REVIEW: ‘Oshi no Ko,’ Episode 2 — “Third Option”

With a decade passed since the brutal killing of their mother at the hands of a crazed stalker, twins Ruby, and Aqua have had to forge ahead in their lives. But despite growing older, it’s clear both lives are still fixated on the event of the fateful night. Though Oshi no Ko Episode 2 shows just how different that paramount moment in their lives has impacted them.

How differently tragedy can impact people is always an amazing thing. One person can cling to the happier memories that the pain ended, while another can only look at the event itself and become fixated on “righting” the wrong that occurred in the past. Even with the knowledge that nothing could ever truly make such a pain right or lessened. This is the state that Oshi no Ko Episode 2 finds its staring twins in.

Despite everything that has happened, we see Ruby throw herself into the pursuit of being an idol, following in her mother’s footsteps. Her enthusiasm and determination are nice to see, even though it is hard to imagine one wishing to embrace the lifestyle that leads to her mother’s early departure from the world. Her general energy is also a stark contrast to the personality that Aqua has grown into.

As eluded to at the end of the pilot episode, Oshi no Ko Episode 2 sees Aqua is fully committed to his plan to discover who let the stalker know where to find his mother on that fateful night a decade ago. While he was always the more reserved of the twins, all the energy Aqua ever had is clearly gone from him. He generally comes across as cold and humorless, with little thought for others’ feelings. This is seen most clearly in how Aqua approaches his sister’s idol dreams.

The lengths Aqua shows he is willing to go to “protect” his sister from the dangers he perceives in her idol dreams gives the character a villainous energy that makes me wonder what the final dynamic between the two will be by the time the final credits roll. His disregard for Ruby’s feelings almost feels like he doesn’t see them as real. His dismissal of the observations of those around him and their concerns about his behavior, whether from the director he apprentices with or their adopted mother, Miyako, further reinforces this impression. How far he will ultimately go to control his sister’s life and find his mother’s killer feels up in the air, with the final answers potentially leading to only more pain than anything else.

The complex feelings throughout Oshi no Ko Episode 2 managed to deliver the full range of emotions on display in this episode wonderfully through the animation. Flexing between the usual anime pep that Ruby exhibits and the cold aura of Aqua feels effortless and natural throughout the presentation.

Oshi no Ko Episode 2 manages to follow up the shocking opening entry to the series with a strong second episode that lays the groundwork for what the story will actually be. I find myself with a desperate need to know where the twins’ lives will end up taking them while also dreading the further pain that it feels likely to bring.

Oshi no Ko Episode 2 is streaming now on HIDIVE.