Ai no Kusabi

Infobox animanga/Header
name =


caption =
ja_name = 間の楔
ja_name_trans = Wedge of Interval
genre = Yaoi, Science fictionInfobox animanga/Novel
light = yes
author = Rieko Yoshihara
illustrator = Katsumi Michihara
demographic = Female
publisher = flagicon|Japan Koufuusha Shuppan
publisher_en = flagicon|USA Digital Manga Publishing
magazine = Shousetsu June
first = October 1990
last =
volumes = 1 (Japan), 6 (North America)Infobox animanga/OVA
title =
director = Akira Nishimori Katsuhito Akiyama
writer = Yoshiwara Rieko
studio = flagicon|Japan AIC
licensor =
episodes = 2
released = August 1992, May 1994
runtime = 60 minutes

nihongo3|間の楔|Ai no Kusabi#tag:ref|lit "Wedge of Interval", also "Ties of Love", "The Wedge in the Gap", "The Wedge of Love" [cite book |last=Drazen |first=Patrick |title=Anime Explosion! The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation |year=2002 | month=October |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-72-8 |oclc=50898281 |pages=p.95] |group=nb is a Japanese novel written by Rieko Yoshihara. Originally serialized in the yaoi magazine Shousetsu June between December 1986 and October 1987, the story was collected into a hardbound novel that was released in Japan in 1990. This futuristic tale is set in a world where men are assigned various social classes based on their hair color. Iason Mink, a high-class Blondie, runs into Riki, a black-haired Mongrel, and makes him his "Pet." As Riki learns of the dangers Iason faces by keeping him, he finds himself developing feelings for his master. Focusing on the ill-fated love between Iason and Riki, "Ai no Kusabi" also explores issues of caste systems and social exclusion.

The novel was partially adapted into a two-episode anime OVA by Anime International Company, with the first episode released in August 1992, and the second in May 1994.cite web |url=http://www.aicanime.com/products/ainokusabi/ |title=Ai no Kusabi |publisher=AIC |accessdate=2008-02-01 ] In November 1993, an audio drama entitled "Erogenous Dark" was released focusing on a time period left unexplored in the original novels.

Digital Manga Publishing acquired the license to give the novel an English language release in North America, translated by Kelly Quine. DMP is publishing the novel as a six volume series, with the first volume released in December 2007 and the remaining volumes planned for release in 2008.cite web |url=http://yaoi-manga.com/news?mo=10&yr=2006 |publisher=Digital Manga Publishing |title=Juné Manga ~ News: October 2006 | date=2006-10-25 |accessdate=2008-02-01 ] The novels are being marketed under the title "Ai no Kusabi: The Space Between".cite web |url=http://www.junemanga.com/titles?n=90 |publisher=Digital Manga Publishing |title=Juné Manga ~ Ai no Kusabi | date=2007-11-20 |accessdate=2008-08-13 ] The OVA is currently unlicensed for release outside of Japan.

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 or dark brown) and. The Blondies, created 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.

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.

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. 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 poisoned 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."

Characters

*Riki "Riki The Dark" A dark haired, mongrel gang leader from Ceres.
*Iason Mink A Blondie, Head of the Syndicate and Jupiter's favorite. Claimed Riki as his pet.
*Guy A former pairing partner of Riki's and a member of Bison.
*Katze A former furniture of Iason, now involved in the black market. Something of a computer genius, he once almost uncovered what he calls the 'Secret of Tanagura', being caught in the act by Iason and earning a nasty scar on a cheek he keeps hidden under his hair most of the time.

*Jupiter The Artificial Intelligence that rules Amoï and put her nearly androïd-like Blondie "children" at the pinnacle of society.
*Raoul Am A Blondie and the second in command of Tanagura, Iason Mink's friend and the voice of reason, concern and societal pressure as Iason's infatuation with Riki becomes more obvious.
*Mimea Raoul Am's female Pet of the highest breeding, she develops a liking for Riki's unusual ways, falling in love and having forbidden intercourse with him. To Riki, she seems little more than a way to test Iason's feelings and marr his public image.
*Kirie Once the youngest member of Bison, he is lured into lucrative deals by Katze as part of Iason's scheme to bring back Riki after the year of freedom he's granted him, eventually being made to betray his former comrades.
*Enif A former high-class Pet who used to scorn Riki, now discarded and used as cheap labor, in stark contrast to the freedom and nearly benevolent treatment Riki still enjoys.

Production

Media

A OVA has been made. It is only in Japanese but English subtitles are available.

Notes

References

External links

* [http://www.junemanga.com/titles?n=90 Official DMP site for "Ai no Kusabi" novel releases]
* [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/ai-no-kusabi Anime News Network review]
* [http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/manga/manga.php?manga_view=4143 Anime on DVD review]
* [http://www.aestheticism.com/visitors/manga/ank/ Aestheticism review]
* [http://amr.nextstudio.net/html/ai_no_kusabi.html Anime Meta-Review review]