Rip It Up

Rip It Up by Kou Machida is a darkly humorous and surreal novel that follows a struggling, aimless narrator living on the margins of Japan’s creative scene. Bitter about his own lack of success and deeply envious of a former friend who has found artistic recognition, he drifts through a chaotic series of encounters marked by excess, poor decisions, and self-destructive impulses.

Told in a sharp, exaggerated voice, the novel captures the frustration, ego, and moral decay that can accompany artistic ambition. Blending absurd comedy with discomfort and introspection, Rip It Up offers an unfiltered look at failure, jealousy, and the darker side of the creative life.