Oshi no Ko Review

The first chapter is one of the best in modern manga, and it sets a trap: what looks like a reincarnation comedy about being reborn as an idol's children turns, in ninety pages, into a murder and a decades long revenge plot. What follows is Akasaka's dissection of the Japanese entertainment industry, from idol groups to reality television to stage acting, each arc a case study in how the business manufactures and consumes people.

Yokoyari's art gives the performers real presence and the industry a glossy menace. Aqua's investigation drives the plot; Ruby's ascent gives it a heart. The ending, which arrived in 2024, divided readers sharply, and the final act rushes conclusions the series had earned the right to take slowly. The world outside the industry is thin. But at its best, the reality show arc especially, it says things about celebrity that nothing else in the medium has managed.