Aka Akasaka, the author and illustrator of the Oshi no Ko manga, revealed he didn't initially plan on killing Ai Hoshino when conceptualizing the story.
In a 2021 interview with Livedoor News, Akasaka shared some interesting details regarding the development of his hit anime idol series. When asked if the shocking climax of Volume 1, in which Ai is fatally stabbed by an obsessed fan and slowly dies in front of her children, was always planned, Akasaka admitted this wasn't the case. "Actually, this is an idea that was born during the serialization," Akasaka said. "At first, it was planned that Ai and the children would be active in the entertainment world for quite a long time, but when I actually started drawing, Ai was too strong for a manga character."
Related: Oshi no Ko Ai Cosplay Is So Perfect Fans Think It's From a Live-Action
On Reddit, Oshi no Ko fans are speculating where the plot could have gone if Akasaka didn't kill off Ai as he originally intended. One fan theory suggests the attack would have occurred but been less than fatal and that Aqua Hoshino, with his past-life experience as a doctor, could have used his medical training to keep his mom alive. However, out of fear that Ai's presence would overshadow her children, Akasaka killed her character. Although Ai met her tragic end, many fans believe she'll pop up in a reincarnated form sooner or later.
Oshi no Ko's Story Resembles Real-Life Events
As fans of Oshi no Ko have noticed, the murder of Ai bears an eerie resemblance to real-life assaults of Japanese pop star idols by deranged fans. One example is the Stabbing of Mayu Tomita, which occurred on May 21, 2016. At the time of the incident, 20-year-old Tomita was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest by 27-year-old fan Tomohiro Iwazaki. Before the assault, Tomita told the police about the hostile messages Iwazaki was sending her online, but they dismissed it, believing it wasn't a sign of an immediate threat. After surviving the assault, Tomita criticized the Tomita Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for their poor response to her concerns. Because of the incident, anti-stalking laws in Japan now include threats made online via social media.
Related: Oshi no Ko: Why Ai Hoshino & Miyako Saito Both Earn the Title of Best Mom
Oshi no Ko is currently the hottest anime of the spring season. The series explores the dark side of the entertainment industry through the star-sparkled eyes of Aqua and Ruby Hoshino, the reincarnated twins of their murdered mother, Ai. The 90-minute premier briefly dethroned Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as the highest-rated anime on My Anime List. The opening theme, "Idol" by YAOSOBI, which is based on a short story, surpassed 60 million YouTube views and continues dominating other music streaming services.
Oshi no Ko is currently streaming on HIDIVE. Yen Press is handling the English release of the manga.
