The curse cannot be lifted as long as the father exists. Unable to live a normal life Aqua is chained to this goal. Even when faced with light that could potentially save him. Using the same machinations of industry to carve his path to revenge.
One of the core themes of this episode is the distinction between various entities which are A, and Aqua (Akane kind off) with each of them having a lying persona. It begs a question where is the truth and how one is supposed to grasp it. That frustrated Aqua tremendously.
He couldn't comprehend how someone so distant could have supposedely "figured out" Ai so well and yet he failed. But what is worth noting is that whatever Akane concluded are based on her assumptions and they could have some lies in them too. Oshi no Ko loves to toy around.
This scene stood out to me the most due to its execution. The world around Kana got brighter and more colorful as soon as Aqua appeared but the focus on her making a step forward and being stopped as if almost moving on with him was brilliant.
I could praise the animation during the baseball scenes as it showed some very swift and weightful (?) movements particularly during the send offs but I would be lying if I didn't find Kana scenes adorable and enjoyable as heck.
Kana sounds:
The way Aqua's decision was showcased provides no doubt about his intentions and the morality of it. Once again fueling his obssession and destroying him from inside as what was once someone who imitated Ai to perfection became a tool, a puppet for revenge.
To further illustrate the point of using once learnt or even taught questionable machinations of entertainment industry we got a not so real confession from director which really put things into perspective. I really liked that part, kind of sends a message too.
To end I would point out the obvious which is the fact that Kanna Hirayama was CAD and it was definitely noticeable throughout episode with out of this world detailed drawings that really took the charm of manga and put it to next level with color script. Oshi no Ko is so blessed
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Upon first glancing on the conclusion the readers feel perplexed. The goal has been achieved, and narration drives a point forward regarding lies, however, it is missing aspects that would solidify it. It undermines the past making it seem insignificant.
Oshi no Ko has always been a story divided into two sections. The Entertainment World Vs Revenge. Some of the introduced characters were clearly designed to only interact with a single aspect of it. Ruby the Idol and Aqua the Revenge Actor. This formula began to crumble early on.
Having Aqua and Ruby was supposedely conceived to have a dual protagonist, and receive a balance between the two plotpoints. At times the scale would change depending on events, however, it would not overshadow the other completly. This has taken a noteable effect on Ruby.
Amazing pilot for one of the more intriguing battle light novels. From visuals to presentation it may feel overbearing but that's the essence of work. If you're into over the top characters fighting it out in ridiculous scenarios, that's it and more!
The magic system of world was briefly touched upon in a quite fast and easy way. It is enough for readers and viewers to understand without being too complicated. The pacing of episode spends little time before getting to the absolute madness that this story often is.
The drastic change to environment and tone greatly depicts the dangers lurking beneath. What is especially interesting aside from the sheer brutality on display, is how you can very much empathize with Yuno's struggles. With such powerful forces simply playing around her.
Following the mainly overseas reception of Mushoku Tensei's latest episode some have gone out of their way to ridicule author to the point that certain sites have mischaracterized tweets and took away all nuance and context. All of which resulted in author being forced to clarify
Every week author does what is called live tweeting which basically implies posting thoughts on episode as it airs in real time. Giving some sort of insight to world and characters. There was nothing unusual about it at the time and noone had any objections.
That was until people picked it up and started spreading author's words in narrative that basically framed this as his response to heated controversy overseas when in fact his tweet was made before episode even came out in English, nullifying that.
Boarded and directed by Shinpei Wada that is filled with symbolism and metaphors. The impact that Rudeus made on others and the path that people enable him to tread on. Freedom birds are a central motive and piece.
We open with a simple scene of a curtain with a light at the end of it. It can be seen as figuratively and literally in a way that it shines upon Rudeus world and in order to reach it he has to take a step. This curtain motif was present previously in attempts that hurted him.
Opened birdcage with 3 colored leathers laying next to it indicating that there were once birds trapped in it and Rudeus freed them. It is a reference to main girls which where able to change thanks to his influence. We also see a spilled drink. Just like on that night with Eris.
Regrets. Mistakes. Failures. Even after getting up we stumble across obstacles that life puts on our way. It is not easy to overcome but gradually we tend to learn. We grow. We change. We fight. In an never ending battle called life
It is clear by now that Sara was a walking Eris reminder that constantly kept bugging Rudeus with her presence and his lack of ability to read the room. Over the course of this episode we see multiple doubts that he himself feels but also some that are suggested to him by others.
The very scene in bed and justification is specifically designed to mirror that from season 1 with some, I'm almost confident similar frames and Sara claiming to have done it out of obligation. The scene had a very tough to convey the considering nature of problem.
Introduction of a story taken from extra chapter necessary for future development. The worrying signs are partially true as even with change of staff, the show retains segmented aspects that made people love Mushoku so much.
I personally believe that this could have been used as an OVA instead of a season opener due to its contents that slighlty require remembering what happened in season 1 to avoid confusion. Most episode was spent on Asura's politics and showing us what Sylphie was going through.
The delivery was rather straight forward with not to many aspects that require explanation, however the amount of new or updated information can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if politics is not someone's cup of tea. We got to meet new faces that actually made cameo in S1.