Oshi no Ko joins the 2024 club of disappointing manga endings

Modified Oct 25, 2024 20:22 GMT

Oshi no Ko joins the 2024 club of disappointing manga endings (Image via Doga Kobo)

It was announced earlier this year that author Aka Akasaka and illustrator Mengo Yokoyari’s incredibly popular Oshi no Ko manga series would be ending in November 2024. More specifically, the manga will conclude with the release of its 166th chapter on Thursday, November 14, 2024 with the 50th issue of this Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump magazine.

However, all eyes are already on the manga as it heads toward its conclusion, with fans paying special attention to the latest spoilers for the series. Unfortunately, based on the recently released spoilers for chapter 164, the manga seems set to be yet another entry in the collection of disappointing manga endings in 2024.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga.

Oshi no Ko manga’s latest spoilers all but confirm a disappointing conclusion for the beloved series

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The spoilers for Oshi no Ko chapter 164 were unofficially leaked on Thursday, October 24, 2024 by X (formerly Twitter) user and reputable general anime/manga news source @dØnut2x. Per the latest spoilers, protagonist Aquamarine “Aqua” Hoshino seemingly perishes in the upcoming issue for the series, which is something fans are extremely upset about for several reasons.

One of the most significant is the fact that neither of the fandom’s two biggest ships for Aqua, each of which were canonically suggested, will come to fruition. The ships in question are those pairing him with Akane Kurokowa and Kana Arima, both of whom appear and offer their thoughts on Aqua’s death in the 164th chapter.

However, fans are also taking issue with Aqua’s death in general, arguing that the choice doesn’t make sense or relies on heavily flawed logic from the protagonist. Generally speaking, it’s clear that fans are upset with the series’ ending. Likewise, many are going as far as to say that it’s just another disappointingly awful manga ending for the 2024 calendar year.

Oshi no Ko's fandom is set to be staunchly divided by the manga's ending (Image via Doga Kobo)

The series most likely being referenced by such comments are Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia manga and Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen manga. Both series’ endings were incredibly divisive and controversial in their respective fandoms, with many dubbing each some of the worst manga endings of all time.

On one hand, there are genuine criticisms being made against the confirmed endings of these two series, and the apparent conclusion Oshi no Ko is headed towards. However, it’s also worth mentioning that the advent of the internet age naturally lends itself to creating forums where such overwhelmingly negative commentary is commonplace.

Likewise, fandoms have become more focused on what their ideal ending is rather than trusting a mangaka to end their story as they see fit. Again, while there are legitimate criticisms to each of the aforementioned confirmed and imminent endings, there are also those which are disingenuously made in bad faith.

Fan reaction

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That being said, the fandom for Akasaka’s manga is not holding back at all in their criticism of the series’ ending. An overwhelming majority of the fanbase is pulling no punches in their discussion, going as far as to call it “the worst” ending amongst those series mentioned above and more:

“Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack On Titan fans can have the last laugh, OSHI NO KO'S ending is the worst lol,” claimed one fan.

“Onk is a nightmare. A joke. I'm appalled on how much time I've been investing on this manga just for it to turn absolutely trash. Aka you really did it.,” harshly levied another.

However, there are also those defending chapter 164’s alleged events and urging patience through the manga’s final weeks:

“Oshi no Ko hate is so forced. Like first off this is not the ending, as it doesn't end until Nov 14. Also if you actually read the chapter it's phenomenal.,” defended one reader.

“Sad to see Oshi no ko ending go this direction. I feel there is no satisfactory conclusion for all the characters ( Kana, Ruby, Mem, miyako, and even Aqua). Aqua is actually dead because ain't no way crow girl gonna do something. I hope something saves this ending.,” wished another.

In any case, it’s clear that the series’ ultimate conclusion will be an extremely divisive one given the strife it has already caused. While there will surely be those satisfied with Akasak ending their series in the way they want, others will undoubtedly push for its place in the hall of infamy for manga endings.