Of course it's -almost- the same story with absolutely the same characters, but this rendition is not as intense as the old one. It doesn't add anything, possibly it waters down the story and the tension.
Note that the story in these four OVA is not complete. It was in the two OVA old version.
I like the concept of Ai no Kusabi, the plot, the set, the characters, and I'd like to watch a very extended and complete version of it, but I think I gained nothing from watching this.
