Oshi no Ko Rewatch - Season 2, Episode 10 Discussion

**First Timer**

Huh, well that was surprisingly easy

[](#lost)

(This has nothing to do with this episode, [but this was the first time I'd actually paused on what Akane is doing in the OP after Kana's action bit](https://imgur.com/a/NakmbYw) [Amazing](#kotohoops))

Now that we're fully done with Tokyo Blade, I suppose it only makes sense that we get an episode that is, for the most part, just a bit of brevity and setup. Even what should have been one of the most dramatic moments in the whole show, regarding Himekawa and Aqua's father, proves to be a shockingly quick bump in the road as the show once again surprises me, but this time around with the anti-twist!

Well, okay, while it could be a fun twist, I very much doubt what Himekawa says here is actually right lol. If only for the fact that it'd be woefully unsatisfying from a narrative sense, and we sure still have a lot of narrative to go through. But [the underlying reasons behind the case itself being rather suspiciously murky](https://imgur.com/a/wENq8UE) also gets one thinking and lead to some problems. Namely, given that [Himekawa is kind enough to give us a rough timeline](https://imgur.com/a/M23KxK6), things don't exactly seem to add up? Uehara dies when Aqua would've been 2-ish, which means Ai's death is *after* his lover's suicide. Now, I'm admittedly a bit hazy there, but I do believe we straight up see her talking to the father on the phone a bit before her death, so... *yeah*. This also means that it doesn't make sense if you take Aqua's theory on the father puppeteering her murderer at face value, either. And under that same theory, there's very much precedent for Real-Dad using Uehara as a convenient fall-guy with a believable motive, same as Ai's stalker. Not to say Himekawa is lying, obviously, just that he probably doesn't have the full picture.

There are probably more holes to be poked there, but for now, Aqua buys it, and I do think that's fairly understandable despite his otherwise more analytical nature. This episode is called "*Liberation*" for a reason! If there's something we've made clear in the previous arc, it's that despite being his driving force in life, Aqua would *love* to rid himself of this cross he has to bear with his revenge plot. So this easy answer certainly would be one he'd want to accept. Especially as the show uses Ruby, Kana, and Kana (And even Himekawa to an extent), worrying about him, to remind us he's also got other people in his life to come back to. So for now at least, [Aqua embraces the light](https://imgur.com/a/TdJRSca), and more critically, breaks his star! It's quite a striking and interesting visual idea. Again, that revenge *was* his driving force in life, he's mentioned before he's in acting just for that, and [as we see from his singular little flair-up here](https://imgur.com/a/voG9zpL), it occupied the thoughts behind a lot of his actions. So... what now? What motivates him? I don't know, and neither does he, so for now, Aqua is mellow and happy, but aimless for the future, and I think it's neat we have a strong visual motif to represent that.

[](#happyclap)

With Aqua "Resolved" for the moment, it's now Ruby's time to shine for the first time in a while! To be fair, for this episode, it mostly means light-hearted and comedic B-Komachi focus, which *is* fun, but there isn't a ton to say there. There's a bit of that classic OnK "Overexplaining entertainment" issue here, but Mem's fantastic energy does make up for it! Otherwise, the room tour tax expense joke is great, and actually, even allows for some seriousness, as Kana's comment about entertainers needing security [certainly hits Ruby right where it hurts](https://imgur.com/a/dmp5ykd).

And of course, we do get a glimpse of serious Ruby here! Tokyo Blade had shown that Aqua was still heavily impacted by his previous life as Goro, so it stands to reason that Ruby, while not quite as openly scarred as Aqua, would also have a similar connection and impact from hers as Sarina. She still looks to Goro with affection as an important, guiding figure for her, and a major driving force of her own when it comes to the new B-Komachi! This is all pretty interesting stuff, and well, very ironic, considering Goro is her brother right now, but it does set us up for some strong interactions and development for Ruby, especially as we're heading back to where it all started, so to speak. As an aside, I don't remember if this was mentioned back at the start of the show or not, but kind of interesting that Goro has apparently "Gone missing", even in the countryside, surely someone would've eventually found his body? Not counting interference, that is. Also, [this is just a cool visual](https://imgur.com/a/W1Jpf0W), Ruby matching her background.

In the meantime, we've got an MV to shoot! Beyond the comedic effect of Mem's age making her effectively elderly in the idol industry, I do like Ruby's appeal to Miyako on how they don't have the time to wait around in this business, and [Miyako relating that to her own experiences from back in the day](https://imgur.com/a/44zR1ed). Very sweet stuff, and the emotional conviction she shows here is not only a strong showcase for the type of character she is, but it also makes the way her endearing passion later breaks through Himura's writer's block all the more understandable. Now, said case of writer's block is a less good example of the overexplaining issue, but I do really love the segment of Ruby symbolically giving him inspiration and "shattering his worldview", so we'll call it even.

Finally, even if I hadn't done my theorizing earlier, [this very ominous looking girl](https://imgur.com/a/0UtHLbx) being introduced here, the one that's also around the visual of [Aqua as Goro in the OP](https://imgur.com/a/cUWk5fv), suggests that Aqua and Ruby's visit to Miyazaki will still probably bring about some advancement in the mystery plot area, and for my momey at least, I'd assume will make Aqua reevaluate his conclusions about his father being dead.

[](#concealedexcitement)

**Longtime B-Komachi Fan!**

It's funny that the name of the club they went to for this conversation, chosen by Himekawa who didn't know what Aqua was about to reveal to him, was so appropriate. "Pater" is the Latin word for "father", as in "paternity test".

[](#azusalaugh)

Aqua receives a major shock when he learns from Himekawa that his father died years ago in a murder/suicide, which means that he no longer has a target for the revenge he devoted is life to. After he's had time to reflect on this, Aqua appears to let go of at least some of the guilt, dark feelings, and obligations he was holding onto - and, as the star vanishes from his eye, he has a truly lighthearted smile.

[](#awe)

This reveal was so huge, it was all I could focus on the first time I read/watched it, but during my rewatch, it stood out more now that I know Himekawa better that this moment is probably the happiest I've ever seen him. Rather than his usual serious disposition, he jokes around with Aqua and seems genuinely glad to find out that he has a half-brother! He even calls Aqua out for leading on Kana and Akane, which was hilarious. Aqua mentions wanting to introduce Ruby to him, and I hope he does stick around after this arc is over because I really like their banter.

[](#anko)

Even Kana can tell that there's been a change in Aqua since all of this went down, but she kind of likes it! This second half of the episode was a lot more comedic compared to the heavy stuff in the first half, but it was amusing to see Kana so quick to show off her apartment for the sake of writing off her expensive purchases as tax deductions.

[](#smugrose)

But I didn't miss that sad look on Ruby's face when Kana mentioned how dangerous toxic fans can be. I don't think she needs to hide her posters or love of Ai from anyone. The fact that she's reviving B-Komachi means it's almost a given that she was a fan - and no one would read any more into it than that. Poor girl, holding out hope to see Gorou again though...

[](#holdme)

The scene where Ruby's video gave Himura the inspiration he needed to complete their song was also great. I loved the visuals on this one, and it's something I can connect with because I've had my share of writer's block and lack of motivation too. Ruby's sweet, sincere way of encouraging him was just so heartwarming!

[](#ilovethiskindofshit)

It also made me wonder if I should try this method myself - writing something I would want to see Aqua, Ruby, Kana and Akane perform.

[](#rengethink)

I'll refrain from commenting on the mysterious girl surrounded by crows at the end until later episodes.

[](#mugiwait)

**Questions of the Day:**

1) The way I see it, Aqua's inherent star quality is only part of what the starry eye represents, so it doesn't mean his potential as an actor has diminished now that it's disappeared. There seems to be a lot of focus on the light star when Aqua is feeling inspired by others, and focus on the dark star when he's plotting revenge, plus a lot of visuals with him reaching out towards the stars - which makes me think a big part of it is related to his goals, or his drive to "follow that star" wherever it leads him. Now that he's not seeking revenge anymore, Aqua seems more at peace but also a bit directionless because he's abandoned the goal he worked towards for most of his life. For now, he's simply allowing himself to exist without striving for something.

2) Back when I first read it, I figured there would be important reveals here since returning to the place where it all began is just begging to dig up the past. It turned out to be a mix of stuff I was expecting and big surprises!

**First Timer, Subbed**

[A couple days ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q47hwk/oshi_no_ko_rewatch_season_2_episode_8_discussion/nxr1ad9/) I mentioned that Kana said she was living in the dorms back in S1E3. But it turns out she lives in a nice apartment! Another one of her many lies!

Also when she dreams of going to the onsen with Aqua, [little Pieyon tags along as well](https://i.imgur.com/et3t8VW.jpeg).

I guess it's obvious for story reasons that Uehara can't be the killer/mastermind, 'cause the story would just end. But I was surprised that Aqua just kinda accepted it, without interrogating the timeline or looking into Uehara further. I guess maybe he's assumed that father == killer for so long, and that's that?

QOTD 2) Aside from uncovering more behind the mystery, what I'm most thinking about is that returning to that place might be the catalyst for Aqua and Ruby to find out about each other's past identities. I mean, I guess Ruby's search for Gorou is setting that up too.

Yep. There's the bombshell from last episode.

And so over to his place.

So, that's not the guy who killed Ai.

Lol.

And so he's lost all purpose.

For once, Aqua smiles.

Well, that works.

And so everything is now a business expense.

So, that's why she chose B Komachi.

And so they're off to film an MV.

Gotta have the song made first...

And so he's got his inspiration.

And so he's going to tag along. To the town where he died.

Questions:

1. And so he's back to his dark star.
2. I already know exactly what's coming up.

**Rewatcher**

This season has made a point to focus on how much Aqua wants out of his revenge arc. In Season 1, we see him act in a detached, cold, calculative - and this gives us an impression that he is completely given over to the dark side and wants nothing but cold murder, but the events in this season stress how shaky and *emotional* his motivations are, constantly wanting to [embrace the path to love and fulfillment](https://imgchest.com/p/6eyrnjrdk7p) that his new life has opened up for him, and how much his grief sharply hurts him. Which is why he is more than happy to accept Himekawa's explanation that their shared father is dead, caught up in an apparent double-suicide, [with an unconfirmed but now probable reason](https://imgchest.com/p/dl7pn2g98yo), not realizing (and what the astute watcher might pick up) that [the timelines don't really add up](https://imgchest.com/p/bp45olk3x75)

In a similar vein, Himekawa bluntly points out how Aqua is leading Aqua and Akane on, in a dark parallel to their own father, and [Aqua is aware](https://imgchest.com/p/ne7b6mg5ky5) that the two girls have come to care for him (heck, Kana expresses her [interest and jealousy](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4jmaok248) pretty explicitly in this very episode). But what had seemed like him being purely shady, such as manipulating Ruby's idol auditions, twisting Kana's arm into joining B-Komachi or his resolution to "use" Akane, are but part of it, as we learn this season that he genuinely could not bring himself to entertain the thoughts of having friends and love.

But speaking of Kana, now that the play reaches its conclusion, it is time for B-Komachi to hog her. We also get confirmation on something that was hinted before - the big reason why Ruby reaches forward much more than Aqua - [her desire to reunite with Dr. Gorou Amamiya](https://imgchest.com/p/lqyelejg34d). To this end, she realizes that momentum is a fickle thing, and following Kana's performance last week - and [a demonstration of her true passion](https://imgchest.com/p/a846ojr5w4x), and Mem's age of course, she realizes that the current iteration of B-Komachi has an expiration date. She is determined to [steam roll her way forward](https://imgchest.com/p/6eyrnjrle7p) till she makes Ai proud and meets Dr. Gorou again, and Miyako [sees in her the ambition of a young woman](https://imgchest.com/p/ljyqklgkny2), that she once had. We also learn the reason why they hadn't put out an original song having existed for almost a year, that the artist they had hired to write said songs had a severe case of writer's block. Ruby, however, [shines dazzlingly bright enough](https://imgchest.com/p/wl7lwvzwq4x) to even break through that.

Mem continues to be an astute pick-up, actively working to promote the group and using her contacts to secure a music video for their single too, though in a twist of fate, or [maybe the exact path of their fate](https://imgchest.com/p/bp45olk6q75), it takes them back to Miyazaki, the place where they were born.

1. I believe it is his frantic drive to entertain/seek the eyes of the audience that breaks - what Kaburagi refers to in the last episode. Several people without the star still might hold the desire to do well in the industry, casually hold the passion, and it's still pretty 50-50 for Aqua if he will continue as an actor, considering the love he holds for it vs. the contempt he holds for the industry - but, simply put, the star itself I believe refers to a person *actively seeking* to *be* a star, which is not the case for Aqua now.

2. Revelations are at hand

Some things to note-

- The show uses the [same shadows for Mem's eyes](https://imgchest.com/p/na7kk6x5b78) when she talk about taxes as they do for dark revelations and trauma, which I find entirely appropriate /s

- Aqua's [black star gets decidedly smaller](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2o9zn94l) as he realizes his revenge is at an end. It [immediately go white as he gets a call from Kana and sees texts from Akane](https://imgchest.com/p/6eyrnjr6g7p)

- I think it's also notable that [his star/drive breaks with it being white](https://imgchest.com/p/n87wn3zjg7x) - maybe to indicate that he didn't have to commit the murder himself in the end to conclude it, and it is him choosing to let it go from a positive position

Feels like they are stuck in the same story