Oshi no Ko Season 2 – The Summer 2024 Anime Preview Guide

What is that this?

As Aqua continues his quest to seek out his father—the puppet grasp behind his mom’s homicide—inside the Japanese leisure trade, he finds himself appearing in a stage play primarily based on the wildly in style manga Tokyo Blade. Surrounded by competent professionals— together with his associates Kana and Akane—it seems to be like this will probably be one in all his simpler jobs… If solely issues could possibly be that straightforward.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 relies on the Oshi no Ko manga collection by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari. The anime collection is streaming on HIDIVE on Wednesdays.

How was the primary episode?

James Beckett
Ranking:

Final yr, I used to be among the many few who ended up not being extremely impressed with Oshi no Ko‘s feature-length premiere. The quantity of expertise on show from Studio Doga Kobo was evident sufficient, in fact, however the story’s protagonists and reincarnation/homicide thriller tropes simply did not gel with me. I won’t have ever caught up on the primary season if it weren’t for the ANN After Present, however I’m very glad I did as a result of I shortly grew to understand the present’s strengths.

Along with the superb animation and artwork path, I beloved how the story interrogated the advanced and sometimes poisonous nature of life within the leisure trade. I even grew hooked up to a lot of the present’s forged regardless of how a lot I get distracted by these creepy star-shaped pupils that they’ve.

I do not know if I might name myself a super-fan of Oshi no Ko simply but; this second season could be the factor to cement my conversion. The truth that this complete storyline focuses on the manufacturing of a stage play tailored from a manga is simply 1000% my jam. I freaking find it irresistible when tales dig into the technical trivia of placing on a present, and the crew’s manufacturing of Tokyo Blade comes with the additional advantage of being a “2.5-D Play” that’s adapting a mega-popular manga. This comes with all types of nifty advantages that I can’t assist however geek out over. The way in which that Oshi no Ko fuses and contrasts the artwork of the anime with the in-universe artwork of the Tokyo Blade manga makes for some good photographs and sequences, like seeing Kana and her laconic co-lead burst into life throughout rehearsals to the purpose the place the story of the play is threatening to subsume the “actual” world.

The multi-layered trade components additionally imply that we get to dive into a number of the particular sorts of challenges that our forged members will face. My favourite a part of the premiere was seeing Akane cope with her frustration over how her character has modified for the more severe in comparison with her manga counterpart. The scene the place she and the play’s director and author break down the reasoning for reducing out a lot of that nice materials offers life to the theater child, anime critic, and author personas that each one wage day by day battle inside my soul. I might eat these items up for far more than only one season.

As is common with Oshi no Ko, my solely major-ish grievance comes from Aqua himself, who stays my least favourite side of the narrative. He is not a foul protagonist, however his chilly and calculating persona makes him arduous to intrinsically root for. I all the time really feel like I am all of the sudden watching a special (and fewer fascinating) anime every time he takes the highlight. I am certain his quest for vengeance will really feel extra compelling the extra headway we make on this story, however at this level, I are inclined to choose the elements of the story that concentrate on mainly another character within the present.

Nonetheless, think about this preview one thing of a mea culpa. Whereas I nonetheless contend that the start of Oshi no Ko is the present at its weakest — and let’s be sincere, we might have shaved a strong 15-20 minutes off of that 1st episode — I’m completely happy to report that I get it, now: Oshi no Ko guidelines. Carry on the remainder of the season.

Lauren Orsini
Ranking:

A part of what made the Oshi no Ko season 1 premiere immediately buzzworthy was its completely bonkers premise. It took a belief fall into what gave the impression to be a full hour of weird fetish materials to disclose an unsettling, addictive drama ready on the opposite facet. Against this, the Oshi no Ko season 2 premiere does not have the identical shock worth. Viewers know what they’re in for, and so they get it. It is not a foul factor, nevertheless it’s additionally not a sizzling matter. Individuals will in all probability say one thing like, “Oshi no Ko season 2? It seems to be fairly good,” and transfer on. Whereas it was an entertaining episode concerning the leisure trade, it wasn’t surprising or uncommon. As Oshi no Ko may say, it lacked Ai’s star energy.

Sandwiching the superbly acceptable opening (it could have been stunning in the event that they managed to prime the banger that was YOASOBI‘s “Idol,” and so they did not) is an introduction to what I feel is one in all Oshi no Ko‘s extra middling story arcs, because it lacks the darkness and depth of the story arcs that precede and comply with it. Right here, Aqua and his associates are adapting a stage play primarily based on the fictional anime Tokyo Blade, which feels vaguely impressed by Demon Slayer. It additionally consists of one extraordinarily on-the-nose element: whereas Akane and Kana are vying for Aqua’s affections, they’re additionally taking part in opposing rivals who’re warring to grow to be Aqua’s character’s romantic curiosity. It is the identical story being advised by means of a number of layers and lends an fascinating conceit to their love triangle.

Talking of layers, the premiere by no means permits you to neglect Oshi no Ko‘s meta-premise to discover the darkish facet of the media trade whereas being a part of the media trade. The scene during which a scriptwriter accounts for his selections in adapting the play in a different way from the Tokyo Blade manga would really feel virtually like a justification for this episode’s adaptive selections if that scene weren’t taken beat for beat from the manga. It is a captivating train to take heed to Oshi no Ko clarify how variations alter a manga’s supply materials whereas witnessing the way in which this episode does and does not veer from its supply materials. The important thing distinction from the manga is a vibrant, anime-only tackle the rehearsals—the strongest scene within the premiere. Right here, the actors are depicted in a single colour, every in opposition to a monochrome backdrop, splashing one another with the colours of their performances like they’re inklings in Splatoon. It is a bracing reminder that Oshi no Ko is properly conscious of its tightrope when navigating such a meta premise. By altering the unique materials in an episode that closely discusses why scriptwriters may achieve this, the viewers is on excessive alert to look out for precisely these adjustments.

Nicholas Dupree
Ranking:

It is good to have Oshi no Ko again. Whereas I by no means completely fell in love with the primary season – exterior of that laser-targeted assault on my coronary heart that was the premiere – I all the time discovered its odd mixture of tone actually fascinating. Whereas all of the idol child reincarnation stuff made for a strong hook, the extra mundane exploration of the truths and lies of present enterprise was all the time probably the most distinctive angle. I am glad to see this return instantly specializing in that.

For one, seeing an outline of the rehearsal course of for these anime stage performs I am going to by no means get to see reside is fairly novel. The opening minutes of this episode even go as far as to indicate us the dramatic, screen-enhanced spectacle of the play fully from the viewers’s perspective, in one other one of many present’s spectacular directional selections. It acts as an ideal tease for the ultimate product earlier than taking us again to the early rehearsals and actually digging into the artistic course of behind this complete factor. I additionally like that the play is a extra thought of adaptation than the drama Aqua and Kana took half in final season. There’s an artwork to adaptation into a brand new medium, and attending to see the author and administrators’ reasoning behind adjustments and their considerations about how these adjustments have an effect on the general manufacturing is strictly the form of factor that lit my mind on fireplace again in season one.

It is also good to be again with this forged, particularly Kana and Akane, who had been simply the strongest characters in season one. Their (doomed) rivalry over Aqua’s affections is not all that partaking. Nonetheless, seeing Kana let free when paired with a prime actor or Akane driving herself loopy over tips on how to get into her closely altered function does greater than make-up for the love triangle nonsense. Additionally, the visible metaphor of Kana and her co-star going all out is unbelievable and completely captures the vitality of a very electrical efficiency. Whereas the remainder of the episode is usually customary, it nonetheless seems to be good and captures each comedy and drama with the identical strong hand as all the time, and so they’re nonetheless doing YoriMengo’s designs justice.

That is Oshi no Ko working at its ordinary stage, which is fairly rattling excessive. It is not probably the most electrical return, nevertheless it’s proof that the collection nonetheless has all the boldness and endurance it promised final yr.

Caitlin Moore
Ranking:

The premiere of Oshi no Ko‘s second season was an episode roughly like another, which mechanically garners it a strong 4 stars. The one notable artistic selection was to make the episode’s first two minutes a single unmoving, uninterrupted shot of the opening of Tokyo Blade, the two.5D play-within-the-show, zoomed out to indicate the total proscenium arch and the backs of the viewers’s heads.

It is a intelligent transfer on a few ranges. For one factor, it gave me a way of what a “2.5D play” is. So far as I do know, the time period is exclusive to Japanese otaku tradition and refers completely to performs primarily based on anime, manga, and light-weight novels. It is a younger artwork kind, solely a few years previous, and distinct from extra traditionalized theatrical arts, that means even avid theatergoers exterior Japan would not know what it entails. Whereas the episode solely gave us a style, I already really feel I’ve far more perspective from that shot replicating what it is like within the viewers.

Plus, it creates a way of the stakes for the characters. We now know the tip product of what they’re engaged on, represented in a method that will be tough to check primarily based on them rehearsing in exercise garments in an enormous, empty room. Watching a play come collectively from the primary time the actors choose up the scripts will be magical as, little by little, the performances, costumes, and units come collectively. That magic has solely began forming, so having a way of what it would all appear like offers us one thing to stay up for.

And apart from that, it’s only a new arc of Oshi no Ko. It focuses on the performing arts reasonably than unlocking the thriller of Aqua and Ruby’s father, inspecting the difficulties of adapting the story and characters of 1 medium to a different. It is also advised primarily from Akane’s point-of-view because the character she’s taking part in has been considerably altered. Ruby does not even present up…

Richard Eisenbeis
Ranking:

Welp, as marketed, that was an episode of Oshi no Ko—and a reasonably common one at that. As usually occurs with continuations of an ongoing collection, the premiere episode is typical. Final season, it ended with the casting of Tokyo Blade and explicitly arrange the rivalry between Akane and Kana by giving us Akane’s perspective on the entire scenario. This episode continues proper on from that.

We’re given the setup of engaged on Tokyo Blade. It is acquired a forged of gifted professionals on stage and a strong backstage staff. The actors get pleasure from their jobs—and even when they cannot make it to each rehearsal—they put their all in every time they’re there. So every part seems to be like will probably be clean crusing—properly, besides from Akane’s perspective.

Akane’s core challenge is identical because the one she had on the truth TV present: she’s a way actor. She must grow to be the character—to construct a whole and real looking character that permits her character nuance in any given scene. The issue is, in Tokyo Blade—particularly on this stage play model of the story—her character is a one-note villainess. It is difficult for Akane to play such a shallow function—one thing made doubly tough to simply accept because of the truth that her character within the supply materials is greater than only a battle-crazed maniac.

Due to Aqua’s assist, she involves be taught why her function has been modified from a technical and writing standpoint—that even when solely adapting a single arc of the manga, the story is simply too massive for the runtime, and cuts and abridgment should be made. Her character, as a much less in style one, simply occurred to be hit the toughest.

After all, proper after she accepts this, our last-minute cliffhanger throws a wrench into the works. Apparently, regardless of being virtually every week into rehearsals, the unique creator needs to do a complete rewrite. Because it appears the creator has artistic management over this manufacturing, it seems to be like issues are going to get extremely chaotic.

Disclosure: Kadokawa World Leisure (KWE), an entirely owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Company, is almost all proprietor of Anime Information Community, LLC. A number of of the businesses talked about on this article are a part of the Kadokawa Group of Firms.