Oshi No Ko Has One Last Chance to Redeem [SPOILER] Before It's Too Late

The interlude of Oshi no Ko has concluded, and the main story has resumed as of Chapter 126. That chapter picked the story back up right where it left off, with Ruby Hoshino pushing herself a little too hard to follow in her idol mother's footsteps and become an entertainment superstar. Ruby may be talented and driven, but she can only do so much on her own, and she hasn't figured out her potential love life, either. Fortunately, Ruby is not alone – she has the Saitos to support her.

Earlier Oshi no Ko chapters depicted Miyako Saito stepping up as Ruby's foster mother and manager, and Miyako almost burned herself out so Ruby didn't have to. Miyako's noble efforts suggested a happy ending for Oshi no Ko's main characters as they come together as a found family, and now Miyako's husband Ichigo is doing his part, too. He's been humbled, and he's ready to be for Ruby what he once was for Ai Hoshino.

How Ichigo Stepped Up as Ruby's Foster Dad

On her own, Miyako Saito was ready and willing to serve as Ruby's single foster parent as the manager of Strawberry Productions. In recent chapters, Miyako remembered her own experiences as a hopeful young woman in Tokyo aiming to make it big in the entertainment industry, a dream she's determined to pursue once again with Ruby as her proxy. Miyako even criticized Ichigo for abandoning his own drive and passion for these things, and in Oshi no Ko Chapter 126, it's now clear that Ichigo took his wife's words to heart. In that chapter, Ichigo is back at Strawberry Productions in a somewhat reduced role as a part-timer, including simple household chores while his wife takes care of business. However, Oshi no Ko is not mocking Ichigo's character or making him a parody of his former self. Ichigo really does mean business, albeit differently than before.

Even if Miyako threatened her dejected husband with a lawsuit to pressure him into helping out, and Ichigo feels terrible about all this, it's evident that Miyako fully trusts Ichigo to do his part and look after the Hoshino twins. Earlier in Oshi no Ko, when Aqua and Ruby were young, Miyako was their real foster parent while Ichigo played a more peripheral role. He also helped the analytical genius Aqua seek revenge on Ai's killer, but vengeance was an emotionally empty dead end for both of them. Ichigo could never truly help Aqua in that capacity, but as a more committed foster father, he can do much more good for the Hoshinos.

Recent manga chapters even showed Ichigo pushing himself to work out Ruby's busy schedule and make sure she can succeed while she still can, all without crashing and burning. Ichigo felt like a true parent in Chapter 126, and he and Miyako got along fairly well even when they had slight differences in opinion about Ruby's career. This is what the Hoshinos always needed – while Miyako was a great foster mom/manager on her own, supporting a teen idol like Ruby is tough for even the best foster parents, so having two of them on board should make things far easier going forward.

Ichigo Saito Might Get Hurt Again

Miyako Saito may be deeply disappointed that her husband abandoned his passion years ago, but still, Ichigo Saito suffered greatly when the beloved Ai Hoshino died. He became mentally scarred from that experience, and even years later, that pain still lingered in his heart. Evidently, Ichigo was protecting himself from getting hurt like that again, unwilling to have another young idol suffer or die in the exploitative idol industry. Indeed, social media and online reviews have the potential to destroy someone's life, as Akane Kurokawa saw for herself, but Oshi no Ko's main characters won't give up so easily. Ruby Hoshino, the actress Kana Arima, and Mem-Cho are bravely forging ahead as the new B-Komachi, and Ruby is taking on every project she can to become a true star, more than ever. She is committed to this, and now, Ichigo Saito is part of it too, along with his wife.

All that means Ichigo is setting himself up to get hurt again, one way or another. He would feel terrible as a manager and as a foster dad if Ruby crashed and burned, or if she experiences brutal online backlash like Akane did. No doubt Ichigo sees a lot of Ai in Ruby, and he must be terrified that history will repeat itself, from mother to daughter. No one can blame Ichigo for being tense and nervous as he resumes his manager/dad duties for the Hoshinos, not even Miyako. If Oshi no Ko is heading toward a dark ending where Ruby's dreams lay shattered around her feet, that could push Ichigo over the edge, and he probably wouldn't get a third chance. Still, fir Ruby's sake, Ichigo owes her this opportunity and must give it his best shot. So far, he is doing exactly that, and it's a good look for him, regardless of his humbled status as Strawberry Productions' meek part-time employee.

Oshi no Ko May Reach Its Happy Ending With Ichigo's Help

For much of its runtime, Oshi no Ko has been a dark drama with heartbreak, grief, and serious emotional distress for many characters, most of all the Hoshino twins and Akane Kurokawa, but there promises to be light at the end of the tunnel. Several factors strongly suggest a relatively happy ending for at least some of Oshi no Ko's main characters, including the Saitos' support for the Hoshino twins and the apparent end of Aqua's quest for revenge. There's still time for one more dark twist in this story, but even dramas like Oshi no Ko need to give viewers at least one happy thought as the story concludes. No matter their trials and troubles, Oshi no Ko's main characters have learned a lot and have made some happy memories, and they have plenty to be proud of, most of all B-Komachi's members.

At the very least, Ichigo and Miyako Saito can be proud of how far Ruby had come as their foster daughter, and that's something they can cling to, no matter how dark Oshi no Ko's ending may prove to be. That, and Ichigo's attempts to mend ties with his wife, gives him a bit of hope to hang onto, and he may get his own happy ending even if the Hoshinos don't get theirs. But of course, it's most likely, and preferable, if Oshi no Ko's entire main cast can get at least a bittersweet ending and remember the good things they have in their lives, from the joy of creating art to renewed love and commitment in their bizarre found family.