|
Ai no Kusabi (間の楔, Ai no Kusabi?) is an anime OVA based on the original novel by Rieko Yoshihara. The story was originally serialised in Shousetsu June from December 1986 to October 1987. It was then later edited and published as a hard back novel in 1990. An audio drama Erogenous Dark was also made in November 1993, it is not however a retelling of the original story but focuses on a time period that is not explored into depth in the novel. The story follows the ill-fated love of two men - Iason Mink and Riki the Dark. The themes of the novel and anime range from caste systems and social elitism to the effects of technological progression on personal freedoms and mass ethics. The story falls into the yaoi genre, the relationships presented are largely homosexual although not exclusively (the ones of any substance and emotional importance are homosexual however), as well as having Sci-fi themes and influences. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Cover of Selfish Love by Naduki Koujima. ...
A romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. ...
Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ...
Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...
Digital Manga Publishing is a company that publishes Japanese manga, novels and instructional and illustration books in North America. ...
Original Video Animation ), abbreviated OVA ), is a term used for anime titles that are released direct-to-video, without prior showings on TV or in theaters. ...
Akira Nishimori ) is a male Japanese animation director. ...
Katsuhito Akiyama is a director of Japanese animation who often works with Shinji Aramaki and Hideki Kakinuma. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ...
Anime International Company Inc. ...
“Animé†redirects here. ...
Original Video Animation ), abbreviated OVA ), is a term used for anime titles that are released direct-to-video, without prior showings on TV or in theaters. ...
Radio drama, which had its greatest popularity in the U. S. and in most other countries before the widespread access to television programming, depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the story in her or his minds eye--in this sense, it resembles reading...
Cover of Selfish Love by Naduki Koujima. ...
Sci-fi is an abbreviation for science fiction. ...
No translation of Rieko Yoshihara’s novel has yet been released in English, however at Yaoi-con 2006 DMP's yaoi imprint, Juné Manga, announced they have licensed the novel and an English version will be released (in Britain it will be on the 20 November 2007) Digital Manga Publishing is a company that publishes Japanese manga, novels and instructional and illustration books in North America. ...
The OVA has never been officially released in English. Original Video Animation ), abbreviated OVA ), is a term used for anime titles that are released direct-to-video, without prior showings on TV or in theaters. ...
Plot
Ai no Kusabi takes place on the world of Amoi, ruled over by a computer named Jupiter. Jupiter has installed a number of strict social rules to its society. Among other things, social status is determined by hair color (Blonde being the highest down to black) and. The Blondies, genetically modified by Jupiter, are the highest social class and occupy the capital city of Tanagura. Contrary to popular belief, the hair-color caste system only applies to those working in Tanagura and not in Ceres. The true separation is between those genetically created in a lab (those in Tanagura) and "mongrels" formed the natural way (those in Ceres). However it was written in the novel that Tanagura even manipulated the 'natural' births of Ceres, ensuring that its population did not grow by restricting the number of female births. Iason Mink, the head of Jupiter's Syndicate, is visiting Midas and comes across a mongrel, gang leader Riki the Dark, being attacked as he tries to steal a car. He saves Riki, who, in return, offers to pay back the debt with his body. After Riki gives him his body for one night Iason decides to take in Riki as a "Pet," a sexual slave, and mark his claim on Riki by applying a ring to the base of Riki's penis. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Under Jupiter's restrictions, the Blondies are sterile and forbidden from indulging in sexual activities. The "pets" are purely for voyeuristic purposes. Further emasculation is seen in the "Furniture," eunuch slaves who serve the Blondies.
Two years later, Riki is still in the possession of Iason, causing rumors to fly. Riki is considered too old to be a pet (most pets being younger teenagers), and his mongrel status, when professionally bred and trained pets are easily available, call Iason's actions into question. Furthermore, most pets are kept for about a year before being discarded. Iason has started to fall in love with Riki, and has broken the laws of Jupiter by having intercourse with him.
Iason allows Riki to go back to Ceres for one year, taking off the ring and freeing him. He is welcomed back to his gang, Bison, and they return to normal life. When the year has passed Iason sets about ensuring Riki's return. Using Killie (once a member of Bison who since has joined the Black Market) to give Bison a job Iason sets a trap which ends with Riki's gang being arrested by the Midas Police. Due to Iasons demands Riki is released early and that night he reclaims Riki as his pet under the threat of making Guy (Rikis former pairing partner) into a pet. Bison is then set free with little punishment, to the confusion of everyone but Riki. Guy once released tells Riki of his desire to once again become pairing partners (boyfriends). It is then that Riki reveals his secret of being Iason's pet for three years and how it is this connection that allowed Bison to escape jail unbeaten as he had promised to return to his former master. Enraged that the once proud and independent Riki has been a pet and is returning to be one, Guy beats Riki up, shouting at him to leave and never return.
Emotional attraction develops between Riki and Iason when Riki learns of the danger Iason is putting himself in, in order to have Riki. This is emphasized when, thinking this, Riki witnesses a former high class pet being beaten while Riki himself is continuously protected and even granted increasing freedom by Iason.
One last kiss in form of a Cigarette Riki's former lover, Guy, decides to break Riki free of Iason's clutches and kidnaps him, taking him to the ruins of Dana Bahn (the site of the revolution that granted Ceres its freedom from Tanagura and Midas). He attempts to remove Riki's pet ring, but can only do so by castrating Riki. Having removed Riki from Dana Bahn, Guy contacts Iason and tells Iason to meet him there so that Guy can 'return something that is important to him [Iason].' Meanwhile, Riki contacts Katz (Black Market leader and former Furniture of Iason) to come and meet him. He and Riki then travel to Dana Bahn, not knowing that Guy is planning to meet Iason there and that Guy has set up explosives in Dana Bahn. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Iason meets Guy, expecting to find Riki, as the tracer of the pet ring indicates Riki's presence. When Guy hands him a box containing Riki's ring, Iason realizes that Riki has been castrated, and is enraged; he destroys Guys arm, but Guy manages to set off the explosives. At this moment, Iason hears Riki's voice. Opening the door, Iason hugs Riki until an explosion forces them apart, allowing Riki to see the injured Guy. Riki insists that Iason saves Guy; then, Riki, Iason and Guy begin to leave Dana Bahn. However, an explosion causes the ceiling to begin to collapse. Iason drops Guy, and races back to save Riki, who is behind him. When Iason sees the elevating door closing, he throws Riki through the space left, while forcing himself to slide beneath the closing door. Iason loses both his legs from doing so. Realizing that he cannot possibly make it out of the building with both his legs lost, Iason orders Riki to leave him behind. Riki returns to the surface with Guy.
Sitting alone amidst the burning collapse of Dana Bahn, Iason suddenly sees Riki returning to him. Riki, having realized that Iason had known that saving Guy would most likely compromise his own life, decides that he cannot leave Iason to die alone. Riki offers Iason a Dark Moon (a type of cigarette), and they 'share their last deep kiss' as Dana Bahn explodes. At the moment of Iason's death, Jupiter emits a sound: "a moan that is almost human."
Trivia - While literally meaning a "wedge between," Daijisen defines 「間の楔」 (ai no kusabi) as a pin (linchpin) that secures the joint between two beams or posts (def. 1); a "stopgap measure" or something that otherwise bridges a gap (defs. 2, 3).
Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...
The Daijisen Great fountain/source of words) is a general-purpose Japanese dictionary published by Shogakukan in 1995 and 1998. ...
External links - DMP News: Ai no Kusabi Novels To Be Released
- Ai no Kusabi Novel
|
Feeds |
Contact