Oshi no Ko episode 3 sees Aqua starting his new quest as an actor to hunt down the murderer of Ai Hoshino

Oshi no Ko episode 3 was released on April 26, 2023, taking viewers further into the murky and corrupt world of the entertainment industry by exploring the central theme in greater depth.

While the second episode focuses primarily on Ruby, the third episode shifts most of the attention to Aqua, who is shown entering the glamorous world of showbiz. However, unlike Ruby, Aqua has a different motive for entering the entertainment industry. So far, Oshi no Ko has been successful in highlighting the different motivations and experiences of the two characters while also continuing to progress the plot in a compelling manner.

---

Aqua hunts down his first suspect for the murder of his mother in Oshi no Ko episode 3

Oshi no Ko episode 3 picked up where the previous one left off. Aqua and Ruby ran into Kana, the child actor who worked with Aqua in the past. The trio is now grown up now, and during their conversation, Kana learned that Aqua and Ruby applied to the same institution as her.

Aqua opted for general education, while Ruby chose performing arts as her subject. This news surprised Kana, who expected Aqua to pursue acting further. After the interaction, Kana continued to stick close to Aqua, wanting to know more about his life.

Kana and Aqua from Oshi no Ko. (Image via Doga Kobo)

However, since Aqua is introverted, he preferred to keep to himself. When Kana asked him to hang out, they ended up at the studio of director Gotanda, as Kana was unable to go out in public without drawing attention due to her status as a celebrity.

While at the studio, Kana probed Aqua about his life and why he was in touch with the director. Aqua revealed that he's learning to work behind the scenes and was essentially the director's assistant. Kana, in turn, shared that she has been living alone and working on a TV drama series called I'll Go With Sweet Today, based on a shoujo manga.

Kana informed Aqua that there are some roles left to be filled, and she offered to put in a good word for him. Aqua declined, saying he was not interested. However, when Kana revealed that Masaya Kaburagi was the producer of the show, Aqua's demeanor changed, and he agreed to take on any role offered.

Aqua's decision to change his mind was solely influenced by the producer's identity. After Ai's death, Aqua thoroughly investigated her multiple cell phone records.

Aqua from Oshi no Ko. (Image via Doga Kobo)

He further discovered that Kaburagi was one of the contacts from the entertainment industry listed on the phone that Ai used before she became pregnant. Thus, he considered Kaburagi to be one of the potential suspects in Ai's murder and saw this as an opportunity to potentially obtain a DNA sample.

Aqua was eventually cast as the villain in the show's concluding episode. During the shoot, he noticed that Kana was underperforming and confronted her about it. Kana explained that she can't give it her all because it would make the other actors look bad, as many of them were cast solely for their looks.

Aqua’s eye in Oshi no Ko. (Image via Doga Kobo)

She also revealed that she had often been cast for her understanding nature, which she developed over the years due to struggling to find work because of her personality. Later on, Aqua overheard Kaburagi talking about how they're using Kana's celebrity status to their advantage since she's currently freelancing.

This disgusted Aqua, who took the cigarette butt Kaburagi left behind as the necessary DNA testing material to progress with his main plan. The episode concluded with Aqua standing in front of the camera to give his all, determined to uncover the truth about Ai's murder.