Oshi no Ko (Seasons 1-3): The Dark Side of the Entertainment Industry

A show that looks like a glossy idol story for five minutes, then hits you with a 90-minute opener that feels like a full movie and kicks off a revenge-driven murder mystery. We sit down to talk Oshi no Ko and why it hooked us so fast: stunning animation, sharp tone shifts, and a story that can make you laugh, flinch, and take notes about how the entertainment industry actually works. 

We get into the characters that carry the weight. Ai Hoshino’s “star eyes” are more than a visual flex, they’re a symbol of the persona she has to sell, even when the real person is lonely and scared. Aqua’s reincarnation turns him into a calculated lead with a doctor’s brain and a survivor’s trauma, and we debate how far revenge can push him before he starts resembling the very evil he’s chasing. Ruby starts with a simple dream, then grows into someone willing to use the same lies that once protected her mother, and that evolution might be the scariest part of the whole anime. 

From Kana’s child-actor baggage to Akane’s reality show fallout, we also talk about online harassment, method acting, and why performing for a living can mess with your mental health. And when we finally address the obsessed fan and the father pulling strings, the show’s core message gets loud: don’t over-idolize people, and don’t mistake a marketed relationship for something real. 

If you love anime that blends psychological drama, idol culture, and a dark entertainment industry thriller, press play and ride with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs to watch Oshi no Ko, and leave a review with your rating and your wildest final-season prediction.

Transcript

Welcome And Quick Setup

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Professor Tuck, thanks for being on the show. How you feeling today?

SPEAKER_00 0:10

I'm feeling alright, man. You know, I'll be working like Rihanna. So I'm glad to be able to get on the show and talk about some shows, man.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

I feel that.

First Impressions And Expectations

SPEAKER_01 0:21

So, Oshinoko. Uh, we were supposed to be doing like a musical made type thing, but things happened. That's understandable, but at least we're doing this as much. Um, even though I want to say it wasn't really exactly a musical first thing. I mean, there was music involved, but that wasn't the main focus, obviously. So, of course, you being the maestro of the zone, I figured, okay, so uh check out the damage, but it's not just the musical part, but it's the dark murder mystery part that was really good. So, how are you feeling about OG No at this stage?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Going into it, I saw the episode. Uh well, actually, I didn't saw the show, but I was like, I'm not watching nothing about no singing. I want to watch some action. You know, I'm I want to see my hero academia. I want to see uh reincarnate as a swam. I want to see Death Note, I want to see some action. And I watched the first episode. First, I didn't know it was gonna be 90 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

You know, no, see, that would threw me off too when I watched this um episode, and I was sitting there like, dang, this episode's going on a little long. Let's see, how long is it?

SPEAKER_00 1:34

An hour long? I was nice, but it was so good. It was so good to get you in 90 minutes to get you hooked onto a character and to watch the character's tragic demise and to see what happens with the children, uh, to see what happens with the characters um from the hospital and how they're gonna reconnect and find out about each other. Like, it's a 90-minute masterpiece. The art direction, the star eyes. Um it's such a charismatic lie and a blinding curse. It's just amazing. That first episode really had me hooked. I watched the first three seasons within like two days. And then, oh no, the first two seasons, it's only three seasons, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:25

Yeah, three seasons. A fourth season and final, by the way, is coming later this year.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Ah. So I watched the first two seasons and I was like, dang, this is good. And then I found out that because I was watching it on Disney Plus, I think. Oh no, no, I was watching it on um Crunchyroll, and then I went over and said it's a third season, and I went to Disney Plus and and pulled it up and started watching it. And I watched it all back to back because I was like, dang, because I Googled immediately when I like a show, I'll Google about the characters, about stuff, and it says season three was air and this. I said, wait a minute, and I had to go and find it. So it was a phenomenal show. What got me hooked the most wasn't the 90 minute, it wasn't the star eyes, it was Aqua. What a performance! What a performance, man.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

I mean, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

I mean, how can I put this?

SPEAKER_01 3:21

This series is beautifully animated, impressively dark, like you said, a charismatic way. I like the way you said that. I like that you said that. Uh, it is kind of funny sometimes. Uh, you know, it has its typical antics, and it's oddly insightful about the entertainment industry, ranging from professional acting to idol star singing. They even reference YouTube and TikTok without having to come up with some similar name for legal, you know. But bro, like it had me cracking out a second notebook, aside from my podcast um notes where I know I jot down what I'm about to say on the podcast sometimes. But no, I had to pull up a whole different notebook, like pen and paper, and be like, hey, hold on. They spin right now with this insight. Because, you know, we uh technically, I want to say we're part of the entertainment industry, not only just talking about it, but you know, having a podcast, trying to get a YouTube channel off the ground in a way. But we're not like celebrities or anything, not like that. Like, I don't even know if we could be in our lifetime, but we can try. I mean, we can try. But uh, anyways, I just like that perspective where it wasn't just idol singing, but it was also people want to do voice acting or whatnot. Kind of remind me of this one anime that I would kind of recommend, but I don't know, like it really depends on how you feel. Uh, it's called Tune In to the Midnight Heart, where it's about a guy who's investing in a broadcasting club where the girls are like a voice actor, uh singer, uh podcaster, or whatnot, and they get perspective on those routes. And I'm like, I like that. I like how they actually put you on game as far as these career paths that you can go. Like game development, for instance. That's my main thing. And there is some anime that actually puts you on game a little bit, like give you a little advice on that. And I like that shit. That's why I'm like, you get that bonus talk there.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

Nah, I feel that. That's what I like certain animes like that.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Now, he did mention the characters, and why not?

Ai Hoshino And The Star Eyes

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Let's go ahead and get into it. I want to talk about Aqua, but let's talk about the main girl first. I hope you know. Charismatic pop idol, rose from humble beginnings, raised in an orphanage after her parents' absence, scouted at the age of 12 by Strawberry Productions, um, uh the president Isko Soto, and that's how uh Aqua and Ruby eventually get into the same industry because you know, connections like that. Uh, initially a doubting that she could be an idol uh due to her inability to understand love almost like to an autistic level. Uh, but she learns to perform affection uh for fans, eventually becoming the centerpiece for Bikamachi. So by 16, she secretly carries twins, and we're gonna talk about that shithead of her father in just a moment. Uh Aqua Marine, or Aqua for short, and Ruby, uh causing her career to start a family, and she returned to idle work after giving birth to the son's children. But unfortunately, she was murdered at 20 by an obsessed fan, and in her final moment, she realized her genuine love for her children, and her death drives Aqua to pursue acting as part of the quest for vengeance. Uh, and it's funny because they did mention that her name means sorry I, so that's why her, her children, and unfortunately that fuckhead of a father have those stars in her eyes.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Yeah. Uh, you got anything you want to add on to I? Um not directly onto I, but the star in her eye signifies the star that she is to me. Because like even in the group, MB Comachi, she is the unstoppable force of nature. Like, Beyonce of the group. No matter what, no matter where she is, she she just shines. Her positivity, her creativity, it always shines. And it's not because she's the most talented either. It's because she worked the hardest. She wants people, even she, even if she's faking it, she just wants people to be happy and notice her. And it truly is shining. Um and not directly onto eye, but the fact that like her two children were reincarnations of the hospital that she was at is crazy. Just crazy. It's a great plot line, and not a traditional like Izakai, but it's it's just it was a good sentiment.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

Right.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

It led to a great plot line.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Hell yeah, like what and what a plot line. Like, speaking of which, let's just go ahead and get into the main guy right now.

Aqua’s Revenge And Celebrity Boundaries

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Uh, Aqua. Originally Gora Amamiya, uh, obstetrician, gynecologist, and devoted fan of I. And before delivering I've twins, Gora was murdered by Chris Stalker, and another doctor had to take over the delivery. However, Gora was reincarnated as her son Aqua. And following I's death, Aqua vowed to uncover the tree, like I said before, uh, theorizing that it was somebody in the entertainment theory, uh, industry, but most likely his father. Uh and he pursues actings to infiltrate the industry and all that shit, like I said before. He briefly dates Akinek, who we're gonna talk about in a moment, but ends their relationship upon realizing the danger his mission poses for her. And before I go any further, I want to say it's crazy how it's the power of lies that's driving the main characters, I, Aqua, and Ruby, to pursue their career because it's like, well, it's I won't say it's impossible, but it's more like it's just not exactly healthy to split your attention to everybody. So, of course, you can't really say you love everybody, but they just pretend uh to love all their fans because you know it's politically correct to do so. Right. So that's they pretty much have to wear a mask in order to perform. And to be perfectly honest, that's exactly why I can't say, I mean, I don't hate celebrities or anything like that. It's just that I just can't imagine wanting to meet them unless it's just by complete accident. Like, say for instance, us, the zone, we start moving to a point to where we can access rooms that people can't normally access. And we get to point to where we're um bumping shoulders with actual celebrities. And I'm like, even then, I'm like, oh well, I'm very happy that I got a chance to meet you, but at the same time, it's not like I'm planning to meet them. You know what I'm saying? Because at the end of the day, like uh the way I see it, I respect celebrities for their work, but it's not to a point where, like, I mean, dang, that's kind of hard to say. Like, it's it sounds weird to say, but how can I put it like, because I know they're just doing their jobs, I can't act like such a crazed fan, like that one guy that stabbed I talking about, oh well, we're gonna be friends forever, you know. Uh talk about uh Stan type shit, you know, uh that one Eminem song. Like, it can't be like that. Like, and I understand that it's like uh I don't know, man.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

I don't know, man. Yeah. You know I love Beyonce.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Yeah, I mean, I'm not against it.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Stole my woman from me. But I understand it.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Nah, but it's like, yeah, you know, I'm just not all that interested, you know. But if it happens, like, cool, cool, but you know, just be cool about it. If anything. Uh, because you know, at the end of the day, these idols, these celebrities, they're still people. So they're just as human as everybody else. The only the main difference is they got a huge career doing what they do. And anybody can do it, but not everybody can reach that level. That's just a thing. So I just respect them for that much. Uh before I go into Ruby, uh, you want to have anything to add on to Aqua?

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Um, yeah, I I I really like Aqua as a character because he embodies like the different emotions as you go throughout the series, you'll see like he he's a real person. Whereas, you know, with Ruby faking it to make it or going through like still kind of childish, because Aqua already lived as an adult, he's fully um emotionally available and safe because he understands these different emotions. Now, granted, he has to get over trauma, but he already understands his emotions. As an intellectual and uh overachiever and thinker, I mean, he was a doctor in his previous life. So obviously he has the smarts. Um, and he has the mental stability to keep everything undercover and under wraps. And with you know, with seeing your the person that you idolize as uh a doctor become your mother, like obviously there's gonna be some level of two levels of trauma because you it's like you mourning her as a child and as a former adult. And like he's he getting over those emotions take a while, and you'll see the progressions through the episodes, which is what I appreciate about Aqua. Very, very um emotionally intelligent, and um not to mention they just was cute, yeah. They was just very cute, and then the twin factor of it just alone, watching the twins paths on a different divide, and when you see aqua's like whole calculated revenge versus Ruby, who's like uh very determined, just want to follow her mother's footsteps. It's a good divide of them as twins and good setup for future episodes and season.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

Hell yeah, definitely feeling all that. And you're right, absolutely right. Like Aqua, like because he was reincarnated from a grown-up man, it's easier to keep your emotions in check and stick to the mission and whatnot. And it got to a point where he was being a little detached from uh strawberry productions or whatnot. If anything, it's more like, yeah, he was more focused on the mission than making friends and whatnot, you know. Because keep in mind, not everybody gets a literal second chance at life, and he's using his second chance to just pretty much get revenge. And I'm like, look, I kind of get it because you know, this is an anime, it's a fantasy story that needs to be told. I get it in that aspect, but at the same time, I'm like, bro, you got a literal second chance at life, and you're gonna spend that trying to hunt down the dudes that I mean once again, I get it, but uh as he soon will learn, there's just more to it to that, man. Like, there's more to life than that. But uh moving on to Ruby.

Ruby’s Dream Turns Dangerous

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Right. Uh Ruby, originally Sarina Tendoji, was terminally ill patient, idolized uh girl, the doctor, before it became Aqua, uh, before reincarnating as Ai's Hoshino's daughter. And carrying Sarina's dream of becoming an idol, Ruby trained diligently after Ai's murder. Though initially rejected due to Aqua's interference, she forms a new B. Komachi with Kana and Mimcho. Uh, Ruby retains Sarina's unrequired love for Goro, uh, complicating her relationship with Aqua upon discovering his true identity. Now, that was the crazy thing. As soon as you get to the end of season three, to where it's like, oh, now that we know who each other was before this life, and turns out, oh yeah, I was a doctor that was working on your uh operation, but the thing is, you know, I got killed, and you know, yeah, so where do we go from here? And then Uncle, he's still focused on missing, he's still standing on business. But Ruby got to a point to where, oh, now she's like develop a brother complex for Aqua. Um, and that's the crazy part. Usually, this sort of thing would kind of disgust me, especially considering that they're twins, twin siblings. But I understand where she's coming from, though, because if we didn't get that whole backstory on how they died and the fact that they got reincarnated, I would say, where the fuck are you coming from having feelings for your twin brother, your fleshing brother? Like, what the hell? But in this case, I'm like, okay, well, I won't give you slack for it because I kind of understand where you're coming from with that. Yeah, right. So it's gonna be a hard sell to tell people, like, wait, so you guys died in a previous, so you guys were the doctor in the like that's the thing, it's like that's gonna be a hard sell to uh tell people. It's like why she feels the way she feels about her brother, but like I get where she's coming from. That's all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00 17:57

Yeah. No, I agree. It's like um what I appreciate about Ruby throughout the seasons, because you know, she started out with that pro that uh pink star in her left eye, uh, representing like her mom, her passion, her performance. And then by the time she descended into season three, like she got two dark stars. And then she she low-key more calculating than aqua, which is crazy. Change up, especially when you notice her as a character from season one and progressing through the seasons, especially like me watching that like in real time, like fast and back to back. It's like, dang, I watch her turn into who a calculating force.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

Like, nah, it's like watching a rabbit transform into a wolf in 4K. I'm like, whoa, hold on. Shit, like Ruby might you might have to watch out for Ruby because like she got that everybody that did that photo shoot with her, you know, in the river and whatnot, she gave that one look, and everybody was like, hold on.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

Yeah, yeah. I just think that it's ironic that like Ruby originally wasn't as successful as her mom. And then in order to become successful like her mom, she had to lose her innocence and learn how to weaponize lies. When in contrast, her mom, like all she did was lie.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

Well, also, to be fair, they had to keep Aqua and Ruby had to keep their relationship to Aya secret because you know, like, God forbid if anybody comes after the children and whatnot. And of course, with that, I I would imagine she had to grind to get to where she is. And at the very least, uh, it won't be like some nepotism type shit to where, oh, uh, you hire the twin babies of your former client, you know, I. So you just pretty much just put them on a pedestal and just have them fast track through the entertainment stream. No, they have to actually work for, and that's why it's more endearing to follow along with the story. That's why it's as long as it is. I mean, granted, it's uh three seasons and 12 episodes each. I'm not saying it's long, but there's a reason why it warranted at least three seasons going on four now, or fourth and final, but still like it it would have felt cheap if they just got up there immediately, and then it just became more about the murder mystery. Like, I I did appreciate the grind, and that's why we got the insight that we were given because like felt like it was earned rather than just given. So I did like that.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Nah, I agree.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Uh that was all I had on Ruby. Um, you had anything at all?

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Um, no, no, nothing else on Ruby.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Gotcha.

Kana Akane And Acting’s Dark Side

SPEAKER_01 20:56

All right, not too much more. I got like a well dang. Like, I got a little more than that, but uh I'm gonna try to speed it up as much as I can. Uh let's get on Kana Arrima. Uh, once hailed as a child acting prodigy with her ability to cry on command, first meets Aqua, fills in as a movie extra. Uh as a teenager, she her career declined as her talent overshadowed her peers, forcing her to restrain her performances. Uh reuniting with Aqua and Ruby in high school, she developed unrequired feelings for Aqua, like I said earlier. Uh, joins Ruby's idol group. Uh, after two years, she departs um to revive her acting career, and her bribery with Akane stems uh from their contentious past where Akane once idolized her. Uh not a whole lot, well, not a whole lot, without spoiling the ending, because you know, the manga. Already concluded, so with the research that I was doing, you know, I acted some upon what could happen in season four. So I'm trying to avoid speaking on that, at least for Tuck's sake. Uh you got anything on Kana uh right now? Because not a whole lot other than you know one of the girls that uh light awkward. So, all right, so going on to Ankana Kurokawa, stage actress, uh, joins the reality show My Love with that Star Begins Now, or Love Now for sure, promoting her the theater degree. Initially overlooked, she faces severe online harassment after accidentally scratching uh co-star, uh, driving her to suicide team that Aqua prevents. And by the show's end, uh her reputation improved. Uh, and then she shares a stage relationship with Aqua, though she later develops genuine feelings for uh her admiration for Kana turns into rivalry after a bitter confrontation, and Akane is a meticulous performer. Uh, she employs a methaatic approach, you know, the type of actress where once she is given a role, she's like completely immersed in that role, even off the camera, until the whole project's done, then she just goes back to her regular personality. See, that's the craziest part for me. Like, imagine you practice. Yeah, see, that's the thing. That's why I wouldn't be surprised if all actors and actresses uh have like a therapist on tap, you know, because I can kind of understand where it could cause some mental distress um doing this role, especially if you can get like hurt or even worse, abused by the higher-ups, and we're gonna talk about that in a moment. But um, yeah, like it's crazy how acting just kind of affects your mental. Like, I'm kind of not surprised that Aaron Paul stepped down from being powerplex from invincible because he just felt like the role was just too much for him. Like, you know, and you know how powerplex um story went. We we talked about invention, but to this day, I still think, hey doll, like I get it, but at the same time, powerplex was kind of being a dumb bitch. I'm somebody going, I kinda was. But that's beside the point. Uh it does get crazy how some folks get so lost in the sauce that they have identity crisis. So yeah, that's just one of those insightful things that I like about OC Nokia.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

Right, no, especially if you got like a um a whole bunch of like characters he played over the years, like Jim Carrey, I'm thinking Samuel Jackson. Like, when you're playing a whole bunch of characters like that, you gotta you gotta make sure you're mentally sound. That's why I think a lot of them play the uh same character, sort of kind of like Samuel Jackson can literally play himself in the characters, like if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

So when you put a lot of yourself into it, then you don't have to worry about it. But um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:21

It's like saying that at least with Samuel Jackson, he don't it his the roles that he takes on doesn't sound too far outside of his actual personality. Like I can honestly believe that's uh at least a fraction of how uh he is out on the stage. Like, you know, not too much, but you know, kind of like an exaggeration, so to speak. But uh then you have folks like, let's say, Anthony Starr, you know, Homelander, and listen, like people are already assuming he gotta be some level of psycho from taking that role, but like I don't really believe that, and that's a little unfair to say. That's like saying Stephanie Beatrice, who was Rosa from Brooklyn 99, oh, that's how she asked even off the camera. No, no, no. She's actually really friendly. So it's actually crazy how people just assume that the actor taking on these roles, oh, that must be how they are uh off the cameras. Like, you don't, I mean, come on. So let me ask you this if you had a perfect chance to meet Daniel Radcliffe, would you just assume, oh, he's just like Harry Potter in real life?

SPEAKER_00 26:37

He better act like Harry Potter around me. That's the only reason I want to meet him. I don't care about none of them other movies. I'll be Harry freaking Potter. But no, I'll I'll talk to him first like a normal person and then ask him to go into his characters. We'll make a whole bunch of TikToks.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Yeah, like at least come on though.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

Like, come on, like I just want to hear him say it's picked up patrono.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

Like, at the very least, don't walk up to him and say, hey yo, it's Harry Potter. I'm like, hey man, you gotta ask your name. It's Daniel Randwill, goddamn.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

Hey, come on now. You know black people, boy. We're gonna walk over and say the name we know. Hey, hey, y'all, it's Harry Potter, bro. Hey, everybody, it's Harry Potter here, bruh. If you play the good character, bruh, they're gonna focus because like um, I don't know. Um uh what's the name that played Zero from um Dang, I know who you're talking about, but I know his name, but if I see him like bro, Zero. Everybody. Damn, like what's the name from um Power? Bro, his name forever gonna be Ghost.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

I mean, to be fair, that is a good nickname. Like, you oh God. I was like, hey bro, you might as well roll with it all because that does sound a little tough.

SPEAKER_00 28:06

So yeah, if you play a great character, you're gonna always be that character, especially like, bruh, because um what's Urkel?

SPEAKER_01 28:15

Oh, you talking about um Jaleel War?

SPEAKER_00 28:18

Yeah, but like, bruh, come on now. Come on. Ain't nobody calling him Jaleel. He Urkel. And he's been Urkel since the 90s. He hates the name. Everybody, he wants my name is Jalil.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

Actually, you know, the crazy thing is he was also Sonic since the 80s.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

Wait, what?

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Yeah, in an animated show, he was Sonic the hitchhog.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

I know you lying.

SPEAKER_01 28:43

I am not. I shit you not, man. You can look it up right now.

SPEAKER_00 28:47

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 28:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

Since the 80s?

SPEAKER_01 28:53

Yeah, it was like way back. Well, either 80s, like late 80s or early 90s, but it was definitely like a while ago. Like, I want to say it was like money, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 29:03

Yeah, like he had money.

SPEAKER_01 29:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

Yeah, I mean the video game stuff it is.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

Oh, yeah. I mean, he didn't voice all those games or whatnot. I'm just the animated show that that one anime show that he was in.

SPEAKER_00 29:20

It's just like the voice actor for what's her name? Like his um Optimus Prime, like his voice is so.

SPEAKER_01 29:26

Oh, uh Peter Colin.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

He played in um Invincible, didn't he?

SPEAKER_01 29:29

Yeah, Thetis. Yeah, yeah. Oh no, you can't like if I hear that voice, I know exactly who the vote that is. You can't slide with a voice like that.

SPEAKER_00 29:42

So yeah, I'm the same that when it comes to these characters, like you gotta be um a chameleon. So that's what I that's what I like about, especially people like Akane. Like, a very a very chameleon. When you're thinking of a method actress or actor or whatever the case may be, that's what you're thinking of. You think of somebody that can embody these characters.

SPEAKER_01 30:07

Uh speaking of characters, let me blaze through these last two characters that I got, and then I got some personal notes and be just close as out.

Obsession Manipulation And The Father

SPEAKER_01 30:14

So let's talk about that crazed fan, uh Ryosuke Suguno. This can be introduced as Ryosuke Kaihara, mentally unstable, shut in, recluse, uh, obsessed with uh Ai, and Hikaru, who's gonna talk about that. Uh after learning from Hikaru that Ai is pregnant, he tracks her down, murders Goro by luring him to a cliff near the hospital where Ai gives birth, pushing him to his death. Uh, four years later, Hikaru manipulates Ryosuke into attacking Ai by giving him Ai's home address. Disguised as a fan, he stabs her uh with a concealed knife inside a bouquet of flowers he brought uh with him in front of the twins. Overwhelmed when Ai recalls his name, he flees and is later killed by Hikaru, who stages his death as a suicide. Uh and finally, Fuckhead himself, uh Hikaru Komiki, uh, the biological father of Aqua and Ruby orchestrates Ai and Goro's murders, uh, traumatized after being assaulted by nature at age 11, resulting in his first child. He later meets Ai at 15 while teaching at Lollali, a theatrical company. Their short-lived relationship ends when Ai cuts ties, fueling his belief he exploited him. But to be fair, D'Cara was using her as an emotional trudge. Uh consumed by vengeance, he manipulates Ryoska and Nino, Ai's fellow idol member and Gekomati to destroy Ai's life through though her murder exceeds his initial intent. Uh, he's a pathological liar. He eliminates Rising Star to preserve Ai's legacy, which is ironic, committing multiple murders over 18 years. Jesus Christ. I knew this series was dark, but I was not aware that I would be walking in for three seasons of solving a murder mystery while getting perspective on how two-faced and mentally ill the industry is. It's like watching all those real-world documentaries about all the sweezy celebrities, uh, the sweezy, slimy, shocking truth of the executives that you see. You know, quiet on a second. We've seen that shit, you know that joint. But uh uncovering secrets that convinces us that nobody's perfect and idols shouldn't be over-idolized. I mean, you can be fans, but just be chill. Like I said earlier, with meeting celebrities like, hey man, at the end of the day, they're still human, so just chill, you know. So sometimes the worst sort of people get away with a lot of simple things when they uh are seen as marketable, and that's pretty much the halo cut in a nutshell.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

No, that's for real. But do you think that Aqua's is different from his dad, or is he turning it into him because of the you know, revenge?

SPEAKER_01 33:25

Oh yeah, uh, but all I will say is he's built kind of different from his father, but I'll give you that. I'll let you know that much, but I can't tell you any more until you watch season four when that comes out later on this year. But uh, you got anything to say about that fuckhead and the obsessed fan?

SPEAKER_00 33:56

No, I'm good on it.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

You're good on all right. Rating time.

Ratings Final Season Hopes

SPEAKER_01 34:01

It's an easy nine out of ten. It's at least a nine out of ten. I would have said a perfect ten, but let me see what this uh final season is about first because I am grading it based on what I see in the anime, and since the anime is not concluding yet, I want to say it's an easy nine, or depending on how they execute this final episode, and I already know how it's gonna play out. I just need to see how they if they're gonna do something different at the very least. So I can't really say anything, but that's why I'm trying to avoid spoilers. So who knows? Like it might be like something different, like the boys to wear completely different uh turn of events compared to the source material. So I don't want to say anything and like uh end up shoving my whole foot in my mouth about it. So, right now, an easy nine out of ten. So great.

SPEAKER_00 34:59

I'm trying to debate.

SPEAKER_01 35:02

Because to be fair, like I said, beautifully animated, um it was like an interesting plot, but likable characters, the music was okay, it was okay. But you know, that that insight was that bonus star for me. So that's why I'm like I really like this show, but I'm I'm just hoping the last season don't fuck it up for me.

SPEAKER_00 35:26

If if I'm really curious on how they're gonna tie up all the loose ends, it's a lot of different loose ends, and it can go so many different directions. I'm gonna start it off high because I I'm unsure. So I'm gonna give it an 8.7. Okay, fair enough, fair enough. I want to give it like a 9.5 or something like that. But it's so many loose ends that I'm not sure they're gonna be able to tie it all up in in one season unless it's like an extended season.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

Well, if it's anything like what my notes say, it's gonna be one hell of a season.

SPEAKER_00 36:05

That's what's up. I'm looking forward to it. I know our listeners looking forward to it too.

SPEAKER_01 36:12

And with that being said, and I'm hoping that we can grab Sebi on because she was the main reason why I wanted to do this, but you know, um, for reasons like she couldn't make it. But I'm hoping that we can grab her on for the final season and then we can really talk about what we really want to say and get her perspective on it. But until then, um, Chuck, you got anything you want to add on before we close, go ahead and close this out? No, sir. I just want everybody to stay nerdy. All right. With that being said, like Chuck says, stay nerdy. Go ahead and have yourself a good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good night. But ultimately, take it easy on yourselves and remember great things are coming. Let's go ahead and zone up about it.