This article includes spoilers for the manga “Oshi no Ko”. Reader discretion is advised.

In chapter 159 of “Oshi no Ko“, the plot continues exactly where the previous chapter ended. Fuyuko Niino apologizes to Ruby Hoshino for stabbing her, revealing that her goal was to prevent anyone from surpassing Ai. However, 'Ruby' reveals that the knife did not hurt her thanks to a stab-proof vest she was wearing. At that moment, Ichigo Saitou immobilizes Niino, while Akane Kurokawa, disguised as Ruby, takes off her wig and explains her plan.

Ichigo then confronts Niino, who was dating a fan, Ryosuke Sugano. Although Ryosuke committed suicide after shifting his admiration from Niino to Ai, Niino forgave Ryosuke and was not seeking revenge. All she wanted was for Ai to continue being the best. Upon learning that Ai wanted to be friends with Niino, she becomes excited. Finally, Akane asks who manipulated them into committing their crimes.

The chapter moves on to B-Komachi's concert, where everything happens normally, including Kana Arima's farewell message. Hikaru Kamiki watches the show on his phone, and Aqua Hoshino approaches him, wanting to save him like her mother Ai wanted. However, Hikaru displays a dismissive and confused attitude.

It was definitely a chapter full of surprises, from the revelation of Akane Kurokawa as Ruby Hoshino's doppelganger, the capture of the traitor, and the confirmation that Hikaru Kamiki cannot be forgiven. However, Japanese fans were left confused by a development they found quite “strange”:

• «Some think tanks put forward the theory that Akane Kurokawa had disguised herself, and they were right. Congratulations on getting it right.».
• «Is it possible to disguise yourself as someone else with just a wig in this manga?».
• «I didn't want Ruby to die, but I'm starting to get annoyed that they made us wait two weeks for it.».
• «Kamiki is not the villain! It's all Nino's fault! ↓ Nino is not the villain, it's all Kamiki's fault! What's this?».
• «I wish he would say “this is a bulletproof vest” as the blood drips from his neck».
• «Don't use Akane for this. If they cut her anywhere other than her abdomen, her acting career will be over.».
• «Ah, looks like they took the appropriate measures! Thank God it wasn't a bad ending.».
• «What if they aimed for your face or neck? Why is it assumed that they will only hurt your abdomen?».
• «Well, Kurokawa cutting his hair and acting like Ai serves as a clue, but it didn't have to lead up to the moment she was stabbed. If they had aimed for his neck, he would have died.».
• «What is this cheap plot? You wouldn't find anything worse in a soap opera».
• «In the end it's Young Jump, so there's not much to do».
• «Does this and Kaguya-sama have really bad endings?».
• «This anime was only successful in the first episode of the first season and the theme song.».
• «Is there some rule that forces the author of this manga to make it ridiculous in the second half?».
• «Aiming for the neck is difficult because it is a small area of a few centimeters. In addition, it takes a lot of force to get through the arteries. For beginners, it is best to use a knife in the abdomen and push the body with weight to cause damage. If the knife sticks, move it to damage important organs and blood vessels.».
• «Akane is really pitiful, poor thing.».
• «Depending on who you ask, this chapter is either great or completely bad.».
• «I still have no idea what's going on».
• «This writing is horrible.».
• «It would have been more believable if they had involved the police instead of playing the hero and risking Akane. She's an actress, it would be bad if she got a scar».
• «Rushed chapter, all my emotions about Ruby getting stabbed quickly went down the drain. How the hell did Akane plan everything and how everything worked out so well, it was all resolved in 10 pages too. Now for another twist, Kamiki will have another tantrum».
• «This has to be the worst manga to ever hit the mainstream.».
• «We're reaching soap opera levels of nonsense here, I don't even know what's going to happen».
• «“Stab-proof vest”, this is the same guy who wrote The first kiss never endsWhat the hell happened?».
• «So Aka has returned to Kamiki as the main villain, did you plan this from the beginning or did the fans' reaction change your mind? I mean, Kamiki was calling Nino in the previous chapter saying that they should turn themselves in, what would have happened if she had said yes?».
• «Honestly, it feels like Aka is trying to erase the elements that fans didn't like (Nino being the villain, Kamiki being a sad boy, the idol fan who murdered Ai being a representation of the dangers of the industry)».

Source: Hachima Kikou