From the world of idols and movie stars, Oshi No Ko steps into the world of manga writers in the 4th episode. The show gets better with each episode and incorporates another dark secret of the entertainment industry in its narrative. In the beginning, the anime gave the impression of a slice-of-life show about an idol named Ai and her two babies. Soon it is revealed that Ai is, in fact, not the protagonist at all, but her son Aqua and his sister Ruby. Aqua believes he is destined to find Ai’s killer, as he remembers his previous life where he was killed by the same person. Aqua and Ruby are all grown up now and have to pick their respective career paths. How far will Aqua go to find out his mother’s killer?
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In Episode 4?
Kana Arima used to be the most popular child actor until she went to middle school. She was known as the genius child actor and got all the big roles back in the day. She knows that it was her golden age. She found herself losing work quickly as she got older, but she continued to live her dream of being an actor. She got dubbed the “expired child actor” and learned that her prime time was up. But suddenly, she had the opportunity to be in a drama and be the main character after all those years. Kana Arima would give her all, even if that meant lowering her acting standards to match those of her co-stars just to be known again. Aqua is her last hope to make the show better in its fourth and last episode of Oshi No Ko. Her struggle showcases that even if somebody is famous or considered to be a genius, they could be suffering from internal problems. Of course, we can’t forget that the main objective of “Oshi No Ko” is to call out internet trolls and negative fanfare.
Episode 3 had ended with Aqua wanting to have some “fun” on the set, and now he shows off his excellent understanding of the film set by using the lights, camera, sound, etc., to make the scene work even with the lead actor’s terrible skills. Arima is shocked by his skills, which seemingly came out of nowhere, but Aqua is determined to reach Ai’s level of charm through whatever he has around him. He plays a stalker who gets beaten up by the main lead. Aqua insults the actor so that he lashes out at him naturally. To the disappointment of the assistant but to the surprise of the director, Aqua’s liberties make the scene work much better than how it was planned before, just like in the manga. The scene is supposed to end with Kana Arima crying because she finally feels loved by the lead actor after her stalker insults her. Everybody knows this is the best scene in the manga, and both Aqua and Kana Arima want to do their best to make it work. After the show is released, the writer of the manga is stunned by the ending and is extremely grateful that her work was adapted, even if it was completed and didn’t have the potential to add any more value to the company. The manga artist is grateful for an adaptation of her work because most people wouldn’t even get that. Realistically, Aqua’s presence in the drama made it more liked by the few people who watched it, but it didn’t go viral. Only a select number of people watched and enjoyed it, accepting the adaptation for what it is.
At the after-party, Aqua is surprised to see the size of the crowd and realizes how many people are involved in a drama set. The manga author knows how much effort Kana Arima may have put into the drama to make the last episode worth watching and thanks her genuinely for carrying the whole show on her shoulders. Aqua finally reveals that he has no relations with the producer, Masaya Kaburagi and that he is relieved. Kaburagi, though, has other secrets about Ai. He tells Aqua that he sees a resemblance to Ai in him, and he used to work really closely with her. Kaburagi might be the key to who was actually seeing Ai all those years ago, but to find out the truth, Aqua may have to agree to be on a dating show.
How Does Aqua Plan On Making Sure That Ruby Doesn’t Get Bullied At School?
Aqua and Ruby now start their first day at the entertainment school. Everyone at this school is a celebrity and has some kind of job in the entertainment industry. Ruby quickly finds herself in the middle of the most beautiful people. Kana Arima gives her juniors, Aqua and Ruby, a tour of the school. In the classroom, Ruby makes a friend, a model named Minami Kotobuki, in her class and excitedly tells her brother about it before also telling him that the actress she’s a huge fan of right now is her classmate. Aqua hasn’t made any friends, and according to Ruby, he can’t do it, so he’s hiding behind the fake notion that boys don’t make friends immediately and just hang out. Ruby suggests Minami and Aqua should be friends, but Aqua is completely against her handing out her friends to other people like hotcakes. Aqua, being the uncle that he is, asks Ruby to worry about herself only, because she’s in a fancy course and her friends will be different.
Frill Shiranuri is the famous actress in Ruby’s class, and she’s a hot topic in Japan right now. Ruby can’t muster up the courage to talk to her, but the second Aqua sees her, he goes up to her and tells Frill Shiranuri to treat his sister well. Surprisingly, she doesn’t come across as stuck-up or egotistical. In fact, she knows that Aqua was in that drama, which wasn’t even famous, and that Minami is a model. She apologises to Ruby for not knowing what she does and then motivates her to try her best. Ruby has never felt more motivated and immediately asks Miyako to conduct auditions so she can be an idol trainee at the very least. Miyako, of course, can’t do it so soon; she needs staff and time to make all of this happen. Ruby thinks Minami would be a good fit to join her, but she’s already part of another agency. Who isn’t part of an agency, though? Freelancer Kana Arima! Oshi No Ko Episode 4 ends with Aqua’s great idea to bring her into the agency and join Ruby as an idol because of her “cute appearance.” Maybe he thinks she’s the right person to protect Ruby in the industry. Not only does she go to the same school and have more experience with everything related to the industry, but she is also a talented actress, so she might as well become a popular idol. Let’s see how things turn out for Aqua and Ruby. We’re here wondering if he’s going to actually do the reality dating show just to get a step ahead in his investigation.