Learn Japanese with Anime - Lies Are The Most Exquisite Love! (Oshi no Ko)

Analysis

アイドルは偶像だよ？

ア(ア)イ(イ)ド(ド)ル(ル) (noun) means “pop idols” who are entertainers marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. They’re usually trained in performance skills such as dancing, modelling, and acting, not just singing skills.

The は particle shows the previous word is the topic of the sentence, so in this sentence, she’s talking about idols.

偶(ぐう)像(ぞう) (noun) means “objects of worship”. It’s derived from a sculpture or statue that people pray to as part of their religion.

だ (auxiliary verb) following a noun is used to affirm the statement.

よ is the sentence ending particle used to make the listener aware of the information.

So ア(ア)イ(イ)ド(ド)ル(ル)は偶(ぐう)像(ぞう)だよ means “Idols are objects of worship” which is a declarative sentence, not a question sentence. Then why is a question mark attached in the end?

When a question mark is used in a declarative sentence, it expresses a rising intonation to add a nuance of asking for confirmation like “you know?”, “OK?”, “yeah?”, “don’t you think?” and so on, depending on the context.

So ア(ア)イ(イ)ド(ド)ル(ル)は偶(ぐう)像(ぞう)だよ？ can be translated as ”Idols are objects of worship, you know?”.

嘘という魔法で輝く生き物

“AというB” means “B called A”. The A is 嘘(うそ) meaning “lies” and the B is 魔(ま)法(ほう) meaning “magic”, so 嘘(うそ)という魔(ま)法(ほう) means “magic called lies”.

で is the particle used to describe the means of an action, usually translated as “with” or “by”. The action is 輝(かがや)く(く) meaning “to shine” so it means “shine with magic called lies”.

And it modifies the following noun 生(い)き(き)物(もの) meaning “living things” or “creatures”, so 嘘(うそ)という魔(ま)法(ほう)で輝(かがや)く(く)生(い)き(き)物(もの) means “creatures that shine with magic called lies”.

The topic (ア(ア)イ(イ)ド(ド)ル(ル)は) is omitted as it’s already mentioned in the first sentence so the whole sentence is “(Idols are) creatures that shine with magic called lies”. In the anime, it’s translated as “they sparkle through the magic of lies”.

嘘はとびきりの愛なんだよ？

This time 嘘(うそ) (noun) is followed by the topic particle は, so in this sentence she is talking about “lies”.

と(と)び(び)き(き)り(り) (noun) is used to describe something that is highest of quality. It can be translated as “best” or “extremely good”. It’s followed by the modifying particle の and a noun 愛(あい) meaning “love” so と(と)び(び)き(き)り(り)の愛(あい) means “most exquisite love”.

なん is a contracted form of なの which is the combination of な (auxiliary verb) attached to the preceding noun and the explanatory particle の. And it’s followed by だ (auxiliary verb) to affirm the statement and よ (sentence ending particle) to make the listener aware of it.

This explanatory ん followed by だ is used when the speaker explains the reason or background of the context. In this case, she says that idols sparkle through the magic of lies and explains that it’s because lies are the most exquisite love for their fans.

And again, a question mark is attached in the end so 嘘(うそ)はと(と)び(び)き(き)り(り)の愛(あい)なんだよ？ can be translated as “Lies are the most exquisite love, OK?” But in the anime, it’s left out.