A review by kuroislittle
Stardust Family by Aki Poroyama

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

Thank you NetGalley and Yen Press for sending this Digital Review Copy for review consideration! All opinions are my own. 

*** 

TW: Implied/offscreen abuse and SA of a minor, exploitation of minors, implied/offscreen murder of a minor 

Although Stardust Family is set in a “utopian” sci-fi future, at its core it is an examination of the human condition and how we treat ourselves and others. 

In a world where you can only legally become a parent by being examined and certified by children, love and affection has become a tool by which to exert one’s social fitness and gain what some might consider the most precious gift of all. Aki Poroyama explores this world through the viewpoint of a child inspector, Hikari, exposing the cruelty of the system from the inside out. Afterall, who wouldn’t want to end child abuse? But at what cost? And if potential caregivers merely don a mask to ensure that their license gets approved, is it even possible to make genuine connection? While some readers may be disappointed by Poroyama’s limited world building in this single contained volume, this is by no means a reason not to read this emotionally complex manga. It will make you tear up and shock you for it is truly grim, but by the final scene where one might draw in a breath and pause as if at the end of a symphony following the swell, it is truly worth it. All that pain, all that wondering, and even the fear of being forgotten culminates in a hopeful message that all is not lost even when we think that there is no way out. Fans of A Silent Voice will find Porayama’s Stardust Family (2025) to be a wonderful blend of speculative fiction and classic slice-of-life moments as Hikari inspects his latest assigned family and finds that they are different from those that he’s inspected before.    

Although Stardust Family is set in a “utopian” sci-fi future, at its core it is an examination of the human condition and how we treat ourselves and others. 

Pub Date: May 27, 2025 

ISBN: 9781975393465 

Publisher: Yen Press 

Review Posted Online: May 15, 2025 
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