Oshi no Ko’s most controversial plotline explained: Is it really incest?

Oshi no Ko was one of the few shows that ignited debate about its plot. The story had become popular because of its stunning artwork, industry realism, and psychological complexity. One particular plotline continues to divide fans like no other. It was the dynamic between Ruby and Aqua.

On the surface, Aqua and Ruby are twin siblings. But to reduce their relationship to an incestuous dynamic was confusing and off-putting to many readers. To understand why a sibling relationship was being tainted as something of a taboo, it is important to look into their past life.

Before Aqua and Ruby were born as siblings in this life, they lived very different lives in Oshi no Ko. Aqua was Gorou Amemiya, an earnest and kind-hearted rural doctor. Ruby was Sarina Tendouji, a terminally ill young girl and one of Gorou’s most cherished patients. They shared a relationship between a doctor and a patient. And while she was hospitalized, she developed a deep emotional bond.

As she was a child during her time, it is difficult to say for certain that it was something romantic. After Sarina’s death and Gorou’s murder, both reincarnate as Aqua and Ruby, the twin children of superstar idol Ai Hoshino in Oshi no Ko.

The doctor remembered everything from his past life from the beginning, but it was much later that Ruby, his twin sister, figured out that her brother was the doctor she had a bond with.

Ruby is not in love with her brother, Aqua, she is in love with Gorou, the doctor who cared for her when no one else did. Her feelings begin to resurface only after she discovers Aqua’s true identity. Until that point, her affection for him is portrayed as admiration or sisterly affection. But the shift happens after the pivotal chapter where she realizes: her doctor is alive, here with her, and has been suffering alone.

While yes, it looks like incest because Ruby and Aqua are biologically connected. Although it is important to highlight that Ruby doesn’t fall for Aqua the brother. She reconnects emotionally with Gorou, the man who gave her hope.

Those who have read the manga know that Aqua’s response to Ruby’s affection is never one of reciprocation. He is visibly uncomfortable, resistant, and repeatedly makes it clear that this dynamic is something he does not want to engage with.

Even when he participates in a scene where he must kiss Ruby, as part of a film shoot, he does so out of obligation, trapped in a role. When Ruby asked him to marry her in Oshi no Ko, he told her plainly, “If I do that, I’ll die socially,” underscoring the disconnect between their internal truths and external appearances.

The creator made things messy in Oshi no Ko on purpose

If this plotline were merely fetish bait or edgy writing, the reactions of other characters would not be so universal. Nearly every other character in Oshi no Ko who witnesses the Ruby-Aqua dynamic expresses discomfort or outright horror. Kana is appalled. Even the crew on set doesn't hide their unease. Aqua himself tries to dodge the kiss scene and wishes it weren’t happening. There is no glamorization.

This idea of introducing the concept of incest was not romance, it was Aka Akasaka’s intention to make readers feel uncomfortable on purpose. He wants to show that stories, even disturbing ones, are told in the name of performance, fame, and catharsis. Just like the Evangelion or Perfect Blue plot, it’s not about what makes the audience comfortable. It’s about what reveals the uncomfortable truths behind our media.

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To understand the logic of the Ruby-Aqua dynamic in Oshi no Ko, we cannot ignore their past life. In the eyes of Ruby, she and Aqua are no longer the biological twins they appear to be. They are Sarina and Gorou, trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t see them as such.

In a way, she wanted to reject their assigned roles as siblings and attempt to define their relationship on their own terms. While that doesn’t make it morally okay in the real world, in fiction, it adds layers of complexity that force the audience to think harder about who people really are beneath the roles they play.

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