[Oshi No Ko], Vol. 5

推しの子 [Oshi no Ko] #5

by Aka Akasaka, Mengo Yokoyari (Artist), Abigail Blackman (Letterer)

“In show business, lies are a weapon.”

Tensions are running high on the set of the Tokyo Blade theatrical adaptation―though not in the way anyone expected! Surprisingly, Kana and Akane are managing to keep their longstanding rivalry purely professional; in fact, the amount of talent onstage is motivating all the actors to do their very best. But there’s someone who isn’t thrilled with the direction things are headed, and she’s the one person whose opinion matters most: the original manga creator!

Genres: Manga, Mystery, Seinen, Comics, Drama, Fantasy, Fiction

194 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2021

About the author

AKASAKA Aka
Name (in native language): 赤坂アカ

Zodiac: Virgo

Blood Type: O

Reviews

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 5 dives into the intersection of the entertainment industry and manga, which brings us the adaptation of a Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba pastiche into a stage play. Apparently, big time stage production of manga adaptations is big in Japan, where they call it a 2.5D extravangaza.

The politics of adapting a popular manga, which has multiple stakeholders are revealed, but is more creator-friendly than expected, where Japanese law gives the creator the final say in any adaptation of their work.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This! This definitely deviated from what I’ve seen in previous volumes, but I enjoyed how it took a deep look into what it means to adapt a work and the conflicts that arise as a result. It also illustrates the struggles that quite a few mangakas face once they attain a certain level of success. It’s gut wrenching knowing how the beautiful art we get to enjoy regardless of the medium deeply impacts those behind the scenes. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where the story is going to go in the next volume.

[Lucy Tonks (the invisible life of a reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm seriously worried about aqua. he is definitely my favourite character.
also, i have mixed feelings on the mangaka (a character in this arc, i'm not talking about the actual mangakas of this story). SHE PISSED ME OFF SO MUCH
and i love seeing about industry. it's quite sad to see how harshly people are treating and i feel like it omly gets worse irl

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conflict in rehearsals for the TOKYO BLADE theatre production.
The original creator is not happy with the script and she's not exactly subtle in laying out the problems..
Interesting behind the scenes look...

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got the physical copy of Oshi No Ko: Volume 5 upon release! This is absolutely on track to becoming one of my favourite manga series of all time, but I don’t mind taking my time with it and waiting to collect the books, the art work is so pretty !! 🖤

The popular manga/anime series Tokyo Blade is being made into a stage production. But the manga’s original creator, Abiko Samejima, is unhappy with the script! This volume focuses a lot on her and her mentor Yoriko Kichijouji - who hired Abiko to work on her manga series before she made her own and got considerably successful. But is Abiko burning herself out under too much pressure? The way this character is described; not being able to relate to other people, only wanting to ever talk about manga, makes her sound as though she is written as autistic! Yay neurodivergent representation lol
Aqua is starting in the play alongside his girlfriend Akane and fellow child star-turned-teenage actor, Kama. Both girls have taken a liking to Aqua though but are able to keep their long-standing rivalry professional, the amount of talent on-stage is pushing the actors to do their best. Aqua is learning about method acting, but will he push himself too far by evoking painful memories of his mother, Ai Hoshino?

[Dandy ˙ᵕ˙ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this volume spoke to me

[Sephy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I think this manga is starting to fall off, it ropes me right back in. I'd say it's a guilty pleasure but I don't feel guilty about it.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this series has been great! I wasn’t sure about it going into the series but it’s an incredible read. The story has so many aspects. The story keeps building with the dramatics and plot while still having light hearted moments. Can’t wait to see what comes next for this series!

[Hoppipolla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahora que voy como lectora únicamente y no como expectadora del anime puedo juzgar la obra más detenidamente y... La verdad aunque esta bien y es entretenida... No es una obra a la que le haría relecturas. No es profunda a un nivel como lo son obras como Mars, ni tampoco tiene una acción y unos misterios como Summer Time Rendering, Noragami o Akatsuki no Yona, que son obras que gusta e invitan a releerlas. Esta... Meh. Es entretenida pero sin más.

[poet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh now it's just purely about theater kids I guess!

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay back on track.

This volume focuses on Plays and how they're created and made. And what's great is you have the original manga creator come in and not like the script at all for the play. This leads to some big tension, and also a great look at the behind the scenes of how things are crafted and made when one media adapts another.

This is the best part of the manga for me, since it's interesting to see all the little details. I enjoyed all of that as well as getting to focus on adults verses the teen actors. But I am wondering if we'll ever get back to the murder mystery storyline?

[Kaya Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like getting some behind the scenes trivia of the japanese entertainment industry.
This one volume is extra emotional, too.
Oshi no Ko is growing on me more and more. Much like Kaguya-sama, it's bound to become a favorite

[Molin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss ai so much wtf

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

really made me think anime stage plays might be cool.

[sof (florence welch’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

akane my shining star I love you also I know theyre doing a love triangle between her, kana and aqua but I wish we could just get a rivals to lovers plot with akane and kana lmao I know its not going to happen but it would've been fun

[Carys · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

ive read 5 volumes in 4 hours and mt brain is starting to rot

[Philip McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dramatic world of the stage is the main act for this volume, particularly the connection an author has with their work vs. how it is being adapted for a different medium. A manga author with little social skills becomes upset with how her story became a script and this causes a whole kerfuffle about how they can ensure the show goes on with the Author's Moral Rights and Right of Integrity. I found myself pretty invested in both the inner workings of the script process and the characters navigation of it. Something that seems to standout for me the most with this series is that oftentimes it feels like the scenario or one off characters draw the deepest investment from me. At the moment, three characters seem to be the most intriguing to me, Kana Arima (a surprise favorite), Akane Kurokawa (her acting prowess and purpose in the series are intriguing), and Aqua (he seemed somewhat bland, but this volume dropped this bombshell of grief that he has probably been dealing with, that he doesn't feel he can be happy because he didn't stop Ai from being killed). It was also fun getting to see the author of Sweet Today come back to help out. Ultimately, the manga author and scriptwriter came up with a script that is challenging but could pay off. So now the wait for the next volume.

[iread · Rating 4 out of 5]

She has blue hair?

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG THE CHAPTER 50 WAS CRAZY OMG THE ENDING!!!

[Genres and Journals *Tia* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this series has turned into something I was not expecting. The first couple of volumes were amazing and I thought that was the direction the series was going in. But these last few have just gone into the entertainment industry as a whole with this volume focusing on manga and the process of adapting that medium into a play. It was interesting but not what I was hoping for. I really want to get back to the original mystery/story of the first volumes…

[beya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit silly that I'm 5 rating this volume when I know that this was more slice of life than mystery, but this was great! Though it spent the majority of its chapters showing the stage play and manga industry, I appreciate how informed I am by the end of it. That and we're finally getting to see how Ai's death really affected Aqua.

[fia · Rating 4 out of 5]

AKANE KNOWS AKDBSNFBDBFKDNSNFNSBF

It’s interesting to see how well being overworked can affect your actions and how you treat others is portrayed with Tokyo Blade’s author. Sweet Today’s author really is sweet for helping her apprentice realize this.

I’m still team Kana right now DON’T COME FOR ME

[Laura Sanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

GAH! Aqua is so traumatized!!
Wait...is this my...thing? Do I fall in love with trauma filled characters? Am I trying to deal with my own trauma?
Oh well! Can't wait for the next volume!

The story is a little slow in this one, but over all the art is beautiful and I can't wait for more!

[Tachan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il n’y a pas à dire, c’est quand Aqua est impliqué et qu’on parle théâtre et jeu d’acteur, que la série est la plus intéressante !

On arrive avec ce tome au coeur de la saison 2 de l’animé pour laquelle j’ai eu un gros crush. Je suis donc ravie de pouvoir la (re)lire ici, sauf que je trouve quand même que cela a moins d’impact, que c’est plus rapide et plus fade ici. La preuve que la série avait vraiment fait de l’excellent travail et avait su sublimer l’oeuvre.

Le matériau de base était cependant déjà très intéressant. Cela me plaît beaucoup de suivre le nouveau plan d’Aqua qui consiste à rencontrer le chef de la troupe Lalalai où sa mère avait travaillé autrefois au point d’en sortir métamorphosé. J’aime le voir suivre ses pistes mais plus que ça, j’aime découvrir ce nouveau projet. L’autrice en profite pour nous livrer un véritable hommage au théâtre actuel, avec toute sa richesse et sa complexité. Ce projet, c’est l’occasion de parler de l’évolution du théâtre et de son lien avec les auteurs dont ils adaptent les oeuvres, et c’est passionnant.

Même si cela va très vite, j’ai beaucoup aimé voir l’autrice du manga, adapté par la pièce dans laquelle va jouer Aqua avec Kana et Akane, venir mettre son grain de sel afin qu’elle soit la plus qualitative possible. J’ai aimé qu’on nous montre que ce n’est pas parce qu’on est un auteur, qu’on sait comment adapter son texte pour le théâtre car les deux médiums sont différents et n’ont pas les mêmes contraintes narratives. C’était peut-être un peu excessif et grossier mais c’était prenant de voir les interactions entre ces professionnels : autrice, scénariste pour le théâtre, coordinateur de la pièce, pour réaliser la complexité pour tout le monde de se comprendre.

Après pour le moment, on n’a encore rien vu de la pièce côté acteur. On connaît le casting. On a découvert de nouvelles têtes à côté de certaines déjà connues. Mais tout reste à faire, que ce soit dans leurs relations entre eux ou celles avec leurs personnages, car la réécriture de la pièce a pris toute la place. Le final annonce cependant un besoin de transformation et d’introspection intéressant pour Aqua qui est tellement sur la réserve dans sa bulle. Cela s’annonce passionnant.

Je trouve vraiment la série bien plus intéressante quand elle lâche Ruby et son groupe d’idols pour se tourner vers Aqua, ses recherches, son introspection et surtout les coulisses des métiers du spectacle vivant comme le théâtre moderne ici. J’ai adoré l’hommage qui lui est rendu même si pour cela l’autrice en fait des caisses et manque de finesse dans les personnages agissant comme éléments perturbateurs. C’est un peu dommage car c’est vraiment pertinent et passionnant.

Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....

[Melisa Yilmaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love the art in this volume and how we see the characters go through the struggles of preforming. The conflict of Kana and Akane continue as well. Being reminded of how Aqua never wanted to be an actor yet seeing how he's so determined to do good is so well written. Seeing how well Kana can act is also very enjoyable ( she is my favorite character after all!) This volume talking about teh struggles manga authors face is also beautifully done!

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ecco, invece Akane - che compare qua sulla bellissima copertina - mi è sempre sembrata un po' più meno genuina rispetto a Kana, ed è per questo che le preferisco lei.

Abiko-sensei a il suo modo di lavorare, però, sono al centro della scena. Qua si parla di portare un manga a teatro e la geniale mangaka fatica ad accettare i cambiamenti necessari. Come al solito, sarà Aqua a sistemare le cose.

Quattro stelline meritatissime.

[Anthony Wendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume really showcases the creative process and all the pitfalls it can go through. From the original creative of a manga to the material becoming a stage play, there is a lot of complications which can appear. It's a very interesting and relatable element, especially for anyone who has creative background.

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic volume. I loved seeing the adaptation side of the industry and meeting the new characters. I hope that Aqua is okay... He hasn't fully let himself live his life as Aqua and is holding back his emotions and hopes and dreams all for this revenge. Definitely not healthy and biting him in the butt here. 5 stars.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume definitely takes us more into the culture of Japan and the play adaptations. The characters are still engaging and the problems arise. Those very problems are what makes this feel so much like real life! The book is not what I expected up to this point and the difference with this series makes it stand out in a very crowded field of manga books.

[AguacateConCara · Rating 4 out of 5]

41-50. ❌ SPOILER ❌

No sé si lo que dicen las magakas sobre el entorno del mundo manga sean o no parcialmente ciertas pero la neta que fuerte.

Los mejor de este manga fue la explicación de ello y el golpe de ansiedad de Aqua al recordar la muerte de Ai. Te odio Himekawa🚽.