Oshi no Ko is a dark drama anime that takes an honest look at the exploitative brutality of the entertainment industry, a narrative explored through the eyes of characters like the late Ai Hoshino, her daughter Ruby Hoshino, and the dandere Akane Kurokawa. These three girls are all fascinating and compelling characters because of this, but none of them are Best Girl. That distinction belongs to Kana Arima, who has become the fandom's favorite Oshi no Ko character by a wide margin.
Kana Arima also explores the entertainment industry's brutality with her character arc, like the Hoshinos and Akane, but there's more to her than that. Several key factors blended together to make Kana Oshi no Ko's most popular and entertaining character, and Kana should continue this trend well into the anime's second season and beyond. She has found her voice as Best Girl, and she won't yield that title to Ruby, Akane, or Mem-Cho anytime soon.
Kana Arima Has The Most Electrifying Personality As A Tsundere
Kana Arima has endeared herself to Oshi no Ko fans in many ways, including her authentic personality. Everyone in Oshi no Ko has a distinct personality, such as Akane Kurokawa being a rather timid dandere at times and Aqua Hoshino being a tense, aloof schemer with the mind of a grown man. To set herself apart from the goofy, carefree Mem-Cho and the juvenile Ruby Hoshino, Kana isn't afraid to be her true tsundere self, and the anime fandom loves tsunderes. Kana sometimes erupts in frustration or anger when characters like the Hoshino twins or the teasing Mem-Cho provoke her, but Kana isn't just about reactions. She has a well-balanced personality of her sweet, caring side and her hotheaded, impatient side, and Oshi no Ko fans can't get enough of it.
Tsunderes often rank among the most popular anime characters of all, since they're a dynamic and sometimes unpredictable blend of sweet and sour, and it's highly rewarding to see a standoffish, hot-tempered tsundere gradually show their kinder side when their love interest has earned it. Tsunderes keep everyone on their toes and keep the action going with their proactive and lively personalities, with classic examples ranging from Katsuki Bakugo in My Hero Academia to Nino Nakano in The Quintessential Quintuplets, and now it's Kana Arima's turn, too.
Kana, unlike some Oshi no Ko characters like Ai Hoshino, sees no need to hide her true self and lie to the world about herself. Kana's refreshing authenticity as a tsundere almost certainly contributed to her popularity, with Kana gladly criticizing other characters or telling things as they are without hesitation. The Hoshino twins are constantly lying about who they are, and even Akane Kurokawa prefers to imamate Ai Hoshino rather than express her real self to get Aqua's attention. But Kana, as a fierce and passionate tsundere, has no patience for lies or crafty schemes. That makes her stand out, and when combined with the overall appeal of tsunderes, it makes her Oshi no Ko's Best Girl by a comfortable margin.
Kana Arima Has A Growth Mindset In Oshi No Ko
Aside from her delightful tsundere personality, Kana Arima became a popular Oshi no Ko character because of her growth mindset. Kana is all about being true to herself and being realistic about her place in the entertainment industry, which leads to not just her honest tsundere bluntness, but also her desire to grow stronger. Unlike the vain and juvenile Ruby Hoshino or the complacent social media star Mem-Cho, Kana Arima is always ready to admit her faults and shortcomings. She does this not to beat herself up or express feelings of inferiority, but to get herself ready for growth and progress later. Kana, more so than B Komachi's other two members, knows that the first step to growth or fixing a problem is admitting the need for improvement and change.
Kana was once a popular child actor, then faded into obscurity for years. She felt terrible about that and felt stuck, but now, in her high school days, Kana is ready to get back on the horse and reboot her career, no how tough or painful the process may be. Ruby Hoshino has Miyako Saito to empower and support her, and in return, Kana has Ruby's sheer enthusiasm and optimism to rekindle the flame of hope in her. Kana responded well, and despite her misgivings, Kana got herself ready to revitalize her career and potentially get burned all over again. It's a gutsy and brave move on Kana's part, especially in light of how brutal the pop idol industry is, but this bold tsundere won't back down. It's easy for the naive Ruby and the comfortable Mem-Cho to join the new B Komachi and give it their all, but Kana is more aware of how much she has to gain and lose, and she has a growth mindset to match. That makes her the most compelling member by far, and fans noticed.
Kana Arima Is Honest And Humble, Unlike Ruby Hoshino
Despite Kana's pride in her previous career as a child actor and her confidence as a no-nonsens tsundere, Kana Arima is still deceptively humble as a teenager in Oshi no Ko's story. She acted conceited in front of Aqua Hoshino as a fellow child actor in their youth, but as a high schooler and a has-been, Kana is singing a different tune. She still has faith in herself to be a great actress and won't let anyone talk down to her, but she is also smart enough to stay humble and know that she has plenty of learning and growing to do. A proper growth mindset always requires healthy humility, and Kana has it. Kana will readily admit that she's not ready to become a pop idol, especially since her previous career did very little to prepare her for this. Still, Ruby will give it her best shot, and she will even downplay her skills such as her good singing voice along the way. With her excellent singing chops, Kana is actually B Komachi's best asset, but she won't let that fact get to her head.
This helps contrast Kana with the conceited Ruby Hoshino, who's getting ahead of herself as a reborn girl desperate to achieve stardom at last. Ruby is still just a child on the inside, using her vanity and her sheer force of will to get ahead while ignoring her faults or mistakes. That's why she needs Miyako Saito to support her as a caring foster mother and manager. Meanwhile, Akane Kurokawa was humbled by her egosurfing incident but responded in the wrong way, hiding her timid true self behind an imitation of Ai Hoshino for Aqua's sake. That leaves Kana Arima as the humblest and therefore wisest girl in Oshi no Ko, making her sympathetic, impressive, and exciting all at once. All that definitely adds up to an uncontested Best Girl who dominates the character polls.
