REVIEW: ‘Oshi No Ko’ Season 3 Episode 6 — “Idols and Relationships”

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6, “Idols and Relationships,” follows Kana (Megumi Han, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045) in the aftermath of last week’s rendezvous. It delves into the idol industry, its changing nature, and what Kana can expect once the story of her all-night rendezvous with a married man comes out. 

Before getting to the heart of Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6, a brief opening sequence introduces Ruby (Yurie Igoma, Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie) as she appears on an interview show where she and other idols are asked questions. Most notably, these questions tend to focus on boys and whether they are seeing anyone, even though idols are not supposed to enter into relationships. 

Ruby’s musings on the fixation on idol relationships and the evolving fallout from them nicely set up the rest of Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6. Ruby’s unattached observations give the viewer a neutral analysis of the expectations and realities the topic encompasses. This allows the need-to-know information to be delivered cleanly, before the episode drops into more emotional waters. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6 pulls no punches, putting Kana through the wringer.

Once Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6 moves on to the main event, it wastes little time hitting Kana hard with the reality of the situation. Approached by the paparazzo who took her picture at the end of the last episode, Kana quickly panics when he begins barraging her with questions and flees down a random street. 

While Kana’s emotional response takes center stage here and will hold the limelight for the remainder of Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6, an element that hits hard and demands attention in this moment is how pointless the “reporter’s” approach to her about the allegation is. 

His every question is clearly framed so that no matter what she chooses to say, she’ll look bad. When she walks away, he calls after her, asking if her silence is an admission of guilt. Requiring media sources to approach someone to get their side of the story makes sense, but when the goals and approach are so slanted as they feel here, one can’t help but question the point of even bothering. Beyond hoping that ambushing and bagering an unsuspecting woman will yield some humiliating or damning incident, of course.

Fixating on idols can only lead to pain, and Kana experiences that firsthand when she realizes she can’t trust anyone.

As has been the show’s modus operandi since day one, Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6 delivers the psychological torment Kana faces with brutal depth. As she walks down a street, she begins to hear random passersby talking about her, mocking her dedication and shaming her for what they would assume she was doing that night. Despite being out in the open, Kana’s world becomes increasingly claustrophobic as the entire world shrinks around her. At her lowest moment, she lets out a sad whimper, pleading for Aqua to save her. 

It is in this moment that the episode delivers what is possibly the season’s biggest triumph thus far. Hearing herself plead for the aid of a man who can barely be bothered to give her the time of day (her point of view), Kana rallies herself and refuses to be diminished to the role of damsel in distress. She yells and screams, acknowledging that she doesn’t care what the fans think. Even going so far as screaming out that she doesn’t even like the fans. That she will do things her way, and no one will stop her. 

Ultimately, Kana’s “big” moment also reassures Aqua.

The icing on the cake for this moment of strength is the unknown presence of Aqua. Having gone out to look for her when Miyako (Lynn, Insomniacs After School) couldn’t reach her after being informed of the impending story, Aqua witnesses Kana’s declaration of intent. Seeing her stand on her own two feet crafts a perfect ending to Aqua’s struggles about leaving Kana behind. She has the rest of B Komachi with her, and even if she didn’t, she would still thrive with her own strength. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6 takes another powerful plunge into the strain and pain of public life as one of its stars faces popular judgment. However, this time, the show also highlights that character as they choose to stand against the tide of judgment coming their way, and flip the proverbial finger. 

Oshi No Ko Season 3 Episode 6 is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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