The hidden meanings of the title ‘Oshi no Ko’ reveal key elements of the story

Oshi no Ko has been one of the dominant anime of Spring 2023. The anime is filled with inexplicable motifs that leave the viewers racking their brains, trying to uncover hidden meanings. Well, this is an explanation of the title Oshi no Ko to give you an insight into the anime.

The Japanese word ‘oshi’ means ‘to support’, ‘being a fan of’, and ‘a favourite of someone’. The word refers to one’s favourite idol, character or group.

One understanding of ‘Oshi no Ko’ can be ‘suki na aidoru wo osu’, translated to ‘my favourite idol’ or ‘the girl I idolise’. In the context of the anime, fans often translate it to ‘my star’ as a reference to the recurring ‘star eyes’ motif in the story.

This understanding of the title represents the significance of the idol, Hoshino Ai, in the lives of Amemiya Gorou and Tendouji Sarina. Their oshi is Ai.

The words ‘no ko’ can be translated to ‘the child of’. As a result, another understanding of ‘Oshi no Ko’ can be ‘oshiteiru aidoru no kodomo’ meaning ‘children of the idol you support’. This directly references the anime’s premise as Gorou and Sarina get reincarnated as Aquamarine and Ruby respectively, the children of their oshi, Ai.

The title’s dual meaning alludes to the main characters’ dual personalities. Amemiya Gorou, or rather Hoshino Aquamarine, lives a dual life as both Hoshino Ai’s fan and staunch supporter as well as her newborn son. The character premise of Tendouji Sarina is identical to Gorou’s and she is reborn as his twin sister, Hoshino Ruby.

Furthermore, most of the major characters of this show have a hidden side to their personalities. Hoshino Ai with her shrewdness, Kurokawa Akane and her keen sense of observation, even Mem-cho with her intelligence that she conceals with a ditsy persona.

Another interesting observation by the fans has been the resemblance between the sounds of ‘Hoshi’ and ‘oshi’. The word ‘Hoshi’ means ‘star’. This might be a reference to Ai’s ‘star factor’ that lead to her success as an idol. But if the name was further dissected, ‘ai’ means ‘love’ while ‘no’ in Japanese is a particle meaning ‘of’ or ‘of the’. Therefore, Hoshino Ai can be literally translated to ‘Star of Love’ or ‘Love Star’.

Lastly, the name ‘Gorou’ can be translated to ‘the enlightened son’. That itself captures his character’s premise perfectly.

The wordplay is Oshi no Ko can be fascinating to explore and reveals just how much thought was put into the story. No wonder it has the anime community enthralled!

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