Oshi no Ko: Does Aqua die in the manga?

Oshi no Ko, by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari, was an extremely popular manga that ran from 2020 to 2024 in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump magazine. The series dived deep into the dark underbelly of show business, and captivated fans through an engrossing tale of loss and revenge.

While Oshi no Ko was beloved for most of its run, its ending was highly divisive and controversial. This was mainly because of the fate surrounding its main character, Aqua Hoshino. Aqua dies at the end of the Oshi no Ko manga to defeat his mother’s killer and protect his sister.

Aqua Hoshino, originally Gorou Amemiya, was a young doctor and fan of the idol Ai Hoshino. However, after facing an untimely death, he was reincarnated as the son of Ai. While Aqua was initially overjoyed at getting to grow up along with a mother he revered, tragedy soon struck after she died at the hands of an obsessed stalker.

Aqua’s high intellect soon made him discover that Ai’s death was far more complex than it appeared, and the man responsible for it was his own father. Believing this mysterious villain was tied to the entertainment industry, Aqua set forth on his quest for revenge, making his name known through several projects.

In his descent into the murky waters of the showbiz world, Aqua engaged in all kinds of manipulative activities and faced mental agony. Nevertheless, his hardship paid off, as he discovered the name of his father, Hikaru Kamiki. After writing a biopic about Ai Hoshino called The 15-Year Lie, he baited his father into revealing himself, which ended up working.

During their initial confrontation, Hikaru Kamiki seemed remorseful over Ai’s death and even broke down into tears. As a result, Aqua let him go, believing his revenge was complete. However, soon after, a former member of B-Komachi called Fuyuko Niino tried killing Ruby Hoshino but failed.

Upon being questioned, she revealed that Hikaru Kamiki was the true mastermind and was controlling her. As a psychopathic killer, he believed killing Ai would elevate her existence. For its sake, he had manipulated her stalker as well as Niino. His latest target was Ruby Hoshino, who was aiming to step into Ai’s shoes. To prevent his goal, Aqua confronted Hikaru at the edge of a cliff with a knife.

While the protagonist threatened his father, Hikaru did not flinch since Ruby’s reputation would be tarnished by being the brother of a murderer. At this point, Aqua revealed his real plan, which involved stabbing himself with the knife and jumping off the cliff with Hikaru. This would make his father seem responsible for their deaths, leaving Ruby protected.

Hence, after carrying out his plan, both father and son fall into the water below the cliff. Hikaru ended up sinking to his death, while Aqua lay at the edge of death, remembering his memories with Ruby till then.

Though panicking about his impending death, he calmed down after hearing B-Komachi’s song and having a vision about Ruby and her friends. Aqua then passes away with a smile on his face.

Why was Aqua’s death in Oshi no Ko controversial

Aqua’s death in Oshi no Ko drew heavy criticism simply because of how forced it seemed. Rather than being a moment of heroic sacrifice, fans perceived it to be an unnatural moment that tried too hard to invoke an emotional reaction from readers.

While much criticism stemmed from the confusing back-and-forth sequence surrounding Hikaru Kamiki’s identity as the villain, Aqua’s decision to stab himself and sink to his death along with Hikaru seemed unnecessary. The protagonist was a very clever individual and had been planning his revenge ever since he was a child.

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Therefore, his only solution of killing himself and his father felt overly drastic, especially when there were many other ways to frame Hikaru as a murderer. Nevertheless, the impact of Aqua’s death on the rest of the cast was heart-wrenching and inspiring. Characters such as Kana, Akane, and Miyako fought back against their tears and got back to work.

Ruby, who was the main reason why Aqua gave up his life, had a much harder time. Even so, she recognized that she had to carry forward Ai and Aqua’s legacy, and ended up performing in Tokyo Dome along with B-Komachi.

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