©Aka Akasaka x Mengo Yokoyari/Shueisha, Partner of “OSHI NO KO”
I can’t believe Oshi no Ko took a week (1) off and suddenly The Ruby Show is back. After all, we need somewhere to turn the camera when Aqua suddenly accomplishes the goal that has driven him for the past 16 years. (Or did he? Don’t worry about that now!) In “Liberation,” viewers aren’t the only ones enthralled by Ruby’s star power. Even as Oshi no Ko explores the inherent darkness of the entertainment industry, a beautifully expressionistic scene reminds us why we fell for the sweet lies of celebrities in the first place.
Before we get to the long-awaited Ruby screening, let’s say goodbye to Aqua. His lifelong mission accomplished, surely he’ll take a back seat now, right? As a story goes, that’s not a very satisfying conclusion. However, there’s no reason to assume that Taiki is lying about his father’s identity or death right now. Aqua now has a new half-brother and a new life, as evidenced by the ominous loss of the starlight in his eyes. That starlight once shone brightly when Aqua was determined. Things darkened as his mental state became disturbed; it even flickered, like a glitch, when he went on a rampage on stage as Touki. And now… it simply wasn’t there anymore. Who is Aqua without her ultimate desire for revenge? Now, he has retreated to a second identity: he is simply Ruby's brother.
And Ruby! How I miss her! While Aqua is playing 4D chess in the entertainment industry, our girl's hopes and dreams are completely forgotten. I even forgot about an important piece of information until this episode reminded me: Ruby is still in love with Goro-sensei, and she doesn't realize that he died and was reincarnated as Aqua. (For Aqua's part, he also has no idea that Ruby is his former cancer patient, Sarina.) It's been almost two decades and these two are living under the same roof without knowing this important truth, and there's no doubt that when the truth comes out, it will be life-shattering.
For now, Ruby keeps the tone of the episode light. The story also brings Mem-Cho to mind, and together with Kana, the girls are ready to take the spotlight both for the plot and for their budding YouTube channel. It’s funny that Ruby and Kana, who grew up with the backing of an agent, underestimate the skill and effort that Mem-Cho must have put in to get their channel to 20,000 subscribers, but at least they have a can-do attitude about growing it further. It’s a big change in the stakes to go from “kill my dad” to “get a million subscribers on YouTube!” But it’s a refreshing change to move from Aqua’s thoughts to the girls’ antics for a bit. I loved the tour of Kana’s room and the discovery that she’s surprisingly high maintenance. The decision to censor her name with Pieyon was brilliant.
Next up for the channel: a music video! Or if Himura, the famous composer tasked with writing a new song for B-Komachi, could get motivated. Luckily, Ruby’s smile is just the ticket (I think we can all relate to that). The expressionist scene where Himura finds inspiration through Ruby’s youth and determination is just one of the many creative decisions Studio Doga Kobo made to elevate the source material. Now that our cast has switched to Miyazaki, it looks like this lighthearted and silly tone won’t be continuing. Not only is this the location of the hospital where Goro-sensei works and Sarina lives and where everything started, but it’s also heavily implied that the mysterious character from the OP, referred to in this episode as “Girl-???” is also residing there. Oshi no Ko may have a little lightness to it as a gift, but it won’t last long.
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Oshi no Ko Season 2 is now streaming on HIDIVE.
Lauren writes about model kits at Gunpla 101. She spends her days teaching her two little Newtypes to bring peace to space colonies.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more companies mentioned in this article are members of the Kadokawa Group.
