This novella provides a glimpse into the obsessive and relentless parasocial relationship between a celebrity and their fans, told through the eyes of teenage fangirl, Akari.

"I couldn't manage life the way everyone else easily seemed to, and I struggled with the messy consequences every day. But pushing my oshi was the centre of my life, a given, and my one point of clarity".

This is quite a sad story. Akari has a learning disability and struggles with everyday life, constantly feeling disconnected from her peers and family. Her obsession with a popstar invigorates her and she thrives at being a fan. The popstar, Masaki, becomes her foundation - her spine - centring her being and giving her life purpose. When Masaki assaults a fan and is forced to retire, Akari ultimately discovers how fragile this "spine" is and she falls apart.

Idol, Burning takes us on a brief journey through the highs and lows of being a super-fan.
There is excitement, energy and newfound purpose. Engaging with media and feeling seen and understood. Feeling a personal connection to a celebrity & being a part of a tight-knit community.

We also observe the descent into an unhealthy, soul-consuming obsession. Being a super-fan involves pushing time and money into a fragile, one-sided relationship with a complete stranger. The obsession becomes a clutch and other interests, responsibilities and other people are pushed aside.

I am impressed that the author captured such complexities in so few words, but I wish this book was longer.

I may be wrong, but I do get the impression that most contemporary Japanese literature features characters who are eccentrics and outsiders, often at odds with the expectations of society. This is certainly the case with the novella Idol, Burning by Rin Usami, now available in an English translation by Asa Yoneda. Its protagonist and narrator is Akari, a troubled teenager with learning problems whose life revolves her oshi, or idol – Masaki Ueno, a member of the J-Pop band Maza Maza. Akari, who finds it so difficult to fit in, is within her element when writing on her blog, corresponding with fellow fans. Her devotion to her idol, bordering on quasi-religious fanaticism, is the only aim which keeps her going in life, even as she fails school and messes up at her waitering job. Akari’s Masaki-centred world, however, starts to collapse when allegations emerge of his having assaulted a fan – or, possibly, a girlfriend. As accusations pile up and the singer’s star wanes, Akari has to find a new sense in life – one that does not rely on her obsession as a crutch.

Idol, Burning won its young author (Rin Usami is just 23...) the Akutagawa prize and was a bestseller in Japan. One can understand why. At first glance, this book might seem slim, its “fall from grace” story rather underwhelming. But dig a little deeper, and the unassuming surface reveals many thoughtful undercurrents. It explores the sometime complex relationship between pop stars and their followers; it shines an ambivalent spotlight on cancel culture and pokes some sarcastic fun at the money-making pop music market (even Akari, obsessed as she is, is sharp enough to note that the industry exploits fandom.)

But what struck me most about this novel was what seemed like a strong “personal” element. And it was only on reading the Author’s afterword that I realised that I might not have been far off the mark. Because not only is the author just a few years older than her protagonist (and, therefore, a fellow traveller of the same world) but we also learn that the poignant, compassionate portrayal of Akari is based in part on Rin Usami’s brother, an intelligent child let down by the education system.

Idol, Burning is a quick read, but one with much to unpack. The novella is complemented with illustrations by comic-book/manga artist Leslie Hung.

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2022/09/idol-burning-by-rin-usami.html

Idol, Burning is a novella about a Japanese high school student whose obsession with a celebrity sustains her until he is accused of hitting a fan. Akari struggles at school, but she is dedicated to her oshi, Masaki Ueno, who is part of pop group Maza Maza. She runs a successful blog about him, is part of his fan club, and buys all of his merchandise. When news comes out that he has hit a fan and he faces backlash online, Akari's obsession is threatened.

This short book, punctuated by blog posts and internet comments, explores teenage obsession and fandom culture, particularly in the Japanese idol world. From Akari's perspective, the narrative combines her obsessive following of Masaki with what is going on in her life and her difficulties with school and work, especially as she devotes her time and energy to being a fan. The celebrity scandal element is never fully explained, as Akari never really knows what happened, which means the novella is centred much more around the experience of being obsessed, rather than reality, and you get the sense of Akari's isolation from anything outside of her passion.

As the book is short, there's not a huge amount of plot (and the ending isn't as dramatic as I expected), but it really focuses in Akari herself and it's an interesting consideration of teenage experience versus how it might seem from the outside.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Idol, Burning' by Rin Usami.

'Idol, Burning' is a short novella by Rin Usami about 'stan culture' in media and celebrities. In this case, Akari's idol has done something wrong and it shows his crash and burn in the eyes of the public but also the support his fans show no matter what.

This novella shows the dedication and fixation we have on celebrities and how we get attached and focus on this being without realising that these celebrities have personas and views that may not align with our own and how disjointed stan culture is. Of course, this book can highlight why stan culture is good - it helps people take their mind off of their lives and just push themselves into a happy world - but also the dark horrors.

Rin Usami is one of the youngest writers nominated for the Akutagawa Prize, and since the nomination I couldn't wait to read this novella. Having been a fan of Jpop in my youth, but not a stan, I was curious to see an inside in the IDol Industry from a japanese fan's point of view. Akari, a teenager with a disability, is obsessed with a Popsinger, and that obsession helps her get on with her life and find connection. While her personal life spins more and more out of control, so does the life of said Idol. A scandal is basically ending his career. The book was so intriguing that I read it in one go. In the end I was a bit disappointed that Akari wasn't interested in going further down the road. She wants to feel what he feels, but isn't acting on it actively. So while it starts off creepy, it stays quite tame. I would have loved a 100 pages more, but enjoyed it nonetheless. 
Thank you to Canongate and Netgalley for approving me this read. I'll post an official review on publication date.

"Idol, Burning" is a well-translated little novel (translated from Japanese) that reads really fast and pleasantly. It focuses on the rather unhealthy (that's putting it lightly) one-sided relationship between a high-school student and the oshi she idolizes. It tackles obsessive fandom culture in a very immersive (albeit somewhat detached?) and realistic way. I do wish the protagonist had been either crazier or more lovestruck towards the end (which is an odd thing to say), because I believe I would have cared about her more.

I thought this was a very interesting book and a sign of the times on todays culture and the stars and figures we idolize so much. Askari has been obsessed with her idol Maza Maza for quite some time and has put him on the highest pedestal. She soon finds out though he has been accused of assault. It was very interesting to see where this novel went how the fandom culture affects us and plays a part in our lives. How it shapes us. A very thought provoking novel that I really enjoyed.
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My oshi was on fire. Word was he'd punched a fan'

High-school student Akari has only one passion in her life: her oshi, her idol. His name is Masaki Ueno, best known as one-fifth of Japanese pop group Maza Maza.

Akari’s dedication to her oshi consumes her days completely. She keeps a blog entirely devoted to him, religiously chronicling and analysing all his events. He is the spine of her life; she cannot survive without him. When Masaki is rumoured to have assaulted a female fan, facing waves of social media backlash, Akari’s world falls apart.

Offering a vivid insight into otaku culture and adolescence, Idol, Burning is a brilliantly gripping story of obsession, coming of age and the addictive, relentless nature of fandom culture.

i always enjoy stories about popstar obsessions and this was a good, if short, addition. a slice of life story about Akari whose life revolves around a kpop boy band star and she works just to pay for CDs and concert tickets. cute novella

Idol, Burning is a translated work from Japanese that reads very well in English. The story follows Akari who is a high-school student who has dedicated her life to her oshi, her idol. Her idol is Masaki Ueno who is part of the Japanese pop group Maza Maza. Akari is extremely devoted to her oshi and she spends her days running a blog about him and constantly chronicles what he is doing. However, Akari's world falls apart when Masaki is rumoured to have assaulted a female fan which causes lots of social media backlash. I was very intrigued by this story as fandoms grow bigger and bigger every year with the help of social media. I liked how this showed the danger of obsessing over someone else's life even if they are a pop star. It is not healthy to live for a celebrity and this novel showed that well. I also liked how this story showed that when your idol does something wrong you want to defend them no matter what due to your devotion. I think the illustrations were very good as well. Overall, I am giving this a three star as I did enjoy this, and I do think it raises a lot of important points, but it was very simplistic and didn't go into enough depth.