Rie Takahashi, the voice actor for Ai in Oshi no Ko, originally wanted to portray a different character.
In an interview with Anime Senpai, Takahashi revealed she had submitted her tape auditions for two characters: Ai Hoshino and Akane Kurokawa, who appeared later in Oshi no Ko and whom Takahashi admired. Takahashi shared she had said, "Lies are an outstanding kind of love," in her tape audition, a line spoken in the first episode between Ai and Gorou. Although Takahashi's audition did not secure her for the role of Akane, she did land the role of Ai in her second round of auditions.
Takahashi and Ai share many similarities, the main one being that the two work in the entertainment industry and that Takahashi is also a singer like Ai. When asked what advice Takahashi may give her anime counterpart, the voice actor said she would encourage the idol to "be herself as this is how she shines the most." The one thing the two differ on is hygiene rules when it comes to concerts. The voice actor had posted on Twitter, encouraging fans to bathe before attending her concert, but Takahashi believed Ai would not "be bothered by this" and instead say,"'Look out for those around you and help each other out when necessary.'"
Oshi no Ko Explores the Dark Side of the Idol Industry
From the creative minds of Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari, Oshi no Ko began serialization in Weekly Young Jump in April 2020. The supernatural, mystery-thriller series follows a gynecologist named Gorou Amemiya, who meets his idol Ai Hoshino when she arrives at his hospital to ask him to deliver her babies secretly. However, on the day she is due to deliver her babies, Ai's stalker murders Gorou, and he reincarnates into one of Ai's twins, Aquamarine. The series explores the dark and violent side of the idol industry, shedding light on the constricting nature of being an entertainer in the public eye.
The first episode of Oshi no Ko premiered on April 12 as a special 90-minute episode which garnered overwhelming praise and came out on top as the number one anime of all time after its debut, beating the likes of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Hell's Paradise. Based on the first episode so far, Oshi no Ko received an outstanding rating of 9.28 on My Anime List. The opening song, "Idol," sung by YOASOBI surged past one million views within eight hours of the video's release.
Oshi no Ko is available to stream on HIDIVE. Licensed by Yen Press, the manga is available wherever the publisher distributes it.
Source: Anime Senpai