Oshi no Ko Season 3

Episode 6

I've already made it clear what I think Oshi no Ko's biggest weakness is. It has a tendency to be preachy, to talk up its salacious portrayal of the “dark side of entertainment” and then water it down in practice, and to use its cast as wooden actors in a cautionary tale. But this week was different. It was a story that relied on Kana's strong personality; it was a story that could only be about Kana. “Idols and Romance” took a timeless scandal set-up that has long lost its shock value and gave it raw emotion through Kana's vulnerability. As Kana faced the consequences in the way only she could, it was clear that this Oshi no Ko arc is about more than a scandal. It's about resilience—something Kana has in spades.

I think we can all agree that the portrayal of what happened to Kana is a bit over the top. In the episode, we are even told that scandals no longer stick to idols like they used to. The world has come a long way in the decade-plus since an AKB48 idol shaved her head in contrition for spending the night with her boyfriend, a punishment that even then critics said went too far. Like the makeup room idol chatter demonstrates, it's an open secret that these girls all have boyfriends. As for Kana's situation, even the tiniest bit of prodding would prove her innocence and get her fans on her side. There's no doubt a statement from the director Kana spent the evening with would resolve the issue (and notice that he's not the one in trouble, despite being a married man who did in fact put a teenager in this situation in the first place). The strength of the episode, however, is that it isn't dependent on the details. It is powered by the strength of Kana's character: how she reacts to this setback, and whether or not she lets it break her.

When the sleazy paparazzi corners Kana for an interview, her body freezes up as she subconsciously chooses whether to fight or flee. Her hurried sprint (heedless of her hat), her paranoid thoughts in the sidewalk crowd, and the way the road ahead seems to swim and blur and lose all color gave me a visceral reaction. The visuals here amplified her emotional state. There have been a few times in my life (and maybe in yours) when I felt like I was at rock bottom and had the impulse to wander, leaving my phone behind, until I could collect my thoughts. That Kana makes the same decision, however impulsively, was deeply relatable to me. And if in a moment of weakness, she cries out for Aqua to save her, that felt relatable too. It was supremely rewarding, in the end, to see Kana gather her courage and become her own savior. For all of Kana's charming flaws, like her big mouth and theatrically toxic personality, the fact of the matter is she's been working in the entertainment industry for years without being “chewed up and spit out” like Miyako said so many young people are. If Aqua had come to rescue her at that moment, it would have dashed her moment of triumph. So even though it was frustrating to see him track her all the way down, choosing not to confront Kana was the right thing for him to do.

Somebody who won't be needing a search party: Akane. This girl is fully in character as a private eye, complete with GPS activated on her phone. So forgive me if I'm not too concerned about the hooded figure in the alleyway. Like Kana, Akane is resilient. She'll do just fine.

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Oshi no Ko Season 3 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and HIDIVE.

Lauren is a freelance journalist with a focus on anime fandom.