REVIEW: ‘Oshi No Ko’ Episode 24 — “Wish”

Now that she knows the man she hoped to find isn’t missing, but dead, Ruby (Yurie Igoma) struggles with deep emotional turmoil. But something even darker awaits her when she learns a new wrinkle to an old truth she and Aqua (Takeo Otsuka) believed settled years ago. While Ruby spirals downward, Oshi No Ko Episode 24 “Wish” sees Aqua find himself a new goal as he and Akane (Manaka Iwami) figure out what is next for their relationship.

This episode picks up after Ruby and Akane’s discovery. We see a full investigation begin as the site is sealed off, and Ruby is shown undergoing questioning. Ruby’s shock and broken spirit resonate throughout the opening moments. As the half of her and Aqua always felt more energetic, seeing her so dulled is a striking contrast to her usual mood.

While Ruby’s dismay is the first thing that hits viewers, the first big moment of Oshi No Ko Episode 24 belongs to Aqua and Akane. Sitting alone on a dark park bench, the two have a heart-to-heart about what happened and Aqua’s role in putting the pieces in place for it to occur.

This scene hits all the buttons it strives to. Akane knows her role in Aqua’s life, and she has prepared herself to lose him. As she permits him to leave her, stating that she knows she is of no more use to him, the tears begin to flow down her cheeks. How Iwami delivers the character’s trembling voice and how the animation captures not just the flow of tears but how the young actress desperately tries to wipe them away, the viewer cannot help but feel heartbroken for the young woman. But her sorrow isn’t long-lasting.

Shocking her, Aqua brushes a tear from her cheeks and tells her that he wants to focus on something new now that everything he needs to know has revealed itself. He wants to focus on protecting her. He follows up this declaration with a tender kiss. One that leaves Akane speechless as the camera pans away to the star-filled night sky.

This scene is a fantastic way to bring the current arc of Akane and Aqua’s journey to a wrap. While the pair have a couple more appearances in the episode, this is the bow on their story so far. While it doesn’t seem likely that the moment will last, given the nature of the series, seeing this gentle connection between the two shown at least one chance to be is a wonderful gift to fans who have gone through the pair’s turmoil all season.

Just as Aqua refocuses his life towards Akane, Ruby is set on her new path. With her recent discovery still reverberating through her soul, she visits the hospital where she was cared for during her previous life. Seeing her sunken frame on the same rooftop that, just episodes prior, we witnessed her former self cheering gleefully is a poignant contest for the character.

As she lets her emotions envelop her, she is visited by the young girl with the crows we were introduced to recently. The girl’s attitude feels mocking at times. She seems belittling of Ruby’s struggles, making the revelation she gifts the grieving girl all but certainly self-serving. The information she imparts to Ruby is that there were two killers involved in the doctor’s death. A Teenager who would go on to be the man who murdered Ai and another who no one knows about.

This revelation cuts deep into Ruby. Knowing that one of the individuals responsible for her pain hasn’t been dealt with seems to harden her in a way that makes her feel reminiscent of Aqua before he set aside his vengeance. Later in the episode, the star in Ruby’s eye changes, reflecting the dark path that seems to stretch out before her.

The remainder of Oshi No Ko Episode 24 centers on the final filming of B Komachi’s music videos. The shift in Ruby is reinforced here, as her new, darker self is set against her cheerful co-stars. Even the video’s director, who barely knows Ruby, seems painfully aware of the new energy that seems to have sprouted up in the girl.

Once filming is done, the audience is treated to the full music video. The bright energy and upbeat tones clash sharply with what we have witnessed leading up to this point. But as so much of the series has always focused on the dark shades beneath the glitz and glamour of public life, this contrast feels like a perfect fit.

As the episode draws to a close, we get a time jump, landing the narrative six months in the future. We learn from Aqua’s narration that everyone’s ambitions are bearing fruit and that it is a time of great success for the cast. This feels like a perfect setup for next season to bring it all crashing down.

The last thing we see is an introduction to who seems to be the second killer, who is shown claiming another victim. The manner of the figure and his gleeful appraisal of his newest target crafts a sinister air to the character that speaks of an especially depraved person.

Oshi No Ko Episode 24 features a series of emotional moments and sets up a new course for the show. It hints at the pain to come as Aqua and Ruby have seemingly swapped roles, giving fans a new status queue to look forward to. 

Oshi No Ko Episode 24 is streaming now on HiDive.