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Warning: Contains spoilers for Oshi no Ko season 2.Oshi no Koseason 2 has succeeded in numerous ways, and the most surprising of them has beenas an action anime. The main storyline of season 2 revolves around the 2.5D stage play adaptation of the in-universe shonen mangaTokyo Blade, and in its execution,Osho no Koseason 2 became summer 2024’sbest action animethanks to a combination of action, writing, and overall direction.
Oshi no Kohas officially returned with its second season for the summer 2024 anime season, and it’s proven to be just as great as season 1, if not greater. Not only has the story gone to greater heights with its characters and overarching narrative, but the animation and overall direction have improved in tandem, making it one of the best anime of the season and 2024, overall. As odd as it might be to praiseOshi no Koas an action anime, its latest arc fits all the criteria, and it more than succeeds at every turn.
Oshi No Ko Season 2 Fixes The Pacing Of The Original Arc
Oshi No Ko’s Best Story Flows Much Better In The Anime
As great as the Tokyo Blade arc was in theOshi no Komanga, it was brought down somewhat by its large length, the arc being the second-longest in the series at 26 chapters, and the largely slow pacing of the story, but the anime compressing things down to less than 10 episodes did a lot to make the story easier to digest. Because of that,Oshi no Koseason 2 has the quick pacing that’s become a staple of modern action anime, and that bled into everything else great about season 2.
The Tokyo Blade Arc’s Animation Helps Oshi No Ko Become Summer 2024’s Best Action Anime
Oshi No Ko Has Never Looked Better
Another major wayOshi no Koseason 2 succeeds as an action anime is, of course, through its action. The gimmick of the Tokyo Blade arc is that the characters are in a 2.5D play, a form of theater typically involving heavy wire-based movement, and going along with that,every action scenefeatured incredible fight choreographyand camera work that perfectly played into the 2.5D play gimmick. Season 2 didn’t skimp on its direction in the slightest, and the stellar action of the Tokyo Blade arc benefited plenty from that.
Going right along with that was the Tokyo Blade arc’s incredible art and animation.Oshi no Kohas always had great visuals, but season 2saw a major uptick in visuals during the Tokyo Blade arc throughan abundance of abstract and all-around gorgeous art and animation, whether during a fight scene or a character moment. Some of the best action anime are the ones where the staff make every episode look as gorgeous as possible, and the Tokyo Blade arc was easily the best showing of that for the summer 2024 anime season.
Everything great about the Tokyo Blade arc’s action and visuals comes from its incredible team of directors and storyboard artists. Series director Daisuke Hiramaki was one thing, but the arc also brought in both Chao Nekotomi and Kuniyasu Nishina, two animators who worked on both the series premiere andOshi no Koseason 1, episode #6, two of the best-animated and most visually stunning episodes of season 1.Oshi no Ko’s Tokyo Blade arc had the anime’s best talents working on every episode, and that did wonders.
Oshi No Ko Season 2 Understands The True Heart Of Action
Oshi No Ko’s Characters Have Never Been Better
As great as the action inOshi no Ko’s Tokyo Blade arc was, what truly sold it wasthe strong character writing in every episode.Melt Narushimawas a minor character from season 1 defined by his vanity and lack of talent, but season 2 gave him an arc about becoming a more serious actor, and it culminated ina 15-minute cut of thoughtful exposition and gorgeous animation showcasing Melt’s growth.
The rest of the storyline focused largely on Kana and Akane’s characters both as individuals and with each other, and it was just as great to watch. Not only were their insecurities perfectly shown off through clever direction and animation, butOshi no Ko’s Tokyo Blade arc perfectly sold Kana’s development into a true actresswith how much attention was given to her struggles and the earnestness with which Aqua and Akane helped her through them, all of which was capped off with one of the best-animated scenes in the entire anime.
Rounding everything off was Aqua’s character arc surrounding his PTSD. The series did a great job of portraying Aqua’s anxieties and panic attacks thoughtfully and realistically, and the bittersweet resolution of Aqua abandoning the idea of being happy for the sake of his revenge was some of the strongest character work in the series. Aqua briefly imagining Ai not dying sold that even further. The best action anime are the ones that have great character writing to balance things out, and fortunately,Oshi no Ko’s Tokyo Blade arc had plenty of that from start to finish.
Oshi No Ko Season 2 Proves The Series Is A Masterpiece No Matter What Genre It’s Tackling
Oshi No Ko Is One Of Summer 2024’s Best Anime
Everything great aboutOshi no Koseason 2 shows just how great and versatile the writing of the series can be. As much as the series prides itself on drama and the occasional bits of comedy and romance,the true strength ofOshi no Ko’s writing is its ability to effortlessly throw its cast into one different setting after another, just like how the world of entertainment keeps seeing them enter different mediums. The action genre was the latest example of that.
Oshi no Ko’s Tokyo Blade arc showed how great the series can be in terms of both writing and animation, and while it might not have another arc like it in the future, it set an amazing precedent for what people can expect from the rest of season 2 and beyond. The versatility of the Tokyo Blade arc proves there are no limits to what theOshi no Koanime can do with its story, and whatever it has in store for people next is sure to be just as good, if not better, than everything that came before it.
Oshi No Ko
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Oshi No Ko is a 2023 Japanese series that follows a small-town doctor’s encounter with a popular teen idol leading to an entanglement in the cutthroat entertainment industry. The narrative explores themes of ambition, identity, and the hidden realities behind fame as the characters navigate complex personal and professional challenges.
