The following article contains spoilers for Oshi no Ko. The latest chapter is available onManga Plus.The anime adaptation is currently streaming onHIDIVE.
First introduced in episode 5 and chapter 21 of the manga, Akane is a curious character. When Aqua begins his new gig on a reality dating show,My Love With A Star Begins Now, he meets a whole new cast of characters from various backgrounds in the entertainment industry.
While themajority are outgoing and have a distinct place in the cast, Akane is shy and reserved. Despite having lots of experience under her belt, she doesn’t have a large presence during the show’s production.
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Motivation and Drive
Akane has a love for acting and the entertainment industry, as seen in episode 6, when we see her as a child. Growing up, her peers spoke badly of her, yet Akane’s resolve never wavered with the support of her family and passion. Though despite that dedication,Love Nowwas a challenge for her, as characters were expected to improvise using elements of their true personalities - meaning she needed to stand out. Because of this, her manager was scolded for Akane’s lack of performance.
Not wanting to let him down, she “lashed out” during a scene and accidently wounded one of her co-stars.This would later come back to bite her, as in Aqua’s words, “the internet does not forgive”. As a response to the harassment, cyberbullies, and being “canceled” by online users, she attempted to take her own life before being rescued by Aqua. After realizing how much her friends truly cared for her, Akane made the resolve to return to the show in a new light, not giving up on her dreams. Towards the ending ofLove Now, she and Aquabecome an “official” couple; both agreeing to keep up the act for the sake of their careers.
Intellect
Akane is quick to pick up things, not tomention excellent at reading people. When she’s doing her research on Ai, she correctly guesses based on the Idol’s mannerisms, that she was lacking in educational history, had a practiced persona, and likely had a child in secret. While shy, when left to her own devices, Akane makes for a more than capable detective. She uses these skills again to find Aqua and Ruby’s father through sheer process of elimination. Moreover, making use of her familiarity with acting, Akane is able to pinpoint exactly who the father is based on how similar his acting style is to Ai’s, Hikaru Kamiki. Going by the timeline and how he began acting before Ai, she most likely picked up the skills from him. And to solidify her theory, Hikaru shares very similar features to both Aqua and Ruby.
Akane’s detective workdoesn’t just stop behind the screen, either. Shortly before she makes the decision to track down Aqua’s true father, the latter tells her about his previous revenge plan, and how he’s given up on it, because his “father”, who was actually someone else entirely, is dead. However, the story he told her had a lot of holes in it, leading Akane to correctly conclude that Aqua is subconsciously trying to let go of his vengeance; as he is a (mostly) very logical person, and would usually be quick to notice any inconsistencies.
Finding Compassion
As mentioned prior, Akane was shy at the start, but thanks to Aqua’s influence and the support of her friends, she became more outspoken and confident. This ultimately leads her to her most recent decision to stop Aqua from destroying himself, when hedecides to walk on the path of revenge again.
