Mesmerizing as its idol, Oshi No Ko is a spellbinding adaptation of the original manga hit. Centered around an idol’s secret twin children, this binge-worthy anime brilliantly takes the reincarnation trope to tackle the Japanese entertainment industry. The premise alone is brilliant, but stunning animation and catchy tracks elevate the source material. The show isn’t afraid to go in-depth– as the twins progress through their careers, certain scenes effectively explain quirks in the industry that regular viewers wouldn’t know. However, the show remains mindful of its young characters, ensuring a careful discussion without going too far. Oshi No Ko uncovers what makes stars so captivating, without sacrificing the glitz and glamor in its explanation.

Many works have been made about the difficulties of young pop stars, but few focus on their fans. Oshi No Ko is the rare anime that does both, using the reincarnation trope to tackle them. While extreme fan behavior is condemned, general fan culture is celebrated. In this show, the starry-eyed Hoshino twins are the reincarnations of their mom’s former fans. Their past selves are drawn to their mom, not just because of her cuteness and charisma, but also because of escapism. The idol heals the inner child or becomes a needed stand-in for unresolved trauma. In their new lives, they finally can pursue dreams forbidden from their past selves due to age, location, and disability. And because of their previous fandom experiences, they can fully appreciate and support the aspirations of fellow dreamers like themselves. Oshi No Ko deeply understands this – the anime expresses this through warm and humorous situations that don’t distract from the main mystery.