Review of [Oshi No Ko]

It has been a while since I have been active. I came back from massive burnout to anime seasonal because of the greatest animated show pilot episode of the 2020s. But we are not here to talk about the pilot episode of Lackadaisy (the episode is available on YouTube). We are here for Oshi No Ko. Let’s try to temper expectations here because there is solid chance that you were marketed to in an unintentionally misleading way by several YouTube content creators as to the kind of story Oshi No Ko is. That is okay. I was too. I tried to go into this show blindbut even with that, I still ran into video recommendations talking about Oshi No Ko, cases it draws from, and how it is an expose on the seedy underbelly of the idol industry. With those video essay titles and fan marketing, you can be forgiven for having a particular set of expectations, namely: that this will be an uncomfortable character-focused psychological storytelling. It is not that, not nearly enough that.

What it is is more a slice-of-life with some humorous beats mixed in when it is not trying to beat you over the head with its point about how dark the idol industry is (which is an open secret even a decade ago). It has a little bit of whodunnit mystery in the background that is unfortunately not being handled well. And for us adults in the audience watching, several enjoyable bits of talking shop (editor’s note: talking shop = to talk about your job with those you work with, even when not at work) in the show-within-a-show format of some of its arcs. And I am serious when I say the part where characters talk shop, with bits of humor mixed in, is the best part of the show for me. This is not a back-handed compliment. Look, the breakdown of the expenses you incur as an idol and your net salary are the more eye-opening parts of the show/the idol industry to anyone who has been on the internet for the last five years or more.

The show proper has a very clear linear break (some call it a tone switcharoo) that you should be wary of when deciding if this is a show for you. The first episode’s story attracts audiences that might be turned off by the story beats of episode two onwards. Meanwhile, the audiences that might enjoy the story of episode two onwards might have been turned off by episode one’s introduction and what they felt might be the direction of the series. (The kind of humor this show has stays consistent all throughout the season however so if it is the humor that caught you, you should be pleased to know that.)

Episode 1 is the most talked about part of the series and with a run time of almost an hour and a half it could have been a movie all on its own, centered around Ai as she tries to navigate the seedy underbelly of the entertainment industry while trying to keep her children a secret. The problem is that she must share screentime and development with her children. They need this setup for their eventual roles after the episode, but they eat into her story progression. Combined with the multiple mini time-skips, you eventually get the message that her story is not the important part of Oshi No Ko. She is the call to arms, the setup for the story of her children. They are the main characters. If you were here for her, it can feel like a switcharoo. I want to clear that up first with you, potential future viewer.

What can you expect? If you have a fascination with behind-the-scenes stories or show-within-a-show formats, this show has that. Do you want to see contractually obligated participants in a dating show talk about their “strategies” and real goals when the camera is not looking? How about a former child actress starring in a manga adaptation that she likes and is currently being butchered in the adaptation table to launch the careers of several up-and-coming male models with little acting experience?

I must admit that last part could have been more interesting if it had been given enough time to build it up. This is the second biggest weakness of the show, after marketing. It had multiple character arcs but it did a poor job managing its timetable.

But enough talk of spilled rice, this is more in line with what you should expect going into this show.