Oshi no Ko Rewatch - Season 2, Episode 12 Discussion

**Longtime B-Komachi Fan!**

It's the Return to ~~Shiganshina~~ Miyazaki arc! [](#cheekychika)

The winter scenery is beautiful, so I can see how Memcho's video producer friend Anemone gets inspired from taking walks there. And if there's frequent tourism from people in the industry visiting the god of entertainment shrine, she probably doesn't have trouble meeting new clients or getting old ones to travel to her. I'm not sure how much this "god of entertainment" stuff will relate to the story of Gorou and Sarina's reincarnation, but personally, I'm not a fan of the supernatural/occult angle so I hope it won't be too prominent going forward.

[](#rengethink)

Aqua going back to his abandoned childhood home in search of clues is really giving me *Attack on Titan* vibes. For real though, this scene is probably the biggest insight we've had into Gorou's personal life so far. The fact that he also lost his mother, before he even had the chance to know her, and blaming himself for her death makes it easy to see how he's combined his feelings about that with the trauma of Ai's death. Even his mental image of blood on the floor evokes that scene.

His flashback at the beginning, when he raced around on the rooftop with Sarina in her wheelchair, was so precious. It really bothered him that her parents left her alone, and maybe some of that is tied to his own distant relationship with his family. When I think about it, Gorou and Sarina ended up in a very similar situation as Aqua and Ruby after Ai's death, being alone and leaning on each other.

[](#holdme)

Even though Aqua has given up on his vengeance at this point, it really stood out during my rewatch that Ai's death still weighs heavily on him. When Akane mentioned the danger of someone seeing him with Kana on their sort-of-date, his thoughts immediately spiraled into an image of Kana's lifeless body in the same striking art style as the scene where Ai was murdered. I think Akane is at least partially saying this out of concern for Kana, but it does also come off a bit like she's sending a message to Aqua that she knows he's going around with another girl behind her back.

[](#sakuraconcern)

If Ruby thinks Gorou may have fled the countryside because of lady troubles, maybe he was more of a player in his past life than I thought.

[](#azusalaugh)

Seeing her open up to Akane about her affection for him, the same way she did with Kana in season 1, was really sweet though - and it made me realize this is something they have in common. Both girls fell in love with someone who was there for them during the darkest times in their lives and gave them a reason to live, and in fact, it's technically the same guy (Gorou/Aqua). [Next episode, big spoiler] >!And both girls seem willing to kill for him too.!< I do wonder if this emotional connection is part of the reason why Ruby became so attached to Akane so quickly. Maybe she, like Aqua, views Akane as someone who can understand.

[](#justright)

This episode title seems cruel in hindsight when you realize that the "reunion" is Ruby finding Gorou, her first love, dead after all these years.

[](#kanyehidouyo)

Also, new blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene in the ED! All season, I've been wondering what that crow was holding in its beak, and now it's revealed to be the keychain that Sarina gave to Gorou.

[](#neat)

**Questions of the Day:**

1) I'm not sure being an idol is a good choice for Akane, considering they're very much in the public eye and open to criticism, and she's struggled with that in the past. She could likely succeed if she kept her "Ai" persona turned on all the time, but that's not necessarily the best thing for her. I'd like to see Ruby get into acting though! She could be a triple threat (singing, dancing, and acting) just like Ai.

2) I've always liked Gorou and Sarina's sweet friendship, but Ruby and Akane were a surprisingly great duo in this episode!

**First Timer, Subbed**

Ruby's likes Gorou, Kana and Akane like Aqua... does this qualify as a harem anime now?

[](#kukuku)

So I was rockin' out to the ED, because I love it and must listen to it every time it plays, so I got surprised by the [change to the ending](https://i.imgur.com/Iagf2fJ.jpeg). I was like "yo wtf?" Now that we've seen the Ai keychain and the crows, I guess their appearances in the OP and ED might start making sense.

The crows aren't the only weird thing in Takachiho though, the place and its mythology seem to have some magical/portentous effects? Like the [starry windows](https://i.imgur.com/EIcVdCw.jpeg) behind Aqua and Akane when they arrived. Or in the flashback, someone's [shadow/reflection on the window](https://i.imgur.com/8ARdP0C.jpeg), maybe Ai's? This town is weird.

We also continue the Akane/Kana duality from the last episode. Walking to the cliff, Aqua sees Akane standing in Ai's place from his memory of 15 years ago, connecting to the motherly/nurturing side of Ai. Later, Aqua envisions Kana standing in Ai's place as an idol, who meets a tragic end. In a way, the girls are the two different sides of Ai that Aqua has experienced.

Of course then there's Ruby and Akane finding Gorou's body. Why does the crow want to show Ruby this? What is the crow agenda?

QOTD:

1) I feel like Akane's talents would be wasted as an idol. Or maybe more importantly, it doesn't seem to align with her dreams? Like if she really wanted to, she could just flawlessly channel Ai and become an idol... though it'd be weird to have two members of B-Komachi trying to channel Ai... but her "look at me!" star power lies in acting, not idols or reality TV. Although... counterpoint: then what about Kana? She's a serious actor who joined B-Komachi. But I guess Kana's "look at me!" star power also lies in being idol [cute](https://i.imgur.com/6YXc8Y2.jpeg), ever since she was a kid. She must feel a lot better about being the group's center now.

I'm also not sure about Ruby as an actress, [final episode]>!is what I would have said before watching the final episode. While everything else I wrote in this comment is based on my notes from before watching the final episode, you've posed a new question and I can't answer it without thinking about Ruby's dark stars. As of this episode, I felt that while Ruby has passion for things, we haven't really seen her become super serious and lock in. All the actors we've seen have had to bring that intensity to their work, and show it on stage. But with her dark stars...!<

2) There *were* a lot of great character interactions, but my vote goes to Kana x Akane. Kana's annoyed by Akane's presence cuz she wanted Aqua to herself; meanwhile, Akane is still fangirling over Kana. The tsundere part where Akane fixes Kana's outfit for the dancing portion of the video was great, but I really liked that while they were sightseeing, [Akane only took close-ups of Kana, rapid-fire](https://i.imgur.com/toBlQDo.jpeg).

**Rewatcher/Manga Reader**

* Honestly a very beautiful episode seeing the twins go back to what I would consider their prologue (Afterwards I would consider Chapter 1 to be when they were reborn with Ai)


QOTD 2 - I have to say Gorou and Sarina just seeing them talk about their past life before becoming the twins we know today

**Rewatcher**

We go back to the place where it started. Aqua and Ruby ruminate on their respective past life, and how their experiences motivate them in this one.

Here is the reason Aqua was so fixated on Ai and avenging her - this man is carrying [two lifetimes' worth of mommy issues](https://imgchest.com/p/agyvn568b48). Even in his past life, [he seems to hold a complex](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2oke6z4l). It is the manner in which his mothers died too - both more or less on account of *his birth*. And after that he gets to live a second life? At this point you can't even fault him for having survivors' guilt as strong as he does, it must seem like a sadistic joke to him. He [speaks just as critically of himself as Gorou](https://imgchest.com/p/bp45og89n75) - in terms of motivations, skills and the right to live itself - as he does for himself as Aqua.

There is further depth to the contrast with Ruby too, and why she is so ready to take on the world, make friends, revel in the attention and make Ai proud. We knew some of this of course, but seeing how she was abandoned by seemingly the whole world, even her own mother, in a hospital room to die, gives reason to the incredible drive she has now. I think this is also reflected in how she has [more readily embraced Miyako as a maternal figure](https://imgchest.com/p/md7obmlo24p)

The mysterious crow girl - acting on behalf of/as a manifestation of the Goddess of Entertainment? - reveals that having them be reborn to a woman seemingly favoured by the Goddess, [a mother with stillborn children](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7medndayd) who was counting on said children to fulfill her own family, was perhaps divine benevolence. That the two children then lose their mother in their second life too, a cruel twist of fate, is actually very characteristic of most Japanese folklore I've encountered lol.

In a very similar manner, just as Ruby reveals that her fondness for Dr. Gorou, the one person who kept her company in her past life, is [decidedly romantic](https://imgchest.com/p/bp45og8gv75), and the desire to see him again has been the one factor that's kept her from dwelling on Ai like Aqua does - before you could even consider the messy implications of this - in the very next scene her hopes gets stomped on as the (Goddess'?) crows lead her to Gorou's body, and we see [her bright star break](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2oklz34l)

1. Ruby could do well as an actress, possessing the screen with her charisma as Ai did. Akane could not survive idol twitter though, unfortunately.

2. Akane fangirling over Kana. [Her sneaky photo burst, especially](https://imgchest.com/p/ljyqkwqwxy2). Although Ruby rushing to hug Miyako is a close second. This [specific picture](https://imgchest.com/p/a846o8gr24x) is also super cute.

Some things to note-

- Now that the crows are here, I'd like to point we have been getting [crow imagery here and there](https://imgchest.com/p/ne7b6apmmy5), as early as the [last episode of season 1](https://imgchest.com/p/na7kkjr6378)

- The show paralleling Akane with Ai continues, [obviously from Aqua's perspective](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4jml3l348), but I wonder if it is the same for Ruby. She is very clingy to Akane, fascinated by the alien concept of Aqua having a girlfriend, and [glad to increase her family member count](https://imgchest.com/p/n87wnarvb7x), but does she also see some of Ai in Akane?

- Akane approaching Aqua's relationship with Kana not as a romantic rival [but as a well-wisher](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2oker34l) surprised me the first time I watched, but makes even more sense when you realize that Akane probably knows that the point will get through to Aqua in particular. Or perhaps, it is [Aqua who is her rival](https://imgchest.com/p/a846o8xe24x)

- Akane and Ruby connect on [falling in love with a person who stuck by you through thick and thin](https://imgchest.com/p/ne7b6apegy5). Funny how they're talking about the same guy here

- Turns out Kana [also has a white suitcase](https://imgchest.com/p/qe4gqnrvk7j)

Ooh right the song this season is Pop In 2, I like this song.

Lol right Akane's tagging along.

And so back to where they first met.

And so he's got some alone time with Akane.

Oh right fair enough he's got a reason to go there.

So, he's looking for his corpse.

Sure... A pet.

Is this his old place?

Oh, it's the crow girl.

Lol MEM is going crazy again.

Nice to see Akane and Kana getting along.

Ah. They're going to find his corpse.

Yep. With that keychain she gave him.

And so into the finale.

Questions:

1. When I first watched this I thought she was going to join lol.
2. Nice to see Akane and Kana getting along.