Ai no Kusabi (2012)

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Alternative Titles

Japanese: 間の楔

Information

Type: OVA

Episodes: 4

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Jan 18, 2012 to Apr 18, 2012

Producers: KENMedia

Licensors: Media Blasters

Studios: AIC

Source: Light novel

Genres: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Yaoi

Duration: 25 min. per ep.

Rating: R+ - Mild Nudity

Statistics

Score: 6.94¹ (scored by 8,736 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet aired' titles are excluded.

Ranked: N/A²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #2349

Members: 19,448

Favorites: 84

6.94

Ranked N/APopularity #2349Members 19,448

OVAAIC

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Episodes: /4

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Synopsis

The story is set in the future on the planet named Amoi which is controlled by a supercomputer named Jupiter. Among the mostly male human population, the light-haired elite class is allowed to temporarily keep the dark-haired "mongrels" as pets. One elite member, Iason, encounters a mongrel named Riki in the slums and decides to take him in. However, Iason keeps Riki longer than it is socially approved, and rumors abound about their possible relationship.

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Ai no Kusabi
Alternative version:	Ai no Kusabi

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Characters & Voice Actors

Mink, Iason

Main

Ookawa, Tooru
Japanese

Riki

Main

Itou, Kentarou
Japanese

Katze

Supporting

Miki, Shinichiro
Japanese

Am, Raoul

Supporting

Kuroda, Takaya
Japanese

Gai

Supporting

Toriumi, Kousuke
Japanese

Zavi, Orphe

Supporting

Tobita, Nobuo
Japanese

Daryl

Supporting

Hanawa, Eiji
Japanese

Kirie

Supporting

Morikubo, Shoutaro
Japanese

Lagat, Gideon

Supporting

Horiuchi, Kenyuu
Japanese

Rosen, Aisha

Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito
Japanese

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Staff

Akiyama, Katsuhito

Director

Abe, Nobuyuki

Sound Director

Yoshihara, Rieko

Script, Series Composition, Original Creator, Screenplay

Takahashi, Tetsuya

Theme Song Composition

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More reviewsReviews

Jun 27, 2012

4 of 4 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

SuiNoByakko (All reviews)

71 people found this review helpful

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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Jun 11, 2012

4 of 4 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

artemis456 (All reviews)

24 people found this review helpful

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.

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Jul 3, 2016

4 of 4 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

SqueekoftheNorth (All reviews)

6 people found this review helpful

Really a superb piece of work... if only they would continue it. Sadly, at only four episodes, this will leave you wanting and in which I case I highly recommend seeking out the original two-part OAV, which although at a much faster story pace, will grant a resolution to the story.

Also recommend the original for a more passionate, intense, and graphic bit of Yaoi anime.

However, on it's own there is an incredible world to delve into and the artwork is amazing for both characters and backdrops. For anyone who is tired of the mundane stories of classmates and businessmen that most yaoi and BL stories read more

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Jul 11, 2015

4 of 4 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 6

Yoshimasa (All reviews)

8 people found this review helpful

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 read more

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Remake of Yaoi OVA Ai no Kusabi Announced

According to the official website, AIC will remake a yaoi OVA "Ai no Kusabi". It will be a 13-episode series and will be released in the autumn of 2009. St...read more

Dec 29, 2008 5:20 AM by dtshyk | Discuss (79 comments)

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	Poll: Ai no Kusabi (2012) Episode 4 Discussion otakuhime - Apr 22, 2012	32 replies	by blue-y »» Jul 26, 2016 11:28 PM
	Poll: Ai no Kusabi (2012) Episode 1 Discussion yaoiisgood - Jan 23, 2012	40 replies	by ChrisMuser394 »» Nov 20, 2014 6:14 PM

Ai no Kusabi (2012)

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