[Oshi No Ko] Episode 3: Manga Based Drama Series

After their school entrance ceremony, Aqua Hoshino and Ruby Hoshino are intercepted by a highly energetic Kana Arima. She is thrilled to find Aqua, recalling their past as child actors, and is dismayed to learn he has chosen general education over performing arts. Kana relentlessly follows Aqua, questioning his decision to quit acting, convinced his talent is being wasted. Ruby observes with mild annoyance as Kana presses Aqua for answers about his new path.

Aqua diverts Kana to Director Gotanda's cluttered studio, revealing his new role behind the scenes. Gotanda treats Aqua as a junior staff member, highlighting Aqua's shift from performer to assistant. A surprise dinner with Gotanda's mother introduces a touch of domestic chaos, which Kana finds amusingly out of place for a famous director. During the meal, Aqua dismisses his past acting as a 'dark history,' showing a deep discomfort with his former identity.

The conversation shifts to Kana's current drama, 'I'll Go with Sweet Today,' and she mentions Producer Masaya Kaburagi. This name electrifies Aqua, his focus sharpening with unnerving speed. A flashback reveals Aqua's years-long obsession with unlocking Ai's old phone, a painstaking process of brute-forcing the password. After 45,510 attempts, he finally succeeds, finding Kaburagi's name among Ai's contacts, confirming his long-held suspicion of a connection.

With his target identified, Aqua's demeanor shifts completely, and he abruptly agrees to take the vacant role in Kana's drama. Kana, overjoyed, misinterprets his motives, assuming he merely misses acting. Meanwhile, Kaburagi is shown in his office, casually agreeing to hire Aqua based on looks, revealing his shallow, market-driven approach to casting. Aqua's internal monologue confirms his cold calculation, admitting he will use anyone, including Kana, to achieve his goal of finding his biological father.

The Hoshino family watches the first episode of 'I'll Go with Sweet Today,' revealing its abysmal quality, particularly the male lead Melt Narushima's flat acting. Ruby is horrified, but Aqua observes with a critical eye, noting Kana's desperate efforts to salvage each scene. Kana later explains her frustration: the production prioritizes social media influencers over talent, forcing her to deliberately suppress her own acting to avoid highlighting the others' incompetence. She views herself as a 'bridge,' sacrificing her own skill to make the show barely watchable.

Kana reveals the emotional scars of her childhood career, recounting the sudden loss of work as she aged and the fear of irrelevance. She explains the loneliness of a child star who grew up and lost her community of talented peers. She confides in Aqua, admitting she invited him to the drama because she desperately craved a genuine connection with a true 'peer.' Her gaze is intense as she pleads with him to bring a real performance to their upcoming scene together.

Aqua spends hours dissecting the original manga and the drama's script, discerning the compromised story but also the director's unacknowledged skill. He realizes that a truly impactful performance from him could anchor the scene and allow the director's talent to shine through. This insight allows Aqua to devise a plan that satisfies both his secret objective for Kaburagi and Kana's desire for artistic integrity.

On a gloomy, rain-soaked set, Melt Narushima complains about the conditions, delivering a truly awful rehearsal that highlights his disinterest. Kana's frustration is palpable as she struggles to maintain focus amid the chaos. Outside, Producer Kaburagi stands indifferent to the artistic struggle, callously dismissing Kana as a 'used-up child actor' with no future. He mocks her dedication, portraying her as easily manipulated and valuable only for cheap name recognition, while the director remains silently complicit.

Hidden nearby, Aqua overhears every word of Kaburagi's venomous assessment of Kana. He maintains a cold composure, waiting for Kaburagi to finish his cigarette and discard the butt. Once the producer moves away, Aqua calmly retrieves the cigarette butts, securing the DNA evidence he came for. His dark star eye begins to pulse with focused intent, his presence transforming into something formidable as he steps onto the set for the final take, now with an added layer of purpose.

A closing montage overlays Aqua's younger and current selves, hinting at his menacing performance to come. Ruby watches hopeful at home, while Kana's face shows a moment of profound emotional clarity. The episode concludes with a close-up of Aqua's glowing dark star eye, a stark promise that the cycle of acting and revenge has truly begun, poised to unravel the secrets of Ai's past and the industry that shaped her.