ehmmmmm, estoy loca, seeh demasiado no pues tengo 25 años, mexicana, otaku, super random, con adiccion a los videojuegos en especial Kingdom Hearts, TWEWY, .Hack//, Rockman, Danganronpa, Tales of, SMT (Persona y Devil Survivor), Pokemon,TLoZ, Corpse Party, Undertale, Ensemble Stars, ValkyrieP MIKA KAGEHIRA IT'S MY PRECIOUS CINNAMON BUN QwQ, AMO YUGIOH!!!!!! OuO
Oshi No Ko and Monster are 2 very different stories, but some plot elements and conflicts are similar:
Monster is the story of a surgeon, who must track down a serial killer whose life he has saved. This monster is one of 2 twins and the story deals with the brother and sister uncovering their past
Oshi No Ko is the story of a doctor, who is murdered and reborn as his favourite idol’s child. Together with him there is a twin sister and they must track down the killer of their mother. The series leads the twins to find closure with their previous selves, so they can embrace a new life
In short, in both series there is a pair of twins and a murderer. It is just that in Monster the twins have no memories nor sense of selves, while in Oshi No Ko they have too many memories and baggage.
Finally, in Monster the characters must uncover the truth behind Johan, while in Oshi No Ko they must find out who Ai really is. The former is about understanding a monster, whereas the latter is about empathizing with a goddess.
The invincible smile that tears up the media Wanna know her secret, so mysterious Even the things she lacks end up in her area Such a perfect liar, you are: [Miss] ingenious, godly idol (You’re my savior, you’re my saving grace)
In religion an idol is:
An object which represents a deity, so it can become a manifestation of thegod itself
A fake god, at least in monotheistic religions, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam
So, idols are gods. And yet, they are fake gods. In particular, monotheistic religions refuse idols because they are over-simplified representations of the divine.
Similarly, people worship celebrities, but only aknowledge their simplistic personas. Actors and idols are put on a pedestal, but also objectified:
So, what’d you eat today? What’s your favorite book? And if you wanna go to play, where are you gonna go? I haven’t eaten at all That’s a secret No matter what you ask She’s elusive, evasive Yet still shining bright; Her secret: out of sight, as if visible, has the taste of honey
They aren’t seen as people with complex emotions, but as blank slates fans project their feelings onto.
This is why Ai Hoshino is the ultimate idol:
Drawing everyone’s eyes You are the perfect, ultimate idol Never to appear again A reincarnation of Venus With that smile, with that “I love you” You captivate everyone Even if those eyes, those words, are false They make up a perfect love (Ai)
Ai’s whole self is a lie. Not because she is malicious, but rather because she lacks a sense of self:
She is not sure of her own emotions and can’t tell truth from lies. Everything is mixed and unclear. What does it even mean to love? What does Ai even want?
Ai is supposed to embody love. After all, she is associated to the Morning Star, which is called Venus, also known as the Goddess of Love. And yet, Ai’s true eyes are dark:
Similarly, the word “ai” means love, but our idol’s name is written with no kanji, which makes it the Japanese transcription of the English word for eye.
Ai’s name is the sound of love, but with no kanjis (no meaning) attached. Ai is an empty love with empty eyes. This is the pun she is built on.
Still, why is that so? Well, Ai’s parents don’t put kanjis in her name, just like they don’t love her:
So, Ai’s character is defined by these 2 ideas:
I have never been loved by anyone Nor have I loved anyone else
On the one hand she was never loved. On the other hand she has never loved. Because of this, she thinks of herself as a fake.
Here come 2 great girls and 2 great characters! Akane Kurokawa and Kana Arima are Aqua’s 2 love interests, but more than that they are key for the story and themes of Oshi No Ko.
SHADOW AND LIGHT
Akane and Kana are linked to 2 opposite ideas:
Akane is a person who accepts others’ shadows
Kana is a person who gives others hope and light
Akane is the most perceptive character in the manga. She is incredibly sensitive to the people around her and able to guess their secrets from little details. For example, she infers Ai’s personal life by looking at some records. Not only that, but people feel they can trust Akane and share with her intimate information. This is true for both Aqua and Ruby:
Both siblings tell Akane a part of their previous selves’ story. Akane doesn’t ask for it, but listens to them. She is so accepting, she is even ready to compromise her morality for others:
She looks straight at people’s darkness and doesn’t flinch. She welcomes the shadow.
Kana is strongly associated with light:
The acting who makes her famous as a child is her ability to shine on the stage. Not only that, but she chooses white as her idol color and sings about becoming a full moon. She brings light into the night and helps others shine. So, she fittingly becomes a beacon of hope for both twins:
Aqua is drawn to Kana’s cheerful and strong personality and wants to see more of it. Ruby wants to help Kana, even when she is going through her DarkRuby phase. For a moment, her friendship with Kana brings back Ruby’s inner light.
So, Akane is so empathic she accepts people’s flaws, while Kana is so cheerful she brings joy to people. Still, their juxtaposition doesn’t stop at what they represent for others.
BLUE AND RED
Akane and Kana have opposite color schemes. Akane is blue and Kana is red. Blue and red are complementary colors and they are generally associated with different ideas:
blue is mind, shyness and introversion
red is heart, impulsiveness and extroversion
These personality traits fit Akane and Kana and their acting methods:
Akane studies alone and immers herself into the script. She looks inside:
Her acting is understanding the characters.
Kana reacts to the people around her and matches their performance. She looks outside:
Her acting is interpersonal relationships.
Akane is introspective and focuses on the characters (blue). Kana instead is reactive and focuses on the actors (red). That said, the 2 actresses’ color juxtaposition hides an additional meaning:
thought this poem by Jean Little fit these two a lot :))) slightly inspired by the lmk version by @ziaofender!
[ID: A Link Click comic which is done in shades of orange, with blue accents for Lu Guang’s eyes. The narration, taken from “Oranges” by Jean Little and altered to fit, begins on Lu Guang peeling an orange with a neutral expression and saying, “I peel oranges neatly. The sections come apart cleanly, perfectly in my hands.”
We see Cheng Xiaoshi struggling to peel an orange. Juice spurts out, and he yelps. “When Cheng Xiaoshi peels an orange, he tears holes in it. Juice squirts in all directions.”
Cheng Xiaoshi tearfully hands the orange to an exasperated Lu Guang. His dialogue mixes with the narration: “‘Lu Guang,’ he says, 'I don’t know how you do it!’” Cheng Xiaoshi happily eats oranges. “Cheng Xiaoshi is my best friend.” Lu Guang looks at him with a fond, sweet smile, also preparing to eat a slice. “I hope he never learns how to peel oranges.” End ID]
via
via
via
viaALT
ALT
ALT
ALT
ALT
ALT
ALT
via
via
via
via
via
via
via
via
