Review of [Oshi No Ko]

"In the world of show business, behind every smile there is a lie," we are led to believe this quote by "Oshi no Ko," published by Aka Akasaka since 2020 in Weekly Young Jump magazine. The manga has wide popularity, and in 2021 it won the Next Manga Award as the best printed manga. The anime adaptation from Doga Kobo has also garnered a lot of public attention, and the first 80-minute one blew up the ratings at MAL, temporarily putting itself in second place among the top grades. Well, it's a clear success. The mangaka has tried to target the audience's attention to the worldof show business, or more specifically, to target the backside of show business that few people think about. Many people watch youtubers without thinking about what they have to face in their careers. The stars are just glittering with their great acting on the big screens, but everything most interesting, as they say, stays behind the scenes. There are many directions in show business, but they have one thing in common, and that is the belief of a large number of people that it's easy money for which you don't have to sweat and try hard. This is a big lie, a ridiculous stereotype, and Aka Akasaka understands this very well, as you can see from her work.

The mangaka has diluted her main idea with a detective plot. It's impossible to spoil, but I'd like to point out that the plot is as simple as possible, but nevertheless quite fascinating.

The narrative of "Oshi no Ko" is accompanied by many of the same characters, all of whom work in show business: the idols, actors, youtubers, dancers, and even a director who doesn't want to move out of his mom's house at his age (and I told you that working in show business is not an easy thing).
It's fascinating to follow the development of the characters; it's not just the abundance of them, but the interplay of their personalities with their careers that reveals their worldviews and appreciation of modern show business.

Eyes. One of the most distinctive details by which anime can be distinguished from other types of animation. The eyes of important characters in the story are endowed with bright colors, special shapes that fit the temperament of their bearers. Not to say anything about the eyes in "Oshi no Ko" is like saying nothing at all. The characters' eyes are an amazing world, a whole universe in which you can drown or get lost. The most important characters have one characteristic feature: stars in their eyes, showing, it seems to me, the presence of immense talent and potential. As long as they don't go out, the hero will move all the way to his dream. That's the way it is, and it's a very beautiful and important detail.

Oh, the opening splash screen is very well viral on the Internet, and that's not surprising at all. The song "Idol" sung by the collaborative duo Yoasobi fits this show very well. It's colorful, and accentuates a large number of characters, as well as their eyes. The closing intro, "Mephisto" performed by the Queen Bee was the most memorable. I really love endings with quality animation and no less quality performance. What can I say about the rest of the music that was playing throughout.

"Oshi no Ko" is the kind of work that helps people reconsider many things. It can change the way you look at the world by showing a different side of it. Arka Akasaka, the mangaka, did a good job. The anime adaptation, in turn, diluted everything with colorful drawing and good music. I don't know if I'll be looking forward to the sequel, but one thing's for sure, if it's at the same level, I'd be more than happy to watch it, I'm sure many would agree with me. Thank you!