I can’t believe Oshi no Ko took one (1) week off, and suddenly it’s The Ruby Show. After all, we need to have somewhere to turn the camera now that Aqua has abruptly accomplished the goal that has been driving him into action for the last 16 years. (Or has he? Let’s not worry about it right now!) In “Liberation,” the viewer isn’t the only audience entranced by Ruby’s star power. Even as Oshi no Ko unearths the entertainment industry’s inherent darkness, a gorgeous expressionist sequence reminds us why we fall for the sweet lies of celebrities in the first place.

Before I get to our long awaited Ruby screentime, let’s say goodbye to Aqua. His lifelong quest accomplished, he’ll undoubtedly take a backseat now, right? As storytelling goes, it’s not a very satisfying conclusion. Still, there’s currently no reason to think Taiki is lying about his father’s identity or his death. Now Aqua has a new half-brother and a new lease on life, as represented by the unsettling departure of the starburst in his eye. That starburst has shone brightly when Aqua is determined. It has gone stark black when his mental state is disturbed; it has even flickered, glitch-like while he raged on stage as Touki. And now… it’s simply not there at all. Who is Aqua without his all-encompassing hunger for revenge? For now, he has retreated to a secondary identity: he is simply Ruby’s brother.

And Ruby! How I’ve missed her! While Aqua has been playing 4D chess with the entertainment industry, our girl’s hopes and dreams have been entirely neglected. I even forgot a critical piece of information until this episode reminded me: Ruby is still in love with Goro-sensei, and she does not realize he’s already died and been reincarnated as Aqua. (For Aqua’s part, he has no idea that Ruby is his former cancer patient, Sarina, either.) It’s been nearly two decades and these two are living under the same roof unaware of this major fact, and there’s no doubt that when the truth comes out it will be life-shattering.

For now, Ruby keeps the tone of the episode light. The story has also remembered Mem-Cho, and along with Kana, the girls are ready to claim the spotlight both plotwise and in regard to their budding YouTube channel. It’s funny how Ruby and Kana, who have grown up with agency backing, underestimate the skills and effort that it must have taken Mem-Cho to bring their channel 20,000 subscribers, but at least they have can-do attitudes about growing it even more. It’s a huge shift in stakes to go from “let’s kill my dad” to “let’s get one million subscribers on YouTube!” But it’s a refreshing shift to transition from Aqua’s brooding to the girls’ antics for a bit. I loved Kana’s room tour and the discovery that she’s surprisingly high maintenance. The decision to censor her name drops with Pieyon was great.

Next up for the channel: a music video! Or there will be, if Himura, the famous composer tasked with writing B-Komachi’s new song, can get motivated. Fortunately, Ruby’s smile is just the ticket (I think we all can relate to that). The expressionist sequence in which Himura finds his inspiration through Ruby’s youth and determination is just another one of the countless creative decisions Studio Doga Kobo has brought to elevate the source material. Now our cast is off to Miyazaki and it doesn’t seem like this light and silly tone will stick. Not only is it the location of the hospital where Goro-sensei worked and Sarina lived and everything began, but it heavily implied that the mystery character from the OP, credited in this episode as “Girl – ???” is also residing there. Oshi no Ko can have a little levity as a treat, but it won’t last for long.

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Oshi no Ko Season 2 is currently streaming on
HIDIVE.

Lauren writes about model kits at Gunpla 101. She spends her days teaching her two small Newtypes to bring peace to the space colonies.

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