Oshi No Ko Season 2 Episode 1 Review: The Best Of This Season?

Oshi No Ko Season 2 Episode 1 Review: The much-awaited season 2 of this mystery drama anime is finally here. Let us see how the first episode turned out.  

Overview

Aka Akasaka, the genius behind the hit Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is also the one to write Oshi No Ko. Other than him, Mengo Yokoyari, the writer of Scum’s Wish is the one responsible for the art. Since April 2020, this series has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump and now boasts an impressive 14 volumes as of April 2024. The series is licensed in North America by Yen Press and is also available on Shueisha’s Manga Plus platform.

The first season of Oshi No Ko was produced by Doga Kobo, and it aired from April to June 2023, with a total of 11 episodes. The second season is scheduled to be released in July 2024, with Hiramaki Daisuke, who directed the first season and has worked on series like “Baccano!,” returning as the director.

Sentai Filmworks has acquired the licensing rights for the anime in North America, and the English dub has been available on the Hidive streaming platform since May 2023.

The opening theme for the second season is Fatale (ファタール) by GEMN. Information regarding the ending theme has not yet been announced.

Also Read: Oshi No Ko Season 1 Review

Oshi No Ko Season 2 Episode 1 Review

This episode starts right from the section where Aqua, Kana and Akane were confirmed to be a part of the stage play of Tokyo Blade. This is the live-action adaptation of a famed action manga that is set around samurai in the Edo period of Japan. Though Aqua is not the lead in this production, he still has a very vital role to play where he will be the love interest of Saya Hime, played by Akane and Tsurugi, played by Kana.

Right from the beginning, what catches your interest is how meticulously the episode starts with the stage production happening live and you getting the point of view of the audience. Then we go back to the times when the actors were rehearsing the whole thing and witness how everything came to play.

In the rehearsal room, the mood and the environment oozes professionalism. This time, we are not dealing with amateur actors who do not know what they are doing but rather with veterans who come from stage productions and, hence, carry ample experience themselves. Kana, who is one of the leads, at first, tries to underplay her character in the beginning. However, she gets paired with the star of the play, Taiki and is finally forced to come out of her shell and show everyone just how powerful of an actress she is.

Not only does she keep up with the genius Taiki, but also is on the verge of taking over Akari, who is known to be a prodigy in the field. However, this sort of competition means nothing to our protagonist, Aqua, who is there for a completely different goal altogether.

Today’s episode again reminded us just how brilliant the production design of this anime is and how the studio does not hold back when it comes to showcasing every aspect beautifully. I also love how technical this anime becomes and goes in-depth to make the audience understand the basics of the entertainment industry.

Verdict

My favourite part was definitely when they addressed the obvious difficulties of adapting a manga into a live-action. Unlike a manga panel, where you use many chapters to convey the emotions of the characters, movies, series or stage plays do not give you that kind of freedom. This is also why, most of the time, live-action adaptations of our beloved manga or anime series turn out so bad and receive criticism.

All in all, this episode proves why this anime franchise is so popular, and I am sure, this season as well, Oshi No Ko will be on top.

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