Summary
The following contains spoilers for Episode 8 of Oshi no Ko Season 2, “Trigger,” now streaming onHiDive.
The drama between Akane and Kana continues as the battle between the Shinjuku and Shibuya factions blazes on intheTokyo Bladestage play. Akane fails to get Kana to discard her reservations and act as she wishes, but Aqua has his own plan to get Kana to shine. After that, it soon becomes Aqua’s turn to show off his chops, though to do so, he’ll have to take a different path from every other actor he’s met.
The newest episode ofOshi no Kocontinues to dive into the psychology of the variousTokyo Bladeperformers, with Kana and Aqua being the central focus. While the psychological exploration is very interesting, the way it mingles with the incredibly flashy visuals of the stage play is incredibly artful, making it an episode no fan should miss.
Blade Versus Touki
A Clash Of Fire And Ice
“Kurokawa’s in the groove, and she’s gonna devour us at this rate.”
As the stage play continues, the battle between Shinjuku and Shibuya rages on. As fights continue around them, Kana quietly admires Akane’s impressive performance, hiding her regrets deep inside her heart. Backstage, Himekawa asks Kana if she should have put more energy into her acting, but Kana gives him the same excuse: it was more important to keep the play together. Kana notices Himekawa reading his script, and he explains that he is planning on doing an ad-lib to avoid being shown up by Aqua and Akane. Kana initially objects, but ultimately relents to Himekawa’s fighting spirit.
The battle continues, and as fights begin to resolve, the play beginsto focus on the battle between Blade and Touki. Aqua notes that Himekawa’s performance is full of energy and emotion, so he responds with a performance that is the complete opposite, allowing the contrast to highlight his performance against the veteran actor. As their battle continues, Tsurugi interrupts, attempting to escape from her battle with Princess Saya. As Princess Saya attempts to strike Tsurugi from behind, Blade calls out to Tsurugi, beginning the ad-lib.
The Real Kana Arima
Loosening The Restraints Of The Soul
“Aqua, you’re to blame for this! You always drive me crazy!”
Blade blocks Saya’s attack and throws Tsurugi back, throwing her into Aqua as a result. Before Kana can tell Aqua what to do, he starts ad-libbing a little conversation with Tsurugi that is both in-character and keeps the story flowing forward. Realizing that Aqua is as good as supporting others as she is, Kana starts to realize that he is subtly providing her an opportunity to let go for the first time in years. Despite not saying a word outside of their characters, Aqua communicates this sense of support to Kana, allowing her to let go of the support role and take center stage.
Kana reminisces on her past, and recalls that her mother, who had wanted to be an actress herself, ended up placing her hopes and dreams on Kana. Because of Kana’s success, her mother was able to be a part of the entertainment world she always dreamed of, and Kana was happy seeing her mother happy. However, as her popularity waned, Kana’s mother became desperate to maintain her success,at the detriment of both her relationship with her daughter and her husband. Kana, desperate to stay in the entertainment world, chose to work from the sidelines to allow others to shine, believing that it would maintain her position. For the first time however, Aqua is offering her the same thing, and after some quiet encouragement, Kana decides to let loose once and for all.
Aqua’s Resolve
His Own Style Of Acting
Kana’s performance completely dazzles the audience, with her radiance and energy drawing their attention to her with ease. Kaburagi is stunned to see that her skill hadn’t waned in all these years, while Akane is over the moon to see the Kana-chan she had always admired.
I need nothing else. For me, acting equals revenge!
The scene continues with Tsurugi as center stage, knocking Touki’s sword out of his hands. However, before Blade can deal the final blow, Princess Saya shields Touki with her body. As she slowly bleeds out, Blade tells Touki to pick up his blade and fight. Touki is unwilling, having failed to protect his master, but Blade goads him, asking if there isn’t another reason why he should fight.
Aqua flashes back to his training with Director Gotanda, during which he reveals that he knew that Ai was his real mother. Gotanda recommends that Aqua seek therapy, but Aqua reiterates that heonly cares about getting revenge for Ai. With no other option, Gotanda tells Aqua that the only way he can put out a properly emotional performance is for him to no longer enjoy acting, as that is the trigger for his panic attacks.
