Ai No Kusabi [OVA]

Ai no Kusabi (間の楔?)[n 1] 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 original video animation (OVA) by Anime International Company (AIC), with the first episode released in August 1992, and the second in May 1994. In November 1993, an audio drama entitled Erogenous Dark was released focusing on a time period left unexplored in the original novels. A new thirteen episode anime OVA adaptation, also from AIC, is scheduled to begin releasing in Japan in spring of 2010.

The novel is licensed for an English language release in North America by Digital Manga Publishing which is publishing the novel across six volume series, with the first released in November 2007.

Story
Riki, a boy with pure black hair and black eyes, leads the street gang Bison in Ceres. At his side constantly was his second-in-command and pairing partner Guy. Bison was the cock of the walk in Ceres. Riki always told Guy he was going to get out of the slums.

One day he disappeared ...

Riki was out trying to steal a car in Midas when he was set upon by citizens of Midas. When they were about to kill him, a blondie interfered and saved Riki. Riki felt he owed him a debt for this, and offered to pay him with the only thing he had - his body.

The blondie was Iason Mink, the leader of Tanagura's syndicate and the most powerful man in the city. After Iason received his 'payment' from Riki, he decided to take him as his pet. Iason's friend Raoul warns him that he thinks keeping a mongrel pet is a bad idea.

Iason kept Riki as his pet for three years, which caused a lot of rumors to fly in Tanagura. Riki was too old to be kept as a pet (most are teens), plus he's a mongrel (when expensive, well-bred pets are available), and Iason kept him for much too long. The rumors also said the unthinkable - that Iason had broken the laws of Jupiter and had sex with his pet,(which is true).

Riki begs Iason for his freedom, and Iason grants him a year of freedom and allows him to go back to Ceres. Riki is welcomed back into Bison and returns to a normal life. He has changed, however, and is unable to forget the time he spent as Iason's pet.

When the year passed, Iason decided he wanted Riki back, and tells Raoul that he will get him back and that although he removed Riki's pet ring, he never cancelled his registration. Raoul warns Iason not to go against Jupiter and the laws of Tanagura. He refuses to be the one to tamper with Iason's mind.

Through his former furniture Katze, now a black marketeer, Iason arranges for Kirie, a young member of Bison, to set a trap and catch the gang. This ends with Bison being arrested. Riki was let go and told to return to his master, as he was listed as a runaway pet. The rest of Bison is set free on Iason's orders. Kirie's reward for turning against his gang is to have his mind tampered with and be turned into a docile pet himself. (However, one has to wonder, did Iason do all of this to not only have Riki all to himself, but also, punish Kirie for being a traitor and for being against Riki from the start and to also cover his tracks, since he is the one responsible for the break up of Riki's friends & his eventual kidnapping.)

After Riki is let go he rendezvous with Guy and after Guy suggests they return to being pairing partners again, he tells Guy about being Iason's pet. Guy is enraged by this and beats Riki up and throws him out. Riki decides to return to Iason.

After Riki returns to Iason he learns of the taboos Iason has broken to keep him with him, and of how Iason has protected him from the fate of former pets. Iason even decides to grant Riki a bit of further freedom by allowing him to work with Katze in the black market.

Guy misses Riki and doesn't want to believe that Riki has abandoned Bison. Instead, Guy decides that Iason is to blame, that he stole Riki away from them which in a sense is true. But no matter what feelings Riki has for his master, he did return to him on his own, even though we know that part of the reason he did return is no. 1.) a sense of obligation to said master and 2.) the break up of his gang, the sense of abandonment from his former friend, and the feelings of no where else to go.) As a result, Guy decides to get Riki away from Iason.

Guy kidnaps Riki one day while he is walking down the street and takes him to Dana Bahn. He demands an explanation of Riki's true feelings, and Riki hedges in giving them to him. Riki tells Guy that he is not the same person, and that this won't blow over. He'll never be free of Iason, and that as long as he wears Iason's pet ring. Or rather, as long as he has the ring on, he can be close to Iason. "So, take it off," Guy says. Guy therefore removes Riki's pet ring by castrating him.

Guy takes Riki elsewhere and gives him some painkillers, then contacts Iason and arranges to meet him in Dana Bahn. Riki activates a tracer in his watch and thereby contacts Katze. Katze helps him and together they go to Dana Bahn to stop Guy from whatever he intends to do.

Iason, thinking Riki is in Dana Bahn because of the tracer in the pet ring, meets Guy there. Guy gives Iason a box containing Riki's pet ring, telling Iason that there's now nothing to tie Riki down. Iason tells Guy he'll kill him. Iason hits Guy hard sending him flying to the wall and twists his arm. Guy activates explosives that he has placed in Dana Bahn before Iason kicks him making him lose consciousness.

Riki and Katze arrive. Riki enters Dana Bahn and is reunited with Iason. Riki asks Iason to save Guy and not leave him to the explosions, telling Iason that they (Riki & Iason) have driven Guy to this madness. For Riki's sake, Iason picks up Guy and carries him out. Riki can barely walk and Iason moves slowly so that Riki can keep up.

As they approach the front gate a huge explosion wracks Dana Bahn. Iason throws Guy ahead and grabs Riki, jumping and throwing him forward at the last minute. The gates of Dana Bahn collapse and slice Iason's legs off just above the knees. Riki is forced to leave him there while he takes Guy out of Dana Bahn.

Riki sees Katze, who has been waiting outside, and tells him to help Guy. Riki tells Katze that Iason is still inside and that he protected him and now can't move. Katze becomes angry at Riki for leaving Iason there, but Riki is going back to Iason.

Katze gives Riki some Black Moon cigarettes, which are poisonous. He heads back into Dana Bahn and sits down with Iason. They share a last kiss in the form of touching the end of the cigarettes together and finally die in each others embrace.

Outside, Jupiter gives out an anguished cry. Raoul whispers Iason's name as streams of electricity strike the city. Katze sits down in a chair back at his place and cries as he tries to smoke a cigarette. Guy stands in the ruins of Dana Bahn and thinking about what Katze said, what all has happened, and the pain of losing one arm ... and Riki.