This Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode is a Refreshingly Honest Underdog Tale (2024)

Oshi no Ko Season 2 spent much of the Summer 2024 anime season focusing on the stage production of the in-universe manga Tokyo Blade. This arc is explored mostly through the eyes of Aqua Hoshino and his two love interests, Kana Arima and Akane Kurokawa, who also happen to be acting rivals. The season is strongest when it focuses on this love triangle. That said, as Episode 6 shows, Oshi no Ko can afford to spare one episode on a side character to deepen the arc's emotional resonance and that of the anime as a whole.

This comes at a bit of a cost. After all, the anime moves rather slowly if it doesn't focus on the Hoshino twins or other main characters like Kana, Akane, and Mem-Cho. Still, Episode 6's fresh perspective is an essential one that creates a more rounded view of the overall entertainment industry, since it's far bigger than just B-Komachi and Aqua. As long as Season 2 limits this to just Episode 6's contents, then the season is in good shape with its diverse viewpoints. In particular, that of Melt Narushima, the underdog star of Episode 6. Not only is this a new angle to explore, but his subplot is the anime's most genuine that Oshi no Ko fans have seen so far.

Oshi No Ko Episode 6 Benefits Greatly From Focusing on Melt Narushima

Focused Episodes Like This Tend to Be Strong and Memorable

There isn't a single, definitive "right" way to handle an anime episode, especially when it comes to episodes that focus on one topic or those that juggle several plot threads. Depending on the phase of the storyline, either model may work, and there are upsides and downsides to each. The best anime tend to mix these up, and for a character drama like Oshi no Ko, focused episodes must appear every now and then to properly deepen one of the cast members. That's what makes Episode 6 so strong, even if the character in question isn't a headliner like the Hoshinos or the popular tsundere Kana Arima. Not every character calls for such a deep dive. In the long run and truth be told, Melt isn't that compelling. But for this brief window in time, Melt's character study is a welcome change of pace. The key is to not do this too often so the pacing can remain largely intact.

This is appropriate for an anime like Oshi no Ko, because anime like this are heavily character-focused, and concern themselves less with ensemble casts, action sequences, and worldbuilding. A character study like Melt's wouldn't make much sense in Demon Slayer or Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest. But when an anime is based on the deepest, rawest emotions of a handful of characters, it works quite well. It also helps that Melt's character study isn't just to let fans get to know him better. Melt's character study draws some parallels and contrasts with Aqua's arc and those of other major characters, showing how they roughly understand each other but also have some key differences in their careers. Ideally, for the sake of pacing, this character study will conclude here so that the real plot may resume. If so, Episode 6 will remain a season highlight especially because it's a unique kind of episode that can't and shouldn't be repeated too often.

Melt Narushima’s Underdog Narrative Makes Him Sympathetic & Genuine

The Anime’s Subversive Storytelling Is on Hold for Now

In many ways, most of them quite subversive, Oshi no Ko presented its teenage protagonists as underdogs with a lot to prove in the entertainment industry. That narrative had elements of not just subversion, but also edutainment about how acting and idol performances work in Japan. That underdog narrative also opened the doors for Aqua's plan to avenge his beloved mother, Ai Hoshino, and Ruby's risky move to follow in her mother's footsteps. But while the underdog theme is a dark and sometimes scary one for characters like the Hoshinos and Akane, it feels more conventional and sympathetic for Melt. Compared to the main cast of prodigies, Melt really is an underdog in the classic sense. Overall, giving someone like Melt a full episode is an effective move. Melt's story is a conventional character arc that stands out in an unconventional narrative, like Oshi no Ko's. This is a case where normal feels weird, where weird is the rule, thus making a familiar narrative feel fresh all over again.

In Episode 6, Melt feels bad about his role as the character Kizami in the Tokyo Blade production, since he is not as good an actor as the Lala Lai performers he must share the spotlight with. In fact, his more experienced cast mate, Kamoshida, openly mocks him for being some dope from the universally-panned Sweet Today drama. Kamoshida sees Melt's past work as weak credentials for getting into a big-budgeted stage production like Tokyo Blade. Unsurprisingly, Melt suffers from impostor syndrome and serious self-doubt, more so than Aqua, Akane, or Kana can even imagine. Melt is honest and humble enough to view himself as the production's weakest link. This, crucially, makes him sympathetic and likable without making him insecure enough to complain or quit. His character is delicately handled to good effect, making him weak enough to be vulnerable, but not so much that he's annoying or drags the story down.

All this makes Melt both a mirror to and a foil to Aqua, making his arc relevant while also being distinct. Otherwise, he would just be Aqua without the compelling drama, the desire for revenge, and the Hoshino-style eye stars. Both boys are out of their element here, with Aqua struggling with emotional acting and Melt having limited skills and self-confidence. What's more, Melt handles his shortcomings in a way Aqua never would. While Aqua relies on skill and grim determination to finish his revenge and stage acting, Melt uses method acting to channel his underdog frustration into his character, and it works surprisingly well. Not only does that bring exciting results onstage during opening night, it also makes Melt unique among the show's characters. There's nothing subversive, traumatic, or weird about what Melt is going through. In fact, of everyone in the anime so far, he had one of the most relatable and familiar arcs yet. This makes him a fine foil for the rest of the cast all throughout Episode 6, and he's lovable the whole time.

Oshi No Ko Episode 6 Does Well With Melt, but Loses Its Grip on Aqua’s Tense Arc

So Far, Episode 5’s Cliffhanger Ending Was for Nothing

For the most part, Episode 6 thrives by focusing on Melt, with other Tokyo Blade cast and staff members being in the background with only a few supporting lines at most. For now, fans will have to wait to see how the love triangle will resolve. In fact, Tokyo Blade's creator Abiko Samejima was relegated to being an observer, despite her established importance. But even if Melt gets a pleasantly surprising spotlight, it's a shame that Oshi no Ko's best characters make no progress in Episode 6. This was a necessary price to pay for Melt's character study, but perhaps Episode 6 could have devoted at least one minute to the anime's more timely drama and tension to keep those ongoing plot threads fresh in fans' minds. That might have made for a fine cliffhanger like the one seen in Episode 5, but no such thing happened. Instead, Episode 6 closed on a more open-ended note as Melt pulled himself together with his emotionally-charged method acting. It's the weakest episode ending so far of Season 2.

Aqua makes very few appearances in Episode 6, and there is practically no sign of his own drama and problems aside from a brief close-up of his eye star, but that doesn't count for much. Aqua's biggest challenge as a stage actor is that using his own emotional trauma for method acting overwhelms him due to recalling the pain and horror of seeing Ai Hoshino die. Unsurprisingly, this dominated the narrative of the last two episodes. This was meant to crank up Season 2's tension and make fans wonder when that problem will strike again and if it will interfere with the Tokyo Blade production. However, there's no hint of that in Episode 6, since it's none of Melt's business. On a similar topic, Episode 6 also neglects Akane's and Kana's intensifying rivalry as fellow performers, meaning Episode 6's tension is that much weaker.

This is probably the single biggest weakness of an otherwise fine character study in Episode 6. Given how sympathetic and charming Melt's underdog arc is, this price is still worth paying. But for fans who tune in for the drama and subversion, it may feel a little frustrating for Aqua, Kana, and Akane to be sidelined for Melt's sake. There's also no denying that this arc's crucial tension and drama take a hit with this episode. It's vital that Episode 7 puts all that back to the fore immediately before the whole thing goes slack. Given how Tokyo Blade's play is entering its second half, that seems more likely to happen than not, fortunately enough.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 is now streaming on HIDIVE.

Oshi no Ko Season 2, Episode 6 - "Growth"

8

10

TV-14

Drama

Fantasy

Aqua's, Akane's, and Kana's drama is all put on hold while Melt Narushima struggles with insecurities as a low-tier actor with a big job to do. His only chance is to funnel his frustration into that of his underdog character.

Release Date

April 12, 2023

Cast

Rie Takahashi , Yumi Uchiyama

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1 Season

Creator

Aka Akasaka

Production Company

CyberAgent, Dogakobo, Kadokawa, Sentai Studios, Shueisha

Number of Episodes

12 Episodes

Pros

• Melt's underdog story is a refreshing change of pace.
• Melt's arc is also highly sympathetic and a good foil for Aqua.
• Character-driven anime benefit from personal deep-dives like this.

Cons

• The ending feels open-ended and forgettable.
• The drama and tension are threatening to unravel.