Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari’s Oshi No Ko manga has officially concluded its story with Chapter 166 in the 50th issue of Weekly Young Jump.
The final volume, set to release on Dec 18, 2024, will include both regular and special editions, with an additional 24 pages of manga content as a final offering to readers.
As fans process the end of the series, the reactions have been mixed, with the majority voicing dissatisfaction over the conclusion.
One common criticism was the introduction of characters in the final arc, which many felt detracted from the stories of established characters like Kana, who was left without the closure some fans expected.
Several fans also expressed frustration at how quickly the final arc seemed to unfold, claiming that it felt rushed and poorly executed. For some, the story’s pacing was the main issue—too many loose ends were tied up hastily, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction.
A number of readers compared the rushed ending to that of Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia, which also faced backlash for their finales.
Some even speculated that Akasaka may have lost interest in the story, wondering if the author simply wanted to move on to his next project, as he is already working on a new title set to release next year.
However, not all fans shared the same negative view. A portion of the audience defended the ending, calling it a fitting conclusion to the saga.
They described the final chapters as emotional and tragic, feeling that it stayed true to the themes that made the series so impactful in the first place.
In a recent interview with Da Vinci Magazine, Akasaka explained that Oshi No Ko would take a different approach with regards to Kaguya Sama.
Unlike Kaguya-sama, where every character got a proper conclusion, Akasaka shared that Oshi No Ko would focus primarily on concluding main plotline, even if some characters did not receive individual endings.
“We’ve titled the final arc of 【Oshi no Ko】 “Toward the Stars and Dreams.” We’re nervous about whether we’re capturing the essence of that image in the manga. When I was working on Kaguya-sama, I tended to give each character a proper send-off, but this time I’m not planning to do that. We’re putting in the effort to showcase everything we wanted to show and resolve all issues. Maybe some parts will be different from what I’ve told Mengo.“
Oshi No Ko manga has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump since April 2020, with its chapters collected in 15 tankobon volumes as of July 2024. It has been licensed for release in North America by Yen Press and is simultaneously published by Shueisha on their Manga Plus platform.
An anime television series adaptation, produced by Doga Kobo, a studio which was started by former Toei animation members, aired its first 11-episode season from April to June 2023.
A second 13-episode season aired from July to October 2024. A third season has been announced.
Source: X