REVIEW: ‘Oshi No Ko’ Episode 13 — “Game Of Telephone”

When Tokyo Blade‘s original creator came to the set to watch a rehearsal of the upcoming stage play, no one expected she would demand a full rewrite of the entire play. But that is what’s happening. As the creator debates with the producers, Oshi No Ko Episode 13 “Game of Telephone” looks at how the situation got here, rewinding time to glimpse the early interactions and failed communications that led to this impasse.

One of the hardest things to accept in life is that things are rarely black and white. Most conflicts and disputes come with layers of complexities that can be born of numerous elements. From misguided good intentions to honest miscommunication, there are plenty of ways a complex endeavor can go astray, even with everyone doing their best.

Oshi No Ko Episode 13 spends nearly the entirety of its runtime exploring these intricacies. Initially picking up where the last episode left off, the narrative quickly jumps back in time to explore the hows and whys of things reaching this point. While exploring the past is largely delivered through the creator’s lens, the episode never feels like it blindly takes her side as it strives to explain how things got to where they are.

As the episode title suggests, many of the struggles come up here due to the layers of people that information has to travel through. Rather than having the creator sit down with the screenwriter, a complaint is given to an agent, who writes an email to a producer, who passes it along to an editor who delivers it to the screenwriter. As the message passes between each person, subtle changes occur. One person alters the tone because they feel it is too harsh and mean. While these changes often seem unconscious on the part of those making them, they alter the original message nonetheless. This leaves the screenwriter acting on less-than-perfect information.

The same degree of scrutiny is also taken with the creator herself. Coming off at times as a petulant child, it’s clear that her frustrations are born of concern for her creations. She even complains at one point that she can’t stand to see “her children” being mistreated. Her passion and frustration are understandable, even as she aims it at people who are not as responsible for the problems as she may think.

The balance between a petulant child and passionate creative is greatly aided by the visuals. The animation does a great job of capturing how important and personal the work is to her. Even while the character comes across as being overbearing, the visual design does a great job of bringing nuance to their motivations to the forefront. The close-up shots and detailed facial expressions bring the viewer an impactful understanding of the emotions involved.

While Oshi No Ko Episode 13‘s core story is interesting, it does nothing with the main characters or narrative. Aside from a glimpse at the early auditions for the production, Aqua (Takeo Otsuka), Akane (Manaka Iwami), and Kana (Megumi Han, Vampire in the Garden) barely speak. With only a single mention of Aqua’s mission last episode, it would be understandable if viewers forget that the series has a central plot. That is never a good situation.

Fans wanting more from the core cast are given hope for the next episode. With the creator getting their wish to rewrite the script, the cast is left with little to do as they await their new lines. As they begin to leave, Akane learns that Aqua is less than informed about the state of modern stage plays. Seeing as they have ample time on their hands, she invites Aqua on a date to see a play so he can better understand the work they are preparing to do.

Akane’s expression of enthusiasm for theatre serves as a nice palate cleanser for the episode’s largely tense atmosphere. The joy she directs towards her medium brightens the moment. The intensity of her feelings shines all the brighter next to the perpetually indifferent Aqua. The good thing about how flat Aqua tends to be through his interactions with others is how much his personality makes others shine by contrast.

Oshi No Ko Episode 13 delivers an intriguing look at what can go wrong behind the scenes of an adaptation. Its balanced approach allows the viewer to see how so much can go wrong, even if everyone is acting with the best intentions. If only it could’ve found a way to incorporate the larger plot or core characters into its exploration.

Oshi No Ko Episode 13 is streaming now on HiDive.