"Oshi no Ko" 2nd Season

I think this season is honestly gonna be superior to the season 1
Oshi no ko is still true to it's nature and that's the unravelling of the challenges of the entertainment industry
Honestly it's a breath of fresh air cuz stories like this are not really common and it's interesting seeing how things work out in the "behind the scenes" and it's being presented to the viewers in a creative, entertaining format, it's truly splendid

The second season seems to be exploring more on the theatre/acting part rather than the whole idol stuff and it's still a banger, we're introduced to great chars, well written conflicts and ... what challenges they have in the medium. Its educational yet fun to watch; the rivalry between akane and kana is always interesting

The Animation is even better in the second season the character designs and their facial expressions are even more fluid
The movement, Visuals all took a step up it's truly been amazing

The sound track and music are amazing too
Truly recommend watching this if you enjoyed the first season

Oshi No Ko. All my friends some how dont find this interesting which is so wild to me.

One might just toss this series away just because it involves reincarnation. They might think of Aqua's revenge as too edegy for their liking. Which I tottally understand. But I urge you to understand that those premises are just the many sub-plots of the series.

The main fruit and the juice of the story is how it goes in depth about the entertainment industry, pointing out its flaws that we'd never thoughtt of before. And the way it is presented is just so fun to watch.

Take the conflict between ... the author and screenwriter for example. I never knew Authors had that much power over their works and I totattly understand the conflict because its so feasible. Despite seeing this typa conflict for the first time, it was incredibly addicting to watch.

All the characters are likeable aswell. They are trying to survive in this entertainment industry that we thought was harmless but actually so much harsher than we realized. Makes me wanna root for everybody.

Oshi no Ko's first season was amazing. Each episode was a banger, and the music opening was Iconic. And wow, it just blew my mind. I get the hype, and they even had a movie-length first episode!

When you set the bar that high... Season 2 can be in for a bit of trouble as it brings you back down to earth.

This season focuses on a play based on a manga adaptation. There are little conflicts between the way people act and the script. The pacing is a bit slow, and the direction of the big picture seems to have taken a back seat ... to setting up the situation.

I do have to update this review, while the first 4 episodes were dragging, It seems like we are at major turning point, so if you are reading this, STICK WITH IT, It will get better and everything starts to connect.

But I will give the benefit of the doubt that this will pick up, and everything was worth it for now!

If you have not watched season 1, please watch it first! And for those who have, I am sure you are watching it anyway :P

maybe im just an uncultured idiot that doesnt have good taste.

i dont
this show isnt bad, its not bad at all. maybe the source material has some big things in store for us, but so far, both seasons of the anime have been kind of mediocre for me.

episodes are usually an easy watch, but it has never been a show where i was like, "I need the next episode right now wtf"
this show is alright though, but i dont think characters, story, or anything about it really is anything that makes this show a "stand out" show for me. i understand other people ... feel differently, and I'm not here to tell anyone their opinion is wrong.

i just personally dont resonate that deeply with the show and its characters, not because i cant relate or understand, but mostly because it just feels generic still.

ill still watch this season because the lineup of shows this season is incredibly weak.

6/10 (rating it on the literally 10 scale, so above average.)

It's fine and an easy watch. Probably can even be a 7. Just a little conflicted because i feel like the score is a bit inflated. I tried enjoying this series, genuinely tried, but cant help but always feel like the series falls short in one way or another.

Okay, I cannot believe I’m saying this, but I actually really enjoy this series. I was on the fence when I saw Season 1, mainly because the whole "adult now a child" concept is weird; I still find that setup strange. However, setting that aside, I totally enjoy the show, love the characters, and appreciate the colorization. Sometimes the main character annoys me with his attempts to act all mysterious, especially since his original personality as an adult is so different from how he is now. Despite that, this season really delves into what working in media is actually like, which I enjoy, and explores ... how it affects the artists and others around them in bringing something artistically to life.

I was enjoying the season- then episode 17 happened. IT WAS AMAZING. It has been a long time since I felt so moved by an episode. Not only did they display the episode plot in a very unique way but the animation quality and emotion drawn into the characters were absolutely incredible.

This anime continues to surprise me and I am enjoying the ride! The art style is well done and extremely colorful. They give each character honest emotions and well rounded backgrounds without taking away from the main characters and stories. In doing so they give the viewer a brief peak into the character's ... ambitions and reasonings which honestly somehow always add to the plot rather than take away.

If you are looking for an anime that has a unique plot with real feelings- definitely check it out!

I'm not the type of person who really waits for this anime to come, I also read the manga, so at least I understand what will happen in the story in anime form, especially in the 'Mystery' part. I'm not sure about my rating, whether this is appropriate or not, but after seeing the first 3 episodes of season 2 I believe this rating is sufficient for the right reasons. Because lately I've been researching and learning about Sakuga (Key Animator), 2ndKA, Directing, Compositing, etc. The depiction of Hirayama Kanna(kappe) is extraordinary, and makes me amazed by his work, of course from ... the other staff behind the broadcast of this great anime.

But I would have looked forward to this show if the main issue (the mystery) had been shown more. I'm not saying it's degenerating or anything, but so far I haven't found anything I hope will appear in the near future.

Animation : 8/10
Directions : 8.2/10
Visuals : 8.7/10

p.s.
The music of the opening theme is good, especially if you already know who Kitani Tatsuya is, but it's not my cup of tea.

This is one of my favourite anime lately, I really thought when I started in season 1 that its going to be quite had due to the reincarnation plot, which is still written quite badly, but all that gets outshined by the beautifully written characters , this is a pretty realistic anime and season 2 dives even deeper into the entertainment industry, The characters are also very enjoyable because for the most part they are written like actual humans , i literally enjoy every single interaction and conversation because it feels natural , the main plot is also really interesting because our main character is ... faced with a problem with his job which I will not spoil.
Overall really good show.

Context: I think SE01 is very good (my score = 7.75; my mean score=6) in general, but also very bad when it comes to keeping track of themes/motifs.

EP 01-02: I don't know what happened here. Bland visuals. Almost no substance. Character interactions are brief and add no value. Lack of entertaining banter. New characters are introduced by suddenly existing. Also, it felt disconnected with SE01 and has some odd choices in terms of time jumps/rewinds.
EP 03-04: The anime gets a little better and you can see a hint of what it used to be. The series starts to actually focus on the more important dialogue ... and forms a mini-arc of sorts. However, I think this arc is mediocre and the rest is still washed out.
EP 05: It seems like someone remembered that Oshi no Ko is supposed to be a drama and tried to force some dramatic moments into this episode. They feel a out of place as they had almost no build-up and are instead used to introduce new themes/arcs that will probably take place later. (And someone in the sound department has committed a war crime. If they managed to reach/condition you with a certain sound effect in SE01, you'll be punched in the face now since it's being used in a different way this time.)
EP06: Actually good - after 4 EPs made by trainees only and one EP that was used as a test room, they've managed to create something that feels like Oshi no Ko.

My problem with Oshi no Ko has always been the same.
Being totally honest the plot that grabbed me was the unknown behind Ai's murder and aqua's revenge, despite having some weird stuff like reincarnation and not touching that topic again (For the time being) The show does a splendid job judging the entertainment world and gives way to an interesting narrative where revenge is involved, but unfortunately this is a fact that is worked very little to almost null in the series, although it does a great job showing us a realistic perspective of how it is lived inside, I feel that the “real” plot ... of the series is not executed correctly, also it uses the typical love triangle as a dramatic means and although there is nothing wrong with it, I think it is not appropriate when we talk about a possible revenge and a murder behind, even so I think my problem with the first season was precisely that since the series seemed to give more importance to the silly love dramas than to the narrative that mainly caught me.

In this season it seems that there is more of the same, the truth is that I am liking it a little more than the first season and I have heard that this arc is considered the climax of the work or the best it has to offer, I think they are cooking something strong and that is why I am liking it more, I hope they focus more on the main characters (I think it will be so according to rumors, I do not read the manga) and that the plot goes where it really should go, so far it is doing things right and although it is the same as the first season it seems that this time something big is coming.

Let's see what it has in store for us later on, I

Do you want to know something? Whenever an adaptation of a story that centers around said industry is done, it's always done with the concept that we're supposed to know more about the industry or how the people operate behind it. By nature, you could say it's just a glorified documentary. Still, because it's an anime, it throws in another plot that is meant to balance the core theme of the anime itself, like inserting a harem into a game-making plot or making the focus on Romance surrounding gamers. At its best, you get an entertaining anime that tempts you with its insightful facts and ... keeps you focused on the drama in the story. On the other side, fumbling them is pretty easy if you don't know how to keep the two plots in perfect cohesion, as trying to focus more on the industry plot can lead to a lack of character details and forced plot contrivance whereas focusing on the other plot (can be romance, drama or anything) could make the whole plot completely pointless.

Oshi no Ko is an exemplary anime that excels in balancing both the darkness and brightness of the story. Everything the anime does is almost nigh-perfect. You have eye-candy-worthy character designs with juicy animations, a plot that continues to bring suspense and drive, and top-notch pacing and direction, it's an ideal product of a perfect adaptation. Of course, the story's quality is entirely subjective to you, but the staff continues to bring that incredible quality which makes this season a worthy sequel.

Considering the episodes we have gotten, the quality is consistent and doesn't seem to lose its touch after a year break. Yeah, the anime sometimes throws in those goofy expressions and sometimes the characters don't look the perfectly modeled eye candies in every frame, but nitpicking on it would be a petty attempt because this season is incredible.

I won't focus on the things they do well, obviously it's not all bad. Honestly, I expect them to do well. This was arguably one of the most high profile shows of 2023. S1 was great. I specifically rewatched S1 in anticipation of S2 because I was having such a good time with S1 last year. They introduced great characters, established dynamics, set out goals for them (what every good first season should do) and with S2 all they had to do was basically go through with that.

Instead they make one of the biggest mistakes a second season can make: Introduce a new character and ... focus HEAVILY on them.

This is a gamble that CAN pay off. I'd argue in most cases it straight up sucks though. This is one such case.

So instead of getting to focus MORE on the struggle of the new Komachi B within Ichigo, or MORE of Aqua's quest for whoever has more intel on Ai, or MORE of Akane, or MORE Mem-Cho or WHOEVER really made S1 interesting for you, we instead get episodes that almost exclusively revolve around the drama this new character has with some background characters about the plot device (the play). In all honesty, this is the WORST POSSIBLE DIRECTION they could've taken it.

And I don't wanna hate on anyone hat enjoys that, really. For a variety of reasons. You might sympathise with these other characters, or find the storyline interesting, or whatever. That's genuinely fine and understandable and it's honestly great that you can enjoy this.

But as a sequel, so far, this sadly straight up sucks. And it's not about it "getting better", or some episodes later on being absolute bangers, or whatever. It's about my disappointment as a fan that they did not utilize every single episode to its fullest, to focus on continuing story and character arcs they started out and instead chose to throw in new ones instead. This is pretty much the most lazy you can get with writing.

And inb4 "the play is obvl important to the story so it's only natural that they focus on it, you still get the other stuff yada yada yada!!" - of course. I'm not contesting that the play is an important plot device and obviously production of the play will have to be an important part in the story. But you'd be arguing in bad faith if you'd be not contending that they could've gone about this in a VERY different way, with their focus on characters less diluted especially.

S2 has been a major disappointment so far to me and since misery enjoys company I want to share my sentiment.

It astounds me how this series used to have a ton of hype and was heavily crazed and talked about with Season 1, even regarded as one of the best anime last year, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. It's pretty clear less people are enjoying Oshi no Ko, considering it has gradually lost all of that idol vibe and drama suspense which made it worth enjoying and instead has sunk to some incest crap slice of life entertainment show from the manga, that's why Season 2 hasn't been getting much traction. Not to mention the terrible English dub of Season 1 ... also disappointed a lot of fans.

I feel as though those who watched Season 1 but are not watching or have dropped Season 2 this early were on the bandwagon and were just looking for a good non-action shonen or non-romcom to hook their eyes on. As for Season 2 itself, it's still pretty faithful to the source material. Considering it's once again Doga Kobo, I have full faith in them that they will do this Stage Play arc justice. However, the loss of Yoasobi, not returning to sing the OP for Season 2 made me less excited and enthusiastic. The song "Idol" was perhaps what made people hooked to watching the show in the first place and it's one of the most notable contributions of the series. I thought ONK would grow its fanbase and mainstream popularity with a second season, but it's hard to believe such a trend.

0 Plot development (so far)

So far this season has been nothing but filler with minimal characters development and no development on the overarching plot of Oshi No Ko, the only time Ai is talked about is when Aqua is having another panic attack which he gets over by the end of the episode , so far (ep 6 at the time of writing) we have seen Ruby in I think 2 episodes both of the times she adds nothing to the story and disappears minutes later. However I do enjoy seeing Akane she is developing perfectly along side the story which annoys me so ... as far the only character development has been on “side characters” like Akane, Melt (who I personally don’t give a shit about ) and Abiko (how I again don’t care about)
I’ll give it the benift of the doubt though as I think it might be important for later though even if this is the case I don’t see why the main characters can’t develop alongside the supporting characters.

Characters 3/10

So far the story has been so dry, I can understand why people would like it though, as all that has been shown is the production of a boring as play that so far has taken up 6 out of I think the 12 episodes that this season will have, remember that Aqua is doing this play so he can move up in the FILM industry so unless this play somehow opens up every single door in the world for him to find out who killed Ai it’s a waste of time, if this play arc took up 3 episodes it would have been understandable but after 6 it becomes kind of unbearable. As for Ruby’s story nothing has happened, maybe I miss understood season 1 when I thought that this was about both characters, which is a shame as Ruby ended season 1 with a bang, further bring down my enjoyment of the season. On top of the filler that the play offers every second episodes Aqua (and/or the rest of the cast) goes of on some shity side mission that bores me to death.

Story 0/10

The one thing I can however not complain about is the art and animation this obviously being one of the highlights of the show, to put it simply it’s amazing, however it’s no perfect as sometimes i find that the animation out paces the show sometimes and at other times is being help back by the story, even though it is a small thing it is holding me back from giving the art a 10

Art 9/10

Overall this season is far from good but I will finish it and watch it to the end as I think it can and will get better from here, furthermore because I don’t think this will be the finnal Oshi No Ko Season and I am pretty invested in the story after season 1, even if I think it’s pretty bland and boring I can definitely see why someone would enjoy it but I just don’t see that being the majority of people.

Thumbs up if you are frustrated because Hoshino Ai's plot hasn't developed at all since the first episode of the first season. This anime is just a huge bait! We have to suffer through random plots related to Hoshino's children in order to find out about the circumstances of her life, which is never shown in the anime. My only goal now in watching this anime is so I can come here and tell you exactly which episodes to watch in order to skip all the uninteresting episodes and get to the actual main plot: Hoshino Ai's true story.

Season 2 so far brought a ton ... of new characters, and barely any screen time of the main characters, and also has brought NOTHING to add to the main plots that were unsolved in season 1. And I'm not even disappointed, since Season 1 showed us that this anime is all about baiting us and beating around the bush.

I'm expecting to be back to you around episode 10 or so, when maybe they remember to bring back Hoshino Ai's unsolved mysteries.