After a recap episode Oshi no Ko is back, no doubt to dominate the week’s anime discussion as usual. My mixed bag with this show has been mostly positive to this point, but Episode 7 was a pretty big stumble for me. And we’re not remotely out of the danger zone yet, though this episode was of a more low-key variety in every way. Akane’s decision to slip into Ai’s skin has changed the game in multiple meaningful ways, but I get the feeling the author doesn’t find it nearly as unsavory as I do.
Certainly, that move has knocked the cocky Aqua back on his heels a bit. In terms of the reality show it’s going in a fairly obvious direction with he and Akane, but he’s unsure of whether this is something more than professional (and clearly for her, it is). It’s interesting that when he’s unsure of himself like this Aqua turns to Kana, asking her to cut school and hang out with him basically as a sounding board. The choice of venue is not only quite unexpected, it doesn’t even really seem in-character for him.
I think this scene can be viewed in one of two ways. On some level this is probably as close as the emotionally sterile Aqua can come to a confession – there are probably few things he values more than what Kana is giving him right here. But on the other hand he’s just using her – in this instance as a way to clear his head and organize his thoughts – because that’s what Aqua does with everybody. He judges everyone by their potential value to him, mainly in his revenge quest but also just in general. Kana certainly has value to him, though it’s ironic that it lies in his ability to be honest with her when in reality he’s keeping the most important thing about himself a secret.
What Aqua takes away from that game of catch is that his feelings for Akane aren’t romantic. He’ll still “date” her, but just as part of his act. Even on a purely superficial level that’s using her, whether he tells her that up front or not. It’s hard to feel too bad about it when she engineered the whole thing with her borderline psychotic adoption of Ai’s identity, though. The real kicker is his decision to use her for his quest, as he reasons that she’s come closer to understanding Ai in a few days than he did in an entire childhood.
So is this a triangle then? It rather feels that way to me, no matter how much everyone protests otherwise. Frankly Aqua is such a warped person that he really shouldn’t be with anyone that way. I mean, his whole life’s mission is rooted in a mother complex in a sense. He did save Akane’s life, but everything after that has been dubious at best. It’s not to look for ulterior motives even in something as seemingly guileless as inviting MEM to join the new B-Komachi (and Strawberry Productions). Pretty much everything Aqua does seems to be with his obsession in mind, so there’s no reason to suspect that twist is any different.
DP
June 10, 2023 at 2:09 amI thought this was a decent episode. I certainly agree Aqua is being portrayed as a flawed character — a combination of the persona of some doctors (“I know what it is best for you and I’ll do it without asking”) with a driven, obsessive personality; he clearly has a moral core, but like many people, he feels he knows better than you (and Kana realizes this). I don’t get why Akane might be considered borderline-psychotic. She’s clearly established as research-heavy method actor, she told Aqua up front (egged on by fellow cast mates) that she’d try portraying Ai as a character (and he didn’t say “no” – he just thought it was impossible), and in this episode she shows that she’s only doing it for the cameras – she turns off the act in her series discussions with other cast mates and with Aqua himself.
anastasiya
July 24, 2023 at 12:57 amanyone who enjoys film at all is reaping the rewards of said borderline-psychotic dead-person ‘stalking’. that sort of research is what good method actors do to fully inhabit a role, and akane’s thankfully not going to the extreme of terrorizing her cast mates over it by refusing to break character off the clock. which i applaud.
aqua is still the actual psychopath here — i find his blatant use of everyone in his vicinity towards his creepy obsession sickening and fascinating, even though it sidelines the other characters. (it’s literally the only thing animating him; i doubt he knows what he will do with his life after reaching his goal.)
i also share your discomfort here with akasaka’s using aqua to implicate awful fans as the worst factor in a sick system, not the companies paying idols peanut dust and dictating the terms of their lives… i would perhaps feel implicated too if i were on board with the author’s premise here.