Oshi no Ko is steadily developing to be another fantastic psychological manga from Kaguya-sama: Love is War's author. However, those with light hearts, take caution. Whereas its sibling series is much more comedic-oriented, Oshi no Ko strives to draw open the grandiose curtains of the entertainment industry and bare its murky colors. And in its pursuit, Aka depicts topics such as suicide, social pressure and bullying in an unapologetically pessimistic manner. In conjunction with a supernatural subplot, the story only becomes more dramatic, darker, and intoxicating. Regardless of if his information is truly accurate or not down to the last detail, Aka depicts an interestingly dark world that many of us are unaware of.

In its current serialization span of roughly 8 months and 30 chapters, the story has yet to fully tap into its full potential. But these past 2 arcs have served as great samples as to what you can expect from this series. Strong side characters, thickening plots and bold themes. As of now, the story is one-sidedly focused on Aqua's entertainment ventures, pushing Ruby's idol endeavors to the sidelines momentarily, and slow burning the overarching supernatural, revenge plot.

The side characters have thus far been the central focus on each arc, serving as damsels-in-distress for Aqua to save and carries into entertainment industry expositions and nuances. I can only hope these side characters aren't sidelined after time has passed, since the two presented considerable potential for development and enjoyable dynamics with the protagonists. I can't say I especially like or dislike the protagonists yet.

Scum's WIsh's Mengo's art has been nothing short of impressive. Her delicate character design works strongly in Oshi no Ko's favor, nourishing the dichotomous nature between the seemingly perfect appearances of its celebrity characters and their murky thoughts. The paneling and blotchy use of black often adds immensely to the dark undertones and narratives, as well.

At this point, it's expectantly unclear if and how the story direction will change or if its quality will fluctuate. Its measly two arcs have been interesting hooks into what one can expect, but insufficient in foretelling future consistency and direction. I have trust in Aka that he'll continue expanding upon everything and I commend him for creating something boldly contrastive to Kaguya-sama: Love is War. In short, Oshi no Ko has an interesting supernatural and dramatic hook, with an unclear outlook, but nonetheless an intriguing read with its introspective commentary of the entertainment industry and dark subplots.