Oshi no Ko: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Oshi no Ko: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Oshi no Ko is based on the popular manga created and written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari. Oshi no Ko: Season 1 features animation production by Doga Kobo (Engaged to the Unidentified, Sing "Yesterday" for Me). Executive produced by Manami Kabashima (Somali and the Forest Spirit, Girly Air Force), Ryū Ishiguro (Natsuyuki Rendezvous, Osamake: Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won't Lose), Shō Tanaka (A Couple of Cuckoos, Delicious in Dungeon), and Shōtarō Usui (The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You), Oshi no Ko: Season 1 features theme music performed by YOASOBI (opening) and Queen Bee  (ending). Oshi no Ko premiered on Japanese television on Apil 12^th, 2023. Oshi no Ko was licensed for home media release in North America by Sentai Filmworks.

Produced by Genki Negishi (Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Kaguya-sama: Love is War -The First Kiss That Never Ends- ), Hajime Kamata (Asteroid in Love, My Senpai Is Annoying), Shimpei Yamshita (Made in Abyss), Takuya Yoshioka (My Happy Marriage, Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions), and Yusuke Aomura, Oshi no Ko is a huge sensation in Japan. The manga alone sold over 15 million units and the anime adaptation became a huge phenomenon. Oshi no Ko features voice performances by Rie Takahashi, Takeo Ōtsuka, Yurie Igoma, Kent Itō, Megumi Han, Lynn, Manaka Iwami, and Rumi Okubo.

Ai Hoshino (Rie Takahashi) is a popstar idol with a huge fanbase of adoring audiences. Ai is unlike most other pop stars – there’s something about her eyes, for one thing. She is a young and pretty girl with ambitions of avoiding scandals. As such, Ai needs help with the process of giving birth to her two children – and Ai wants to get back to the stage.

Utilizing the help of a gynecologist in secret, Gorō Amemiya (Kent Itō) does his magic to help Ai with the childbirth. However, a violent and psychotic fan brutally murders Gorō while he is attempting to help Ai with her childbirth and he is then reincarnated as Aquamarine Hoshino (Takeo Ōtsuka) – Ai’s newborn son. Aquamarine Hoshino’s sister, Ruby Hoshino (Yurie Igoma), is also the reincarnation of one of Ai’s biggest fans. As the tale unfolds, Ai is murdered and the dark side of the entertainment industry comes to light. Can the murderer be stopped?  

The character designs by Kanna Hirayama (Rent-A-Girlfriend, Protocol: Rain) bring the manga and its characters to life. The character designs certainly make a huge impression – audiences won’t soon forget. The designs are creepy and disturbing and add a horror element to the production in the immediate. With character eyes showing stars and looking eerily non-human, the designs add an undeniable darkness to the series. It is one of the creepiest design elements I have ever seen in any anime production. It is chilling to see such artificiality on display and the cold detachment of these design elements.

The animation is impressive if also surprisingly dark in tone for an anime series with such a colorful pop veneer on the surface. The art direction is by Tetsuya Usami (PERSONA 5 the Animation: Proof of Justice, Sing "Yesterday" for Me). Oshi no Ko is a colorful and vibrant looking anime with a robust aesthetic and pop sensibility. Yet the inherent darkness of the material makes the style eerie and disturbing and the series certainly has a horror vibe for supernatural-mystery.

The cinematography by Takafumi Kuwano (My Senpai Is Annoying, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie) aids the aesthetic of the animation, too. Kuwano helps to bring out the darkness is the series with his aesthetic style. The animation is light on the surface but bubbles with darkness underneath.

The score composed by Takurō Iga (Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA, The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting) is one of the series highlights. The score composed by Iga is a solid addition to the production. The score is an enjoyable backdrop for the series animation. The music adds to the stylistic sensibilities of Oshi no Ko in spades.

Written by Jin Tanaka (Go! Princess Precure, Laid-Back Camp), Oshi no Ko is not an average drama. The series adds layers of dark mystery and suspense alongside the supernatural. These elements make the series more surreal. The creepiness of the storyline is reflected in the writing, too.

Directed by Daisuke Hiramaki (Asteroid in Love, Selection Project), Oshi no Ko is a series that may appeal to horror fans even though it is more of a mystery-drama. Oshi no Ko is certainly a series that achieves a disturbing aesthetic and one that audiences will find unsettling. Oshi no Ko enjoys exploring the darker side of the entertainment industry and fame.

Oshi no Ko: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Oshi no Ko is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series has a nice high-definition video presentation. The series animation is beautifully reproduced with exceptional detail and depth. The background animation and line art look excellent on the release. The series animation shines with impressive clarity and the encode quality is excellent on the release.

One of the strengths of the Blu-ray disc format is the superior video encoding compared to streaming video services. Streaming video services tend to provide video with lower bit-rates for video and a more compressed picture. For home theater enthusiasts seeking the best possible picture-quality achievable, the physical media format provides a distinct advantage from streaming platforms.

Oshi no Ko: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented with a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Takeshi Takadera (Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater, Yowamushi Pedal) is well preserved on the release. Dialogue reproduction is crisp, clear, and engaging.

The soundtrack sounds vibrant and well-detailed, too. Soundstaging is excellent and the stereo audio sound mix is effective for the production. Purists who want the original Japanese language audio will prefer opting for that audio selection. Nonetheless, it is nice to see an English dub provided for the series as some Sentai releases are subbed only.

One of the forefront features of Blu-ray disc and the physical media format is lossless audio encoding. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio quality. For audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts seeking the best possible audio quality, the Blu-ray disc format offers a huge advantage over streaming services. For enthusiasts wanting to eek out every detail, the physical format provides something streaming services do not.

Oshi no Ko: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The standard edition is a lot more barebones in comparison to the collectors edition release. The standard edition only includes a few standard on- disc extras. It is not a comprehensive set with extensive bonus features.

Disc 2:

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 2:02)

PLEASE NOTE:

The collectors edition of Oshi no Ko includes a significantly more robust supplemental package (and an exclusive bonus disc) so fans looking for a more extensive, exhaustive, and satisfying package will want to opt for the collectors set of the series (reviewed here). The standard edition is going to appeal more to series fans who are simply looking to own a permanent copy for their collection and/or those seeking the best video-audio presentation who do not care for the bonus features included on the collectors edition (or the fancier packaging). It is an important distinction.

At the same time, it is worth noting that the collectors edition release includes disc art that is different from the standard edition. The disc art in the standard edition seems to match the disc art of the third and exclusive (to that collectors edition) bonus features disc more. For those who enjoy customizing their sets, perhaps purchasing both the limited collectors edition and the standard edition will yield something worthwhile – one could pop the discs from the standard edition into the collectors edition release so that the colorful star disc art matches across all three discs in the premium edition. Just an interesting observation and idea for fans who enjoy customization of sets/releases.

Oshi no Ko: Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Oshi no Ko is a dark and eerie anime with a pop shine and veneer. Fans of dark supernatural-mysteries with drama elements may want to check it out. The series has impressive animation and production values.

The Blu-ray release provides an excellent high-definition presentation and lossless audio. A barebones standard-edition without much in the way of extra supplements or 'goodies', fans and collectors seeking a more 'premium' option will want to instead opt for the collectors edition steelbook release (reviewed here). For collectors who simply want a permanent copy for the shelves with the best picture and audio (and who don't care for the extra bonus features or collectables or deluxe packaging), fans can save a few dollars and opt for the standard edition release.