Oshi no Ko anime brings out the terrifying side of cyberbullying through Akane's arc

Modified May 19, 2023 12:08 GMT

Akane Kurokawa as seen in the Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

With Oshi no Ko episode 6, the anime brought out a terrifying side of cyberbullying as the constant harsh criticism from the audience online drove Akane Kurokawa to attempt suicide. Not many art forms have spoken about mental health issues as openly as Oshi no Ko, due to which fans cannot stop praising the anime.

The previous episode saw Aqua joining the cast of a reality dating show as he was trying to do his part of his deal with Producer Kaburagi. Elsewhere, Kana Arima joined Strawberry Productions as an idol, as both she and Ruby managed to start their idol activities with a collaboration video alongside Pieyon.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Oshi no Ko.

How did Oshi no Ko portray cyberbullying in the anime?

Akane Kurokawa as seen in the Oshi no Ko anime (Image via Doga Kobo)

Oshi no Ko episode 6, titled Ego Searching, saw Akane Kurokawa struggling with her part in the "Love Now" reality dating show. While she kept trying her best to stand out by taking notes and suggestions for her role, she could not stand out in the show as Yuki Sumi had managed to take center stage alongside Nobu and Kengo.

One day, when Akane Kurokawa was going to speak to her manager, she overheard the company's president shouting at her manager due to her less presence in the show. After that, Akane felt overly responsible for standing out and was advised to play a negative role in Yuki, Nobu, and Kengo's love triangle by trying to steal both boys away from her.

Following the advice, Akane tried to play that role and managed to get some screen time, but Yuki tried to fight back by playing her part. However, in an attempt to fight away Yuki, Akane mistakenly hit her, injuring her face. Considering that Yuki had a magazine photo shoot the next day, Akane knew she had made a terrible mistake and was set to break down when Yuki approached her.

Yuki knew that Akane was trying to meet everyone's expectations by doing something she did not know, which is why she mistakenly ended up hitting her. Thus, Yuki forgave Akane, and both became closer. However, "Love Now" did not show the part where Akane and Yuki reconciled, due to which Akane was met with a storm of harsh criticism online.

Considering that Akane was bound by her contract and not allowed to speak about anything that happened behind the cameras, she could not reveal that she had reconciled with Yuki. Instead, she could only write a heartful apology online. However, instead of the hate dying down, the apology fueled more criticism.

As stated by Mem-Cho, apologizing online only adds fuel to the fire, as people believe it is okay to be harsh to someone if they have acknowledged their mistake. Hence, Akane was met with harsh criticism every day as people asked her to die. She lost her appetite and had a gloomy aura around her. Nevertheless, she could not share the same with her mother as the criticism could hurt her as well.

Thus, when Akane went out to get food, she felt helpless and tired from the constant online bullying and decided to jump off a bridge. That's when Aqua saved her from the brink of death.

Oshi no Ko, as an anime about the entertainment industry, has managed to cover all of its parts, i.e., positives and negatives. The anime's studio Doga Kobo not just adapted what was in the manga but also tried to make the viewers aware of any help they could receive if they themselves were having mental health issues or suicidal thoughts.

Thus, using the anime's plot, the series brought out the terrifying side of cyberbullying and its adverse effects.