Oshi no Ko, a popular spring anime, is based on the true life of a young actor.
According to a new video, Oshi no Ko's Kana Arima is based on former Japanese child actress Mana Ashida, who played the younger version of Rinko Kikuchi's Mako in Pacific Rim. Kana is a child performer who is exploited by her mother and agent, a situation that the real-life Ashida endured when a controversy involving her mother created a major disruption in her career. Ashida's mother attracted a lot of criticism for exploiting her child's success and forcing her to miss school to attend acting workshops.
The Parallels Between Arima and Ashida
The video highlights another parallel between the fictional Arima and the real-life Ashida, as their careers drastically declined as they grew older. Ashida began her career at the age of 3, appearing in the Japanese drama film Looking Up at the Half-Moon, and would go on to star in a number of prolific titles in her youth. However, as her age advanced, her popularity faded, with the now 18-year-old performer no longer at the heights she once saw. This is reflected in Oshi no Ko's Arima, who former fans see as a has-been and her search for a chance to get back into the limelight.
Oshi no Ko is a harsh satire of Japan's entertainment industry, condemning everything from the idol movement to film and television production. The series is heavily influenced by real life, concentrating on the industry's dark and occasionally brutal side. This is mirrored in the death of Ai Hoshino, a shocking incident that sets off the primary plot, which focuses on her daughters Aquamarine and Ruby Hoshino. Arima is a prominent supporting character who develops a deep, and maybe romantic, bond with Aqua, the male twin.
The Hit Song Oshi no Ko by Aka Akasaka
Studio Doga Kobo's adaptation of Aka Akasaka's manga has taken the industry by storm, quickly becoming one of the hottest properties in anime. It rose to the top of My Anime Lists' best anime of all time in its debut episode before being dethroned by Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It focuses on a slew of genres, including comedy, music, romance, mystery, and even fantasy, thanks to its use of the reborn into another life trope.
Oshi no Ko is available to watch on HIDIVE, with the manga accessible via MangaMonster.
Source: Tiktok
The popularity of Oshi no Ko continues to rise as it scores higher readership than Dragon Ball Super, My Hero Academia, Black Clover and more.
The Oshi no Ko manga has outranked huge titles like Dragon Ball Super, My Hero Academia, and more on Shueisha's MangaMonster.
According to a report from Sportskeeda, Aka Akasaka's Oshi no Ko has risen to the fifth most popular title on the digital manga service. The series has racked up over 400 thousand views on the platform, scoring higher readership numbers than a collection of the industry's hottest properties. Besides Dragon Ball Super and MHA, the music-centric comic has also outranked Spy x Family, Black Clover, Dandadan, Mashle: Magic and Muscles, Naruto: Sasuke's Story and Kaiju No 8.
The Oshi no Ko property has seen immense success in 2023, with the anime adaptation thrusting the project into the mainstream. Studio Doga Kobo's adaptation of Akasaka's manga, which Mengo Yokoyari illustrates, was placed at the number one position on My Anime List's best anime of all time ranking after its explosive debut episode. It now sits at the number two slot behind Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Despite this, the anime still finds massive success as the biggest launch in HIDIVE history, bringing many eyes to the source material.
Four Manga Series that Outperformed Oshi no Ko
Only four manga properties drew more readers than the contemporary fantasy series. Jujutsu Kaisen, Boruto: Naruto Next Generation, One Piece, and Chainsaw Man were the first four.Chainsaw Man has firmly taken the top spot after Tatsuki Fujimoto's series received nearly 1 million views on the internet. This puts it well ahead of One Piece's second-place total of approximately 700 thousand.
The story revolves around a gynecologist who is murdered and resurrected as the kid of Ai Hoshino, a rising Japanese idol who he was a huge fan of before his death. He and his sister, who is also a reborn Ai fan, accept their new identities as Aquamarine and Ruby Hoshino and work to advance their mother's career. Many have complimented the title for its effective use of the reincarnation concept, which has increased in popularity in recent years. It has also gained praise for combining bright and joyful aesthetics with extremely dark and, at times, violent themes.
Oshi no Ko can be read on Shueisha MANGA Plus, while the animation can be seen on HIDIVE. Episode 4 will debut on May 3, 2023, with region release schedules accessible here.
Source: Sportskeeda
