Sparkling Secrets: The Meaning Behind Aqua and Ruby's Starry Eyes in Oshi no Ko

The main characters in this season's Oshi no Ko have a distinctive feature that sets them apart. The late idol Ai Hoshino and her twin offspring, Aquamarine and Ruby, have eyes that sparkle with large star-shaped glints in the place of their pupils.

Although this trait goes unnoticed by the characters themselves, character design is a carefully crafted art with deliberate intentions. There must be a reason for the star-like quality in the characters' eyes, particularly for Ai, but it has not been officially explained. Thus, we can only speculate. However, a clue at the end of the first episode of Oshi no Ko may lead us to a possible answer.

Love/Star-Struck

The writing and characterization of the main agents in Oshi no Ko is remarkable for its use of wordplay. Ai's children have peculiar names that are written in kanji, but are definitely in English. Ai's last name, "Hoshino", is written as "star" followed by a character that means "field". This could mean anything from a description of the night sky to a galaxy. Her first name, "Ai", is written in katakana, a Japanese writing system used for foreign words and onomatopoeia. "Ai" means "love" in Japanese, but it describes an intensity and purity of love. "Hoshino Ai" sounds like it translates to "love of the stars" based on sound alone. The katakana used to write Ai's name could be interpreted as emphasizing the love that she embodies or could come from the first two kana of the word "idol" when loaned to Japanese. This serves as a conceptual solidification of the "labour of love" that is the meticulous construction and maintenance of "the lie", while also connecting the concept of literal stars and stardom with this love.

Idol

'What'd you eat today?'

'What's your favorite book?'

'And if you step outside today, where're you gonna go?'

"I haven't eaten at all."

"That's a secret."

No matter what you ask

She's elusive, evasive

.

The song "Idol" by YOASOBI, which serves as the opening theme for Oshi no Ko, explores the concept of being an idol and the challenges that come with it. However, the song is particularly relevant to Ai Hoshino, as it is based on the short story "45510" written by Aka Akasaka, the author of the series. The title of the story is also the password to Ai's cellphone. The story delves into the archives of a defunct social media platform, where the last remaining instance of a particular Ai Hoshino livestream can be found. The story is told from the perspective of a former member of the idol group Ai was a part of, B-Komachi, who watches the lost footage of the genius idol. The narrator struggles with their complicated feelings towards Ai and notes certain moments in the livestream where Ai's facade begins to crumble.

The main theme that the narrator emphasizes is the enigmatic aura that surrounded Ai Hoshino and the mystery that shrouded her. Despite being close to Ai, the narrator never truly got to know her as a person, much like how readers and fans of the story only see her from afar. The distance between the narrator and Ai is comparable to the insignificance one feels when looking at a distant star. This distance is also evident in the moment of Ai's death in Oshi no Ko episode 1, where the light of an eight-pointed star dramatically disappears. In the series, Ai and the stars are symbolic of love and the unattainable.

After Ai's memorial service, Aqua realizes that her murder must have been instigated by someone close to her at the time. Aqua had lost all will to live after his idol's death, resulting in him losing his sparkle. However, after processing the situation, Aqua's rage transforms into a powerful scene with a painterly art style presenting a raging black flame turning into a crow and then several crows taking flight and residing in his eye. As the scene zooms out, it transitions into a 6-pointed shape where the sparkle in Aqua's eye used to be, now replaced by an ominous, dark version of the motif. This sequence may be one of the most important elements in figuring out why the sparkle.

According to Japanese mythology, Amaterasu Ōmikami, also known as "The Great August Goddess Who Shines Eminently in Heaven," was born after Izanagi, the creator deity, cleansed his left eye following his failed attempt to rescue his deceased wife Izanami from the underworld. During Izanagi's cleansing, several deities were created, including Amaterasu's twin brother Tsukuyomi, who was born from Izanagi's cleansing of his right eye. Amaterasu represents the solar feminine aspect, while Tsukuyomi represents the lunar masculine aspect. Izanagi appointed Amaterasu to rule over Takamagahara, also known as "The Plane of High Heaven," while Tsukuyomi was given control over the night and their brother Susano'o ruled over the seas. In the mythological story of the establishment of Japan, the first Japanese emperor Jinmu was led to Kashihara by Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow in Japanese myth.

Amaterasu is often associated with the sun and represents feminine power and strength. Her story is an important part of Japanese mythology and has been depicted in various forms of art and media throughout history. In the anime series Aqua's Guiding Crow - Oshi no Ko Episode 1, the guiding crow is a reference to Yatagarasu, who played a crucial role in leading the first emperor of Japan to his destination.

Yatagarasu is a deity known for guiding humans, and its presence is believed to signify divine intervention. According to one version of the myth, Amaterasu sent Yatagarasu, which is significant due to the similarity between the East Asian sanzuwu and the three-legged crow that represents the sun. It is possible that Ai represents Izanagi, while Aqua represents Tsukuyomi and Ruby represents Amaterasu, based on the gods' respective sides and the positions of the siblings' sparkle eyes. However, Ai could also be seen as Amaterasu, whose name means "illuminating the heavens" and aligns with Ai's radiance.

Just as various deities were born from Izanagi's misogi, Ai's inspiration has led to the creation of countless idols. The appearance of crows when Aqua gains resolve is a deliberate artistic choice in Oshi no Ko, symbolizing Aqua's realization of his life's mission. The six-pointed sparkle in Aqua's eye, with wings, a head, and three legs, appears blackened, perhaps reflecting Aqua's realization that he and Ai's killer are two sides of the same coin. Additionally, the stars could be interpreted as a reference to both superstars in the entertainment industry and Japanese mythology, or neither.