Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 9 review: Doga Kobo magnificently ends Tokyo Blade Stage Play as the next story arc is set up

In Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 9, the anime explored three key elements – Aqua’s powerful performance, foreshadowing for the upcoming story arc, and the culmination of the stage play.

Clearly, the animation studio effectively portrayed all three aspects with stunning results. Although Doga Kobo heavily utilized the source material for the first two aspects, the third aspect showcased additional original scenes. These scenes greatly enhanced the overall viewing experience, allowing fans to fully immerse themselves in the play’s circular stage setting.

Despite the extra efforts made, what truly captivated fans were Aqua’s powerful acting and the enigma surrounding her and Taiki’s biological father.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Doga Kobo Perfectly Concludes the 2.5D Stage Play Arc

Aqua Hoshino as seen in Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 9 (Image via Doga Kobo)

Despite the primary focus of Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 9 being to conclude the 2.5D Stage Play Arc, the animation studio exceeded expectations throughout the entire episode. Given their consistent delivery of high-quality animation thus far, it would be redundant to once again commend their work.

Therefore, let’s examine the accomplishments of Doga Kobo through means other than animation. Specifically, the anime placed great emphasis on Aqua Hoshino’s expressive acting. To achieve this, the animation studio appeared to prioritize the voice acting of Takeo Ootsuka (Aqua Hoshino) and Kento Ito (Gorou Amamiya), recognizing their crucial contribution in creating a seamless and captivating sequence.

Aqua and Gorou as seen in Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 9 (Image via Doga Kobo)

Takeo Ootsuka effectively captured Aqua’s emotional performance, conveying the character’s inner turmoil and anguish over failing to save his mother, Ai. Meanwhile, Kento Ito’s portrayal of Gorou Amamiya’s spirit within Aqua’s mind provided insight into why Aqua felt such fear and apprehension towards embracing his youth.

After that, the focus of the anime shifted towards the final act of the stage play. This involved showing the backstage preparations, conversations between the staff, and the actors taking a moment to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. However, the highlight of these scenes was a unique original scene that lasted for nearly 2 minutes and 30 seconds, in which the cast expressed their gratitude to the audience for watching the show.

Aqua and Akane as seen in Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 9 (Image via Doga Kobo)

In addition to that, the anime included a scene where Abiko Samejima could be seen applauding the stage play. As fans will recall, she had previously intended to take over GOA’s role and write the script herself. This particular scene effectively showcased GOA’s successful redemption with the reworked script.

Finally, the anime was dedicated to establishing the groundwork for the next arc of the story. While it is accurate that Doga Kobo faithfully portrayed these scenes from the manga, their execution was truly praiseworthy, particularly in their ability to jumpstart the arc with a gripping cliffhanger.

Reflections on Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 9

Abiko and Goa as seen in Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 9 (Image via Doga Kobo)

It is clear that Doga Kobo excelled in their production of Oshi no Ko season 2 episode 9. They beautifully portrayed all the aspects mentioned above, and the transitions between scenes were seamless. The episode never felt like it was overly focused on one aspect. It is hoped that the upcoming episodes will maintain the same level of quality.