Oshi no Ko is finally back with Season 3, and it promises to move the story to a new stage. Ahead of the premiere, we got to watch the third season’s first episode, giving us a nice taste of what to expect in the next arc.
[SPOILER WARNING: There are Oshi no Ko Season 2 spoilers in this article.]
While the Tokyo Blade arc in Season 2 featured lots of interesting developments, it’s fair to say that it wasn’t as dramatic as the first season’s events. On the flip side, the final episodes of the second season did feature some big moments involving Ruby Hoshino.
We did like the second season, but it’s clear that Ruby took a backseat in the Tokyo Blade arc. Thankfully, the third season should put the spotlight back on her. In fact, the first episode already hints at what to expect from Ruby in the next arc.
The third season will first cover the manga’s Mainstay arc, which will see Ruby participate in a variety show where her brother Aqua is a panelist. Without getting deep into spoiler territory, the first episode shows how this happens, and it sets up some of the season’s intriguing upcoming events.
What’s striking with Ruby is that she’s now drawn (or animated) with a black star on her eyes, similar to her brother Aqua. This is a nice touch visually, and it’s a direct result of the events of the Season 2 finale. Given this, we can expect Ruby to not only have a bigger role but also to be more of a factor in the anime’s central mystery.
Of course, the first episode of Season 3 isn’t just a Ruby Hoshino show. Interestingly, the show opened with a look at Kana Arima’s current state of mind, especially now that Aqua and Akane Kurokawa are dating. As someone who’s a big fan of Kana, I liked these parts of the episode and hope to see more.
On the flip side, Aqua is still very much the serious and brooding character that he was before, and he even has a slightly uncomfortable scene here. Still, this is par for the course given the story.
One thing worth noting in the first episode is how great the visuals look. Again, studio Doga Kobo has done the manga justice, as the episode’s art style and colors look excellent. Also, the show’s new opening song (which plays at the end, at least for Episode 1) is another banger.
Finally, the first episode dives deep once again into Japan’s entertainment industry. If you’re someone who has enjoyed the rather detailed explanations of idol and entertainment culture from the previous seasons, Season 3 likely won’t disappoint.
Oshi no Ko Season 3 – Initial Verdict
We only watched the first episode of the new season, but we are already interested in seeing what happens next. Just one episode is not enough to give a proper verdict, of course, but we can say that fans who loved the previous season should definitely enjoy the Season 3 premiere.
Oshi no Ko Season 3 is streaming on Crunchyroll, with new episodes to be released every week.