Oshi no Ko, a popular manga series by Aka Akasaka, was recently adapted into an anime and has become a hit. However, the story’s tragic plot twist involving the death of Ai Hoshino, one of the main characters, has left fans heartbroken.
In an interview with Livedoor News, Akasaka revealed that he didn’t plan on killing off Ai when he first came up with the story. The idea only came about during the serialization process, as Ai became too strong of a character for the manga’s narrative.
At the climax of Volume 1 of the manga, or the end of the first episode of the anime, Ai is stabbed by an obsessed fan and slowly dies in front of her two children. Akasaka didn’t plan on killing off Ai, but he felt that her presence would overshadow the development of her children.
The death of Ai has sparked discussions among fans on how the story would have panned out if Ai had survived. Some speculate that the attack would have still occurred, but not to a fatal extent. Aqua Hoshino, Ai’s daughter, would then have used her skills as a doctor to keep her mother alive.
The story of Oshi no Ko mirrors real-life incidents in Japan’s idol culture, where obsessive fans have attacked their favorite idols. One such incident is the brutal stabbing of Mayu Tomita in 2016 by a stalker who had sent her threatening messages online. Despite reporting the messages to the police, they were ignored.
Oshi no Ko explores the dark side of the entertainment industry through the eyes of Aqua and Ruby Hoshino, Ai’s twin daughters and reincarnations of two people who idolized Ai. The anime’s opening song, “Idol” by YAOSOBI, has surpassed 60 million views on YouTube and continues to dominate other streaming services.
As the anime continues to air with new episodes every Wednesday, fans can enjoy it with Bahasa Indonesia subtitles on legal streaming services in Indonesia, such as Netflix and Bstation. The tragic death of Ai Hoshino may have been a shock, but it’s a testament to the fascinating and complex storytelling of Oshi no Ko.
