The recent hit-series anime Oshi No Ko has become the new trend in the anime community. The anime, which is an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Aka Akasaka, has been seen as one of the best anime series in spring 2023. So what makes Oshi No Ko so popular?
The dance performed by the fictional band from Oshi No Ko, B-Komachi, has become a popular trend in the social media community. The choreography of songs associated with Oshi No Ko has been released by the official Oshi No Ko youtube channel. Posts showing influencers dancing to the Oshi No Ko songs have spread all over Tik Tok and Youtube. The choreography of the Oshi No Ko songs allows people to associate themselves with the Oshi No Ko trend that has taken over the internet, further spreading the popularity of Oshi No Ko and the influence.
The opening music of the anime IDOL, composed by YOASOBI has also contributed to the success of the anime. The music was the first J-POP song to top the Billboard Global Excl. It became the highest charting Japanese act on the Billboard Global 200. The lyrics of the song are connected to the plot of Oshi No Ko.
In the story, when Ai Hoshino was scouted by Ichigou Saitou, the president of Strawberry Productions which created the B-Komachi group, she initially declines because she believed she lacked the qualities to properly love her fans, as she had no experience of loving or being loved by someone. However, Saitou convinced her that lying could act as an advantage; Ai came to believe that lying is a form of love. Subsequently, she continues to lie to her fans hoping that the lie would become true someday.
The lyrics of the song clearly reflects Ai’s wishes: The pre-chorus states: “I recall no one that loved me whole before and I’ve not been in love with anybody before. Now, the lies I’m making up, I’m hoping that a day comes when they all become true and I keep wishing they do”.
Furthermore, the song’s lyrics praises Ai Hoshino for her ability to lie – the lyrics refer to her as a “Dear miss genius idol unmatched.” Despite the gloomy plot, IDOL has appeared on several social media platforms such as Tik Tok for its jovial melody, increasing the popularity of the anime.
The animation quality also made a big impact on the success of Oshi No Ko. A special trait of the characters, for example, are the star eyes depicted as either black or white. The star eyes have become a popular trend on social media, with many social media users posting videos on Ai Hoshino’s star eyes lens. The animator of Oshi No Ko, Kanna Hirayama, states that she was very detailed and thorough in the character’s eyes and eyelashes. She also states that there were many colors involved in the anime for the quality of the anime to reach the quality of the manga.
