[Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season

At the beginning of season 2, I was beginning to wonder if this story needed to be told in the Isekai format. Neither of the characters decisions/actions or personalities relied upon their previous lives, and so was it necessary? Aqua could have been a genius child instead and it would have had little impact on the plot. However, I internalised this problem as I watched the season and came to a conclusion that it was essential for telling the emotional story needed. Ruby reflects everything positive about the concept of Isekai. Failed in her past life by her parents and her body, she is given the chance to live again in her dream life and truly makes the most of it. Meanwhile, aqua is traumatised by the end of his last life and the beginning of his new. The difference in trauma and recovery experienced by the sibling is so well tied to their ages and experience in their past lives, Ruby is able to recover being only a child and not witnessing the murder, while being an adult watching the woman who he adored and became his mother died was too much to recover from. In addition, it ties well between the death of Sarina in that he tried and could not prevent either. The time spent on Akane this season will make it feel all the more bitter when Aqua inevitably chooses Kana in the end (personal preferences obviously coming through here). I am choosing to bury my head in the sand and ignore the post-credits scene in favour of keeping my Akane best girl hopes alive. Great second season, I particularly loved the artistic imagery used during the acting scenes to express their "flow states".

After the well received season 1 of Oshi No Ko, there was quite a lot of hype for the season 2 and did it deliver ? Yes, while there are a few shortcomings, the season 2 is as entertaining as the first one and probably even improved in the visuals and animation fields. I'll try to explain down below why I recommend this show without spoiling anything. The story : The whole concept of doing a manga adaptation for a theater play inside an anime is interesting, and that's what this show is about for the first 7/8 episodes. There are some inspired visuals, and I feel like many scenes from Oshi No Ko are enhanced in the anime compared to the manga, since one of the main themes of the theater arc is to describe how can people who write scenarios and act the play make it seem real, how can theater adaptations enthrall new audiences ? The rhythm is done well, every character from this arc gets its part of screentime, there's some character development like in the first season etc... However, this season faces the usual problem of being "too short" : there is a second arc that starts around the 4/5 last episodes and it's a bit frustrating because as a result, the main plot of this serie only advances a bit near the end of the season, it might annoy some viewers. The animation : The animation was stunning. It's way above the average standards and the show manages to shine with its inspiration for some scenes, the character designs are still beautiful, there are still the same good looking feats like the beautiful eyes of the main characters, Arima Kana making funny faces etc... TL;DR : All in all, Oshi No Ko S2 is an easy recommendation, it should please anyone who enjoyed the first season. The visuals and animation quality are on par with the first season and they are used in a clever way to enhance many moments, it works especially well with the fist part of the show that revolves around a theater adaptation. However, if I had to point out one flaw, I'd say that there isn't much progress regarding the main plot and it's a bit frustrating, but on the other hand, the third season sounds promising and makes us even more eager to watch it !

Oshi no Ko season 2 is a major step up from season 1. The quality of season 1 dropped after the first episode, in my opinion. This season provided real intrigue, rather than by the numbers "here's how the industry works" and "being an idol is hard" stuff that's been done to death (just watch Perfect Blue for that). There was still some, but it was properly balanced with more gritty bits. My only major complaint is that the theater arc took too many episodes to wrap up. I wasn't interested in the side plot involving the mangaka, and I'm sure that character will never appear again. Ruby's character development was much needed in this season. She had very little in the first season, and the first half of the second. Oshi no Ko is at its best when it delves into its horror elements, so please keep it coming! Unlike with season 1, the second half of season 2 had me wanting more, now! The animation, music, and sound were great as per usual with Oshi no Ko. I particularly appreciated the abstract animation sequences with Ruby and Akane's inner thoughts. I liked this season's OP a bit more than the first, but that's likely an unpopular take. The ED was great as well. Overall, I'm feeling a strong 7 for this season. Had the last arc been a bit longer, it could have touched a light 8. I'm liking what I'm seeing, please keep it up for season 3!

This season felt like a transitional season for me. It started slow, but then unexpected reveals happened from in the middle till the end. Despite expecting some of the plot twists, I still loved watching them. I can’t wait to see how they wrap this up with upcoming season or seasons, since they set the tone for it during the end of this season. I enjoyed the growth of the characters and the story flow‎. Each of them with their struggles and working hard to overcome them. The rivalry done in a healthy manner where they push each other to be their best versions of themselves

Story (6): Honestly, the previous season was better because the objective was still visible to find out who destroyed Aqua and Ruby's lives. And in this season, the objective of that seems to fade except in the last 4 episodes, it just started to return to the initial objective of what Aqua's purpose in life was after the tragedy she faced. And in this season, they do present a story as an artist, singer, basically the world of influencers. However, it is not balanced with the oshi no ko genre which has mystery or thriller, so I think the mystery and thriller in season 2 are lacking, only appearing in the last few episodes Characters (7): The characters here are also the same as in season 1, there are new characters and they are also good enough to express the character's nature in this season 2. Here the characters also have some emotions that are executed well but not too great. and in the last episode, I look forward to this character to see the changes of its characteristic in a revenge way. Visual (9): Oshi No ko visuals is really a spot on for a slice of life genre and the most interesting part is where they do the drama of tokyo blade in the theatre. and it's animated so well on what they've done to the theatre Audio (8): I don't really like the opening of Oshi no season, the ending is just so-so but the voice actors here are good because in this season they play characters in the Tokyo Blade drama and the voice actors are very good at expressing it. The sound effects here are also good

Really enjoyed the first season, but the sequel did not capture the same dark intensity I appreciated about the show until the last 3 episodes. The first third had an interesting concept which dragged into and throughout middle segment and felt like a completely different show to what I remembered waiting for. They brought it back to the main story at the very end, but a lot of the first half could’ve been wrapped up into a few episodes — without spoiling, I guess it was interesting to invest in the industry the show is built around and explore the branches of the entertainment scene. But it wasn’t the show I signed up for. I am in this for the murder mystery.

Oshi no Ko season 2 is a pretty impressive improvement from season 1. The story is advancing smoother and more rapidly, and this season was a lot more interesting than season 1. The season does a great job at continuing where the first season left off, and advancing the already amazing story, characters, and more. but finally getting to a point where the things happening are a lot more interesting than in season 1. This season's animation is absolutely mind-blowing at times as well. while this season does have parts that are quite slow paced, and even boring, It makes up for its interesting story, and dynamic and developing characters. While it has some downsides, it is a pretty large improvement from the first season.

There are loads to talk about in this season, but overall, we know it's superb. Many others will tell you the hype is extremely unfounded, but even after everything, I had a great experience watching it week by week. We managed to focus way more on the industry, and how that affects your perception of life, as well as the effort you put into something. The tribulations of acting, specially how your personal life can shape your character, and the hit on your mental health. It's riveting, extremely entertaining, and watching it with another layer in terms of adaptation was great. The whole manga adaptation problem, and the characters that come from that part of the series, felt like it didn't waste any second or old character in the mix. We get a return of the author from the TV drama from the first season, the MC from that drama coming back to tell us about being mediocre, and how you can shape up to be better. The murder mystery coming back to haunt us, and the ending changing so much of what we knew. It's a great season, with incredible plot advancements, while characters are flipping into going back to their terrible mindsets, or moving forwards with their lives. I loved it. Any criticisms I have, come from the final episodes, which drag just a bit more than they should. In the play, some moments were too exaggerated, even if, yes, it tried to convey emotion with pure visuals, and I applaud it for it, but it didn't stick its landing as well. There aren't big problems, just small ones that take me out. It's as if everything just came out perfect, with no change in status. People achieved everything, and I don't know if that was the right move. Something's missing, but maybe that's the point. We wrapped that plot-point, hence the third season's about the murder mystery. I just don't know. It did wrap a big arc, which I like, while setting up the next big thing. 8/10. Not perfect, but damn, it's good.

Guys, remember when episode one of season one of Oshi no Ko was all the talk of the fandom? Not even the fandom, it leaked into other fandoms with so many discussions, cosplays, fan art and so much more, but can you really point fingers and question its legitimacy after you give the episode a watch yourself? It was objectively a rare product of talented people and great management that every animation project should strive for. It generated hype, it advertised for the source material, and it built up a massive fandom overnight, but then, the rest of the show aired, and it was … let’s just say, the first episode should have remained a standalone. Following its success, a second season was announced, hype was rejuvenated, and of course, after the series has finished airing, you see a lot of conflicting opinions about the season, and the franchise as a whole, now that a clearer picture of the plot has been painted. Without going into spoilers, I myself felt that the plot for 80% of the second season deviated greatly from the advertised main plot that was alluded to, it’s like watching a stream of Skyrim, but instead of the main quest, the streamer would grind through hundreds of hours of side quests that amount to nothing, a very high-risk low award situation, sure, we’re doing it for clues to help us unravel the main mystery that drove episode one of the first season but man, does it become old after a couple of episodes. Not to say that the show fell off completely off its metal, there were many peak moments of immense build-up and perfect delivery, but it surely was a grueling way to get there, and even so, the reward did not justify the journey, at least in my eyes. The second season keeps up the amazing quality, be it animation, character acting, voice acting, or directing, the entire package feels like a premium screening of a once of a lifetime performance, which really eases out the slower parts of the show. It is pretty to look at and hear at least. I really praise the character development displayed here, even more than that of the first season, so many characters were introduced and each one of them felt like they had their moment, they were actual people tangled in the plot instead of NPCs that initiate conversations and give monotone responses. I feel like after watching the last season, this one is the natural move to pursue, although I would give you a side-eye warning, you may be bored to your bones, but surely, the few but great payoff moments we get might just be enough to justify that for you. Overall: 8.9/10.

I just finished the second season of Oshi no Ko. The animation is beautifully drawn, the soundtrack is good, and most of the dialogues are well-written. There are a lot of interesting insights into the structure of the entertainment industry, presented in a technical way. The art style remains very appealing, and although the drama is quite intriguing, the romance is engaging as well. My only criticisms are about a few specific scenes that feel overly exaggerated and forced – like one involving a certain crow (totally over the top, haha). I also feel there’s a certain glamorization in the dramatization, and the characters often lack authenticity. Many of them act in a very artificial, stereotyped way, only to suddenly shift into a realistic portrayal. This back-and-forth between heavy realism and a shallow, exaggerated tone creates some inconsistency, but I get that it might be part of a marketing strategy. The narrative structure seems to rely on and sell itself with this contrast between the two approaches. Still, I miss a bit more realism to make things feel natural (not everything realistic needs to be dramatic). To me, the extra drama doesn’t always make sense. Overall, it’s still an great piece of entertainment. I’d give it a 9/10. P.S.: Interestingly, my favorite scene involved a character whose struggle is that he's a bad actor. I found it more interesting, relatable, natural, and well-executed than the development of other characters.

This second season of Oshi no Ko focuses more on other characters besides Aqua and Ruby. More world building. Some parts are kind of slow- like you're wondering where they're going with it, but over all very enjoyable and pleasing to see side characters get development. The slowest part is definitely the first two episode because it's more about how the manga/entertainment history is and the struggles/fighting that happens behind the scene. But once the show picks up- once again Oshi no Ko reminds us why it's such an amazing show. THE CHARACTERS. This season really lets each character shine. Arima is absolutely adorable as always, and we learn a lot about her. Some of the smaller casts like Melt also gets a lot of love. But the best one of all is.............AKANE. Dang, you will love her this season. I won't spoil it, but she is so unpredictable and cunning. I love it. The main plot with finding the killer also thickens. No spoiler of course. As for one of our MC- Aqua. Hm....I thought it was okay. He kinda gets development- but more like you learn about how he thinks and his values. I get he's supposed to be emotionless, but at times it was a bit too much. As for Ruby- well I hate to say it but she was on the backburner till the last couple episodes. Danggit. Well that's alright- that's what season 3 is for! As for everything else- the music, the dialogues, and the animation? All top notch. Highly recommend. Can't wait for season 3!

If we compare the first and second season (although I don't really remember the first season), the second one seems less showbiz to me. Surely, the beginning was the usual showbiz genre with a dash bit of romance, until about episode 7, then the main plot line starts to develop (you still-remember why we're here, right?). The main plot line aroused a lot of different emotions with its twisted plot, moreover, there are millions of ways to develop it, which only fuels the interest. At the end of the season there generally begins mysticism, which is not so much, but still there (this is not forbidden by the lore, because rebirth itself is mysticism, it is tried to explain). In parallel, there is a romantic branch where our harem owner chooses one of his two girls. It's important to note that the author of the manga is the author of the famous romcom “Kaguya”, so this part is done well (I think). The protoganist's doubts about “who to choose” are conveyed, as well as the motivations for why he is loved (at least he is not a cretin as it happens in haremnics). It wouldn't be surprise if in the end he chooses not one of the women, but to ruin his life for revenge, but it's a complicated plot in this respect, it's only one of the options. A couple of times s*x is mentioned, but it's like the Japanese are not so crazy (in TV series I mean) to put it in the context of minors, and with a 30 year old reborn. The ending seems to explain most of the plot, but raises more questions. I sincerely hope that season three can fully explore the potential of those questions.

Oshi no ko s2 is a love letter from Doga Kobo to the fans and to the story. It is by far one of the best manga to anime adaptations that exists, regardless if you like it or not. As a manga reader I’m thoroughly touched by the passion and love they’ve put into this anime. I absolutely loved the show, and am extremely happy with the adaptation. Season 3 being confirmed the minute after the last episode ended is mental and proves how successful the series is. Please give it a watch if you enjoyed oshi no ko s1, imo s2 is even better with great voice actors, good music, amazing story and the visuals are absolute eye candy!

Lights! Camera! Action! This show is about to COMMENCE!!! I really liked this season despite the slower main plot progression, since the "Tokyo blade arc" lasted almost the entire season but the twist and turns we gotten this season have been crazy!! The character development this season has been really good, we see a change in personalities and views of both Aqua and Ruby by the new circumstances they face revolving their late mother´s case. New characters and info are introduced leaving more questions than answers. Which we can only hope to know more in S3. Animation and sound has been exquisite, I´d say it´seven better than the first season. Great OP and ED. Overall a really good season! I can´t wait for the 3 season to release and hope I´m caught up with the manga by the time it airs.

The fist half of the show was boring, they were just doing theater stuff and it felt like they're advertising and trying to "teach" viewers about all the "hard work" that's there behind the scenes of a theatrical performance, and that's not something I would be interested in personally. It had its moments, though, we could see a character trying to play detective and finding about some of the secrets that made this show interesting for me, and there was a emotional part that I found touching, when Aqua remembered her mother's death. And, for the second half, this is where the show got interesting. They just threw some more secrets in front of us that made it more unpredictable, so now I'm all curious to find out about what's going to happen next, and I can't wait to find out about what's been going on.

I enjoyed the well-paced and tightly told first season, which balanced providing a lot of small, digestible details while maintaining consistently engaging storytelling. It handled emotional moments well, offered compelling mini-arcs, and had a cast I enjoyed watching. The second season doesn't quite reach the emotional or narrative heights of the first season, but still provides something fresh with its massive theater arc and by furthering character relationships. - - - Season 2 spends most of its runtime focusing on Aqua's acting career and a theatrical stage adaptation for a manga series, making Ruby's involvement in the story less prevalent for a lot of it. The show goes quite deep into inner thoughts of all actors on set, and also spends a lot of time showcasing how the writing staff can run into issues, especially when trying to adapt written media into visual media, and accounting for screenplay. I enjoyed the lead-up to the play and the difficulties they faced along the way, as the show is setting up rivalries and facing unexpected production difficulties. But once they got on the stage for the play, it dragged on a little longer than it should've. The show attempts to weave in character backstories and motivations into the play, while highlighting how actors handle their struggles differently. But the execution mostly felt like watching a mediocre show that constantly was interrupted to showcase different characters' struggles. I couldn't connect with the people involved, and despite a ton of flashy lights to try to make the theater stage feel more alive, it felt like being trapped in a box. Any time I saw a flashback where they were inside a normally lit room, I already felt a bit more free. All of these aspects combined made the experience more tedious than engaging. Outside the stage adaptation, there are also major character and relationship developments, though much of it feels like build-up for what's to come rather than arcs with immediate payoff. Aqua's storyline has always had a bit of a detective aspect to it, and here the author added a new layer of mystery and worry for the viewers. - - - Despite some of my strong criticisms here, I still think this was a good season. A lot of the elements I enjoyed this season are spoiler territory, so the review seems a little more negative than I truly felt. There's a lot of character nuance and narrative elements going on beyond just the entertainment industry aspects. If you enjoy the theater arc and can resonate with a darker tone, this season could outdo the first for you.

Entire anime is anime does an excellent job into giving us a glimpse into the entertainment industry in Japan. The show reminded me of the classic anime Perfect Blue by Satoshi Kon. Opening and ending credits are good and I think it even got even better in Season 2. Season One was soo good... but I was more surprised to find out season 2 was even better! Season 2 had some stunning animations. But I am getting a bit worried that by the end of season 2 there is hint its including supernatural phenomenon again. I was OK with supernatural act of the 1st episode but I really don't want any more of the supernatural stuff in the anime, as its doing so good at dissecting the entertainment industry. I think adding more supernatural stuff will dilute the tone of the anime what it has accomplished.

This season seemed to feature more about the inner workings of a stage production than anything else. It showed viewers all the hard work that went into producing a successful play, so much so that I thought it almost resembled a documentary. Even with the visually vibrant artwork and excellent storytelling, I was glad for that segment to be over at last when the play was finally put on stage. Things only started getting more exciting during the last four episodes, where we get to see more interesting parts of the story being unveiled. Loved the soundtrack; it fit with the theme of this show perfectly. It was a fantastic series nonetheless, and I cannot wait for the third season to find out more.

Not only does Oshi no Ko season 2 stay consistent with the great animation, the plot was so intriguing that I binged the whole show in one day. Oshi no Ko is a show that comments, and shows, the ups and downs of show biz while being a product of that same industry. The characters have such expressive emotions, not just from their faces and animation, but also from the amazing performance of the voice actors. The show is also doesn't forget its original mystery. In fact, it makes it more interactive with the audience. Its like we're trying to solve said mystery along with the characters but we have more of a "birds eye view". This show makes you appreciate the anime in 2 ways, 1) By making such a great piece of art with amazing characters, animation, voice acting, story, etc. And 2) By showing you the struggles and work that goes into such a project.

I was actually pretty suspicious that I should bother watching Oshi No Ko Season 2, as I was pretty lukewarm on the first season, even considering some of the more shocking moments during the season. However, after watching it, I'm glad I tuned it - it was excellent. I'll assume you've seen the first season for the purposes of this review. Story & Characters: Oshi No Ko Season 2 leaves us off with Aqua, Akane and Kana, among others, agreeing to take a role in a play. The play is known as Tokyo Blade, sourced from a local writer's manga work. The first few episodes are mostly setup and us getting to know the new faces around the series. There's a lot of names to take in and while it's all done through narration, the series still does a decent job at filling us in who everyone is, as well as what their responsibilities are. Between now and last season, Aqua and Akane are now in a relationship - though, it's mostly introduced to us as done for business purposes. Ruby and Mem-Cho take on more of a supporting role this time around, as the first half focuses on the play, while the second half has the gang going off on their own. While Aqua, Akane and Kana are our familiar characters that take centre stage in this season, there are still some decent supporting cast members present. Melt was present last season, but takes on a bigger role this time around with being a major character in Tokyo Blade. He's often picked on for being a somewhat subpar actor and goes through a lot in order to both better himself, and gain acceptance of his colleagues - in that order. He's a decently written character and if we end up not seeing him much more in the future, that's perfectly okay, as I felt they left him off quite nicely. Sumiaki returns for a more prolonged period and he was a lot of fun. His role does kind of limit to his involvement in this season, but I loved what he added, especially because this series isn't exactly the lightest piece of work. Akane has quickly become my favourite character because she always seems so sincere and putting her best foot forward for her new business boyfriend in Aqua. Her past is obviously troublesome after she tried to hurt herself in the last season, but she's more than just a pretty face. She's not focused on during this season, but she is present as a side character through the entire season - whether she's hanging out with Aqua or Ruby. I didn't love the idea of passing by how she got together with Aqua as an in-between thing that happened though. Abiko is the Tokyo Blade writer and she does come off as sheltered and unfamiliar with the world around her, maybe unironically. She comes off a harsh, but they actually developed on her character quite well. One reason I was worried about the second season of Oshi No Ko was because of the Tokyo Blade play. It very well could have overshadowed everything they built upon in the first season because it really doesn't have a lot to do with the overall plot. However, to my surprise, I thought it was executed quite well. I really like that they didn't take an entire episode to just have the play go through it's thing, then have our characters interact after. They blended in character moments throughout the entire series and gave us a lot of process as we were watching it. They made sure to not forget why Aqua agreed to star in this play too, they made sure to have him has his moments as well. During the second half of the season, we were back on track with more of the main storyline, including background information on Aqua and Ruby's past lives as Dr. Amamiya and Sarina respectively. They give us a lot surrounding all of this during the course of five episodes or so, and, like with Akane's arc in the first season, it gets rather dark at times. One thing Oshi No Ko does well is balance between light and dark moments and even though I find mostly the latter enjoyable, they sprinkle it around enough, which I think helps it reach more audiences. They certainly want us to see more, as the last episode gives us a lot to think about where this series is going, especially with the introduction of Tsukuyomi. (Story: 9/10, Characters: 8/10) Art: The animation feels pretty consistent throughout, but I still am not sure it's Doga Kobo's best work - Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie and the recent Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night, two series that are more lighter in feel, might have been animation better, but giving a decent studio the chance to try a big name like Oshi No Ko is never a bad thing. It still adds a lot of pretty moments and certainly doesn't fall for the fall quality that seasonal anime are prone to. (8/10) Sound: The tracks used in this season are still strong, but I both the OP and ED are probably not as good as the first season. Voice work does seem to have taken a step forward. I've never been a huge Shannon Reed (voice director) fan, but it does feel a like a few of the weird moments present in season one are no longer around. Kristen McGuire (Akane) and Jack Stansbury (Aqua) are still exceptional and Alejandro Saab (Sumiaki) predictably does an awesome job here too. (9/10) Overall: Oshi No Ko Season 2 was fantastic, pulling me back in to a series that really doesn't have a good fit into any given anime genre. It fits into so many and does an excellent job and drawing out their existing story, even with a play taking a lot of the runtime. While I can't say this type of series appeals to everyone, I think most everyone should still give it a try. It does feel like they could be going for the long game here, as it feels like the conclusion to the story is way off, but I'm willing to stick around to see what this work can bring us. (9/10)