[Oshi No Ko] Volume 8 Review

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! 

Aqua has spent the majority of his life and his career so far as an actor, networking to find the name of his father, in order to uncover the man who killed his mother. However, the revelation of a half-brother, and his news of their birth father having died many years ago, has killed all motivation for vengeance in Aqua. Now drifting with no knowledge of where to go from here, he sets out on a trip with B Komachi to film their first music video, with his girlfriend Akane in tow. But the location of the music video is Miyazaki, where he and Ruby were born and the place where Aqua died in his previous life. If he can’t resolve the murder of his mother, can Aqua instead make peace with his own murder?

Volume 8 is quite different to the volumes that have come before; not just because there’s no proper ‘arc’ in this one; it’s more of a break before the next one, but it’s also arguably the most character-driven part of the story so far. Rather than exploring the politics or darker side of the media as most past arcs have, this book is more focused on where the characters are at now, and how they feel, with a bigger focus on reflecting on the past. This is the first time that Aqua and Ruby’s past lives have been front and centre since Volume 1, and their return focus comes with emotional gut punches to boot.

Let’s start with Aqua, who’s down in the dumps for the majority of the volume. I was a little worried in my review for the previous volumes that the sudden drop of his on-going plot would lead to an unsatisfying end, but luckily that’s not the case. He may be at a loss now, but the mystery is far from over. Considering how cold and standoffish Aqua usually is, I’m glad that to see a more sombre and sadder side to him; the conversation he has with Akane about the state of their relationship is not only handled maturely, but is also true to both characters. Aqua is, for once, honest about his motivations for using Akane, and she is fully aware of it, but also sees a softer side to Aqua that even he doesn’t want to admit to. His unresolved murder in his previous life also clearly still haunts him, especially as he can’t talk about it, as no one knows who he was in the previous life. So his futile attempts to find his body decades later are understandable, considering that he feels he’s at a crossroads, with no clear path as to where to go next.

Then we have Ruby, who has been neglected a lot but gets the biggest emotional development so far in the series here. On one hand, she should be the most elated and passionate of the cast, considering that their idol group has finally got their first original song and are about to shoot a music video. However, a massive revelation in the present day, clashing with her life-long love that she held onto from her past life, crashes together and completely rocks her world to the point where she can’t even enjoy what is happening now. Her crush on the doctor who once took care of her is clearly doomed from the start, considering what the audience knows, but you just want to hold the girl when her worlds collide. Her previous life was full of illnesses and hospital beds, and whilst her new life is far more glamorous and positive, she feel indebted to the doctor who was with her in the final moments of her last life. The book’s final pages are a significant change for her, now with twin stars in her eyes, with a renewed passion for vengeance; it’s like the passing of the torch from her to the brother. The pair couldn’t be less alike, yet they’ve clearly fallen from the same tree, with the determination to get what they want, regardless of what it’ll take to get there.

With this volume, we’re now on a par with the anime adaptation with minor changes. The book ends with text relating that several months have passed, and teases that Aqua’s and Ruby’s careers are about to kick into high gear. On the other hand, the anime shows flashes of future events to end on a more dramatic note. But this means that Season 3 (air date TBC) will continue from Volume 9 onward, which is due for release in February 2025.

The art is still good; there are no major set pieces or dramatic expression faces, as this is a more introspective volume, but the one-page spread of a certain discovery is really gruesome and detailed. If you love the more horrific side of this story, then you’ll enjoy the chilling turn this book takes. The translation by Taylor Engel also continues to be a good read too, with lots of nice translation notes at the end.

[Oshi No Ko] takes a break from the high stakes drama for a more character-driven volume, that lets the audience breathe and reminds us where we are now, before jumping into the next arc. The break in pace is appreciated, and I look forward to see where this rollercoaster goes next.

Our review copy from Yen Press was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK