【Oshi no Ko】What are the differences between the original work and the anime?　Consider the appeal emphasized by the images and the unique expression of the manga.

　The first episode of the anime “[Oshi no Ko]”, which began airing on TV on April 12 and ran for over 80 minutes, was an episode from the first volume of the original comic book. How was the worldview of this work, which has been well received on the “Shonen Jump +” manga app, expressed in the anime? In this article, we will discuss the appeal of “Oshi no Ko” in both the manga and the anime.

|Animation-specific expressions and scenes reminiscent of the original manga

Ai is the center of the idol group “B-Komachi. Ai’s obstetrician Goro, who “promotes” her, is visited by Ai herself, who is carrying twins in her belly. Goro cooperates to keep Ai’s pregnancy a secret, but just before the birth, someone stabs her to death. However, Goro does not leave this world, and when he opens his eyes, he is reincarnated as Ai’s child, Aikyu Aikai (hereafter “Aqua”).

　Goro and his twin sister, Rubii (Ruby), spend their days with Ai, who grows up to be an idol. One of the charm points of Ai, Aqua, and Ruby is the star-shaped pattern floating in their eyes. In the anime, these eyes are depicted as colorful and shining like the night sky with the brightest stars. Their eyes, which shine brightly in the scenes that are at the heart of the work, sometimes emphasize the beauty and charisma of the three girls, and at other times give them an unknowable eeriness. Such a direction gives the impression that the charm of the girls has been scaled up even more than in the original work.

　In addition to the richness of the colors, another unique aspect of the animation is the auditory information provided by the voice actors’ performances. When Aqua and her friends go to the filming location as child actors, Kana Arima, a well-known child prodigy, is frustrated by Aqua’s acting ability and bursts into tears. Her performance in the anime “[Oshi no Ko]” brings out Kana Arima’s emotions and childlike nature even more clearly.

　Although the first episode of the anime expressed the world of “[Oshi no Ko]” as a visual work, there were many scenes that faithfully reproduced the expression of the original manga. When Ai told Goro that she would continue her idol activities without announcing her pregnancy, she smiled and said, “Lies are / the best kind of love, you know? Ai said with a smile on her face. The angle of her smiling face is almost the same as in the manga, and fans may recall the impact when they first saw the scene.

　Many scenes were drawn with the same composition as the original manga, such as the scene where Goro also smiles after that, and the scene where Ai smiles fully when she sees Aqua and Ruby who have performed an otaku trick. It can be said that the first episode of the anime “[Oshi no Ko]” was the first episode that expanded the world view of the work with expressions unique to the anime, and also included scenes that made viewers relive the original manga in many places.

|Animation to be enjoyed together with the original manga【Oshi no Ko】

Although the first episode of the anime was a skillful visual representation of the original manga, there are some scenes that were not depicted in the anime. In the first volume of the comics, the episode opens with a scene in which someone interviews the characters. The interview parts are slightly different from the timeline of the main story, and they all provide clues to the mysterious aspects of the work.

　In the anime, Goro is shown as a man who says to Ai, “Lies are / the best kind of love, you know? Goro murmurs to Ai, “I’m such a fan of yours that I can’t help it” in his mind. In the original manga, the word “fan” is written as a ruby for the word “slave,” although this scene is also depicted in almost the same way as the scene in the original manga. The deeper psychology and true feelings of the characters may well be seen in the manga version.

　The anime “[Oshi no Ko]” is expressed through vivid colors and skillful voice acting. This is an anime work that should be enjoyed together with the original manga, in order to divine the future development of the story as its mystery deepens, and to gain a deeper understanding of the shifting emotions of the characters.