It’s a funny thing about Oshi no Ko. For me it tends to gravitate towards the poles – either I’m really engrossed or extremely annoyed. The last couple of episodes have been in the murky middle for me, though. As I glance at the notepad which has been my companion (well, this is like the great-grandchild X 50) through all these years of blogging, there’s almost nothing there. Sometimes a great anime episode will enrapture me so much that I never feel compelled to jot anything down. This, though? Just not a lot stands out.
I don’t know if it’s better to be angry than indifferent about fiction, but it does lend itself better to writing. Not the sort of criticism I enjoy, though, so I don’t regret that it’s not the case now. I’m just kind of bogged down in the fact that “Tokyo Blade” is such a derivative bore (I’m reduced to trying to figure out which franchise individual elements are lifted from), and my lack of buy-in to the whole Akane-Kana acting feud. It doesn’t add up to much. The last couple of minutes of the episode are interesting, because that’s when Akasaka breaks out of the mode he’s in for most of it.
I think part of it, for me, is that Akasaka is at heart more a fanboy than anything else. He loves this shit, all of it. It’s kind of heartwarming in a sense, that no matter how far he veers away at times in this series, he always winds up a cheerleader in the end. It just doesn’t make compelling drama for me, that’s all. I don’t find Kana or Akane to be bad characters or anything, but I don’t find the question of whether Kana decides to chew the scenery rather than subvert her performance to the needs of the show to be a matter of great import or emotional weight.
And of course Kana was going to give in at the end and embrace her inner ham – this is Akasaka. She’s more fun when she’s unfettered, I’ll say that much. And fun is the key theme of the moment, as that’s the MacGuffin of Aqua’s current crisis. Panic attacks are no joking matter – I have some experience with them through close associates and occasionally myself. I have some issue with the Director’s diagnosis being treated as some great reveal, though. I mean, it’s been obvious forever that Aqua’s panic was triggered by guilt over enjoying being a performer. It fits the profile neatly – his “ice-cold” acting style is a clear response to that.
As smart a guy as Aqua is supposed to be I find it pretty hard to believe his didn’t self-diagnose the cause of his panic disorder, which goes beyond simple PTSD over Ai’s death. But I suppose it’s easier to see others than to see ourselves. Now the question is whether he’s capable of overcoming it in the interest of his revenge quest. If indeed this takes us to a new phase of Aqua’s arc – where he’s actively trying to stand out as a performer in order to aid his larger goal – that has some potential in narrative terms. But I’m not sure how much gas is left in the dramatic tank as far as “Blade” is concerned, apart from as the first venue for him to do that.
Collectr
August 22, 2024 at 9:00 pmYeah, the play arc has been a snooze. The spectacular, multimedia arena being shown is now closed, and the show itself is a cliched samurai battle shounen. The starting point – the mangaka’s belief that the Princess’ character had been altered for the worse – has been buried. And if the Princess is now portrayed more faithfully, it’s all lost in the mechanics of the Akane-Kana “battle,” as well as the struggles of the other actors. In returning, at the end of several episodes, to Aqua, his trauma, and his desire for revenge, perhaps the show can get back on track; but increasingly, that feels like a Macguffin to allow the author to explore (and glorify) different aspects of showbiz.
Bob
August 22, 2024 at 10:55 pm>The starting point – the mangaka’s belief that the Princess’ character had been altered for the worse – has been buried. And if the Princess is now portrayed more faithfully, it’s all lost in the mechanics of the Akane-Kana “battle,” as well as the struggles of the other actors.
We saw this resolved on screen, though. Because the script was edited to have a more accurate and deeper Sayahime, Akane was able to give a strong performance when Sayahime had to conflictedly go to war. We see Sayahime pause before taking up the blade and speak with conviction instead of sociopathy.
Joshua
August 22, 2024 at 10:43 pmAnd like that, it’s just as what I had expected: that very moment of fiction and reality blurring just so that Doga Kobo could flex hard with their sakuga and do their best ufotable impression with copying KnY (because geddit? Tokyo Blade is clearly Akasaka’s reaction to KnY blowing up in popularity back in 2020! It’s totally why it’s deliberately bland and generic, and why its female mangaka, as Goutoge is implied to be one, is portrayed as a work-burdened control freak, because he’s trying to comment again on how people are comforted with bland entertainment that feeds them lies! ugh) so they can get all of the accolades this year. And yet, I really don’t care at this point especially since it needs to keep patting itself on the back for how clever and meta it wants to be with Akane and Kana fighting on stage and in real-life, and Aqua’s acting and such on what’s basically an adaptation of a knock off of KnY. Of course, this was going to be the episode that is going to get all of the glowing praise while you’re left just baffled by it (I kinda expected it).
Not to mention, what comes after this once the stage play does end, I suspect that you’re going to be turned off even more by the next arc and what exactly does Taiki have to do with Aqua.
Bob
August 22, 2024 at 10:52 pmI’m a bit surprised that the episode ended where it did, because I expected it to cover one more manga chapter. It leaves me excited and also a bit apprehensive for the next episode.
Brian Guy
August 22, 2024 at 10:58 pmAqua’s denial of his own happiness is basically baked into the cake at this point. He doesn’t even notice it except at random moments like the one he didn’t at ease playing catch with Kana, when his guard isn’t up and he’s not locked in on what Sensei is demanding he move on. He certainly doesn’t realize it’s a thing on the moment when he’s engaged in it (and this is a moment where he’s tractor-beam locked in).
But, yeah, Tokyo Blade isn’t exactly his arc (not at this point) but it’s certainly that of the rest of the acting contingent. Melt gets his spotlight, we finally get more to the Akane/Kana mess than that unsatisfying catfight and, more than anything, we get to look at the sausage factory. Sure, Akasaki-sensei loves the sausage. (Sasuga sausage or something.) I’m fine with that as long as he’s fine being honest about his love and the ugly process that gets what he loves.