Reincarnation in Oshi no Ko: Who Are Ai Hoshino’s Children?

Oshi no Ko serves up far more of a layered experience than the colorful ads might suggest. Beneath the starry...
Oshi no Ko Reincarnation Ai Hoshino's Children Ruby Aqua
Images: Doga Kobo, Remixed by Attack of the Fanboy

Oshi no Ko serves up far more of a layered experience than the colorful ads might suggest. Beneath the starry eyes of its narrative driving force, Ai Hoshino, lies a deep and troubled story of abuse, the darker aspects of show business, and the twisted expectations of fandoms for the idols they adore. The anime adaptation has served as greater exposure to the series, but fans might find themselves uncertain about what happened in the premiere. The topic of reincarnation is a topic from the very beginning of Oshi no Ko, but who were Ai Hoshino’s children originally, and who are they now?

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Oshi no Ko: Ai Hoshino’s Children Are the Reincarnation of 2 Key Characters (Chapter 75 Spoilers Ahead!)

Ruby and Aquamarine (or Aqua) Hoshino are the reincarnation of Gorou Amamiya and Sarina Tendoji in Oshi no Ko, born as children of their favorite idol, Ai Hoshino. The possibility of this occurring was first brought up by Sarina, a terminally ill 12-year-old patient in the hospital where Gorou worked. Gorou, a 30-year-old gynecologist, dismissed such a claim as preposterous.

Related: Oshi no Ko Episode 1: Release Date and Where to Watch

Be warned if you’ve not read the manga, skip the next paragraph, spoilers are ahead!

Oshi-no-Ko-Reincarnation-Hoshinos-Children-Gorou-and-Sarina
Images: Doga Kobo / Shueisha, Remixed by Attack of the Fanboy

But Sarina was also responsible for making Gorou a fan of Ai, and the two grew quite close. Sarina was left with a mostly bedridden existence near the end of her life, eventually succumbing to anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare form of brain cancer. Her parents were unable to be present at the time of her passing, but Gorou was. She passed him an Ai Hoshino keychain she got from a gacha machine, confessed her love to him, and died.

Little did she know that Gorou would soon pass as well, when Ai was under his care during her pregnancy, and her stalker would murder Gorou before he could assist her when she went into labor. But it was these deaths, and how close they were to the birth of Ai’s twins, that resulted in them being reincarnated into Hoshino siblings.

Who Are Ruby and Aqua Hoshino?

As previously discussed, these characters are the reincarnated forms of the series protagonist and deuteragonist. What’s more, even in infancy they retained the memories from their past lives, making for some highly entertaining moments. They grew to adore being raised by their idol, quickly benefiting from her star connections to make waves as child prospects in show business. They also each inherited one starry eye from their mother which makes them easily distinguished from other characters.

Oshi-no-Ko-Reincarnation-Ruby-Aqua-Babies
Image: Doga Kobo

Aqua Hoshino would rapidly establish himself as a potent child actor able to steal scenes, while Ruby relished in the ability to control her body, and wanted to be an idol just like her mother. When Ai would tragically murdered by the same stalker who killed Gorou (now Aqua) Ruby grew into a young woman who wanted to honor her mother by taking on her legacy as a performer.

Aqua, however, saw his path to becoming an actor as a means to an end, so he could track down his and Ruby’s father who was likely responsible for feeding the murderer information that got Ai and himself killed. His demeanor quickly grew more joyless, and he would quickly find himself obsessing over this personal quest. The quiet fury Aqua would develop was rendered particularly well in the anime, so you should definitely check it out if you haven’t already.

Oshi-no-Ko-Aqua-Revenge
Image: Doga Kobo

The love and adoration Aqua and Ruby have for their late mother never goes away, but they manifest in two different directions as to how they choose to honor her life: a path to fame, and a path to vengeance. Reincarnation creates an interesting premise in Oshi no Ko, adding to the depth of the story. Do you take the new opportunities given to you in a second life to pursue your dreams, or seek revenge on your enemies and protect your loved ones?

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Author
J.R. Waugh
J.R. is a Staff Writer with AOTF and has been covering gaming and entertainment in the industry since 2022. Along with a B.A. in History from the University of Cincinnati, he has studied at the University of Birmingham, UK, and part of his M.A. at the University of Waterloo. You'll find J.R. particularly at home writing about the hottest manga and anime. He is highly passionate about horror, strategy, and RPGs, and anything about Star Trek or LOTR. When not ranting about fan theories or writing guides, J.R. is streaming his favorite RPGs and other forgotten gems.