A new character has joined the fold, and it is someone we have seen before! Oshi No Ko Episode 3 sees Aqua and Ruby make their first friend in the school. Let’s see how it went for them in this review!
Oshi No Ko Episode 3 Overview
Oshi No Ko, or My Star, is a drama and supernatural anime based on a manga written by Aka Akasaka, who also wrote Kaguya-sama Love Is War and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari. The anime adaptation is being directed by Daisuke Hiramaki, who has directed shows like Selection Project and Koisuru Asteroid in the past, alongside being a part of huge productions such as Bunny Girl Senpai and Naruto.
The series is being brought into the medium of anime by studio Doga Kobo, a relatively new studio which has been behind shows like Himotou Umaru-chan and Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie. This episode is also referred to as My Star Episode 3. Click here to read the review of the previous episode!
– My Star Episode 3 Review does not contain spoilers –
Oshi No Ko Episode 3 Review- Shoujo Manga Adaptation
This was a weird episode that didn’t care to give us many talking points about it. Not because nothing happened at this time, but because what happened wasn’t very interesting. The episode was focused on Kana and Aqua’s connection being rebuilt after their fateful scene together in the first episode. A lot of it depended upon the chemistry that the two actors shared with each other, and there wasn’t much of that in their dynamic. You see some potential for a well-written relationship, but not much of that was displayed here.
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Kana still has somewhat of the edge to it that she did as a child star, but she has undergone a development off-screen that makes her journey in this show not really a journey. She has learned a lot from her first meeting with Aqua and is now a much more refined and well-adjusted personality. It would have been great to witness some of that transformation in person as that would have made her more relatable than she is, and she is the kind of character that needs help in that department.
Oshi No Ko Episode 3 was much more about the acting side of things than the idol industry, and I feel like that is what weakened it the most. The Japanese film and TV show industry is far less renowned internationally than the anime and idol industries and is even known for its poor quality of acting. Thus, when Oshi No Ko Episode 3 puts out an episode where one main character’s conflict is “I am not as good of an actor as the other”, and the others’ is “I am way too good for any of this”, it didn’t really stick out as much.
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Aqua is still sticking to his guns with the “I am going to find out who got my mom murdered and kill him” approach. Oshi No Ko Episode 3 featured some great instances of his dedication to the cause, alongside how insane it would seem to a normal person to see a child go to such lengths essentially to kill someone else. The time that we spent with Aqua was the best part of this episode and reminded us what made us so interested in this show in the first place- the level of intrigue it can build in a short amount of time.
Since this review featured some negativity, let’s end it by complimenting the show on something great about it- the opening theme by YOASOBI is absolutely fantastic. It captures the frantic tone of the show despite its premise very well. The murder mystery aspect, as well as the focus on the entertainment industry in the lyrics as well as the animation, builds upon what already is an extremely catchy song. YOASOBI was also the perfect group to do this song after having proved what they are capable of with shows like Beastars.
Verdict
Oshi No Ko Episode 3 was the weakest offering by the show in its short history so far because of the subject matter, but the characterisation and production were still on point and made the episode a fun watch.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!