REVIEW: ‘Oshi No Ko’ Season 3 Episode 1 — “Down Bad”

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1, “Down Bad,” sees B Komachi’s star on the rise after shooting their new video. But as the old saying goes, “The reward for a successful job is a harder one.” And it looks like growing an audience may be even harder than getting noticed in the first place. Especially when personal feelings and concerns begin to pull some of your members down. 

With some time having passed since the closing events of season two, this episode opens with Mem-Cho (Rumi Okubo, Engage Kiss), who is hard at work maintaining B Komachi’s growing social media presence. Through her hard work, we get a glimpse into everything that has to be done in order to keep an audience’s attention in the modern age.

Numerous nuanced concepts, such as making appearances on other channels to boost the band’s algorithmic presence, are touched on here. Not long enough to stall the episode’s intro, but enough to impart to the viewer just how overwhelming that task alone can be. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1 fills in the holes between seasons.

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1 also seamlessly weaves in some quick catch-up on what has been transpiring for both the group and key personalities in their orbit, like Aqua (Takeo Otsuka, Gnosia) and Akane (Manaka Iwami, Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers).

Despite its brief time in the opening, this sequence does an excellent job of filling in the holes between seasons. Supported by a strong montage of quick shots that enhance the quick exposition, the information comes across with the perfect balance of speed and clarity. 

Despite a lot of positive developments for the group, not all is well. Both Ruby (Yurie Igoma, Shikimori’s not just a Cutie) and Kana (Megumi Han, Clevatess) find themselves struggling. While Ruby’s personality changes are left largely unaddressed, fans will know they likely stem from the revelations at the end of last season. This change is seen throughout the episode and manifested visually through the change in her eyes. Rather than sport the one bright star in her right eye, both eyes now bear a dark star. 

The confrontation between Mem-Cho and Aqua is the highlight of Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1.

Kana’s struggles are more clear-cut in Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1. They stem from Aqua’s developing relationship with Akane. How the narrative explores the changing situation between Kana and Aqua deepens both characters as Mem-Cho approaches each in turn to figure out what’s going on.

Seeing the often silly, yet still more mature Mem-Cho step into the older sister role is a somewhat surprising turn of events. Despite her actions here not falling into her usual repertoire, it feels like a natural pivot for the character. The believability of Mem-Cho’s intervention is also helped by her gross misjudgment of Aqua’s intentions, leading to a glimpse of Aqua’s deeper fears and traumas. 

The confrontation between Mem-Cho and Aqua is the highlight of Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1. It skillfully works key moments of the series past into the episode, serving as a refresher without feeling like one. Being reminded of just how scarring the early moments of the series were to Aqua and how his unresolved trauma informs his actions towards Kana creates a powerful centerpiece for the series’ return. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1 gets the new season off to a great start.

Driving home everything that this episode brings, from emotional confrontations to a bopping musical performance by B Komachi, is the excellent animation from Doga Kobo. Every major moment is striking in its delivery.

Thanks to great color selections and the intentionally messy line art that enhances the fraying emotional state of characters at key moments, the presentation does just as great a job of reestablishing the visual language of the series as quickly and effectively as the writing does for the plot. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1 gets the new season off to a great start. It smoothly reestablishes its world and begins hitting the emotional beats that are the series’s greatest strength without missing a step. Here’s hoping the rest of the season can follow suit. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll, with new episodes airing every Wednesday.

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