Oshi no Ko Season 3 - Episode 2 discussion

*Oshi no Ko Season 3*, episode 2

**Reminder:** Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

---

**Streams**

*None*

**Show information**

* [MyAnimeList](https://myanimelist.net/anime/60058/)
* [AniList](https://anilist.co/anime/182587)
* [AniDB](https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=18901)
* [Kitsu](https://kitsu.app/anime/49264)
* [Official Website](https://ichigoproduction.com/Season3/)
* **/r/OshiNoKo**

---

**All discussions**

Episode|Link
:-:|:-:
1|[Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qcpjym)
2|[Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qj0b3i)

---

*This post was created by a bot. Message the mod team for feedback and comments.*
*The original source code can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/r-anime/holo).*

Voir le contenu lié

Commentaires

AnimeMod2026-01-21 16:06

# Source Material Corner

Reply to this comment for any source-related discussion, future spoilers (including future characters, events and general hype about future content), comparison of the anime adaptation to the original, or just general talk about the source material. **You are still required to tag all spoilers.** Discussions about the source outside of this comment tree will be removed, and replying with spoilers outside of the source corner will lead to bans.

The spoiler syntax is:
`[Spoiler source] >!Spoiler goes here!<`

# **All untagged spoilers and hints in this thread will receive immediate 8-day bans (minimum).**

ElgrinTGT2026-01-21 16:11

The new op surpasses 1 n 2's visual by a MILE.

What an opening. 3 for 3 the openings always over deliver with this show

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:41

I love how it felt like a girl group music video (that also included some Miyako and Aqua scenes).

shad792026-01-21 19:52

Honestly, [that one shot of Miyako](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/5c4abd3f2314.png) in [OP](https://imgchest.com/p/o24anvx2d7l) wasn't enough, and it's a big shame that she didn't appear in the pool scene :(

mmcjawa_reborn2026-01-21 22:28

Strawberries covered in mold seems ominous as hell for Miyako or at least her business...

theguaranaboy2026-01-22 00:14

Ichigo ?strawberry) production is molding.

carry-on_replacement2026-01-21 20:28

its crazy cuz i was already head over heels for the 2nd OPs visuals even though I dont think either has topped Idol's bop-ability. say what you will about OnK as a whole, at least they got top tier animators and directors.

xSpaceR13372026-01-21 16:12

I don’t care what everyone else says but this OP is straight-up fire.
Might be my favorite so far. The scene with Ruby and all the Ai paintings and plushies is incredible.

1Skarabee2026-01-21 16:38

Visually it's the best so far. Song is a BANGER too

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:39

Also all the outfits for the girls...seeing Akane in a bikini...seeing them dance together...it was perfect.

Hitman71282026-01-21 16:40

Yeah, I like the goth vibe and the outfits!

Primo292026-01-21 16:59

Seeing those girls with their outfits make me wish that they have a separate anime for it.

Visual and Music complement each other. Firee!!

eightcheesepizza2026-01-21 17:10

[The Kana gallery goes super hard.](https://i.imgur.com/5tmwy7k.jpeg) No matter what age, the product is packaged and sold.

MillenniumKing2026-01-21 17:14

The Beret is there good, that things a national treasure.

Frontier2462026-01-21 17:34

Kana "I've turned being a Losing Heroine into an art form."

Mundology2026-01-22 00:30

Kana is Bocchimaxing

[](#bocchitheshock)

cppn022026-01-21 17:48

They got a photo of u/paukshop's basement?

BosuW2026-01-21 20:04

Bet Akane built the Kana exhibit

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-21 17:22

I am glad they went symbolism now instead of teasing the upcomiung events. And yes, another banger OP both song and MV-wise.

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 18:06

The girls slay hard ngl

Wualan2026-01-21 18:43

<3 memcho

ModieOfTheEast2026-01-21 19:31

The visuals are all so great. Not just the 4 main girls, but there is even the shot of Miyako with a molded strawberry. Or when Ai's lip movements being synchronized with the "Iku ka? Shinu ka?" towards Aqua.

BosuW2026-01-21 20:03

The song is already pretty good, though below Idol (then again Idol is just godly so that's no slight).

But the visuals just really drive the whole home holy shit what an awesome OP

szalhi2026-01-21 16:15

God damn, that's a lot of crazy work Yoshizumi puts in. I hope he gets out of there. Maybe to a less toxic position. *Of course this is Oshi no Ko, I'm not hoping for that much less.*

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:40

Honestly I hope what Ichigo says is true, how AD's end up becoming directors themselves, so Yoshizumi can be better appreciated and be in a position to be better than Urushibara was to him.

And also Ruby probably thinking long-game that when he gets promoted, he'll help her get promoted.

sinsinkun2026-01-21 17:43

Typically how these things go is, when/if he becomes a director, he will do the same thing to his own ADs, and justify it by saying he went through it too. The cycle of abuse continues

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-21 21:30

I do not think it is true to this extent. We were pointed out that the current unit director is pretty oldschool in his approach and was already fired from a bigger company. High chance he is either not competent enough or to conservative for the industry.

ZestycloseZebra85382026-01-21 21:45

It’s notable that Ruby brought up permissions in a way that seemed suspicious.

Maybe she’s aiming to get the *director* fired?

Edit: AD —) director

Hot-Log62832026-01-22 02:51

I was thinking the same thing, get the director fired and get the AD promoted by how much more competent he is in comparison.

BadBehaviour6132026-01-21 17:46

I had my reservation about him initially. I thought Ruby buttering him up could eventually cause a stalker 2.0 situation, but he seems a decent guy who just needs a break

BosuW2026-01-21 20:15

Superficially he's exactly the type, with how quickly he jumped to the assumption that Ruby is interested in him. Dude probably reads Isekai slop and waifu bait to however briefly forget about his shitty reality and honestly while I will always criticize those genres... I understand.

However, he does appear to have a responsible head above his shoulders and knows to separate reality from fiction

ObvsThrowaway51202026-01-21 16:18

Ruby’s getting pretty good at playing “the game” thanks to that extra coaching she’s getting. Getting the AD on her side is gonna help a lot.

It’s kind of interesting seeing how Akane feels about her Not Fake relationship with Aqua. He’s good at playing the bf.

awakenDeepBlue2026-01-21 16:38

I wonder if Ai also sucked up to ADs as well?

ChicaneryFinger2026-01-21 16:42

I'd be surprised if she didn't.

awakenDeepBlue2026-01-21 16:47

Or maybe she did something even worse?

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:51

Ichigo probably told her to do so like he did Ruby, and we know how easy it was for Ai to charm people.

Her daughter is just following in her footsteps.

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:52

>Ruby’s getting pretty good at playing “the game” thanks to that extra coaching she’s getting. Getting the AD on her side is gonna help a lot.

These Hoshino siblings are growing into very calculated performers. Albeit Aqua realizing Ruby is doing it too makes him understandably suspicious.

MillenniumKing2026-01-21 17:07

The blood of the Hoshinos is thick with genius.

awakenDeepBlue2026-01-21 17:19

Soon, Aqua will have to suspect former ADs as potentially being the father.

FallenPears2026-01-21 20:00

I think the funny thing is Ruby's actually not that good? Or at least she pales in comparison to Aqua.

Yeah sure she's managing to become successful, but it feels like she's twisting everyone around her to do it. Like it's only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down, and it's questionable if she'll only hurt everyone around her, or if she'll also ruin herself in the process.

Compared to Aqua who was a master manipulator who not only made it, but also made things generally better for everyone near him, and the contrast is striking. Even if he were willing to act like this, I think it would be a lot more certain he'd get away with it on his own part.

SnabDedraterEdave2026-01-21 20:13

Aqua was reincarnated from his 30+ year old doctor self, so he can still think like an adult.

Ruby's previous life was even shorter than her current one (probably cancer), so she has less life experience to work on.

ratherthanme2026-01-21 20:19

Aqua’s manipulation is a precision guided strike. Ruby’s is a nuke. It’s just a bad time for everyone involved.

PeaceAlien2026-01-21 16:27

Everyone ships Aqua and Kana, even his gf Akane.

This season is mainly Ruby doing the coniving, wonder when Aqua gets back into it.

This AD seems super useless so far, but his superiors are also useless

MillenniumKing2026-01-21 16:47

> This AD seems super useless so far, but his superiors are also useless

Def not the AD's fault for unreasonable demands of his superior who also expects him to do things he didnt even ask him.

mekerpan2026-01-21 17:48

This useless director doesn't deserve such an over-worked and under-appreciated AD.

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:49

Akane: "I guess I can't blame him for falling for Kana-chan...I mean, it's Kana-Chan! KANA-CHAN! KANA ARIMAAAAA!!!!"

Earthborn922026-01-21 17:15

They should "adopt" her as a mutual gf.

Ichini-san2026-01-21 18:08

Honestly if there was actual love from Kana towards Akane (and not just rivalry) then I could actually see them work as a throuple.

batmans4202026-01-21 16:59

Akane understands loving Kana more than most

Ichini-san2026-01-21 18:06

> This AD seems super useless so far.

Did we watch the same episode? Bro is carrying hard and even doing endless overtime while constantly getting shit on. Tell me even one thing he did so far that makes him seem useless?

ChicaneryFinger2026-01-21 16:29

Of course Akane knows about Aqua's feelings for Kana. Frankly I was surprised she didn't know the exact reason he was blowing her off. I suppose nothing but willful ignorance and supernatural phenomena can hide things from her.

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:50

Akane is too smart and emotionally intuitive not to realize she's the second choice but at the same time she's also still a girl head over heels in love so she'll take the win.

Mundology2026-01-22 00:36

Akane did not audition for Makeine. She decided to fight till the end and manifest her happiness.

[](#airfist)

BeatBlockP2026-01-22 11:04

In general Akane has basically supehuman abilities. Her deduction levels are like an FBI field office chief. After the ordeals of the first seasons so also has emotional maturity that's on par with the reincarnated Aqua, except she doesn't have the benefit of an additional 20 years of experience.

What's interesting is that for us, the viewers, we kinda needed to get hit in the head with the "He actually wanted Kana" because in seasons 1+2 it seems like they were head to head.

Primo292026-01-21 16:52

Might be because he's with her then nothing aside from those matters. It's funny that she then proceeds to say that Aqua's doing a bit too much avoidance of Kana then it irritates her since he's being extremely conscious of Kana.

AnotherRandomFujoshi2026-01-22 07:37

Akane was the one who reminded Aqua that he shouldn't date Kana in S2

discuss-not-concuss2026-01-21 16:29

What happened to the stars, Aqua? Looks like losing Kana was a huge damage to both his mental and physical well being

I wonder if Miyako noticed Ruby’s change? It’s been 6 months in-universe but it’s been a long ass wait for the audience to get the characters back

Blue_Reaper992026-01-21 18:22

>Looks like losing Kana was a huge damage to both his mental and physical well being

Brother he is actually most at peace currently after losing Ai.

Hitman71282026-01-21 16:29

> I tried to boil hand soap in a pot

[](#azusalaugh)

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing

And then Aqua is like WTF and roasts her

NanDemoKnaives2026-01-21 18:58

It got a good laugh out of me, Ruby really plays the part.

thisisdropd2026-01-21 16:31

Holy hell. That OP’s heaps wicked! Looks like something out of a horror series, and is quite fitting for this.

Knew they wouldn’t get approval for the Tokyo Blade cosplay, though I’m surprised Director Urushibara at least made the effort. Thought he’d just lie his arse off about it. If they couldn’t get the rights for *Tokyo Blade*, I reckon they could at least do cosplays for *T\*kyo Bl\*de*.

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:54

"What If Akane joined B-Komachi and this was their darkest song on the album?"

I was half-expecting Ruby would ask Aqua to get in touch with Abiko to get the approval, but I guess this is to show how much the entertainment industry needs to adapt at the last minute and adapt to demanding bosses.

Atario2026-01-21 17:03

Demanding bosses who don't do their jobs and drop the notice that this has happened on you at the last minute

[](#pout)

Earthborn922026-01-21 17:14

Akane acting as Ai could recreate the original B-Komachi

OfficialPrower2026-01-21 16:36

I’m so stressed man oh my days, if I was Yoshizumi I would’ve crumbled by now ngl

BosuW2026-01-21 20:11

Changing the requirements one day from the deadline is insane. I'd definitely be praying for the earth to swallow me and all memory of me.

Quixilver052026-01-21 16:38

Oh I need to check this out, I forgot oshi no ko was this season

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:38

We have our OP! Featuring our female cast in fancy dresses! Glamorous movie star Akane! Depressed Gothic Kana! Red Dress Miyako! All the girls in swimsuits (complete with Akane boobs!) All the girls becoming a pop group together with plenty of (sexy) outfit changes! Aqua getting visited by angelic Ai! A man in a rabbit mask cutting Ai's strings before being tracked down by Ruby.

Ruby had finally tracked down Ichigo, who acts like he wants no part of her efforts to locate her father, even though Ai was like a daughter to him. Which is why, if he DID know who the father was, he would've killed him himself. But at the same time he knows it's not smart to rush into things and make waves among Ai's old contacts for fear of what might happen, showing some consideration to the wife he basically abandoned and left with two kids to raise.

But despite that, he still can't help but act like a manager, respect Ruby's current career choice, and advise her on what she has to do...right now she's so low on the celebrity totem pole that no one would even care if she got caught drinking underage. So what she has to do is play to her character on-screen, grease the production wheel, play off her brother, and go far enough in this industry to where she DOES matter.

And, admittedly, when it comes to playing a (calculated) cute and ditzy blonde on the camera, she's perfect. She even knows how to embellish stories to great effect, and play off Aqua perfectly. Aqua can even see what she's doing.

It's also important to treat your Assistant Directors, or AD's, right and Ruby REALLY turns on the charm on Yoshizumi. And considering how difficult his job is, having someone he thinks is flirting with him by being nice and gifting him a winning smile is probably a godsend. Especially when the director is such a jerk to him.

It's harder to find professional cosplayers to do Tokyo Blade for a variety show than you might think. Though of course the director cares more about the T&A and is just leaving most of the work to Yoshizumi.

Aqua earns great boyfriend points for showing up for Akane with an umbrella in the rain...and Akane earns great girlfriend points by ignoring the second umbrella and choosing to grab his arm so they can walk home in the rain together properly. Is she aware that he had feelings for Kana? Yes. In fact she gets pouty thinking of how overly-considerate he has to be towards Kana BECAUSE of said feelings. But Aqua is trying to be a great boyfriend to her and care about her, and that's enough for Akane. She's genuinely happy, and maybe Aqua is too, and that might be all that matters. Although woe betide Aqua if he ever cheats, because he won't live to see the next day.

Dang, Ruby really assisting Yoshizumi here by recruiting her gal pal Minami. And making the deal sound sweet because of what it might do for Minami to step out of being a gravure idol for a minute. Though Minami really concerned about her friend that she hopes the industry doesn't corrupt Ruby...but it might be too late.

It shows how desperate Yoshizumi is that he's even relying on his little sister for help...but admittedly, his little sister Mimi IS cute and a VTuber and cosplayer, so she actually might be a good choice. And her brother has been helping her out with her career, so maybe she owes it to him? I mean, she's also complained about him on her cosplay handle so...also, she looks great in a China Dress!

All that work and they didn't even get the approval to use Tokyo Blade...so poor Yoshizumi has to pivot, with some help from his sister. But jeez, this director is such a jerk.

I haven't seen cosplayers this intense walking with a suitcase since 2.5 Dimensional Seduction.

The ED has Ruby and Aqua dressed up all fancy, as cardboard cutouts on-screen, and dancing together...all the while their past lives still haunt them and their relationship.

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 20:48

I can’t help but feel bad for Yoshizumi. He’s stressed out of his mind and the only one being nice to him is mainly doing it so he’ll owe her one later. But given that Ruby is planning on murdering her dad, a broken heart or two is just accepted collateral.

MillenniumKing2026-01-21 16:39

#Jesus old suits in buissness can really be sucky...

[](#yousaidsomethingdumb)

These OP visuals are really damn cool.

Yeah i didnt realize the guy fishing end of last ep was the strawberry pres. Wow he looks rough...
Jesus Ruby is savage as hell. She just wants answers but we just dont have much.
Damn... Pres getting excited what he told Rudby worked, he still cares...
Play the clown huh? An interesting plan.

Boiling soap to make soap... huh. Aqua is onto her ploy though good.
Oh no Ruby buttering up turned to AD-kun thinking shes into him hah...
Jesus the old guy hitting people sucks. WHat an ass hat.
They are working him to the bone jesuus.

Wait the old guy wants lewd cosplayers to get views jesus he sucks.
Yeah getting cosplayers right before comiket is not happening...

Oh boy, Akane knows Aqua likes Kana. And prob knows why hes with her too.
Akana just wants to enjoy herself and her fake/real boyfriend.
She def needs to tell him the truth though, shes holding him back on purpose.

Oooo we can get Ruby's pink friend to cosplay, not a bad idea.
She doesnt like the idea because shes not a cosplayer and would be lieing.
Oh even her friend noticed Ruby is acting different, good on her.

AD-KUN HAD A BRAID HAIR KIGURUMI WEARING IMOUTO!? KYAA~
So shes a vtuber and cosplayer huh. 300k people not bad.
HAHA HIM WALKING IN ON HER IN THE MAID OUTFIT IS HILARIOUS.
Oh no big bro has dirt on her... shes doomed... o7

Jesus christ that old guy sucks. "i like this one shes stacked." Dude please...
Oh of course the old guy didnt do his job... he sucks even more.
Making excuses now too man he sucks so muc. Hes asking for everything.
People like this exist in the industy and they suck aa lot if you have to deal with them.
And of course we dont have other costumes because old guy didnt say shit to him...

Imouto to save the day, yay. Shes got spares for Ruby.

OoOoooo this ed is neat. Showing Ruby and Aqua's old lives thats cool.
AND AQUA WITH BLACK EYES AGAIN YES LETS GO!

BosuW2026-01-21 20:33

> Akana just wants to enjoy herself and her fake/real boyfriend.

Her Strange/Fake boyfriend

shad792026-01-21 16:41

[The OP is so good!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgIQbeRzkkc) Both [the song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ4-H-nNNz4) and [the visuals are amazing](https://imgchest.com/p/o24anvx2d7l), I'm really glad that 3rd season didn't disappoint in that regard.

And I can say the same about [the ED](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWvFR00t-NE), as we got [another strong song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiYkBISlv0w) and [visuals for it](https://imgchest.com/p/o24anvxoe7l) in this new season.

As for [the episode itself](https://imgchest.com/p/ne7bnvw5j75)... I've always loved the side of the show that focuses on [how the showbiz industry works behind the scenes](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/d436a7f97cdc.png), so I really enjoyed today's episode as it centered around [Ruby](https://imgchest.com/p/xny82oxq5yb) trying to boost her popularity and forge a relationship with [AD Yoshizumi](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7mvkmwn7d) (who [has, by the way, very cute little sister](https://imgchest.com/p/a8466kapo4x)).

I'm also very happy that [Akane is doing well and is very happy](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2n3pb9yl), even though she knows [Aqua](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2n3pd9yl) has a crush on [Kana](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/2a4ccce475c9.png). Oh, and [her pouts are as adorable as ever](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/ab9c8132a73d.png)!

By the way, both [OP](https://imgchest.com/p/o24anvx2d7l) and [ED](https://imgchest.com/p/o24anvxoe7l) songs are already avaible online. Here are links to:

OP song "TEST ME" by CHANMINA:

* [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/4zWZzoe6u8FdjSYowVPKeZ?si=2twPiMZNTkiOCSZOTUyj2A)
* [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/pl/album/test-me-single/1866862251)
* [Youtube Music](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n2voSv_ALvRAN4uXce8nBgK9pboUoiK6c&si=2RVa1zVIXe0_Jxtz)
* [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ4-H-nNNz4)

ED song "Serenade" by natori:

* [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/0CWAQlHsvfqcKJVVz9up2R?si=de95f3f961714648)
* [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/song/serenade/1858168846)
* [Youtube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WiYkBISlv0w&si=BilYTdmM-pr8QDdo)
* [Youtube](https://youtu.be/WiYkBISlv0w?si=tjmJOR_cxmBdoFEm)

Here my screenshot albums from the episode:

* [OP](https://imgchest.com/p/o24anvx2d7l)
* [ED](https://imgchest.com/p/o24anvxoe7l)
* [Ruby](https://imgchest.com/p/xny82oxq5yb)
* [Akane](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2n3pb9yl)
* [Mimi](https://imgchest.com/p/a8466kapo4x)
* [Group scenes](https://imgchest.com/p/ne7bnvw5j75)
* [Aqua](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2n3pd9yl)
* [Yoshizumi](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7mvkmwn7d)
* [Others](https://imgchest.com/p/qe4gpxdjj4j)

*EDIT. I added my screeenshot albums.*

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:53

>[The OP is so good!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgIQbeRzkkc) Both the song and the visuals are amazing, I'm really glad that 3rd season didn't disappoint in that regard.

I needed to take a few minutes to enjoy all the girls' outfits and posing.

shad792026-01-21 17:04

Yes, they were great! I'll screenshot them and create an album for OP, so check my comment later if you're interested.

Primo292026-01-21 16:53

Give us the good screenshot later, thanks!!

mekerpan2026-01-21 17:45

I agree. The nitty gritty showbiz side of this series is mucvh more interesting to me than the underlying mystery plot.

Akane is a great girl -- but Kana is nonetheless the best.

melindypants2026-01-21 18:05

I didn't think they could top episode 1's OP being the B-Komachi music video but this was incredible - I'm so glad Oshi no Ko is back! I'm really curious to see more of Ruby being so calculating (although I do miss our boy Aqua)

[deleted]2026-01-21 16:42

[deleted]

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:57

Ruby really becoming the second coming of Ai with her ability to charm with a "lie" as easily as she breathes.

Not only is he a bad boss but he even gives off the impression he only sees womens' value for their bodies (or at least when it comes to cosplay, but the way he specified how sexy they had to be...).

Comprehensive_Dog6512026-01-21 16:42

Mimi's eyes 😯, they're so different to everyone else

The Assistant Director looks quite young for his position actually, I'm surprised

As I suspected, the ED does improve significantly with the lead in from the episode but I still don't like the transition to the chorus and the chorus itself. The earlier parts are best

I'm seated and locked in for what is shaping up to be a Ruby: Rising arc 🤩

Equivalent-Mine55622026-01-21 16:43

The op was so good!!! It was so eerie especially when Ruby unmasks herself and they focus on her eyes, seeing kana in a lid wearing a veil was😲. Are they already foreshadowing?

Wizardrylullaby2026-01-21 16:45

Ok may I observe how funny it is that almost all comments are about the opening and not the actual episode ahahahah

AmaiHachimitsu2026-01-21 17:05

I got baited and was having high expectations, but I forgot that Oshi no Ko usually has great EP 1 and then they need to fill in some background context for next episodes, which isn't always the most exciting, to say the least. We didn't learn much this ep and this cosplay episode seems to be building up into something important, somehow.

As for OP - visuals are nice. Not sure about the music because the "opening" in EP 1 was great. Despite being an idol pop song it had dynamics that fit the show. But I guess we are about to see lots of darkness this season.

mebbyyy2026-01-21 17:22

Well when the OP is so peak it's no surprise that everyone is talking about it. Personnally for me it blew both OP1 and OP 2 out of the water in terms of both visuals and symbolism of the arcs we will be getting this season

WakaliwoodMan2026-01-21 17:36

because the episode was pretty good, but still feels like it's mainly setup...

but the OP is PEAK

Nickthenuker2026-01-21 16:46

Boing.

Oh wait that's the boss?

He seemed really excited for her there.

So, that's what she's been doing.

And that's why she's doing that.

So they're looking for OF girls?

Gee what convenient timing Aqua...

So, Ruby's inviting her.

He's going to ask his sister?

She's a VTuber?

Indeed they are, we just saw one yesterday too in Mayonaka Heart Tune. One of them even did the OP for that. Another one wrote A Misanthrope Teaches a Class for Demi-Humans that airs on Saturdays.

Speak of the devil, this is _probably_ Unnamed Company A that the VTuber that wrote that show is from, if Aka is bringing up the biggest company.

Oh no there were over 10000 at like the end of 2016 when VTubing _started_, these days it's probably lots more.

Ruby's going to cosplay too?

Gee I wonder why...

Uh... That's thrown a spanner in the works.

Ok...

NoDespair2026-01-21 16:47

Always important to remember Akane won as most popular Onk character

MillenniumKing2026-01-21 16:52

You mean Mem.

mebbyyy2026-01-21 17:19

Akane is just hard carrying the series especially later on, even with Aka's attempt to butcher every character in the story, so it's not surprising

Primo292026-01-21 16:47

Loving the eerie feeling from Ruby and I can't get enough of it!!

OP and ED music and visual still deliver at S3!! Loving the outfits of B-Komachi + Akane.

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 20:51

We really got monkey pawed with wanting more Ruby screentime. I love both versions, but knowing she’s now consumed by revenge like Aqua was is heartbreaking

MeatballZeitgeist2026-01-21 16:51

This series already had the best waifus and decided they needed to add a kigurumi-clad vtuber imouto who cosplays on the side. Your hubris will be your undoing, OnK.

Frontier2462026-01-21 16:59

I love how this show touches on nearly every facet of the entertainment industry even just a bit like with Mimi's VTubing.

MillenniumKing2026-01-21 17:05

Every season they keep giving us more and more.

Mem's best girl slot is in danger...

(that said, Kigurumi imoutos gives me PTSD thanks to Bunny Girl Senpai...)

[](#emptyinside)

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 18:08

Nooo don’t remind me of Kaede’s to-do list

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-21 17:24

Her voice sounds familiar, I wonder who it is?

cppn022026-01-21 19:03

https://myanimelist.net/people/61882/Sae_Hiratsuka

Earthborn922026-01-22 00:36

Unlike most anime, this actually does justify itself. All these characters are in the entertainment industry and would be in-universe considered top 1% attractive as well.

frs10232026-01-21 16:52

Absolutely love seeing Ruby doing things other than being an idol, and I'd say she's crushing it more than her brother

Frontier2462026-01-21 17:00

Ruby is the driven one now, Aqua is just kind of trying to coast and live with the life he has now because he has no idea his revenge wasn't fulfilled.

Anjunabeast2026-01-22 02:42

Can someone recap why he gave up on finding the killer/his father? And how ruby found out about the killer and started her revenge arc?

ZestycloseZebra85382026-01-22 02:54

Tl;dr: a supernatural entity told Ruby about the revenge plot, but Aqua stopped because he believes his father is already dead

So, Aqua’s father slept with a married woman, who has a kid (Taiki, Aqua’s half brother). Aqua’s father then kills Taiki’s mother and Taiki’s non-biological father, making it look like a murder suicide.

Aqua meets the Taiki, who tells his story. Aqua wrongly concludes that Taiki’s non-biological father was their biological father, so his revenge is over. Akane figures out the timelines don’t match but says nothing.

In the last episode of S2, a supernatural entity gives Ruby enough information to realize that the stalker didn’t kill Ai by himself, and that someone helped the stalker. Ruby then realizes that her father killed Ai, and that Aqua is trying to get revenge

Anjunabeast2026-01-22 03:06

Thanks!

[deleted]2026-01-22 14:30

She realizes that he killed Ai, and Gorou. I think she is more motivated at finding Ai's actual killer after realizing that the same guy also got Gorou killed, and getting the hint from that mysterious god of showbiz. I'm not sure, I'm an anime only lol.

Qweasd112026-01-21 17:00

That was a great [visual style opening
](https://imgur.com/a/ppvHIB1)

Remember Aqua, [cheat on Akane](https://imgur.com/a/oGJ05Pz) with another girl and you're a dead man.

LOL Love how he picks up on the bloodlust and [gets outta there fast](https://imgur.com/a/IlZSqgw).

Ending [was just as good](https://imgur.com/a/Y7UbTz2) too

Frontier2462026-01-21 17:39

I also love how while Akane was thinking possibly murderous thoughts her mom was in the background giddy that her daughters' boyfriend brought her home.

BosuW2026-01-21 20:19

> Remember Aqua, [cheat on Akane](https://imgur.com/a/oGJ05Pz) with another girl and you're a dead man.

They will not find his body, _again_

eightcheesepizza2026-01-21 17:08

Ruby's super focused and getting more manipulative, but she still seems more naive than Aqua, for now. She wants to be really blunt and question everyone... good(?) thing she has Ichigo for a teammate, to rein her in. But there's one huge advantage that Ruby has over Aqua: being able to [charm people in power](https://i.imgur.com/qMrIJzm.jpeg), who are mostly straight guys.

I guess this means the [frog in Ruby's mouth](https://i.imgur.com/dWbGvHO.jpeg) in the OP is supposed to [symbolize Yoshizumi](https://i.imgur.com/nNctp5b.jpeg)? I mean he's hugging a frog statue for no reason right there.

The other thing I was struck by was [how fucking warm Aqua's smile to Akane was](https://i.imgur.com/BdDYVxf.jpeg). I just did the S1+S2 rewatch before this season, so Aqua's lack of this is very fresh to me. I know it must all go away this season - that much is evident from the OP and ED - but someone please protecc Aqua. :(

Frontier2462026-01-21 17:38

Ruby and Aqua being equally alluring to the opposite sex. Akane even called it out lol.

eightcheesepizza2026-01-21 18:00

Too bad for Aqua's revenge that the industry is dominated by men. Aqua can charm older women... but it's just Kana and Mem-cho, they don't have any power yet.

LeonKevlar2026-01-21 17:10

I was a little disappointed that B-Komachi isn't doing this season's OP, but what we got is actually amazing! [The girls look great](https://i.imgur.com/B8WE1qQ.jpeg) and [visuals are so goddamn cool.](https://i.imgur.com/oE3M44H.jpeg) I'm sure a smart manga reader can connect some of these visuals to future events in the series.

He may be out of the game, but [look at how excited Saitou is after hearing from Ruby that she landed the reporter gig.](https://i.imgur.com/1Uad0jt.jpeg) Considering his advice still works even years after he has left, I feel like IchigoPro would benefit if he actually came back. Although I'm not sure Miyako would let him back tho.

I feel bad for Yoshizumi. [The dude is massively overworked as the AD](https://i.imgur.com/7D16PPX.jpeg), and he has to answer [to a douchebag director](https://i.imgur.com/w3rfNyg.jpeg) who seems to be very [out of touch with reality.](https://i.imgur.com/gk1xozb.jpeg) The dude looks so sleazy, too, that I'm wondering what he did to get fired from a flagship TV station.

[Akane's really savouring her win](https://i.imgur.com/laClzca.jpeg), even though she knows that Aqua loves Kana more. [Watching her turn suddenly yandere](https://i.imgur.com/nYmbQ6e.jpeg) at the thought of Aqua cheating on her was pretty funny tho. I love how Aqua quickly gets out of there, too. xD

So it looks like [we have Minami](https://i.imgur.com/qB28iBC.jpeg), [Yoshizumi's sister](https://i.imgur.com/8waF9Ji.jpeg), and [an unknown new girl](https://i.imgur.com/3oa53e8.jpeg) as their cosplayers. Too bad for Yoshizumi that [the douchebag director didn't actually get the permissions, tho.](https://i.imgur.com/g7HdmLr.jpeg) The director is really making lots of assumptions about cosplayers [considering he thinks they can make such a last-minute change.](https://i.imgur.com/6d7ZcaC.jpeg) I hope Ruby manages to turn this incoming disaster to her advantage.

Frontier2462026-01-21 17:37

The OP is like a B-Komachi music video that Akane got recruited into and it was all the better for all the outfits and dancing. Plus getting to see the girls in swimsuits!

To be honest I never got the sense that Saitou and Miyako were a happily married couple (back then she just wanted to nab an actual hottie) but it does seem like he's been trying to avoid burdening her any more than he already has.

An AD is a pretty thankless job, especially when paired up with a bad director. I would not be surprised if the director sexually harassed someone to get fired the way he acts and talked about the cosplayers.

You know Akane probably **could** get away with murder if she caught her boyfriend cheating.

Suddenly Oshi No Ko is a cosplay anime.

Atario2026-01-21 17:22

[Ha, yeah.](https://files.catbox.moe/pk981l.jpg) ["Character".](#kukuku2)

[*Liquid* hand soap is that.](https://files.catbox.moe/kd1xdl.jpg) Bar soap gang, [rise up!](#protest)

["Immoral"??](https://files.catbox.moe/cffbwh.jpg) [Wuh?](#sakurathink)

[Poor Akane.](https://files.catbox.moe/itpwt6.jpg) [](#nanami-hug)

[Some of these](https://files.catbox.moe/3kc61i.jpg) I've not even about sure the meaning of [](#niatilt)

I imagine that when this was written, [this explanation](https://files.catbox.moe/572nqk.jpg) was very necessary. Probably a lot less so these days [](#cantbehelped)

[You know what?](https://files.catbox.moe/w8d4r8.jpg) You shoulda just left him to bungle it. Then he'd get the blame when it all comes crashing down, instead of him throwing the problem at you to solve at the last minute. [](#annoyedkiki)

Holofan4life2026-01-21 17:28

I just want Kana to be happy dangit :c

SaltAndABattery2026-01-22 02:29

This is Oshi no Ko, there's only room for misery here.

ninesfines2026-01-22 04:46

"We don't do that here" Aka, probably.

giitaru-kun2026-01-21 17:29

Now I need to figure out what to use for my wallpaper in the anime opening, for my phone and PC. Really into dark wallpapers, really love the dark feel of the opening.

NNKarma2026-01-21 19:07

The Kana museum might be a bit too literally dark, Miyako with the modly strawberries looks amazing.

Ruby with the painting works well for vertical, or baby Aqua rotated.

And of course the bunny looks cool but horror bunny mask is a bit too basic.

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-21 17:29

Oh yeah, putting in charge an old-fashioned suit who does not know how modern entertainment works is the recipy for success... not.

For sure it won't be the last disaster with this show episode.

VanishingBanshee2026-01-21 17:33

The season is doing an absolutely amazing job at simply giving an eerie feeling overall.

Especially with how animated the characters are in every scene, in most anime you wouldn't pay any mind when you don't see a character blink. But in this when you see the camera fixated on Ruby, unblinking, you can certainly feel the uneasiness of it. Very much looking forward to the upcoming arcs.

iMax2372026-01-21 17:37

I love how the tv production aspect of the show is a little bit shown here. Sadly we can't get a good translated diagram of the "TV Production caste system" aqua drew. (atleast for now) I feel bad for the AD but that's pretty much it, it's one of the most painful jobs in the entertainment industry. Ichigo has all the experience and a good foresight to advice Ruby for sticking around the AD. Other than Ruby having a step into the "industry's next director," I think Ichigo already thought that it would be the best role Ruby can learn from. They are the back-bone of the production and they can be literally everything, everywhere all at once. ;)

GardenOfTheBlackRose2026-01-21 17:37

THAT WAS A GREAT EPISODE!! I’m glad we go to see an AD’s job, and we got such a sweet moment from Aqua and Akane, and we got to see a VTuber mentioned!!

and the new OP and ED are great!

BadBehaviour6132026-01-21 17:39

Director: Tokyo Blade airs on the same channel. Surely we can get the permission

Abiko: I only have one request- scrap everything

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 20:57

That guy sucks at his job how did you not know one of the biggest properties you’re working with is notoriously protective of their ip.

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-21 21:39

Dude was out of touch with modern media overall and just picked it up because he wanted a hot topic: like invite a bunch of ero cosplayers and gravure models for potential juicy questions, let them cosplay a characters from popular battle shounen for extra clout. Great idea, yeah, but not with this attitude. And surely nothing else will go South with such situation.

Anjunabeast2026-01-22 02:44

Yeah Tokyo blade author would never let her characters be used for lewd stuff

hifumeme2026-01-21 22:27

Well he barely even knew the name, just knew it was a trendy anime.

Careful_Ad_90772026-01-22 02:33

He almost said Tokyo Babylon.

laughtale02026-01-21 17:41

In other anime, Akane would be a Yandere, and we got to see a little bit of that yandere side of her today.

magicalideal2026-01-21 17:41

We can see that the innocent side of Ruby is still there when she was dealing with Ichigo by the river. The people around Ruby is starting to realize that Ruby has changed but hopefully they will remain as her friend in these dark times.

I also realize Aqua doesn't have his star eyes anymore. That must means that Aqua is at a neutral state now but still able to continue garnering attention through his sheer tactical brain. Ichigo-san did mentioned that being dumb and stupid instead of pure and proper in front of camera works better which I cannot agree more.

Zetafunction642026-01-21 17:48

I missed this vibe, being in a cutthroat world, letting it change you to obtain your goals, and all the facades.

Got this gut feeling that somehow all of them is gonna get exploited in the cosplay event

Thanatos-ES2026-01-21 17:51

They didnt have to go THAT HARD for that opening oh my goodness.

Oshi no Ko is a visual masterpiece.

BaytaCosmico2026-01-21 17:57

That poor AD man, you really gotta feel for him dealing with such a crazy job and a complete ass of a boss. I knew that no permission thing was coming but I felt so bad for him in that moment. Nice job introducing this side character and getting us to care about him all within the same episode.

Akane is coping so hard it hurts, even as a Kana fan. Girl, you need to have a little more self-respect than to tell yourself you're happy with the crumbs you're getting.

Ruby is going all in on her mission. And she's got Ai's instincts for charming her way up the ladder. Should be good to see how far she goes.

Oh, and we finally got to see the OP and it's a great one. Oshi No Ko never misses with those. The ED is good too.

Riverflowsuphillz2026-01-21 17:58

The opening is cool but is it better than S2 maybe

Wait the manager is back i thought after he divorced the "mother" they got rid of him

Zxzxzx00882026-01-21 18:05

[Crazy](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/1e704f26a635.jpg) [OP!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/bc2d34b8dec5.jpg) Aqua is the [luckiest](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/1bab76c98922.jpg) guy alive

Akane ['sukoshi mumumu'](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/639eb9a0e9cd.jpg) so cute! I can sense my blood sugar level increases. But ofc she will [kill Aqua](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/25432e073cb1.jpg) if he cheats on [her](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/7bb02ac51cdf.jpg) lmao.

Gotta say I surprise Yoshizumi not falling to depress or overstress himself with that kind of work environment. Instead, he's doing his job diligently. He even OT at home which Alina Clover will find this very displeasing lol. He's the very definition of a good boy since he never whine about this to anyone and even himself. Since he's the one who do everything, at this point just make him a director lol.

And I love how he worried about his lil sis future doing cosplay stream and [suggest her do vtubing](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/542589cc9683.jpg) instead. Well, that didn't stop her from posting [cosplay](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/befb9b9206ed.jpg) though ^(wow she stacks)

Ruby's journey really fun to watch. She keeps absorbing everything and [executing them](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/14c70da48e8b.jpg) perfectly ^(with those) [^(black stars)](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/aae8173444a7.jpg)

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 18:05

I love how Ruby is playing everyone like a damn fiddle. She and Aqua really are siblings

NationalStrategy2026-01-21 18:13

That opening is a banger and the visuals got me hooked

lycan20052026-01-21 18:15

Ah yes another dose of suffering for us Kana bro.

OP song is straight up banger. Caught my attention right away.

Animation for ONK has gone up another level. The dance between Aqua and Ruby is 🤌

2kenzhe2026-01-21 18:37

Ruby is moving along with progressing her career, just being a bit more calculating now.

Akane so she knows how Aqua feels about Kana...but she's fine since he's being a great boyfriend and wants to turn their relationship that started as a lie to become real. She won't forgive him if he cheats though. What happened with Memcho doesn't count right? Nothing happened, he just pushed her down and then got comforted.

Really feel bad for the AD guy dude is going through it literally doing every job.

We got new OP and ED as well this ep. I like them, especially the visuals. Probably going to go over them later. The songs I think might need to grow on me a little though. Still both are bangers. They feel much darker compared to previous seasons ngl.

Ok ngl literally just took me another listen or two. They're fire. Still not sure if I'll like them over the previous ones though. Visually definetly stunning.

AceSoldia2026-01-21 18:47

It's wild how I was completely fine with Aqua being calculating and lying to get what he wants but Ruby doing it rubs me the wrong way.

I feel so bad for her..and of course Akane knows what Aqua is doing to Kana and did nothing about it cause she's getting what she wants..

I'm so mad..my Kana ship! 😭

Nosib232026-01-21 20:13

I think it just hits a lot harder seeing someone who was seemingly so innocent turn into that kind of monster. Aqua was like that from the start so there was nothing to compare against

Golden_Phi2026-01-21 22:32

It's the way that Ruby does it. Aqua was careful with his schemes so that there was no collateral damage. Ruby seems to be charging head first with little regard for herself or others. Like I'm afraid that this isn't going to turn out well for the pink haired girl that Ruby dragged into this. It's clear that this cosplay expose isn't going to go smoothly with the last second changes.

MayonakaMadaraka2026-01-21 19:13

Ruby needs to be careful. Overeagerness in unfamiliar territory can get messy, even downright dangerous.

nojuslol2026-01-21 19:18

am i the only one who feels this unsettling vibe watching this season? dont get me wrong im loving it but its like keeping me on my toes, it feels like shit is going to go wrong or something, i think ever since Ruby changed ive been having this feeling.

BosuW2026-01-21 20:38

Its deliberately setting a different tone to previous seasons from the OP. Ruby is definitely more dangerous than Aqua. Funny trend of him being continuously shown up as a fake edgelord tho haha.

sinsinkun2026-01-21 21:20

Aqua feels calculating in his revenge. He pulls his moves in the shadows, with minimal witnesses. Ruby feels unstable. She makes her moves in public with no concern for consequences. Like she's willing to do anything for her revenge

Golden_Phi2026-01-21 22:13

With Aqua it felt like he was biding his time to achieve revenge. With Ruby it feels like she's rushing headlong into it.

BosuW2026-01-21 23:50

Aqua is a methodical hunter who counts his shots and only pulls the trigger when he knows it'll be worth

Ruby just sets the forest on fire to see what runs out

Shay_Guy_2026-01-22 04:46

A better metaphor for Aqua might be the career he once aspired to: surgeon.

I don’t have a suitably poetic metaphor to pair that with for Ruby. The one thing that comes to mind is a wrecking ball.

CritMemes2026-01-21 19:21

Akane acknowledging Aqua’s love for Kana as a threat to the continued stability of her status as Kana’s number one fan.

Queue_Jumping_Quack2026-01-21 19:24

Oh this guy, who ran out on his wife and left her to raise the twins? Don't care for him. Though he seems to still possess sharp instincts to assist Ruby in her quest to rise to the top. Speaking of which, she sure has turned on a higher gear this season. I feel sorry for the AD... his boss is pretty awful and Ruby is using him for her own purposes.

On the Aqua front, I see the love triangle is nowhere near done. Kana haunts the relationship Akane and Aqua are supposedly happily in. But it seems to be very much a side story, this seems very much Ruby's season so far.

We get the actual OP and ED and as usual, Oshi no Ko doesn't miss with those. Good songs and cool visuals.

I'm very interested to see how Ruby's investigation will go versus Aqua's. The third season is off to a good start.

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 21:01

Him running out was definitely a scummy move, but I understand him being broken by Ai’s death. He’s still got some fire in him tho, you could see how excited he got coaching Ruby

Queue_Jumping_Quack2026-01-21 21:26

True enough. He might be a parallel mentor figure to Ruby like "The Director" was to Aqua, though remains to see if he is a positive or negative force overall.

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 21:52

He seems pretty on board with murder, as justified as it is, so I’m leaning negative even if his hearts in the right place

Golden_Phi2026-01-21 22:40

That would just make him the 4th character in this show okay with revenge murder. First Aqua, then Akane said that she'd be fine with it, then Ruby's all for it, and now him too.

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 22:47

6th, both the psycho fan and the dad actually committed to it

Faust23912026-01-21 19:46

Kanas outfit in the opening is so good. My rave days are long behind me but I've always been such a sucker for the slim waist wide ankle look

Sorwest2026-01-21 19:57

Oh wonderful, so imouto and Ruby avoided the copyright lawsuit but now Minami will be punished for trying to branch out of her pin-up gigs when she arrives wearing a Tokyo Blade costume and gets sued. Awesome. Thanks director-sensei, you're a joy to be around

SnabDedraterEdave2026-01-21 20:05

The new OP and ED are once again bangers.

My personal ranking would be:

- OP1 > OP3 > OP2

- ED1 > ED2 > ED3

I'm anime-only, but is the OP animation suggesting Akane will also eventually join B-Komachi 2.0?

This episode sure nailed the negative stereotype of assistant directors constantly being treated like shit by toxic directors.

Coupled that with Japan's already toxic work culture, and you get poor souls like Yoshizumi, where being a slave to the director's every whim is the only career path for him to become a director someday.

Ruby is quick to recognize her late mother's success owes largely to Ichigo's knowledge of the dark arts of manipulating human relationships in show business in order to maximize an artist's rapid rise to stardom.

For the sake of her revenge, she has become even more ruthless than Aqua in using everyone she could think of, from the hapless Yoshizumi, to even her friend Minami.

Since Aqua has worked in the Tokyo Blade stage play back in season 2, maybe Ruby could do Yoshizumi a favour by connecting him to Abiko-sensei via Aqua? That way, Yoshizumi will be even more indebted to Ruby, allowing her to become even more connected to the big-wigs in showbiz.

StrawSolider2026-01-21 20:07

"Is a Director important?" - Ruby Hoshino (2026)

BosuW2026-01-21 20:49

Ruby you're only supposed to play your character when the cameras are rolling

WakaliwoodMan2026-01-22 01:09

Her character is obviously "cute, clever, and considerate". This is just her being her usual "dumb, disrespectful, and defiant" self.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-22 05:31

*But how do I play this dumb character?*

*...Just be yourself it'll be fine*

[](#urbansmile)

Night-Owl2542026-01-21 21:04

Give her a break, she’s spent 16 years doing this idol thing as a fangirl, she has a lot of catching up to do now that she’s cutthroat enough to game the industry

Moonshadow1012026-01-22 01:56

I mean, all else aside, the director in this episode doesn't seem to actually do anything so maybe it's actually a good question.

flybypost2026-01-22 21:14

I think she really oversold it there by going with a really broad question so that Aqua wouldn't even consider that she might be manipulating him and automatically go into explanation mode.

If she had asked more subtle questions (indirectly showing an understanding of the industry) he might have gotten suspicious of why she's asking about specific issues.

itsconsolefreaked2026-01-21 20:19

He is a chick magnet, shame it’s something I can’t relate one bit .