#hoshino ruby

[s-lycopersicum]

[dgiterart]

POP IN 2

[myaatwins]

head empty just aqua and ruby's matching 'twins' shirts

[gabbyp09]

[nezuxi]

"That guy took two people I hold dear away from me... and he's still living carefree. I won't let him get away with it. By any means necessary, I'll find him... I'll find him... and I'll definitely... I'll definitely slaughter him."

[ydotome]

It was truly impressive! I'm sure you can become the most amazing actor around! - “Oshi no Ko” - Episode 20

[s-is-for-simp]

Four absolute moods from Oshi no Ko

[love-me-mister]

【Oshi no Ko】 Live Action E01 // E02

[minominq]

not so spoiler spoiler

[thefigureresource]

Ai, Aqua & Ruby Hoshino : Mother and Children [Oshi no Ko] 1/8 scale from Kadokawa coming February 2025.

[phantomchick]

The ending of Oshi no Ko vs The beginning (chapter 166 vs 10)

So as you can see, there's clear evidence of intentional parallels happening here. This is the aftermath of Ai's death that mirrors the aftermath of Aqua's. Aka already claimed to have the ending planned well in advance months ago so it's not a big surprise that even the ending panels of the first (not counting the prologue) and last chapters match.

And yet Oshi no Ko still falls flat despite fulfilling its promise of a revenge-tragedy.

I think the biggest problem it has is the way the last chapter tells us instead of shows us as chapter 10 did.

Yes chapter 10 also used narrative text boxes a lot, but I argue that the effect then was much more immersive.

With them being used with precision to move us through a time skip with only the most necessary information about the fall out for the characters, even the distance had the effect of doing characterisation work with Aqua describing in a narrative text box how the policemen hid the scene from Ruby but Aqua felt his mother's body going cold beneath him as they arrived - this use of the text boxes casual tone over child Aqua sitting in his dead mother's lap gave a sense of disassociation and shock to the scene.

Even the textboxes turning black to mirror Aqua's dark emotions concerning his revenge as the star in his eye turned black showed how much attention was being paid to their use.

Ruby.

Ruby felt much more real in chapter 10, her rant about the internet's callous response to Ai's murder felt real and emotionally charged. In comparison, for all she's the main subject of the last chapter, she feels like a 2d cut out of herself, barely in there for all we see her struggling through Akane's observant gaze.

She expresses her motivation to be an idol despite hardship by acknowledging that Aqua's right about idolwork being difficult and cruel but reminding him that despite the darkside of the entertainment industry, their mother 'shone' very brightly. The talk about how Ruby shines more the darker things get and how this is a good thing because it reaches out to people trapped in darkness of their own (just like her when she was a terminally ill cancer patient) is clearly meant to echo this idea.

Frankly it fails.

Ruby feels hollow.

To the point where we barely get any insight into Ruby's real feelings at all or any emotional connection with her in comparison, by 166 it's genuinely unclear whether or not she's lying even to the portrait of her dead family when she's 'alone' on her way out the door.

We don't see a conversation between her and her adoptive mother about Aqua, we don't see her talking to Akane at all. We see her grief and her success from a deified distance, just like the fans do. And it alienates us from the character.

Lies are love and she has two stars in her eyes. Just like her mother did.

I think this more than anything condemns the idol industry, she has to keep lying even to herself about her job being fun because otherwise what was all that pain and suffering and loss for?

Aqua died in a murder-suicide (shout out to Taiki for experiencing a loved one doing this twice, poor guy) to give his little sister success in a job that she has to get up at 5.30 for, devote her entire youth to and will have to quit in less than a decade. It has to matter, that she provides escapism for people who are suffering like she did, but it doesn't change the grim reality of her exploitation.

I think the lack of dialogue in the final chapter and the loss of voice for Ruby in the last few arcs mirrors the loss of agency she experiences as she becomes the ultimate idol, everyone's star.

But that doesn't change the fact that from a reader perspective it's just bad writing. Aka failed to carry his audience with him to the finish line and his messages about the idol industry were blurred by the rushed plot after the movie arc began.

If it weren't for Mengo's art hard carrying the clumsily executed story, I can honestly say that I don't think many would have read this manga all the way to the end.

[dailyfigures]

Hoshino Ruby ; Oshi no Ko ☆ Good Smile Company

[juusou]

YES KANA, SAVE THIS SHOW!!!

[gabbyp09]

[nezuxi]

[cherryshh]

♡ᴗ ᴗ） Ruby Hoshino Discord Layouts 。

⋯ ⋯ ﹒ OO1 made by mizzy

⋯ ⋯ ﹒ OO2 rb ◞ ♡ 2 use

⋯ ⋯ ﹒ OO3 no kin ) me ) id tags

⋯ ⋯ ﹒ OO4 psd by kio

﹒☆ ﹒☆ ﹒ for day four of @lavendergalactic's 800+ followers event .. a character with a hairstyle you love . + + i'll do day three later i was just so excited to edit her. && i needed a disc lay lmao.