REVIEW: ‘Oshi No Ko’ Season 3 Episode 2 — “Calculating”

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 2, “Calculating,” centers on Ruby (Yurie Igoma, Shikimori’s not just a Cutie) as we learn why she has wormed her way into her new position on the same show as Aqua (Takeo Otsuka, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity). Her enthusiastic approach to her new gig brings her into contact with a highly overworked and underappreciated assistant director. 

There has always been an oddity for me when it comes to this series. As a general rule, this show is at its best when it’s not trying to deal with the core reincarnation/murder mystery plot line. Rather, it delivers its best when exploring the entertainment industry, the people who work in it, the fans’ response to it, and just how much it can hurt everyone involved. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 2 leans into this side element of the series by focusing its narrative on the assistant director (AD) that Ruby tries to suck up to. In an impressively smooth narrative transition, the story’s focus is handed off from Ruby so well that it’s hard to even notice until the credits are about to roll. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 2 homes in on one AD’s life, pulling back the curtain on the work done.

As it follows the AD around, internal monologues expound on the many struggles that increase the hapless director’s workload. Declining interest in TV, changing approaches to shoot schedules, and an overbearing boss all demand he do the work of three, but without even the budget to accommodate the efforts of one. 

Perhaps the biggest element of such high-stress industry jobs that Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 2 brings to light is how easily labor laws can be circumvented. Sure, the AD isn’t supposed to pull extra work after hours, but if the work doesn’t get done, his life becomes even worse. So, he brings his work home with him anyway. It’s impossible to imagine his superiors don’t know what’s happening, especially since they are the ones dumping an impossible workload on him. How else could he complete all his assigned tasks?

This malicious spiral is captured perfectly through the animation. Doga Kobo captures the anxiety and strain that the AD bears with great effect. His exhaustion is palpable in his visual presentation and is further emphasized by the strong voice acting. There is no way one cannot feel sympathy for his plight. 

Akane’s mulling over Aqua reveals the intricacies of her mind.

Outside of this crushing display of mismanagement, Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 2 cuts away for a moment to catch up with Aqua and Akane (Manaka Iwami, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead) as the former walks the latter home after work on a rainy night. 

As the pair walk home in comfortable silence, Akane ponders her relationship with Aqua and the recent change in her boyfriend’s attitude towards Kana. The exploration of Akane’s feelings leaves a complicated aftertaste. Her suspicions about just how much Kana may mean to Aqua trouble her, but she’s willing to set it aside. Suspecting that she was chosen for a relationship because of what she’s willing to help him with, Akane is willing to accept this state, as it gets her what she wants: Aqua. 

The content of the musing creates an intricate clash with Iwami’s delivery. Akane’s tone is that of a love-struck girl who just wants the good life with the boy she likes. Her words, however, leave a far more calculating impression, prompting the observer to ponder her true feelings and how happy she actually is with the situation they have created. Only time will tell.

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 2 delivers another of the series’ looks at the cruelty of the entertainment business, while also providing important character exploration for one of its stars. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 2 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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