REVIEW: ‘Oshi No Ko’ Episode 12 – “Tokyo Blade”

Four months have passed since B Komanchi’s debut performance. In that time, Aqua (Takeo Otsuka, The Apothecary Diaries) has continued his relationship with Akane (Manaka Iwami) and the pair now find themselves preparing to appear in an upcoming 2.5D stage performance of the popular manga series Tokyo Blade. But while Akane is focused on the job, Aqua remains committed to discovering who caused his mother’s death in Oshi No Ko Episode 12 “Tokyo Blade” from Doga Kobo.

Oshi No Ko Episode 12 opens on a visually engaging but odd note. As the story begins, we see the opening moments of the stage play that is set to dominate the opening episodes of the season. We learn about the setting of the tale, as well as get a feeling for the characters.

While this opening builds a lot of energy for the performance and establishes the scale of the show, it feels overly long. As the glimpses of character moments and stage effects play out, many eager fans will want to move on, hoping to catch up with the characters they are interested in. This is a desire that will only be partly satiated.

Once this opening passes, Oshi No Ko Episode 12 fills the audience in on what has transpired since last season’s finale from Ruby (Yurie Igoma). Standing at her mother’s grave, we hear about the changes that have occurred as she recounts them for her mom’s benefit. We learn about how her career as an idol is making slow but steady progress, as well as Aqua’s part in the upcoming stage play.

This moment shifts the tone of the episode away from the energy of the stage performance to a more somber place. Igoma delivers the quiet, contemplative words of her character skillfully. While it is Ruby’s only appearance in the episode, Igoma manages to make it stand out with the sincerity and feeling the actor uses to bring the character to life.

From there, we travel to the rehearsal hall where the cast of Tokyo Blade has begun their preparations for the coming play. We learn about the state of the preparations as well as who the new characters are thanks to the guiding hand of Akane. Her observations introduce many of the faces that look like prominent personalities for the coming arc. While most are new, the familiar face of Kana Arima (Megumi Han, Vampire in the Garden) is also seen participating. We see Kana practicing her lines opposite the play’s lead with surprising results.

As Kana gets into her performance, the visual presentation delivers a wonderfully creative addition to the dialogue. As the actors exchange confrontational lines and swing rolled-up magazines like swords, the onlookers are caught in splashes of color. These splashes correlate with both “sword” strokes and particularly punchy lines. The presence of the paint greatly enhances the sense of impact the acting has on the watching cast members.

Kana’s excellent performance leaves Akane worried that she won’t be able to hold her own on stage when the play debuts. The biggest source of struggle for the young actress comes from the role she has in the production. The secondary character she plays isn’t a fan favorite in the source material. Because of this, her character’s motivations have been “simplified” to save time in the performance.

However, by simplifying, Akane recognizes that the character has been completely changed. This leaves her in an awkward position as she tries to struggle with how to approach her character’s personality. She confides in Aqua about how she would like to ask the writer who is visiting the rehearsal but is afraid of causing problems. In one of Aqua’s better moments thus far in the series, he decides to do it for her.

Aqua informs both the writer and director that Akane has a question about her character, allowing her to voice her concerns. While Aqua approaches the situation with the same aura of cold indifference surrounding him he generally carries, it’s clear that he genuinely wants to help Akane. It’s good to see Oshi No Ko Episode 12 give Aqua a moment like this. The character can sometimes struggle to engage the audience, so giving him a good guy moment helps remind the viewers that there are reasons to like him.

While Aqua’s act of helpfulness towards Akane and Kana’s big performance serves as strong pillar moments for Oshi No Ko Episode 12‘s main plot, much of the rest of the episode is a bit of a slough. Many of the moments feel drawn out, causing the viewer to lose interest at times. Also, the narrative never manages to give the viewer a strong reason to connect with much of the information it tells them, leaving the viewer wondering, “What’s the point.”

The final stretch of the episode sees the mangaka of the source material attend a rehearsal performance. While he is moved by the heartfelt portrayals of his characters, the episode ends with him requesting a rewrite. With less than a month before the scheduled debut, it’s obvious why this is a daunting request.

Oshi No Ko Episode 12 gets the narrative going again in a questionable way. Rather than focus on either of the twins, this return chooses to shine the light on Akane and the production that she and Aqua are involved in. While there are a couple of stand-out moments, overall, the episode feels a bit listless as it explores the work being done on set. Hopefully, subsequent episodes will build on the characters and situation introduced here to create something meaningful.

Oshi No Ko Episode 12 is streaming now on HiDive.