Oshi no Ko, a captivating and dark anime that delves into the predatory nature of the idol industry and the dangers of social media, made a splash in the Spring 2023 anime season. This intricate series tackles multiple themes while remaining accessible and enjoyable due to its endearing and captivating characters.
The main characters of Oshi no Ko are multi-dimensional and often find themselves entangled in webs of lies, emotional pain, ambitious aspirations, and more. Already, many of these characters have become favorites among the fandom, with some earning the titles of Best Boys and Best Girls of 2023. Users on MyAnimeList have shown their support through votes, highlighting who truly shines in this anime.
10 Sarina Tendouji
83 Favorites
Sarina Tendouji, a sickly girl confined to a hospital, instantly captured the hearts of Oshi no Ko fans. Despite her brief appearance, Sarina's charm and relatable story arc resonated with viewers. She harbored a strong desire to make something of herself but was unable to achieve it in her current life.
However, through a miraculous twist of fate, Sarina would be reborn as Ruby Hoshino, granting her the chance to start afresh.
9 Gorou Amemiya
118 Favorites
Dr. Gorou Amemiya, a rural doctor, played a significant role in Oshi no Ko and existed in two distinct forms within the anime. Initially introduced as Sarina's physician, Dr. Gorou shared her admiration for idol Ai Hoshino, albeit in a quieter and wryly humorous manner.
Dr. Gorou later encountered Ai in person, only to discover her pregnancy with twins. He harbored this secret until his untimely demise, after which he was reborn as one of the babies delivered at his hospital.
8 Taishi Gotanda
150 Favorites
Taishi Gotanda, a movie director, entered Oshi no Ko early on and witnessed Aqua Hoshino's acting skills firsthand. As Aqua's career progressed, Taishi became a father figure to him, fostering a close bond. This portrayal endeared Taishi to anime fans.
Years later, when Aqua sought revenge against Ai, Taishi, still a father figure to the boy, supported his plan. Although Aqua didn't fully recognize Taishi's role in his life and their relationship was marked by playful banter, Taishi remained Aqua's closest friend.
7 Miyako Saito
262 Favorites
Miyako Saito made her debut in Oshi no Ko as Ichigo Saito's wife and eventually succeeded him as the president of Strawberry Productions. She also acted as the foster mother to Aqua and Ruby, having cared for them before Ai's passing.
iyako's relatable flaws, vulnerabilities, and her dual role as a highly competent member of the entertainment industry and a caring mother figure to Ruby provided depth to her character.
6 Mem-Cho
461 Favorites
Mem-Cho burst onto the scene in Oshi no Ko as a major supporting character. Known for her expertise in social media, Mem-Cho excelled not only in creating compelling content but also in timing its release to maximize views and shares. Her youthful appearance, carefree demeanor, and distinctive "cute devil" appearance, complete with small horns and sometimes bat-like wings and a tail, made her one of the anime's most comedic and innocent characters.
5 Ruby Hoshino
1,826 Favorites
Ruby Hoshino, born from Sarina Tendouji's rebirth as the daughter of idol Ai Hoshino, embraced her new life with enthusiasm. In Oshi no Ko, Ruby pursued her dream of becoming a pop idol, utilizing her healthy body and good looks.
While she may display occasional bratty behavior and make mistakes, Ruby's multifaceted personality elicits sympathy from viewers. As an aspiring star eager to prove herself, she knows how to captivate an audience.
4 Akane Kurokawa
2,944 Favorites
Akane Kurokawa the teenage actress made waves when she appeared in Oshi no Ko's sixth episode. She faced the internet's dark side after slapping another girl on a dating show, then came back from the brink with Aqua Hoshino's help. Now Akane is doing better, and she's absolutely infatuated with her classmate and savior.
Akane has considerable talent and simply needs another opportunity to prove it and gain more self-esteem. She has a lot of promise as a young performer, but her personal life might distract her. Akane is now in a developing love triangle with Kana and Aqua, and it might get messy.
3 Aquamarine Hoshino
4,205 Favorites
Aquamarine Hoshino, usually going by Aqua, is the co-star of Oshi no Ko along with his twin sister Ruby. Like her, he got reborn as Ai Hoshino's child, but Aqua has a much different attitude about it. In Aqua's eyes, Ai is still just Ai Hoshino the idol, not his "mama," and he'd rather avenge her than try to be like her.
Aqua is a classic "cool guy" lead, an aloof and calculating fellow who is distinctly popular with all the girls around him. His personality is a mixed bag, since Aqua can be cold and has mild stalker tendencies, but also saved Akane's life on his own accord and is supporting Kana and Ruby with his Pieyon disguise.
2 Ai Hoshino
5,806 Favorites
Ai Hoshino the music idol embodies Oshi no Ko's central themes more than any other character, even if she didn't stick around that long. Growing up, Ai never knew love and had an unstable childhood, but she did have talent as a singer, so she became an idol. That meant burying her own misery and pretending to be happy and loving to everyone.
Ai was highly successful as B Komachi's star, but after having her two children, she started doubting herself again. She wasn't sure if her love for Aqua and Ruby was genuine, but in her dying moments, Ai realized the happy truth—that she did love them. That allowed her to die in peace, but the darkness of the Hoshino family had only just begun.
1 Kana Arima
10,784 Favorites
Kana Arima started off strong as a popular child actor, but then her career dropped off. Now, as a teenager, Kana has a second chance at stardom with Ruby's new B Komachi group. Even if she is the least enthusiastic member, Kana has the most power with her superior singing voice and name recognition.
Kana is a total tsundere who often loses her temper and denies her warm feelings for others, which helped endear her to Oshi no Ko fans. She also got swept up in a love triangle between herself and Akane, but even if she has a stronger personality than Akane, that doesn't mean she will win—not yet, anyway.
