Oshi no Ko – a deep dive into entertainment reality

When a manga decides to hit you with the feels and also a stark glimpse into the Japanese entertainment factory that makes up the entirety of what we know as Japanese pop culture, it’s probably time to sit down and really appreciate it.

Now I’m sure most people would be used to some manga & anime stories to drop a big dose of “this is how it is in the real world” from time to time, but it definitely takes huge courage to base your entire story on the harshness that is the entertainment industry in Japan (which has also obviously spread across the world too).

If you don’t know much about Oshi no Ko, the wikipedia entry will probably start you off with a certain thought that ‘oh, so it’s an isekai (another world) story that’s not in another world’? However I’d have to say that this story goes much deeper than that – pulling back the curtains on how harsh the Japanese entertainment industry is across its (current) 115 manga chapters. It starts you off with the stressors that Japanese idols can face before branching out into the chaos of other entertainment genres while barely skipping a beat in driving the overarching storyline forwards.

Writer Aka Akasaka (who also wrote Kaguya-sama: Love is War) tears into every facet of Japanese entertainment, from the grind that mangakas (manga authors) face to the ‘truth’ behind reality shows like Terrace House or Single’s Inferno as well as the crazy manufactured idol (vtubers included) industry. Supported by the stylish and often cutesy illustrations of manga artist Mengo Yokoyari, the manga really brings to bear the challenges that any artist or content creator faces in the entertainment world.

If you’ve had the thought of becoming a content creator or joining the creative field, this story is probably a great (and enjoyable!) way to ease you into the challenges that you might face. Obviously the Japanese industry is unique in itself but the challenges are commonplace in the creative industry.

So now you’re probably wondering why I’m writing about a manga that’s been serialised since 2020, well, I’ll be honest to say that I just discovered it from my social media network due to the anime version having been recently released. And the first episode’s length is a whopping 82 minutes – pretty rare for anime shows to have an extended first episode right off the bat. In fact it has just reached the top of MyAnimeList – a content popularity aggregator for anime and manga.

It’s probably rare to be recommending an anime after talking about the manga, but I’d say to watch the first episode of Oshi no Ko and then take a deep dive into the manga for all the insights I mentioned before as you wait for the next episodes to drop. If you’re not drawn in, drop a comment and I’ll be sure to get back to you!

Oshi no Ko is currently available to watch (for free) on Bilibili in Asia so don’t miss out. – https://www.bilibili.tv/en/play/2080019