Oshi no Ko: The Final Act

So, I just finished watching Oshi no Ko: The Final Act, and… it’s a up and down for me. Not everything hits the mark. Some parts felt a bit rushed, like they were trying to cram in too much emotional weight too quickly. A few characters didn’t get the closure they deserved, and certain plot threads that were hyped earlier on kinda fizzled out. It’s not bad per se, but it left me wanting more — and not necessarily in a good way.

Overall, The Final Act is dramatic, intense, and still visually stunning, but whether it sticks the landing kind of depends on what you were hoping to get from it. It’s almost everything it needed to be… just not quite all the way there.

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Aqua: "An Elegy (Film)

Instead of heading straight to the final arc, Oshi no Ko: The Final Act starts with a fuller version of the content of volume 1 of the manga or Episode 1 of the anime's first season, but this time emphasizing that the good doctor, as well as Sarina reincarnated as the Hoshino twins, as well as the knowledge of who masterminded the murder of Ai, with him having scenes with Ai juxtaposed with earlier scenes in the actual narrative.

This also serves as a reminder of what happened early as well as giving us the content of the film, The 15 Year Lie, that the characters are filming

The plot generally follows the manga ending, which I appreciate. It's just that, whereas the manga's theme made it necessary, the film only alludes to it, thereby de-emphasizing it, leaving us with some changes that made it necessary causally but not thematickally.

Despite a few misgivings, I rate the film highly.

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The movie [Oshi No Ko] The Final Act beautifully shows that idols who sing and dance on stage are also human, just like the rest of us. They have the right to live their lives the way they choose, just like every individual on this planet. They work incredibly hard, and I truly appreciate all the idols for their dedication and for managing such busy schedules. Even though they face many personal struggles, they still put on a smile in front of the public, as if nothing is wrong. That takes real strength. If I were in their place, I don’t think I could do the same. I just hope they receive all the love, respect, and happiness they truly deserve. As fans, we should always support, respect, and appreciate their efforts—not just for their performances, but for the strength they show every day.

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none of this will have spoilers unless you haven't watched the drama version

OK. Where to start...?

I first want to discuss the pacing of the drama.

I had known about the 8 episode drama since it first came out, but I only just realised the film existed which is necessary to watch to understand everything. Just as a FYI, I did watch the film today pretty much immediately finishing the drama. One thing I noticed about the drama is how off course it sometimes got at times, and as I was about to start episode 8, all I could think about is why the siblings didn't talk to each other about their father, and I honestly still don't understand. Anyways, as I was watching thinking about how off course the drama went, I still understood that it was more about building the bigger picture and wanting everything to fall into place, and as far as I know, it is based off of a manga, so book-to-screen adaptations can be tough (which the drama does discuss funnily enough).

So, by the time I started the film, I was confused about why everything felt so rushed. Everything they had spent time building upon and expanding (from characters to plot) felt wasted in the film if I'm being completely honest.

Now onto the baddie...as happy as I was to see Nino in this role, I was so disappointed by the end of his film with how little he was developed. We spend 8 episodes of a drama and then a 2-hour film only for him to fall so flat as a character.

I do wonder why they chose to finish it off with a film (maybe so it's more dramatic?), but I think they could've just created a second season and sort out the pacing.

Regardless, I still enjoyed watching it and have already found a playlist on Spotify to stream the songs!!

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