Ai no Kusabi

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Ai no Kusabi
Original title 間 の 楔
transcription Ai no Kusabi
genre Yaoi , science fiction
Light novel
country Japan
author Rieko Yoshihara
illustrator Katsumi Michihara
publishing company Kofusha Shuppan
magazine Shosetsu June
First publication October 1987 - October 1990
expenditure 1
Original video animation
Country of production JapanJapan Japan
original language Japanese
year 1992
Studio AIC
length 60 minutes
Episodes 2
Director Akira Nishimori, Katsuhito Akiyama
music Terumitsu Honma, Toshiro Yabuki, Tsutomu Ohira
synchronization

Ai no Kusabi ( Japanese 間 の 楔 ) is a Japanese light novel series by Rieko Yoshihara and Katsumi Michihara , which was published in Japan from 1987 to 1990. The work belongs to the genre Yaoi and science fiction and was adapted as a radio play and as an original video animation .

content

In the distant future there is the city of Tanagura on the planet Amoi. It is ruled by the computer Jupiter, which controls everyone's life. Society is divided into several classes, women only make up 15% of the population, mostly they belong to the lowest class who live in the slum of Ceres. The social status is indicated by the hair color. For the upper classes, whose members are all sterile, it is a recreational pleasure to watch lower-class men having sex. Only the lowest classes multiply naturally.

The story follows the blonde Jason Mink, member of the top class, who goes to Ceres in search of a "sex slave". There he saves Riki from a vigilante who is chasing him because he wanted to steal a car. So Riki becomes Jason's slave and will remain so for many years. However, when he meets Guy, his former partner, he is faced with his previous life. The argument between the three leads to the deaths of Riki and Jason in a fire set by Guy.

Publications

Light novel

The light novel was published in individual chapters from October 1987 to October 1990 in the magazine Shōsetsu June of the publishing house Kōfūsha Shuppan . An anthology followed later containing all chapters. Digital Manga Publishing published the light novel in six volumes in the USA.

Radio plays and music

An audio book on the light novel was published in Japan on May 31, 1989, and five CDs with the anime's soundtrack were added from 1992 to 1995. The first radio play came out in November 1993. In 2007 and 2008 three more radio play CDs followed by mee-Maker.

Animes

AIC produced an original video animation in two parts for the light novel. The first part by director Akira Nishimori came out in 1992, followed in 1994 by the second part by Katsuhito Akiyama. The character design was designed by Naoyuki Onda and the artistic directors were Yasuhiro Moriki and Yōichi Nangō. June Video took over the distribution, Yamato Video published an Italian translation.

A new adaptation of Ai no Kusabi as a 13-part OVA was announced for 2009 . Katsuhito Akiyama directs the production of AIC. However, the publication has been postponed several times, so far only short excerpts have been published.

synchronization

role Japanese speaker ( seiyū ) 1992 Japanese speakers 2009
Jason Mink Kaneto Shiozawa Tōru Ōkawa
Riki Toshihiko Seki Kentarō Itō
Kacche Hideyuki Tanaka Shin'ichirō Miki
Gai Daisuke Kishio Kōji Tsujitani

music

The music of the first OVA comes from Terumitsu Honma, Toshiro Yabuki and Tsutomu Ohira. The opening credits are highlighted with Midnight Illusion by Toshihiko Seki, the credits song is Eternal by Shin'ichirō Ishihara.

reception

Patrick Drazen describes the OVA 2003 as a magnum opus of the Shōnen-ai and Yaoi genre. The social structure depicted in the anime is reminiscent of the classic Metropolis or contemporary works such as Gray and Appleseed .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Website of mee-Maker on the radio plays from 2007 and 2008 ( Memento from October 6, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ Anime News Network about the excerpts and the postponement of the release date
  3. ↑ Drazen, 2003, p. 95 f.

literature

  • Patrick Drazen: Anime Explosion! - The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation , pp. 95-97. Stone Bridge Press, 2003. (English)

Web links