In Japan, the world of idols seems to be a dream world; however, it is no secret to anyone that it is also full of shady and dangerous things. Oshi No Ko is an anime set in this turbulent industry, and in eleven episodes it introduces us to a plot full of mystery and music. The story follows Aquamarine and Ruby Hoshino, two young twin brothers looking to make their way in the entertainment industry. Ruby dreams of becoming an Idol, while Aqua uses her charm and acumen to excel in the acting field. Both are hiding big secrets, as they are the clandestine children of a famous ex-Idol.
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With this brief description, it might seem that Oshi No Ko is a generic anime about idols without much to offer; however, I must say that it is one of the series that has surprised me the most due to the amount of topics it covers. In fact, I had to think very carefully about what approach I would give to this review in order not to reveal important details of the plot, as there were details that left me really shocked.
The Story
The story is divided in two parts; in the first one, which works as a sort of prologue to the real plot, we meet Ai Hoshino, a talented Idol who lives a teenage pregnancy, from which twins Ruby and Aquamarine are born. During the first episode, which is over an hour long, we see Ai struggle to hide her pregnancy and her children, while trying to maintain her image as the most relevant Idol of the moment. The second part of Oshi No Ko takes place years after the end of Ai's career and focuses on her children: Ruby and Aqua.
It is in the second part where the real action begins and where practically all the events of the anime take place. Although it apparently focuses on the realisation of the goals and dreams of Ai's young sons, there is a subplot in which one of the twins sets out on a mission to find his father. In this context, they are unaware not only of the father's identity, but also consider the possibility that he is one of those responsible for the end of Ai's Idol career.
Despite appearing to be a seemingly "harmless" anime, it deals with strong themes such as suicide, harassment, bullying, murder, teenage pregnancy and even child abandonment. It also exposes the hypersexualisation of idols in Japan, where it doesn't matter if they are teenagers; they are followed, loved and bullied by everyone, including young people and adults. I found it quite grotesque to see how normalised it is for adult men to fantasise about and fall in love with middle and high school girls, especially since it's not always presented as something completely wrong.
While this series is a departure from everything I'm used to seeing and enjoying, I have to agree that I liked it a lot; not only is the story of the idols surprisingly interesting, the character development is good, there are unexpected twists and turns, and there is also a strong critique of the entertainment industry. This is not only limited to the idols, but also to the content creators, actors, directors, and management and advertising agencies. This last part is what makes it belong to the "Seinen" demographic and is what attracted me to it the most, as they expose a lot of manipulations and shady things in the industry in a very fascinating way.
Animation and Music
This is one of the strengths of "Oshi No Ko". Visually, it is very well done; the character designs are beautiful and striking, especially Ai Hoshino, who has a truly beautiful design, as do her children. But since not everything is rosy in this anime, the shady moments are also adequately depicted and manage to contrast perfectly with the whole festive atmosphere of the idols and the show.
As you'd expect from a series focused on idols, there's music everywhere, which is generic to a certain extent, although that's not to say it's bad; it's just the typical beats associated with these groups. What did stand out, for me, were the opening and ending; each is "interpreted" by one of the twins, and they mix rhythms in a quite interesting way, as well as being accompanied by animation that is just as good and attractive as the rest of the series.
After I finished watching it, I understood why it is one of the highest rated anime of the year. It tackles conventional themes from a different and more mature perspective, without becoming tedious or boring. Thanks to its success, it has been renewed for a second season, and I can't wait to find out the identity of the twins' father Hoshino and see if the twins will be able to fulfill their dreams and those of their mother.
Oshi No Ko | Descubriendo el Universo Idol
En Japón, el mundo de las idols pareciera ser un mundo de ensueño; sin embargo, no es un secreto para nadie que también está lleno de cosas turbias y peligrosas. Oshi No Ko es un anime ambientado en esa turbulenta industria y en once episodios nos introduce en una trama llena de misterios y música. La historia sigue a Aquamarine y Ruby Hoshino, dos jóvenes hermanos gemelos que buscan abrirse paso en la industria del espectáculo. Ruby sueña con ser una Idol, mientras que Aqua utiliza su encanto y perspicacia para destacar en el campo de la actuación. Ambos ocultan grandes secretos, ya que son los hijos clandestinos de una famosa ex-Idol.
Con esta breve descripción, podría parecer que Oshi No Ko es un anime genérico sobre idols sin mucho que ofrecer; sin embargo, debo decir que es una de las series que más me ha sorprendido debido a la cantidad de temas que abarca. De hecho, tuve que pensar muy bien en qué enfoque le daría a esta reseña para no revelar detalles importantes de la trama, ya que hubo detalles que me dejaron verdaderamente impactada.
La Historia
La historia se divide en dos partes; en la primera, que funciona como una especie de prólogo a la verdadera trama, conocemos a Ai Hoshino, una talentosa Idol que vive un embarazo adolescente, del cual nacen los gemelos Ruby y Aquamarine. Durante el primer episodio, de más de una hora de duración, vemos a Ai luchar por esconder su embarazo y a sus hijos, mientras intenta mantener su imagen como la Idol más relevante del momento. La segunda parte de Oshi No Ko se desarrolla años después del fin de la carrera de Ai y se enfoca en los hijos de esta: Ruby y Aqua.
Es en la segunda parte donde la verdadera acción comienza y donde prácticamente transcurren todos los hechos del anime. Aunque aparentemente se centra en la realización de las metas y sueños de los jóvenes hijos de Ai, hay una subtrama en la que uno de los gemelos emprende una misión con el objetivo de encontrar a su padre. En este contexto, desconocen no solo la identidad del padre, sino que también consideran la posibilidad de que sea uno de los responsables del fin de la carrera de Idol de Ai.
A pesar de parecer un anime aparentemente "inofensivo", trata temas fuertes como el suicidio, acoso, bullying, asesinato, embarazo adolescente e incluso abandono infantil. Además, expone la hipersexualización que viven las idols en Japón, donde no importa si son adolescentes; son seguidas, amadas y acosadas por todos, incluyendo a jóvenes y a adultos. Me pareció bastante grotesco ver lo normalizado que está que hombres adultos fantaseen y se enamoren de jovencitas de secundaria y preparatoria, sobre todo porque no siempre lo presentan como algo completamente malo.
Si bien esta serie se sale de todo lo que estoy acostumbrada a ver y a disfrutar, debo aceptar que me gustó bastante; no solo la historia de las idols es sorpresivamente interesante, el desarrollo de los personajes es bueno, tiene giros inesperados y además una fuerte crítica a la industria del entretenimiento. Esto no solo se limita al ámbito de las idols, sino también a los creadores de contenido, actores, directores y agencias de managers y de publicidad. Esta última parte es lo que la hace pertenecer a la demografía "Seinen" y es lo que más me atrajo de ella, ya que exponen muchas manipulaciones y cosas turbias de la industria de manera sumamente interesante.
Animación y Música
Este es uno de los puntos fuertes de "Oshi No Ko". Visualmente, está muy bien realizada; el diseño de los personajes es hermoso y llamativo, sobre todo el de Ai Hoshino, que tiene un diseño verdaderamente bello, al igual que sus hijos. Pero como no todo es color de rosa en este anime, los momentos turbios también están representados adecuadamente y logran contrastar a la perfección con todo el ambiente festivo de las idols y el espectáculo.
Como es de esperarse de una serie enfocada en idols, hay música por doquier, la cual es hasta cierto punto genérica, aunque eso no quiere decir que sea mala; simplemente son los típicos ritmos que se asocian a esos grupos. Los que sí destacaron, para mí, fueron el opening y el ending; cada uno es “interpretado” por uno de los gemelos y mezclan ritmos de forma bastante interesante, además de ir acompañados por una animación igual de buena y atractiva que el resto de la serie.
Después de terminar de verla, entendí por qué es uno de los animes mejor puntuados del año. Aborda temas convencionales desde una perspectiva diferente y más madura, sin hacerse tediosa o aburrida. Gracias a su éxito, ha sido renovada para una segunda temporada, y la verdad es que no puedo esperar para descubrir la identidad del padre de los gemelos Hoshino y ver si estos logran cumplir sus sueños y los de su madre.
Thank you very much for reading me, see you in comments.
Muchas gracias por leerme, nos vemos en comentarios.
It seems that we have a good story behind this anime that looks like just another Idol anime, but from what I read in your review it brings us social criticism and gives us a clearer idea of how this complex and colorful industry is handled.
I really like the way you draw the eyes of the characters, they give them a very characteristic and unique brightness.
This anime is not one of my favorite genres, but this one in particular makes me want to watch it because of the good reception it has had, there must be a reason.
Thanks for sharing this interesting review. Best regards!
It's not my favorite genre either, but it has a touch of mystery and social criticism that made it interesting. I watched it just out of curiosity as to why it was so highly rated and surprisingly it was worth it.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting ✌️
Fame is definitely not rosy and this anime makes it clear (I already got spoilers by accidentally surfing Facebook and well, I know what the first chapter and the end of this one is about).
I've seen many anime about Idols, all the same, and without having seen this one, I'm sure it goes out of the traditional and addresses a little more how is the real reality of an Idol 😢
The plot is interesting, very good review without spoilers to encourage us to watch it 👌
I carefully wrote the review to avoid spoilers, and then you go and read them on the Internet 😢
It's a good anime; if you enjoy idol themes, you'll likely enjoy it. It has some excellent details and others that are a bit dark. It's worth watching.
Cheers ✌️
I really love this anime and its OST too. I even watched it many times just because I can’t get enough of it. I love how they showed that it’s not just the glitters but there’s also something working behind the scenes in the celebrities and idols we love.
It's a really good anime; it surprised me because it's not a theme I usually enjoy, but the way they structured everything is brilliant. And well, the OST is fantastic, the opening is stuck in my head all day, hahaha.
Super! I’ve been listening to the OST all day long for a few weeks 😅
me gusta como se ve la animación, las criticas se ven buenas así que darle una oportunidad seria genial!
I like how the animation looks, the reviews look good so giving it a try would be great!
The animation is fantastic; I loved the character design. Besides that, it has an interesting plot. I recommend it! 😁
I loved the animation and all the plot behind the anime, I'm waiting for a second season with all the faith in the world, and if not, there will be no choice but to read the manga which is said to be leaving more than one with his head smoking.
I hope they release the second season soon; it was a success, and it doesn't seem like the studio is very busy with other series.
I've also thought about reading the manga because, as I recall, it has already concluded, but I haven't taken the time to look for it 😅.
Yes, oshi no ko has been one of the best new generation animes. When episode one first came out. It gave around 9.9/10 rating , I was like, what will give this high rating with only episode 1 ?. But when I watched it, I was like , wow.
The whole of Oshi no ko is very interesting, alot of plot twist, and worth the hype.
Kust because of that score, I watched it, and I don't regret it. It's an amazing anime. Many people don't watch it because of its theme, but, it's an extraordinary anime.
Cheers ✌️
Yes. Surely it is
I hope the season 2 can be released soon 😩😩.
La verdad debo admitir que dejé de verlo hace tiempo, tal vez estoy esperando a que termine o que se yo jajajajaja
El opening y ending son una maravilla completamente, los tengo en mi playlist de Spotify y siempre los escucho, debo decir que el Opening es sobre Ai completamente, incluso al final de la canción dice "ah, ya pude decirlo, esto definitivamente no es una mentira, te amo" justamente las últimas palabras de Ai antes de morir... Y el ending es extraordinario, es Aqua completamente.
Perdón, pero me emocionan ya que son canciones muy buenas, Idol fue súper mega popular en Japón y Mephisto es extraordinaria.
Recomiendo a todos los que me leen escuchar más canciones de YOASOBI y QUEEN BEE
Muchas gracias por compartir y perdon el mucho texto❤️
Jajajaja, me encanta que te emocionen tanto las canciones, son buenísimas. A mi me gustó idol mucho más que el ending, la tuve pegada varios días después de haberlo terminado.
Ojalá le des su chance a la serie, está entretenida 😁
Saludos ✌️