Alright, so I am a bit late to this episode, but it was worth the wait. This whole flashback sequence is up there with the great cinematic moments that Oshi no Ko season 2 had this past season as just some top tier pieces of art. The whole time I am watching that flashback with the happy kid, I know it is going to end tragically, but you can't help but be moved by the animation and ost.
Zooming out a bit and looking at this series as a whole so far, how would you describe this show to somebody? Is it action? Is it romance? Is it a comedy? Is it a tragedy? It is some weird blend of tons of different genres layered onto an absurdly nonsensical storyline. Yet it somehow just works so well. Each week, you never seem to know what type of show you are getting that episode.