[Oshi No Ko] Spica the First Star

[oshi no ko] Light Novel #1

by Hajime Tanaka (Artist), Aka Akasaka, Mengo Yokoyari

Sometime after joining B-Komachi, Ai Hoshino tells Ichigo Saitou, the president of her talent agency, that she has decided to quit the idol business. Though her group appears to be thriving on the surface, there is serious discord among its members. That’s when Ichigo offers her a different proposition...A companion to the hit manga, this volume also includes the story of how Gorou and Sarina meet and part ways before becoming Aqua and Ruby, and a special bonus episode entitled "POV B"!

Genres: Light Novel, Manga

164 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2023

About the author

田中創 [Tanaka Hajime] aka Hajime Tanaka.

Reviews

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of this was pretty dull. Filler for what anyone who’s read the manga would already have inferred about the characters and their relationships. However, the epilogue (written by Aka Akasaka instead of the person who wrote the rest of the novel) was sharp and much better matched the tone of the manga - the nameless other idol in B Komachi talking about Ai like a stranger seen from the other side of the glass while Ai lies about them being close, all told from the distance of almost 2 decades

[J A SPONG · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I did enjoy Hajime Tanaka's four chapters, Aka Akasaka's bonus story is excellent and the highlight of the book.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read the original manga or watched the anime. So, anything gained or lost from that is not known to me at the moment. This is my first exposure to the Oshi No Ko series.
I really like idols. The energetic songs are my kind of thing, and there's a lot of idol series like Love Live or Zombie Land Saga that I quite like. So, what kind of surprised me going into Oshi No Ko was how emotionally charged and dark it is. It has a lot of similar lighthearted elements of other idol series, and overall its messaging is very positive, but the themes and some scenes are way darker than anything those other series would dare tackle, and I love it. Makes a good mirror to real idol culture where they have to look friendly and smiley all the time when chances are they aren’t friends off-stage. It’s very emotionally charged and compact, and the bonus short story at the end by Aka Akasaka, the original writer of Oshi No Ko if I’m not mistaken, is honestly kind of the highlight of the book. The characters are well characterized and likeable, and they drew emotions well out of me (bonus points to Ai for the autism rep). Very well done idol story, I’ll probably check out the original series within the near future.

[Carlie Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is 3.5 stars for me. It's the second book I ever read in Japanese, so it does get bonus points for being excited about that.
I haven't read the manga nor seen the anime, but I watched the live action version, and this book (I don't have this edition but the one aimed at children, I'm not sure if the text is the same) covers the first two episodes of that.
I will say that I did enjoy this because it showed more that the live action couldn't. The text was also so much more rich and vivid compared to the first book I read in Japanese, which made this more pleasing to read. However, I felt bored at the 2/3 part, I managed to push through to the end.
I like that this is a critical look at the entertainment industry.
My enjoyment of this is tainted by the joy I feel at reading a book in Japanese and mostly understanding.... I am at an intermediate level with Japanese and this was approachable to me. Honestly if I read this in English my rating would be lower, but I am a baby at Japanese and need to read more juvenile books, and this was perfect for my level.

[Megan Cheang · Rating 3 out of 5]

So we get an inside look at Ai’s relationship with her fellow idols and her perspective on things; we see how Gorou met Sarina, Sarina’s death and how Gorou coped with it.
In the last story, I was hit by a sudden urge to eat burger for dinner.
It’s a nice book though I wished we could have seen the part where Gorou met Ai after the concert.
I’m hopeful there will also be a book about Ai’s relationship with Hikaru in the future
This novel doesn’t come with pictures like other light novels I am used to. But it does come with a poster matching the book cover. The other side of the poster is a picture of the Hoshino twins

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a fan of more insight as to why the characters are the way they are. Lots of little things that make more sense in the anime.

Recommended if you want to know more about Aqua and Ruby’s lives before they were the twins of Ai.

The epilogue was confusing. Not sure who the ‘I’ was supposed to be.

[Linda Schoutens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the manga and anime so much, so when I saw this was coming out I was excited. But honestly, it was kind of disappointing. It didn't add much, and the writing wasn't that great (though this was my first light novel). Though I agree the last chapter by Akasaka was the best part, most in line with the tone of the manga.

[Natalie Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided excellent backgrounds of Aqua, Ruby in their past life and Ai.
I wanted to get to know them better in the anime so this book gave me exactly what I needed. This book was short, but it’s a light novel so I can forgive that. If you love Oshi no Ko and short reads, I would highly recommend this book ✨🩷

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short volume which serves as a kind of background to the series’ main characters Ai, Sarina and Gorou with a bit about other B Komachi members at the end. There’s more volumes for others Kana and Akane hopefully getting localized as I prefer the light novel format.

[Lady Cassiopeia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review:

The novel My Star - Spica: The Brightest Star retells the story in a more condensed and emotionally charged form, offering the perspectives of various characters leading up to the tragic death of a central figure. For long-time fans of the series, this narrative compression may be a particular highlight, as it enables a deeper emotional engagement and offers familiar events through a fresh lens.

As a companion piece to the Oshi no Ko manga, however, the novel offers only limited new insights. Major plot twists and revelations remain unchanged, which may disappoint readers hoping for additional depth or previously unrevealed details.

Nonetheless, the novel succeeds in portraying the characters’ inner worlds with notable intensity. As an accompaniment to the main series, it's certainly worth reading – but as a standalone literary work, it leans more toward “fanservice light.”

A charming, though not essential, addition for those already captivated by the Oshi no Ko universe.
_

Book Details:
Title: My Star – Novel
Authors: Mengo Yokoyari & Aka Akasaka
Publisher: Altraverse
Publication Year: 2025
Page Count: 206
Genres: Crime, Idols, Music, Entertainment, Slice of Life, Reincarnation
Language: German
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 stars)
Price: €16.00

[Davide Gildo Bellebuono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voglio dire... Meh.
Non è una brutta lettura ma nemmeno una bella lettura.
Per i fan della serie (anime o manga che sia) ci sono dei retroscena o storie inedite sul passato dei personaggi più o meno interessanti. La lettura è stata a tratti difficile: alcuni momenti ripetitivi e niente di così eclatante da mantenere attiva l'attenzione. Tre storie principali, ognuna sul passato dei tre personaggi principali della serie (Ai, Sarina, Goro) + un epilogo e una storia inedita su un ex membro delle B-Komachi, quest'ultima scritta dall'autore della serie principale. Le prime tre storie, epilogo annesso, sono a tratti noiose e non portano a scoprire nulla di così interessante sui personaggi che non si sapesse già o che non si potesse in qualche modo immaginare. La storia sull'ex membro è invece molto interessante e mostra aspetti di Ai nuovi e pienamente in personaggio. Ma questo non basta a salvare del tutto la lettura.

[Ilaria Vigorito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho molto apprezzato questa novel. Mi è piaciuto il modo in cui Aka Akasaka ha approfondito il profilo psicologico di Ai Hoshino, nella prima parte, e il rapporto fra Goro e Sarina nella seconda - che, anzi, mi ha emozionato ancor più che nel manga.

E poi ho trovato davvero molto particolare la breve storia del "lato B" delle B-Komachi dalla prospettiva di uno dei suoi membri meno di spicco: trovo sempre stimolanti i racconti di personaggi che "non ce l'hanno fatta", pur provandoci con tutte le loro forze, e sono tornati a condurre una "vita normale". Sono sicuramente quelli a cui mi sento più vicina.

[Laura Saez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came with low expectations because my favourite character is Kana Arima and the arc seemed to focus on Ai and Sarina. The truth is that the light novel makes you understand Ai and Sarina's psychology better, as well as showing you how Ai rose to stardom. I'd say it's the prequel to the manga.