Oshi no Ko vol. 7
The “Tokyo Blade” 2.5D Stage Play is still in full swing, and now it’s time for Aqua and Kana’s big moments. Well, “big” in theory as Kana’s current mindset has her pulling back to support her co-stars so they can shine brighter than her. Meanwhile, Aqua, for all of his technical skill, still doesn’t actually enjoy acting so it’s up in the air as to whether or not he’ll be able to imbue his major scene with the emotion it deserves. It’s all secondary to the son of deceased idol Ai Hoshino, however, as he may have found some evidence that will lead him to a major breakthrough regarding the identity of his father. Amidst all this is his sister Ruby, Kana, and Mem-cho’s efforts to reboot B*Komachi, first through YouTube promotion, and then through a new song from the man who wrote that group’s original hits. So it’d be a real shame if he wound up having to work through an awful case of Writer’s Block.
Writer Aka Akasaka and artist Mengo Yokoyari ride the momentum of the stage play to good effect here. This is in spite of the fact that I’m still comparing this all to how the anime pulled it off for its second season. While the manga can’t match it for sheer spectacle, all of the digressions and flashbacks that have the cast talking about the merits of acting come off better here. That’s partly because we’re not having to alternate between flashy stage animation and more mundane talking heads and the reader is able to go through things at their own pace rather than the anime’s. (Also, not being tempted to shout, “Come on, dammit, ACT!” during the anime’s pontifications on acting while I watched this with friends, may have helped the manga as well.)
As for what comes after the play, it’s something of a mixed bag. That breakthrough Aqua thinks he’s found was hugely suspect even before my suspicions were confirmed before the end of the anime’s second season. Meanwhile, after all this focus on Aqua, the prospect of getting a more Ruby-focused storyline in the future is promising. Particularly since her struggles tend to have a more overtly comedic bent to them compared to her brother’s. Still, the one thing I’m looking forward to in the next volume is finally getting ahead of the anime’s story again so I can start enjoying the manga on its own terms once more.