When rumors surface that her idol assaulted a female fan, social media explodes. Akari immediately begins sifting through everything she can find about the scandal, and shares every detail to her blog—including Masaki’s denials and pleas to his fans—drawing numerous readers eager for her updates. Rin Usami writes as if under a spell – not evil, but a kind of magic. I can’t wait to read her next work, to see how the spell evolves. New writers should never feel they are boxed in. they should continually stretch and redefine the boundaries of the novel. [ Idol, Burning] is the right kind of magic." Sayaka Murata Then again, the constant use of “my oshi” helped to drive home her obsession with this idol and created a distance between them as if she saw him more as a thing than a person.

But she continues dutifully and supportively blogging, and as before she continues to work a waitressing job so that she can earn money to put towards buying Maza Maza and Masaki 'merch' (merchandize marketed to fans). A book that reminded me a bit of Convenience Store Woman, but then fully immersed in otaku culture and a bit less visceral than Sayaka Murata her writing.From the sociological point of view, Idol, Burning (2020) is a valuable source of information on oshi culture and fandom in general. Unfortunately, it did not appeal to me very much on other levels. Das ist schon mal weit unterkomplexer, als das was Murata bietet. Leider erklärt Usami auch noch alles aus. Ein Großteil des Buches wird in Selbstreflexion der Protagonistin dargeboten. Sie setzt sich in Beziehung zu ihrem Idol und analysiert haargenau die Symbolik die dem zu Grunde liegt. Und natürlich ist das Idol, die Spieglung ihrer Selbst. Alles was man sich beim lesen denkt, wird dann auch gedacht, verbalisiert und nochmal durch das Außen gespiegelt und eingeordnet. A Note from the Translator' and 'A Note on the Cover Art and Interior Art' by the illustrator (Leslie Hung) are also included, so this is a really well-supported presentation of this text .....) It's short and it's worth reading and Rin Usami is one to watch for sure, but I ultimately did want more from this. This didn’t feel strange in the original Japanese but it felt odd in English because repetition or use of titles instead of pronouns or names isn’t natural.

I thought the translation overall was expertly handled. It didn’t feel clunky or unnatural. In her message at the end of the novella, Yoneda says how she wrote this translation for an audience who could already speak Japanese, which I think created some interesting translation choices that got me thinking–what was gained and what was lost through some of these choices? I’m very happy to know that the voice of Akari, the protagonist who loves Oshi and cannot live without Oshi, will reach readers in the UK," Usami said. "I’d like to express my gratitude to the translator Ms Yoneda, and everyone else involved in the publication of the English edition of the book." Yoneda also does a brilliant job reflecting how young people communicate with each other online. In her note from the translator she says “ I was surprised by how easily I seemed to be able to imagine how the social media comments in this book would sound in English. Each corner of the internet has a different culture and set of conventions, but the gestures, dynamics, and narratives that arise out of the collective are only too familiar.”And that also explains the toxic culture in the idol world, where each and every part of an idol's actions are bound to be scrutinized, to the smallest bit. The Internet "Cancel Culture" are one of the toxic cultures that goes hand in hand when an Idol became famous, and when they are tainted by a "scandal", nothing works for them anymore. Its interesting of a human psychology that we can actually judge someone, solely from their online persona , and what the media portrays them to be, only for us to cancel them once they made a mistake. We can feel betrayed (as fans invested money for these idols), or we can feel lied too, but it showed how toxic this culture can be and how we are super independent for it as a coping mechanism to escape the realities of our harsh life. A vivid depiction of the joys and despairs of teenage fan culture, Idol, Burning is urgent and all-consuming . . . In this passionate and compassionate novel, the voice of teenage desperation sings out’ The protagonist is quite unlikable – rather introverted. It’s not clearly described, but rather – is hinted at – that she has some difficulty in communication. It’s heartbreaking to witness the protagonist’s inner struggle to face the reality outside the world of ‘Oshi’. Likewise, it’s a very interesting book for people, especially if you are not aware of the fan culture in Japan. Japanese uses honorifics to convey relationships between people. The suffix “-san” after someone’s name is fairly neutral, while “-kun” or “-chan” implies a close, friendly, or subordinate relationship to the speaker. Obviously the characterization and tone of the original Japanese is also different between generations, but if Yoneda hadn’t been conscious of re-creating that in the English (some translators are not conscious of characterization at all) then it would have been lost.

The afterword of Rin Usami towards her brother really elevates the book to a heartfelt commentary on exclusion from society and the struggle to find belonging in contemporary Japan. There were other parts of the English that created Akari’s unique voice, but this stood out to me in particular. Akari has multiple diagnoses and is on medication, and even has altars with full on colour coding of rooms. Still, besides her "merch acquisition syndrome" costing ridiculous amounts of money, she is quite harmless, while she Manages the bare minimum of being human. Masaki Ueno, a member of the idol group Maza Maza, is teenage girl Akari Yamashita's 'oshi' (推し)-- translated as 'idol' in the novel's English title -- and she is a true super-fan, having dedicated herself: "To follow my oshi with my entire body and soul; to interpret him and record it on my blog".

The premisses of the novella are good and the start was pretty engaging and interesting. However, as the story goes deeper and progresses, it becomes clear that we are not to get what is happening without MC. We know that she has been suffering since she was very young, that she has gotten worse, and that she has a name for what she dealing with which she doesn't share with us, but you never get a clear picture. Thus, in the end, you don't get closure, especially since the relationship between her mental struggles and her obsession with her idol was awkward and not well fleshed. Usami presents a gut-wrenching narrative of infatuation and social media toxicity. Idol, Burning is a short, engaging novel that nails the essence of obsessive fandom. Usami's frank portrayal of a young woman estranged from society is a potent statement on the dangers of social media and fan culture.

A voice crying out in darkness - captures the loneliness, the fervor and the all-consuming escapism of idol fan culture and how it provides comfort and fuel for youth struggling in every other part of their daily lives. Absolutely riveting.” — Frances Cha, author of If I Had Your Face But the organized, knowledgeable persona Akari presents online is totally different from the socially awkward, unfocused teenager she is in real life. As Masaki's situation spirals, his troubles threaten to tear apart her life too. Instead of finding a way to break free to save Akari is hit hard by the news of what Masaki did, but stands by her oshi; her support is unconditional.

Haunting and sincere…thrilling and deft…a barnburner and a prayer and a testament to the lengths that we’ll go to reach for our dreams.” Canongate has acquired Idol, Burning by Rin Usami, "a brilliantly gripping story of obsession" translated from the Japanese by Asa Yoneda. There’s also a distinction between how different generations speak online, and once instance where Akari finds a tweet of her dad’s which sounds distinctly different from the tweets posted by her friends throughout the novel. Whether you’re looking for the captivating tales of trainee experiences and the inner workings of the K-pop industry, cozy K-pop romances that interweave idol drama and heartfelt connections, or darker tales that delve into the shadow of unhealthy obsessions, our selection of must-read K-pop books has you covered. Best Books for K-Pop Fans