Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 review: Doga Kobo almost surpasses season 1 with amazing animation

With the premiere of Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1, the anime returned with the 2.5D Stage Play Arc. Fans were eagerly waiting for the anime's second season. Needless to say, they have been left speechless as Doga Kobo went above and beyond to give fans an amazing visual experience.

While one shouldn't judge an entire anime season just through its first episode, there is good reason to believe that Oshi no Ko season 2 will surpass its first season when it comes to a quality viewing experience. That said, it does have its shortcomings, the result of which can only be judged later on.

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

Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 review: Everything Doga Kobo did well

Taiki Himekawa as Blade in Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 was simply beautiful. From the beginning, the anime set the tone of the new arc with character introductions for the Tokyo Blade stage play cast members. This scene was never included in the manga but helped showcase what the entire arc will be about.

The anime's promotional material has evidently focused a lot on the cast members' roles in the play. Thus, the original scene could be an attempt at promoting the same. The anime's push for fans to learn each character's role in the stage play may have something to do with the portrayal of the stage play itself. But one will have to wait to witness the same.

Kana Arima as seen in the Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

However, Doga Kobo's creative freedom did not end there. The anime delved deep into the Tokyo Blade stage play rehearsals. Even here, Doga Kobo switched between the actors and their roles to help fans recollect what role a particular actor was rehearsing for.

On top of that, Doga Kobo has seemingly found the solution to set good acting skills apart from mediocre ones. While the manga portrayed impressive acting skills through some speech bubbles, the anime went above and beyond in its animation and voice acting to showcase the same.

Ruby Hoshino as seen in the Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

This was evident from the scene between Kana Arima and Taiki Himekawa as both characters were brought to life when they "painted" their fellow cast members with streaks of orange and blue color to portray their overwhelming acting skills.

Lastly, the visuals in Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 were simply amazing. While it was difficult to deduce whether season 2's visuals surpassed those of the first season, the artwork for each character was impressive. This was evident from the close-ups as the shading, outlining, and carefully chosen colors helped the characters come to life.

What went wrong with Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1?

Abiko Samejima as seen in the Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

While fans may have failed to notice this, Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 omitted several scenes from the story arc's first chapter. This included Ruby Hoshino's interactions with her friends Minami Kotobuki and Frill Shiranui, Aqua and Kana's reunion with Melt Narushima, and manga creator Abiko Samejima requesting her former senior Yoriko Kichijouji to join her in watching the stage play's rehearsal.

While Doga Kobo handled such exclusions masterfully, the anime's trailer suggests that some of these scenes will be included in the series. Thus, until the anime adapts those scenes, it can only be presumed that the animation studio may have assumed their creative freedom a tad bit more freely.

Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 review

Akane Kurokawa as seen in the Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

Other than the possibility of a mishap due to the shuffling of manga events, Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 did everything brilliantly. One could say that the episode was a masterpiece for fans who have not read the manga.

The episode direction was marvelous, almost as if the series's creators wanted to put their best foot forward while adapting something close to their art form, i.e., the entertainment industry.

This is why despite the anime covering an arc focusing on stage plays, something not everyone was accustomed to, it did well in helping fans comprehend the same with ease.

Final thoughts on Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1

Aqua Hoshino as seen in Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

While Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 1 was a brilliant way to start a sequel season for a series, it is worth pointing out that it was only the anime's first episode. Hence, everything one praised the animation studio for in the first episode could all go down the drain if the studio fails to maintain it consistently. That said, Doga Kobo has rarely had any such occurrences. Thus, fans of Oshi no Ko anime could be in for an amazing experience.