#oshi no ko s2 spoilers

[kisilinramblings]

The author complimenting the acting before asking if it is too late to change things. Then the crew finding out that the whole thing needs to be edited...

That felt way too much familiar orz

[legendarycollectorprincess]

Ship wars and why they don't let us appreciate and enjoy good characters. PART 5 (Second to last part).

Hello everyone! It's been a while. And I mean a long, long time.

I think the most current content I shared with you, which is part of the “Ship wars and why they don't let us appreciate and enjoy good characters” series of posts I've done, was PART 4: KANA’S DOWNFALL. I recall posting it when the second season of the anime of Oshi no Ko was announced. Wow!

Well, that partly explains why it took me a while to bring you this penultimate part.

That's right, there's only one last post left!

But first, there's something you should know.

Disclaimer

My intention has always been to address the absurd hatred that Oshi no Ko's characters, Kana Arima and Akane Kurokawa, have received from their respective haters. I have believed that my posts have always reflected my objectivity towards both characters. Some really sweet Kana/Akane fans have even let me know this through little messages (Love you guys!).

However, in the last few days, following the end of the Oshi no Ko manga, it seems that my publications are coming across the wrong way to a specific group of fans: Toxic Kana fans.

Due to the unsatisfactory treatment the character received at the conclusion of the story, I understand that some of her fans are defensive and may mistake some opinions for malicious criticism. However, I hope they know that my desire to keep writing about Kana (about the hatred her character receives) has been greatly reduced after…the not-so-kind messages I've received from this group (ironic, right?). For that reason, I'm afraid my last post will focus solely on Akane's character.

I know that the opinion of others should not affect me to write about something I like. And honestly, it's not out of fear either. Thank you, block option. It has to do with the fact that I am extremely conscious that whatever I write about Kana now, it will not feel genuine to me. And, therefore, to you guys.

I hope you understand.

Well, back to the post, now it's Akane's turn!

AKANE KUROKAWA: MANIPULATIVE MASTERMIND, CRAZY YANDERE AND THE THORN ON THE SIDE OF THE AQUAxKANA SHIP

Long title, I know.

But it does its job: to bring together the three big arguments (if we can call them that) that haters use to twist Akane's character. All to justify their hatred towards her. So, let's take a look at this, shall we?

Akane The Snake

As we all know, the second season of the Oshi no Ko anime started and culminated this year, bringing new fans who had the opportunity to continue the story with the amazing Tokyo Blade arc. Sadly, having new people in a fandom is always the perfect opportunity for haters to pass off their hateful comments as genuine observations.

“Akane manipulated Aqua by linking his trauma over Ai to Kana being an idol. He can't choose Kana because that would endanger her, so he chooses Akane.” Anonymous hate comment, about Akane on episode 12 of S2.

“Akane, you snake!” Anonymous hate comment, on Akane talking to Aqua about Kana in episode 12 of S2.

Oh yes, classic Akane, right? I mean, it's just so obvious that she would do something like that. After all, from the beginning she was introduced to the story as a manipulative character, so that action fits her very well, right?

*sigh

I don't know what hurts more. ¿The incredible, almost comical, lack of basic comprehension? ¿Or the fact that that scene, like many others, reflects Akane's concern for Kana, and yet haters decided to make it about the ship wars?

Akane was worried about Kana's safety and idol reputation. She knows from experience how terrible it is to be the target of public criticism. HER ENTIRE CHARACTER INTRODUCTION ARC WAS ABOUT THAT. So, that makes her exactly the right person to express these concerns to Aqua. She didn't do it to scare him. Or for him to choose her. In her entire dialogue, the words, “You should stay away from Kana and be with me instead” were never said by Akane. Quite the opposite, she even told him he should choose a private place to meet Kana next time.

If the person giving that advice to Aqua had been Melt, Taiki, or Gotanda, even the haters would have said: “You know what, that's a good point”. But because the person who did it was Akane, her haters can only assume that she did it because she wanted Aqua for herself.

In the end, staying away from Kana was Aqua's decision. There was no manipulation on Akane's part. Only haters' strong desire to blame Akane and make her out to be a manipulative person who will do anything to be with Aqua.

Yandere Akane

“She got the crazy yandere look! It's extremely bad for Aqua to have someone like her around.” Anonymous hate comment, about Akane on episode 5 of S2.

“How could she say she would kill someone? She's really f*cked up in the head. Crazy ass yandere b*tch”. Anonymous hate comment, about Akane on episode 5 of S2.

It is well known that Akane's reaction to Aqua's confession about his revenge plan was not to everyone's liking. And that's fine. Akane's reaction was not made to please all viewers. It was made for Aqua.

It was what Aqua's character needed after confessing a secret that he had been carrying alone for years. He didn't need someone who would invalidate his pain, or try to talk him out of it from a moral high ground. He just needed someone who understood why. Who understood HIM. And Akane did.

She understood that Aqua wanted to take revenge against HIS MOTHER'S MURDERER. Not a random person, but someone who caused Aqua immeasurable pain.

Akane said she would help Aqua to kill! She's crazy! It's psychopathic behavior! Anonymous hate comment, about Akane on episode 5 of S2.

If people hate Akane for trying to help Aqua get justice for a horrible crime, without using the legal system and with morally questionable methods, then they will have to hate most morally gray and anti-hero characters out there as well. Do they? No!

Because at the end of the day, her haters have no problem with this part of Akane's character, as many other characters in other media have it as well.

Joo Yeo Jung, from The Glory. A character known for being willing to kill for the female protagonist, and to help her take revenge on the people who harassed her in the past, using morally questionable methods. No love triangles. No ship wars. No hate.

Kaz Brekker, from Six of Crows. Character known for using morally questionable methods so that the girl he loves can have her freedom. No love triangles. No ship wars. No hate.

Jason Todd, from DC Comics. Directly unrelated to romance. Character known for fighting crime with methods such as torture and murder. Still, for many, he is their favorite Robin. No romance. No ship wars. No hate.

See what I mean? It all boils down to the fact that the haters couldn't stand Akane becoming close to Aqua. That she would move his heart by telling him that she would be by his side no matter what.

“Akane is so creepy, she’s giving yandere vibes!” Anonymous hate comment, about Akane on episode 5 of S2

Please, tell me I'm not the only one who have watched Mirai Nikki, and therefore knows what a true yandere is like.

Yuno Gasai, everyone? THE yandere character? No? Okay, what about Sonozaki Shion? Sayaka Miki?

The list I have can go on and on, but no matter how big it gets, Akane Kurokawa will never be on it.

[ladymahou]

Oshi no Ko Episode 19

[nijigasakilove]

Ahhhh Akane masterclass. My beloved. Doga Kobo continue to take this story to new heights, awesome episode and a lot to go over.

The episode title of 【太陽】or Sun is very fitting. The sun is point around which everything in the solar system revolves, providing warmth and light. Kana has been the metaphorical sun in Akane’s life ever since she was a little kid. She wanted to act like her, dress like her, cut her hair like her. Anything to be closer to her idol(nice call back to the name of the series) This was about so much more than just the Tokyo blade play. This was Akane trying to surpass her idol. Her literal raison d’etre.

They say you should never meet your idols though, and that flashback to when they were kids showed why. Despite projecting this mature and composed personality, Kana was just a scared and insecure little girl. A little girl no different from any other who just wanted to be praised and needed. Even this interaction with her idol changed Akane and made her go on to learn psychology which would ultimately be helpful with Aqua funny enough. Also allowing her to have a deeper understanding of the girl she idolises.

The look on Akane/Sayahime face.. that pure determination when she sees what Kana has become, shrinking to match everyone else’s acting rather than dictating it like she once did.. Akane wants to beat her, sure. But not like this. Doga kobo did so well conveying those emotions and the animation during their fight scene was beautiful. The added Aquaka scenes were so good too. I can’t wait to see how they bring out the real Kana, together.

[yuseirra]

An analysis of Aqua Hoshino's character and drive & his feelings towards kana

**oshi no ko spoilers**

I'd been following onk time to time, but I def decided to pick it back up after having read aqua's feelings towards kana was confirmed in the recent chapters.

I was all like YES!! Finally!! About time!! because I thought that was something really obvious throughout this piece. I never saw it any other way. (This is my personal take, no offense on anyone who's thought otherwise!!) I wouldn't say I was entirely satisfied with all the things that happened in between..things were a bit messy. I still felt his character was always very consistent, however.

I wrote my thoughts about him, like one I did with Ai sometime back in May. so this analysis doesn't reflect the new stuff that's came after that.. but I still think a lot of what I've written here still stands. This is how I personally interpret the character and the stuff that's been going on in his heart. I think he's the most well-written character in this series along with Ai.. I was impressed about it when I first got into this series, I hope that will remain until the end

*this was originally written in a different language. It's machine-translated+ edited a little to make more sense

I've heard some spoilers about the development of onk, and I feel I did a pretty job with bringing Aqua's character right in my fan comics of him! It was all on point. I wrote a lot of analysis about Aqua's psychology but it's all gone, I wish some of it were left... Aqua's love for Kana is something that's been hinted at a lot, and I don't think there's much room to believe otherwise. I think it's pretty obvious that he's been in love with Kana the whole time. He'd been acting the way he is because the character is very mentally cornered and in self-doubt that he doesn't deserve to find happiness. In turn, he represses his feelings, but when he becomes a little cheerful, you see him turning his attention to Kana, and when he sees Kana, he's revitalized. If you follow Aqua's feelings, it's very natural that it comes out like this, he has a crush on Kana. I'm proud that I recognized that in the latest development, I'm proud that I recognized it properly. I'm so proud. But there was a lot of plot device and all leading up to it, so…I think it was in vol 10? When he thought he didn't have to take revenge, Aqua smiled relaxedly as if he had been saved for a while and dated Kana, so I think the reason he's trying to take revenge is because of his guilt over Ai rather than it being its true wants. He hates himself for having been unable to save the ones he's cared for, and he's so miserable and tormented that he doesn't care what happens to him. The funny thing is that even though he can't tolerate himself being happy, he's happy when he sees Kana. He feels both good and troubled because he can't help having her brightening his mood up again. He didn't have the heart to fully enjoy those feelings, but as soon as he thought there was no need to revenge, he straight makes a move on kana. The reason why Aqua dived back to continue his vengeance is because he realized that the person he was to revenge was still alive and well.

In fact, revenge is a way for Aqua to inflict sufferings to himself. If you look at his psychology, he doesn't enjoy revenge, but rather wants to be comfortable, and he was mentally exhausted to the point where he thought he would die after he finished her revenge (that's how his vows to revenge acted as his reason to continue living for awhile), but when he met someone he liked (Kana) or someone who cared for him(Akane), aqua starts to realize that he has more to live for. There's also Ruby, the precious child he once wanted to protect in his past life but couldn't. At this point, if Aqua goes through with his revenge, he might actually make himself even more unhappy, because he's going to make all those precious people around him suffer with him if he does. He can't just throw himself away now because seeing them makes him want to live a little longer, wish to be happy.

I think the major deal here would have to do with how the "revenge" will be brought out. That is something that's brought in as the main conflict element of the work. Ai's death is the most powerful event in the story, as it's the trigger, and it has a very strong grip on the characters, and it needs to have a strong grip on the story. I don't think any of the readers would want to see it fizzle out.

However, Aqua… I think he's a well-described character. This guy hasn't changed at all. Heck, he's not even that tough. He's not that relentless or decisive, so I'm not sure if he's really going to cut it for the revenge, and I don't think revenge will make him so happy (That's why I think Kana is the one who should take him. I'm not saying they have to be together, but I'd be happy if they end up walking in the same direction in the future. The reason why I support Aqukana is because they have mutual feelings towards each other and they're happy to be together. I think it would be nice to see that happen, but let's see how things'll play out..) I believe the method aqua COULD work with is to give the person he's revenging more trauma than he's experienced himself, and I think that can happen from conveying Ai's true feelings to the said character. Aqua seems to be aiming for that.

One of the keywords of this work is "lie", but the work seems to imply that there is some sincerity in the lies. Ai says that her lies were also love, and I wonder if something about that will come out again?

Anyway, it seems that the Ai's sincerity was not properly conveyed to the person Aqua wants to get revenge on. When told to them in hindsight, it must be something that can shock them in some way, and it seems that Ai herself wanted for it get across too. That's why Aqua wants to create the movie. I feel it's the right direction for him to do so as well, for it'll be passing on Ai's will.

+ Below are some more thoughts about Aqua's psyche.

Aqua is a character that deserves to be psychoanalyzed. I listened to Mephisto again after a long time, and I think the song really captures the character's psychology. I think the deepest core of Aqua's character is that he can't forgive herself for things that he's not really responsible for, and he punishes herself for that, and that punishment manifests itself in the form of not being able to allow himself to be happy, giving up and letting go to extreme extents. He does not value himself.

I think this is an attitude that is carried over from the character's previous life, and I think the death of his mother during his birth weighed heavily on him. He originally wanted to be a surgeon, but he switched to obstetrics and gynecology, and this was the beginning of his struggle. It appears like he was living a somewhat cheerful life up to this point, but that wasn't all, the guilt that he caused his mother's death was always there. Because before dying and being reincarnated, he mentioned something like "I thought that people like me would fall to hell"<. This was in episode 1, so I wondered just what's made him feel that way. If you review the whole story so far, that's about the only reason I feel could explain him downplay himself like that. He was a doctor. He had a life where he tried a lot and achieved something, being murdered and had it all reaped away, he doesn't seem to be so resentful and angry about this. The last thing he thinks is that he should be next to Ai and watch her over well as a doctor. I don't think this is because he has no attachment to his former life, rather, it's probably because he never placed a lot of value on himself., He didn't have a painful life like Ruby did, and he was a really kind and good person his previous life, so it's not like he needs to be so condescending about himself but he's like that.

This attitude of his continues, and Aqua is a bit obsessive about protecting other people's lives because he thinks he's taken someone else's life just by being born. It only worsens after he fails to save a patient he cared about, and his idol, his mother in this life, dies in front of his eyes. Even though he became a doctor and learned medical knowledge to save someone, in the former case, it wasn't a patient she could save, and in the latter case, he was young to do something and with Ai being critically injured, there was nothing that could be done.

The compulsion that was already there could only intensify, and with the death of Ai, I think this character completely lets go of his reason to live, because he hates himself for being so helpless. I think it's easier for him to take all the blame for the situation (even though it's all external factor, and he's not responsible for it) and take all the resentment and sadness for the situation on himself. If you look closely, you can see that even though he says he's going to kill the person who killed his child, he's not really interested in the person himself: what does he look like, how is he living, does he have a family, what is his psychology, why did he kill Ai, etc. If you look at the lyrics of Mephisto, it's like, "I don't care what happens to me as long as you survive," which is very self-loathing. Aqua is in a very precarious state, and he's very depressed. He tries to convince himself that finding and avenging the one responsible for Ai's murder is his sole purpose to live. He can't allow herself to be happy, because his mindset goes: "Ai's suffered such misery, and I dare be happy and live a normal life? No can do, I couldn't protect her, I don't deserve that". <This thought acts as punishment to his unforgivable self, and it prevents him from fully enjoying other things and living in peace.

There are two main ways that this character can make himself feel better: first, in terms of his own behavior, he seems to feel better by helping others. Even though his behavior keeps hurting the girls' feelings, Aqua is a character who likes to help others. He's good at supporting others, and he's often seen smiling behind their backs after having done so. I think the fact that he felt saved when he realized Ruby was the patient he cared about is an extension of this, and it fits his personality to believe it's enough for him to see the girl he couldn't save is living happily If other people are happy, he's happy. That's his core personality.

The other would be to find something to like and love, which, unlike the act of helping others earlier, is not something Aqua does on purpose, but something he came to naturally find in his new life. And it was Kana who gave this to Aqua.

This is why Aqua likes Kana but keeps her at a distance. He's not supposed to be happy, but whenever he thinks, "I want to be happy…" Aqua sees Kana. Spending time with Kana makes Aqua happy. When he think of happy memories, Kana fills him up. She makes him smile, laugh, and relax. He seems to like people like Kana, and he never gets tired of watching her, just as he enjoyed watching her as a fan. 'I'm going to die, I'm not going to be happy, and she's a celebrity now, and being close to me is scandalous, and there's nothing good about being close to me, and I'm in the dark (laughs), and I'm going to lose my humanity and become a vengeance demon, and she's going to be unhappy with me'. He tries to convince himself he's no good, but he still ends up hanging with her because, well, he likes her and it happens. And then he pushes Kana away, because he thinks there are reasons why him and Kana wouldn't work out. He thinks it's bad for her. This leads Kana to think Aqua doesn't have feelings for her, but she still likes him through all that;;; and it's been like that the whole time. That's why they made so little progress while they have mutual feelings towards one another. Aqua needs to forgive himself first before anything, but on his path of revenge due to him being unable to do that, he's done even more unforgivable things that he thinks are unforgivable, he's really screwed up now. He's put himself in a really tough spot.

The fact that someone who's not that compatible with revenge and whose personality is kind in essence is trying to force it (this ties in with Aqua's characterization two paragraphs above, that he likes to help others. Aqua thinks that he was unable to do anything for Ai, so he can't give up her revenge because he thinks going through with it is for Ai's sake), he wavers, and even though he seems to be calm, he keeps hesitating and stumbling. And while doing so, he's hurt the people around him over and over, making him feel self-deprecating and self-hating. That's a really bad cycle. Aqua actually cares a lot about the people around him. If Akane, Ruby, Kana, or the couple who raised him are in danger, he'll hold off on revenge AGAIN. But he can't give up on revenge either. As long as he thinks about Ai, he won't give up.

The only way for Aqua to be truly happy is to live with people who love him. But he also has to make sure that he's done the right thing for Ai, and I think the key is to really understand what she wanted. If she actually fully embraced the person who murdered her… I think that'd be cruel. I don't think it should be so. Idols are people, too. They shouldn't have to accept everything. Should they refuse to hate and resent others even though they died so unjustly? I don't think the manga will go that way, and I think while Ai always smiled, she had some darkness in her heart. So I'm not sure how this will be resolved at this stage, but that's that.

In this piece, Kana is the one who makes Aqua smile at the moment. So it seems like going in that direction would be happiness for this character, but in order for Aqua to get there, he needs to tie the knot with Ai and stop hating himself. I don't know how that's going to happen, but if this comic is going to have a happy ending, it's going to happen. I don't know how it'd get there, but I don't think this comic is going to have an unhappy ending for Aqua at all. I don't think it's going to end in tragedy. That is all!

[chodzacaparodia]

The girl asked him a dangerous question

[youuuimeanmee]

Aftet I'm up to date with the latest manga chapter, I can't with this scene anymore.

I realized Aqua is a dick. Kinda.

His heart is in the right place, but his action is not.

From the start, he loves Kana, but after he realized he can't be with her because it'd endanger her life as an idol, he distanced himself without explanation, hurting Kana in the process.

He knows he loves Kana, but he feels heavily indebted to Akane that he cannot bear to see her cry. Akane cries because she doesn't want to part with Aqua yet, so Aqua gave Akane exactly what she wants: his commitment as her boyfriend.

"My revenge is over now. And the corpse has been found. That's why..."

I don't think he's lying. Unfortunately. He does want to protect Akane, by lying on his own feelings in order to protect Akane's feelings.

He kissed Akane because he feels obligated to reciprocate her feelings, even though his heart actually belongs to Kana.

Whether he realized it or not, Aqua has made Akane his scapegoat, to escape his heartbreak because he can't be together with Kana.

He's the worst.

But I try to cut him some slack because at the end of the day, he's just a dumb 17 year-old boy, trying to do what he think is right.

In a way, I feel sorry for him because even though his revenge is "over," he still can't get rid of his bad habit of sacrificing his well-being for the sake of others.

Now I can understand Akane's line in ch 87 a bit better.

Akane, you wanna know why Aqua wants to date you? He feels sorry for you, that's what. No doubt it's not a pleasant answer at all.

Now I can also understand Aqua's new wish for Akane for a bit.

Along the way, he realized that pretending to love her in romantic way is not the way to go, so he wants to build an equal relationship with her through other means. Something something that has nothing to do with lying and manipulating each other's feelings.

Maybe something deeper than platonic, lesser than romance?

I don't know. Let's just see his development for now.

[sev-ille]

now that I think about it, aren't all the stories I'm consuming right now in the deep depths of angsty hell?

[tenebriskukris]

Oshi No Ko Chapter 154 - My Thoughts/Analysis

Well this chapter was certainly Something. I have very mixed feelings about it no matter the quality of the chapter in question but I’ll save my thoughts below. Spoilers for Oshi No Ko Ch 154 below.

So we’re back to this Hikaru and Ai flashback! I was honestly half expecting that we wouldn’t be continuing this flashback in sufficient detail but at this point I’m glad to be proven wrong.

Wait, was Hikaru having intercourse with Ai and not wearing a condom or anything like that? Their relationship and sexual escapades were definitely consensual given what we’ve seen of them previously but I’m slightly surprised by it—but I guess I really shouldn’t be considering they are just teenagers in this flashback, and teenage pregnancy certainly isn’t something too out of the norm.

Ai’s dismissal to the thought of them getting married though…jeez. If this is their last in-person conversation that the two of them had before that phone call a few years later I don’t think I can blame Hikaru for thinking that Ai didn’t love him after this flashback. That was just… so incredibly callous. It almost felt like Ai was rubbing it in Hikaru’s face with just how offhandedly she broke up with him without the kind of explanation that Hikaru deserved. If a long time partner broke up with you in a similar manner that Ai broke up with Hikaru then I think having some doubts about whether or not that person loved you would be natural given the circumstances.

I do want to reiterate a point I made during my last chapter analysis. I don’t think it’s fair to blame Hikaru for not being able to tell that Ai was lying to him—as the narrative is starting to point in that direction. If we take the movie to be correct in that Ai was honest to Hikaru more often than not, then this would be the nail in the coffin for Hikaru since he was used to Ai’s honesty rather than her lies.

I have a plethora of thoughts about this entire flashback but they’ll clog up the chapter further so I’ll just continue on with the chapter. We’re not even halfway yet, after all.

It was only natural. She knew what I had done so she chose to leave me. That’s definitely projecting. Considering how that entire flashback was angled, I don't think that it was because of Hikaru’s actions that Ai left him. If we were to believe Ai’s words in said flashback—which I don’t completely just yet, but that’s a subject for another time—it wasn’t not because of Hikaru’s past, it was with because of the prospect of a relationship that would last a long time that she just wasn’t ready for at her current state. A true and tried case of “it’s not you, it’s me”.

I gave her address to Ryosuke…but I never thought that he would actually kill her. Two things I want to call out here. The first is how did Hikaru and Ryosuke even meet up in the first place? Crow Girl implies that they met at the hospital in Miyazaki but we don’t quite get context to that meeting. In order for Hikaru to give Ryosuke Ai’s address, Hikaru would’ve had to have his contact details which is something that I don’t think that he would give out to just anyone. 

The next thing is that Hikaru is definitely dodging blame for Ryosuke killing Ai. Since we’re unsure of the context of their meeting for the first time I can’t blame him completely here but it’s still highly irresponsible for him to send a stalker of all people Ai’s address.. There was no way that entire mess was going to end well for anyone involved. It’s a good thing that Ryosuke died before anyone could interrogate him because otherwise he might’ve leaked Hikaru’s identity. Perhaps Hikaru actually killed him in order to cover up his tracks? Doubtful.

Did you believe her words? I dunno Aqua, at this point I should be asking you that question but we’ll get to that can of worms after the chapter.

Hikaru’s entire monologue here about how Ai was an ordinary girl rings true. Ai herself wasn’t inherently special. Her own tragic backstory was something that could’ve happened to anyone. The obstacles she overcame weren’t anything that anyone else couldn’t have also gotten past. There wasn’t anything inherently special about Hoshino Ai. Perhaps that was what made the illusion that there was something inherently special about her all the more potent. Her ability to draw in an audience and shine wasn’t something she was born with, but rather a trained skill that anyone could reach if they devoted themselves to shine as well as Ai. Akane proved that much, at least.

Why were we born? Why did Ai give birth to us? Have you ever thought about the meaning behind it? Aqua makes a good point here but I would also counter that some people just don’t have a reason for having children aside from the fact that it’s something that people just do because society pressures them to get married and have children. Sometimes there just isn’t any deeper meaning behind it. 

We don’t get to see Ai’s torso in these flashbacks but it doesn’t seem like the pregnancy has progressed as much as we see it in the first chapter. There would've been enough time for Ai to find a way to abort the twins if she didn’t want to give birth to them. 

Oh damn is Aqua actually going to show what was on the DVDs in the movie??? That feels like—well. An extraordinary breach of privacy—but Ai is dead, Hikaru is giving carte blanche to Aqua and his revenge plot, and Aqua and Ruby likely engineered this scenario in the first place. 

Hikaru going through the ringer like this was about what I expected after the last chapter. The narrative was starting to push the idea that Ai loved Hikaru all along for a couple of chapters now. While I personally don’t have an issue with that narrative choice in a vacuum, I do have issues in how everything around it was handled, as I’ve spoken many, many times throughout the movie arc and afterwards, so there’s no need to tread on that stuff again.

I thought, “he definitely couldn’t take any more than this.” From how Hikaru reminisces about Ai, I think it’s the opposite. He was able to take any burden so long as he had Ai with him to help blunt the worst of his trauma. Ai being unable to understand that she was more integral for Hikaru’s mental health than anyone else is very in-character for her. She wasn’t able to understand love—and unable to understand how much love Hikaru attached to her through this breakup.

I can’t be burdened with you so let’s break up. I can’t love you. Considering we just got a flashback of their breakup—and with all flashbacks in this series being accurate so far I don’t doubt the accuracy of said flashback—that was absolutely not the subtext that was shimmering beneath Ai and Hikaru’s breakup. Maybe Ai is coating their breakup with nostalgia but hmmmmmmmm. More thoughts to be put to pen later.

The truth is…I really wanted to be with him forever. Hikaru’s face in some of these panels… He must feel so poleaxed at Ai’s words. Hearing that she loved him all along and that he had her killed must feel—well. I wouldn’t want to be him right now. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he took his own life somewhere along the line. It’s obvious from how he talks about Ai and his reactions to the movie and otherwise that he’s still not quite over Ai leaving him like this. I doubt he’s even dealt with his trauma in a healthier way since Ai’s death—a trait that Aqua would share if he didn’t have his own support system.

Well that was a gut punch and a half from the DVDs. I want to know if those are the only things on Aqua’s DVDs and what was on Ruby’s DVD but I’m sure we’ll be getting those answers soon—I just hope that they set it up better than how they did with Hikaru and Aqua’s conversation.

Ruby eavesdropping! There’s my girl! I wanna see how they all decompress after this conversation. That’ll be a conversation and a half, I think. Will we finally get to see them interacting more or are the authors going to leave that as another bombshell to drop later? 

As well as our revenge to you…for not understanding her. Gotta be honest though, if Hikaru didn’t kill Ai this would’ve been a fucked up thing to do to him. I don’t blame Hikaru or Ai for being fucked up teenagers who made bad decisions when they were younger. Aqua and Ruby doing all this to rub it in Hikaru’s face would be shitty enough as is—but Hikaru is the reason for Ai’s death anyway so this is a moot point.

That was certainly A Chapter. Before I vivisect this chapter right down to its bones I have to give credit where credit’s due. This was a chapter that the series has been waiting for for so long. Aqua unveiling this bombshell on Hikaru and finally getting some of the answers we’ve been wanting since the series has started is a godsend. Hikaru’s reactions in this chapter were art. The onions being chopped up on a silver platter with that one image of a happier Hikaru and Ai taking care of a baby Aqua and Ruby. It wasn’t necessary to add that but they did and FUCK they could’ve been a happy family.

But for all this chapter’s good points it was absolutely was not worth the slop that the last 5 chapters put us through. Not worth the sudden timeskip, not worth the fact that Aqua suddenly has white star eyes again without explanation, and certainly not worth the fact that the start of this interaction was poorly structured in the first place. A shit sandwich with an exquisite piece of cheese in the center does not mean that it is not a shit sandwich. It just means that there’s a single good point out of the trasheap. 

Before I get into the flashback I want to vomit out a crackpot theory. Is the person in the video actually Ai? We know Ruby can manage to give off an incredible Ai impression so I’m wondering if this entire thing was just a honeytrap to lure Hikaru to confess. Would Hikaru be able to figure out a difference between the actual Ai or the Ruby impersonator after more than 15 years have passed since he’s seen Ai in person? I doubt this is a plotline the series is going to lean towards but I’ll have to give it props if it could pull a rabbit out of a hat like that.

Now onto my thoughts about the flashback. I think the questions I have to face now are twofold. The first question I have is why did Ai make these tapes to give to Aqua and Ruby if the point of it all was to help Hikaru if he was still lost. You’d think that Ai would be able to do this herself if she was alive since she fully expects to be alive when Aqua and Ruby reach 15 by her own words. If she was so concerned about Hikaru’s mental state enough to prepare tapes asking Aqua and Ruby to help him fifteen years into the future, why didn’t she expend more effort in making sure he was okay when she was still alive? From their one sided conversation earlier in the manga it appeared that she didn’t have much contact with Hikaru before she contacted him about visiting the twins, so what’s that about?

The obvious answer is that she still had her hangups with intimacy to contact him and was gathering up the resolve to try and make sure he was okay, but that’s a cop out if I’ve ever seen one. This isn’t quite a case of characters acting illogically because they’re human or making imperfect decisions—Ai narrates this tape explaining her logic to a grown up Aqua detailing her rationale for their breakup. She makes it quite clear that the younger Ai already had these thoughts in her head when she broke up with Hikaru—or it only appears that she had them at the time, which is another can of worms I’ll deal with later. In any case, this desire to help Hikaru carry his burdens contradicts with her stated goal of doing it after fifteen years.

Why would Ai wait fifteen years to help Hikaru if he was still lost—and through Aqua and Ruby and through the DVDs—if it was that important to her? If she suspected that Hikaru wasn’t doing well after the breakup then why did she only contact Hikaru years after they broke up and only to have him meet the twins—perhaps she was planning on doing so after she had introduced them but that in of itself is also just speculation based on nothing concrete we’ve seen in the series. 

The next question has to be asked: Did Ai actually love Hikaru or is this tape too, a lie? We’ve seen how effective Ai’s lies have been in deceiving people, and I’m not that type of reviewer who believes everything a character says just because they vocalize it. While the narrative is pointing in the direction that, yes, Ai actually did love Hikaru if his tape is to be believed—I think it’s relevant to look at these tapes objectively alongside the events that Hikaru himself experienced to make an assessment.

So that leaves Hikaru’s flashback, which for one, is the most accurate representation of their relationship so far since flashbacks in this series don’t lie wholesale about their contents. Ai’s words through the DVDs can be doubted since there’s no one else who can attest to what Ai’s true intentions were, and then all of the Ai-Hikaru interactions throughout the movie arc, which are arguably semi-fictional unless Ai was the one who gave Aqua certain details throughout the DVDs—which is still possible but left up in the air. 

Is there enough evidence out there to point in the direction that Ai loved Hikaru? Yes, and the narrative even seems to be endorsing it. Is it possible to definitively prove that Ai loved Hikaru when the interpretation that she never loved him is still plausible given the circumstances? Certainly not unless the manga goes on and outright has Ai confirm it with a flashback or something. It’s still possible that Ai’s justifications for breaking up with Hikaru could be lies—spoken ex post facto to paint herself in a better light or to convince herself and Aqua and Ruby that she was doing the right thing—there’s enough room for doubt knowing Ai’s propensity for lies.

Perhaps Hikaru was right all along that Ai never loved him. From his perspective the woman he loved threw him away the moment he became too much of a burden. Would it even matter if that person carving his heart into pieces had nothing but good intentions while hurting him as much as she did? That’s something that would be juicy to get into later in the series—and something that might be cool to see Hikaru wrestle with.

I doubt the manga will ever give the reader a clear answer to whether or not Ai loved Hikaru—and while I do agree that there is merit to that reading, I think there’s also merit in understanding the contradictions of said reading. It’s impossible to divine the intentions of a dead woman when all that remains are her actions. What is left of Hoshino Ai are the actions she took and the people she left in her wake.

[jintsuki]

i just realised… oshi no ko season 2 episode 2 is basically what’s happening to house of the dragon….

the game of telephone pipeline with the original creator to the showrunner & scriptwriter is so apparent now.

[fategoflatass]

Top 10 Best Reunions In All History

[kisilinramblings]

Kana, sweetheart, if only you knew. Just after she boasts she knew him the longest too. Come to think of it, that industry advice in general is mess up to say to kid actors even if they didn't lose a parent.

Akane, you would be a great detective, but if you gotta cheer him up, why can't you act as yourself instead of switching into Ai mode? Acting like his mom will only hurt the both of you in the long run.

And Aqua, hearing you say that your sister got over it just means you aren't the only actor in the family...

[neospokenworld]

OSHI NO KO S2 EP 12 SPOILERS

Me: ''Please don't let this episode end with Ruby finding Gorou's body'.'

''GOD FUCKING DAMMIT.''

[ladymahou]

Oshi no Ko Episode 21

[nijigasakilove]

Akane.. the woman you are

[yuseirra]

**Oshi no ko spoilers** !!

I've been looking over the lyrics for onk S2 op "Fatale" since yesterday, and I'm getting this hunch that this song is from someone who is almost desperate for Ai's love, with her being the "Fatale". There could be multiple ways to interpret the song and I think it'd appear to reflect the perspectives of the many characters coming forth in this arc, but this is the first thought that comes into mind for me

It'd be natural to assume the speaker is Aqua, but what it says seems even more extreme than what he'd feel toward Ai, the lyric feels like there is a huge longing to the point of obsession. This person is willing to give everything up for their love and is declaring they can't survive without them, the type of love aqua has for ai is different, I feel. It should be more tender and familial.

I think it'd make sense for this song to be written fron hikaru's perspective. IDOL was written from Ai's, right? And it conveys her desires to love more sincerely... It could also have conveyed her feelings towards hikaru if she really held some desires to build a more genuine relationship with him as she did for her fans. Perhaps the opening for the second season displays HIS feelings towards HER in comparison. I have a feeling they cared about each other when they were together but there was some miscommunication that's led to a tragic outcome. At this point, maybe the feelings kamiki has for Ai's become something quite huge and twisted, like what nino has for her? Something like what this song says.

He might be even more similar to Aqua than we think, in terms of mentality. What if he feels regret and despair after Ai's death and has given up on his chances to live a normal life like the way his son's doing right now? His motives and purpose for living could be tied to what he THINKS is for Ai's sake.

Mephisto and Fatale both seem to have lyrics that have implications of giving up the speaker's own life and trading it for their loved one, the person wishes to bring them back, and they won't mind giving themselves for this purpose, it seems. So what if those parts of the lyrics are from hikaru's thoughts? What if hikaru is actually trying to go through with something like that? The whole plot of onk starts out with two people being revived from the dead so it IS something that's possible in this universe. Maybe he knows about that after having came to contact with a god himself.

I wrote this yesterday, but he could be a version of Aqua who went to the point of no return. Aqua still has a chance to live normally and happily, but kamiki just can't because he has too much blood on his hands. Aqua can be saved by his friends and companions, but Kamiki only had Ai and she couldn't stop him from going down that path(rather, she became his drive to continue what he's doing the way it is for his own son)

Having Ai love a serial killer would make things seem like she chose the wrong person to love, right?; After what all Ai's been through.. that seems really off. Kamiki should have some type of reason that could appeal to the readers if he REALLY is one in the first place. Did he really kill in the first place... Idk about that, I don't know how extreme he'd get for Ai's sake, but it is likely that the new op could be how he feels about her, and if that is the case, he'd be the guy that'd be able to throw himself away and risk anything if he can have her back. I've only looked at the first verse, but this seems like a REALLY powerful song in terms of the type of emotions it has. I rather have him REALLY loved ai, it'd be sad if the one she wanted to open up to more after all her struggles turned out to be someone who didn't care... The plot makes more sense for me if he did too. Then we'll see why and how desperate he is and understand him as a character and why he is a match for Ai. Honestly everything will start to make more sense as a whole, because there were some parts that felt very confusing. It'd all start to click if the story goes like this.

Looking forward to anime S2! The op seems great!! I can't wait to see the lyrics in full!