Oshi no Ko chapter 163: Aqua questions his sacrifice as Crow Girl mourns him

Modified Oct 31, 2024 18:03 GMT

Oshi no Ko chapter 163: Aqua questions his sacrifice as Crow Girl mourns him — Crow Girl and Aqua Hoshino as seen in Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

With the release of Oshi no Ko chapter 163, the manga saw huge developments take place as Aqua Hoshino seemingly passed away after killing Hikaru Kamiki. While the manga has yet to confirm this, evidence from this chapter suggests that fans may have seen the last of the protagonist.

The previous chapter revealed that Hikaru Kamiki couldn't swim back up after he hit his head somewhere during the fall. In addition, the manga depicted Hikaru being pulled down the waterbody by some shadowy hands. As for Aqua, just as he was drowning, he realized that he had reincarnated to protect his sister.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Oshi no Ko manga.

Oshi no Ko chapter 163: Aqua dreams of Sarina performing with Ai

Ai Hoshino and Sarina Tendouji as seen in Oshi no Ko chapter 163 (Image via Shueisha)

Oshi no Ko chapter 163, titled You, opened with Aqua envisioning an alternate reality-like dream. In this reality, Sarina Tendouji survived after going through a successful life-saving surgery. Following that, she reunited with her mother, Marina Tendouji, and was discharged from the hospital. A few years later, just as Sarina was in high school, she received the opportunity to become an idol for B-Komachi.

Gorou Amamiya was shocked by this news and went to the B-Komachi concert to support Sarina, who performed alongside Ai Hoshino. The manga then switched to Aqua Hoshino and Crow Girl as Aqua asked her if he was seeing a dream. Crow Girl confirmed this as it was in fact a dream for Aqua.

Aqua and Crow Girl as seen in Oshi no Ko chapter 163 (Image via Shueisha)

Right after, Aqua asked Crow Girl the question that was troubling him the most—does the feeling of happiness when looking at Ai and Sarina belong to Aqua or Gorou? However, Crow Girl did not mind the question much as the feeling was certainly his own.

Following that, Aqua further opened up about his feelings. He wasn't certain that he had done the right thing. While he did protect his sister, he was worried that he had caused trouble for his sister and friends by dying selfishly. Crow Girl was surprised that Aqua was worried about such childish things on the verge of his death. Just then, she remembered that he was, in fact, an 18-year-old child.

Ai, Hikaru, and Gorou as seen in Oshi no Ko chapter 163 (Image via Shueisha)

Aqua Hoshino was born with the memories and will of Gorou Amamiya due to reincarnation. As for his genetics, they were the ones carried forward to him from Ai Hoshino and Hikaru Kamiki. These aspects created the two perspectives and roles, those designated "Gorou" and "Aqua."

This is why, Aqua Hoshino, despite being a child, carried the pain of not being able to save Sarina and Ai. These memories effectively shaped Aqua into a selfless person willing to help anyone even if it did not benefit him. This was evident from how Aqua saved Akane's life and Kana's career in the past.

Crow Girl as seen in Oshi no Ko chapter 163 (Image via Shueisha)

As per Crow Girl, Aqua was just a child who was angry at the injustice of society, had an interest in romance, and was a liar like his parents. So, to answer Aqua's question about his identity, it was all "Aqua Hoshino." With that, Aqua Hoshino disappeared leaving behind the "Ai Hoshino" keychain Sarina gave to Gorou in their previous lives.