The Idol’s Escape Manga Highlights Abuse and Acceptance

The Idol’s Escape is one of those manga that might feel difficult to read, but carries an important message about kindness, consideration, and acceptance. It highlights the sort of acceptance and love we all deserve, but unfortunately don’t always get. However, in the case of Ainosuke and Karen, it feels especially tense since each is overcoming abuse, running from terrible situations, and the tension Ito Kira created makes a happy ending seem unlikely.

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Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for The Idol’s Escape manga below. Also, as a warning for those interested, the actual graphic novel discusses various sorts of mental, physical, and sexual abuse.

Ainosuke Kaminashi is going through a tough time. After being belittled by his father for being gay and not living a “proper” life and bullied by classmates, he’s living alone and working at a love motel. He envies and admires the idol Karen Asahina, who’s part of a group he’s followed since high school, because she’s cute, has a perfect voice, and thinks if he could be like her, maybe he’d actually be lovable. 

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But when he happens to meet Karen at the love hotel where he works after a coworker harasses him, he finds her life isn’t as glamorous or grand even though she has the ideal appearance and talent he wish he did. Rather, after what she said was a “casting couch” situation gone wrong and a fear of being found or discovered, she uses the insurance card he accidentally gave her to find his home. After promising to teach him how to properly do his own makeup, he agrees to allow her to stay with him for a few days.

In the process, Ainosuke comes to a realization once Karen heads home about her life and current situation. In so doing, he realizes exactly what she might be going through and rushes to go see her again. After a critical moment, the two end up running away from it all. But because of her fame and the outcome of events, the police are after them and they need to be constantly aware of others possibly noticing them while they make memories.

In many ways, The Idol’s Escape is absolutely heartbreaking. Ainosuke and Karen are both very broken in very different ways as a result of things they can’t control about themselves. They’re both desperate for love and acceptance. On the plus side, they do find that in each other and we see happier moments when they can support one another. But the circumstances and their responses to the situation show how broken they are and the way they’re coping as it seems like they enjoy one last hurrah before the other shoe drops.

Likewise, we get these devastating relationships with authority figures in their lives. In the case of Ainosuke, we see how his father affected his life. But as a result of the way the story progresses, his father becomes a supporting cast member and we see his own regrets and struggles because he couldn’t give his son the unconditional love and acceptance he needed at critical points. We see how human and flawed he is. Likewise, Karen’s antagonist is someone who, it’s explained, is someone she once had a positive relationship with! It’s only as time passed that his own flaws and horrid impulses took over to essentially ruin everything.

The Idol’s Escape is a story that inspires a lot of feelings in the reader and, while the subject matter in the manga isn’t always pleasant, it makes you want to root for Ainosuke and Karen. Neither of them can help the situations they’re in, and both of these teenagers deserved better. 

The Idol’s Escape is available via Yen Press.