OSHI NO KO needs no introduction. Created in 2020, the idol drama enjoyed great success in print before the team at Doga Kobo helped bring the series to the screen. The first season of OSHI NO KO was a smash hit thanks to its intense narrative and jaw-dropping surprises. Now, OSHI NO KO season two is pushing its stars to new heights, and ComicBook recently got the chance to speak with star Yurie Igoma (VA of Ruby) as well as producer Shinpei Yamashita.
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Breaking down the hype for OSHI NO KO season two, the pair spoke in depth about the expectations fans have for the series. From Ruby’s evolving relationship with Aqua to the season’s unmatched animation, the OSHI NO KO team dove deep into the series with ComicBook during our chat. So if you’re interested in what the team had to share, you can read our full interview below:
OSHI NO KO Season 2 Interview
OSHI NO KO became one of anime’s most-buzzed about shows when season one debuted, and its reputation has only grown. To Yurie Igoma, what did you make of the anime’s premiere? Did its reception surprise you at all?
Yurie Igoma: I was really happy to receive so many responses after OSHI NO KO started. With so many people watching OSHI NO KO in a way that makes it feel close to them, I’m very honored that I’ve been able to be involved in such a special work. I’m so happy that so many different people are watching it as well. OSHI NO KO was the first audition I ever took for an anime production, so I really can’t believe that my name is even there on the credits when the anime ends. I love the manga, so I’ve always wanted to be involved as a voice actor, and I’m so happy that I was able to appear as Ruby in this wonderful work that everyone is putting their energy into… My family and friends were happy too, so in that sense I was also very happy.
Season one of OSHI NO KO is a visual feast. The series is so bright, and its character designs are unforgettable. To Shimpei Yamashita, I wanted to ask about OSHI NO KO’s production period. What goals would you say the team focused on while creating OSHI NO KO?
Shinpei Yamashita: The production period featured several goals that the staff focused on meeting. I think the planning period was about two and a half years… from planning to broadcasting. What we’ve always aimed for since the very beginning of OSHI NO KO, including director Daisuke Hiramaki, was to somehow recreate the manga and then to make it look even more beautiful. That was the goal we focused on from the beginning to the end of production. The visuals drawn by [manga artist] Mengo Yokoyari were eye-catching, and Akasaka’s mysterious and complicated stories were always being considered and incorporated into the anime.
OSHI NO KO puts its leads through lots of turmoil. Beyond her reincarnation, Ruby struggles with the weight of her mother’s death. I want to ask what Igoma-san feel pushes Ruby forward. What does the heroine have that keeps her spark alive?
Igoma: I think it’s “hope”. As we enter season two, there should be hope for Ruby at this point, as in her previous life when she was Sarina, she couldn’t move her body very well. Even though she knew her life was short, Sarina lived with hope. She dreamt of being able to move freely and aiming to become the idol she wanted to be. She’s now in a completely different situation and environment. Ai-chan, her object of admiration, has become her mother, so Ruby is in an environment where she is able to do what she wants to. I think that’s why she feels like she wants to move forward in life. I also think that up until now, Ruby has felt that her dreams could never come true, and there was nothing she could do about it. There were a lot of things that happened in her past after all… but I think that in her new environment, the best thing she can do is to look at the future and what lies ahead. I feel that continuing to hold on to that mindset is one factor that will allow Ruby to embrace her own life and the people around her with a positive attitude. You’ll all be able to see for yourself what the future holds for Ruby.
Of course, another major part of Ruby’s story is Aqua. The twins have a close bond, so to Igoma-san, what is it about the relationship that makes it so important?
Igoma: I think family bonds are very important to Ruby. It’s something that I think she really wanted… It’s what Sarina wanted and sought for, but given the special circumstance of being reborn as Ruby with memories of her past life, it may have been hard to accept. However, as she became Ruby and created bonds with others, I think there must have been a moment when she started to realize that she may have what she wanted when she was Sarina. Now, not only are Aqua and her a family, but she also has her cherished friends at school… I think that what Ruby really wanted is depicted in the story, and I hope that everyone will also notice the relationships that are most important to her, one of which is her relationship with Aqua. I think the conversations between Aqua and Ruby are really cute; even in the anime, they’re able to say whatever they want without thinking, which is also a very attractive part of the bond between the two of them.
By the end of season one, OSHI NO KO has set up a thrilling future for its twins. To Yamashita-san, what are you hopes for the anime’s future as season two has just begun?
Yamashita: Well, first of all, Aqua will have to face all the challenges that happen on the stage of Tokyo Blade. While he helps those involved in the stage play, he himself struggles and fights. These two aspects are portrayed prominently in season two, and the story progresses with Aqua as he begins work on his play, so I hope fans will look forward to that first. Fans who have read the manga will already know this all, but since we are working through season two, fans will get to see just how much of the manga is covered. Please look forward to and enjoy watching until the end of season two. In season two of OSHI NO KO, new obstacles have appeared. We meet new actors who are part of the Tokyo Blade stage play, and there are various difficulties with the production of the play… I think that in season two, many things will happen to Aqua like we see in the anime’s opening.
And finally, to Igoma-san, I want to ask the same: What are your hopes for OSHI NO KO as we move into season two?
Igoma: I think what’s interesting about season two of OSHI NO KO is how each individual fan will feel about it. I’m looking forward to hearing how everyone feels about the season. Yes, this project is based on a manga, but even from the very start, as its name suggests, it is a story about what would happen if you were reincarnated as the child of your “oshi” – your bias, or favorite member of a group. But after that, OSHI NO KO becomes a story about family love, a story about what goes on behind the scenes of an idol’s life – drama filming, reality shows, a story about the hard work done by new idols as they move on to the stage, and so on. So even if OSHI NO KO is all about the entertainment world in a sense, it has many different genres scattered throughout.
