Recap & Spoilers for Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 1

The much-anticipated Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 aired on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 7 a.m. PDT on HIDIVE. The anime’s second season brings to life the 2.5D Stage Play arc, giving characters a platform to showcase their acting prowess. While some characters, like Kana Arima and Akane Kurokawa, aim to outshine each other on stage, Aqua Hoshino has a deeper goal. He hopes to uncover the truth behind his mother Ai Hoshino’s death through his participation in the play.

The episode, titled “Tokyo Blade,” kicks off with a stage play introducing characters Blade, Tsurugi, Kizami, Monme, Touki, and Princess Saya, met with applause from the theater audience. The narrative then transitions to the first day of rehearsals. Aqua Hoshino and Akane Kurokawa rehearse a scene together, portraying Touki and Princess Saya, respectively.

Following this, the episode introduces the rest of the cast: Kana Arima as Tsurugi, Melt Narushima as Kizami, and Sakuya Kamoshida as Monme. The scene then shifts focus to Ruby Hoshino visiting the Hoshino family grave.

At the gravesite, Ruby recounts the events of the past four months. She speaks to her mother Ai’s grave, detailing her experiences as a B-Komachi idol. Ruby mentions small concerts, online video uploads, and the gradual growth of their fan base. She also talks about her brother Aqua’s involvement in the play, despite his lack of interest in acting. Additionally, she notes that Aqua is dating Akane, a relationship she believes is motivated by work. Finally, Ruby expresses her dream of performing at the Tokyo Dome, a goal her mother never achieved.

As Akane shares her passion for acting, Aqua contemplates his true motive for joining the stage play. He sees it as an opportunity to gain information about Ai’s death from the play’s director and Lala Lai’s leader, Toshirou Kindaichi, who allegedly had some influence over Ai.

The stage producer, Sumaki Raida, observes the rehearsal, evaluating everyone’s performance. Taiki Himekawa’s acting particularly stands out, causing Kana to elevate her own performance in response, leaving everyone impressed.

Akane notes Kana’s confident acting and observes the formation of various groups among the actors. Aqua, however, remains solitary, prompting Akane to approach him. Aqua critiques Kana’s acting skills and challenges Akane to step up her game if she wants to surpass Kana, fueling a sense of rivalry.

Later, Akane reflects on the script, puzzled by her character Princess Saya, who has limited scenes both in the manga and the script despite being Touki’s love interest. This is because Touki’s pairing with Tsurugi is more popular among manga fans, overshadowing Saya.

Akane is encouraged by Aqua to voice her frustration to the scriptwriter, GOA, and the director. GOA explains that the changes to Saya’s character are necessary because of limited stage time. Although Akane accepts this explanation, she does so reluctantly.

The episode concludes with a surprising twist. Tokyo Blade and Sweet Today’s authors, Abiko Samejima and Kichijouji, attend the play and commend the performances. However, Abiko stands up hesitantly and demands a complete rewrite of the script, leaving everyone in shock.

Source: HIDIVE