Oshi No Ko - Episode 1 - Mother and Children - Reaction

[@sherrinfordhope5744]

So yeah, it’s kind of different to process the situation with Ai and getting pregnant for a Western Audience. But in Japan there is a heavy emphasis on purity when it comes to idols, to the point where even just suspicion of a significant other is incredibly damaging for their image.

[@sqxbarto9229]

I think there was a voice actress, who got fewer job offers after she had a boyfriend or something like that.

[@lordultimus559]

Also, the idol industry likes to sell the image of these girls being single so as not to ruin the fantasy of male fans who would want to date them.

[@izilladkilla]

​@@MuMasoo Dude, what the hell, don't post manga spoilers in the comment section. At least have the decency to throw a *SPOILERS* tag and hide it first.

[@kyuokuo]

@@izilladkilla Are you talking about the Reality Dating Show arc? After he stars in that show with Kana and she falls in love with him??

[@izilladkilla]

​@@kyuokuo Nah, it's something else

[@ben-san9677]

33:53 Aqua is a toddler who speaks like a grown adult. That's pretty damn creepy.

[@carsonswinford6502]

The funny thing is that they were just talking about how no one reacts to the way he talks, when everyone does at first but just assumes he’s a genius because wtf else would it be. But, naturally, anyone who hears it for the first time is pretty surprised and shaken up about it.

[@rna151]

"I'll seriously consider it once you turn 16." Yeah, he's just being cheeky here. They both know what kind of life expectancy she's facing.

[@Zonca2]

Lie out of love

[@KurouShiro6000]

​@@Zonca2Funny how the main premise of the first episode was foreshadowing from back then.

[@kaitofuuma]

its always funny when people immediately thought the manager is the dad, even though he asked her who's the dad and she even replied its a secret, granted it doesnt make it 100% true but the guy was clearly care about his image and company more

[@vivishii_]

Idol culture in Japan is a mess and a half. The girls are supposed to be "pure" and "available" so that they can sell themselves as a fantasy to the fans, there are waaaayy too many cases of a girl being seen with a guy (literally any guy) and her career ending because of it. There was even one time where someone mistook a woman for an idol entering a love hotel in japan and her fans started posting their destroyed merchandise of her because they didn't want to be her fans anymore lol. In any case, I hope you guys keep watching the show. it's such a great critique of everything you guys had a problem with, even if it makes itself seem like it's "for" said things :)

[@Sama_321]

Now you should watch the full opening with subs it has a lot of sense after watching the first episode

[@chervilious]

the OP are more towards the short story tho

[@avpultramanxX9]

Ai's pay wasn't around $20,000 it was around $1,500/month

[@cuongquoc5877]

That is low for the work she put in. Altho the good thing is that the company or the former prez did pay all of her house expense, travelling and stuffs but she still need to pay for her personal expense

[@Goomsies]

​@@cuongquoc5877 That's low for anybody. That's $18,000 a year, assuming each month gets similar earnings. Lower than minimum wage in most states in the US.

[@nexusroute8111]

@@Goomsies 200k JPY was 2k USD when this part of the manga was written. The US's minimum wage would still be around that. The federal min is $7.25/hr, which is $1160/mth. The average state min is $12, which is $1960/mth. In the context of an idol's salary, it's pretty shit. But for a 16-year-old, it's not too shabby.

[@Kai-ru-Schwarber]

@@nexusroute8111 No matter how much a song sells, the lyricist and composer are separate, so it doesn't go into the agency's wallet. The main source of income for idols is the sale of live tickets and merchandise, as well as performance fees for TV programs. However, although Ai was on the rise in popularity, it did not reach the stage of a dome performance, and its popularity in the media cannot be said to be a big star. Also, since Ai is not the only member of B Komachi, the group's income will likely be divided by the number of members. Working as an idol is not enough for her to get satisfaction and income. She would have been able to live a wealthy life if she appeared in many dramas, movies and commercials.

[@Ncyphen]

@@cuongquoc5877 Performing arts in Japan is very different from the rest of the world. For idols, in particular, the cost of the venue is on the shoulders of the group, as they are expected to pay for everything. After everything is all paid for, including their agency's fees, the group gets what is left over. Much like how budding actors n hollywood are known to be waiters and baristas, Japanese idols often have side jobs and live super frugally, hoping to become famous enough to eventually make it big.

[@ComradeArthur]

32:30 The "baking soda" line sounds almost the same as the "cry in 10 seconds" which is why Ruby got confused.

[@sqxbarto9229]

I interpreted that Kana did both things, but she wanted to be remembered as the girl who can cry in 10 seconds, not the baking soda commercial thing, but I can be wrong.

[@pyrial8273]

@@sqxbarto9229 that's how I interpreted it too, but it's meant to be that they sounds similar and Ruby got confused. In the manga English translation they used a different phrase to make the two sounds similar there.

[@ComradeArthur]

@@sqxbarto9229 Listen to the scene a few times. You can hear the two phrases sound almost the same.

[@nhcuongzero2005]

​@@sqxbarto9229 "licking baking soda" and "cry in 10 second" pronounce almost the same in Japanese, that's why Ruby got confused. The English sub just unable to bring out the pun so....

[@Karma-pq9fi]

@@sqxbarto9229 how do you guys misunderstand simple jokes?

[@MuMasoo]

So happy you guys are watching this masterpiece of a series. It covers the dark side of japans entertainment industry, with a cast of characters that all have amazing depth. Please pay close attention to all the small details, and subtle expressions each characters have. Especially watch Aqua, he is a very hard protagonist to read at times.

[@arifarrafi3302]

yea, i think its not only in japan too

[@VyKeR08]

yet some people trashtalking it and saying only ep 1 is good while they don't know that what comes more and it keeps darker

[@wojo2270]

​@@VyKeR08 anime only here. AMAZING first episode but the episodes after this so far haven't really stood out other then all have great characters so far. I dont agree with their opinions as im very much enjoying the show but I see their POV. Its too WAY to early to call it trash or call it a masterpiece for us who haven't read the manga or light novel whatever the main source is

[@MuMasoo]

@@wojo2270 Ofcourse, I read the manga so im mainly speaking from my pov. This series is a slowburn, so it will have moments that will just really inform you on the entertainment industry. Especially early on we are still meeting the main cast of the series. I am happy with the adaptation it has gotten, and hope this quality sticks for some of the later episodes.

[@jcon2060]

@@MuMasoo In the manga, does it continue to explore themes of idol culture and exploitation in the entertainment industry? Or is it just for the first episode?

[@saberx0467]

Ai probably got messed up by the celeb life but she started off messed up, on the concept of love. She was a abandoned by her parents and she wanted to have something to love. She found it in her kids in the end which I think is beautiful. Also the concept of retaining your old memories as a grown up is very common in Anime (I think someone was saying they will forget, and this is a example suspension of disbelief). This is a great story on Japanese media industry with a mix of murder mystery. Glad yall are watching it.

[@vcnonymous9587]

To add a layer to this, she died genuinely saying "I love you" to her fans, which coincidentally are her kids too.

[@PetarBladeStrok]

Aqua os not creepy 'cause of acting but because he's a kid who talks like an adult. That's the point. Also Ai showed a genuine smile for the first time after she saw her kids dancing. Comment said she had a fake smile and that's why she was down about it.

[@sherrinfordhope5744]

The reincarnation is not really suspension of disbelief, it’s a setting design called magical realism.

[@dphalanx7465]

Though it fits perfectly, "magical realism" is not a term I expected to hear in an anime comment section. (Having previously only encountered it in *literary criticism,* e.g. authors like Carlos Casteneda. Or Hunter S. Thompson, LOL!)

[@Wezt334]

@@dphalanx7465 it’s based on manga so while an anime it would still fit within literary fiction

[@dphalanx7465]

@@michaellewis631 Aaaand...that statement shows right there that you have a poor grasp on Magical Realism. _"It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality."_ Reincarnation; Past Memories; Unusual Maturity; while retaining a contemporary setting--is this not the very definition?? All of this is put to use in a combo of Industry Expose & Murder Investigation. _"...magical realism uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality."_

[@indie_gamer7]

@@michaellewis631 And it shows you don't know what that word means

[@mndy129]

Magical realism wow it does work as a simple way to describe it, never considered it that way in Anime, I'm much more used to seeing it on Latinamerican literature

[@NightwingTV]

Hell yeah, so glad ya'll are watching this! Also, "adult male" is called Seinen.

[@takanara7]

Technically Seinen means like older teen (boys) and up.

[@blessanabey8386]

Why is it called that?

[@Vozird]

@@blessanabey8386 Because of the japanese language?

[@blessanabey8386]

@@Vozird So it's just a name like shonen or something I'm guessing, that is translated to or as adult male. Oh I looked it up it's like Japanese Target Audience type of label for anime or manga.

[@takanara7]

@@blessanabey8386 Shonen means "early years" and Seinen actually also means "youth." For girls you have "Shoujo" (small girl) and Josei (woman) covering the same age ranges. Probably b/c the demographics were named in the early 20th century they just went with age labels for the stuff for guys and the stuff aimed at girls actually says "girls/woman's."

[@aqrxv]

I wouldn't read too much into it being a Seinan as "adult male" - in this case it just means it published in Young Jump, a magazine targeted at the young adult audience (usually older teens to college age), which essentially means (in this case) it's a YA category story. But Seinan is all over the place, from artsy stuff like Mushishi to things like Akira or Ghost in the Shell to historical like Vinland Saga to horror/action like Tokyo Ghoul to stuff like One Punch to stuff where you say "why isn't this shojo?" like Land of the Lustrous. It's basically the default category for "this isn't for young kids and isn't romance."

[@animepup2000]

i was gonna say, the prologue went everywhere, but the latest episodes felt like shojo except with a male protagonist so i was surprised the normies were saying it was a seinen series. i guess those categories were never super concrete anyhow!

[@ricmord1881]

​@@animepup2000 they aren't they simply refer to a general target and were they are published (shonen jump etc.) For example Dragonball is a shonen, but my dress up darling is a shonen as well.

[@danielkiran8174]

"t's basically the default category for "this isn't for young kids and isn't romance."" Well, Kaguya-sama is also seinen, and its romance.

[@GudetamaSit]

Same thing for shojo. A lot of people lambast it for being 'girly'. While it does target younger women primarily, the tone and content can be all over the place.

[@aqrxv]

@@danielkiran8174 It's a romantic comedy, which I agree is not uncommon in seinen. I was thinking of straight romance. But there's a lot of topic overlap. All I meant to say was that seinen is among the broadest of all the categories, and just about ANYTHING that it isn't aimed at little kids can appear in a seinen magazine.

[@RafaelWH]

just small thing to note: In the flashback where AI meets Saitou, who scouted her, she mentions that it's better to be in a children's home than getting hit. It's important to note that she was only 12 years old at the time and had never felt the love of a parent. This can have lasting effects on a person's ability to give and receive love. its around 1 hour and 4 min in the first episode there is confirmation of this in Yoasobi idol song the opening of the anime but i would recommend reading that after episode 3

[@DatVideoDoe]

Omg not this being y’all first “reincarnation” anime. Yeah, they don’t forget. In almost all reincarnation anime, the protagonist remembers their previous life IMMEDIATELY upon gaining consciousness OR they’ll remember everything after a specific point or event.

[@krismarshall3803]

​@@S.Somwaru there is no way they will be able to sit through the few times Rudeus is a straight up R word creeper in the beginning lol

[@Dakotaddk]

@@S.Somwaru Yea like Kris said theres no way they would make it through that first few episodes. Its rightfully a major turnoff for some people and they probably just wouldnt get past that.

[@ManSeekingMeaning]

They watched Re:Zero, so they’ve experienced Isekai’s before.

[@Wezt334]

@@Dakotaddk it’s no worse than Meliodas is SDS and really Rudeus is just a perv who ends up being traumatised himself by season 2 where as Meliodas straight up commits sexual assault and they watched that.

[@MuMasoo]

@@S.Somwaru Nah Rudeus is gross, and honestly just a scummy guy. I dont think they can stomach it even though the animation is amazing. Aqua is actually a gentleman and not a perv.

[@MxMoondoggie]

What Sarina has is a type of brain tumour. The loss of hair is usually from things like radiation therapy to try to slow the growth of the tumour. Symptoms of this include problems with limb weakness which is why she was always falling over and couldn't do things like dancing.

[@freknivek1565]

The whole theme about Ai and the show in general is "lies". It is like Rana said, she kept thinking that the story was about something but them pum, it was a lie. As Ai said she was always lying, if the people around her was happy then she would put a "happy" image, she was basically an extreme people pleaser all because she wanted to experience "love". She never had love when she was young, her mother hit her and literally abandoned her. She wanted to love people but she thought that she couldn't do it so she lied, she lied wishing that someday the "i love you" lie would become real.

[@sherrinfordhope5744]

Generally, there are 3 thematic motifs for the series. One is, as you say, lies. Another is love, you mentioned it a bit as well. These two, just in the first episode, like within 10 minutes join together in AI’s “lies are love” idea. A third, brought into the fold at the end with Aqua, is Hate, explored after the prologue in Aqua’s revenge play and such. So the series is founded with Lies, Love, and Hate.

[@ITZxJeff]

End discussion was intense. But awesome to hear you understanding the message being sent by the creator

[@tvftw1]

Hell yeah. The "Idol" said in the chorus of the OP is the 2nd coming of the "Jäger" from the first Attack on Titan OP, just a little bit everyone can understand to help it get stuck in your head

[@junglekxngtalksanime]

Accurate

[@takanara7]

They're not saying "Idol" they're saying "you're my savior, you're my saving grace" or something like that. Savior is probably what they're confusing with Jäger

[@tvftw1]

@@takanara7 Not the chanting in the background, the main singer describes a type of idol at the start of each chorus

[@ZanathKariashi]

the chanting part reminds of Nuadha -Gen 12 Finale from Mabinogi (which is a basically a whole song of similar chanting).

[@NotSomeJustinWithoutAMoustache]

When Aquamarine/Gorou asked the director if he could "raise" him, he meant if the director could teach him how to act, you know, when you're teaching a disciple or student you basically raise them under your wing, because he'll need to be a good actor to a) get close with his dad who's presumably in showbiz, and b) he'll need to be a good actor so it won't be found out that he's investigating.

[@TheChaosOfTheShadows]

I really like y’all’s discussion of this from your perspective as creators. Very mature and well-appreciated.

[@itsame_20]

Something I want to clear up: Shonen/Seinen are titles used to note the ‘intended’ demographic of a series, and in no way are 100% indicative of a series’ genre. Shonen = ‘young men’ Seinen = ‘adult men’ Shoujo = ‘young women’ Josei = ‘adult women’ These titles are determined by what magazine the series is published in. Content has nothing to do with it.

[@takanara7]

Seinen is more like the "young adult" age range, it's for older teens up, but it's not targeted at middle aged dudes, lol.

[@computersci9000]

​@@takanara7 seinen targets ages 18 to 40

[@SenseofNoneYT]

@@takanara7 Pretty sure Shōnen *is* "young adult." Seinen is straight adult, including middle-aged. There is no separate "jukunen/chunen" genre for middle-aged specifically

[@yugoxgc]

​@@SenseofNoneYT Shōnen manga literally means "boys' comics", & is an editorial category of Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent boys. Not Young adults

[@SenseofNoneYT]

@@yugoxgc I'm talking about the equivalent in other books that are not manga. YA books (Young Adult) mainly target ages from 12-18. Books for 18 and older are different. Not unlike the separation between Shōnen and Seinen.

[@Birthday888]

On the whole discussion you guys had at the end, I will point out that both Aqua and Ruby were both those types of "obsessed" fans, but even they didn't go as far as the Stalker.

[@yutarokida]

As a company piece for this, I recommend "Perfect Blue" by Satoshi Kon. It tackles the same issues with the entertainment industry but is more gruesome about it.

[@李娜-m8s]

Of course you should watch the next. I've read the manga up to date and I must say that every arc gets only better and somehow even more messed up than the previous one

[@MuMasoo]

The current arc is leading into some insane stuff.

[@李娜-m8s]

@@MuMasoo Yeah, right?! Can't wait for the next chapter!! BTW, do you know when chapters usually come out?

[@creativeartivity]

@@李娜-m8s Every Wednesday I believe

[@李娜-m8s]

@@creativeartivityI was talking about manga, not anime... But thank you anyway))😊

[@shrunkin]

Should I read the manga or just wait and watch the anime? I've watch all 4 ep currently

[@BulletAdrian14]

-beginning of episode - "I've never thought about being reborn into another life" -half way through the episode - "if you could it over again, would you?" lol it is surprisingly a topic that is talked a lot without realizing it

[@Lareneg418]

This is such a good anime, I've been keeping up with the manga and it only gets crazier. Hope you guys enjoy the series!

[@aohige]

Yeah I love this series. The parasocial aspects of show biz, toxic idol culture, SNS and cancel culture, miscommunication of adaptation and creators, sleazy producers who take advantage, show biz abusing subcontract talents for ratings sake, the paparazzi scums... this series is just non stop harsh look at the industry and I'm all for it.

[@HelenaSan425]

Ai never loved anyone of her fans just a facade from her idol image And once in her life as an idol she experienced actual "Love" from her two kids

[@BhBc8f8]

maybe but she wanted to, in her own way

[@ruffboiALT]

I'd argue she did love her fans, she just didn't know how to recognize the emotion. It's a different kind of love than she needed and than she felt for Ruby and Aqua, but she tried so hard for them, I can't think of that as anything but a kind of love.

[@davidyodo24]

"It's just an Idol show" they said 😭

[@dphalanx7465]

"'Come to the Coast for the Holidays,' they said." "'We'll hang out and watch Idol Anime,' they said..." 😮‍💨🤔🤩🤯😱

[@anonnymous7009]

1:00:50 He is completely right. The obsessive fans make ALL the revenue for the industry. They are basically working to buy merch. This industry doesn't exist without the obsessive fans. That is the truth, it prays upon those people to invest their life's savings and their whole work life into their favorite idol.

[@musalediju8142]

If you think about about it ichigo and his wife would be considered AI’s parents

[@junglekxngtalksanime]

Explain 🤔 EDIT: I forgot the manager's name was Ichigo and my mind went straight to the Bankai user😭

[@amari7782]

@@junglekxngtalksanime same

[@Just_Cameron]

@@junglekxngtalksanime I like how Ichigo is just 'the Bankai user' to you lmao

[@junglekxngtalksanime]

@@Just_Cameron it's been a while since I watched Bleach, I drew blanks on how else to describe him😭😭

[@legaultrants]

If Perfect Blue has kids in it... this was a wild roller coaster. Great end discussion.

[@themaestrosfolly]

If Oshi No Ko episode 1 doesn’t break you, you have no heart……

[@xbree_]

Broke me when I watched it and when I watched this reaction. Seriously hurts the heart.

[@samuelberson8202]

Either that or everyone's too weirded out by the undeniably creepy concept of a baby having the memory, intelligence, and personality of a grown ass man.

[@themaestrosfolly]

@@samuelberson8202 If you’re weirded out by that you’ve clearly not watched enough Isekai anime….

[@samuelberson8202]

@@themaestrosfolly Or maybe you're just a little too comfortable with pedophilia

[@waltz4life]

​​@@themaestrosfolly lol right? If done incorrectly then sure the concept can certainly come off as creepy, but I feel oshi no ko has so far handled it pretty well 🤔

[@youngrootv]

I’ve never heard of this before but it was genuinely one of the most amazing first episodes I’ve ever seen of any anime and I’ve seen a lot of anime! It’s up there with like Promised Neverland Ep. 1, AoT Ep. 1, Etc. Glad y’all are watching this!

[@junglekxngtalksanime]

I hadn't been this impressed with an anime's 1st episode since Naruto ☠️

[@youngrootv]

@@junglekxngtalksanime lol I mean I love Naruto don’t get me wrong but I don’t think the first episode really compares to this one haha

[@junglekxngtalksanime]

@@youngrootv hah🤣to each their own I guess...still, oshi no ko really knew how to hook people in

[@raec5426]

I would also add "To Your Eternity" ep 1.

[@nitinrajsingh553]

@@raec5426 To Your Eternity episode 1 >>>>>> all other animes episode 1

[@ayoayo1044]

Suraj is absolutely right about companies wanting to sell this image of idols in a way fans become obsessed with them. Anyone whos into kpop or jpop will them you that forming a strong parasocial relationship is a part of idols jobs. With kpop idols they livestream constantly, chat with fans on social media, give out specialized videos, do handshake/hi-touch events, and its all a MANDATORY part of the job. They also have dating bans in their written contracts, so they can contine to market idols as obtainable and innocent. There have been idols who have lost their careers and been blacklisted because them dating got exposed. Many idols publicly come out and tell "fans" to stop calling them, dont show up at my house, dont follow me around. NCT is a kpop group where multiple members houses have been broken into by "fans" and have been stalked to oblivion.

[@passarovoador6662]

WAAAAAAAAAAAATCH KAGUYA-SAMA WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATCH T!

[@Kaitouace2750]

This whole thing was amazing. Rana's reaction starting from when Ai opened that door was so good.

[@LouisPlaysDrums]

I wasn't expecting to cry after only watching a character for an hour and a half, but the animation, writing and voice acting by Rie Takahashi just makes the character come to life in the most amazing, but heartbreaking way.

[@HelenaSan425]

Rie Takahashi is a goddess

[@reginagavilanaburto3563]

41:39 / 1:10:18 In the flashback Ai was 12 because Sarina was 12 before she died and said that Ai and her were of the same age (Sorry for my spelling)

[@regenbogen_sim]

To clarify a few things: yes, many "girlgroup" music anime a targeted towards mainly men. Oshi no Ko is more so "Seinen" (adult, general), drama and "reincarnation" (not like isekai in that case). Female idol groups in Japan are a bit complicated and that is touched on a lot in Oshi no Ko, but mainly the target group is still adult men. More and more women are fans of female idol groups (Like for example AKB48 or Morning Musume) in Japan, but especially the west. Male idol groups still have a predominantly female audience, but the number of female fans is rising among female acts. I myself have been a fan of the group AKB48 since 2011, I live in the west and back then it was all still region blocked, so thats another reason why J-pop is not as known as for example K-pop. K-pop actively promotes internationally, have been for years, for J-pop its only still starting because Japan has such a massive domestic music market, they don't need to promote internationally.

[@Assassin21BEKA]

11:15 manager was literally asking her whose kid he is.

[@vemomi]

yoooo the normies finally witnessing this greatness

[@tvftw1]

41:29 Ai's meant to be like 12, maybe 11 years old in this flashback

[@kipp3384]

How come she looks like same as when she's 20

[@himanbam]

@@kipp3384 Who knows. But the cancer patient explicitly said Ai was an idol at age 12.

[@ZanathKariashi]

@@kipp3384 female asian genes. They either look 7, 17, or 70. there is no in-between.

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

@@kipp3384 Sarina literally said Ai looked pretty mature for her age, so maybe that’s why.

[@kantikindawicked]

Few things. Ai doesnt know how to love nor understanding it because shes never been loved. Thats why her flashback started when she had kids. Ai is confused, same like majority japanese kids, generaly asian kids.

[@LewsTherinWasRight]

Really appreciated the end discussion. As a viewer you hear about parasocial relationships but your discussion at the end was really eye opening about what its like first hand. Hope you’re all doing well, thanks for the reaction and discussion.

[@nayeonintern3481]

First Young Justice, Castlevania and now Oshi no ko you guys are watching some of my favorite animated shows, The peaks of their genres. So glad you guys are watching this😭😭

[@Juice1984]

That was a fantastic End Discussion. We appreciate y'all.

[@lordultimus559]

Oh, hell yeah, you're gonna love this series!

[@paul88420]

There are two translations of Oshi No Ko. Oshi equals my favorite idol, ko equals kid so the translation can be "the kid who is my favorite idol" or "my favorite idol's kid".

[@quangtuantran7181]

Lies are love can have many meanings. Just like how ppl say dont meet your hero, fans love the image of the hero in their head, aka the lie of a perfect idol in their head, their love is based on a lie. Or it could mean that ppl want to be lied to, because the truth isnt what they want when they use idols, movies, entertainment in general, as forms of escapism. Or maybe it s more of the parasocial aspect, to both the idols n their fans, lies of love are the only thing they can give each other.

[@xxleoproxx7495]

20:19 Amaterasu is one of the highest Gods in Japan, if you count Buddhism too. If not, then it’s the highest of the highest of the gods.

[@DbzDirectioner]

Thanks Guys, We appreciate you as well. 👍

[@GJames-Legend101]

This was beautiful and sad at the same time.

[@romeerenzdeloso2440]

With the discussion about the industry. I guess Ai motivation was to feel loved and be loved cause she grew up with only her mother and she left her. So she really never knew the concept of true love. I think thats why she became an idol, sang and performed her heart out, tried to find a relationship with the kids father and had children cause she was in search of the feeling of love and to love genuinely (which she found in her children). This already happened to Selena and the singer Christina Grimmie with deranged fans. So thats why other people despite having talent are afraid to go public or perform.

[@UncleRay420]

this show hit way too hard. I somewhat hate the internet more, questioned all my life decisons, and questioned this universe we live in. I honestly had a re-awakening happen. Idk no more.

[@kerespup]

Yes. Please do watch the next one as well!

[@Elzzaw]

For the "Lies are love" part, I interpret it as she is putting in an effort to lie to someone to make them feel good, therefore it is the best way she found to express her love, because she had no concept of love other than that. Obviously she finally found the concept but it was right at the end. This episode is soul crushing and I'm afraid to watch the rest of the show lol.

[@AmericanIlluminati]

Normies conclusion. "Guys we just want you to know that we don't really love you like that. We're just happy that you help us make money." 😂😂😂 All jokes obviously.

[@elvisvasquez7553]

What do you mean jokes? That is literally what they said 💀. The funny part is that they were trying SOOOO hard to avoid saying it straight up that they, ironically enough, proved the entire premise of the show. Lies really sell people what they want 😂.

[@AmericanIlluminati]

@@elvisvasquez7553 Lmfao, yea I was trying to keep it light hearted myself so that people wouldn't lose their minds in the comments. They were being honest, they don't know us, and we don't know them. Any fantasy you have about having a special connection with them, is all due to your own delusion. One they make money off of, but it's still your own.

[@Keruru_11]

I never expect you guys to watch this series. I'm glad you guys did

[@rizurper]

Love in Japanese, as 'ai' has a lot more deep and specific meaning than just love in English. The word 'aishiteru' (I love you) is usually only used by a married couple or VERY close relation people, not just throwing it randomly at people. That's why when performer saying I love you to their fans, in English, you most likely will interpret that merely as 'thank you for support', etc. In Japanese, when you say "aishiteru" it means you are deeply in love to anyone you say to.

[@Jakub_13]

Disclaimer: It's a personal and my very own opinion which I don't want to reflect upon anyone. Any word in this comment may be wrong. If you got offended by it, I'm sorry, but I don't care. I really appreciate the end discussion of yours. Great thoughts and talk. And I as a person who was part of countless very different communities must say that, things happen. I'm by no means an expert, I just like to observe. So I agree with most of what you were saying, "most" because I disagree with Marketa. I think she is too.. emm.. ignorant, naïve in her beliefs? There are so many different people out there, thinking absolutely unlike any other. So assuming they will adapt to you just because it's the "right" thing to do, or "normal", at least in your mind, and saying "Well it's not my problem, it's their responsibility", is kinda immature. I will take for example the group I'm in, and the group the stalker was part of: socially withdrawn. It's kind of a state when you search for connections with others, long for them in some shape or form, even if you don't realize. And following prominent personas across the internet sustains that need. As you said, the connection is being made, but only one-sided. And imagine if such a person is lacking in that kind of connections elsewhere. They become attached, they start caring. They start treating you as someone they know, they value you, even if they never talked with you. It's naturall and abnormal at the same time. And I can see an increase in such people across the years (or maybe I just sunken deeper myself :D ). Top of that, the industry surrounding these prominent personas / celebrities / stars isn't helping. They're pushed into your face as some ideals, as a norm, certainty. They won't hurt you, they can't, and you can always return to them and they will be there for You, won't they? Right, and if they won't? That's when problem is being born with such an image. Moreover, as far as I know, Japan currently have a raising enormous problem with that phenomena, which is basically Hikikomori. So just imagine clash between: entertainment industry, e.g. Idols, which sole purpose is to be worshiped by others; with people who lack very basic needs, often through no fault of their own. (To be clear, Japan is just an example because this anime is taking place in Japan. But the whole world counts) It's how it is nowadays, and no one can convince me otherwise, because I am part of it, I can feel it, I can understand it. I only lack someone to worship, probably because I got hurt many times and I see dangers in it, I simply refuse to do it. And I like changes, so I'm in constant motion. Call those people sick, but sickness have its origin somewhere. And that is an open discussion, like everything on the internet. Great reaction by the way, I enjoyed it. I hope that you will continue reacting to this series. :]

[@falconsfan28-38]

I love the normies but they’re your prototypical judgmental Americans when they see something outside of their norm so I was concerned for them reacting to this but I’m glad it somewhat turned out good❤️

[@avataraang4403]

I love marketa's hair so much right now. Suraj's hair is really pretty too

[@TigerBeam-vh3vh]

in Indonesian translation, what aqua said to director is not 'raising' as an adoptive father, but more like 'teaching / guiding / raising his skills'

[@sultanprawiro3069]

yes she is his mother now but he has memories from his previous life it definitely took time to think of ai as her mother but at least aqua must have thought of ai as family

[@MuMasoo]

Shes both to him, a mother and an Idol he is a fan of.

[@sultanprawiro3069]

@@MuMasoo nah,just family,an idol and his patient

[@MuMasoo]

@SULTAN PRAWIRO He says in the manga ai is both to him. He's dealing with the trauma of his mom dying, and his idol dying at the same time. The longer he is Aqua, the more she becomes his mom rather than his idol. This is shown when Kana becomes his star, and his light.

[@grizzlyg33k40]

Escuche a la señorita decir "porque no los 2" ? No sabía que hablaban un poco de español love it 😊

[@SirSaif93]

glad you guys catch up with what is going on in anime

[@JayIngemar]

A show has never made me cry this much except for Anohana, I have yet to watch YLIA but it will take time before I can go through that sort of pain again.

[@vlai9018]

Firstly, I would like to say: One of the best discussions ive seen for this show, as expected by The Normies, PROPS TO YOU! They truly figured out the purpose of AI character and the portrayal of the entertainment industry in both anime and real life. At the end of the day, these lies, parasocial relationships, are applicable not only to idols, but also to other public figures such as singers, KZbinrs, streamers, actors, and more. Before my food is ready, I must go on a rant thou :) I noticed that many reactions/discussions failed to grasp the point of the AI character's lies and the idol industry. Some people believed that characters like AI are rare to find irl and that she made poor decisions which leaded to.... While this is partially true, the reality is that customers demand quick, entertaining content, and that's what sells. For instance, imagine a 7-hour music video, with 6 hours and 57 minutes of the performer discussing their personal life, relationships, struggles, and feelings, with only 3 minutes dedicated to their new song. Most people would skip to the song. This is a simple example, but it illustrates why creators invest significant effort in making their content as flawless as possible. They do it to attract attention, gain popularity, and ultimately make more money, which can lead to a sense of satisfaction and success. And sometimes some lies might be mixed into it too. However, even famous singers who refuse to lie or enter into relationships can still be targeted with hate and death threats for minor missteps. Many public figures, both on TV and the internet, have suffered from similar situations, such as negative comments, private life invasions, or scandals. While some bounce back and enjoy a supportive community, others are plagued by this negativity every day. The line between fan and hater can be blurry for some people, and they may suddenly switch from being a hardcore fan to a full on hater after a small incident. How can performers handle this you say? Should they only accept fans who agree with everything they say and do and shun those who disagree? This would be career suicide. So they must "lie" to some extent, whether it's a small or significant falsehood, whether they even realize it themselfs or not. Stupid example: i love every sushi! WELL Have you eaten every type of sushi?, also you don't love spoiled or old sushi do you? As Ai mentioned, famous people are also human beings. They want to do their jobs, succeed, make money, have fun, and spend time with their loved ones, just like everyone else. If people can understand and accept this, stop being obsessive, and stop building parasocial relationships, then everyone will be happy. People should learn to support something without expecting a personal relationship as payment. Unfortunately, there will always be those who act like monkes on the internet and in real life.

[@teongreen5254]

Btw you can also marry legally at 16 in the US with your parents permission

[@stef3831]

just to clarify the target audience clasification of manga/anime shounen: young male (naruto, dbz) (generally male protagonist and its about fights and power of friendship) shoujo: young female (sailor moon, sakura card captor) (generally female protagonist there can be also fights, magic but one of the main genres is romance) seinen: adult male (psycho pass, steins gate) (a lot more mature and philosophycal, still can be action and stuff but is more adult oriented) josei: adult female (yuri on ice, violet evergarden) (a more mature view on drama or romance) Keeping in mind that this clasifications were created a long time ago, at this point this are just like broad categories to pitch the manga or anime with some especific characteristics that made it one or the other, in western terms breaking bad would be a seinen and queen's gambit would be a josei and both of them are great and can be enjoyed by everybody.

[@pridex45]

Reincarnation is a common trope in anime. It's cringey in this case, but eventually you'll see it's more than a reincarnation story. It's very well written and I've been loving every episode that's come out so far.

[@codymojo856]

this show does a great job of highlighting the negative aspects of the asian entertainment industry, especiallu the idol industry. its kind of getting more lax lately but its still very strict and image driven. idols are expected to be presented as "open for the fan's love" so dating and pregnancy is a huge issue. there have been dating "scandals" that have completely ruined idol's careers because of deranged fans feeling cheated out of their love. it takes parasocial to a whole new level.

[@rinzzler366]

they're not 1 after the small time skip, it was just 1 year since that video was taken, they're most likely almost 3 or 4 after, as ai took almost a year break before starting up and it was a few more months before they went to that concert and the video was taken.

[@Dunnas81]

No, that isn’t correct. They had only just turned three after the second small time skip (when they started preschool) as the show specifically has Aqua saying that three years have passed since I was reborn as AI’s child. They were only 1 and I’m not sure how many months after the first time skip. I get the impression that they’re only supposed to be a few months old when Ai returns to work. There is also the fact that Ai was not yet 20 when she died and at a minimum she was 16 plus 20 weeks (the remaining pregnancy) old when they were born. That means that at most the kids were about 3 years and 7 months old when Ai died, assuming that she got pregnant 20 weeks before she even turned 16. If we assume she got pregnant at 16 then the kids can’t be more than 3 years and 3 months at the end.

[@graycap111b5]

Oshi no Ko's demographic is seinen: for mature males (young adults 18+). One thing I've noticed that seinen has over shounen is it has more freedom to tackle topics that would be otherwise not fit for kids and teens. This show tackles a lot of them, but they essentially revolve around vengeance and the entertainment industry, both its good and bad sides.

[@ohnaminami]

One of the best or worst examples of AI's situation to me is Chen, e member of a super popular Kpop boy group called EXO. He revealed that he wanted to marry his long time partner (which he kept a secret) because she had gotten pregnant and he wanted to be honest with his fans. And the response was well, not good, people started boycotting the group. Destroyed any piece of merch that had him in it, started petitions to get him out of the group, and even started sending death threats to not only him but the other members. All because he apparently had "lied to them"

[@JayB2652]

And yesterday I saw that people are still trying to get him kicked out 😞

[@Kuraikumiku]

Yes, Oshi no ko is by aka akasaka, as well as kaguya-sama love is war, at this time the first 4 episodes of oshi no ko were released, there was no easter egg in any of them yet, but there is one bonus chapter in the manga where In which there is a a link to the future of kaguya and miyuki (main characters of Kaguya-sama love is war)

[@milesclayborne]

It should also be noted that in the US entertainers have powerful guilds and unions who are able to force employers to negotiate for fair contracts and working conditions but in Japan, that’s not necessarily the case so there are a few fundamental differences in the way the industry treats its performers

[@takanara7]

Lol, that's true for screen actors and writers - but not musicians, they get exploited all the time in the west.

[@milesclayborne]

@@takanara7 while it's true that there is quite a bit of exploitation within the music industry, i would like to point you to the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) which, much like the writers guild, will copyright your work for you as well as help you negotiate for healthcare and other benefits. it also may be a bit pedantic of me but there are a ton of unions and guilds in the entertainment industry which cover virtually any job you can hold not just actors and writers. The IATSE alone covers theatrical stage employees, crafts persons (people who handle staging and set design), animation employees, art directors, costume designers, cinematographers, make up artists, hair stylists, editors, as well as production sound and video engineers. the DGA covers directors, the SDSA covers set decorators, the AMPTP covers producers, the SOC covers camera operators . . . et cetera et cetera you get the point.

[@EneAkita]

Yeah, reincarnation stories usually have the people reincarnating remembering their past lives (at least, that's the case in anime shows).

[@Shady_br]

7:15 because she's a star duh Also because anime 😅

[@7thDilemma]

Really happy that you guys are trying out something a bit different, and very different from what you might initially expect. I think I may have to go and rejoin the Patreon if you continue this one. Really enjoyed listening to your guys' post episode discussion. Conversation was quite different in topic obviously, but also so much different in tone from most of the other shows I've watched or rewatched with you guys. Would definitely be excited if you decide to look into more anime with a focus on exploring emotion and the journey towards understanding one's own feelings. Still hoping that you'll revisit Violet Evergarden at some point. Now that would be incredible, but maybe Oshi No Ko will do for now!

[@ruuruuann]

The close-up and then, "i was kidding 😢." Yea i thought that as welll😅 deeply regretted it.

[@ebonyangel951]

The beauty of being independent (YT, Twitch, etc) is that there's no Shareholders/Management putting the business and profit above you as an artist. You are the management and your team should be revolved around putting you first. Also, Mickey, stop being in denial about our love, what we have is real and pure lmao.

[@humourlessjester3584]

I like that this anime really makes some youtubers think about their own jobs.

[@HYP3RK1NECT]

46:58 No sé cuantas veces he visto esto de la muerte de la pequeña Roma. Y sigo sin sentir nada. Más que me suena el último movimiento de la novena de Mahler en mi cabeza. "No existen las estrellas, sin el manto del crepúsculo" Esto fue una definición ad hoc.

[@redmustangredmustang]

You are guys are going to be in for a ride. Still remember this is all in the Love is War universe done by the author Aka Akasaka and the art is done by Mengo Yokoyari from Scum's Wish.

[@Tedd-emon]

They say that when your life flashes in your eyes when your about to die is to remember a memory that you might use to protect yourself, right? Maybe she remembered the stalkers name from that piece of memory when they recieved that sand star gift. But probably not to protect herself, to protect her kids, to focus the stalkers attention to her and de-escalate the situation...

[@marchembernnadlor4460]

There's a theory that they have stars on their eyes due to amaterasu and tsukoyomi

[@andrewmiller3478]

Ai remembered the fanatics name. So if he wasn't talented as a person in life, then I feel the only talent he had that Ai recognized was his dedication to being her fan. Ai only remembers the names of those talented she said. If the fan wasn't skilled in anything job or work wise, then all that is left is the dedication he has to the idol. Such a fan being turned into a murderer is something. And the idea he is being fed information from their father makes me think that the fan wouldn't have become this way normally. My theory is that their father is someone pure evil. Someone capable of manipulation, to twist such a "talented fan" to kill their idol. All to hide the fact that their image wasn't pure in the public, or cutting ties from Ai because it was troublesome. Their father is someone evil, capable of turning loving fans into scorned fanatics. Also we see the fanatics gift she talks about multiple times. It is the jar with red looking sand in it. They even cut from him at some point to the jar on the shelf.

[@rainycovee]

Tysm for reacting to this show!! Really reallyy love your reactions :)

[@shogunspear9739]

"so far is pretty cute" HAHAHAHA you poor fool...

[@Aaa-tv8bs]

Bro it’s so funny how the boys star vibing at the end

[@allmightylowercasejay1138]

I never heard of this until now. The great thing about anime is some of the storytelling can take you on this great ride.

[@razimahri9123]

Perfect Blue.

[@ryanprasetyo5216]

and thus ends one of the best introductions to a story

[@bumblebee95949]

Fun little fact for ya this is actually set in the same exact universe as kayuga sama love is war.

[@milalc9101]

I really can’t understand why are fans who think that their idols should love them, for me is so unreal. I can say that I appreciate some idols and youtubers like you, I really appreciate you guys, but I would never expect you to love me. And specially get angry if you don’t do it, because you doesn’t now me and I can’t decide over you life or feelings. I don’t understand why are fans who get mad when their idol get a couple o start a family, I’m happy when that happens because the person who is special for me is happy.

[@ItsYukiToo]

I was JUST thinking how cool it'd be to see your guy's reaction to this. Awesome (commented this in the first 2 seconds 😂)