Warning! Contains MAJOR MANGA SPOILERS for Oshi no Ko Chapter 117!The Oshi no Ko manga just dropped a devastating bombshell in its latest chapter that destroys a popular fanship between Aqua and Kana. The dark deconstruction of the Japanese entertainment industry by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari is no stranger to pulling the rug out from its readers as it did when it killed Ai at the beginning of the series and set Aqua on a brutal path of revenge. With the destruction of one of its major ships this trend continues, casting Aqua further into darkness.

Chapter #117 of Oshi no Ko opens with Aqua and Kana eating together and discussing the actress’ recent departure from the idol group B-Komachi. At the end of their conversation, Kana mentions that she got offered a role in the upcoming movie about Ai’s death playing another idol who hated her. She asks Aqua if it’s okay for her to take that role given it would force her to say bad things about his mother. Innocently, Aqua says that he’d be fine with it if it was her given that Kana is special to him, which causes her to get flustered and leave. This seems like a sweet moment until Aqua maniacally laughs and muses to himself about how easily Kana is manipulated and exploited.

Oshi no Ko Reveals Aqua Views Kana Merely as a Pawn

Aqua lies to Kana in Oshi no Ko

This of course isn’t out of character for Aqua ever since he found out his father is actually still alive and unpunished. After that point, the obsession with revenge that he harbored from the beginning of the series returned with even more intensity and pushed him to take even greater risks such as revealing that he and Ruby are Ai's children. His obsession also led to the destruction of another of his ships, after he broke up with Akane due to her hiding information about his father in order to allow him to believe Ai's murderer was dead. But while the destruction of that ship seemed natural given Akane's actions running counter to Aqua's goal, Aqua and Kana's relationship seemed much more pure.

While Akane knew about Aqua's inner darkness and became entangled in it, Kana has a much purer view of him. This led many fans to believe that Kana could be the perfect character to pull Aqua out of his spiral into darkness as the two deepened their bond. Instead, the latest chapter reveals that Kana is actually enabling Aqua's darkness as he views her merely as a tool to accomplish his goals. This was a devastating twist similar to the one at the end of Oshi no Ko's first episode that caused it to become MyAnimeList's top anime. Given how manipulative Aqua is right now and how single-mindedly he is pursuing his goal it is unlikely that he will naturally engage in any relationship until his father is destroyed.

Oshi no Ko's Latest Twist Shows the Depths of Aqua's Darkness

Aqua manipulates Kana in Oshi no Ko

The events of this chapter are somewhat ironic given Oshi no Ko's fifth episode just planted some of the initial seeds for this ship. But unfortunately for Aqua x Kana fans, Aqua's view of Kana may now be too warped to ever view her in a romantic light. The shocking destruction of one of Oshi no Ko's most popular ships not only serves as a devastating twist but also shows how extremely Aqua's quest has affected his character.

Oshi no Ko Chapter 117 is available to read from MangaPlus.