Introduction

If you hopefully read my review of season 2 of Oshi no Ko then you know how I felt about this season. Equally, you’d know I’ve been trying to avoid the manga but find myself going back from time to time.

Yen Press offered us at SunsetNerdVerse an early release of Oshi no Ko Volume 8 which is more or less the end of season 2, so I didn’t mind reading it to see how it paired up with the anime. Did volume 8 beat my high expectations of season 2’s phenomenal ending or should we all continue going anime only?

Let’s find out in my review of Oshi no Ko Volume 8!

Art Style

Oshi no Ko art is so mesmerizing I honestly want to line up each volume I own on my shelf. When you look at every minor detail the art captures your eyes and holds them hostage. While the Tokyo Blade elements of Oshi no Ko looked stunning beyond words (those action scenes wow) the series is back to simple talking and movement, yet volume 8 still did a fantastic job.

I want to get into a bit more detail with why I think volume 8 had such incredible illustrations but I need you all to read further so I can go into greater detail during the manga vs anime section. There will be spoilers there so consider this my first of two warnings.

Story & Characters

Volume 8 has a pretty big movement in terms of story. Again, Tokyo Blade is wrapped and finished so Aqua, Ruby, Kana, and Akane go for a retreat in a resort location. However, for Aqua and Ruby, this place holds significant value…it’s where they both ultimately perished. Before the crew even goes to their literal and original point of death, Aqua and Akane end up nearly breaking up when Aqua admits to using her in his quest for revenge against Ai’s murderer, aka his father. Having found out his dad is dead, Aqua and Akane seem to find a path to entering a possible true relationship. As someone who loves these two paired up, I was happy with this sequence of events.

When the team arrives at the resort it seems at first that everyone will enjoy themselves but, nope…Ruby discovers something that shakes her to the core and introduces a mysterious new character who seems to know more than she lets off. Volume 8 of Oshi no Ko has one of the best story moments that let the characters shine in ways we haven’t seen before. I believe this is one of the best volumes, so far. Let’s hope one girl isn’t too shattered to keep going…

Pacing

Oshi no Ko can, at times, feel like a slow burn. Chapters/volumes take their time building up to an eventual explosion of events. Volume 8 though, seems almost determined to undermine your thoughts on the manga so far. One thing after another happens leading to a cliffhanger that surpasses most of the series so far. I think volume 8 has excellent pacing and does a phenomenal job ensuring you keep up with the almost overwhelming issues that appear in this segment.

Themes & Tone

What is beautiful about volume 8 of Oshi no Ko is the themes of this particular volume can be interpreted in various ways. On one hand, we have the twins now in very different directions and while one looks forward to a brighter tomorrow the other is fueled with more hatred than ever before. Likewise, Akane showed an entirely different side to herself after accepting Aqua’s manipulation but, still loving him and seeing his actions as kind not abusive.

Very few will appreciate how volume 8 sets the tone for so many chapters to come but if you want to know more about that read below.

Manga vs. Anime

***Please be aware this section will contain the biggest spoilers but, I kind of have to if I want to compare the anime to the manga version. So be warned! Skip this part if you don’t want to know what to expect with volume 8 but don’t want too much in terms of spoilers.***

Okay, those who stayed it’s time to talk about the two biggest takeaways of volume 8 compared to the manga. The moment Ruby discovers her admitted love (the doctor who now, is Aqua) and the shift in Ruby’s demeanor after this revelation. I loved the anime when it showed off the corpse of Dr. Amamiya as it was almost akin to a true horror movie.

After reading the manga…compared to the anime the manga handled this considerably better, the way the corpse looked and the faces of Ruby and Akane contorted was jaw-dropping.

Another part the anime adaptation missed was the huge and utter shift in Ruby, who now wants to kill Gorou Amamiya’s murderer. She already realizes Aqua has been aiming to do this for a while but it didn’t click with her until she realizes her precious doctor was dead and left to rot in that cave. The manga makes the imagery around Ruby much stronger than ever with the gorgeous animation from studio, Doga Kobo. It didn’t feel as powerful.

Conclusion

Oshi no Ko Volume 8 is a masterpiece. Not only does it have several big revelations occur but we see a change in nearly every character that will, no doubt, lead to some pretty dark moments in future chapters. I hope I can review volume 9 for you readers out there but even if I can’t, know I’m reading it alongside you all. My days of anime, only for Oshi no Ko, changed after volume 8!

–Aaron