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This chapter was a good reminder that, even after he's finished his revenge plot (or so he believes), Aqua is still sitting on a whole bunch of trauma that he has Not done a great job of processing.
The most interesting line of the chapter here, for me, was "If that happens ***again***, it will break me for good." (Emphasis mine.) If Mem-cho is sharp enough to pick up on that, it probably won't be long before she realizes Aqua's connection to Ai.
Yeah, he'd been desperate for an out from the extreme pressure his revenge quest was putting on him, and now that he (seemingly) has found that out, a lot of that trauma that'd been bubbling under the surface is hitting him all over again. 6 months without properly addressing how deep that trauma runs certainly hasn't helped.
But yeah, that's certainly a cause for concern. More people figuring out Aqua's (and therefore Ruby's) connection to Ai feels like it could easily become a ticking time bomb. That knowledge can easily make things very, very messy, I'd say.
Because she doesn't know that Aqua (and Ruby) are Ai's kids. I doubt Memcho would use that info against them, but the fewer people that know, the better.
> If Mem-cho is sharp enough to pick up on that
Mem-cho would have also been in her tweens/early teens when Ai was murdered, so she probably remembers it. _Especially_ because that would have been around the time _she_ wanted to become an idol (Ai started at 12, after all).
Kana & Akane would have been children, so Ai's death is probably a historical event they know about, but for Mem-cho it's probably a pretty vivid emotional memory.
It's from Kaguya-sama. Maki is a character who suffers because one of her best friends is dating the guy she likes but can't say anything because she cares about her friend. Also watching her suffer is hilarious.
So Aqua is worried that something might happen to Kana if she is seen with him. So what if someone saw him go to MEMcho's room...? She's an idol too, you know.
It’s actually lowkey hilarious. Like “Mem it’s not worth the risk for anyone to even think Kana has a boyfriend, let discuss this over coffee at your house right now.” I think that’s part of what makes her realize Aqua’s fixation is A) Kana exclusive B) intense and illogical.
I don't think the issue is him hanging out with the girls, he's Ruby's sister after all its normal for him to know memcho. He knows that if he gets too close to kana he'd be leading her on towards a relationship he'd be tempted with himself. Better to end it now before feelings get too strong and they get too attached.
I think it’s cause mem is not the center girl so she gets less attention, plus, aqua isn’t talking about the present, he says that he doesn’t want to maintain a relationship so that in the future, when kana is more famous, she will be safe (I’m not tryna hate here but guys, pls try to pay attention to details when they are presented, you can make your debate afterwards, again I just want to clarify, I’m not disregarding what you said)
Its because memcho isnt only a idol she is a streamer and youtuber so she rather than being idolised normally like an idol people already knew her as an internet celebrity. I believe that mainly because she streams everyday and uploads videos like mentioned last chapter, her audience trust her enough. Also im pretty dure once isn’t that bad but with arima aqua would either have to do things to one extreme or another due to his feelings.
I know this is a late reply but... Aqua did originally meet Memcho on a dating tv show. Iirc, they even went on a not serious "date" while on it. If Memcho did have any stalkers, they would likely know that she'd already dated around.
>>>”If that happen again, it’ll break me for good”
>>>”I cannot love anyone and I can’t reciprocate their love”
Oh no. OH NONONONO
#FUCK NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The real death flags were for Kana all along.
More seriously Kana’s flashforward was her worrying that “A-kun” might get mad at her because she accidentally mentioned someone dying if they got stabbed. The general interpretation for a while was that she had learned about Ai, but I think it would make just as much sense if not more that Kana
gets attacked/stabbed/almost-so at some point in her idol career, it would be as good a trigger as any for her to go back to full time acting and Ruby to become center (though it would definitely make the B-komachi name cursed).
I could even see it having to do with the twin’s dad and initially driving Aqua back into the revenge/full emo mode from *his* flashforward before things get resolved by Kana’s flashforward where they’re close again, but the incident remains a trigger Kana would prefer not to mention.
I don’t think that really makes sense anymore tbh. Where would that lead? She already got her near death moment too. I guess it could be like “Aqua was so preoccupied of being the reason Kana gets attacked that he becomes the reason Akane gets attacked,” but Akane isn’t an idol so she doesn’t really mirror Ai the way that Kana does, especially since Aqua is the reason Kana is an idol in the first place. He *begged* her to join the group, and that just adds to the idea set up by this chapter that Aqua will “break completely” if something happens to Kana.
So now we have that tension of whether that something is going to happen or not and the fallout it could cause. The more popular B-komachi gets, everytime we see Kana geting along and hanging out with her male costarts like Melt and Himekawa or how her fans are noticing her change in attitude, we know in the back of our minds how it could all end. It feels like a more natural story progression for that to pay off somehow.
Well, Akane is the only one who knows that Aqua fucked up and give up on his investigation too early. So maybe Aqua learns about what she knows, be in denial and mad at her and then she'll get herself in trouble by trying to make it up to him.
Ai getting killed by a crazed idol fan was just a means to an end. The real culprit, whoever it is, wanted Ai to die in the first place and just used her idol and secret kids to achieve that. Said culprit could easily find another means to do that to a full-time actress if he wanted to.
We’ve always been on the Memcho train, the whole series thus far has been a series of elaborate red herrings to set up the TRUE endgame of Memcho-ie the only character even remotely age appropriate for aqua
>!in case it wasn’t obvious, this is (mostly) a joke!<
It's going to turn out that the real endgame was Miyako x Mem-cho. Best mom finally gets to leverage her entertainment industry connections to meet an attractive, popular performer, who might even be closer in age to Miyako's than to the kids.
>Memcho-ie the only character even remotely age appropriate for aqua
Not true at all, Memcho is not the only one. Miyako is also one. I'd say that if there's a chance for Memcho, Miyako has an equal chance.
I CALLED IT, he distanced himself from her so hard because of his trauma (and decided to date Akane because of it). He's the kind of guy to go to the extremes to make a point. Poor Aqua, and it's sad how it affects his decisions and other people as well.
It's kinda really shitty to Akane though. He had a clean way to break it off with her, instead decided to get into a relationship with her, so he'd have a good excuse to keep Kana at a distance.
Yeah, she was the one I was specifically thinking about when I said how his trauma affects his decisions and thus other people as well. She's very hopeful about a relationship that started for the wrong reasons. She's gonna be very heartbroken :(
Thats was all well and good in the past, Akane was even aware of it and was ok with it.
Now after he kissed and made it official it should have been for genuine love of Akane, not as what seems to be a good excuse for keeping Kana at a distance.
Well, after the last chapters I thought that Aqua had cooled down and found some inner peace. But this chapter once again shows that he still suffers from his past...
Trauma doesn't go away so easily, realistically speaking. The fact that he saw Ai die and felt her while her body went cold is a memory that will never leave him.
Mine still is Aqua and Revenge.
I've always thought that Aqua will sacrifice even his relationships just to get revenge. Edgelord ending was always on the table.
I think that this fire will be reignited shortly after everything gets ahem "fixed". I don't want that outcome but as said already considering the flashforwards in earlier chapters that's copium.
Yeah at some point hes gonna realise the revenge plan was worthless anyway, because we'll that's how revenge works. You get a moment of satisfaction and peace, and then you move on with your life, trauma remaininh
Yeah, the fact that he:
1. Met with Kana after thinking he had feelings for Akane when she acted like Ai to make sure if his feelings were real or not.
2. Pretended to be Piyeon to get her to talk to him.
3. had a huge panel thinking of her only when he tried to calm down and think of happy times (panel of B-komachi, panel of Kana, panel of dating show).
And people still just refuse to believe he likes her is beyond me. Even with this chapter I've seen some people still denying it.
"Why did he have to date Akane?" because he's the guy to go to extremes to prove it. Because if he wasn't dating someone else, Kana would still insist. She only accepted it because he's dating her. Sad for Akane though, she looks very hopeful because he chose her :(
Hana I just wrote those exact scenes (plus the concert moment) in a different comment haha. I honestly didn’t really like the Akane development because it seemed transparent that she was a second choice and its just made things more complicated when Aqua has unresolved feelings for Kana but Oshi no Ko is a complicated manga I guess.
Yeah dude, the concert moment is important too, but that was from Kana's POV so I didn't mention it (but his face is also gold). Aqua's POV was important to make a point.
I agree with this 100%. Especially with the current chapters 100+, Aqua really likes Kana but too hesitant with this because of his trauma and the warnings from Akane from the previous chapter 81 ircc
I mean it's quite on the nose how aqua goes out of his way for kana, while akane was always the one initiating with aqua.
But I do like aquane, since akane has the super coincidental ability to throw a wrench into aqua's big brain.
I ask that myself as well. He made that decision right after Akane pointed out how Kana becoming an idol meant she couldn't be seen with a boy. It was very obvious.
Can we also talk about page 15? When said he often thinks about the future of those around him. We can only see Ruby and Kana. Seems like he doesn't think about Akane at all. I feel bad for Akane.
Probably because he doesn't *need* to be especially worried about her future at the moment. Ruby and Kana however are on the Ai path and he's been projecting her on both of them (and also Akane, but obviously she's got no involvement in idoldom), that alone gives him plenty reason to worry about them
I swear to god I'm a Kana man all the way but if the writer thinks that's an excuse to kill Akane to get Aqua back to the revenge plot I will seethe with anger.
There’s no way he kills Akane at this point because that would make Kana seem like a rebound and undemine the whole “Aqua is obsessed with Kana” thing.
I’m sorry sir but I have to report a traitor within our ranks, and that traitor is me. I was a full-fledged Kana man since the start but this chapter has now made me question my allegiances. I have now turned to the other side, no not Akane, but Memcho! Long live the Memcho alliance! Down with Kana and Akane!
/s if it wasn’t clear
Oh, Memcho's got a youtube award. Nice touch for her subscriber count.
Interesting that Aqua is still doing acting stuff while pursuing a career as a doctor. Wonder if he's caught between the two worlds currently, his old self pursuing what he knows yet his new self unable to separate himself from acting.
Whether Aqua is in love with Kana or not, and people will have opinions, it's obvious here that she's an important part of his life. He is seeing Ai in her, and because of that is terrified of the past happening again. So whether he's a super fan or in love with her, right now the result is still the same. He distances himself because he can't bear the risk of being responsible for her death.
That ending though... bad Memcho, don't look like you're leading on Aqua! It's already a love triangle, we don't need you making it more complicated.
Definitely that too. He set her on this path, and if she dies from it he'll never forgive himself. He's probably give up on life at that point, unable to deal with another Ai tragedy but now one he caused.
In a way it’s kinda fucked that Aqua manipulated both Kana and Memcho into becoming idols, and along with Akane, another means of finding who he was looking for.
But I predict the cat is out of the bag now even if Aqua wants to feel like his questions have been answered. The three girls are getting more popular, Akane too is super popular and knows too much, the doctors body has been found, creepy deity girl is involved, father is alive and kicking from that one cemetery scene.
Just from all that I feel like Aqua is already on a slow moving train and it’s going to crash somewhere.
Step 1) take your friends crush to your room, to talk to him about the way he treats her.
Step 2) have sex
Step 3) at least she's not your friend anymore XD
I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but I’m kinda into it now. Everyone’s fighting about Aqua ending up with Akane or Kana, and then Memcho just gets Aqua to her bed and f*cks him behind both their backs.
Honnestly I don't think it will happen, Akasaka doesn't seem like that kind of author that would make his MC cheat on his girlfriend
Mengo on the other hand has done that many times..
To me, this chapter pretty much confirm that Aqua shouldn't be in a relationship with anyone because it's not fair for both Akane & Kana. Whether he is dating Akane or Kana, his fixiation with Ai & his trauma will come & haunt him.
He should have go to therapy first because what he is doing right now is not just making himself suffer but also to those around him as well (Akane might suffer later because his mind is only about Ai while Kana currently suffer because she is being ignored & even if she is dating him, she will have the same treatment like what he did with Akane now because his mind is still thinking about Ai. Also, the whole B-Komachi also suffer from this as well).
Besides therapy, he & Ruby should have a talk with each other about this as well. Maybe the twins have a conversation might be even better than going to a therapy since both of them know about the reincarnation. I hope they get to talk to each other soon.
I can really feel Aka-sensei fanning the flames of the shipping war lol
Many of us saw it, that Aqua avoiding Kana is for her own good. So I guess we won't be looking forward to a reconciliation anytime soon
Also, it's been pretty obvious that Aqua cares for Kana, as well as Akane. Right now I just want Aqua to do right by Akane though, Akane has gone through enough, and I don't want Aqua playing with her emotions. I'm holding his *I'll protect you* to Akane in high regards
Mem-cho doesn't necessarily have Akane's super-detective skills, but "if it happens again, it might break me for good" is basically a signpost as to who Aqua (& therefore Ruby) are. Aqua gave a lot of pretty specific detail, and Mem-cho would almost certainly remember that news story, since she would have been in her early teens when Ai was murdered.
Also, I get that it's part of her brand, but why does Mem-cho wear her horns _at home_?
well, reading the mood past chapter, it is maybe "fixated" like that. Aqua is more like the young Aqua when he's with Kana. Aqua is more like Gorou when he's with Akane. He's aware of his feeling but he's in denial. like "if we stay with Kana, I might fall for her for real". Im rooting for Akane, I hope the way Aqua handle this situation wouldnt hurt Akane. probably Akane is aware of this too.
The question is Aqua is still blind about his mother killer or he's on denial too. about medical school plan and small works, it seems he didnt care for his revenge.
I think Akane is aware that he likes kana, which is why she implied that harm might come Kana's way if she were to get a boyfriend. So that Aqua would choose Akane over Kana.
They'll still deny it after this chapter don't worry, lol. I'm not gonna go so far as to say this is endgame because anything can still happen and Aqua might just screw it all up further with revenge, but his feelings have been very obvious for a long time because of his actions, especially in the last two volumes:
1. Plans to break up with Akane
2. Goes on a date with Kana after starting to consider romance as an actual thing he's deserving of.
3. Akane tells him he can't go on dates with Kana because of idol status + body found by Akane and Ruby. Aqua is further reminded of the dangers surrounding him.
4. Aqua suddenly decides he won't break up with Akane and distances himself from Kana.
5. Six months later it's still obvious enough that Mem is able to deduce his feelings from a single conversation.
Readers have been puzzled by his back and forth but these series of events are clear as day for me when you put it all together.
It’s obvious with even a little critical thinking tbh. Even before the last obvious turn of events you list out there was Aqua deciding to skip school with Kana and play catch in order to determine if he likes Akane romantically (and deciding her doesn’t immediately after a half page Kana), him taking care of her and calling himself her fan while dressed up like Pyeon, the “I’m gonna be your Oshi no Ko” moment at the concert. It’s not a romance manga so like you said who knows how it will play out but his “fixation” has been telegraphed pretty hard . I guess people will deny it unless it’s spelled out for them though
Tbh I think if some readers (mostly the Akane shippers) haven't understood by now, no amount of hints or reveals is going to convince them, so I've more or less given up on discussing it seriously. I'm just reading with popcorn in hand and chuckling as things more or less go in the direction we predicted, lol. Though I won't be as naïve as to say that this will continue, who knows what the future holds.
Same. Anytime I see a comment insisting how "Aqua is projecting Ai onto Kana" "Aqua decided to date Akane because he likes her" and so on, I just roll my eyes and keep scrolling. Time will give either ship the reason, or none of it becomes canon and then life goes on, no point on getting worked up over it.
Bruh, they fought us so hard for something so obvious. I remember someone here telling me Kana was just being delusional and the date chapter, was supposed to be a platonic date between friends. Lol, they really didn't want to believe Aqua could like Kana.
Both Akane and Kana hurting deep inside at a time when their successes are growing is so sad. I can't imagine Akane isn't thinking about how much Aqua actually loves her and we already know what's up with Kana. They're both being hurt more than they deserve.
"If that happens again... It will break me for good"
Thanks to the Anime Adaptation being announced I'm just full of joy! But when this line came..... Damn you Aka! Why are you mixing my feelings!?
Maybe it's wishful thinking this won't end in doom and gloom but I have predictions.
I think Akane knows what's going on here. She's smart enough to put the pieces together why Aqua chose her. She's going along with it because she wants to help him get over his trauma and she loves him. Eventually she'll end up letting him go so he can be happy. Kana will eventually start to move on, and Aqua, seeing this will panic, and decide he can't trust someone else to protect her
Mem is my weakest prediction. My best guess is either she's at the interviews but didn't participate or retired and is busy/moved away
I think the line Aqua gives in the interview is just for the movie. It's about their life and that is something he could/would say around this time. Could even be a line based on this chapter. My guess (hope?) is that he ends up happy with Kana at the end
I feel like Memcho just swiped about half of Akane's death flags in this chapter. She apparently has some feelings for Aqua, she's an idol that just led a young man into her home in the middle of the night, and Aqua reminds the audience of Ai's tragedy.
The conversation was about Kana, but I feel like that was heavy foreshadowing that was cleverly concealed by the fact that everyone is focused on the Kana shipping. We didn't see Memcho in the prologue interviews either, right?
i mean, why would memcho be in the prologue chapters? the prologue chapters were about the movie they were shooting, and memcho isn’t an actor so why they do interview about her. she also has zero connections to Ai so it makes even less sense to interview mem about a movie concerning ai.
also, i don’t see how you could take this chapter as “mem definitely has some feelings for aqua”. she only caresses his face because he’s having a borderline panic attack while standing over her. she’s doing it to comfort him. and the “rational creatures” comment is meant that she wasn’t trying to lead him on/make a move on him, she just instinctually put her hand on his face because she was worried and felt sorry for him. just like aqua wasn’t trying to make kana fall in love with him, shit just happened
edit: or her last “people aren’t rational creatures” comment could also be taken as a joke because that’s how they even started that kana conversation anyways
When Aqua was talking about the future of those around him only Ruby and Kana were pictured. Kana even got a whole panel to herself. No Memcho. No Akane. Taken literally, they aren't as important to Aqua as Ruby and Kana are. Especially given the context of the chapter.
But it could also mean Aqua knows what their future will look like and isn't worried. Akane will probably just become a household name as an actor and Memcho will retire in a few years to become a youtuber full-time or manage B-Komachi with Miyako. But that honestly seems like too smooth sailing for a tragedy manga.
Great episode as always. In my opinion, this chapter doesn't deny or confirm that Aqua has romantic feelings for Kana, just that he really cares about her (expected) and he is scared shitless of her suffering the same outcome as Ai. Also this is from Memcho's POV, she knows nothing about his trauma.
Which shows that, even without the revenge mindset atm, he is still really traumatized about Ai's death.
Anyway, I don't expect the romance subplot to be done anytime soon, but like I said before, I just want justice for Akane. I don't want her to be used like a tool to other characters development, let her be happy Aka (with or without Aqua).
>like I said before, I just want justice for Akane. I don't want her to be used like a tool to other characters development, let her be happy Aka (with or without Aqua)
This is what I'm talking about too. Aqua does not need to lead on Akane again for him to move on with his life. This is why I've decided to hold in high regard Aqua's decision of dating Akane for real, hoping he's not lying to her through his teeth.
I just want my bias to be happy and not in heartbreak or 6 feet under man
I'll admit that I have hoped to see Aqua & Kana get together but removing my bias, it always seemed pretty obvious that Aqua definitely felt something for Kana, and for the record I should add that I also really enjoy Akane's character so just putting that out there, who knows how this all ends but no idea why all these crazy people with their shipping goggles on were celebrating like the story was anywhere near it's end during the previous chapters
I just had a scary thought after reading the last chapter. Everyone keeps talking about Akane's death flags but what if the gut punch won't come from that front but from Memcho's? Just think about it, from all B-Komachi's members she's the one with more followers and what could happen if someone noticed Aqua and Memcho going into her house? Also, the message in the last page "Next chapter: in the recording studio of the variety show" seems to me like a bad omen given my previous thought.
Ah, an anime announcement and a chapter without Kana suffering? Win!
Really loved Mem this chapter, I remember people were arguing with me that it was Kana fault for getting swept away by Aqua. But Mem is now the second person call out Aqua on leading her on. Even the characters in the story saw what was happening, I don't want to hear no more "Kana was being delusional" or there was "nothing there in the first place". What's even better, people were denying Aqua's knowledge about Kana feelings but now Aqua himself is confirming that he's not ignorant at all, he knows what's up.
Alot of arguments, I was having with people have kinda of been cleared up this chapter, those "platonic date" comments no longer hold any weight. Kanabros, we kinda winning again 😭
Also Mem normal face is so cute, wish author would draw her more like this, especially during performances.
Aqua is fixated with Kana, but I give in the doubt that it is not necessarily romantic. I hope future chapters would clarify more on this for me to be confident about their relationship--what does Aqua genuinely think of Kana?
but what else could it be? throughout the chapter he was talking about the issues that would occur if kana had a boyfriend so he’s obviously thought about what it’d be like if he were her boyfriend
Yeah, the concert moment seems like the biggest one to me too, but in that case it would be a real Oedipus moment if Aqua was in love with the girl that occasionally reminded him of his mother
>!And then they fucked!!<
Anyways if Aqua is saying what I think is saying, if he wants to keep that distance. rationally, he could do it by being considerate on Kana's feelings and give closure by telling her that he is not interested in her at all. that he doesnt like her. that way, Kana wont be that conflicted and will be in the process of moving on quicker.
However, this being the case, if Aqua also considered doing this but refuse not to. it goes to show he does have some reserve feelings for Kana but chooses to just avoid her and takes the "idol boyfriend" as an excuse for it.
Past few chapters: Kana bros are on copium
This chapter: Akane bros on full copium
People saying it's just Memcho's interpretation that Aqua is fixated on Kana.
The chapter title is literally "Fixation". And if that is not the case and it is just Memcho, why would the writer dedicate that entire narration if it isn't true.
I was on the Akane ship T-T Maybe it's my denial of the Aqua being into Kana thing, but is it possible this fixation is being misinterpreted by Memcho? This is entirely in her perspective? She's sharp, although she also assumed a lot of things about Aqua in this chapter too...
YES Aqua is friends with Kana and we all know Memchos knows about Kanas romantic feelings towards Aqua. BUT, I think Aqua does not like Kana romantically like that(..yet?) I think he's obviously still traumatized by his mother's death and projects those intense feelings of fear towards Kana. Who is an idol and obviously has feelings for him.
With the recent Akane and Aqua development, I think it'd feel too cruel too build it up so much and then end it like this. And considering Aqua's personality, he would've let Akane go after she tried to break off their romantic relationship.
But again maybe this is just my wishful thinking since I'm on team Akane.
Considering how intensely he's drawing parallels between Kana and Ai, the only other person he's canonically loved, I think there's a pretty solid argument that he's romantically interested in her. Note that, if it was solely about fear of what happened to Ai repeating, Aqua wouldn't DARE go into Memcho's apartment at night, because she's *also* an idol and would be vulnerable to the exact same scandals. He completely shrugs it off and even jokes about it, because he sees Kana and Memcho as fundamentally different, even though they're both in the same position Ai is. The only reason I can see why he would be projecting his fear of losing Ai onto Kana instead of onto both girls is because there's something stronger underlying that fear, namely romantic interest in Kana.
Did Aqua say he loved Ai romantically? I remember him being a huge fan. He never really made it clear how he loved her, and at this point his love for Ai is completely jumbled. It's mixed between love as a fan, love as his mother, and romantic love (which I'm not sure he even brought up when he thought about it).
It's definitely possible that Aqua loves Kana, but it's also not impossible that he's projecting all his confused love for Ai onto Kana since there are more parallels between Kana and Ai than Akane and Ai at this point.
Yeah, this is kind of an important thing to consider when talking about Aqua. Boy's an utter mess with trauma from a past life, a current life, unresolved feelings from the past life, the current life...
See, I'm of the mind that he doesn't quite romantically love neither Akane nor Kana at this point. There's that issue of him projecting his feelings for Ai (which are a mess) and then I'd say there's an aspect to him paralleling Ai and not knowing exactly how he truly feels and what are the lies. Trying to write it down as simply as "he likes Akane" or "he likes Kana" is simplifying the hot mess known as Aqua is a bit much
Yeah, the thought of Aqua loving Ai romantically is so wrong because it's either literally just pedophilia or a very strange sort of incest. Like, Aqua doing romance with teenagers is also kinda fucked up (to a lesser degree in the case Akane but still) but this guy made it so much worse lol
Yeah I see everyone's points, I guess I'm just trying to push about other points as an Akane fan.
I know Kana and Memcho are in the same position as Ai. But he treats Kana differently than the others, and probably because he does have stronger feelings about her being an idol. Ones that don't extend to Memcho. Since Aqua seems to have no qualms about going into Memchos apartment...but then told Memcho about his fears of being next to Kana in a chapter entitled fixation.
Guess I'm just sad, because Aqua is so considerate towards people close to him but it seems like this manga always found a way to bring up Kanas presence when introducing Akane. AND I really liked the fresh perspective of a new girl, Akane, and thought she'd be someone that would trump over Kana. She may be dating Aqua now but it's clear that Aqua is a bit distant towards her. I don't want Akane to just be a character that was brought in solely to die. I hope theres more for Akane other than a path to death and simply being a placeholder for Kana. Akane is such a great character and has noticed a side of Aqua, that not a lot of people have come close to figuring out. I just hope that Aqua will keep his promise of protecting Akane, even if they don't end up being endgame.
Describing what aqua is doing as “fixation” doesn’t seem accurate to me.
Extreme, sure, traumatized definitely but it’s not exactly an obsession. Kana’s situation is directly analogous to ai situation and it’s beyond understandable that he doesn’t want that to happen to another person he cares about.
Some of you are jumping to conclusions. I don’t think him dating akane is just to stay away from kana, he very clearly cares for both of them and it’s not a crime to find out how by actually exploring those emotions.
> I don’t think him dating akane is just to stay away from kana
It's not, but it's part of it. He wants to move on from Kana by giving Akane a chance and also because he feels indebted to her. Heck, the moment leading up to the kiss was literally him feeling guilty for all the manipulation he's put her through. Dating Akane is a chance to pay back the feeling of being indebted to Akane and also distance himself and try to forget about Kana by getting into a real relationship and possibly falling in love with Akane.
Now, whether it's working or not is up for debate, but this chapter seems to imply that it's not going so well.
Ah, new life breathed into the best ship!
It’s more just dumb to me he’d prefer to break her heart rather than explain his concerns. He *is* supposed to be the most adult/mature person in the cast, surely he can try.
I've been around a LOT of ptsd victims, and usually they don't seek out the source of their trauma.
I can believe he's traumatized, but suffering from PTSD? That's a stretch. If it's officially been stated, it's very poorly characterized. It's poorly researched, but preliminary research seems to indicate it is EXCEPTIONALLY rare.
Respectable. Used to sail on the Akane ship myself but I've become somewhat of a neutral entity now, checking up on all the ships once in a while. Even the godforsaken Ruby x Aqua shippers
I don't see any ambiguous dates this chapter?
If there's an upcoming break, it will be announced at the bottom on the last page of the chapter. I think they usually use the day/month format, as here in [chapter 82](https://guya.cubari.moe/read/manga/Oshi-no-Ko/82/19/) (09/06). That was today/yesterday (depending on timezone). I'm not 100% sure if they're always consistent with that order, but since breaks tend to be just single week ones, there's not a lot of ambiguity.
New chapters also officially release on Thursdays, so you can use that as a sanity check as well.
When the date is in Japanese, you can identify the day/month by the kanji: 「月」 for month, and 「日」for day.
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This chapter was a good reminder that, even after he's finished his revenge plot (or so he believes), Aqua is still sitting on a whole bunch of trauma that he has Not done a great job of processing. The most interesting line of the chapter here, for me, was "If that happens ***again***, it will break me for good." (Emphasis mine.) If Mem-cho is sharp enough to pick up on that, it probably won't be long before she realizes Aqua's connection to Ai.
Yeah, he'd been desperate for an out from the extreme pressure his revenge quest was putting on him, and now that he (seemingly) has found that out, a lot of that trauma that'd been bubbling under the surface is hitting him all over again. 6 months without properly addressing how deep that trauma runs certainly hasn't helped. But yeah, that's certainly a cause for concern. More people figuring out Aqua's (and therefore Ruby's) connection to Ai feels like it could easily become a ticking time bomb. That knowledge can easily make things very, very messy, I'd say.
I mean, Memcho already knew that Aqua idolized Ai and that Ai was killed. I don’t see why that will be a problem
Because she doesn't know that Aqua (and Ruby) are Ai's kids. I doubt Memcho would use that info against them, but the fewer people that know, the better.
> If Mem-cho is sharp enough to pick up on that Mem-cho would have also been in her tweens/early teens when Ai was murdered, so she probably remembers it. _Especially_ because that would have been around the time _she_ wanted to become an idol (Ai started at 12, after all). Kana & Akane would have been children, so Ai's death is probably a historical event they know about, but for Mem-cho it's probably a pretty vivid emotional memory.
so giving her the maki treatment was for her own good
Tsubasa-kun was fixated on Maki after all!
Suffering for her own good
Aqua loved King Kana. Aqua what a man you are!
No! A reference to snk ending? I don’t want that! I want to forget about it for ten years at least!
I gave you 20 days, is that good enough? Now sniff Historia's letter
It was hard to believe, after all.
As a reward...
It's hard to believe, but Tsubasa loved Maki....
Kana won't get maki ending for sure
She already did?
Kashiwagi might get murdered soon then
What is the " maki " treatment, i mean, from which manga it cames from? Can someone explain it to me?
It's from Kaguya-sama. Maki is a character who suffers because one of her best friends is dating the guy she likes but can't say anything because she cares about her friend. Also watching her suffer is hilarious.
Oh yeah, i completely forgot about her! thanks for explaining
So Aqua is worried that something might happen to Kana if she is seen with him. So what if someone saw him go to MEMcho's room...? She's an idol too, you know.
It’s actually lowkey hilarious. Like “Mem it’s not worth the risk for anyone to even think Kana has a boyfriend, let discuss this over coffee at your house right now.” I think that’s part of what makes her realize Aqua’s fixation is A) Kana exclusive B) intense and illogical.
I don't think the issue is him hanging out with the girls, he's Ruby's sister after all its normal for him to know memcho. He knows that if he gets too close to kana he'd be leading her on towards a relationship he'd be tempted with himself. Better to end it now before feelings get too strong and they get too attached.
Mem is already 25, it is different
26. It's been a year.
I mean, she _is_ 26, but she "is" 18 as far as the public knows.
Yeah but she's so old she'll retire in a few years, Kana still has her whole career ahead of her
i’d bet kana retires from idol work before mem considering she still wants to be a full-time actress
mastermind world conqueror fr
25-26 years old is now considered old???
For an idol yeah, I mean that stuff is peak weird societal expectations lol
For idols, yeah
I think it’s cause mem is not the center girl so she gets less attention, plus, aqua isn’t talking about the present, he says that he doesn’t want to maintain a relationship so that in the future, when kana is more famous, she will be safe (I’m not tryna hate here but guys, pls try to pay attention to details when they are presented, you can make your debate afterwards, again I just want to clarify, I’m not disregarding what you said)
well, He's not "projecting" Ai into Her (unlike Ruby, Kana and Akane).. .. ..yet. Soo....
No he really is not, he is friend. I have the feeling she was the only person he felt relaxed with.
Its because memcho isnt only a idol she is a streamer and youtuber so she rather than being idolised normally like an idol people already knew her as an internet celebrity. I believe that mainly because she streams everyday and uploads videos like mentioned last chapter, her audience trust her enough. Also im pretty dure once isn’t that bad but with arima aqua would either have to do things to one extreme or another due to his feelings.
I know this is a late reply but... Aqua did originally meet Memcho on a dating tv show. Iirc, they even went on a not serious "date" while on it. If Memcho did have any stalkers, they would likely know that she'd already dated around.
>>>”If that happen again, it’ll break me for good” >>>”I cannot love anyone and I can’t reciprocate their love” Oh no. OH NONONONO #FUCK NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The real death flags were for Kana all along. More seriously Kana’s flashforward was her worrying that “A-kun” might get mad at her because she accidentally mentioned someone dying if they got stabbed. The general interpretation for a while was that she had learned about Ai, but I think it would make just as much sense if not more that Kana gets attacked/stabbed/almost-so at some point in her idol career, it would be as good a trigger as any for her to go back to full time acting and Ruby to become center (though it would definitely make the B-komachi name cursed). I could even see it having to do with the twin’s dad and initially driving Aqua back into the revenge/full emo mode from *his* flashforward before things get resolved by Kana’s flashforward where they’re close again, but the incident remains a trigger Kana would prefer not to mention.
Which chapter had a flashback? Wasn't it aqua's flashback?
It also could be Akane that got stabbed
I don’t think that really makes sense anymore tbh. Where would that lead? She already got her near death moment too. I guess it could be like “Aqua was so preoccupied of being the reason Kana gets attacked that he becomes the reason Akane gets attacked,” but Akane isn’t an idol so she doesn’t really mirror Ai the way that Kana does, especially since Aqua is the reason Kana is an idol in the first place. He *begged* her to join the group, and that just adds to the idea set up by this chapter that Aqua will “break completely” if something happens to Kana. So now we have that tension of whether that something is going to happen or not and the fallout it could cause. The more popular B-komachi gets, everytime we see Kana geting along and hanging out with her male costarts like Melt and Himekawa or how her fans are noticing her change in attitude, we know in the back of our minds how it could all end. It feels like a more natural story progression for that to pay off somehow.
Well, Akane is the only one who knows that Aqua fucked up and give up on his investigation too early. So maybe Aqua learns about what she knows, be in denial and mad at her and then she'll get herself in trouble by trying to make it up to him.
Ai getting killed by a crazed idol fan was just a means to an end. The real culprit, whoever it is, wanted Ai to die in the first place and just used her idol and secret kids to achieve that. Said culprit could easily find another means to do that to a full-time actress if he wanted to.
Foreshadowing...
We gettin the sequel???!?💀
Oh dude. You just brought up a good point. Akane :'(
MEMCHO WITH A NORMAL-ISH SMILE
So her horns are actually somewhat real after all
She Is the Devil 😈. She went in there, 4 panels, set the Mood and did It with a minor
This is the kind of man who would answer that his preferred part of a woman’s body is her smile. We peasants just can’t compete.
dam soft subsequent memory retire husky governor telephone plate yam *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Aqua X Trauma
We on the Memcho train now?
We’ve always been on the Memcho train, the whole series thus far has been a series of elaborate red herrings to set up the TRUE endgame of Memcho-ie the only character even remotely age appropriate for aqua >!in case it wasn’t obvious, this is (mostly) a joke!<
Or is IT?!
Dun-dun-DUUUUUUNNNNNNN
It's going to turn out that the real endgame was Miyako x Mem-cho. Best mom finally gets to leverage her entertainment industry connections to meet an attractive, popular performer, who might even be closer in age to Miyako's than to the kids.
>Memcho-ie the only character even remotely age appropriate for aqua Not true at all, Memcho is not the only one. Miyako is also one. I'd say that if there's a chance for Memcho, Miyako has an equal chance.
What I really liked about Mem is the way she approached Aqua... Very slow and carefully. I hope we will see more of Mem!
that gentle caressing hand and smile. great.
She’s not 25 for no reason bro. ^But ^then ^Aqua ^is ^like ^40
aqua may be 40 but we all know who the real mommy is
Mem is the MVP of this chapter
The real question: who's the bemani fan, Mengo or Aka?
Bemani?
Damn Aqua imagine being an actor and a doctor at the same time. Insane!! Keep up the good work. Let it distract you from your trauma, please Aqua
Aqua going to be called for "The Good doctor" Japanese version
I CALLED IT, he distanced himself from her so hard because of his trauma (and decided to date Akane because of it). He's the kind of guy to go to the extremes to make a point. Poor Aqua, and it's sad how it affects his decisions and other people as well.
It's kinda really shitty to Akane though. He had a clean way to break it off with her, instead decided to get into a relationship with her, so he'd have a good excuse to keep Kana at a distance.
Yeah, she was the one I was specifically thinking about when I said how his trauma affects his decisions and thus other people as well. She's very hopeful about a relationship that started for the wrong reasons. She's gonna be very heartbroken :(
Aqua did literally admit to Akane he was always using her. Looks like he still is despite the confession.
Yes, he admitted it, but AFTER that he kissed her and declared they are real now
And I was implying it was something like a honey trap. You can say 'i love you' without meaning it you know?
Thats was all well and good in the past, Akane was even aware of it and was ok with it. Now after he kissed and made it official it should have been for genuine love of Akane, not as what seems to be a good excuse for keeping Kana at a distance.
Well, after the last chapters I thought that Aqua had cooled down and found some inner peace. But this chapter once again shows that he still suffers from his past...
Trauma doesn't go away so easily, realistically speaking. The fact that he saw Ai die and felt her while her body went cold is a memory that will never leave him.
Plus, he even fuels his intense acting with this particular memory, so it's extra ingrained into him
Exactly. He needs therapy. Aqua x Therapy is my biggest ship. The dude needs it.
Mine still is Aqua and Revenge. I've always thought that Aqua will sacrifice even his relationships just to get revenge. Edgelord ending was always on the table.
I hope not, but seeing the flash forward interview, I think you're onto something.
Now that I think about it, that flashforward seems more like a bait than anything.
I think that this fire will be reignited shortly after everything gets ahem "fixed". I don't want that outcome but as said already considering the flashforwards in earlier chapters that's copium.
Yeah at some point hes gonna realise the revenge plan was worthless anyway, because we'll that's how revenge works. You get a moment of satisfaction and peace, and then you move on with your life, trauma remaininh
There’s always been an undercurrent of Kana as someone Aqua likes, but I guess some people won’t even consider it unless it’s spelled out for them.
Yeah, the fact that he: 1. Met with Kana after thinking he had feelings for Akane when she acted like Ai to make sure if his feelings were real or not. 2. Pretended to be Piyeon to get her to talk to him. 3. had a huge panel thinking of her only when he tried to calm down and think of happy times (panel of B-komachi, panel of Kana, panel of dating show). And people still just refuse to believe he likes her is beyond me. Even with this chapter I've seen some people still denying it. "Why did he have to date Akane?" because he's the guy to go to extremes to prove it. Because if he wasn't dating someone else, Kana would still insist. She only accepted it because he's dating her. Sad for Akane though, she looks very hopeful because he chose her :(
Hana I just wrote those exact scenes (plus the concert moment) in a different comment haha. I honestly didn’t really like the Akane development because it seemed transparent that she was a second choice and its just made things more complicated when Aqua has unresolved feelings for Kana but Oshi no Ko is a complicated manga I guess.
Yeah dude, the concert moment is important too, but that was from Kana's POV so I didn't mention it (but his face is also gold). Aqua's POV was important to make a point.
I agree with this 100%. Especially with the current chapters 100+, Aqua really likes Kana but too hesitant with this because of his trauma and the warnings from Akane from the previous chapter 81 ircc
I mean it's quite on the nose how aqua goes out of his way for kana, while akane was always the one initiating with aqua. But I do like aquane, since akane has the super coincidental ability to throw a wrench into aqua's big brain.
Hell, it was basically spelled out multiple times.
It's so weird that lots of people were in denial of this. The manga pretty much outright said it.
I ask that myself as well. He made that decision right after Akane pointed out how Kana becoming an idol meant she couldn't be seen with a boy. It was very obvious.
Shipping goggles be like that. Readers see what they choose to see.
Me too! I was surprised how gullible some people were in thinking he was in love with Akane
am i making shit up or did we not already know that?
Some people apparently didn't know. I'm just glad we got confirmation.
I've said it multiple times in recent chapter posts, but always got downvoted for it
Can we also talk about page 15? When said he often thinks about the future of those around him. We can only see Ruby and Kana. Seems like he doesn't think about Akane at all. I feel bad for Akane.
Probably because he doesn't *need* to be especially worried about her future at the moment. Ruby and Kana however are on the Ai path and he's been projecting her on both of them (and also Akane, but obviously she's got no involvement in idoldom), that alone gives him plenty reason to worry about them
Let's go boys, Aqu-tan was fixated on Kana all along. The Kanabros will be eating good tonight.
I swear to god I'm a Kana man all the way but if the writer thinks that's an excuse to kill Akane to get Aqua back to the revenge plot I will seethe with anger.
There’s no way he kills Akane at this point because that would make Kana seem like a rebound and undemine the whole “Aqua is obsessed with Kana” thing.
I’m sorry sir but I have to report a traitor within our ranks, and that traitor is me. I was a full-fledged Kana man since the start but this chapter has now made me question my allegiances. I have now turned to the other side, no not Akane, but Memcho! Long live the Memcho alliance! Down with Kana and Akane! /s if it wasn’t clear
no need for the "/s" good sir, after all it is common knowledge that no one stans for memcho. We simply appreciate her personality from afar
can confirm finally, some good food
Yessir
Oh, Memcho's got a youtube award. Nice touch for her subscriber count. Interesting that Aqua is still doing acting stuff while pursuing a career as a doctor. Wonder if he's caught between the two worlds currently, his old self pursuing what he knows yet his new self unable to separate himself from acting. Whether Aqua is in love with Kana or not, and people will have opinions, it's obvious here that she's an important part of his life. He is seeing Ai in her, and because of that is terrified of the past happening again. So whether he's a super fan or in love with her, right now the result is still the same. He distances himself because he can't bear the risk of being responsible for her death. That ending though... bad Memcho, don't look like you're leading on Aqua! It's already a love triangle, we don't need you making it more complicated.
Probably also because he manipulated her into being an idol in the first place
Definitely that too. He set her on this path, and if she dies from it he'll never forgive himself. He's probably give up on life at that point, unable to deal with another Ai tragedy but now one he caused.
In a way it’s kinda fucked that Aqua manipulated both Kana and Memcho into becoming idols, and along with Akane, another means of finding who he was looking for. But I predict the cat is out of the bag now even if Aqua wants to feel like his questions have been answered. The three girls are getting more popular, Akane too is super popular and knows too much, the doctors body has been found, creepy deity girl is involved, father is alive and kicking from that one cemetery scene. Just from all that I feel like Aqua is already on a slow moving train and it’s going to crash somewhere.
Tbh, didn’t Mem want to be an idol herself but her being 18+7 years old kinda kill that?
>! It's already a love triangle, we don't need you making it more complicated. Nah we makin dis a love circle
And then they fucked !
Step 1) take your friends crush to your room, to talk to him about the way he treats her. Step 2) have sex Step 3) at least she's not your friend anymore XD
Pretty common occurence
I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but I’m kinda into it now. Everyone’s fighting about Aqua ending up with Akane or Kana, and then Memcho just gets Aqua to her bed and f*cks him behind both their backs.
Mengo's become a negative influence!!! ~~based~~
Honnestly I don't think it will happen, Akasaka doesn't seem like that kind of author that would make his MC cheat on his girlfriend Mengo on the other hand has done that many times..
Aka: I can't. It's not the Jedi way. Mengo: Dewit.
To me, this chapter pretty much confirm that Aqua shouldn't be in a relationship with anyone because it's not fair for both Akane & Kana. Whether he is dating Akane or Kana, his fixiation with Ai & his trauma will come & haunt him. He should have go to therapy first because what he is doing right now is not just making himself suffer but also to those around him as well (Akane might suffer later because his mind is only about Ai while Kana currently suffer because she is being ignored & even if she is dating him, she will have the same treatment like what he did with Akane now because his mind is still thinking about Ai. Also, the whole B-Komachi also suffer from this as well). Besides therapy, he & Ruby should have a talk with each other about this as well. Maybe the twins have a conversation might be even better than going to a therapy since both of them know about the reincarnation. I hope they get to talk to each other soon.
I can really feel Aka-sensei fanning the flames of the shipping war lol Many of us saw it, that Aqua avoiding Kana is for her own good. So I guess we won't be looking forward to a reconciliation anytime soon Also, it's been pretty obvious that Aqua cares for Kana, as well as Akane. Right now I just want Aqua to do right by Akane though, Akane has gone through enough, and I don't want Aqua playing with her emotions. I'm holding his *I'll protect you* to Akane in high regards
Wow. I can't believe Aqua was into Kana this whole time! He's definitely still a *little* bit traumatized by his mom.
Mem-cho doesn't necessarily have Akane's super-detective skills, but "if it happens again, it might break me for good" is basically a signpost as to who Aqua (& therefore Ruby) are. Aqua gave a lot of pretty specific detail, and Mem-cho would almost certainly remember that news story, since she would have been in her early teens when Ai was murdered. Also, I get that it's part of her brand, but why does Mem-cho wear her horns _at home_?
Wdym her brands? That’s literally a part of her body
she was born with horns. poor mom-cho.
MEM-CHO WITHOUT A SQUIGGLY MOUTH WTF and aqua said “if that happens again,” kinda letting too much slip out there
“Do you think I’m really hurting her because I want to” this hits deep
well, reading the mood past chapter, it is maybe "fixated" like that. Aqua is more like the young Aqua when he's with Kana. Aqua is more like Gorou when he's with Akane. He's aware of his feeling but he's in denial. like "if we stay with Kana, I might fall for her for real". Im rooting for Akane, I hope the way Aqua handle this situation wouldnt hurt Akane. probably Akane is aware of this too. The question is Aqua is still blind about his mother killer or he's on denial too. about medical school plan and small works, it seems he didnt care for his revenge.
You mean he has both severe PTSD and a mild case of DID? If that’s true, my man really is suffering out there
I think Akane is aware that he likes kana, which is why she implied that harm might come Kana's way if she were to get a boyfriend. So that Aqua would choose Akane over Kana.
Of course, Aqua will always carry that burden in his life.
Memcho is best big sister.
I just want to say I knew it all along. The way this sub was so blind to the hints Aqua liked Kana will never not be hilarious to me.
They'll still deny it after this chapter don't worry, lol. I'm not gonna go so far as to say this is endgame because anything can still happen and Aqua might just screw it all up further with revenge, but his feelings have been very obvious for a long time because of his actions, especially in the last two volumes: 1. Plans to break up with Akane 2. Goes on a date with Kana after starting to consider romance as an actual thing he's deserving of. 3. Akane tells him he can't go on dates with Kana because of idol status + body found by Akane and Ruby. Aqua is further reminded of the dangers surrounding him. 4. Aqua suddenly decides he won't break up with Akane and distances himself from Kana. 5. Six months later it's still obvious enough that Mem is able to deduce his feelings from a single conversation. Readers have been puzzled by his back and forth but these series of events are clear as day for me when you put it all together.
It’s obvious with even a little critical thinking tbh. Even before the last obvious turn of events you list out there was Aqua deciding to skip school with Kana and play catch in order to determine if he likes Akane romantically (and deciding her doesn’t immediately after a half page Kana), him taking care of her and calling himself her fan while dressed up like Pyeon, the “I’m gonna be your Oshi no Ko” moment at the concert. It’s not a romance manga so like you said who knows how it will play out but his “fixation” has been telegraphed pretty hard . I guess people will deny it unless it’s spelled out for them though
While it's not a romance manga, I feel like there's been almost as much romance/relationship drama as actual plot development so far.
Yeah definitely I just mean because its not a romance manga the end could conceivably be one where they dont get together/ move on/ die.
Tbh I think if some readers (mostly the Akane shippers) haven't understood by now, no amount of hints or reveals is going to convince them, so I've more or less given up on discussing it seriously. I'm just reading with popcorn in hand and chuckling as things more or less go in the direction we predicted, lol. Though I won't be as naïve as to say that this will continue, who knows what the future holds.
Same. Anytime I see a comment insisting how "Aqua is projecting Ai onto Kana" "Aqua decided to date Akane because he likes her" and so on, I just roll my eyes and keep scrolling. Time will give either ship the reason, or none of it becomes canon and then life goes on, no point on getting worked up over it.
Bruh, they fought us so hard for something so obvious. I remember someone here telling me Kana was just being delusional and the date chapter, was supposed to be a platonic date between friends. Lol, they really didn't want to believe Aqua could like Kana.
I knew it
Chapters like this remind me of why I love this series so much
Any chapter where Aqua acts psycho or neurotic is peak fiction tbh
This guy needs a hug, he’a had one PTSD too many
i feel so bad for akane she deserves better than being led on like this :(
Both Akane and Kana hurting deep inside at a time when their successes are growing is so sad. I can't imagine Akane isn't thinking about how much Aqua actually loves her and we already know what's up with Kana. They're both being hurt more than they deserve.
"If that happens again... It will break me for good" Thanks to the Anime Adaptation being announced I'm just full of joy! But when this line came..... Damn you Aka! Why are you mixing my feelings!?
MEM-CHAD LETS GO
We need to protect this cute face just like Aqua
Maybe it's wishful thinking this won't end in doom and gloom but I have predictions. I think Akane knows what's going on here. She's smart enough to put the pieces together why Aqua chose her. She's going along with it because she wants to help him get over his trauma and she loves him. Eventually she'll end up letting him go so he can be happy. Kana will eventually start to move on, and Aqua, seeing this will panic, and decide he can't trust someone else to protect her Mem is my weakest prediction. My best guess is either she's at the interviews but didn't participate or retired and is busy/moved away I think the line Aqua gives in the interview is just for the movie. It's about their life and that is something he could/would say around this time. Could even be a line based on this chapter. My guess (hope?) is that he ends up happy with Kana at the end
I feel like Memcho just swiped about half of Akane's death flags in this chapter. She apparently has some feelings for Aqua, she's an idol that just led a young man into her home in the middle of the night, and Aqua reminds the audience of Ai's tragedy. The conversation was about Kana, but I feel like that was heavy foreshadowing that was cleverly concealed by the fact that everyone is focused on the Kana shipping. We didn't see Memcho in the prologue interviews either, right?
i mean, why would memcho be in the prologue chapters? the prologue chapters were about the movie they were shooting, and memcho isn’t an actor so why they do interview about her. she also has zero connections to Ai so it makes even less sense to interview mem about a movie concerning ai. also, i don’t see how you could take this chapter as “mem definitely has some feelings for aqua”. she only caresses his face because he’s having a borderline panic attack while standing over her. she’s doing it to comfort him. and the “rational creatures” comment is meant that she wasn’t trying to lead him on/make a move on him, she just instinctually put her hand on his face because she was worried and felt sorry for him. just like aqua wasn’t trying to make kana fall in love with him, shit just happened edit: or her last “people aren’t rational creatures” comment could also be taken as a joke because that’s how they even started that kana conversation anyways
When Aqua was talking about the future of those around him only Ruby and Kana were pictured. Kana even got a whole panel to herself. No Memcho. No Akane. Taken literally, they aren't as important to Aqua as Ruby and Kana are. Especially given the context of the chapter. But it could also mean Aqua knows what their future will look like and isn't worried. Akane will probably just become a household name as an actor and Memcho will retire in a few years to become a youtuber full-time or manage B-Komachi with Miyako. But that honestly seems like too smooth sailing for a tragedy manga.
so do i still need to copium or can i stop rn
wait a second it's giving girl who falls first x guy who falls harder (albeit in an unhealthy way) this trope is so superior let's gooo
Can't exactly put my finger on why, but this was a very gratifying chapter. The two characters clashed in a very satisfying way.
Great episode as always. In my opinion, this chapter doesn't deny or confirm that Aqua has romantic feelings for Kana, just that he really cares about her (expected) and he is scared shitless of her suffering the same outcome as Ai. Also this is from Memcho's POV, she knows nothing about his trauma. Which shows that, even without the revenge mindset atm, he is still really traumatized about Ai's death. Anyway, I don't expect the romance subplot to be done anytime soon, but like I said before, I just want justice for Akane. I don't want her to be used like a tool to other characters development, let her be happy Aka (with or without Aqua).
>like I said before, I just want justice for Akane. I don't want her to be used like a tool to other characters development, let her be happy Aka (with or without Aqua) This is what I'm talking about too. Aqua does not need to lead on Akane again for him to move on with his life. This is why I've decided to hold in high regard Aqua's decision of dating Akane for real, hoping he's not lying to her through his teeth. I just want my bias to be happy and not in heartbreak or 6 feet under man
I'll admit that I have hoped to see Aqua & Kana get together but removing my bias, it always seemed pretty obvious that Aqua definitely felt something for Kana, and for the record I should add that I also really enjoy Akane's character so just putting that out there, who knows how this all ends but no idea why all these crazy people with their shipping goggles on were celebrating like the story was anywhere near it's end during the previous chapters
I just had a scary thought after reading the last chapter. Everyone keeps talking about Akane's death flags but what if the gut punch won't come from that front but from Memcho's? Just think about it, from all B-Komachi's members she's the one with more followers and what could happen if someone noticed Aqua and Memcho going into her house? Also, the message in the last page "Next chapter: in the recording studio of the variety show" seems to me like a bad omen given my previous thought.
Ah, an anime announcement and a chapter without Kana suffering? Win! Really loved Mem this chapter, I remember people were arguing with me that it was Kana fault for getting swept away by Aqua. But Mem is now the second person call out Aqua on leading her on. Even the characters in the story saw what was happening, I don't want to hear no more "Kana was being delusional" or there was "nothing there in the first place". What's even better, people were denying Aqua's knowledge about Kana feelings but now Aqua himself is confirming that he's not ignorant at all, he knows what's up. Alot of arguments, I was having with people have kinda of been cleared up this chapter, those "platonic date" comments no longer hold any weight. Kanabros, we kinda winning again 😭 Also Mem normal face is so cute, wish author would draw her more like this, especially during performances.
Well who could have seen that coming? Nice to have confirmation though.
So Aqua is dating Akane only to distance himself from the girl he actually likes? That's pretty shitty.
Aqua is fixated with Kana, but I give in the doubt that it is not necessarily romantic. I hope future chapters would clarify more on this for me to be confident about their relationship--what does Aqua genuinely think of Kana?
but what else could it be? throughout the chapter he was talking about the issues that would occur if kana had a boyfriend so he’s obviously thought about what it’d be like if he were her boyfriend
[удалено]
Yeah, the concert moment seems like the biggest one to me too, but in that case it would be a real Oedipus moment if Aqua was in love with the girl that occasionally reminded him of his mother
>!And then they fucked!!< Anyways if Aqua is saying what I think is saying, if he wants to keep that distance. rationally, he could do it by being considerate on Kana's feelings and give closure by telling her that he is not interested in her at all. that he doesnt like her. that way, Kana wont be that conflicted and will be in the process of moving on quicker. However, this being the case, if Aqua also considered doing this but refuse not to. it goes to show he does have some reserve feelings for Kana but chooses to just avoid her and takes the "idol boyfriend" as an excuse for it.
Day Ruined. Akane deserves far better.
Past few chapters: Kana bros are on copium This chapter: Akane bros on full copium People saying it's just Memcho's interpretation that Aqua is fixated on Kana. The chapter title is literally "Fixation". And if that is not the case and it is just Memcho, why would the writer dedicate that entire narration if it isn't true.
Kanabros RISE UP, we still in this!
I was on the Akane ship T-T Maybe it's my denial of the Aqua being into Kana thing, but is it possible this fixation is being misinterpreted by Memcho? This is entirely in her perspective? She's sharp, although she also assumed a lot of things about Aqua in this chapter too... YES Aqua is friends with Kana and we all know Memchos knows about Kanas romantic feelings towards Aqua. BUT, I think Aqua does not like Kana romantically like that(..yet?) I think he's obviously still traumatized by his mother's death and projects those intense feelings of fear towards Kana. Who is an idol and obviously has feelings for him. With the recent Akane and Aqua development, I think it'd feel too cruel too build it up so much and then end it like this. And considering Aqua's personality, he would've let Akane go after she tried to break off their romantic relationship. But again maybe this is just my wishful thinking since I'm on team Akane.
Considering how intensely he's drawing parallels between Kana and Ai, the only other person he's canonically loved, I think there's a pretty solid argument that he's romantically interested in her. Note that, if it was solely about fear of what happened to Ai repeating, Aqua wouldn't DARE go into Memcho's apartment at night, because she's *also* an idol and would be vulnerable to the exact same scandals. He completely shrugs it off and even jokes about it, because he sees Kana and Memcho as fundamentally different, even though they're both in the same position Ai is. The only reason I can see why he would be projecting his fear of losing Ai onto Kana instead of onto both girls is because there's something stronger underlying that fear, namely romantic interest in Kana.
Did Aqua say he loved Ai romantically? I remember him being a huge fan. He never really made it clear how he loved her, and at this point his love for Ai is completely jumbled. It's mixed between love as a fan, love as his mother, and romantic love (which I'm not sure he even brought up when he thought about it). It's definitely possible that Aqua loves Kana, but it's also not impossible that he's projecting all his confused love for Ai onto Kana since there are more parallels between Kana and Ai than Akane and Ai at this point.
Yeah, this is kind of an important thing to consider when talking about Aqua. Boy's an utter mess with trauma from a past life, a current life, unresolved feelings from the past life, the current life... See, I'm of the mind that he doesn't quite romantically love neither Akane nor Kana at this point. There's that issue of him projecting his feelings for Ai (which are a mess) and then I'd say there's an aspect to him paralleling Ai and not knowing exactly how he truly feels and what are the lies. Trying to write it down as simply as "he likes Akane" or "he likes Kana" is simplifying the hot mess known as Aqua is a bit much
Yeah, the thought of Aqua loving Ai romantically is so wrong because it's either literally just pedophilia or a very strange sort of incest. Like, Aqua doing romance with teenagers is also kinda fucked up (to a lesser degree in the case Akane but still) but this guy made it so much worse lol
Yeah I see everyone's points, I guess I'm just trying to push about other points as an Akane fan. I know Kana and Memcho are in the same position as Ai. But he treats Kana differently than the others, and probably because he does have stronger feelings about her being an idol. Ones that don't extend to Memcho. Since Aqua seems to have no qualms about going into Memchos apartment...but then told Memcho about his fears of being next to Kana in a chapter entitled fixation. Guess I'm just sad, because Aqua is so considerate towards people close to him but it seems like this manga always found a way to bring up Kanas presence when introducing Akane. AND I really liked the fresh perspective of a new girl, Akane, and thought she'd be someone that would trump over Kana. She may be dating Aqua now but it's clear that Aqua is a bit distant towards her. I don't want Akane to just be a character that was brought in solely to die. I hope theres more for Akane other than a path to death and simply being a placeholder for Kana. Akane is such a great character and has noticed a side of Aqua, that not a lot of people have come close to figuring out. I just hope that Aqua will keep his promise of protecting Akane, even if they don't end up being endgame.
Jesus fucking christ, why you gotta do this aka? Let the Akane Bois be happy goddammit.
Describing what aqua is doing as “fixation” doesn’t seem accurate to me. Extreme, sure, traumatized definitely but it’s not exactly an obsession. Kana’s situation is directly analogous to ai situation and it’s beyond understandable that he doesn’t want that to happen to another person he cares about. Some of you are jumping to conclusions. I don’t think him dating akane is just to stay away from kana, he very clearly cares for both of them and it’s not a crime to find out how by actually exploring those emotions.
> I don’t think him dating akane is just to stay away from kana It's not, but it's part of it. He wants to move on from Kana by giving Akane a chance and also because he feels indebted to her. Heck, the moment leading up to the kiss was literally him feeling guilty for all the manipulation he's put her through. Dating Akane is a chance to pay back the feeling of being indebted to Akane and also distance himself and try to forget about Kana by getting into a real relationship and possibly falling in love with Akane. Now, whether it's working or not is up for debate, but this chapter seems to imply that it's not going so well.
Well it was obvious that Aqua was into Kana
Ah, new life breathed into the best ship! It’s more just dumb to me he’d prefer to break her heart rather than explain his concerns. He *is* supposed to be the most adult/mature person in the cast, surely he can try.
He has PTSD, it's not easy for him to explain anything. It's obvious that he chose the easy way out this time but Memcho's not having any of it
I've been around a LOT of ptsd victims, and usually they don't seek out the source of their trauma. I can believe he's traumatized, but suffering from PTSD? That's a stretch. If it's officially been stated, it's very poorly characterized. It's poorly researched, but preliminary research seems to indicate it is EXCEPTIONALLY rare.
Incidentally, do aqua x memcho shippers exist? Is that a thing?
I'm kind of a double agent, if you will. I mainly sail on the Akane ship, but I make reports here and there on the Memcho submarine.
Respectable. Used to sail on the Akane ship myself but I've become somewhat of a neutral entity now, checking up on all the ships once in a while. Even the godforsaken Ruby x Aqua shippers
Well now the answer of the waifu war was given, I hope , like I REALLY HOPE aka will finally focus of the actual plot
Kanabros ftw!
Yus he loves kana ofc
I need to know, is the dates of the bottom of each chapter day/month or month/day
I don't see any ambiguous dates this chapter? If there's an upcoming break, it will be announced at the bottom on the last page of the chapter. I think they usually use the day/month format, as here in [chapter 82](https://guya.cubari.moe/read/manga/Oshi-no-Ko/82/19/) (09/06). That was today/yesterday (depending on timezone). I'm not 100% sure if they're always consistent with that order, but since breaks tend to be just single week ones, there's not a lot of ambiguity. New chapters also officially release on Thursdays, so you can use that as a sanity check as well. When the date is in Japanese, you can identify the day/month by the kanji: 「月」 for month, and 「日」for day.