Oshi no Ko episode 9

Rating: B+

Though setting Ruby into the footsteps that her mother followed has been a plot element since episode 2, she has largely remained on the back burner over the last several episodes as the story has focused more on what Aqua is up to and his recruitment of the other two girls who will compose the revival of B Komachi. This episode represents a key transition in the series, as the focus shifts mostly to the establishment and development of the new B Komachi.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that Ruby has become the focal point character, though. Except for one key scene featuring Aqua, the episode is split roughly evenly between the the three girls: the gung-ho Ruby, the more jaded and reluctant Kana, and newcomer MEM-cho. The latter has an interesting secret: she’s actually much older (just turned 25!) but using her youthful look and attitude combined with a technicality that can still allow her, in a roundabout way, to claim that she’s still a high school student to pass as 18. This allows the series to make some commentary about the extreme ageism in the idol industry, and it makes for a neat sort of irony; as much of a bombshell as her real age being revealed publicly might be, it’s probably nowhere near as explosive as the even bigger secret that Ruby is hiding. Her experience as a YouTuber also makes her a good fit both for attracting attention in the digital age and because Strawberry Productions already specializes in virtual talent. It certainly doesn’t hurt that MEM-cho is also every bit as enthusiastic about becoming an idol as Ruby is. (As a side note, MEM-cho’s age also makes her familiarity with Ai a lot more credible, since she’s old enough to have been a fan when she was a child.)

Now that the trio is established, it’s time worry about bread-and-butter issues of any idol group, such as the songs and routines they’re going to use. Using material from the original B Komachi incarnation works for now as they prepare for a debut at an upcoming idol event, but they are going to need new material eventually. One other extremely important decision also has to be made: who’s going to be the all-important center? The irony here is that the group member who least wants it is, in terms of singing talent, the best-suited for it, even if she doesn’t believe so herself. That outcome is not a big twist, since the brief shot of the trio together in the OP does show Kana in the center, but the music video she made of the insert song “Full Moon” is plenty convincing enough, even to the two girls who really want it the center position.

Though Aqua’s role is much smaller this episode, he is featured in one key scene: his promised dinner appointment with the producer, who dishes on what he knows about Ai. Some of the details he brings up have already been suggested to the audience through other voices, such as how Ai was a bit of a problem child early on but seemed to mature suddenly as one key point, which was almost certainly when she met Aqua and Ruby’s father. The new information here is intriguing: whomever that individual was, he was almost certainly either a member of the Lala Lai acting troupe (yes, the same one Akane now belongs to) or otherwise affiliated with that group. That adds another layer of significance to Akane patterning her personality on Love Now off of Ai, but also raises some interesting questions. Can Aqua now just cross-reference the people in Ai’s phone contacts against past members of Lala Llai? Somehow, I don’t think the story will let it be that easy.

What I do especially appreciate here is how neatly this ties everything together. The producer was a member of Lala Lai himself, so it’s only natural that he would have chosen the current teen star of the troupe for Love Now. Also, that a producer would be tracking talent who has worked for him, and recognizing the potential in them, makes perfect sense. Everything he’s doing has a purpose, and he’s playing a long game, just like anyone worthy of the job title of “producer” should be doing. (This is an aspect of the entertainment industry that too often gets glossed over in shows about entertainers.) Describing his reasoning also serves as both a contrast and a reminder to Aqua that, as big as his scheme is, he’s not the only one thinking long or big.

This episode also makes me appreciate even more how the episode is using Kana. We’ve seen plenty of potential idols that are as self-deprecating about their own talents as Kana is, but her grounded pragmatism and jaded attitude gives her a much fresher feel and allow for some nice, light humor. On the other side, her peckish behavior towards Aqua is also fun to watch, even when it does take a more serious turn. Though Aqua bears at least some of the blame for being either clueless or indifferent about Kana’s feelings, she also seems to realize that she’s not playing fair here, either, since her irritation over Aqua’s pretend-romance with Akane isn’t his fault; it’s not like she’s ever made her feelings clear to him.

Among a few other random observations, note the T-shirts that various characters are wearing; Kana’s “Baking Soda” T-shirt when doing dance practice is an amusing choice considering the wordplay she’s trying to live down, while both Aqua and Ruby are, at different points, wearing different fish-themed T-shirts. (Aqua’s is, of course, “Aqua,” while Ruby’s is “Taiyaki.”) Also, it feels like the book that first Kana, and later Aqua, is reading – titled “The In-Depth Guide to the Internet Sea Slug” – is meant to be some kind of joke, though the reference currently escapes me. Ruby also seems to be aware of where Aqua’s heart really lies concerning Akane, and I’m not sure quite what to make of Shiranui’s comments about Love Now. The contrast between her dry delivery and what she’s saying is rather amusing.

With only two episodes left for the season, I am curious about what the projected end point is. The big, upcoming JIF concert seems like a pivotal enough event that I could see the season ending with something big happening concerning that, but at the methodical pace that the series is progressing, that’s not leaving enough time. The series is such a big hit that it not getting a second season is almost inconceivable at this point, so the only question now is whether or not that will be announced with the airing of the final episode in two weeks.

Oshi no Ko episode 8

Rating: A-

One of the things I love about this series is about how it plays all sorts of different angles, and yet all of it is, to some degree, interrelated. Aqua is playing a very big and very long game here, and everything which goes on in the series somehow gets worked into that – even if he isn’t above occasionally being thrown for a loop by developments.

That happens from the start of the episode, when Akane utterly throws Aqua off his game for a little bit with her flawless mimicry of Ai Hoshino’s behavior, to the point that he uncharacteristically cannot hold up before Yuki and MEMchi’s teasing about his reactions to Akane. (And while I did like the brief scene where Ruby acknowledges that she also sees in Akane’s performance what Aqua does, the one minor shortcoming of this episode is that her feelings don’t get more than one brief scene of attention.) But Aqua eventually collects himself and soon realizes that it’s Akane invoking the ghost of Ai alluring him here, not Akane herself. That leaves him with understandably mixed feelings about Ai; is she first and foremost an idol to him, a mother, or a love interest? Can she be all three, and does he even know enough about her to differentiate?

With that mindset, and the disturbing revelation that Akane’s insight into Ai is so great that she’s even able to deduce that she probably secretly had a kid, Aqua takes the more coldly practical road and decides to woo Akane (or at least make the appearance of it) so he can continue to use her for her insight. This might not be as completely mercenary as it seems; his eye star shining bright when he declares that he is interested in Akane as an actor suggests that he does have some genuine admiration for what Akane has accomplished, too. Akane’s too insightful to not catch onto at least some of this, and her being satisfied with being recognized by Aqua for her talent did seem genuine, too. Every bit of it plays perfectly into the “liar’s game” theme of the series, as does Yuki more surreptitiously dating her expected match behind the scenes rather than in front of the camera. Akane briefly threw her off, too, but not for long.

But that’s not all that’s going on here. Kana’s game of catch with Aqua as he sorts out his feelings is also a strong scene – even if Kana has to be thinking that she’s getting friend-zoned here – and it looks like Aqua will soon be getting what he wanted from the producer. Arguably the biggest development once again comes at the end of the episode, though the twist this time – i.e., Aqua inviting MEMchi to join Strawberry Productions and be a part of the new version of B Komachi – is fully telegraphed by the opener. My favorite bit of animation in the episode is the way MEMchi’s expression changes as she realizes that Aqua isn’t joking in the slightest about his offer, but also notice that her eyes have substantially more lights reflected in them after that moment than before. Little visual touches like that help keep the series flying on the technical and artistic merits as well.

Now that the new B Komachi trio is being assembled, will Ruby finally start to take a bigger role? We’ll see next episode.

Love’s Gentle Spring. . .

Among the sea of isekai (and isekai-like) titles in the Spring 2023 season are a couple of sweet, tame, more old-fashioned anime romantic comedy titles: TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You and A Galaxy Next Door. While the two titles have some distinct similarities, the way each of them approaches its romantic elements, and how each mixes in the comedic elements, is distinct enough that viewers can easily enjoy both of them without the shows feeling redundant.

The Basics: TONIKAWA

Nasa Yuzaki was a middle schooler on a fast track to greatness (or at least so he imagined) when he nearly died from being hit by a truck. Instead of getting transported to another world in a literal sense, his world was undone by the teenage girl who saved him. When he immediately declares his love, she agrees to be with him if he’ll marry her. Three years later, she shows up on his doorstep to fulfill the agreement, and so the two settle into married life as a young couple. Mysteries abound about who Tsukasa really is, as she saved Nasa by bearing the brunt of the truck impact herself and yet walked away largely unscathed. She also seems both ageless and somehow connected to the moon, giving the impression that the story is a “what might have happened if Princess Kaguya didn’t go back to the Moon in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” situation, but that mostly doesn’t matter to the thoroughly smitten Nasa.

During the first season (which aired in Fall 2020), a variety of friends and veritable family on both sides get involved as Nasa and Tsukasa go through many of the common procedures of learning to live together, including having to get a new residence after a fire destroys their apartment building. This pattern continues into the second season, with all manner of lovey-dovey behavior as the two continue to be enamored with each other’s base charms and gradually grow more intimate, though the mysteries continue to linger over the girl who is strongly implied to be ageless.

The Basics: A Galaxy Next Door

Ichiro Kuga has been scraping by as a landlord and manga artist ever since the death of his parents, all the while looking after his two younger siblings, but he’s in desperate need of an assistant to keep up with his deadlines. That problem gets solved when Shiori Goshiki, a tall, pretty 18-year-old woman, arrives on the scene and proves she’s quite passionate and capable despite having only been drawing herself for about a year. Ichiro soon learns that Shiori is actually the princess of the island she grew up on, and her people aren’t entirely human. Accidental contact with her inhuman aspect binds the two together, to the point that Ichiro suffers consequences if he’s too far from her or in certain other situations involving Shiori. Fortunately for both, they were already gradually growing attracted to each other and Ichiro’s younger siblings have also taken a liking to her. Eventually they formally acknowledge that they are dating for real.

The Comparison

Both titles are based on manga by manga-ka who had already established themselves on earlier titles: Galaxy‘s Gido Amagakure was previously the creator of (among others) Sweetness and Lightning, while TONIKAWA‘s Kenjiro Hata had previously hit it big with Hayate the Combat Butler and (to a lesser extent) Seiyu’s Life! The female co-protagonists in both technically fall under the Magical/Alien Girlfriend trope, though in both cases that element is sparingly used beyond establishing the premises. As a result, the vast bulk of the content in each plays out in pure slice-of-life format, including generous doses of stock scenes for light romances (though each series does, to some degree, put their own spin on some of those scenes).

Perhaps most importantly, both series are on the light and tame side – for better or worse. Galaxy has not even a whiff of fan service through its first eight episodes, while TONIKAWA has used it very sparingly and mostly mildly. In fact, there’s little to no indication that Nasa and Tsukasa have yet been intimate despite being married and despite one of the daughters in a family Nasa is close with making lewd, pestering suggestions about it. Still, in both cases the attraction between the central couples is evident, well-established, cute, and believable. (That the male leads in both cases are demonstrably competent certainly helps here.) Both series also show little for romantic competition and no harem leaning; while at least one other girl is strongly implied to be interested in Nasa, that’s more a background element than anything which goes anywhere, and the same can be said for Ichiro. (Some implication has been shown that the teen female cousin which lives in the boarding house he runs is interested, but she declines to pursue it as she sees Shiori, whom she also likes, matching up well with him.)

The Contrast

The two series do also have distinct differences, though not very dramatic ones. TONIKAWA starts with its central couple being definitively declared and committed before its first episode is over, and by the time this season starts, they have been living together for a while. Galaxy, contrarily, has taken a much more gradual course to drawing the central couple together, although (thankfully!) the series does not stretch out the build-up too much; they are a dating couple for more than just necessity by the end of episode 8. The presence of Ichiro’s much younger siblings also puts an extra kink in the relationship dynamics, as Shiori has to be accepted by them as well as Ichiro for the relationship to work. (Thankfully for Ichiro, they quickly take a liking to Shiori.) That TONIKAWA has shonen origins while Galaxy has seinen origins also shows in the attitude and feel of the series; the former feels more playful, while the latter has a more mature feel to it (even if the romance is initially teenager-level cutesy).

The biggest difference, though, is the way each series handles its female co-lead. Shiori clearly looks older, more poised, and more mature, and on paper she is; she’s 18 to Tsukasa’s claim of 16. She directly participates in her love interest’s work as his assistant, and her big secrets get laid out very early on. Tsukasa, on the other hand, admires what Nasa does but is simply not a part of his work world, instead taking care of domestic affairs and working at the frequently-featured bath house. Unlike Shiori, Tsukasa also plays much tighter with the mysteries of her background. A flashback in the recently-aired episode 9 of season 2 clearly shows that she still looked the same age at least 75 years earlier (assuming that those scenes are meant to depict the aftermath of WW2 and the current time for the series is the late 2010s) and various references she made in the first season suggest that she may be much older even than that, though nothing definitive has yet been revealed. She’s clearly associated with the moon somehow, but does Princess Kaguya somehow fit into this or is that just a convenient parallel? The second season has avoided even bringing the issue up, much less exploring it. Nasa does not seem particularly concerned about it, either, since he has certainly had many opportunities to learn more of her truth but has not pursued them.

Ultimately, neither title is in any way groundbreaking (or even, for that matter, all that fresh), but both provide consistent low-key charm ideally-suited to making them casual views. I grade Galaxy slightly higher (at a B compared to TONIKAWA‘s B-) because its technical merits are a little better and it has more story/chracter development, but I can recommend both.

In Memoriam, Anime-Style

Though many countries have their own versions of holidays to celebrate the dearly departed, Memorial Day being on the last Monday of May is a uniquely American thing. In honor of 2023’s occurrence, I’m going to take a special look at several anime titles which are profoundly influenced (if not completely defined) by the death of a character early in their stories.

To qualify for this exercise, three conditions must be met:

  1. The death must happen within the series.
  2. After the death, the character in question is absent from the story as a separate entity (i.e., not lingering as an undead or reincarnate) after their death, except in flashbacks.
  3. The character must have a regular (if not pervasive) impact on events and/or character behaviors and motivations.

Since ranking these would be difficult, I am presenting them in chronological order by production date.

SPOILER NOTE: It probably goes without saying that all of these entries have early-series spoilers to some degree.

Martian Successor Nadesico

Martian Successor Nadesico – Anime Review | Nefarious Reviews

This 1996-97 series is one of the weaker entries here, but it still qualifies. Though mostly a zany sci fi adventure about humans fighting attacking Jovians using the special space battleship Nadesico, it takes a whipsaw turn when ace mecha pilot Gai Daigoji (top right corner in the picture) is unceremoniously and unheroically murdered by escaping officials at the end of episode 3. His death has a dramatic influence on co-protagonist Akito, who not only takes mecha piloting much more seriously in the wake of Gai’s passing but also becomes enamored of the mecha anime that Gai so loved. Gai’s death also becomes a major plot point in certain episodes later in the series and is the foundation of one of the series’ biggest ironies, which involves the exact identity of the invading Jovians.

Le Chevalier d’Eon

In mid-18th century France, Lia de Beaumont was secretly an elite spy for Louis XV when she died during a mission. (The series opens with a coffin containing her body being fished out of the Seine River.) This devastates younger brother d’Eon, whose investigation into her death leads him into a supernaturally-charged spy underworld. Before the first episode is over, d’Eon seems to become possessed by the vengeful spirit of Lia when he’s in a pinch against the preternatural forces connected to her death. This becomes a semi-regular occurrence throughout the series, to the point that d’Eon starts to question his own identity.

Or is that really what’s going on here? This 2006 series borrows loosely from the true story of famed French spy d’Eon de Beaumont, who went undercover as a woman in Russia, later insisted they were born as a woman, and lived the last 30 or so years of their life as a woman. (There was even a long-standing betting pool about d’Eon’s real gender.) In other words, d’Eon was either one of history’s most famous transgenders or else maintained a lie for decades as part of returning to France from exile. The anime heavily leans towards this being an actual case of possession but doesn’t completely discount the possibility that being possess by Lia was all in d’Eon’s head. Either way, most of d’Eon’s actions in the series are, to some degree, influenced by d’Eon’s loss of Lia.

Gurren Lagann

In this bombastic 2007 anime-original mecha series, co-protagonist Kamina was the cool guy who served as both role model and key motivator for Simon, the other co-protagonist. He took the lead in battle and became the leader of Team Dai-Gurren, a group of humans who used a giant mecha to fight against the aliens who had relegated humanity to living underground. His untimely death at the end of a pivotal battle about a third of the way into the series became the defining moment for Simon, who was left with no choice but to become a leader in his dear friend’s stead. Kamina continues to be the inspiration behind nearly everything that Simon does through the rest of the series, even to the point of Simon partly adapting Kamina’s style of dress, and his memory serves as a rallying point for other characters as well.

The Beast Player Erin

In this 2009 fantasy series, Erin starts as a young girl living in a village with mother Soyon, who is an expert veterinarian for the special reptiles that the village is known for raising. Soyon’s death early on (an execution related to perceived misdeeds) forces Erin to travel abroad to learn about and develop both the overt and secret skills her mother possessed, hence forming one of the 50-episode series’ main plot drivers. Soyon also appears in Erin’s memories numerous times to help guide Erin’s development involving animal breeding.

Cross Game

Cross Game: ambivalence isn't a good thing in my book | HOT CHOCOLATE IN A BOWL

In this 2009-2010 series (which is based on the manga by Mitsuri Adachi, who also created Touch and Mix), 5th-grader Wakaba’s affection for neighbor/classmate Ko initially puts him at odds with Wakaba’s tomboyish younger sister Aoba, but Wakaba’s stunning drowning death changes everything. Four years later, her presence still vividly influences Ko, Aoba, and Akaishi (a one-time bully who also secretly loved Wakaba), and her passionate dream – that one day Ko would pitch to catcher Akaishi as Aoba looks on at Koshien, home to Japan’s National High School Baseball Championship – inspires characters, guides much of the series’ plot, and even affects Ko and Aoba’s gradually evolving relationship.

Despite her death near the end of the first episode, Wakaba was so transcendent a presence, and thus so impactful in the series, that barely any of the series’ 50 episodes go by without either a flashback of her or some reference to her, in addition to the life directions of both Ko and Akaishi being radically changed by her. A lookalike character even plays a big part in the series’ second half, too. Dealing with the lingering emotions of her passing is also such a big factor that I often describe this series as being about “love, loss, and baseball.” Even 14 years later, the series still has one of the strongest and most emotionally affecting first episodes of any anime series I’ve ever seen, has one of the all-time-great final episodes, and overall made my list of the top 10 titles of the 2000s.

to the abandoned Sacred Beasts

In this 2019 fantasy series, a civil war between North and South is ultimately decided by the North’s use of super-soldiers called Incarnates, who can transform into Sacred Beasts (monsters based on mythology). The end of the war leaves the Incarnates at loose ends, including several who cannot resume human form, and some go dangerously amuck. Co-protagonist Nancy Schaal Bancroft’s father is one such Incarnate, and she is enraged when Hank, the captain of the Incarnates, mercy-kills her father in the second episode. That sends her on a quest to pursue Hank and learn much more about the reality of the Incarnates.

In addition to the death of Schaal’s father being her prime motivator and a plot driver, this series also deserves its place here for its running commentary on the difficulties that soldiers have in readjusting to normal life after war, and in particular how some cannot do it.

Demon Slayer

This 2019-originating series does qualify based on a single character, but rather on an entire family. Tanjiro, the eldest son of a Taisho-era rural family who makes their livelihood with charcoal, loses his mother and four of his five siblings to a demon’s attack while in town one day selling charcoal. Their deaths and one surviving sister’s transformation into a demon push him to join the Demon Slayer Corps, which is the basis of the franchise’s whole plot. Either individually or as a group, his mother and deceased siblings pop up numerous times in his dreams and hallucinations through both completed anime series and the move Mugen Train, often at key points where Tanjiro needs an inspirational boost or refocus. They also, to a much more minor extent, impact surviving sister Nezuko, especially at one critical point where she must prove that she’s not a threat that the Demon Slayer Corps must exterminate.

86

This 2021 series is another case where the series qualifies more on collective deaths than the death of a single individual, though one individual does stand out a bit. The series is set in a future where autonomous war machine called Legion threaten to overrun humanity, having overwhelmed the Empire which originally created them and driven the Republic of San Magnolia into a defensive posture. The Republic claims to have developed its own autonomous war machines to fight casualty-free battles against the Legion, but in reality they are piloted by heavily-persecuted minorities (collectively called 86s, after the district they have been isolated in). The series splits its focus between sympathetic Alba (the oppressor race) Lena and the Spearhead Squadron of 86s led by Shin, whom Lena directs remotely as their Handler.

Over the course of the first half of the series, most of the 86s die in battle, with the most impactful individual one being the episode 3 death of Kaie (the short girl roughly in the center, above). Since 86s are not allowed to bury their dead, Shin has taken on the call name of Undertaker and carries scraps of each of their downed Juggernauts with the pilot’s name inscribed on them as mementos, with the intent of taking them with him to their final resting place. These dead (and one later non-86 death early in the second half) occasionally figure into plot elements and frequently appear in the thoughts and hallucinations of Lena and especially Shin, but this title deserves its place here equally for remembering and memorializing the dead being among the series’ most potent thematic elements. It is perhaps the most-suited title on this list to being brought up on Memorial Day.

Oshi no Ko

Though only seven episodes of this 2023 series have aired as of this writing, it is already among the strongest qualifiers on this list. In the series, a rural doctors winds up secretly helping his favorite idol, the immensely-talented 16-year-old Ai Hoshino, through a clandestine pregnancy, only to find himself murdered by one of Ai’s obsessive fans just as she’s going into labor. He then discovers that he has been reincarnated, with memories intact, as the boy of Ai’s twins. He watches adoringly as she moves forward with her career and ascends to the top, only to see her murdered right before him by the same obsessive fan who killed him nearly four years earlier.

The death of Ai at the end of the movie-length episode 1 sets the course of the rest of the series to date, as young Aqua embarks on a path to attempt to discover who their unknown father (whom he believes arranged Ai’ death) is, while sister Ruby dedicates herself to directly following in her mother’s footsteps by becoming an idol, even to the point of resurrecting the name of Ai’s long-defunct idol group. Essentially, nearly everything that both Aqua and Ruby do is in some way connected to their memories of Ai (who deeply impacted both of them in their previous lives). Other characters get drawn into her influence, too, when an actress decides to model her character on a dating show after Ai in order to become Aqua’s ideal girl.

Others

A number of other titles were considered for this exercise, but I ultimately decided these were either weaker candidates or else I just wasn’t familiar enough with them to write about them. The former cases include Claymore, Fullmetal Alchemist, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, K, Madoka Magica, Sword Art Online, and. . . while the latter include Major, Monster, and Touch. Titles that I felt were close but failed on technicalities include The Detective is Already Dead, Summer Time Rendering, and the movie King of Thorn.

Are there other worthy titles which should have been here? Mention them in Comments!

Oshi no Ko episode 7

Rating: A

After producing one hell of a hard-hitting ending last time around, the series faced a difficult assignment: find a way to follow through and resolve the problem without cheapening the circumstance which got the show there. Instead of just contenting itself with that, the writing went for the extra credit as well: take a predictable plot development (i.e., Akana falling for – or at least playing up to – the guy who saved and helped redeem her) and give it a somewhat unsettling, thoroughly jaw-dropping twist, and in the process redefine both one of the the established cast members and one of the underlying truths of the series.

The fallout from Akane’s suicide attempt last episode sets the stage for that. A conversation among Kana, Ruby, and Miyako lays out the background for this by discussing how coping with social media negativity can vary from person to person, but even the most well-adjusted aren’t immune to it; I especially liked how dark Kana’s eyes were as she strongly implied that she’s had her own difficult moments with it. (The only minor complaint here was the the comments about attempting suicide seemed a little too on-the-nose when they could not have known at that point that Akane had attempted it.) Seeing the rest of the cast of “Love Now” rally around Akane was gratifying; “Love Now” is not an inherently competitive format (a la The Bachelor) as dating shows go, so a cast of teenagers who are all performers getting chummy with each other off-camera, too, is hardly a stretch.

Just as importantly, all of the cast are savvy in one aspect of media or another, so they make the perfect team to attempt to redeem Akane’s reputation. One knows the music, one (rather literally!) knows the angles, one knows the timing and promotion, and one knows the editing and how to manipulate adults to get what they need. Everyone except the dancer is allowed to not only contribute but show how smart they are about it as well. I have no doubt that their campaign is probably an oversimplification, but the tactics nonetheless feel real.

As satisfying as that is, though, the most interesting part is actually the last quarter of the episode, after all that is done. The story has pitched all along about how lies are a shield to protect the performer, so Akane is pushed to create a role herself to potentially deflect future problems. Surprisingly for this kind of situation, she’s not the one who actually comes up with the idea of tailoring her performance to be Aqua’s ideal, but given how much Aqua has done for her, wanting to please Aqua is hardly strange. But that is also the exact point where the demon gets unleashed.

Viewers have been told that Akane was an actress, but not what type. The revelation that she’s a theatrical actress – and a renowned one at that – explains both how Kana knew her and why she had such trouble adapting to the format. Stage acting is very formalized and structured, so a free-form approach like a dating show, where nothing is set, is in utter contrast to her norm. Of course it threw her for a loop, and her diligent note-taking was all about trying to translate that environment into the structure she’s more familiar with. Given a character to play, she shines – and she’s chosen Ai as her model. The scene where she reveals not only her Ai-based personality but also Ai’s starry eyes is both electric and unnerving, especially given the preceding scenes showing how thoroughly and obsessively she studies Ai and how scarily close to the mark and revealing her analysis of, and insight into, Ai is. I am certain that I am far from alone in having woefully underestimated her over the last two episodes; in her own way, she’s every bit as clever as the other smart characters in the show. Ironically for Kana, she may be even more of a threat to Kana than the latter realized.

Akane’s analysis and copying of Ai also raises one other interesting point: that Ai’s trademark eyes are reflective of her self-confidence, rather than some trait of hers, and thus can be duplicated. That has interesting implications for the way Aqua’s star goes bright (as when he rescued Akane) or turns black. And what, if anything, does it mean that Akane’s stars are yellow rather than Ai’s white?

Sadly, looks like we’ll have to wait two weeks to see how Aqua (and eventually Ruby, too) both react to Akane’s performance, as HIDIVE has episode 8 scheduled for June 7th instead. Assuming that happens, that review may be delayed for a few days, as I will be on a trip where my access to HIDIVE will be uncertain.

Oshi no Ko episode 6

Rating: A-

“Egosurfing” (the apt title for this episode) is the act of looking one’s self up on social media to see what others are saying about you. While it can be a very gratifying experience when people are saying complimentary things about you, it can be crushing when they aren’t and positively toxic when people use the anonymity of the Internet to be cruel. Entertainers – whose very livelihoods can depend on tuning themselves to public whims – are probably among the most vulnerable classes of individuals for the more negative side, which requires any wannabe-star to either develop a thick skin or ignore it altogether. The first episode showed Ai getting caught up in that to some degree, while episode 4 showed Kana also having to deal with it. But both of them have/had their heads on straighter than Akane – the actress among the six dating show participants – or at least didn’t have the perceived external pressures that she did. Predictably, that leads to an epic meltdown, which is the focus of this episode.

After building the series around Ai, Ruby, Aqua and (later) Kana, shifting much of the episode’s focus to a character who had only barely been introduced before is a gutsy move, especially for this early in the series. However, the episode’s concept couldn’t have been done with any of the grounded, established characters. Akane is apparently a well-enough-known teen actress that Kana recognized her, but despite that, she’s decidedly lacking in charisma and presence compared to the others in the dating show. What’s shown here gives the impression that she has succeeded so far more by being hard-working and studious rather than a natural talent, which is fine when she’s part of a cast but not good enough when she’s in direct competition for viewer attention, as she is here. She’s completely out of her element and being overwhelmed by the circumstances, in addition to feeling pressure from her agency (even if it isn’t specifically directed at her), and that kind of thing can lead to mistakes. And the public can be very, very unforgiving of mistakes.

A telling scene here is that the much more savvy Yuki, who is the injured party in the accident, immediately picks up on what’s happening. She is very supportive and forgiving, and that doesn’t seem like an act; she may even realize that Akane is going in a desperate and dangerous direction and be trying to head it off. If so, she’s hamstrung by the restrictions on talking about behind-the-scenes publicly and cut off by the director deciding to use the scene anyway. (And why wouldn’t he?) Akane doesn’t handle it right to pitch it as a villain turn, and everything falls apart from there.

I had a sense of the ultimate direction this episode was going from early on, and that only became more certain as the episode progressed. Indeed, the heavy music in particular makes the intended destination obvious, despite the show’s typical levity about the topic earlier on. Thankfully, the writing does not go gimmicky with this; it makes a concerted effort to corner Akane emotionally, which allows the climactic scene to have real impact. I also especially liked the jarring shift between Akane’s serene face and the despairing one shown above, and how the episode showed that she hadn’t headed out with that goal; the attempt was a spontaneous moment of resignation, which is an all-too-common occurrence in suicide scenarios. This sequence was also beautifully-animated.

While the attempt was predictable, I actually wasn’t certain until the last moment if the show was going to allow her to go through with it or not. Aqua intervening makes sense in more than just dramatic flair, though. He’s both a former doctor (who doubtless saw a few suicide-related cases himself) and a more worldly individual than any of the others, and his experiences with social media concerning Ai could very reasonably have pushed him into action when Akane clearly seemed depressed and defeated. The bold actions on both their parts leaves me very eager to see how this plays out next episode.

Further Random Thoughts:

  • Kudos to HIDIVE for the Suicide Prevention notice as the end card for the episode.
  • Tucked in amongst the lighter content mid-episode are Kana’s insightful comments about how the changing nature of entertainment has made online marketing – and thus social media – impossible to ignore anymore if you want to get ahead in the industry.
  • Aqua also has some telling comments about how reality shows may not be as fake as he thought, which, ironically, makes a star who shields him/herself with lying unusually vulnerable. Given the way the episode climaxes, that seems prescient.
  • The opener make a point of featuring Akane in the rain, which now also looks more prescient than just a mood-setting device.

Oshi no Ko episode 5

Rating: 4 (of 5)

In a recently posted interview on ANN, the writer for the source manga, Aka Akasaka, explains how he came up with the idea for this series and the process he went through to gather sufficient insider details to make the effort feel realistic. I recommend it as a complementary read for anyone who’s become a big fan of the show.

That research definitely shows in this episode. It effectively splits into two parts, one which focuses on Aqua’s foray into a dating show and the second which focuses on Ruby and Kana and their steps towards forming a new idol group, a balance I’d love to see maintained going forward. The more serious part is Aqua’s participation as the actor member of a teen dating reality show featuring established media personalities; the others include a dancer, a band member, a YouTuber, a fashion model, and an actress. It works in various details about how reality shows work, such as them not being scripted but still subject to direction – a situation which should suit Aqua’s talents well once he gets used to it. Among the others on the show, the two who initially seem to be the ones to watch are the fashion model (who clearly has a better sense for how to manipulate situations than she lets on) and the YouTuber MEM-cho, who is very prominently-featured in the opener and looks to be the eventual third member of Ruby’s new idol trio. However, actress Akane is also featured significantly in the opener (while the fashion model isn’t), so she may become important later on.

On the other front, the early part of the episode devotes itself to reeling Kana into the idol group. Intellectually, Kana knows that taking the idol route is a risky play, and her thoughts on the matter are doubtless reflective of the actual experience of real-life predecessors, but ultimately she succumbs logically to the need for greater exposure and emotionally to her own evident attraction to Aqua. This part is decidedly more light-hearted while still having its serious aspects; Kana is savvy enough to recognize Ruby’s charisma and potential, for instance. The interesting aspect here is the point made about how the traditional way to gather attention to newbie idols – which is still shown in most idol-focused shows – may now be an outdated approach. The new wave is all about getting your names and faces out on the Internet, and as small an agency as Strawberry Productions is, that’s its strong point.

Which bring Pieyon, the masked strength-training YouTuber into the picture. The character is clearly partly a joke (and possibly a reference to two different long-established top YouTubers) but also partly a commentary on the gimmickry which can feed into being a popular and successful YouTuber. Pieyon’s claim to pull in the equivalent of a million U.S. dollars in one year is hardly unrealistic; he might not have even cracked the top 100 in 2022 with that number, and the cream of the crop are another decimal point up from that. As silly as both the character and his exercise dance are, he also shows a lot of savvy, and this is certainly a novel way (for anime) for idols to get started down their path. The bombshell at the end is, of course, the name which Ruby settles on for the idol group. Given who she is and what her goals are, it’s the only name which makes any sense, and it damn sure will catch attention. Wouldn’t be surprised if Aqua approves. The broader point, though, is that the series is mixing its humor with its show business insight in a way which doesn’t interfere with either.

As a closing thought this time around, I watched closer “Mephisto” with the English translation for the first time, and yeah, it certainly keenly hits the nose on the series’ content, too:

Come now, O children of the star, sleep well

The radiance will not dull, if it is you guys

And yes, this is Queen Bee, the performer who did the wonderful opener “MYSTERIOUS” for Raven of the Inner Palace last year. He’s a name and voice to watch for.

Spring ’23 Isekai Round-Up

Posted: Tuesday May 9, 2023

With some series hitting their sixth episodes this week, we’re now approaching the midway point of the Spring 2023 season. That means it’s time to take a look at this season’s crop of isekai series, most of which I am following this season to some degree. Which ones are more deserving of attention than they’re getting so far, and which ones can be relegated to the trash heap?

(NOTE: I never finished the first season of In Another World With My Smartphone, so I will not be including that one. Also, all episode counts are as of 5/8/23.)

The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure: Serving Gods Who Go Too Far

Episodes So Far: 6

Premise: A young man dies protecting two girls from a knife-wielding assailant. As he’s reincarnated into a fantasy world, he’s prodigiously blessed by that world’s seven gods. He find himself reincarnated as the young son of a Margrave and soon discovers that his abilities in all respects are on a scale vastly beyond anyone else in that world. But the gods also eventually expect big things of him.

Evaluation: For better or worse, Aristocrat seems determined to stake out ground as the ultimate example of isekai power fantasies. To the series’ credit, it does seem cognizant of how ridiculous it’s being and plays much of its antics in a light-hearted fashion, which softens the absurdity level a little. Even so, by the age of ten young Cain has already found himself betrothed to two princesses and a Duke’s daughter (including one who’s considerably older), earned a noble title on his own, introduced a new game popular among high nobles and even the gods, slain multiple dragons, and generally proven to be, by far, the strongest person anywhere. The one minor saving grace in all this eye-rolling excess is that not all of the characters are entirely numbskulls. They do notice that Cain’s not normal, and that leads to a scene in episode 6 where they confront him about it. Without that scene, this series would be utterly forgettable so far. Even so, the only other real merit is the bright, invitingly cutesy art style. Not devoid of entertainment value, but not a series I can recommend, either.

Rating So Far: C

I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too

Episodes So Far: 6

Premise: Yuya Tenjo is an overweight, friendless loser who’s been subjected to severe bullying, in part from younger siblings upset that their grandfather (Yuya’s only positive link) left his house to Yuya on his death. One day, after getting his ass kicked for intervening when some thugs were intimidating a young woman, Yuya discovers the secret room in his worldly grandfather’s house, which has a door to a fantasy world. There he finds a trove of obscenely powerful items which help him become amazingly strong – and that strength even carries over to the real world, as high new stats reform his body into an ultimate hunk. But a radical outward change doesn’t necessarily mean a radical inward change, too.

Evaluation: With how fast Yuya gets incredibly strong and physically perfect, and how quickly he gathers a gaggle of knock-out girls around him, this isekai power fantasy should be every bit as eye-rolling as Aristocrat is. Surprisingly, though, it’s vastly more appreciable, even if its animation is frustratingly limited at times. The key to that is Yuya himself. He may be an ultra-talented Adonis now, one who turns heads everywhere and is mistaken for an actor or model in the real world, but thanks to his past experiences, he struggles to even accept that people would willingly be nice to him, much regard him as supremely cool. That very relatable vulnerability keeps him grounded even when he’s doing incredible feats of athleticism. Another huge plus is that Kaori, the real-world girl he protected at great cost to himself, regarded him as worthy before he transformed into a stud. Episode 6 also brings up The Sage, Yuya’s otherworld predecessor and the supplier of his broken-grade equipment, and his story about how his extreme power isolated him and how he doesn’t want that for his successor.

In other words, despite its occasional eye-rolling antics, this series takes its premise much more seriously and operates with a lot more heart than most series of this type do. It doesn’t hurt that its character designs – especially for Yuya’s potential love interests – are all gorgeous, either. In all, this is the isekai series this season that I feel is most being overlooked and has one of the better chances to achieve at least some degree of lasting popularity.

Rating So Far: B

Dead Mount Death Play

Episodes So Far: 5

Premise: A necromancer who became known as the Corpse God in his fantasy world, and who was defeated by a Hero, is reincarnated in modern Japan in the body of a recently-murdered teenager. Awed by his new world, he seeks to find the peaceful life here that he couldn’t in his previous world, but quickly getting caught up in the seedy underworld of Tokyo threatens to get in the way of that goal, as do members of a police task force.

Evaluation: This rare reverse-isekai variation certainly has its own quirky style that mostly works for it. Turns out that Corpse God wasn’t really a villain (even though his death theme certainly suggests otherwise!), and he’ll even use his necromantic powers to create skeletons that rescue orphans from a fire – as well as, of course, skewering the teenage girl out to kill him and turning her into a zombie. Despite sometimes-very-dark overtones and deadly action, the series leans at least as much in the humorous direction and has a somewhat playful side. Keeping those element in balance, so viewers don’t get tonal whiplash, has been tricky so far, but the series has managed it more often than not. Combine that with plenty of CG skeletons and some longer-term intrigue and you have an entertaining series.

Rating So Far: B+

Summoned to Another World for a Second Time

Episodes So Far: 5

Premise: Setsu and his whole class has been summoned to another world to be a band of heroes in an expected conflict against demons, but for Setsu, it’s his second trip to this particular fantasy world to be a hero! Last time he was an heroic figure who made peace between humans and demons and befriended many powerful individuals on both sides, and the passage of five years in that world hasn’t lessened their memories of him (even if he looks different now). But intrigue is afoot, as the threat to the human kingdom isn’t coming from the demons, who are being subjected to other schemes as well.

Evaluation: Although this one is also a power fantasy, and has Setsu owning everybody, it plays more as him hanging with the powerful, with somewhat of a side arc about his female childhood best friend also trying to get strong so she can stand alongside Setsu. This approach only works sporadically so far, though, with the biggest problem being that Setsu doesn’t have much of a personality. (One of the most pathetic Demon Queens to come along in fantasy anime in quite some time is another major problem spot, though a more limited one since she only prominently appears in one episode.) In fact, the best episode may be the one which focuses entirely on the childhood friend, and that episode is still remarkably stereotypical for its type. Unless it comes up with something better, this series is destined for the “Quickly Forgotten” stack where series like Isekai Cheat Magician reside.

Rating: C

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Punch!

Episodes So Far: 6

Premise: Yuna is still traipsing around the “game world come alive” setting she’s been trapped in and is still sporting the bear suits and hand puppets. People continue to not take her seriously until they see what she can do, and everything is still bear themed.

Evaluation: Unlike its first season (in Fall 2020), this one did not get picked up for episode reviews on Anime News Network, and that’s telling. It continues to be the cutest and mildest of all of the isekai power fantasies out there, but that’s all that the second season has going for it so far. The visual quality is still there, but the first four episodes were such a yawner that I have had trouble getting motivate to keep up with this one. The spark which made the first season work has faded.

Rating: C+

Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion

Episodes So Far: 5

Premise: Failed university student Rinko was pushed off a roof by someone, but instead of dying wakes up as Raeliana, a character in one of her favorite novels whose early death becomes a motivating factor for the novel’s heroine. She isn’t about to let that happen, so she uses her knowledge of the book to cut a blackmail-tinged deal with dashing, crafty Duke Noah Voltaire Wynknight to get out of her current engagement and become his pretend-fiancee. That starts a battle of wits between the two that the Duke seems to find charming (while Rinko find it aggravating), but there are other challenges and dangers which must be navigated as the story gradually starts to go off the rails.

Evaluation: Semantics about whether this “trapped in an otome game/romance novel” genre truly counts as isekai aside (I argue that it does), this one has proved to be surprisingly involving. A mediocre animation effort definitely hampers it, but Rinko/Raeliana has proved to be a delight in the way she privately shows off her frustration to viewers while using every trick she can think of to keep herself safe. She’s a strong, wily heroine with just the right touch of vulnerability, but Duke Noah is also a delight as the proper, smarmy noble who matches wits with Raeliana and may be falling for her more than he cares to admit. A superior-grade English dub (which is being simulcast) also is a plus here, especially Ian Sinclair performance as Noah – a role he was born to play. I haven’t watched enough of the rest of the genre to know how this one compares, but it’s a show I can get enthusiastic about each week.

Rating: B+

Oshi no Ko episode 4

Rating: B+

The writer for the source manga, Aka Akasaka, is probably even better-known as the creator of the acclaimed Kaguya-sama: Love is War source manga. That manga series got a live-action adaptation in 2019, prior to its highly-regarded anime form, and that first adaptation is widely-regarded as a bust, with an IMDb rating of only 5.6. Given that Akasaka started work on Oshi no Ko just a few months later, it’s impossible to watch the depiction of the live-action adaptation of “I’ll Go With Sweet Today” without positing that a large chunk of both last episode and this one is based on the creator’s bitter personal experience. That leaves me curious about whether Aqua’s effort to give the series-in-a-series here a strong finish is also based on personal experience or just the creator’s wishful thinking.

Regardless, the much stronger first half of episode 4 details Aqua’s efforts to elevate the source material’s famous climax, with a little but welcome segue into Kana’s viewpoint to show how frustrated she personally is about the production coming out crappy. This makes for an interesting contrast: she has the acting chops to pull off something better but not the angle, ability, or insight to force the production to get better through a bit of ad-libbing. Aqua, meanwhile, may not have the acting chops (or at least he doesn’t think that he does), but he does understand how to take advantage of circumstances and directorial intent. Because of that, he’s able to manipulate the tone and presentation, thereby getting the best out of the weakly-skilled male co-protagonist and giving Kana the opportunity that she’s been desperately seeking to really show what she can do. But I think it’s also pretty clear that Aqua is under-rating his own ability.

As interesting as seeing that sequence is, it is mere set-up for the more impactful scenes during the after-party. One is the manga-ka for “Sweet” being satisfied with the final episode and the other is Aqua’s conversation with the producer, whom he has now officially checked off his “father or not” list. A revelation this big – that the producer not only knew about Ai seeing a guy on the sly, but actively facilitated it – is a bit surprising to see come up this early, but it does show that the series is not going to drag its heels on Aqua’s Father Quest and establishes a hook for having Aqua move forward with his own media presence; the episode conspicuously cuts off that scene before Aqua replies to the producer’s proposal, but how could he turn something like that down? And given that the producer does know that Ai was secretly seeing a guy, and that Aqua has features which greatly resemble Ai’s, is he already putting two and two together on who Aqua might really be? (That he specifically brings up how much Aqua looks like Ai twice seems suspicious, especially in a series as astutely-written as this one.)

The rest of the episode is far more ordinary, even if it does catch the series up to the final scene of episode 1 and move past it. It also represents a decidedly more light-hearted shift as new recurring characters get introduced and the foundation gets laid for Ruby’s eventual turn as an idol herself, as well as a shift to focusing on Ruby after focusing on Aqua for the last episode and a half. Not sure why Kana being the redhead in the idol trio in the OP did not click before, but that does look like her (see the screenshot below) and she would be a natural fit for a number of reasons; even if singing isn’t her specialty, she’d certainly be able to act the part, and that would fit with the series’ ongoing theme about lies being at the core of the idol industry. Given that she’s showing inclinations of a romantic interest in Aqua, I cannot imagine her turning down the offer even if it wasn’t for the OP spoiler.

A few other random thoughts about the episode:

  • The use of music during the filming of the climax scene is especially sharp in driving the intensity and drama.
  • How much of Kana’s tears was pure acting and how much was relief that she was given a chance to do the scene justice?
  • The subtitles list Minami (the busty pink-haired girl) as a “pin-up girl,” which I suppose is a fair translation for “gravure” (what Ruby actually says), a class of female idols who model for pictures that are often provocative and suggestive, albeit in a more playful rather than aggressively sexual manner. Yeah, having a high school girl do this is a bit skeevy, but this can be seen even with preteens in Japan. Have to wonder how much Ruby’s fixation on Minami’s chest is meant for comedy vs. making a subtle poke at that side of the industry.
  • And is it just me, or does anyone else see Demon Slayer‘s Mitsuri when looking at Minami?
  • The OP and ED are now subtitled! Hurray! The OP carries so much more meaning when you have the lyrics.

Overall, the latter part of the episode drags the grade down a bit, but this is still solid entertainment fare.

Oshi no Ko episode 3

Rating: B+

Since episode 2 aired, news has broken that the first episode of Oshi no Ko was HIDIVE’s biggest debut ever, and also that opening theme “Idol” is topping multiple Japanese music charts. (It’s also currently the top-rated show for the Spring 2023 season on MAL, even over the new season of Demon Slayer.) That puts is on a hype track at least on par with a Spy x Family, which raises the very real concerns about whether or not the series can live up to the hype. Despite episode 3 being a less impactful episode than the previous two, it’s still does a solid job of carrying the weight of that hype.

Episode 3 picks up where episode 2 left off, carrying forward the reunion of Aqua with former child actor Kana Arima. Roles petering out for her as she got older (an all-too-common problem for real-life child actors) forced her to learn to hard lessons and revamp her thinking about acting if she wanted to resuscitate her career. Essentially, she had to learn the hard way what Aqua got taught at a young age: be more accommodating, make an effort to make connections, and play to what’s needed rather than always trying to be the best actor. That’s allowed her to resuscitate her career as an actor – specifically, in a live-action shojo manga adaptation – and she badly wants Aqua to join her by filling a recently-vacated villain role. Aqua’s not interested until he learns that the director is one of the people he’s seeking out as a possible candidate for being his and Ruby’s father, and he cannot pass up this chance to get a DNA sample.

While the plot keeps the story moving here, the details and characterizations are the much more interesting parts. Kana seemed almost like a joke character in her initial appearance, but the portrayal here is far more nuanced than expected. While her understanding of the business is not yet perfect (as Aqua discovers from overhearing the director talk about her), she has learned and grown as a person, to the point that she can offer some interesting insight about these kind of live-action productions. Specifically, the point here isn’t to make something that’s good, but rather to make something which showcases a lot of hot boys, and acting skills be damned. Her laments about having to act down to the level of her cast mates so the differences in skill aren’t too blatant is the most cynical take possible on Aqua’s “doing what’s needed, rather than what’s the best” lesson and raises the interesting question on how often something like this actually happens. (Fortunately, anime production largely dodge this in Japanese casting, though it isn’t unheard-of for idols to have roles in anime series as a gimmick.) Sadly, the way the original creator seemed disappointed with this subpar rendition of her work is probably a more common occurrence, one that has been alluded to in other anime (such as A Sister is All You Need), but all of this makes it perfectly plain why Kana is so keen on Aqua filling the vacated role: she at least knows that he’ll be competent, and she’s desperate to work with someone who is.

The big irony here is that Aqua winds up playing a hooded stalker, a character uncomfortably similar to the one who killed him in his previous life and Ai in this one. That irony is, of course, not lost on him, and so with his main task accomplished, the expectation that he is going to add some special flair to his performance makes for a nice episode-ending cliffhanger. You can tell that something special is coming up because this is one of the three times this episode that the star in his right eye goes black, and its always happens when his darkest ambitions come up; the other times were when he, a few years earlier, finally figured out the password to Ai’s old phone and gets a look at her contact list, on which he’s basing his hunt for his biological father, and later when he’s thinking about how he doesn’t have any ambitions beyond revenge.

There are other neat details to watch for here, too. I quite liked how Aqua and Ruby are shown in one scene wearing shirts emblazoned with “TWINS” in English, and the way Ai kept her life carefully segmented through the use of multiple phones was also a neat bit of posthumous character development; she may have been less flighty than she looked and acted. The details about how the shoot is normally handled on a TV show are also convincing. And will we now have a debate on whether password 45510 has some special significance? (It is the number shown in the opener, after all.)

If there’s a negative in the handling of this episode, it’s that it offers no opportunity for Ruby’s viewpoint, but since the content is more about what Aqua is doing, she will presumably get her turn. For now, the series is humming along quite nicely.