REVIEW: ‘Oshi no Ko,’ Episode 4 – “Actors”

With the tv series Aqua and Kana are working on wrapping up, Aqua decided to give the final climactic moment his all. But despite the struggles the production went through during filming, it seems some joy has been found in their work in Oshi no Ko Episode 4.

While Oshi no Ko up to this point has been more than willing to look at the less-than-happy elements of being a public entertainer, it is important to call attention to the good aspects of it as well. Despite the unreasonable expectations and less-than-stellar motives that have been explored already, the arts bring emotion and joy to the daily lives of many even if it comes from a largely botched tv adaptation.

The opening scene of Oshi no Ko Episode 4 sees the final, climatic scene of Aqua and Kana’s shoot play out. The running internal monologues of both characters color the sequence, giving a heightened sense of drama to the proceedings. How Aqua leans into the role of the crazed stalker is impactful, particularly given how close to home it strikes for him.

The animation in this sequence delivers this dramatic scene with a chilling effect. Aqua goes all in to make his stalker persona come to life and the animation does a lot of the heavy lifting to bring it to life. From strong camera angles to how it delivers the classic blade lick moment, the scene is brought to life with plenty of effects.

How this dramatic scene ultimately comes together and the effect it has on the loyal fans who are still watching delivers a rare moment of unadulterated joy to this largely dark series. Being reminded of how much a performance can mean to someone validates the struggles of characters like Kana who put their all into their craft. I especially appreciated how the show takes the time to return to the creator of its manga source material to deliver their reaction.

Once the show is over though, life goes on in Oshi no Ko Episode 4. Class begins and the series spends the rest of its time introducing new classmates and situations the characters will come face to face with next. This story setup works for the most. A little eye-rolling can be found with Ruby’s over-admiration of one of her classmate’s chest, but overall the sequence provides a laid-back launching point for where the show will go next.

Oshi no Ko Episode 4 provides the series with an appreciated emotional palette-cleansing entry. We get to enjoy a moment where everything seems to be going well for the twins and their budding circle of friends. This sort of moment is wonderful not only to give fans a chance to recuperate from what the show has already delivered in terms of emotional punch but also strengthens the blows to come by making the audience bond even more with the cast in their happy times.

Oshi no Ko Episode 4 is streaming now on HIDIVE.