Oshi no Ko is a story about achieving stardom and making up for past regrets. The story follows twins Aqua and Ruby as they each embark on different quests, be it the path of an idol or vengeance.
Many depictions of the idol life in the anime are shockingly similar to real-life events. Although Aka Akasaka has been quiet about whether the anime is based on these events, as fans we can speculate.
1. Ai Hoshino’s Stabbing is Based on a Real-Life Incident
Oshi no Ko starts off by giving us the backdrop in which we see the story of Ai Hoshino, the talented idol. Ai is the mother of both Aqua and Ruby. We see early on in the story that Ai gains massive popularity in Japan as an idol as the lead singer of B-Komachi.
Ai Hoshino gives birth to the twins, and we see her tragically get stabbed by one of her deranged and jealous fans. This event is the backdrop of the events that occur later on, mainly Aqua’s thirst for revenge and Ruby’s dream of surpassing her mother’s success.
The stabbing of Ai Hoshino is rooted in reality as it mirrors the actual events that took place in 2016 involving Mayu Tomita. Similarly, Mayu was a Japanese idol who got stabbed by a stalker fan.
However, unlike the anime series, Ms. Tomita survived and called for help. The mangaka of Oshi no Ko Aka Akasaka never officially responded to the claims of the relation between the two events.
2. Akane’s Ordeal Mirrors a Tragic Event
Akane Kurokawa is introduced in the reality show arc. We see her as a calm and composed character who is extremely talented and possesses the starry eyes unique to the Hoshino family.
During the show, Akane faces online harassment and cyber-bullying, pushing her to the brink of despair as she attempts to take her own life. Aqua saves her, and Akane believes she is indebted to him and tries to repay his life-saving grace.
This cyber-bullying of Akane Kurokawa is identical to the life events of Hana Kimura, a professional wrestler and a reality TV star. In the series, Akane participates in the reality dating show “LoveNow” and faces online harassment.
Hana Kimura participated in the show “Terrace House” in 2020. In her excitement to get attention, Hana attacked a fellow contestant. This led to an online outrage as people across Japan hated Hana. This also stems from the fact that she had Indonesian roots.
Faced with racial bullying and continuous online harassment, Hana Kimura was pushed to take her own life. Akane survived in the show, but the reality is harsher as Kimura did not.
3. Kana Inspired by a Pacific Rim Child Actor
One of the main characters of Oshi no Ko is Kana Arima, a childhood prodigy-turned-failure. Kana was originally considered a budding actress as she acted and mesmerized the audience through multiple films and performances.
Due to her arrogance and foul-mouthed attitude, Kana slimmed her chances of getting picked by the various directors and producers. The childhood prodigy lost her charm and developed an inferiority complex.
The tale of Kana is similar to that of Ashida, a child actor from Japan who acted in famous movies like Pacific Rim. Usually, child actors have a huge advantage in being picked for roles as they grow older.
Ashida fell from grace as she grew older. The heights she had reached from age 3 were now out of her grasp. In the series, Kana manages to become an idol with the help of Ruby and Aqua and regains her confidence.
These events are inspired, although the author has never officially confirmed this. The tragic events surrounding showbiz and idol life are a cautionary tale to those who walk the path of stardom. Aka Akasaka was slightly trying to shine a light on the dark side of the idol industry.
4. About Oshi no Ko
Oshi no Ko is a supernatural crime-solving manga series written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump since April 2020 and received an anime adaptation in 2023.
The story follows a doctor, Goro, reincarnated as his favorite idol Ai’s kid. Ai names him Aquamarine and his twin sister, a reincarnation of a patient at the hospital, Ruby. Ai is later killed by a stalker who was also responsible for Goro’s death. As Aquamarine swears revenge on the stalker for his mother’s demise, Ruby follows the same path as her mother to become an idol.
No Comments on Is Oshi no Ko Based on a True Story?