Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
"I can't die yet! Not until I find him,
and then kill him by my own hand!"
and then kill him by my own hand!"
From the author of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War comes a new manga set in the showbiz world. At first, you think that this type of manga would be just as funny and light-hearted as his previous work, right? HELL NO! From the exploitations of the entertainment industry to the crimes that can be committed within it, this manga is considered to be one of Aka Akasaka's darkest works, and probably for a very good reason.
- In the OP, Ai is asked what she ate today and replies that she hasn't eaten anything, suggesting that she is starving herself in order to keep her "ideal" body.
- The ending of Chapter 1 in which a stalker not only happens to know Ai's whereabouts but at the same time, pushes Gorou off a cliff while leaving his body to rot there for 18 WHOLE YEARS.
- Ai's death at the hands of Ryosuke. Not only was she stabbed in the stomach by the stalker, but at the same time, the stalker even went as far as to blame her for the entire ordeal. Sadly, such incidents are common in real life as there are certain fans who would not take the idea of idols having their own personal lives very lightly! Aqua and Ruby's traumatized reactions to the incident (especially the former's) are not far off from how relatives of real-life victims react, and the lucky ones who survive receive the same mental scarring as the former.
- Ai's body afterwards can be haunting for some readers. Her empty eyes and permanent smile makes her look like a lifeless doll, despite having enough strength to make a final speech to her kids just moments before.
- After that, we get a glorious scene of Aqua awakening his dark star eyes, as pictured above. And that's just one of many instances, and it only gets worse when both twins reaffirm their desires for revenge.
- Hikaru Kamiki's murder of a famous actress after warning her to watch her step. One must wonder how he remained calm while standing over the dead body of a famous person...
- The entertainment industry in general. Exploitation and cruelty are common among such industries, leaving the question of how much it impacts many people working in it...
- One example is Akane's attempt suicide. Had Aqua not saved her in time, she would have already taken her own life.
- While the exact events can only be speculated, at best- Airi sexually abusing and manipulating Hikaru is one of the most horriying things in the series. He's shown as a terrified 11-year old who knows his abuser a monster but is too broken to deny her. What's worse is that Airi attempts to justify her actions by saying she's experienced much worse abuse for the sake of her career. She even uses their baby to manipulate him into staying with her. Hikaru's side of the story really doesn't shy away from showing the entertainment industry at its absolute lowest.
- Ruby finding Gorou's corpse after many years of it being deserted. What doesn't help is how it would eventually darken her character after this incident...
- This is only heightened when she finally learns what the audience knew from the start: that Gorou is her reincarnated brother, Aqua. This seems like a Hope Spot that brings her back from a Despair Event Horizon... only to reveal shortly afterward that she still remembers the marriage promise she desperately made with Gorou back when she was Sarina thanks to him being the only person who really gave her any attention or affection. And now Ruby is starting to develop Yandere traits towards the man she loves regardless of their blood ties.
