©Courtesy of Amazon Prime Japan
Oshi no Ko, a live-action adaptation of a highly popular Japanese anime series, is getting a live-action animation, according to Prime Video. The upcoming series, consisting of eight episodes, will have its streaming debut on November 28. As a bonus, a sequel will be released on December 20.
Directed by actress Hana Matsumoto and the filmmaker known as Smith, the new series is being written by Ayako Kitagawa of Tokyo Love Story fame. Music will be composed by the band known as fox capture plan, and the series will be produced by Toei’s Ryusuke Imoto.
The cast for the live-action adaptation includes Nagisa Saitō, who plays the role of Ruby, and Asuka Saitō, who plays Ai. Nagisa is a former member of the Japanese idol group known as =LOVE, while Asuka was a member of Nogizaka46. Other cast members include Kaito Sakurai as Aqua, Nanoko Hara as Kana Arima, Mizuki Kayashima as Akane Kurokawa, and Ano as Memcho.
Oshi no Ko is based on a manga series by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari. The manga had first appeared in April 2020 in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump magazine. Some 17.5 million copies are in circulation. Yen Press, which licensed the manga, describes its plot in these words: “Gorou is a gynecologist and idol fan who’s in shock after his favorite star, Ai, announces an impromptu hiatus. Little does Gorou realize that he’s about to forge a bond with her that defies all common sense! Lies are an idol’s greatest weapon in this outrageous manga…”
The upcoming live-action adaptation will focus on Ruby and Aqua, two siblings who want to be successful in the entertainment industry while exploring the circumstances surrounding their mother’s death.
Following its initial release on YouTube in April of 2023, Oshi no Ko leapt to the top of the charts. Its opening theme “Idol” by YOASOBI, has since garnered more than 493 million views. The television anime of Oshi no Ko premiered in Japan on April 12 of this year and the second season will premiere on July 3.
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