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pbraue13's review against another edition
3.0
I prefer the film in retrospect as the book is fairly unremarkable, but still enjoyed it. Also the themes of celebrity - especially female celebrity - are even more relevant now. 3/5 stars!
jennygrc's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.0
nelsbels's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Perhaps the first time I’ve preferred the movie adaptation. The book seems a lot more focused on horror and less so on a compelling narrative or commentary on idol culture. Not sure if it’s the translation, but the writing is also a little clunky; there were a lot of similes that were odd and took me out of the story.
sreymey's review against another edition
1.0
It's quite dark. The plot is intricate and the visual presentation is a feast for the eyes. Its portrayal of toxic idol culture and how media affects a person's psychology to be a realistic presentation of contemporary society…
afternoonlight's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
it was interesting to read about Japanese idol culture but damn did this read like a wattpad novel. Probably my first and last (localized) light novel. Will watch the film tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Body horror, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Kidnapping
sugarmountain's review against another edition
skip it. kon's film adaptation is so much better.
saffronbunny's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
As a big fan of the movie, I was excited to find out there was a novel it was based on, and it was surprising how different it was.
There's no fantasy element to this novel, it's grounded in more realism and took on more commentary about fan-idol relationships, which was interesting. I appreciated the afterwords that Yoshikazu Takeuchi had at the end. I do think the visual aspect was missing like the movie had, since that really elevated the story.
The book is a lot more disgusting, especially with the frequentflaying scenes that made me particularly nauseous. There is also more focus on Me-Mania (the stalker), so it was intriguing getting more of his perspective but really disturbing.
I liked the showdown at the end - albeit very wild - though the story ended really abruptly, and I'd have liked an epilogue or something just to give Mima a bit more closure.
There's no fantasy element to this novel, it's grounded in more realism and took on more commentary about fan-idol relationships, which was interesting. I appreciated the afterwords that Yoshikazu Takeuchi had at the end. I do think the visual aspect was missing like the movie had, since that really elevated the story.
The book is a lot more disgusting, especially with the frequent
I liked the showdown at the end - albeit very wild - though the story ended really abruptly, and I'd have liked an epilogue or something just to give Mima a bit more closure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Torture, Gore, Rape, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness and Child death
woman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
absolutelynotmandy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
yeah_nahnia's review against another edition
4.0
When it said Older Teen on the back of the book, I was hoping it wouldn't be too safe. Turns out I was very wrong. It tiptoes on the edge of splatterpunk and in the end, it was a really fun psychological thriller/horror with a ton of gruesome gore.