In one of the least surprising announcements of all time, Oshi no Ko had its third season announced at the close of the second. That close was delayed several days, presumably for the usual reasons (though Doga Kobo isn’t notorious for those, they can happen anywhere). This was certainly never in doubt – Oshi no Ko will have every chapter and verse adapted sooner or later. I don’t read the manga but I believe the anime has adapted only about half of it, so assuming no staff conflicts there’s no season to think we’re in for any long delays for at least two more cours.

All in all it was a pretty successful season for me. At least in the sense that I never came remotely close to bailing, which was very much on the radar by the end of the first. Nothing since has equalled the raw power of the prequel movie, but this season was way more consistent. As always with Akasaka my engagement did wax and wane at times. He goes off on tangents about things that fascinate him but bore me, and while he often manages to make them interesting for a few chapters they invariably lose me. But those moments were rare this season, and that’s a positive.

I think the key for me with OnK is to accept it – and its author – for what it and he are (and aren’t). Ultimately I think Akasaka just wants to write a love letter to the idol world, and the whole mystery plot is window dressing. As are his feints at being critical – they never last. He always returns to his true self before too long. He finds all this stuff cool and loves being a part of it, and that’s never going to change because it’s just who he is. If I want to read real criticism of the idol trade I can find it in BokuYaba, in much more realistic fashion too (and Norio pulls no punches). It’s not fair of me to expect it from Oshi no Ko.

Of course that leaves the onus on the other parts of the story to really deliver, but more often than not they do. The arc of this season has been an interesting one, the usual mix of Akasaka how the sausage is made stuff, fanboying, and well-crafted pulp thrills. We’ve reached a turning point in the story now that Ruby has found Gorou’s body. She’s been a stealth character this season and truthfully for most of the series. But it seems as if  OnK has finally found a meaningful role for her in the plot. To an extent, the mantle of Aqua’s revenge quest has been passed to her — he thinks their father is dead, but she knows he’s alive. I expect that to change soon enough, though.

How does she know? Thanks to the weird silver child with the crows (Kino Hina), identified now in the credits as Tsukuyomi. That’s the name of the moon god in Shinto, interestingly. So is that literally what she’s supposed to be? Who knows – for now, she’s a cheat code and provocateur. She passes along to Ruby the interesting bit of information that two people were responsible for Ai’s death (and Gorou’s too, obviously). One she and we know, the other – Tsukuyomi says – was a “middle school student” at the time of Ai’s labor and Gorou’s murder. That’s the Miyano Mamoru character we can assume pretty safely, and considering Ai was only 15 or 16 herself when she got pregnant, the middle-school thing is hardly shocking.

Also very much of note here is Aqua’s interaction with Akane. He admits that he used her – guided her with hints and hoped she’d find Gorou’s body with her obsessive stalker skills. It’s a stretch, but whatever. She’s come to Miyazaki intending to break up, but Aqua reacts to what he sees as a sense of closure in his life by declaring that he now wants to “protect” Akane. Is this the death knell for KanAqua, or is that kiss just Aqua instinctively wanting to comfort a girl who’s crying because of his manipulations? Well, I’m partisan so I’m the wrong one to ask – I hope it’s the latter. But there’s no denying Kana has felt very vestigial to the happenings of these last two episodes.

In the final analysis, I like this Oshi no Ko – the trashy thriller – pretty well. I even like some of the behind-the-scenes industry stuff, but that always ends badly. Somehow it cobbles together the mystery stuff and the interesting intro parts of the idol/pop culture stuff before they pass their expiration date and the combination is enough. When I honestly compare this series against the other kaijuu of the decade – Kimetsu, JJK, Tokyo Revengers, even Spy x Family – it’s probably the best of the lot. That’s not a massively high bar from my perspective I admit, but it certainly counts for something. Not only is it generally an interesting watch but also interesting to write about – it’s got some wit and depth to it. I leave this season feeling more positive about OnK than I did entering it, and that certainly makes it a successful sequel.