A quick read and insight into the level of fandom that exists in Japanese culture. Those not familiar with the concept of an "oshi" will be rightfully confused with this novel. Akari's devotion to Ueno is a statement that many Americans can still see in our media culture, with various celebrities getting a slap on the wrist instead of true punishment for wrongdoings. Recommended to those with some background knowledge on Japanese pop culture - or those willing to do more research after the fact for a better understanding of Akari.

When does fandom become obsession, and when does obsession become dangerous? I thought this was a really interesting story reminiscent of Perfect Blue but told from the fan and not the idol. It's a super quick read at only 144 pages and the pacing, for me, was perfectly intense.

Idol, Burning is an apt and beautiful story of modern obsession and mental illness in a time when celebrity rules all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought this was a pretty interesting and quick read, although I wished for more once the story ended. As someone who does not stan any idols themselves but has multiple friends who do, I found Akari's words and actions in the face of her favorite artist's scandal to be rather realistic and incredibly familiar at times. It was fascinating to be able to read from the perspective of the fan. Being from a different country, I also enjoyed being able to read about how idol culture (and correspondingly, fan culture) differ in Japan -- shout out to the translator for capturing these aspects! Beyond all this, I appreciated the way the author portrayed Akari's development as a person during and after her oshi's scandal, although I really do wish the author had expanded the story and explored this with further depth. Additionally, I liked how the story's general feelings of deterioration and pending collapse (as described by the cover and interior artists) ultimately ended on a more uplifting note. Speaking of, I also loved the art present on the cover and at the beginning of each chapter -- it brought the rating up from 3.5 to 4 stars for me. Ultimately, I enjoyed the story but think it had some unexplored potential. Regardless, I look forward to picking up future works by this author and/or translator.

I will be doing a podcast shilling this book, its just that amazing. The book is so magnificently written and amazingly translated. The work feels like a complete work of art even in English, and the translation is phenomenal.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for allowing me to read this ARC!


Content Warning: physical abuse, domestic violence, ableism, parental abuse (emotional and verbal).


Akari thinks of nothing but her oshi, Masaki Ueno, an actor and member of the J-Pop band "Maza Maza." Her life revolves around him: when he eats, she eats; when he says goodnight on his livestream, she goes to sleep; the beat and rhythm of his songs determine her walking pace. Outside of her obsession, Akari struggles to make sense of her world -- and then there's a scandal. It turns out that Masaki has assaulted a female fan (rumored to actually be his girlfriend or fiancée), and as Akari tries to fight against the tide of hatred for him, she must also determine whether or not life goes on without her idol.

Fandom spaces are intimately familiar to me; I've been an active member of various ones since I was around eleven years old. Although I'd never describe myself as having been a superfan of anything (at least, not to the extent that Akari is), it's easy for me to understand where she comes from, especially when the internet is now dominated by fans of boybands like BTS. There's a unique sense of both isolation and belonging that comes with speaking to fellow fans online, with the feeling of having a community that understands you in a way that those in your real life do not.

Our protagonist, Akari, is a sort of springboard for these sorts of questions and ideas. While she idolizes Masaki, she also isn't the sort of fan who wants to be close with him, at least not physically -- she prefers the safety of having a screen between them, or a screaming crowd. Still, she does her best to understand him, obsessed with the idea that she alone is able to "get him" on a level that everyone else simply doesn't. It's something relevant in her own life: in spite of the fact that she's been diagnosed with an undisclosed learning disability (or that's what I assumed it to be: although ADHD is not considered one, I personally saw myself in Akari's struggles with what other people see as "easy" or "simple" tasks), her family makes little to no effort to understand her -- and even verbally and emotionally abuses her as she struggles.

And that's really the entire point of fandom and stan culture, isn't it? An escape, a way outside of yourself. Usami's writing is clever, though I found myself often thinking that some of the sentences were strange, perhaps because it's just so hard to translate the essence of something into another language. This book is very short (not even 200 pages), and some of it felt rushed. I would've actually liked to spend more time with Akari, though reading this book was a bit painful for me, as it so intensely exposed elements of myself that I fight with (being perceived as lazy, difficult, struggling with little things, and how it sometimes feels as if there's a whole world separating you from people who are "normal," or at least neurotypical).

At the end of the day, her oshi is really not a man, not even really a human: he is a figure to project her desires and hopes onto. There's even a line I found very telling, that truly sums up why I think so many fans seem strangely upset when their idols marry or date or get caught smoking or drinking: "He was no longer an idol; he was a man."

Sometimes this book can be a bit heavy-handed, one of the reasons I chose three stars for its rating. There's an occasional lack of subtlety which I think this book needs. That being said, I recommend this and I think it will start many interesting conversations about the ways we invade celebrity lives.

Akari is a sixteen year old girl that devotes her whole life to promoting and defending her idol, Masaki. She fails at school, is isolated from her family, and only functions at a part-time job to pay for all the merch related to Masaki and his group, Maza Maza. The only area of her life that she has together is her obsession with her idol; among other fans her opinions are highly regarded and praised.

For anyone familiar with wota or otaku culture this will be a deep look into the more toxic side of things. Readers new to otaku culture or the western equivalent will be shocked by some of these extreme behaviors. But that is the point of this novel.

Rin Usami has written a fascinating and disturbing story. Idol, Burning is a fast-paced read centered around a very well-written MC. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Content warning: self-destructive behaviors

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A really interesting look at fandom/stan/idol culture in a way that was equal parts informative and concerning. Like while I could understand why Akari was using her oshi as an emotional crutch to help with her anxiety, depression, and general feelings of failure, I was also incredibly concerned at how much power this man had over her without really having to do anything himself. It also explores the consumerist nature of these relationships, the way Akari felt compelled to own every piece of merch and if she didn't, she'd feel a deep sense of regret and guilt for not supporting her oshi to the fullest of her capabilities.

I only wish that this book was longer so that we could explore things on a even deeper level. Feels like we just kind of hit below surface and I wanted a little more.

I completely devoured this book- the first time I looked to see how much I had left, I was shocked to see I was over 50% of the way through.

If you have ever been part of a devoted fandom, and if you have ever experienced mental illness, and if those two things happened at the same time, this book is for you. Akari, our protagonist, is a listless teenager who only lives to worship her idol, or "oshi," Masaki, who is embroiled in a scandal where he hits a woman. Akari doesn't do most of her schoolwork and only goes to her part-time job to afford concert tickets and merch. Most of her life happens online, where she runs a blog and monitors social media for updates on Masaki's band. As the years pass, her obsession becomes the only focus of her life, until a surprising announcement forces her to come to terms with reality.

As a college student, I fell headfirst into Tumblr fandom, where I could express myself and find community in a way that my mental health wouldn't allow me to do in person. I really felt for Akari. Masaki is a man, but to her, he is a focal point of survival, a reason to wake up in the morning, the continuous hit of dopamine that keeps her going. For some of us, that parasocial relationship is a key part of coming of age, and I really appreciated how Usami didn't shy away from the destructive aspects.

For anyone who has been a fangirl, loved a boyband, and been on fandom websites, this book is for you. I hope you see yourself in Akari like I did, and realize that fandom is at its best when it's just a smaller part of a full life.

I really enjoyed the writing, it gave insight into the main character's obsessive fandom. This is a short but enjoyable little book.

As the parent of an American teen who is obsessed with all things Japanese, I understood a lot more of this book than the typical reader. It still gets only 3 stars from me, because while it is in some ways brilliant, it is also not really enjoyable to read. I found it good that it was so short because I was more willing to finish it.

If you want almost a stream-of-consciousness book with few paragraph divisions and little dialogue, this book is for you. It DOES offer a glimpse into the head of a high-school aged Japanese girl who has some difficulties in her life (a father working overseas who has little to do with her, which is more common in Japan than in the US - as well as possible learning disabilities or some kind of mental issue which makes it hard for her to function).

This book follows the thoughts of a girl who is completely obsessed by her "oshi" (in this case her J-pop idol), who at the outset causes a scandal by being caught on film hitting a fan. She has been writing a somewhat successful blog about him for the past few years, in contrast to the family and school struggles of her "real" life. When he starts to decline in popularity, what will happen to her? I found the title and ending to be part of the brilliance, but I longed to get a bigger picture of her life and family in order to put some of it into context.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Idol, Burning by Rin Usami is a stunning book translated from Japanese about fandom culture. The story revolves around Akari, a high school girl who may be slightly obsessed with her "oshi," a Japanese idol or musical group member. Her oshi, Masaki, doesn't know she exists. But that doesn't stop Akari from looking for news of him on the internet and spending tons of money to get his products. With other fans on the internet, they bond over their shared love of this idol. But when news comes out that he assaulted a female fan, suddenly, Akari's perfect world is shattered. How will she cope with this new development?

Here is a cute excerpt from Chapter 1:

"My oshi was on fire. Word was he’d punched a fan. No details had emerged yet, but even with zero verification, the story had blown up overnight. I’d slept badly. Maybe it was my gut telling me something was up—I woke up, checked the time on my phone, and noticed the commotion in my DMs. My dazed eyes lit on the line “They’re saying Masaki punched a fan,” and for a split second I didn’t know what was real. The backs of my thighs were sticky with sweat. Once I’d checked the news sites, there was nothing I could do but to sit transfixed on my bed, which had shed its blanket in the night, and watch the fallout as the rumor and the flaming proliferated. The only thing on my mind was the status of my oshi."

Overall, Idol, Burning is an astounding work of contemporary fiction that will appeal to young adults and adult alike. It will appeal to fans of Lonely Castle in the Mirror, another book translated from Japanese that provides insight in the world of teenagers today. One highlight of this book is how the book fully encapsulates what it's like to be a fan of a Japanese idol, which I'm sure has similarities to fandom culture all over the world. I was engrossed in the story. I did take off 1 star, because the ending felt unfinished to me. I had unanswered questions. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of Japanese books in translation in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in November!

TW/CW: Domestic abuse, eating disorders, family death, possible learning disabilities, possible mental illness

RATING: 3.5/5 (can't give halves on the site!)

REVIEW: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Idol, Burning is the story of Akari, a high school age girl who is obsessed with a pop star and has made her entire identity about him. With her life falling apart around her, she throws herself into her fandom and tries to find something that makes sense there.

This is an interesting book, but it was also pretty weird. We don’t really learn much about Akari outside of her obsessions, although the few glimpses of her life we get show us that she likely suffers from learning disabilities and some sort of anxiety disorder. Like in Akari’s life, the only clear things are those things that have to do with her obsession. In the book, some of the phrasing is really weird, although that could simply be from the translation. It is also a very quick read, so I’d recommend it if you think the subject matter sounds interesting!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!~

Idol, Burning by Rin Usami follows our main character, high school junior Akari. She is completely obsessed and absorbed with her "oshi". Akari's oshi is Masaki Ueno, member of the J-pop group Maza Maza. She's devoted her entire life to him: running a blog focused on him, collecting any and all merch that comes out, and going to all of his shows. He's all she can think about and her reason for living. One day, there's a rumor that he's hit a female fan. Rapidly, his fanbase starts to dissociate from him, but Akari could never. The news starts to impact her life very negatively as she also heads into a downward spiral.

The entire time I was reading this I felt like I was in a daze, almost as if I wasn't the one reading, but looking through the eyes of the reader. Usami's writing is very poetic and really draws you in. Akari's obsession feels so real and almost as if you're also suffering from it. The predatory K/J-pop industry's true colors are really shown in all of the things she purchases. She even makes her work schedule around buying merch (and don't get me started on having to buy votes for your fave). I was very happy with how she ends up coming out of her depression on her own and how her sister gives her the space to make that a reality.

I hope to be able to read another novella/novel by her in the future!

Idol Burning is a short novel focusing on the obsession that high school student Akari has for the boy band member Masaki. Masaki is Akari's "Oshi" or idol and she is not ashamed of her obsession, her post, her votes on line for his success. However, when Masaki assaults a fan, Akari needs to make some choices - what will she decide?

I love learning about teen culture - as a high school teacher it's very interesting. I thought this novel truly transcended nationality - it certainly could have been one of my own students. If you like a twisty obsessive story, want to get into a high school girl's mind, or just love new and creative writing, Idol, Burning is for you!
#HarperVia #IdolBurning #rinUsami

I really liked this! It’s a short but poignant exploration of Japanese idol culture- a subculture that I think I vaguely knew existed before reading this, but hadn’t thought much about or understood the real nature of. Would definitely recommend giving this one a try- probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s short if it’s not!

Excerpt: “I’d believed it was my purpose in life to devote myself to my oshi, to give up my flesh for bone. That was how I’d wanted to live. But now, now that I was dead, I had no way of gathering my own bones out of the ashes.”

Akari is a high school student who is obsessed with her “oshi” Masaki Ueno, a member of J-Pop group Maza Maza. She writes a blog devoted to him and addictively searches for anything and everything about him online. Akari doesn’t miss a Maza Maza concert and when she goes, she purchases a ton of “merch”. To say that she is possessed with Masaki is an understatement – Akari barely has a life without her oshi.
All is well as far as obsessions go, until Masaki is accused of hitting a female fan. As the press gets worse, Akari searches frantically for info to exonerate her idol. The more she finds out about the incident the stronger Akari holds on to Masaki as her savior.

This novel supposedly “lit the Japanese publishing world on fire” being written by a “breathtaking up-and-coming writer”. I don’t know if it’s all that, but it did pack a lot into just 128 pages. I would read more from this author for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Idol Burning is a short book about a girl, fandom, and idols, and how they can affect people. I am not sure really the purpose of it other than to show the downfall of a girl's mind. I found it an odd read, I thought it was well-written but it just did not really work for me.

I so desperately wanted this book to be like Perfect Blue by Satoshi Kon that when I arrived at the end I was left with much to be desired.

This book tackles fandom culture and obsession, a subject that nowdays, with the rise of Kpop and stan culture, would be of interest to many. It makes for a great premise and, overall, the subject is explained thoroughly in the book. For that, I have no complaints.

Despite this, I never felt that the stakes or Akari's obsession was pushed enough to be like, "oh, this behavior is scary." The reactions and narrative were tepid, and even when Akari lets herself go after the big announcement of her oshi's retirement and disband of the group she never felt like she had reached the very depths of despair or depression.

Instead, what I felt for Akari was more akin to pity, and just a little bit of frustration that she was not as interesting as I though she was going to be. Would this mean that the book is more true to life? Possibly. Akari is, afterall, an average high-schooler (with what some might call an unhealthy obsession.) She struggles, just like us, and she has passions, just like us.

But making her this average just deprived the narrative from a source of attrition, a grip that would make me focus on her and her love for her oshi. She is just... yeah, too average. Not crazy-obsessed, not stalker-y, nor threatening nor love-struck. The worst she did was walk to the supposedly rumored apartment of her oshi, and even then she was too awkward to do anything.

Maybe I asked this book to be something that it isn't. Or maybe I just couldn't see what made it resonate so much with the Japanese public. As it stands, this is not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperVia for sending me a digital ARC of this book in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

This is different, and may not appeal to everyone even though it's pretty well written. I'd love to know why it "lit the Japanese publishing world on fire" per the description. It's a quick read, and I may give it another go.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!