Review of [Oshi No Ko]

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW „Oshi no Ko“ has been on my radar for quite some time now, not only because it is the new manga by the renowned Aka Akasaka („Love is War“), but also because the premise sounded like something that has never been done in an anime before. This show is truly special. There are 11 episodes, but the first one runs for almost 90 minutes which basically means it can be viewed as a full on movie. Let´s talk about it. Story – 10/10 The first episode of “Oshi no Ko” is probably the best first episode of anime i have ever seen. Youcould say it´s cheating because it is so long, but i think it had to be this way. You go through a roller-coaster of emotions, the pacing is extremely fast and consistent, the characters are deep, the story is just outright crazy and fantastical and the ending is one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever followed by an incredible cliffhanger.
But what then? Does the show lose steam after the movie? No it doesn´t. It combines genres beautifully, creating an anime that has elements of a thriller, a romance, a drama, a fantasy and even a murder-mystery detective story. Every little arc brings something new to the table.
Having seen hundreds of anime and a lot of thrillers and mysteries, you start to be familiar with the genre and plot-twists and reveals start to impress you less and less. But Oshi no Ko is the first anime in a long time that gave me this gut-wrenching feeling. The ongoing mystery kept me at the edge of my set at all times. There are a few very specific moments where the tension spikes incredibly high and you have to hold your breath.
Another big thing to talk about is the way in which the show discusses the issues in the japanese entertainment industry. Idol anime tend to be very cute and family friendly, always putting the girls on a pedestal of happiness. This is a different story, a story that thematises the dark and gruesome reality of getting to the top of the industry.
But the main reason why I gave the highest possible score in this category is because this truly feels fresh and new. This show reverses a lot of the common anime tropes and takes a new route to tell
it´s story. In a time where a lot of anime can feel like cop-outs from one another, this show was desperately needed.

Art – 9/10

The first thing that you notice immediately after the start is the art style. Almost as a contradiction, regarding the dark themes in this show, the studio opted for a very bright and colourful palette. The eyes stand out the most, with every character having a unique look to them. You can even see the development in certain characters impacting them in the way their eyes are drawn (one of the best scenes in the show). The movement is crisp, especially in the idol performance scenes. When the tension rises and big reveals start to happen, the style shifts to a very dark look, with gloomy shadows. You will notice that a lot of the budget was indeed poured into the first episode, which makes sense to hook the audience even more. But the rest of the series still manages to look great, which I think is a great compromise.

Sound – 9/10

Another standout category. Even though this is no typical idol anime, the soundtrack is still full of great songs. The performances are of course the highlight, but even in the quieter scenes, the show does not hold back. The OP is, in my opinion, a very strong contender for opening of the year. There is a reason why every street and every convenience store in Shinjuku plays this song 24/7. Yoasobi has delivered another banger, after already putting their mark on the industry with their work on “Beastars”. The ED is also great, beautifully ending all episodes with a smooth transition.

Characters – 9/10

There are a lot of characters to talk about in this show. We of course have our two protagonists, Ruby and Aqua, but because of spoiler reasons, even talking about them would affect the viewing experience .Lets just say that the situation they are in and the way they deal with it would make ANYONE interesting. They both come from totally different backgrounds and deal with their magical circumstances in their own way. There is a slight lean in the direction of Aqua if you look at who really pushes the story forward the most, but over the course of the show I found Ruby´s arc to be very compelling too.
Thank god the supporting cast is almost equally as interesting. What I liked the most, is that everyone gets attention for an extended amount of time during the show. Everyone feels connected and alive, there are very few characters that fall into common anime stereotypes. The murder mystery aspect sheds light on the different people in the entertainment industry and shows how each of the characters deal with their own shortcomings and failures.

Enjoyment – 10/10

This was one of those rare anime where every single episode was a banger. The story moves at a very fast pace and I cannot wait to see how everything wraps up at the end. I struggled a lot with this decision, but giving this show anything less than a 10/10 would be an understatement. Watch the first episode/movie to get hooked, you won´t regret it. This is one of the best Anime that I have ever seen.

- Marco_Yooo

FINAL SCORE - 10/10