Oshi no Ko

Oshi no Ko sparks intense debate among fans over its origin

Recently, an anonymous publication on the Japanese platform Hatelabo::Anonymous Diary sparked an intense controversy in the manga industry. The debate revolves around Oshi no Ko, a work that, according to its narrative and style, fulfils all the characteristics of a shoujo manga, but which, surprisingly, was never published in a magazine for this type of manga, but instead was released in Weekly Young Jump, a shonen magazine, oriented towards a male audience. The publication raised questions about the genre and the ability of female authors and publishers to regain relevance.

Why wasn’t Oshi no Ko born in a shoujo manga magazine?

Oshi No Ko Genera Un Importante Debate Entre Fans Por Su Origen

The discussion surrounding Oshi no Ko began with an anonymous posting on Hatelabo::Anonymous Diary, a Japanese online platform where users can share their thoughts freely and without revealing their identity. It was in this anonymous posting that one author expressed her astonishment and frustration that the Oshi no Ko manga, a work that she argues clearly belongs to the realm of shoujo manga because of its narrative structure and thematic elements, never made it to a magazine such as Ribon or Nakayoshi. Instead, it found its place in Weekly Young Jump, aimed at a male audience.

On its publication, the author noted: “The format of Oshi no Ko is the same as that of shoujo manga: a handsome boy helps a girl in trouble, and although she suffers, she defeats the villains. It is a truly wonderful work, a product of the shoujo manga genre.” However, instead of debuting in flagship shoujo magazines, the manga found its space in the shonen realm, thanks to the backing of Weekly Young Jump, a popular magazine in Japan.

The anonymous publication also highlighted how the shoujo manga industry has lost the ability to create stories with the depth and emotional range offered by Oshi no Ko. According to the publication’s author, this situation is a consequence of decades of neglect by publishers, who decided to prioritize “fanservice” and simplified content in their stories, moving away from the narrative diversity that characterized the shoujo genre, in its prime in the manga industry.

Nowadays, we do not have the power to conceive of a work like Oshi no Ko either as authors or as publishers within the shoujo manga field. This is a direct result of how the industry stopped listening to its female readers and opted for formulas that no longer connect with the public,” the author wrote in her publication.

Oshi No Ko Finaliza Su Historia Tras Conmover A Todo El Internet

The publication also addressed the media impact of Oshi no Ko, from its anime adaptation, including its recent drama adaptation along with a live action movie, to its popularity on platforms such as Twitter/X, Pixiv, YouTube and TikTok, the work has proven that it can captivate both women and men alike. However, this has also raised uncomfortable questions within the shoujo industry: why doesn’t this kind of success happen in magazines aimed at women?

The publication in turn included a historical look at the decline of shoujo manga, according to the author, two decades ago publishers began to go for stories that included “whimsical” content as a way to attract readers. But this approach, although profitable at first, ended up limiting the creativity of the authors and pigeonholed the genre into repetitive romantic plots, while shonen manga grew with a diversity of genres ranging from adventure to mystery, attracting readers looking for something beyond the typical romance stories.

Oshi no Ko‘s success in the shonen realm, according to the author, is a painful reminder of how the shoujo industry has lost its way, as she explained in her publication, where she says: “It’s a manga that should have been a shoujo mainstay, a success that transcended barriers, but it was published in a men’s magazine. This just goes to show that we have abandoned what makes the genre special.

The author closed her reflection with a warning, “We have lost the ability to conceive stories like Oshi no Ko. This is not a gender problem; it is a negligence of the shoujo manga industry, which did not know how to adapt to the changes nor to the readers’ expectations.

Oshi No Ko Genera Un Importante Debate Entre Fans Por Su Origen

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