Oshi no Ko Season 2, Episode 9 Recap and Spoilers

The following contains spoilers for Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 9, “Dream,” now streaming on HIDIVE.

Starting from episode 9, the Tokyo Blade story arc Oshi no Ko is about to conclude. Interestingly, episode 9 may have concluded this arc, but it didn't actually resolve many plot threads, so many lingering mysteries and conflicts will continue into the next arc and perhaps beyond. One example is the love triangle between Kana Arima and Akane Kurokawa, who are feuding over Aqua Hoshino. That love triangle is quickly evolving into something else entirely, as episode 9 shows.



Aside from that, Aqua seems to be going back and forth on how and why he should act as a performer, seemingly contradicting the last scene of episode 8 regarding Aqua's use of method acting and his traumatic memories of Ai Hoshino's murder. Aqua can't decide what Ai's murder means to him as a performer and as a reborn person, and this may distract him as he continues to seek revenge against Ai's killer. Finally, as the Tokyo Blade arc ends and the next one quietly begins, Aqua gets a new lead in his quest, and it's more personal than anything he's seen so far.



Aqua embraces method acting when she sees her mother in the character of Akane

Aqua can't decide whether to keep her emotions out of her performance.

Ai Hoshino looks surprised in a flashback.

The previous episode of Oshi no Ko was named “Trigger” because Aqua had a hard time dealing with the horrific memories of his idol's mother's murder, which became a real trigger for him as he tried Tokyo Blade. On the one hand, performers are allowed to draw on personal experiences to fuel and shape their acting on stage, and that includes anger and pain, among others. Unfortunately for Aqua, those memories trigger him, meaning method acting isn't an option for him. Or at least, it seemed that way in previous episodes, only for things to seemingly change in episode 9. Aqua once tried to subvert the concept of method acting by hating acting and keeping his personal experiences out of it, which almost seemed like anti-acting, if there was such a thing. Now Aqua seems to be using method acting for real.


In episode 9, Aqua thinks back to her late idol mother, and then sees her again when Akane is Tokyo Blade the character performs an act of sacrifice. Akane's character, Princess Saya, uses a special scabbard to absorb all the wounds she gets in battle.securing peace at the cost of her own safety. Aqua can't help but compare this to Ai suffering fatal stab wounds to protect her young children from harm, and this fuels Aqua's acting as her character, Touki, cries out for Saya's sake. This doesn't cause Aqua to have a panic attack or collapse, though Oshi no Ko recently they have speculated that such a thing could probably happen.


It's still not 100% certain whether Aqua's memories of Ai's death will continue to destabilize him as they did at the beginning of season 2, and it's not entirely clear whether or not Aqua will continue to use anti-acting to survive in this industry. Not even a brief flashback to his younger days with Ai can resolve this uncertainty, but with Tokyo Blade now that it's over, it may not be a problem for Aqua for a while. On a somewhat related note, it's also up for debate whether Aqua will end her quest for revenge or embrace her new life as Aquamarine Hoshino, her old, forgotten Dr. Gorou self.

It seems likely that Aqua will continue to seek revenge, for the sake of the plot. She is reminded not to enjoy her new life too much as a distraction in episode 9. On the other hand, Ai's murder is getting further and further into the pastand Aqua's original self, Dr. Gorou, is even further away. It is possible that, regardless of her intentions, she will completely become Aqua Hoshino and live her normal life, forgetting all subversion and revenge.


Kana Arima and Akane Kurokawa love their rivalry more than they love Aqua

Girls have their careers to think about, not just their love lives.

Towards the end of the first season, Oshi no Ko features Kana Arima and Akane Kurokawa as both professional and romantic rivalsbut season 2 has moved things in other directions, and episode 9 continues that trend. In fact, Akane and Kana aren't doing much as romantic rivals, because instead, they're better defined as professional rivals. Each is trying to outdo the other with their respective skills and ideas, like Kana unleashing her pent-up talent as the “sun” that Akane admires so much. Aqua is mostly just a bystander despite being the third member of that love triangle, and Kana and Akane are simply using Aqua's character as a reason to be on their best behavior with their own characters.


Of course, Akane still cares a lot about Aqua, being her devoted girlfriend, but she doesn't seem threatened by Kana, her romantic rival. Akane is more focused on Kana, her professional rival, determined to face the sunny Kana as best she can and win. Meanwhile, Kana has stopped holding back and is shining brightly in Tokyo Bladeand that makes her the real star. As of episode 9, Akane doesn't seem all that bothered by Kana reclaiming her place as the most dazzling and profound actress on stage, while Kana is both thrilled and exhausted by her performances. By the time Tokyo Blade fact, neither Kana nor Akane make any particular move towards Aqua.


This strongly suggests that the idea of ​​a love triangle has been overdone in previous episodes, and that it was partly just a product of Mem-Cho's overeager imagination. The reality is that both Kana and Akane are compelling characters as they both strive for greatness despite the upheavals in their industry, with Kana trying to reclaim her former glory and Akane fighting hard as an underdog. Additionally, Kana is now free to resume her idol work with B-Komachi alongside Ruby Hoshino and Mem-Cho, and time will tell how Akane Kurokawa will progress her career. In between jobs, Akane may actually be settling into the role of Aqua's partner and lover, supporting him as he continues to seek revenge. If that's the case, then the Akane-Kana rivalry may be put on hold soon, especially as the narrative is now shifting towards Aqua's quest for revenge and away from any potential love triangles.


Overall, Akane and Kana seem to grow up as they continue their professional love life and focus less on the fight for Aqua. That's because in episode 9, Akane briefly steals the show with her performance as the fallen princess Saya, giving Aqua a chance to play off her solid performance with a fine performance of her own. Meanwhile, in a slightly surprising move, Kana humbles herself by saying that she's Not a genius, no matter what people call her. This means that Kana will continue to embrace the virtue of hard work and never take anything for granted, which is exactly the attitude that any rival of Akane should have. Thus, episode 9 promises to offer even more personal and professional growth for Akane and Kana in future arcs. For now, however, the spotlight shifts back to Aqua.

Aqua gets a head start on her quest for revenge

This also expands Aqua's family tree.

Aqua watches Taiki as he talks to Toshiro Kindaichi.


Some scenes in the first episodes of the second season reminded fans that Aqua Hoshino is still obsessed with the desire to avenge his late motherand episode 9 sets the plot thread in motion once again. As Aqua had predicted, she used the Tokyo Blade production to get close to the right people, and in episode 9, she makes her move. She wants to ask director Toshiro Kindaichi about Ai and her time at the Lala Lai theater company and find out who she fell in love with. Aqua asks him during a celebratory lunch at the restaurant, only to have Mr. Kindaichi politely but firmly refuse to answer that question. So, it's up to Taiki Himekawa, a fellow actor, to pry the truth out of Mr. Kindaichi.


Taiki's intent is to take Mr. Kindaichi to a dimly lit bar and get him drunk enough to let the truth slip out, but unfortunately for Aqua, Mr. Kindaichi doesn't reveal anything and then falls asleep, too drunk to talk. However, this isn't a dead end for Aqua, as he has some test results that point him in another direction. Until Aqua can interrogate Toshiro Kindaichi, he'll settle for Taiki himself, hence the two young men's conversation at the end of episode 9.

The episode ends with a shocking twist: according to a blood test, Aqua and Taiki are half-brothers with the same father. Aqua demands that Taiki explain everything he knows about her father, and the episode ends on that cliffhanger. There's no doubt that this plot thread will play a major role in this new story arc, whether or not Aqua gets the name of her father and her mother's killer. The dark tension is back in full force here in Oshi no Koand no amount of B-Komachi's goofy antics can distract viewers from this fact for long.


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