Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Oshi no Ko
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jdnation
Posts: 2014 |
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We are B-Komachi!
Our sign is 'B'! And there's a picture of a Bee! 
I'm personally hoping the final episode will be a longer 50 mins or more in length like Episode 1. Demon Slayer did it too! |
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Azure Chrysanthemum
Posts: 119 |
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I really appreciate that it's Ruby that calls Kana out on her nerves. Ruby often comes off as ditzy/happy go lucky but you always get some hints about her own intellect that peek through. I feel like Aqua tends to really excel in cerebral planning and "classic" intellect whereas Ruby has strong emotional intelligence and charisma.
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dm
 Subscriber Posts: 1386 |
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I was surprised this episode to realize that Ruby doesn't know about Aqua's past life.
I know the kids both know the other was a fan of Ai, but I'm surprised that they've kept each other's "true" identity from one another (though I think Aqua has figured out that Ruby is Sarina reborn). It's interesting that part of Ruby's motive behind becoming an idol is to be reunited with Dr. Gorou, though I think the 45-year age difference might be a hinderance. |
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minamikaze
Posts: 221 |
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Back in the first episode when Aqua asked her how old she was in her previous life, Ruby fearing that Aqua would be even more condescending towards her if he found out how old she was when she died, claimed she had been an adult woman in her previous life. Aqua accepted what she said. There has been no indication that Aqua has had any further doubts about Ruby's claim. I think Aqua definitely would have said something to Ruby by now if he had figured out that she was previously Sarina. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11705 |
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Poor Kana. She's trying to fight back against her status of being a pushover who just goes along with what other people push her into...but she's too responsible and realistic to not be the center when she realizes she's the only one who can actually sing.
The irony that you think you're falling for someone new to get over the guy who broke your heart...and said someone new is said guy the whole time. At this point Kana feels like she's turning Aqua-sexual. I like seeing the bonds of friendship growing among the new B-Komachi. Aqua said none of the original members were that close but here they feel like actual friends, especially when you see them sleeping in the same bed together. I just realized it seems like all the main characters seem to come from single mom households. We've only seen Kana and Akane's moms, MEM-cho's dropped her dream of being an idol to support her single mom, Ai was a single mom (though she had a lot of help), Miyako is basically a single mom even if she's still legally married to Ai's old manager. Even when it comes to Ai I think they only ever mentioned her mom and her being in prison. The only relevant father is the twins' because Aqua is trying to hunt him down. It's rough being rookie, underground, idols huh? Kana has gone through a lot as a washed up child star...but it wasn't just that no one came to her shows or cared about her performances, or that she grew up enough that no one wanted her, it was that she felt like she was letting down so many people. And even now she feels like she's responsible for making sure things work out for everybody, but it's Ruby who finally gets through to her and tells her that she's an ordinary girl and that it's okay to fail. And it seems like now, more than ever, Kana is finally committed to being a Rookie Idol and really giving it a go. |
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Shay Guy
 Posts: 2153 |
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My read of the scene was that he didn't necessarily believe her, but decided not to push it. Certainly, I get the sense that by the time Ai died, he'd figured out she was probably pretty young -- consider how he thinks about her during Ai's funeral. |
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GhostStalkerSA
 Posts: 425 Location: NYC |
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I believe it is, yes. Since JIF is obviously based on Tokyo Idol Festival, which has stages scattered all throughout Odaiba (you can see both Rainbow Bridge and the Diver City mall in one of the background shots when Mem-Cho and Ruby are waxing poetic about arriving at JIF, but unfortunately no life sized Gundam statue pastiche since I guess only Sunrise properties get to pull that one off, like Love Live Nijigasaki), and one of their prominent stages is on the roof of the Fuji TV building there (and conveniently the stage the new B-Komachi is going to be performing on), it most likely is a hallway or covered skybridge in that building. I’ve actually never been to TIF, but friends of mine have, and an author’s note in the scanlation I was reading pointed out the location in the manga as well.
I think it was implied in the first episode that after the discussion of their relative ages when they were babies convincing Miyako and then that exchange in the scene at the kindergarten, the twins collectively decided not to pry into each other’s past lives after they both discovered that they were reincarnates as a form of mutual disarmament. Aqua doesn’t know Ruby is Sarina; Ruby doesn’t know that Gorou-sensei died because Sarina passed away years before he did. This won’t change for a long while, spoiler[depending on how the next chapter goes, I guess], letting Asakaka-sensei milk a big reveal for all the drama that he can. Also yes, looking forward an an announcement of a season 2 very soon if not after the season finale ends next week; with the amount of buzz this series has generated, a second season is them practically printing money for the production committee. |
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Covnam
 Posts: 3692 |
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I'd be surprised if we never got a second season. The only reason I can see one not being announced along with the final episode is that they didn't expect this level of success, so a second season wasn't already planned, and they haven't yet dotted the i's and crossed the t's
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Azure Chrysanthemum
Posts: 119 |
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There was an alleged leak a few weeks ago saying Season 2 was already greenlit, so we'll find out next week if that was correct!
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njprogfan
 Collector Extraordinaire Posts: 1171 Location: A River Named Toms |
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Ep. 10 clinched it - Kana is my fav girl so far this season. I'm all in for bubbly girl characters, my favorite girl/woman troupe, they just make me feel happy, but Kana's old world, beaten-down character flaws for such a young girl have won me over, (it doesn't hurt that I'm digging that short hair and she's a tad tsundere). I've been in her corner ever since she popped into this anime and I don't see myself changing my mind.
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Shay Guy
Posts: 2153 |
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Episode 11:
The best part was when Kana said "IT'S OSHINOKOIN' TIME" and oshinokoed all over the audience. Truly one of the anime of all time. That aside… I am really puzzled by how they handled Mana. She's a character I was worried they'd leave out for a long time, especially after the preview streamed yesterday and she wasn't in it. And I was so relieved when the episode started and she was there -- first part of her story moved to the beginning, makes sense, you don't have to backtrack after the concert and it works as setup for something they'll pay off later. And then they didn't pay it off. The rest of Mana's story isn't there. All we have is "an idol from one of the other groups decided to see B Komachi". Could they not make space for it? Were they planning on covering it at the beginning of S2, or maybe in an OVA? Anyway, back to the main story… I only realized this would happen a few days ago, but it's pretty neat that the season is bookended by Aqua doing goofy wotagei at a B Komachi concert. And I guess Doga Kobo thought so too, because they had the center see it at the exact same point in "Sign wa B".  Also, we finally see Kana and Akane on-screen together! With the promise of much more to come, as they act with Aqua together in KimetsUH I MEAN Tokyo Blade. It's an arc I know a lot of people are looking forward to, myself among them. (The flashback to the sushi dinner did feel like padding, but I guess they wanted to really hammer home how the play is the next step in Aqua's quest. And the production was kinda strained, from the observations I've seen of the credits.)
See y'all next season! EDIT: Forgot that now I can mention a fun detail about the casting: Megumi Han and Manaka Iwami play teenagers who have a ton of similarities but can't stand each other, with Rumi Okubo as Han's delightful friend. Am I talking about Oshi no Ko, or spoiler[Gamers!]? EDIT2: One production criticism I have: The continuity on Akane's hair length isn't great. The café date has it grown out a bit, but in the shot of her during the closing montage, it looks like it's back to its shorter length. Guess it's understandable, given how much of the team's energy must've been expended by the episode's first half, and hopefully they'll be able to get better conditions for S2 after this was a hit. The mid-season is gonna need some pretty impressive animation. |
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dm
Subscriber Posts: 1386 |
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You get a glimpse of her at the back of the crowd when Kana switches on. She's prominent because, unlike everyone else in the crowd, she's not dancing with the music. I was a little surprised that Kana didn't have star-Ai-eyes when she stunned Aqua in the concert. Yen Press can't release the manga fast enough. Following the manga on Manga+, it's interesting how the revenge plot moves in and out of prominence, replaced by the workings of the entertainment industry and the interactions among the characters. |
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Shay Guy
Posts: 2153 |
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One more bookend that occurred to me: Like the first episode, this one ends with a montage of people we'll be seeing more of in the future. Nice.
*checks* Huh, you're right. Still sad they couldn't find another three or four minutes for her. |
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GhostStalkerSA
Posts: 425 Location: NYC |
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Same wrt to Mana, no payoff at all despite devoting a couple of minutes at the beginning of the episode to her. Shame, would’ve loved to see the effects that the new B-Komachi had on her and the commentary on what idols do when they leave the industry as they either get disillusioned or feel it’s time to move on. Also, it looks like I need to work on my wotagei, Aqua’s OADs were crisp. Gotta get some practice in before AX this weekend and I go hang out with my Anisong DJ friends at their booth there between panels I want to attend. Surprised I didn’t see any UOs used during the Live scene, but I guess no one’s image/oshi color was orange. Still, you would think someone would break some out when things got really hype. And ofc Aqua is a dirty hakoshi using all three image color cyalumes. They adapted one more chapter than I expected by cutting most of the Mana chapter, and we’ve got an introduction to what is effectively the Touken Ranbu stage play arc coming up. Time for Akane to show what she can really do and how she’ll be able to play off of an actor like Kana. I also love the montage of soon to be important characters to end this. Another shot of Melt, now realizing how crappy his acting was, some other actors, and also Abiko-Sensei. Can’t wait to see who they’ll get to voice her whenever the next cour airs. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11705 |
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It's all been building up to this and Doga Kobo knocked the new B Komachi's first live out of the park. It was just great watching the girls all on stage and pulling it off.
Kana finally finds the spark she needs to be a true idol. Feeling abandoned, like no one needed her, and that she didn't even belong in the role as the center or as an idol...but having someone root for her, like Aqua, inspires her to really commit and realize that she can make people love and embrace her once again as an idol. Also finally getting the title drop in there felt like a big "Main Heroine" move. And as a bonus point she even finally reconciled with Aqua and realize she still has a chance, and their chemistry is as palpable as ever. She's not going to give him up to Akane without a fight (both on and off the stage). Ruby has the charisma and stage presence of her mom, if her skills improve she probably could be the center, but I'm glad Kana managed to own the second song. Poor MEM-cho caught between a love triangle between her two friends. Who does she root for!? An arc about an anime stage play? That's something you don't see a lot of, actually. And I can only imagine how heavy it will get when an IRL love triangle plays out in a fictional love triangle on the stage while Kana and Akane try to out-act each other and compete for Aqua's heart. This should one juicy stage play. Akane hating Kana's guts was a surprise. |
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