On Discord servers, meme pages, and in pretty much every circle of friends, people are trying to push everyone into the anime “Oshi no Ko” – what is behind this hype?
That there are usually one or two big “hype anime” every year among anime fans has become a norm. But it is rare for a series to achieve what “Oshi no Ko” (Eng.: “My*Star”) has accomplished. One single episode was enough to literally make the internet “explode.” For several weeks, there were memes, reaction videos, and numerous discussions about the “hype anime of 2023.”
How did “Oshi no Ko” manage this? The series has many reasons for its success. Not only the emotional and gripping storyline (more about this in the “spoiler” section), but also the unvarnished and realistic portrayal of star life, with all its lies and rivalries, contributed to the series coming across as unusually dark and serious despite humorous moments.
Instead of starting with an episode of around 24 minutes, as is usual for anime, Oshi no Ko released the first episode with a runtime of over 80 minutes. Thus, Episode 1 is more like a standalone film, having almost four times as much time to capture viewers and excite them for the story. Accordingly, the episode had ample time to introduce the characters and their motivations and to narrate the backstory for the rest of the series.
This is not only a treat for fans of the manga source material, but also shows how much energy and confidence the production studio has invested in this anime – you can see the high production quality and detailed animations. Here, they definitely did not skimp on costs.
What is “Oshi no Ko” about? We summarize the plot of the first episode (heavily detail-reduced) here, hence a warning:
Spoiler warning: We recommend diving into “Oshi no Ko” with as little prior knowledge as possible. So consider whether you really want to read the spoiler box about the story of the first episode.
Oshi no Ko – Episode 1: “A Mother and Her Children”
“Ai Hoshino” is a young, rising idol (comparable to a pop star) in Japan, who is gathering more and more fans around her. Among them is also the gynecologist Goro, who became aware of her through one of his now-deceased patients, a young girl named Salina.
After Salina’s death, Goro continues to follow Ai’s career – until Ai suddenly appears at his hospital with her manager. The 16-year-old Ai is pregnant, decides to carry her children to term, and Goro is supposed to conduct the birth. The pregnancy and the children are to be kept hidden from the public.
However, on the calculated due date, a man shows up at the hospital, whom Goro immediately recognizes as Ai’s stalker. When Goro wants to confront him, he is overwhelmed, falls off a cliff, and dies.
But instead of leaving this world, Goro finds himself alive shortly thereafter – reborn as Ai’s son, now named “Aqua.” Just like his sister “Ruby,” the reborn Salina, both still have all the memories and knowledge from their previous lives.
To protect her idol career, Ai hides her motherhood from the public. Because if it were to come out that the 16-year-old already has children, her career would likely be over – most idols are not even allowed to have relationships.
Ruby and Aqua try, with their limited abilities as children, to support Ai’s career in the coming months and also enjoy being able to be so close to their star and getting to know Ai’s personal side.
A few months later, there is a knock at Ai’s door, which she carelessly opens, suddenly facing her stalker. The stalker pulls out a knife and stabs her in the stomach while accusing her of “betraying the fans” and being a “cheap whore playing with her fans’ feelings.”
Aqua and Ruby can only watch in shock in their child bodies as their mother slips away from them and dies after finally managing to utter a sincere “I love you.”
Several days go by during which it becomes clear that the stalker took his own life after his act. Aqua and Ruby are adopted, and the boy reflects on the events. He comes to the conclusion that only one person could have told the stalker Ai’s address: her previously unknown father.
Aqua’s new goal is clear: he will use his new life to find his father and kill him with his own hands as soon as he is able.
After a time jump, Aqua and Ruby reach the age of young adults – and that is where the series continues with Episode 2.
The series thus abruptly shifts from a cute star adoration to a dark thriller.
How successful is Oshi no Ko? An “extreme” would be an understatement. The first episode was enough to catapult Oshi no Ko directly to 1st place of the “most popular anime of all time” on the rating site “MyAnimeList” with a rating of 9.11 out of 10. Even if the rating has since dropped to 9.08 after 3 more episodes, the series remains at 2nd place – just ahead of legendary titles like “Attack on Titan,” “Steins;Gate,” or “Bleach” and just behind “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.”
Even more general rating sites, like IMDB, rate the anime at 9.0 / 10 points – the first episode even at a rarely reached 9.5 / 10.
But not only has Oshi no Ko taken the anime charts by storm, the accompanying music – in this case, the “opening” – has also made it to the mainstream. The song “Idol” by Yaosobi reached over 60 million views on YouTube in less than 3 weeks and even secured 6th place in week 2 for “most popular music videos worldwide” – something that songs with Japanese lyrics hardly ever achieve:
Is the anime really worth it? Ultimately, it depends on whether one can get excited about anime aesthetics at all. Oshi no Ko is (forgive me the cliché) a wild rollercoaster ride of emotions and is already a series that will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the “Top 3” of 2023. The first episode can comfortably be regarded as a standalone and even reasonably complete film that can be unreservedly recommended.
It is to be expected that the hype around the series will likely diminish. The themes are still very tailored to anime fans, and the basic setting could long-term scare off many “non-anime fans.”
However, anyone who is willing to embrace a new experience or carries a little enthusiasm for anime or emotional stories in their heart receives a clear recommendation here.
Where can you watch Oshi no Ko? It all depends on your preferences. Currently, Oshi no Ko can be legally watched in Germany through the provider “Hidive” or “Akiba Pass TV” – on Hidive with English subtitles, on Akiba also with German. If you want to watch the whole series as cheaply as possible, it’s best to wait until June when the last episodes are released and then watch the series all at once.
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