Oshi no Ko Rewatch - Season 2, Episode 11 Discussion

**First Timer, Subbed**

I guess this was an episode split between two girls, two halves of what it might mean for Aqua to leave revenge behind and be free. With Kana, he gets to be playful and explore the [cute](https://i.imgur.com/xffFxFX.jpeg) first-love of his adolescence. With Akane, he explores making a deeper connection with someone and speaking more honestly about his past and his feelings.

At first I thought Aqua was oblivious to the effect he was having on Kana, but then [he smirked after seeing her expression in the taxi](https://i.imgur.com/chZSYD4.jpeg).

The thing about Akane, though, is that she'll always figure it out. She'll figure everything out. In fact, she should be the detective, not him.

That being said, I can't believe they just showed the guy at the end of the episode. It just wipes out almost all the theories anyone could have, because it's (probably) not a guy we've interacted with before.

QOTD:

1. With how much he planned that evening to play with Kana's emotions, it's not a coincidence.

2. Kana is best girl, but that's a personal judgment. Who would suit Aqua best? I'd say Aqua x Kana... if Aqua were truly free. But now we know he isn't, so detective duo Aqua x Akane might be best.

Also, a week from now when *Oshi no Ko* S3 starts, it's gonna drop on US Crunchyroll an hour before *Tamon's B-side* does, so that'll be an interesting contrast between two shows about oshis.

**Longtine B-Komachi Fan!**

Himekawa was right on the mark about Aqua leading on both Kana and Akane. The sort-of-but-not-quite date with Kana was adorable though. I was pretty surprised that Aqua (from his past life as Gorou) was so smooth on dates, given the popular portrayal of otaku in anime as nerds who can't talk to girls. I had a good laugh when Kana was psyching herself up when she thought Aqua was taking her to a hotel - only to end up, as expected, politely dropped off at her apartment.

[](#smugrose)

His date with Akane had a very different vibe - more thoughtful rather than whimsical, and more of his typical blunt honesty rather than just trying to show her a good time. It really highlights the contrast in his relationships with each of them. Akane succeeded in getting a true emotional reaction out of Aqua when she hugged him though, and it's not the first time he's thought back to that moment when she comforted him on the balcony. I think he does want that comfort and reassurance, whether he's willing to admit it or not.

[](#anko)

I was originally going to ask your theories about what Akane may have figured out here, but you guys already posted some great theories in the previous episode discussion. Good job!

[](#ok_hand)

And it ends with a plot twist! The blonde man who visits Ai's grave referred to Ruby as "our daughter", implying what many of you already guessed - that there is still more to this mystery than Aqua realizes or wants to accept.

[](#badnews)

**Questions of the Day:**

1) I'd like to think it was intentional on Aqua's part. It was definitely an intentional tease by the creators though!

2) My thoughts pretty much stayed the same. I'm still more of an Aqua x Kana fan, but I really do like Aqua x Akane too. With Kana, he has a fun dynamic that brings out the person he was before the trauma, but the support Akane offers him and the way he's been able to open up to her about his darkest secrets is very sweet too. In the words of Memcho, "Who do I root for?!"

**First Timer**

[Shipping war!](#SPORTS)

Simple though it may be at times, I honestly think the structure this episode goes for is kind of brilliant. In a sense, I think it's an episode that turns out surprisingly stronger than the sum of its parts. I mean, at face value, not counting the very last few minutes, this is mostly an episode about Aqua's relationships with Kana and Akane (And whether or not they're romantic), sometimes lightheartedly and sometimes more seriously. But I think the episode's title intently gives away that extra depth here. We got Aqua's long-desired liberation last episode; now it's time to see what that freedom entails for his character, emotions, and growth.

Freedom to actually think of the future and his own life. Freedom to *consciously* go through normal relationships in normal ways! The freedom to be emotionally and practically open with those close to him! In various entertaining ways, this episode subtly gives Aqua's freedom a lot of thematic and emotional weight, and [while Aqua directly states what the point is himself](https://imgur.com/a/SmGvVLH) and we've already made it clear before what a burden the revenge plot had been on him, what works so well here is that most of the episode spends its time *showing* you that point, that life of his, through character interactions. And *that* makes Akane's last-minute realization as impactful as it is, because that security over his life that you just spent 20 minutes seeing Aqua contemplate over is somewhat false, and someone besides the viewer has realized that.

[](#happyclap)

Putting that aside, Kana's segment is, for the most part, some very cute romance fluff. And a veritable gold mine of Kana faces at that, be it [#kanahype](https://imgur.com/a/MKgUwr9), [#kanalisten](https://imgur.com/a/LySqRhl) or [#kanablush](https://imgur.com/a/qwwisDk), among others. Kana's part is obviously a lot simpler, but I'm certainly not complaining, and it is very entertaining! Especially since we rarely get to see this kind of full-on, very cutesy side from Kana, who, even with Aqua, usually has more bite. All supported by wonderful voice acting as well! There is still a subtle layer of character here, namely that while Kana's classic teenage overthinking *is* very funny, there's a point to it in regards to how Aqua views her. That reservation trick of his shows he not only cares a good bit about her beyond what'd be expected, but that he also understands her pretty well. Alongside that is how candidly he can talk to her about his relationship with Akane or his thoughts on romance as a whole. Aqua feels comfortable with Kana in all things personal, and for lack of a better descriptor, "normal".

That doesn't necessarily mean he views her romantically, or anyone right now, for that matter, but it does stand in contrast to the nature of his relationship with Akane, where he's far more open about his murky circumstances. It continues a trend we've seen before, where it feels like Aqua is hesitant to show emotional vulnerability around Kana (And in turn, also keeps her out of his private motivations), which likewise says a lot about their relationship and how close he views her. Comparatively, his relationship with Akane comes more so on the basis of "benefit", so to speak. And not just literally in the "I can use her to further my plans" way, as he says, but also, *emotionally*. It's a little funny to frame it that way, but Akane's nature and how she understands him make her almost like a therapeutic figure for him! He can confide in her with all these difficult things, and she can help him move forward and better understand himself.

I have said before that I feel a genuine relationship between them as they are would be pretty unhealthy, and I do stand by that even here. Regardless of that therapeutic nature, Aqua doesn't really feel romantically invested in her right now, or so he thinks. Likewise, I think Akane's choice to bring them back to that fateful bridge by itself makes it hard to shake the feeling that she's still somewhat clouded in that feeling of indebtedness, that she's in it because she has to repay the person who saved her, a feeling that's not lost on her either! And that's great! I love that neither Aqua nor Akane has a good grasp on their relationship, while we still manage to convey that they nevertheless care about each other quite a bit and view the other as important, and as someone to maintain a close relationship with. Said relationship *might* turn romantic, and that'd be fine, but for now it's definitely undefined and needs more consideration, and these kinds of great open conversations are how that line is drawn.

I love the use of the environment for the last few parts of the episode, by the way. [The serene and contemplative evening lighting for Akane and Aqua's conversation](https://imgur.com/a/3ivqebk), the [much more aggressive orange late-evening lighting that follows Akane's stomach-turning realization](https://imgur.com/a/iQMMCE7), and [the melancholy and notably wintery sight of Ai's grave](https://imgur.com/a/fcHLcCV), which sets the tone for the dad reveal.

Speaking of, love the visual representation of Akane's realization around Aqua's dad, very experimental and perfectly eerie in its depiction! Of course, I called it last episode, so Akane noticing that the husband of Himekawa's mother isn't necessarily actually his father wasn't surprising, but aside from the already mentioned impact of that for Aqua's character, what *did* surprise me is that we actually got to see Dad! And... [He's voiced by Miyano!](#frustration) I feel like it's been a while since I've heard him in a villain role, which makes me a little sad we'll probably not get to meet this guy much, if at all this season, but oh well. This is still a huge deal! Finally, after so many episodes, our main mystery, and effectively, villain, has a face. Where that'll take us remains to be seen, but I'm excited to see where that is.

[](#mugiwait)

> Do you think Aqua choosing the white suitcase was an intentional reference to Kana's glowstick color, or a coincidence?

Probably not something he specifically planned, but I'd say also probably not necessarily a "coincidence" either. Like, more of a subconscious choice that does relate, rather than a calculated one.

[](#bigthink)

> I already asked during season 1, but now that season 2 is coming to an end soon, which ship (if any) do you prefer - Aqua x Kana, or Aqua x Akane? Did your opinion change throughout the series?

[Aqua x Kana!](#absolutely)

And that hasn't really changed since the start of the show, even if Akane has been putting up fiercer competition as of late.

So, it's a date.

And so all that humming and hawing over what to wear that she's late.

And so he ended up paying.

And so time for them to do what they actually ended came here to do.

And now he's carrying her bag for her.

Unsurprisingly he's got a plan for everything.

He certainly knows how to treat a girl.

He certainly is quite the gentleman.

And so he's invited her along for the trip.

Unsurprisingly, she saw that coming from a mile away.

She hugged him!

Pouty Akane!

Yeah Akane is _still_ willing to kill someone for him lol.

Yeah... It's a lot to take in.

So, she realised it.

So, it's that guy. And he's got to visit Ai's grave.

Yep. There's the guy.

Questions:

1. On the one hand Aqua doesn't really _do_ "coincidences", on the other if it really were planned there'd be a whole inner monologue about it.

**Rewatcher**

The show confirms the reveal - namely that the "simple loophole" Akane figures out is that it could have very well been Himekawa's mother who was unfaithful with the biological father, adding on to the age discrepancy from last episode - Himekawa is 19-20, Aqua is 16-17, and Himekawa's parents' double suicide happened when Himekawa was 5, when Aqua would be around 2 years old, which is of course an year or two *before* Ai's death, meaning it couldn't have been Uehara Sr. who leaked Ai's new address - and then, well, explicitly showing us the bio father himself. I am surprised a lot of first timers in this thread clocked the age angle, though the Akane loophole was definitely easier to spot - since [Aqua strongly claims without confirmation it was the father that cheated](https://imgchest.com/p/md7obn56d4p)

I think the point of this particular plot was not to provide a meaningful red herring, but to make a (rather cruel) point of how freeing it is for Aqua to be relieved of his revenge quest.

We see him spend meaningful time together with both Kana and Akane, and we see the strengths of his relationship with each. On his "date" with Kana. he displays what his thoughtfulness, skill with planning and [g r i n d s e t](https://imgchest.com/p/ne7b6m6eny5) could amount to if used for things other than murder-revenge, absolutely flooring her. I think their relationship has a lot more *romantic intent*, with Kana being vocal from pretty much day 1 about her crush, [even explicitly asking him here to clarify his relationship with Akane](https://imgchest.com/p/na7kk6k9q78), and Aqua finding a genuine equivalent partner in maturity (or about as much as can be expected from a lovestruck teenager). However, with Akane, much as he (and she, too) is aware of the [ways it is unbalanced](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2o9ng84l), and [of some differences in maturity?](https://imgchest.com/p/wl7lwv5bp4x), he also finds himself being drawn to the [warmth and comfort she provides](https://imgchest.com/p/lqyelene34d), both physically (we have seen him strongly reject physical signs of affection from Miyako or Director Gotanda before), and more than anything, emotionally. Their relationship is, unwittingly, more *intimate*, enough that Aqua is comfortable inviting her to the Miyazaki trip, and spill about most of his revenge quest.

Here we probably get the first signs of brewing conflict between Aqua and his newfound friends in this life. Up until now, Aqua's goals have mostly aligned with that of his friends, if we think of it in a calculating manner. The first step was to get integrated, known and connected in the industry, and the best way to do that was to make sure that all the projects he is involved in, and by extension his fellow coworkers, do well, and so everything was hunky-dory

But now, if (and realistically, when) Aqua connects the dots and/or is presented with more evidence [which looks probable now that we know the father is out and about, has his eye on Ruby](https://imgchest.com/p/bp45ol6g275) and is not merely slinking in the shadows somewhere, Aqua's feelings of guilt and righteous rage are going to come back with a vengeance. And Akane unenviably now has to make a choice between helping his cause or his mental health - while also being [painfully aware of the above](https://imgchest.com/p/agyvnkjk948), that it will only increase in severity the longer she chooses the latter, and that it will most certainly mean a break for their relationship if he realizes she has in fact kept the fact from him. How will Aqua act if he has to go *through*, rather than *with*, Kana, Akane or others on his quest for revenge?

1. It does have all the signs of a teenage girl reading too much into everything, but maybe subconscious from Aqua? Probably not intentional, he hasn't shown any inclination to pull her leg like that so far.

2. I would have said Aqua x Akane after my first watch, but increasingly I realize that there is a lot of emotional entanglement (and burden on Akane's side). Aqua x Kana is most definitely healthier, but Kana *is* an idol - so probably not advisable in the immediate future. I maintain Kana x Akane should be endgame and Aqua should go to therapy.

Some things to note-

- I really like how they [depict Akane's eyes here](https://imgchest.com/p/9249krlamyn) while Aqua details his revenge quest, as they get clouded over with the weight of what she is listening to but also realization that there is something off, before there is a snap and she puts her finger on it. You can almost feel her mind working. [The little animation](https://imgchest.com/p/m9yxnwd2p7q) they use to clue in to her thinking also get faster each time it plays, giving a sense of her mind and thoughts racing.

- [Aqua's quiet smirk here](https://imgchest.com/p/xny86d2324b) - he probably knows what's going on in Kana's mind lol