[OSHI NO KO] 3RD SEASON

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA Drama[Oshi no Ko]
ANIME Drama[Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season
MUSIC DramaSerenade (2026)
ANIME Drama[Oshi no Ko] Final Season

REVIEWS

• 

  TheAnimeBingeWatcher

  45/100
  The endgame is upon us, for better or worse. There's nothing you can do to stop it now.

  Is there even a point to me reviewing the third season of Oshi no Ko? Besides tradition, I mean? I've spend the last couple years slandering this turd of a show to anyone willing to listen, and even I'm starting to get sick of it. What more is there to say about this shallow, laughably hypocritical thriller that claims to explore the dark side of the entertainment industry while perpetuating all its worst instincts anyway? At this point I risk being tedious and beating a dead horse just to feel morally superior, and that's a real shitty way to approach art, even art you viscerally dislike. I should really just let it go, stop watching and let the fans enjoy their slop in peace. And yet... man, there IS something about this show, isn't there? Something that keeps me coming back, despite all my complaints, curious to see what happens next. This show may be bad, but it's an interesting kind of bad, and that at least makes it worth discussing, if only to figure out how and where things went so catastrophically wrong. And season 3, in particular, has been a fascinating entry in Oshi no Ko's history, a turning point that I think will come to define people's opinions on this show when the dust finally settles a couple years down the line.

  The story picks up a few months after season 2's cliffhanger ending, enough time for our star-crossed twins to be settling into their new roles. Aqua's a pretty in-demand young actor who seems pretty satisfied with giving up his revenge. Ruby's star is rising thanks to her perfectly stage-managed quirky personality, while her inner cynicism and rage continues growing. Kana, Akane, and everyone else are doing pretty well for themselves too. It's as nice and stable as anyone could possibly hope for in Oshi no Ko's world- which means, of course, it won't be long before everything comes crashing down, Aqua realizes that the murderer he was chasing isn't actually dead yet, and the overall scumminess of the industry pushes everyone into bad situations that blow that peaceful comfort wide open. By the season's end, Oshi no Ko's endgame has officially been set up; one way or another, the secrets and lies of Ai Hoshino will be dragged into the light. And no one, least of all her children, is ready for it.

  I'm being vague to avoid spoilers here, but if there's one thing I do appreciate this season for, it's in how thoroughly it destroys any chance of the characters returning to normalcy. Oshi no Ko's murder mystery has taken a backseat for most of its run, but now it's finally in the forefront, and it fundamentally changes every character's standing in the show. By the season's end, everyone in the main cast has been torn away from the somewhat stable lives they were building, and it's clear there's no going back. That's exciting! That's tension! Even after Ai's murderer is brought to justice, none of them will be the people they used to be, for better or (mostly) worse. Aqua especially makes some really nasty choices here that mess up his relationships with the people around him, and as a Day 1 Aqua Hater, I could not be happier. Any time this shitty Light wannabe is having a bad time is the highlight of my day.

  But of course, this is Oshi no Ko, and all my words of praise must come with five different disclaimers for how it fucked it up regardless. And what season 3 has made clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that this show utterly failed Ruby as a character. Remember when we thought both twins would get equal booking as protagonists? Exploring different sides of the industry in parallel thematic arcs? Yeah, we all know by now that didn't happen and Aqua's had like ten times his sister's screentime at this point. Season 3 is the first time Ruby's been in the spotlight, and she's at least more entertaining to watch than Aqua. Her exaggerated public face contrasting with her inner disillusionment bordering on psychopathy is a million times more compelling than Aqua's cringey brooding. But there's only so much it can do to flesh her out into a real character after all this time, especially when it still spends so much time with Aqua as well.

  Here's what I mean: there's a moment late in the season where Aqua does something really fucked up that completely turns Ruby against him. And it should be this wrenching, heartbreaking moment of a meaningful relationship being shattered. But all it does is highlight the fact that Aqua and Ruby really... don't have a relationship anymore. Ever since the prologue, they've interacted a total of maybe 5 times, and most of those were quick jokes without any real weight. Who are these two to each other anymore? Siblings? Strangers? Are they still affected by knowing they're both reincarnated? Shouldn't this be the most interesting, complicated relationship in the entire show? I mean, if we absolutely must pair up a former pedophile with the terminally ill teenager who was in love with him, why not let that be messy and complicated and interesting? But instead, we've gotten basically nothing, and thus this moment of grand betrayal doesn't feel like it's betraying much of anything. You might as well stab a blank piece of paper and pretend you just knifed your closest friend in the back.

  The fact of the matter is, Oshi no Ko is just completely incapable of escaping Aqua's shadow. Yes, I know I say that with every review, but it's not my fault it keeps being true. Aka Akasaka is so in love with his little edgelord that it crowds out anything potentially interesting or compelling about the story he's set up. Ruby is robbed of her rightful role as co-protagonist and not allowed any time to grow into her own because the show would rather spend that time sucking Aqua's dick instead. Kana and Akane, whatever other accomplishments they have, are perpetually stuck in the orbit of the least compelling harem of the decade. There's a reason season 2's Lala Lai arc is widely regarded as the series at its best: it's the arc where Aqua is the least important factor in the story for once. And unsurprisingly, all of season 3's best moments are likewise light on his influence. The final double-length episode is centered on Sarina and Miyako's backstories, and they're genuinely moving! It's the most I've cared about any character in this show! But the second those flashbacks are over and Aqua gets involved again, all that interest dribbles away.

  What's fascinating, though, is it feels like season 3 is trying to be more critical of Aqua for once. In the past, his scheming and desire for revenge have been framed to be cool and edgy, and it's just been insufferable. But when he slips back into the darkness this season, it suddenly feels much, much more self-loathing. Every time he tries to play the all-knowing manipulator with the situation dancing in the palm of his hand, he looks and sounds like he's thinking of blowing his brains out. He is suffering trying to play the asshole. And you know what? It's kind of compelling! After happily playing the brooding badass for so long, his taste of normal life has made him realize what a miserable role it is to fill. He's a broken man pushing away the people who care about him, hypocritically trying to spare them from the misery he gleefully inflicts upon himself. That is so much more interesting than treating him as a Lelouch figure. And if Oshi no Ko had been willing to acknowledge his flaws from the start and build his character around them, it would've been a far superior show.

  Sadly, even this well-intentioned effort is only a half-measure. Oshi no Ko is still Oshi no Ko, and it can't help but glaze Aqua to high heaven even as it's trying to highlight his cracks. There's a scene in episode 2 that's literally just two straight minutes of Akane's internal monologue talking about what a Wonderful Super Awesome Boyfriend Aqua is, and I swear I almost threw up in my mouth listening to it. It's unbearably cringe. But at least she gets off better than Kana, who at this point only exists to be put in physical or emotional peril so Aqua can swoop in and save her yet again. And to add insult to injury, there's a moment where it feels like it's actually trying to address that; Kana gives herself this big pep talk about standing up for herself and not relying on Aqua to fix all her problems anymore, because she's strong enough to take control of her own life and protect herself! ...and then the very next episode Aqua swoops in to fix all her problems anyway.

  I swear, this show feels like a parody of itself sometimes.

  But at this point, I've long since stopped expecting any better. Why should I scream and stomp my feet at Oshi no Ko doing what it's always done? I know how this show operates by now: it talks a huge game about Lies and Truth and The Entertainment Industry but is too chickenshit to say anything actually meaningful. So we get a subplot about sexual harassment in the cosplay scene by people who take skimpy outfits as an excuse to degrade the women wearing them, but it's all swept under the rug with a cheap "Everyone Learns a Lesson" type of ending. Ditto a scumbag director who offers roles to any actress desperate enough to sleep with him, but ultimately is presented as Not Really Such a Bad Guy. In the past I'd have more righteous anger for stuff like that, but now? It's all par for the course. Just more evidence that this show is, and has always been, a cheap approximation of "depth" that indulges in all the toxic practices it pretends to criticize. This is all Oshi no Ko is, and all it will ever be. There's nothing left it can do to surprise me.

  Well, there is something. One final, glorious trainwreck that would turn Oshi no Ko's final season from an obligatory snooze into an all-time iconic disaster. And judging by the cackle-inducing midpoint of the final episode, it seems like this adaptation is, in fact, planning to follow the manga's footsteps toward this catastrophic conclusion. So you know what? Fuck it. I'm all in. I want to see this thing crash and burn so spectacularly you can see the impact crater from the moon. Oshi no Ko may not be a good show, but now that the fires of my anger have dimmed enough, I can at least acknowledge that it's an entertaining show. And if it fumbles this landing hard enough, then perhaps the sheer joy of watching such a massive trainwreck unfold before my eyes will make the whole miserable experience worth it after all.

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• 

  luxray978

  60/100
  Fails to follow in the steps of the second season in favor of paper thin themes

  Oshi no ko continues to claim to be something far more than it is. Despite claiming to be about revenge, it is largely uninterested in that and gives little insight into the entertainment industry. It postures as critical, but it isn't capable of carrying out an institutional critique on an effective level that would promote change, and can only look at individual problems. The little looks themselves range from very good (season 2) to fine, to quite bad. Overall, this makes the quality gyrate massively based on which (largely unconnected if we are being frank) subplot the show is focused on.
  ​
  The package for this season was quite poor, with the Kana subplot being a standout waste of time that went nowhere and didn't reveal much about anyone's character. Kana makes a mistake due to her personal failings, even if the entry into it isn't particularly interesting, and leads into a boring tsundere session. This could be interesting to watch her attempt to squirm out of the situation on her own without Aqua's assistance, but once again, a female character is not given that opportunity. The situation is resolved on its own, and she returns to how she felt before (wanting to quit the group, this time with a bit more confidence). The whole arc is a shame because I think the cliff notes of Kana's arc (A child star trying to stay in the industry) could be interesting, yet the show is continually afraid to do much of interest with her. I will give less recap for Akane's arc, but my feeling is the same: her project was taken away from her in favor of Aqua, and her character is worse off for it. Possible development (anger, rage, some change) is avoided, and she continues to feel the same about him, just with smaller agency.
  ​
  The show remains pretty visually, but lacks what made season 2 feel distinctive and breathtaking to me, focusing instead on technically impressive but often by-the-numbers feeling animation.
  ​
  The best episode of this season is its last, with the emotional core of its first half engaging me significantly. Unfortunately, it once again went back to everything I dislike about the show, both ideologically and pacing-wise. I will note that I once again find discomfort with the idea that aqua (the masculine) is allowed to ruin his life, but it is completely unacceptable for a woman to do the same. As well, I continue to dislike the positive "follow your dreams" spin the show puts on the idol industry, which I have yet to be convinced is not a vortex of unfathomable evil.
  ​
  Oshi no ko remains one of the strangest shows I've ever followed as far as its inconsistency. It's hard for me to reconcile how much I enjoyed season 2 with my large distaste for the first season and third season. I think I often come off quite harshly in these reviews because my views are similar to other shows that purport a novel ideal and deconstruction, which I am interested in, but in the end fail to deliver. What is the point of showing bad things happen to idols if your ending message is that it's still okay to enter into and support the industry? If you truly believe this is a system that churns up and destroys the lives of young women for the satisfaction of men, then it should be destroyed and rebuilt into something that no longer does that. I think maybe I was wrong to think Oshi no Ko was ever able to give a commentary like this, though, despite its claim to a wide view, it's fundamentally focused on characters, and that would be fine. I don't wish to say Oshi no Ko is bad for not doing what I want, but that, on top of failing to live up to the promise it showed, it also fails to deliver on its character drama.
  ​
  6/10

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• 

  onlytheatre

  89/100
  the greatest trainwreck ever written

  I AM GOING TO MAKE SLIGHT ALLUSIONS TO THE MANGA AND SERIES AS A WHOLE (up to this point) IN THIS REVIEW, IF YOU ARE ANIME-ONLY/DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, ITS PROBABLY BEST YOU DON'T READ THIS

  If i were to describe Oshi No Ko (specifically this season), it would be like driving a sports car at top speed down a steep hill, having the time of your life, and then crashing head first into a wall made of pure tungsten. This season started off extremely well; i found myself liking the Mainstay Arc way more than i did when i read it in the manga, but was worried for what came next.

  If we go by our car crash metaphor, the Scandal Arc is where i personally noticed that there was something in the distance. I started to freak out, but then realized whatever this object was happened to be pretty far away, all things considered. Then the Movie Arc started, this is where i realized "oh, there IS something in the distance, and it's much closer than i realize."

  And before i knew it, i hit the wall. The wall in question, being twincest. We'll touch on this later, but for now lets talk about what the drive was like pre-tungsten wall, because to no one's surprise driving a sports car at ludicrous speeds is still fun regardless of horrific crashes.

  ---

  MAINSTAY
  If i were to rank all the arcs, including the manga arcs yet to be adapted into a ranking, Mainstay would land somewhere in the middle. Does that mean it's bad? God no. I may and will criticize ONK quite a lot, but that doesnt mean it isn't a good series at times. It's like Weezer; the early stuff (in this case everything up to Tokyo Blade (Reality Dating Show Arc for me personally)) is great, but everything else is widely seen as "...eh?" by most people despite having a small but dedicated fanbase. Just like Weezer as well, ONK is known for some absoutely garbage arcs and plot points. Being around for the final chapter in particular was like watching an empire crumble to pieces, but we are still (hopefully) a long, long way away from that.

  Back to mainstay; It's a fun arc. I like Yoshizumi. The whole variety show thing is fun to explore and something i found really engaging (despite not being familiar with the concept, im unfortunately a filthy westerner and watch gritty crime dramas on tv instead) as well as really informative. The main point of this arc though, is to show how Ruby is falling into that same mindset of "revenge revenge revenge" which Aqua had going early in the series. Her method is certainly...unique (intentionally cause controversy and immediately resolve it somehow???) but the same thing happened in Reality Dating Show which also my favourite arc besides when Ai was alive, soooo i dont think I'm at liberty to criticize this.

  The commentary about how the industry exploits sketchy topics/people for money is interesting, and makes up one of the main things i like about the series, but in hindsight this is REALLY disappointing considering this is arguably the last decent industry commentary we get from the series. on the topic of industry commentary:

  ---

  SCANDAL
  ...is just okay???

  it was short in the manga and just as short here. It doesn't really have much story relevance, as it's more just a way to wrap up the whole "The Hoshino twins are secretly Ai's children" thing (the way it was done was pretty shitty if im being honest), but it also gives some development about Kana. Before we get to Kana though, lets talk about Akane.

  a national tragedy for AquaKane fans everywhere
  This part of the manga actually happened way earlier, before the scandal arc entirely. But i think it fits better here, as it sets up Aqua's character (for better or for worse) within the next arc.

  What I'm about to say might be controversial, but i honestly believe if Akane was killed, or at the very least substantially injured during this scene, i think the show would be way better. I really, REALLY like Akane's character, but her misfortune would not only be a fascinating look at how Aqua sees Akane, but also possibly give him reason for some of the things he does later in the series. Either way, this gets faked out and Akane lives, being saved by Aqua because HE PUT A TRACKER ON HER WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE.

  Extremely questionable ethics aside, this tracker thing shows Aqua does care about Akane to some degree, even if it's for purely selfish reasons. This could have gone in so many cool directions, but unfortunately because this is also where the two break up. Akane is now going to be relegated to mostly a side character for the rest of the series. No more cute romance, no more cool detective stuff, and nothing stopping Aqua from becoming Second-Hand Dr. Tenma. This is also where i believe the series REALLY starts to fall off, but it's probably time we talk about the best part of the season first.

  oh...she just like me...SHE JUST LIKE ME FR!!!!!!
  if you asked me before season 3 released who my favourite ONK character was, i would say Akane because while she didn't have much relevance during the last parts of the manga, when she did make an appearance it was if she realized how much the story had fallen up to that point and tried her best to save it from being egregiously mediocre. She may have failed in that regard, but she was still a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

  Kana however, i mostly sidelined because her character mostly boiled down to "waaaa aqua doesn't love me and my career is in the gutter" and she didn't really contribute much to the plot. Having given the manga some time (and also growing more as a person) i find myself really resonating with Kana, and would go so far as to say she's my favourite character despite not having much different from her manga counterpart. This season focuses on her pretty heavily, as this is where her character starts to really pick up, and hopefully reaches a decent conclusion if the anime team play their cards right. Unfortunately, with how the Anime is headed, she's probably not getting a decent conclusion to her side of the story just like Akane.

  Also i can't not mention this, but Aqua and Kana NEED to get together. Shipping wars are probably the most unemployed thing people can do, but I'm gonna participate regardless. I will also take KanaKane because im a sucker for rivals to lovers. Romance isn't exactly a big thing in ONK, so i wont dwell on it any longer.

  ---

  MOVIE
  Hoo boy. This is gonna be fun.

  After Aqua leaked to the public that him and Ruby were Ai's children, he starts work on "The 15-Year Lie", a biography on Ai Hoshino.

  I have a lot to say about this arc, but I'm going to save most of it for when it gets fully adapted. Some things i wanna say though:

  • This arc was a mess in the Manga and it still feels messy here. This mess wasn't particularly an issue until the Auditions for Ai's role in the movie (AKANE IS SO MUCH MORE SUITED FOR THE ROLE THAN RUBY EVER WILL BE. I AM GOING TO DIE ON THIS HILL) where the series really started to dip in quality, which is not something i can say for the manga since it's dip was much earlier.
  • Soooo are we getting anything about Hikaru? Even besides the killing for the original actress chosen to play Ai??? The anime team have expanded and switched the order of some scenes, and i dont see why they havent done more set up for Hikaru cuz y'know...HE'S THE MAIN ANTAGONIST. HE IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTER IN THE SERIES BESIDES AI AND COULD USE THE DEVELOPMENT??????
  • This adaptation made me realize Ruby is probably the weakest character within the main cast, even after Aqua went full edgelord and started doing Light Yagami-esque internal monologues. This made the last few episodes (where she became a big focus) way less entertaining and interesting to watch. The flashback stuff involving Sarina's mother was pretty heartbreaking though so i can give her that.
  • The ending of the season was really underwhelming. It set up a lot, but didn't conclude much. What it did conclude was...yikes.
  • finally, GOOD GOD I WAS HOPING THEY WOULD CHANGE IT IN SOME WAY BUT NOPE THEY JUST WENT FULL FORCE WITH IT AND NOW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.

  What did i want them to change?

  ---

  Blank Fairy - Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill 2 OST)
  When i first read the subtitles of Ruby's character, talking about how she (Sarina) wanted to marry Aqua (Gorou) when she turned 16; i paused the episode, leaned back in my chair, took a deep breath, cupped my mouth firmly with my hands and started laughing. At was at this point, i realized something.

  they aren't changing anything.

  This terrifies me, because there is a very high chance they won't alter the absolutely garbage ending of the manga. The best we are getting is some expansion on scenes, but other than that? It's really not looking good, and not just because of the plot point that made me realize this. speaking of that plot point:

  I don't think i need to say this, but considering what I've seen online and how normalized it can feel, I'm going to say it anyway.

  INCEST IS BAD.

  I understand loving your siblings, but...jesus. I know the same argument can be made for say, Homosexuality, but it falls apart when you consider the biological concerns. Inbreeding causes birth deformities, which should be reason enough to completely disregard Incest as something that should be committed. Even without the biological concerns, the psychological repercussions are enough justification against Incest entirely. A romantic dynamic mixed with a familial dynamic creates all kinds of concerns for how a power dynamic would operate in such a relationship.

  Even with my reasons aside, Incest is plain weird no matter the context. Why this is present in ONK no less, confuses me to this day.

  Even MORE things aside, there's no point to Aqua and Ruby being lovers. Regardless of incest, power dynamic, mental age gap, all sorts of things, there's nothing i can see them gaining. Ruby becomes happier and that's all that changes. It is never brought up in any real capacity after.

  My main hope going into this part of the story, was that the anime team would cut it completely. It didn't serve anything to the plot, and it doesn't have any reason to be adapted either, besides pleasing the loud minority that like this sort of thing. Seriously, the shit storm i saw when 143 (yet to be adapted) dropped, without even being too aware of Oshi No Ko at the time, was astonishing. It was only topped by the final chapter causing an even bigger shit storm.

  ---

  OVERALL THOUGHTS
  Criticism aside, Oshi No Ko is still very much worth watching. If you can look past some of the horrible decisions which are NOT going to be remedied, you will see a fascinating deconstruction of the entertainment industry and a nice side dish of character drama and revenge. I still consider ONK to be one of my favourite series ever made, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna pull any punches when it comes to the problems i have with it. If this season had a proper conclusion, and at the very least made an attempt to alter one of the most unnecessary parts of the manga, it would be pushing 9.5/95 territory. I still have hope for the final season, as the anime crew have done an amazing job regardless.

  8.9/10.

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