Episode 3

Manga-Based Drama Series (漫画原作ドラマ) is the third episode of Oshi no Ko anime adaptation.

Synopsis
Aqua is reunited with Kana, the former genius child actor. He turns down an offer to appear in a TV drama, but when he hears the producer's name, he reconsiders. The name is the same as the one left on Ai's cell phone...!?

Summary
Picking off from their reunion at Yoto High School, Aqua and Ruby discuss with Kana the programs they applied for. Afterward, Aqua leaves for Taishi's home, and Kana follows after him, insistent on catching up. Aqua invites her to Taishi's home, where they talk about what Aqua has been doing in the entertainment industry since they last met.

During dinner, Kana asks Taishi for videos of Aqua's acting, but Aqua refuses, adamant that he has no talent as an actor. Taishi tells Kana that she will have to talk Aqua into acting again, so she offers Aqua an appearance in a project she is a part of and has unfilled roles, but he refuses. Kana explains that the project is I'll Go With Sweet Today, a drama based on a shoujo manga Aqua is familiar with, and that its producer is Masaya Kaburagi, with who she has connections.

In Aqua's inner monologue, he reveals that Ai left three cell phones when she died, one of them she used before she was pregnant. After four years of determining the phone's passcode, Aqua unlocked it and found contacts Ai had in the entertainment industry, one of them being Masaya. Aqua accepts Kana's offer, and she gets in touch with Masaya, who gives Aqua the role of the show's villain.

Some time afterward, Ruby is surprised and happy to learn that Aqua will appear in a TV drama, believing that he is upholding Ai's wish for them. She and Miyako watch the show but are taken aback by its low production quality, especially with the acting. Later, Aqua meets with Kana, who explains that the show targets the female demographic that is into attractive men, so they are featuring models they want to promote, regardless of their acting ability. But to ensure the show's quality, they cast Kana, a well-known actress, as its female lead. Not wanting to overshadow her co-stars, Kana forces herself to hold back her acting ability.

Kana further explains that due to the nature of the show's production being purely for sales, it could never be entertaining, even the mangaka of the story was disappointed when she saw it. Despite that, because everyone working on the show has been giving their all for a successful project, Kana hopes to make the show watchable, even at the cost of her reputation. Kana tells Aqua that due to her egotistic behavior as a child, she quickly fell out of favor in the acting industry after she grew older and has been slowly working her way back up. Kana informs Aqua of the show's hasty production schedule and gives him his script. Trusting in his acting ability, Kana asks him to help make a good show.

Reviewing the show and script on his own, Aqua sees that the production crew and Kana have done a good job at making the show watchable, and figures out a way to make it look good.

On the day of filming, Kana explains to Aqua that due to budget and time restraints, they only get one practice run on the location. Aqua meets the show's male lead, Melt Narushima, who quickly dismisses him. He also gets to meet Masaya and decides to find an opportunity to get a DNA sample from him. After the practice run, Kana expresses her admiration for Aqua's acting and finds solace in that there has been someone who has been struggling in the industry alongside her. Now that she has a lead role for the first time in a decade, Kana wants to give it her all and is happy that she is being recognized for her ability

Aqua shadows Masaya on a smoke break and overhears that he is taking advantage of Kana and has no intention of advancing her acting career. After collecting saliva samples from Masaya's cigarettes, Aqua decides to go all out with his acting.

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第二集