Ai no Kusabi (2012)

Ai no Kusabi (2012) is the newest adaptation of a light novel of the same name published in 1986-1987. It’s first adaptation was airing in 1992-1994 and it had 2 OVA’s. This adaptation consisted of 4 OVA’s so double the fun, right? Well, yes and no, unless you call unfinished work fun. In that case it’s yes and yes.

Story: 9/10
It’s set in a fictional world with mostly men because of some genetic issues. The society is divided into castes where elites are at the top and mongrels at the bottom. The story revolves around an elite and a mongrel but don’t get the wrong idea, this isn’t a Romeo and Juliet spin off.
Iason Mink, an elite of the highest degree, encounters Rikki, a mongrel, in slums. He finds him interesting so after some events, takes him in as his… well… pet (read: sex toy). After 3 years of captivity, Riki’s rather restless and keeps making Iason trouble. That’s where the first OVA starts. Riki unsuccessfully tries to escape and Iason, pressed on by other elites decides to free him for a year, hoping he would come back on his own.
Don’t expect any sort of cheesy romance without point or the usual falling in love after being raped thing. The story follows Riki as he tries to fit back in into slums and regain his past reputation. However, stuff don’t go as easily since everyone keeps asking him where he was for the past 3 years and his former lover is trying to get back together with him at all cost. It all gets even more complicated when Iason decides that Riki had enough freedom and tries to get him back.
The only complaint I have about the story is, that it’s unfinished.

Art: 10/10
Truly amazing, one of the best things about the anime. It shows that it was done recently. Character designs are also very interesting, even of the side characters.

Sound: 10/10
Incredible opening and ending, both fit perfectly to the anime. VA’s are very good and I don’t think they could have picked better for those characters.

Characters: 9/10
Characters are about the most interesting part of the story. Riki is strong, prideful and arrogant. His nature is part of his inner struggle to figure out his feelings towards Iason. He hates him for imprisoning him and treating him like a toy. There’s even a moment when he spaces out obviously in fear from his memories after seeing him after a long time. At the same time it’s clearly shown by his actions that he is attracted by Iason ever since they met but he isn’t and doesn’t want to be aware of that.
Iason, on the other hand, is completely aware of his feelings for Riki but it never happened to him before so he’s confused by himself.
Other characters have a role in the story. We have Gai, Riki’s former lover who tries to make Riki open up and return to him, Kirie a boy who wants to become a pet and enjoy life full of money, Katze mysterious guy working in black market who was once Iason’s servant so he keeps in touch with him and the rest of Riki’s former gang.

Enjoyment: 9/10 (AKA yaoi scenes)
This is a true gem in the yaoi world. I don’t think I’ve seen a yaoi that would do them better than this. They didn’t feel forced, they weren’t randomly thrown to please fans and it wasn’t the typical girly, unexperienced and shy uke with the perverted and experienced seme. They were both perverted and at some points Riki seemed more experienced than Iason. Censorship is there but it doesn’t feel awkward and it never made me want to hit my fist through the screen unlike many other yaoi.

Overall: 9.5/10 (rounded to 9 because of no ending)
If you are bored with stupid and annoying romance in usual shounen ai like me. Then this anime is exactly for you.

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I think this Ai No Kusabi could never compare to the original because the first is always the best plain and simple. However if you were confused about the story in the original this reboot tells some back story. Unfortunately it never ended the art is the same except the city,sound is beautiful and characters are same as always.

I'll be blunt: if you have already watched the 1992-1994 Ai no Kusabi, listen to me, don't waste your time watching this.

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.

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Remake of the anime "Ai no kusabi" first aired in 1992.
Story: 6/10
These ova show just half of the story, but when you confront it with the first version is easier to follow the plot.
Something changed in the story, anything really important, but is usually something that annoies me , the author chose what happened, then why in the animated version should it change?
Art: 10/10
Yessss, this is quite the thing, the art is awesome, I really liked it. But that's it.
I watched a more glamour version of Ai no Kusabi. But damn, that was pretty sexy xD
Sound: 8
Nice, I liked voice actors' job, and the soudtrack was nice, but... Pretty out of theme, I mean, some tracks destroyed the atmosphere...
Character; 9/10
Character were canon, no strange reactions or something out, they were phisically identic to the old version but anatomically more correct and of course more handsome. I liked this version's outfit the most, but sincerelly, the relationships between the characters weren't clear at all. You don't really understand how deep are the feelings between Riki and Iason, or how Gai really feels towards Riki.
Enjoyement:9/10
The plot does take you and the drawings are gorgeous. Not ten on ten Because it was nice but not a masterpiece, sorry.
Overall:8/10
I don't understand those who said that this remake was trash, personally I liked '92 version the most, but you have to recognize that the art is actually good and, if you don't compare it with first version this is a good anime.
Not a masterpiece, doesn't make you go berserk for its magnificent storyline, but it's a good one.

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