Mengo Yokoyari, the manga artist for Oshi no Ko, straight-up admitted that she wanted to explore a deeper Aqua x Ruby relationship in the manga.

The following article contains spoilers for Oshi no Ko manga series.

At this year’s Manga Barcelona event, Oshi no Ko’s original creator Aka Akasaka and series artist Mengo Yokoyari took some questions from fans and shed light on a subject that’s been a long-running point of discussion in the community.

When asked about the controversy surrounding a potential romantic angle between Aqua and Ruby, Mengo revealed something surprising. She openly stated that she would have liked to explore an Aqua x Ruby relationship in the manga, but that Aka did not allow her to pursue that direction. Megon said:

“Aka didn’t let me, but I would have liked to do Aqua and Ruby’s relationship.”

When someone followed up by asking about a possible spin-off, Mengo responded, apparently hinting at Aka’s reluctance. That she would consider a spin-off focused on Aqua and Ruby’s relationship if she could, laughing as she gave the answer.

For context, the Oshi no Ko series, written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari, involves a complex and controversial dynamic between two main characters: Aqua and Ruby Hoshino.

In their current lives, they are twin siblings, but their origins are tied to their reincarnations as Gorou Amamiya, previously a doctor, and Sarina Tendouji, once his terminally ill patient. This layered history generates friction, especially as the story progresses and starts hinting at romantic feelings despite their present-day sibling status.

The tension first spikes in Chapter 123, where Ruby reveals that she was Sarina and reminds Aqua of a promise from their past lives, one that involved the idea of marrying her after she turned 16.

This scene due to the current familial setup, sparked intense debate among readers. The situation only escalated in Chapter 143, where Ruby kisses Aqua under the excuse of practicing for a movie scene, stirring even more discomfort within the fanbase.

These moments led to significant criticism. Some fans found the idea unsettling and seriously considered dropping the series. They argued that the reincarnation angle did not justify building romantic tension between siblings in their current lives. Others were willing to read on, hoping the story would resolve this issue.

Eventually, the plot addressed these concerns. In Chapter 150, Aqua clarifies that he sees Ruby strictly as his sister, with no romantic feelings attached. This helped alleviate the discomfort and confirmed that, at least from Aqua’s perspective, the relationship is purely familial.

Oshi no Ko began serialization on April 23, 2020, in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump. After a run spanning four years, it wrapped up on November 14, 2024, with Chapter 166. The final compiled volume, Volume 16, is set to release on December 18, 2024.

Throughout its run, the series generated both appreciation for its storytelling and controversy for some of its narrative choices. The comments made at Manga Barcelona suggest that the artist himself was interested in further exploring a storyline that the author chose not to pursue.