Oshi no Ko

Episode 8

If there was ever a sign that Aqua should outsource his revenge quest, it's this. He's spent over a decade of his reincarnated life trying to unravel the mysteries of Ai, and Akane has all but figured her out with a little guesswork and a few Google searches. After a grueling two-week wait, Oshi no Ko revealed the fruits of Akane's labor in the form of Ai-kane, a persona that feels like the late idol come back to life—and Aqua is genuinely smitten. This episode is about the way that love is even more complicated in the entertainment industry than it is for us regular folk; when Akane can slip into a role like a layer of clothing, is it really her that Aqua is falling in love with? “First Time” was filled with detailed artwork and carefully choreographed scenes that brought out the beauty of Oshi no Ko's characters and highlighted their complex feelings.

Did you watch the recap episode last week? Though most of it was rehashed footage, there were also interviews with Aqua and Ruby's voice actors in which they spoke of their attempts to capture each character's respective darkness and determination. Most importantly, both actors talked about how Ai's importance in each character's motivations has strengthened, rather than diminished, with her absence. This week, Ai-kane tells Aqua that he looks like he's seen a ghost because he has. It's not only Aqua's words, or Akane's newly starry eyes that express the genius of her portrayal, but Manaka Iwami's vocal performance that speaks to an impressive range. Ai-kane is just a persona, but Aqua is legitimately flustered in her presence like he never was around Akane before. It's a rare moment in which the audience is able to see Aqua being vulnerable like this, and it makes him more relatable as a protagonist to see this crack in his usual ice-cold demeanor.

Aqua's encounter with Ai-kane leaves him so affected that he seeks out the one person he can speak frankly with: Kana. Unbeknownst to Aqua, Kana has also been hoping to see him. Just one episode after she talked a big game about how actors play personas even on reality TV, she's been taken in by Aqua's apparent relationship with his costar. Despite Kana's protestations, it's fitting that Aqua has taken her to play catch in the park—they're playing a game while they discuss the game of love. While Aqua wrestles with his complicated love toward his celebrity-crush-turned-mother-figure Ai, he concludes that even though he has memories of his past life, he is not that person anymore. It's a revealing insight into Aqua's mind, to know that he doesn't see himself as Dr. Goro piloting the mecha that is Aqua's body, but Aqua himself, a teen boy shaped by his childhood and adolescent experiences.

Meanwhile, Kana's feelings are as simple as Aqua's are complex. Despite her prickly exterior, she loves him. This leads to a huge double entendre when Kana states that she's never played catch before in a particularly suggestive way: “Doing it with you is my first time. My very first time.” The gorgeous artwork here, with Kana's hair and lashes lit by the sun, punctuates this moment.

Unfortunately for Kana, there's no room for real romance in Aqua's revenge scheme. His plan involves a faux relationship with Akane that's as scripted as the show. At the Love Now wrap party, the unremarkable director gives his teen cast members a lecture from the bottom of a mug of beer, encouraging them not to get caught up in the machinations of showbiz and to pursue their own dreams from here on out. Yuki does just that, beginning a covert relationship with Nobu in complete opposition to her on-screen rejection of him. But for Akane and Aqua, who appeared so lovestruck in front of the camera (fooling even Kana, who ought to know better), a mere relationship of convenience is beginning.

I'll give points to Aqua for informing Akane right off the bat that he's interested in her as an actress, not as a love interest, rather than leading her on. She's got to be a little disappointed since Aqua's authentic interest in her persona shook her up so much that she broke character. Aqua may have gained a valuable ally (one who can simply discern that a person appears to have had a secret child with zero evidence!), but it's hard to tell whether their relationship will stay businesslike with real feelings lurking just below the surface.

The final surprise of the episode centers on Mem-Cho, whose normally cartoonish catlike eyes and smile get a stunning artistic render (and well-timed beat drop) as she receives the surprise of her life: a legitimate invitation to follow her idol stardom dreams. The anime has done an incredible job of highlighting Mengo Yokoyari's artwork in eye-catching illustrations that emphasize the characters' shiny hair, fluffy eyelashes, and wide galactic eyes. Even though the content of this episode could get complicated as characters wrestled with deep thoughts and emotions, it was consistently a joy to look at.

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Oshi no Ko is currently streaming on HIDIVE.

Lauren blogs at Otaku Journalist and writes about model kits at Gunpla 101. She spends her days teaching her two small Newtypes to bring peace to the space colonies.