Oshi no Ko fans who watch the anime on HIDIVE, the official English licensor, had a chance to see a special disclaimer at the end of the latest episode that premiered earlier today. The episode, titled “Egosurfing,” (spoilers ahead) focuses on Akane, an aspiring actress who is part of the reality show Aqua is on. Feeling the pressure to perform better for the audience, Akane strikes her co-star and ends up being bullied online which leads her to become suicidal. The message on HIDIVE states that Oshi no Ko is a work of fiction, but encourages everyone who is struggling with mental health to reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While TV networks and streaming services in the US are not required by law to include these warnings in their content, they are heavily encouraged due to possible negative consequences the content may have on viewers.
The events in the episode carry a stark similarity to the Hana Kimura case. Kimura was a part of the Terrace House reality TV show in 2020. One of the episodes showed her getting into a fight with another cast member and the altercation was shown to the public. Kimura became a target of online bullying and later committed suicide. The show was canceled. Her mother, Kyoko Kimura, sued Fuji TV and two other producers of the show in December 2022, claiming that the scenes were edited to make her daughter appear in a bad light. She accused them of treating the contestants as dispensable. In a separate case in May 2021, a court ordered a man to pay Kyoko Kimura 1.29 million yen in damages for posting hateful messages about Hana after her death.
Oshi no Ko anime premiered this April with a 90-minute episode. Studio Doga Kobo is animating the series, which is proving to be one of the biggest hits of the season. YOASOBI is singing the opening theme song “Idol” while QUEEN Bee is performing the ending song titled “Mephisto.”
The anime is based on a manga written by Aka Akasaka (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War) with art by Mengo Yokoyari. The manga began serialization in 2020 in the Weekly Young Jump magazine. The story focuses on the dark side of the entertainment industry. Yen Press licensed it in English.
HIDIVE is simulcasting Oshi no Ko anime with English subtitles every Wednesday. The English dub is slated to premiere on May 24. The platform describes the plot as:
Dr. Goro is reborn as the son of the young starlet Ai Hoshino after her delusional stalker murders him. Now, he wants to help his new mother rise to the top, but what can a child do about the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry?
© Akasaka Aka x Mengo Yokoyari / Shueisha / Oshi no Ko Production Committee