So, I guess it’s time to address the elephant in the room. Yes, I’m talking about why it seems like there is incest in Oshi No Ko. No, I wish I was joking too, but recent chapters of Oshi No Ko have made a lot of people nervous regarding the turns it’s been taking. And, well, I guess I’m volunteering to do the legwork for this one. Because anime only fans might be safe from the questionable trauma for now, but they don’t even know how strange it’s been getting in the manga.
I mean, why would there be incest in Oshi No Ko? Well, considering I’m not Aka Akasaka, I can’t answer that. What I can tell you is why people are thinking this. So, in Chapter 123, Ruby Hoshino has a very tearful and emotional reunion with Aqua Hoshino where she tells him that she is 16 years old, reminding him of his promise to marry her when she reached that age back in their past life as Dr Gorou Amamiya and his patient, Serena. Except, you know, there was a significant age gap between the two in that past life. And also, in this life they are twin siblings that grew up together?
So, okay, the incest question is suddenly very valid. What the hell, Aka Akasaka? You were doing so good with this series, why the incest subplot now? Honestly, there was always something suspicious with how Aqua reacted to Ruby wanting to go into the Idol Industry, but that was understandable considering how their mother, Ai Hoshino, had died. But thinking about it now, it feels like Aqua had a strange ‘Sister Complex’ that you were forced to laugh off because it was simply being ‘overprotective’.
But then, when did Ruby start confusing their sibling bond for romantic love? Like, where is the logic in that? Especially considering that Aqua has shown to have great chemistry with other characters that are, you know, not his blood related sister. But could it be one sided, or are they actually introducing incest in Oshi No Ko? Well, I guess it’s time for another Lore Analysis! So, let’s dive right into it.
Aqua X Ruby: Convoluted From the Start?
Look, I’m going to be honest, I only enjoyed Oshi No Ko for Ai. Like, her parts were the most engaging to me, and the murder mystery aspect of it all was the main appeal. Other than that, I did enjoy Aqua’s interaction with the other characters, particularly his blossoming romance with Kana Arima. So, I have no clue where the Aqua X Ruby ship came in from.
Or well, I kind of do? The thing is I believed it to be a gag. Like, the ‘little sister is a little too attached to her big brother’ trope is a pretty common one in anime, as much as I dislike it. It’s almost always played up for laughs and kind of unsettling fanservice, but I wasn’t too worried because surely, Oshi No Ko won’t go down the same route, The entire series is about Aqua trying to find the killer of his mother, who was also his patient in his past life as Dr Gojou. And so, the plot involves him being obsessed with Ruby’s safety, considering she wants to go into the same business as their late mother. And that is fine, of course Aqua would be opposed to her becoming an idol when Ai was murdered by a fanatical stalker.
But the fact is, even if they weren’t siblings, Aqua X Ruby would still be absolutely weird. The thing here is that they might be the same age right now, but when they met back then, Serena was only 15 years old, and Dr Gojou was at least in his late 20s. Serena was under his care, as a child. The power dynamics here were completely off, the only thing that truly connected them was their collective fangirling over Ai Hoshino when she was part of B-Komachi, a popular idol group. Like, they legit had nothing else in common, because how could they? Dr Gojou was an adult, Serena was underage.
Sure, they were reincarnated as Ai’s babies when they both died, due to separate causes. So, when they are born, they are suddenly the same age. But if anything, that makes it worse. Because now, they have grown up together. They have literally been family from day 1, with all the memories from their past life to boot. And like, there is just no way you’d view someone with that much history as anything more than platonic.
But because of how things have gotten messed up, with Ruby now knowing the truth of Aqua’s past as Dr Gojou and finding his remains when she went out with Kane Arakawa, I can see why some people are concerned with Ruby X Aqua being a genuine thing.
Why The Incest In Oshi No Ko Will (Likely) Not Happen:
Considering how Dr Gojou previously did have a ‘loli-con’ image, combined with how Chapter 123 ended, it’s not hard to see why the fear of incest happening in Oshi No Ko is being amplified. Like, there is legitimate concern, and the overall tone of the series is just so vague about many things. And the biggest issue is how Aqua is portrayed.
I mean, Dr Gojou died after he was already an adult. He is mentally still an adult, even from birth. And yet, because of the reincarnation, he looks physically the same age as the other teenagers he hangs out with. And that might sound like such a nitpicky thing, it’s true. It’s just weird when you consider how he has twice the life experience when compared to those around him. But it’s exactly because of this that I don’t think Oshi No Ko will commit to the incest bit. Hear me out.
So far, we have seen that Aqua has a relatively decent head upon his shoulders. While he has been attached to Ruby for a while, it’s understandable. He cared for the girl when she was his patient, and he cares for her now as a sister. It’s why Ruby’s developing feelings towards him can feel one sided. Because let’s not forget, if Dr Gojou died an adult, then Serena died mentally stunted at age 15. Ruby never experienced being an adult, so of course she grew attached to her caretaker. Her feelings are misguided, but it makes sense.
And I think some part of Aqua recognizes that, and Chapter 124 would involve him either ignoring what Ruby said with a head pat, or rejecting her feelings as infantile. Which would be good, and honestly the route I expect Aka Akasaka to take. Because unless they portray the incest in a negative light, the manga itself will not be allowed to be published. So, the mangaka has to take care to not introduce controversial elements that might create hindrances in chapter releases.
Really, I just think the incest currently being hinted in Oshi No Ko is yet another instance of questionable fanservice. And yeah, you can’t do much there, sadly. But hey, at least us Aqua X Kana stans can breathe a little easier.
