Oshi no Ko’s latest episode might just be its most hard-hitting one since the premiere, and it’s made even more so by the fact that many Oshi no Ko fans believe that Akane Kurokawa’s story is inspired by a similar tragic event.
Specifically, what happened to Akane in the latest episode is eerily reminiscent of the tragic death of Hana Kimura back in 2020.
Spoiler Warning: There are major spoilers for Oshi no Ko Episode 6 in this article.
Please note that this article also addresses issues such as depression and suicide which some people may find upsetting.
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Akane Kurokawa’s Heartbreaking Story
While Akane was introduced in the Oshi no Ko Episode 5 last week, she became the central character of the latest episode as it explores her struggle to stand out in the reality dating show.
Akane may be a talented actress, but her abilities aren’t a good fit for a reality series. Thus, she took it upon herself to make a splash during a recording session.
Though this backfired on her as she accidentally scratches fan favorite Yuki Sumi. This led many viewers to express hatred of her online.
Because of this, coupled with the pressures of her career, Akane almost jumped off a bridge into a highway. Thankfully, Akane was saved in the nick of time by Aqua Hoshino.
This is where the episode ends. While this was a grim event, it still ended on a positive note as Aqua managed to save Akane.
Sadly, that was not the case in Hana Kimura’s tragic incident.
Terrace House Tragedy and How Fans Believe It Inspired Oshi no Ko
Hana Kimura was a pro wrestler who participated in the Terrace House reality TV series. While this show is a more understated take on the reality TV genre, Kimura’s outburst during an episode became a huge topic among fans.
Specifically, Kimura had a heated argument with one of the show’s housemates after he damaged her wrestling attire. This prompted many viewers to criticize and share abusive messages toward Kimura.
As reported by Variety, Kimura was hurt by these comments. Then, on May 23, 2020, Kimura shared troubling posts on her social media pages. Later that day, Kimura was reported dead. Her death was soon ruled as a suicide.
While Oshi no Ko’s creators have not mentioned the connection of this tragic event to the series, fans believe that this is a key point of inspiration.
This is because the dating reality show arc’s events lined up with what happened to Kimura. Not to mention that the arc in the anime happened just a bit over a year after this Terrace House incident.
Akane Kurokawa’s story arc will continue in the next Oshi no Ko episode which will be released next week.
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