A review by readingtheother
Star by Yukio Mishima

dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

i like my books short and weird and star by yukio mishima ticks both those boxes. this is very ✨no plot just vibes✨ exploration of the way fame and stardom alienates celebrities from reality. a celebrity’s job is to create a fantasy world for the audience - their actions have no real consequences, everything they say is mediated by a PR team, and their own image is the most important thing, no matter what happens behind the mask. in this novella, Rikio is an up and coming actor who is starting to feel the strain of this constant artifice. he finds sanctuary in Kayo, his assistant who consciously subverts the standards of the film industry in her own fuck you to the pretense she helps create. rikio doesn’t know what he’s looking for - while his relationship with kayo helps offset some of the alienation, he is still longing for something to change. we don’t know if he finds it, but experiencing his detachment is just chefs kiss
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