Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 3 – The Struggle of a Mangaka

Episode 3 of Oshi no Ko Season 2 effectively showed the struggles of being a mangaka. In the previous episode, we saw the communication process between the mangaka and the scriptwriter, which was like a game of telephone. While I felt sorry for Goa when Abiko criticized his talent harshly, I couldn’t get mad at Abiko. Besides her introverted nature and difficulty with social cues, there is a deeper reason for her behavior that makes her character more complex.

Meeting deadlines is hard, and it’s even harder when you’re doing it alone. Abiko is meticulous and a perfectionist. Because of her personality, assistants have a hard time working with Abiko. Her editor can be considered a saint because of their patience in dealing with her. But this can be seen from another perspective, as this episode revealed her passion for art. Despite her difficult attitude, Abiko cares deeply about her work and even the work of Yoriko, her former sensei. Although her attitude needs improvement, the stress, pressure, and lack of sleep she endures make her situation understandable.

I feel sorry for her situation to some extent, and this complexity makes her character feel real. Despite a heated shouting match with Yoriko, it was touching to see Yoriko give Abiko a comforting pat on the head as she cried at the end. Abiko may have said hurtful things to her former sensei, but Yoriko remained understanding, acknowledging that such frustrations are probably a common experience among mangaka.

If there is one important lesson we can learn from this, Oshi no Ko Season 2, Episode 3, it’s to be understanding, especially to those who are clearly trying. Abiko is not a perfectly flawed character, but her introduction to the show feels refreshing and authentic. Over the past three episodes, I had almost forgotten that Oshi no Ko has supernatural elements. Its production never faltered and therefore it felt like a purely dramatic representation of the real struggles within the manga world.

So far the episodes of Oshi no Ko have been very informative about the reality of the manga and theater world. Aside from the few Kana vs Akane scenes with a few Ruby scenes on the side, we have not only gotten a glimpse into the lifestyle of mangakas but also seen the roles of their editors and assistants. Episodes like this make you wonder if Aka Akasaka, the author of Oshi no Ko And Kaguya-together – both weekly mangas, out of his own grievances, as he has also stopped working as an artist to focus solely on writing.

Finally, there is an important detail that deserves attention: Kana. It is not just about her appearance in the first half, when she accompanied the gang to visit Yoriko, and her jealousy towards Akane and Aqua on a date, but rather about her performance in the live-action adaptation of Sweet Today that had a great impact on Abiko. Although it was a small scene, it had a great meaning.

Sweet Today’s live-action adaptation was a disaster, which made Abiko angry because she had worked on the manga. She had every right to be angry, as did Yoriko. However, Yoriko said that she was ultimately glad the adaptation was made. The main reason? Kana’s performance in the climactic scene. Abiko hadn’t watched until that part, which is why she felt different from Yoriko. But when she saw it, her face said it all. It’s amazing to see how Kana continues to indirectly influence the story. It seems like the entertainment world is an atmosphere where one person’s work inspires another, bringing things full circle. Kana’s scene was the turning point as Abiko became more open to meeting people halfway and gave her the final push to consider going to the theater Aqua recommended. Essentially, Kana was a catalyst for Abiko to become a better person and we’ll see where she goes from here.

Now that Abiko is going to see the play, there is hope that the experience will give her a new perspective on the theater world and open her eyes, just as it did for Aqua.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 is streaming on Bilibili and HIDIVE.
© Akasaka Aka x Mengo Yokoyari / Shueisha / Oshi no Ko Production Committee