Note: This review assumes the reader is familiar with the anime version and/or its equivalent content in the source manga. There will be spoilers for those who haven’t seen through the final episode of the anime’s season 2!
The live-action version of Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari’s Oshi no Ko manga is an ambitious project consisting of eight ONA episodes varying in length from 40 to 57 minutes, with the first six becoming available worldwide on Amazon Prime in late November and the last two becoming available earlier in December 2024. This review covers all eight episodes.
The series’ first episode covers mostly the same ground as the movie-length first episode of the anime version, though it mostly eliminates the scenes prior to the reincarnations; this won’t faze those familiar with the anime version, and some of those scenes are scattered throughout later parts of the series in flashbacks, but this approach makes the whole story less accessible to those for whom this version is their first exposure, as certain scenes in later episodes (especially ones where the ghost of Goro appears) might make less sense. Episode 2 covers the Sweet Today content (and so is equivalent to anime episodes 2-4), while episode 3 deals with the dating show (anime eps 5-7). Beyond that, direct comparisons get more muddled for a while, as the formation of the new B Komachi partly overlaps with the beginning of Tokyo Blade, which is a TV show instead of a stage play in this version. Hence episodes 4 and 5 are a condensed and remixed version of anime episodes 8-15, with Kana’s seeming scheduling conflict being explained by her taking over her Tokyo Blade role as an emergency fill-in rather than having been originally cast for it. Episode 6 finishes out the heavily-tweaked Tokyo Blade arc (and so is very roughly equivalent to anime episodes 16-20), while episode 7 covers Aqua’s meeting with Himekawa and the Miyazaki content (episodes 21-24), albeit without the supernatural aspects. Episode 8 is partly based on a few scenes that were left out of earlier content and partly forges on beyond the anime, with the series ending on a succession of major game-changing elements that point the story in the direction of the chapter-end flash-forward pages in the manga’s first volume.
While this story shouldn’t fundamentally be too difficult to do in live-action, some of the neatest visual gimmicks in the manga and anime versions had to be left behind. In particular, the starry-eye effect is used sparingly and more subtly, so much so that a franchise newcomer might miss it. Changes in expression and demeanor are instead used to emphasize when Aqua’s (and later Ruby’s) star goes black, and this has to be reinforced by the reactions of other characters. This version also has Aqua and Ruby be age 5 instead of 3 at the time of Ai’s death, hence allowing for actual child actors to speak their lines more convincingly, and greatly reduces the amount of time that “talking babies” is on the screen. The roles of assorted side characters are also minimized or cut out entirely, especially in the Tokyo Blade arc; that Melt is also in Tokyo Blade isn’t mentioned at all, for instance. In this version, Tokyo Blade is also more a drama than an action tale, so don’t expect any nifty fight scenes. Much (but not all!) of the series’ trademark showbiz commentary also gets trimmed.
The best aspect of this version is that it does maintain the story’s flow and signature scenes. As a trade-off for having to ditch the fancier visual effects of the anime version, costuming gets extra-special attention here; how certain characters were dressed at different times was always a significant background detail in the anime version, but the anime can’t hold a candle to the veritable teen fashion show of this version in that regard. Set dressings, especially in household shots, are also generally more elaborate and rich with credible details. Theme songs rotate with each episode, giving the series greater diversity in musical themes (though the anime version outshines it in use of background music). Some parts even play out every bit as well as in the animated version.
The key word in that last statement, though, is “some.” The effectiveness of individual scenes varies greatly, and the caliber of the acting has a lot to do with this. In general, actors for adult characters are smoother and more convincing; I especially liked the performances of producers Kaburagi and Raida. Among the main youth cast, the most consistently capable performance is probably Nanoka Hara as Kana. (Anime fans may know her as the Japanese voice of the titular character in Suzume.) She plays well off of both peers and adults alike. Nagisa Saito, who is a former idol group member, also acquits herself well as Ruby, as does Asuka Saito (a former Nogizaka46 member) as Ai. Unfortunately, the weakest performance is also the most important one: Kaito Sakurai, who does have other prominent live-action credits, just isn’t able to do much with Aqua. Granted, Aqua’s demeanor would have been hard for anyone to pull off well, but too often Aqua’s behavior feels forced, like Sakurai is just acting rather than being the character. (Which is ironic, given his character’s internal thoughts at times.) Camera angle choices in some scenes also leave a lot to be desired, as does a jittery camera effect which was sometimes probably intentional but sometimes didn’t seem to be.
Overall, this version provides an interesting alternate take in how to portray both the overall story and various key scenes, but that is the main extent of its value. It is hardly required viewing, as 90% of the time the anime version is clearly superior. A follow-up movie, subtitled The Final Act, is due to be released in theaters in Japan on December 20 and will presumably make its way to Amazon Prime sometime after that, which will go fully beyond where the anime version is so far and (presumably) finish out the story. It’s worth a look to franchise completists, but not something I can recommend beyond that.
Rating: B-
USA Anime 