Oshi no Ko is a stellar anime and manga series from Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari. The Oshi no Ko story arcs enable us to see the entertainment world from the starry eyes of Aqua and Ruby, as they make a name for themselves in order to honor their mother.

What Are the Story Arcs of Oshi no Ko?

The main plot begins after a poignant prologue beautifully told in Episode 1 of the Oshi no Ko anime, while the manga does so from Chapters 1-10. Beyond this, we see a time skip where Gorou, Ai’s doctor reincarnated into the body of her son, Aqua, goes into the entertainment industry to identify his father and the culprit behind Ai’s murder.

The ensuing story arcs concern different facets of the entertainment industry the siblings go through, such as TV dramas, dating shows, stage plays, and even movies.

Every Oshi no Ko Arc & Its Corresponding Anime Episodes

While it’s unclear whether we’ll get another season or cour of Oshi no Ko, the common consensus among viewers is that it’s a high-quality anime drama with a lot to offer. It’s a great reason to consider a HIDIVE subscription, as well. The anime typically adapts 3 chapters from the manga at a time, with the story arcs varying in length.

The 2.5D Stage Play arc is currently the longest of the series, as it had the most compelling concept until the Movie arc, and forced Aqua further out of his comfort zone as an actor than ever before. One neat part about that arc, in particular, is the meta-commentary on manga creators, and just how many times a story changes hands before it’s turned into a script for an adaptation.

In fact, much of the series enables us to look at the entertainment industry in a rather satirical sense, seeing our preconceptions about dying sectors of the industry turned on their head, and other seedy elements put on display. While the identity of the culprit behind Ai’s killing at this point has been revealed, he has not been brought to justice yet, and we’re along for the ride, however long it takes.

The Summer 2024 Anime season has introduced anime fans to a variety of new and returning series that have more than lived up to the hype. With obvious heavy-hitters that were guaranteed to draw in fans

My Deer Friend Nokotan

My Deer Friend Nokotan brings back the same style of comedy anime that the community had been missing out on once the 2010s came and went, filled with slapstick reference humor that resonates with fans of every genre. Poking fun at properties like Dark Souls, the original Spider-Man trilogy, and other anime, it seems as though there’s no limit to the different places My Deer Friend Nokotan will draw inspiration from. Plus, the opening theme is infectiously catchy and hard to avoid.

The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies

Based on the manga series of the same name by the late Cocoa Fujiwara, The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies is a light-hearted spin on the classic Magical Girl – or mahou shojo – genre. The series takes place in a world where the villains have taken over, spearheaded by the son of the evil overlord, named Mira. Their plans for domination begin to struggle when the organization is contested by a magical girl named Byakuya, who turns Mira’s world upside-down when he finds himself falling in love with the enemy. As the two begin growing closer, their relationship becomes more complicated.

Perfectly capturing the classic enemies-to-lovers trope without all the angst but plenty of pining, The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies may not have had a proper serialized ending, but the unlikely adaptation from Studio Bones may give the series the closure it deserves after all these years.

Twilight Out of Focus

One of the biggest BL releases in the last year, Twilight Out of Focus is a wonderfully well-produced anime that, despite some issues with its initial release in the west, has been met with overwhelming positivity from fans of the genre. Opening by following a school film project that blossoms into young love, the series’ two leads are easy to care about and root for as their relationship develops. The build up is done perfectly throughout the show, and each episode is laden with romantic tension.

Senpai is an Otonoko

Anime that explore nuanced LGBTQ concepts aren’t a rarity in today’s landscape, it is rare when one comes along that’s able to captivate an audience beyond its target demographic. Senpai is an Otonoko is a show that’s hit how with anime fans around the globe for discussing the complex journey that comes with navigating one’s gender identity and how we choose to present ourselves to the world. The show is filled with incredibly heartfelt moments discussing the topic of gender expression and learning to accept oneself despite what society may think, and it’s truly stood out this season because of that.

Wistoria Wand & Sword

The non-isekai high fantasy anime of the season, Wistoria has, so far, managed to draw in a sizable audience with a bright, colorful artstyle and high quality magic battles. Adapted from the original series written by the creator of Is It Wrong To Try and Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon?, Wistoria has an arguably stronger premise while still holding on to the same “dungeon crawl” inspiration that made the creator’s first series so successful.

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest

Fairy Tail was a long-running shonen series that got popular for its world-building and characters, but it’s been a while since the series received any new anime content, with the final season of the original series coming to an end in 2018. However, the shonen fantasy has made a big comeback with the release of the 100 Years Quest anime adaptation, and to the delight of longtime fans, Fairy Tail hasn’t lost any of the charm that made it so popular when it originally released.

NieR:Automata Ver1.1a (Cour 2)

Video games being adapted to anime have always had a dicey track record, with other A-1 Pictures’ attempts at this, like Persona 5: The Animation missing the mark on what makes the source material so special. Luckily, the studio has been taking back their reputation with their animated adaptation of NieR: Automata, which has done a decent job at adapting the game’s storyline and bringing its complicated characters to life. The first cour performed excellently among fans, and Cour 2 has, so far, been a strong sequel that keeps up the same quality and consistency as its first half.

Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

While the anime is gaining a solid audience, Too Many Losing Heroines is absolutely the Summer Season’s sleeper hit anime. Despite its initial set-up being the typical “plain male lead surrounded by cute girls”, Too Many Losing Heroines! succeeds in actually shaking up this formula in a compelling way. The leading lady of the show, Anna, is a hilarious subversion of the standard “popular girl” trope, and the anime’s sense of humor perfectly encapsulates what makes these characters so fun to follow. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this show receive a 2nd season once the season comes to a close.

Oshi No Ko Season 2

After the unprecedented success of Oshi no Ko‘s first season around the world, it shouldn’t be surprising that a second installment was quickly greenlit and thrown into production. Oshi no Ko season 2 keeps the same level of quality from the first, and is focused on adapting one of the manga’s best story arcs, which has its audience absolutely enthralled. As the anime begins to dig deeper into its psychological crime thriller themes, fans are more devoted than ever to follow Aqua’s journey to unmask his mother’s killer.

The Elusive Samurai

The anime adaptation for The Elusive Samurai was initially met with a small level of excitement from longtime fans of the original manga, but from the moment episode 1 released, the series exploded in popularity. Complete with CloverWorks’ signature colorful animation style and striking color palette, and paired with an extremely well executed story, the anime has seen an extreme amount of success with only a handful of episodes currently available to stream.