at a beat by beat analysis though that does seem to largely be by design. As the chapter title suggests, this is simply some pagetime spent on letting us stew in what a calm, ordinary day looks like for the twins and for what it is, it's sweet and chill. Taken on its own there isn't really a ton to pick apart, other than just pointing at what moments I found cute which was like 90% of them. I want a 5 chapter mini arc of AQRB goofing around at the grocery store and squabbling over the cooking together.

I also really like that Aqua is the one to suggest doing something nice for Miyako and that he joins Ruby in waiting up for her to get home and see it. It feels like a sweet and warm acknowledgement of the subtle shift in their relationship after 155, with the two of them properly stepping into their roles as parent and child.

As nice as this chapter is though, it does kind of feel like too little too late. One of the major complaints across the series (that I do largely agree with) is that Aqua and Ruby's day-to-day dynamic is for the most part underbaked and that the two of them don't really feel like people who grew up in the same household for 16+ years. I think a few more moments like this properly threaded through the manga would have helped but… well, considering OnK's pacing, do I really want to encourage much more downtime…

Moving on from the things I liked, as cute as this chapter was it's also just kind of weird that so much of it feels like the framing device is a recap episode lol. I guess it isn't the worst idea in the world to have one as we're heading into the final stretch of the story but… well, again, see my point above about weird pacing.

It's also just baffling as fuck to see Ruby frame these events in a way that distinctly did not happen lol. Like, sure, she was definitely having fun doing idol stuff for a lot of it but seeing her so warmly gas up stuff like Tokyo Blade when the anime airing right now is reminding us that Aqua was going through the SpongeBob horror hallway the entire time is so jarring - especially when Aqua (and thus, implicitly, the narrative) agrees with her. I mean, fuck, even putting Aqua aside it's WILD to see Ruby framing "Dig Deep" as having been fun for her when her major contribution to the show was manipulative drama stirring for the purposes of chasing clout that she herself said was having an impact on her mental health. I've criticized the story for the ways Ruby's black hoshigan arc amounted to nothing but there's a special kind of infuriating in seeing it specifically call back to that arc and still fail to actually acknowledge any wrongdoing on Ruby's part.

This is part of a much bigger trend in OnK right now of Ruby being super coddled by the narrative and coming off in some really unpleasant ways as a result. I didn't mention it last chapter but something that's been percolating in my brain since after I wrote my review is just how fucking bonkers Ruby's total non-respose to Mem's situation is. "Oh, you're getting stalked by the press? Sucks to be you, thank god I'm Miyako's special little favourite tho 🙏". Not only is this just kind of a shitty response to begin with but it feels insane coming from a person like Ruby who, you know, saw her mother's life blighted and then ended by this kind of treatment. No concern for Mem, tho!

Idk. I don't want to dislike Ruby but man. A lot of the ways Akasaka has been playing favourites with her lately has the effect of Ruby coming off, in universe, like a deeply self centered and callous person in ways I don't think narrative intends or even realizes and thus fails to interrogate in a satisfying way. But that's a rant for another day. And I'm pretty sure you guys already know what today's rant is gonna be. Which is to say, uh…

HEY. AKASAKA. ARE THEY GONNA TALK ABOUT… ANY OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MOVIE ARC?? ANYTHING AT ALL????

This is what I meant when I said this chapter utterly fucking bamboozled me. The way the story has contorted itself into knots to avoid letting Aqua and Ruby have a conversation even when they're literally in the same room is already insane, but giving us an entire chapter of them alone together with ample opportunity to have any sort of meaningful discussion as to the gigantic elephant in the room looming over their relationship and……. literally nothing happens???

This is made even more insanity inducing by the fact that this is, as stated above, more or less a recap chapter and not only does Ruby talk about the movie specifically but we even SEE a flashback to the HikAi kiss…. but not the one Ruby jumpscared him with at the end of 143!!!

What the fuck is even going on anymore? Was it retconned? Resolved offscreen?? Did we collectively hallucinate it??? Is Akasaka gaslighting us????

If nothing else, this chapter has proved to me once and for all that whatever goes on with Aqua and Ruby, that resolution is going to come entirely at the speed of plot, as and when Akasaka decides to do it and not when it would be natural and organic for development to occur. This is an issue that has plagued Aqua and Ruby's r/s from the start, where Akasaka simply refuses to let them communicate, seemingly for the purposes of drawing out the drama rather than because of any narrative justification. So I'm giving on predicting what direction their relationship is going in and what the outcome is going to be. The inner machinations of Aka Akasaka's mind are a mystery to me.

To pre-pick some nits before I leave off… I've seen some people calling this a 'Tanabata chapter' and insisting this is intentional/foreshadowing aquruby end/etc and uh… sorry to be that guy but no it's not lol. Even accounting for the differences in calendars that scatters Tanabata celebrations across July and August, August's Tanabata falls on the 10th this year - and even in the anime world, celebrations across Japan took place on the 'official' date of 7/7. And while there is a Tanabata festival being held in Sendai today… that's just in Sendai, which is all the way up in northern Japan, nowhere near Tokyo where the series is set (and which itself had its Tanabata celebrations on the weekends surrounding 7/7 as per usual.)

There's also just the fact that this chapter… has nothing to do with Tanabata? There's no imagery or iconography and it takes place in the middle of December lol. I simply don't think it was intentional at all on Akasaka's part. It's a cute coincidence, sure, but still just a coincidence.

break next week. i love biweekly manga, oshi no ko.

[hichamartmc]

Oshi no Ko - Ch 157 Lineart & coloring :me My social media: linktr.ee/hichamartmc

[yuseirra]

A full commentary on what Oshi no Ko intends to show/the direction where it's heading/Major character motives.

This was an analysis I wrote on August 13th, back when chapter 157 was released (and the most recent chapter will be 159; wow the work has been on such a long hiatus:

I read it over again today, and I think I did a pretty good job piecing things together. Some of the things I predicted immediately came to light in the chapter that followed. I'd like to share it, before the new chapter gets released today :)

There is a lot of analysis? Commentary of how I feel about Ai. She's definitely become my fav and I hope everything she wished for will come true in the end, she IS indeed the brightest star in the sky after all!

The following has been translated in bulk with the help of chatgpt.. It's my savior these days.. It's SO convenient wow, I've been putting it to good use!!

The title and subtitle are quite grand, but I feel that if I start writing, a lot will come out, so I wrote down the title and wanted to give it a go. Everything from here on is a very personal impression.

The manga is almost coming to an end, right? Since it’s being called the final chapter. The latest chapter is either 157 or 158, right? It's 157... I’ve checked up to the point where Aqua and Ruby are spending peaceful days together. Isn’t this episode like the calm before the storm? As I watched it, I thought, "Ah, this peace is bound to be broken." Even though nothing happened, the atmosphere is so quiet that it feels more ominous than peaceful.

At this point, I thought it might be good to think about what exactly this manga wants to convey and what the central narrative is. It seemed like a fitting time.

I first learned about this manga last year when the first season of the anime aired. The impression I got was that the creators had planned the ending from the start, as it seemed to have a clear trajectory. This manga might be more suitable for readers who prefer to follow it in volumes rather than chapter by chapter. When viewed individually, some parts might make you wonder, "What is this?" but when you see them in volumes, there seems to be a flow. So, when I was reading the manga in volumes, I thought, "Oh, the structure of this manga is well-organized and solid." That was around the time when about 10 volumes had been released, and I confidently bought all the volumes to keep as a collection.

Then, when I looked at the portions being serialized afterward, I started to get a little confused and thought, "Hmm, what are they planning to do with this?" But after watching the movie arc, I thought, "Oh, this is pretty good," and I realized that I wasn’t wrong in my initial judgment, so I returned to the manga, lol.

This manga’s structure seems quite complex. Each character has their own goals, and while Aqua seems to be the main hero who strongly drives the narrative, the focus isn’t solely on Aqua; it feels somewhat dispersed. In the end, if we consider what this story wants to convey, it feels like a composition that might be somewhat confusing.

In my opinion, the overarching framework is about various stories that unfold within the entertainment industry. It’s about the impact this industry can have on various people, both the light and the darkness (not delving too deeply, just enough to get a taste and see it from an entertainment perspective, plus throwing out questions about very serious topics). But then, is it saying that the entertainment industry is full of darkness and that we should escape from it? Not really.

As I described in the first post I wrote about this manga, it seems like the main theme is the depiction of various character types trying to survive in the entertainment industry.

Being a celebrity is a job that requires one to present oneself to far more people than an average person would, and even if we assume an entirely ideal situation where only goodwill comes your way, you can’t help but constantly be conscious of the image you need to show to those watching you. It seems like a very strong persona is necessary to endure that.

The loneliness that comes from being in the crowd, the internal dilemma of wanting to be understood and truthful as a complete individual, even though you can't fully expose yourself to the public, and yet, because of the appeal of the spotlight and wanting to show something, you step forward, deciding to live there and survive there.

Whether the work perfectly expresses those aspects might differ depending on the person, but at least it seems to have made us think about those points.

So, what are the motives driving each character?

Aqua wants to avenge the person that's hurt Ai, the one precious to him, in some way.

Ruby wants to surpass Ai as an idol, following in her footsteps.

Kana wants to be Aqua’s favorite.

Akane seems to assist Aqua, and in her case, she felt like she provided many shortcuts throughout the entire story. She played a role in significantly shortening the story’s length... Honestly, it might have been better if Aqua had done the things Akane achieved himself, lol. But from the author's perspective, she’s a reliable helper who aids in condensing the narrative. She also served as a good helper to Ruby as well. What I personally feel.a bit disappointed about the character Akane is that while she supports others a lot, that seems to be her entire narrative. She succeeded as an actress, and her personal goal or story seems to have ended around the dating program arc or the tokyo blade Arc, so apart from helping the twins, it's disappointing that her individual direction and desires are less visible. However, as long as she’s not entangled with the main characters, Akane is thriving and living a smooth life. She only becomes endangered when she gets involved with them; so, to give her more story, she may need to get more entangled.

Among the other main characters, Ai is a fresh character in that she wants to properly give love to others (although she also had the desire to be loved, it was more about “giving” than “receiving,” which I found refreshing).

As for Ai's boyfriend, it seems like he has something he wants to do, but it hasn’t been clearly revealed yet, so it’s in the realm of speculation. Setting that aside, what he wants to do now is something for Ai(in his point of view).

Nino has been highlighted a bit more, and while this character seems important, it’s still not clear what their exact goal is. The clear desire that has emerged is that they can't forgive even their daughter if she surpasses Ai.

Aqua, the character who drove the plot the most (with many things revolving around him), had the motive of “avenging Ai's death,” so that was a significant focal point. Much of the story’s development seemed to revolve around that.

However, I didn’t think Aqua would go for revenge in a violent form, because it would be something that would make the character unhappy and wouldn’t fit his personality. I didn’t think this “revenge” would be the typical, satisfying sort of retribution where justice is served.

Moreover, the “revenge” Aqua seeks ultimately requires Ai’s boyfriend (the twins’ biological father) to genuinely love Ai for it to work. If he didn’t love her, it wouldn’t be effective.

When looking at the hints about the relationship between Ai and her boyfriend, I often thought they must have had a good relationship at one point. I kept wondering if this person really bears full responsibility for Ai’s death. The idea of someone they once had a good relationship with turning into a stalker who kills them... even in a manga, it’s something I really don’t want to think about. I really hate it. But if the manga were to handle such a storyline, then it is what it is, regardless of my preferences. What the boyfriend character went through in his past is quite horrible and complicated, and my intuition, based on the bits and pieces I’ve seen, is that at least when they were together, Ai and he were two young people who relied on and supported each other. And that turned out to be correct. I liked how the character was portrayed in the movie arc, and there wasn’t any chance of it being depicted very differently. The idea of pushing this character, a psychopathic serial killer, off a cliff or punishing him harshly just didn’t seem to align with the established setup. Even though you might think he twisted into that kind of person because of some bad experiences, it didn’t seem like that was the direction this manga was taking. I wouldn’t have liked it if the character had been designed to be twisted that way because of bad experiences. It feels more consistent to see the character behave as they did in the past, which makes me believe it’s a well-written character. I had the sense that the story wouldn’t take the approach of having one character be absolutely evil and then punishing that character to neatly resolve everything. That doesn’t seem like a good story to me either. I don’t think the issues tied to the themes this manga deals with can be resolved in that way. The more I think about it, the more I feel like the content related to Kamiki is actually quite solid. I don’t want that character to be a bad guy. And it seems like he’s not?

The psychological depictions of the characters in this manga are very complex and well done. Because of this, I’m still not sure what to make of Nino. I think it’s fine to consider Ryosuke as an absolute evil since there’s nothing redeeming about him. Kamiki is out if he intended to scare Ai. But I feel like it was Nino who tried to scare her... When I consider the circumstances, it’s not impossible for Kamiki to have done it, but it feels too out of sync with his behavior. It’s very confusing.

I’m not sure how they’ll wrap up this “revenge,” but I think they might bring it to a social level regarding the responsibility for what happened to Ai? That’s why Aqua chose the medium of a “movie,” something that is “shown to the public”? Ai gave love to everyone, but it wasn’t properly received, right? So, there’s a desire to convey that correctly. And seeking understanding and respect for Ai as a personal individual? In that sense, I feel like Aqua’s revenge isn’t over yet. It feels incomplete as it stands. I think it’s not finished yet. Ah, regarding Kamiki, I think he’s been properly “avenged,” as he would be truly tormented by watching the video Ai left behind. However, I'm still unsure if this character truly deserves to be on the receiving end of such revenge... I plan to criticize properly once more of his actions are revealed. Every time I think about it, based on the reactions, it seems like he genuinely loved Ai, which is really evident. It makes me wonder if the author wrote it this way for a reason. Examining these details is truly fascinating about this manga.

So, I started thinking about what the core theme that ties this entire story together might be, and what the author really wants to convey through this story. I think we need to start with Ai's story. I believe Ai is extremely important to this narrative.

When I look at how this work portrays Ai, my impression is that she was written as a character with incredibly realistic psychological depth. She wasn't just a sensational character who was simply a very pretty girl who suddenly gets murdered to create shock value. In my view, Ai is one of the top three most well-written characters in this manga. She's a key person in this story, and I believe this character is the central figure that completely penetrates the entire narrative, even though she exits the story quite early, her influence is very strong.

I wish I could express my feelings properly... Ai feels like someone who could really exist... I talk about this a lot, right? To write a character like this, I think the author must have a lot of affection for her. Although I wouldn't dare say that I fully understand other people's feelings or possess a lot of information, I do think that Ai is a character who very well expresses the psychology of a young child with a difficult family background—a runaway teenager. But even with that experience, she didn't get trapped in it, and instead, as an individual, she made various choices and lived earnestly... and that's why I like her. Because that's how real people live. Strong, extraordinary, and yet ordinary—ordinary in a way that makes you realize how truly precious and extraordinary the ordinary can be.

But the story starts with Ai dying in such a horrific way, right? This makes me think about what the story is ultimately trying to say. However, this doesn't mean that Ai's life was a failure. Ai really lived her life to the fullest. In the end, she was probably happy, which makes her story even more heartbreaking... She was such a good person. If we're talking about her nature, Ai was definitely a "good person."

What I took away from this... is that it gave me an opportunity to once again reflect on the fact that even those who are considered shining stars are still just people. Personally, it also made me more interested in the subject of child abuse. I find myself drawn to related news articles... The early Akane episode, for instance, made me reflect once again on the issue of online harassment. No matter how this manga ends, I feel like it has had quite a positive impact on me, so I'm grateful for that. Perhaps what one takes away from this work depends entirely on how they interpret it... There are certainly some valuable psychological insights in this work. I'm definitely envious of the talent of the creators.

If you look at it broadly, I think the core message of this manga is something along these lines. Aqua's revenge and Ruby's dream will somehow be realized in their own ways, and I also think Kana's goal will be achieved in some manner (but then wouldn't that mean Kana can't end up with Aqua?;; It feels like this manga is trying to say that the feelings one has for a favorite person and the love one has for a romantic partner are different things. Judging by Hikaru's words, it seems like the story is saying that love without illusions about the other person is actually the more genuine kind of love... But more than that, I think the point to focus on when watching this work is something along these lines, based on how the story is unfolding. Even celebrities are just people... Ultimately, that's it.

I understand that some people might find this annoying at certain points. You might think, "I've never done anything like that. I've never contributed to those problems, and I've never treated celebrities poorly. Doesn't the saying 'those who wear the crown must bear its weight' apply here? If they wanted to be a celebrity, shouldn't they be prepared to handle some negative reactions?"—these are thoughts that might cross your mind.

I've also never been a fan of any celebrity myself... lol. I don't think I've ever done anything particularly wrong regarding the scandals or various issues that happen to celebrities.

But still, no one deserves to go through something like that... no matter who they are. Celebrities, because of the nature of their profession, often enter the industry at a very young age.

If I had to step in front of the public at that age, would I be able to handle it so well...? Just as everyone in their own life has their own burdens to bear, celebrities too have their own challenges, and it made me realize how difficult it must be to deal with public scrutiny...

In Ai's case, she had children at a young age, and there must be a lot of things people could say about that. When I first discovered this manga, I encountered that scene in a clip, where she says she will give birth without making it public, and it made me think a lot. But even in that scene, I didn't feel like Ai was a thoughtless character. If someone is going through such an experience, they must be the one who thinks the most about it. When I heard her say that the twins would make for a jolly and happy family because she didn't have one, I immediately thought that this character must have gone through something and found it difficult to judge her actions right away. Am I overthinking? lol. It felt like there was a lot going on in her mind beyond what she was saying. It’s easy to say, "I wouldn’t do that," but everyone has different experiences, different lives, and different personalities. Of course, there are things that are undeniably wrong, things that shouldn’t happen.

From what I felt, Ai has a layer of underlying psychology beneath the surface. She always has a smiling face, and I often draw her that way in fan art, but there’s likely a lot hidden beneath. I feel a bit sorry when drawing or creating fan works about her because I can’t touch on that depth—I can't depict it well because there's not much revealed. She might have been smiling and acting beautifully even in front of her own children. This nature might be a good expression of the traits of the entertainment industry. That’s probably why they call her a true idol. But there must be times when she wants to be honest, too, right? She might feel lonely and isolated. These are the kinds of thoughts I have when thinking about her character.

I’m writing all of this without much organization... Another thing, I sometimes feel that the story has metafictional or divine elements that could potentially tie the work together.

For instance, the introduction of the Tsukuyomi character, the starry eyes, the statement at the beginning that this story is fiction, the crow leading Ruby, the starry visuals scattered throughout.

I think using the "star" motif was a smart choice, because stars are literally "stars" in the sense of celebrities, and they might actually be stars or influenced by stars in some way. We also make wishes on stars, right? I can imagine that these elements might have been integrated into the story to bring a fantasy-like aspect to it. The lyrics of the songs strongly convey this atmosphere as well. So, I think these elements might be what ties the whole work together. The lyrics constantly talk about the stage, and the overarching stage for the story might be related to stars or gods. The more I examine it, the more things seem to appear.

But this isn’t something that’s very obvious. The foreshadowing is mostly in the dialogue, and there hasn’t been much that’s directly visible... If this is something important, I wish they would make it a bit more obvious. There’s a comment about how Ruby’s success feels as if she’s being helped by the gods, and there's also talk about Aqua’s soul being fractured and breaking. I think it’s worth paying attention to these elements, but I haven’t seen many people discussing this aspect. Of course, I don’t really read other people’s interpretations! When I get into a work, I dive deep and try not to let anything come between me and the story, so I tend not to read other people’s opinions while I’m fully immersed. And it’s a field that’s really hard to predict. It’s so far-fetched. But if they've been dropping hints like this, I feel like something should come out of it by now. It’s built up too much to just be a MacGuffin.

I like stories that feel like fairy tales, so I wouldn’t mind if the story takes that turn, depending on how it’s done... I don’t know if it will happen, but if it doesn’t, why are the lyrics like that? I’d like to see something that explains this before the story ends.

The starry eyes are important. There’s a kind of will in those "stars." There’s a "god" in this manga too. But will it be explained before the story ends...?

If they want to address it, I’m sure they’ll do it well! And if they don’t... Well, it’s all up to the creators.

Am I understanding this story correctly? Suddenly, I started to wonder, so I wrote down whatever came to mind.

If you can accurately grasp the individual characters' goals and the core theme that the work aims to convey, then following the story shouldn't be too difficult. It's always helpful to have a good understanding of those aspects, no matter what story you're watching. As for the motivations and objectives of the characters mentioned above, I believe they will all be achieved in one way or another (except for Nino's, since Ruby will surpass Ai... Now that I think about it, since their goals are opposites, there will likely be a clash between them).

LOL, but when it comes to plot development... Even though I've managed to predict the characters' psychology, I haven't been very successful in predicting the events themselves.

So, we'll just have to wait and see!

[oshinohoshi]

Oshi no Ko Ch 157 thoughts

I'm a little late but I enjoy throwing my thoughts at the wall so here we go. I have several not so positive things to say, however I want to start out with the things I liked.

The Ruby/Aqua sibling dynamic as well as the twins' relationship to Miyako is just so wholesome

Aqua drying Ruby's hair is a cute throwback to interlude 4. It's sweet that Aqua is still keeping this up

The twins making Miyako dinner is everything. I figured this was a semi-regular thing and I'm glad to have it confirmed

Now to address the elephant in the room. The reader may be wondering why it's been 14 chapters since The Kiss and nary a reference to it, but the truth is, there was no kiss. It was all a fever dream

It's hilarious that the incest plotline is so flimsy when it's been such a huge focus from readers as well as people who are only aware of OnK because it's "that incest manga" (love that)

I never wanted AquaxRuby because it veered away from the sibling dynamic I enjoy and then there's the weirdness of them having been an adult and child in their past lives. Plus, a romantic relationship would likely lead to codependency and isolation

However, it's going to be a thing, then make it a thing! Explore the repercussions of incest in a real way

I also hoped for a parallel between Ruby using the word "gachikoi" to describe her feelings for Aqua and how Ai's fans did the same to her. It felt like the perfect opportunity to dig into the positives of obsessive love for a celebrity/person, such as how Ai brought joy to Sarina's painful existence, as well as the negatives which got Ai killed and caused Ruby to regress to seeing Aqua as Gorou. I guess that was too much to ask for

As for Aqua's reaction to the kiss, I'm not sure that we'll ever see him reject Ruby to her face which is disappointing

It leaves us in the funny position of AquaxRuby truthers pointing to this chapter as confirmation of their ship and everyone else scratching their heads as to why Akasaka is baiting them

Somebody please tell me why we got four pages of recap because I don't get it

As for the chapter placement, it's just beating a dead horse to talk about how strange it feels, but it does. Sure, it's the calm before the storm, but it seems like it ought to take place after the resolution of whatever Nino is up to

Ruby is wearing a shirt with the word "garbage" on it. I have no further comment

I just spilled a lot of word about things that bothered me about this chapter but I actually don't dislike it. The cuteness of it mostly outweighs the rest.

Next week: Melt chapter because why the hell not at this point.

[redge]

【OSHI NO KO】 Chapter 156

Memcho~~~~

When I wrote my 【OSHI NO KO】 Chapter 155 post and reread the chapters in the process, I came across these panels...

and I just thought that couch has been a witness to the characters' truths that they haven't told to anyone. It was on that couch that we learned why Aqua avoided Kana. It was on that couch when Kana let out her embarassing feeling of jealousy and envy for Ruby (we saw this when she talked to Ruby but it was until this chapter that those feelings were proven genuine and not just acting). And it will also be the same place where Memcho reveals the truth about her age. Maybe I'm just making this up but if this was really the intention then wow Aka-sensei. Just wow.

Memcho's future plans

It really feels that we are nearing the end of the story because one by one, we see the plans for the future of these characters 🤧

I am mostly soft with Mem's plan because of this panel

She had to adult up very early to bring her little brothers to college and set aside her own dreams and that line just really stuck with me

Mem: The moment I was ready to pursue my dream, I was too old for that already.

But now, she had the opportunity to be an idol. And now she's also ticking off what she wanted before:

I am so happy for her 🤧 The future will not promise you anything but I am so happy that she can move forward with the dreams and goals she paused because of her previous situation.

Updating this draft just now because I totally forgot about it. 🤣

Frill and Memcho friendship! It's so nice to see how they started with this and built on a bond even after the 15-Year-Lie movie shoots.

It's hard being a member of a group because you need to be very careful not to cause trouble for your members. Yet it's also lonely being a solo artist. The entertainment industry is a crazy world to live in.

Queens ✨️

Ah. With chapter 156 and chapter 157 (I saw some leaks), I guess we're really nearing the final stage of this manga. I will miss it but I am also looking forward how the story will conclude.

[lucky-berrys-art-blog]

[FALL FOR MY LIES]

I was thinking about an OC of mine standing in front of a larger enemy (She's 157 cm tall) and bluffing her way out of trouble (Her specialty).

I have also been obsessed about Oshi no Ko's eyes. They are so damn pretty, I can't help but try it out myself.

Really, this is as much of an experiment as it is a finished and planned piece of art. For example, I've been trying to figure out how the dress would look like when drawn and not in sketch form and how the eyes woul shine in digital and fully rendered form.

Suffice to say, I loved the end redult and really wished I recorded the process.

(P.S. Can you tell how stumped I was on the background? I mean, it's just lines blurred)

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