After having a recap episode, Oshi no Ko returned with episode 8 last Wednesday. With the formation of a love triangle, Aqua channeling his inner Ayanokoji, and finally the introduction of B-Komachi’s third member, this episode surely had quite a few in store. The dark side of the industry dark side was barely shown in this episode, but we were instead treated with further characterization and developments in Aqua’s revenge story.
Love Triangle
Relationships surrounding Aqua are getting more fleshed out. Despite being loyal to Ai and having revenge on his mind all this time, a love triangle has unexpectedly formed between him and the two actresses: Kana and Akane. Akane gets int the spotlight thanks to her acting skills, leaving Kana consumed by jealousy.
Almost the entirety of the episode was like a battle between ships. With team Akane landing the first strike by making Aqua blush, team Kana retaliated with her quick skip school date with Aqua and had a moment with each other. However, team Akane takes a finishing blow when Aqua publicly kisses Akane on the reality TV show, witnessed by thousands of viewers. While it is known that the kiss was staged for the sake of the show’s narrative, it still raises questions about the authenticity of Aqua’s quick play date with Kana.
But of course, we all know that Aqua doesn’t really care about either of them as his true devotion lies solely with his love for Ai Hoshino. When Akane’s observation and research skills came to light, they led to Aqua start thinking about how to use her. He can’t also let her easily go as she might further find out the truth about him if she were left unsupervised.
But what does Ruby have to say in all of this? Well, not much for now considering her only line in this episode was just “Mama?,” after seeing Akane showcase her talent.
More of Memcho
Now it’s time to turn the attention to the true star of this episode – Memcho. Despite her relatively shorter screen time compared to the others, there’s no denying that her final scene was the best in this episode. When she revealed her dream of becoming an idol, it was the perfect opportunity for Aqua to invite her to join B-Komachi. After all, the group could benefit from someone with charisma, charm, and an outgoing personality to extend their appeal. Part of the charm of idol groups lies in the diverse personalities of their members, attracting a wide range of fans, and elevating their popularity. With Memcho in B-Komachi, it will only get even more exciting from here.
Oshi no Ko Episode 8 Is Out of this World
Overall, this episode was a fantastic display of what Daisuke Hiramaki can do when he is at the helm. Collaboration with Nekotomi on color design resulted in a stellar combination: having the colors of the scenes reflect the emotions of the characters. The use of color gradients is masterful in expressing the tone of each scene. For instance, the seemingly bland color elements during Kana’s walk to school effectively convey her emotions of despair. However, as soon as Aqua enters the picture and greets her, the colors become vivid and brighter, and shift her gloom to hope. Even just the blending of colors of significant frames was truly out of this world. This attention to detail further reassures me that Oshi no Ko is greatly taken care of, even in the smallest aspects.
Images via HIDIVE
© Akasaka Aka x Mengo Yokoyari / Shueisha / Oshi no Ko Production Committee
