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Ai no Kusabi #7
Ai no Kusabi Vol. 7
The feelings of anger and jealousy surrounding Riki's status as Iason's pet continues to fester, both amongst the Blondies and their pet. Riki is feeling more and more isolated, as he suffers from a serious stabbing and remains confined. Will Iason be able to keep hold of his beloved Riki, or will Blondie's society tear them apart? And what about Guy? Is he willing to walk away?
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2012
11 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Rieko Yoshihara
22 books109 followersJapanese author and a key creator of the homoerotic subgenre known in Japan as shōnen ai ["boys' love"]. Yoshihara spent the first three years of her career writing straightforward homoerotic romance, before stumbling into sf, seemingly by accident, with the success of her signature work Ai no Kusabi (December 1986-October 1987 Shōsetsu June; 1990; trans as The Space Between 2007-2008 [see Checklist for details]). Originally published in book form as a single hardback novel, it was later reissued as a six-part series, from which the English translation was made.
Yoshihara's work is strongly redolent of the sexually-charged mysteries of Ranpo Edogawa, and shares many overt themes with the controversial sf of Shōzō Numa. However, it reached an entirely different audience, one largely unaware of these precursors. The world of Ai no Kusabi is divided by decree into classes defined by Genetic Engineering as signalled by the hair colour of the blond rulers and their black-haired subjects. The Blondies are forbidden from sexual intercourse, but often keep members of the dark-haired underclass for use as "pets" and "furniture". In an attempt to curtail Overpopulation, no more than 10% of births may be female, effectively rendering the milieu as an all-male environment, as opposed to the female Keep of Yoshihara's contemporary Yumi Matsuo.
In a sense, Yoshihara's work is an extreme comment on Women in SF, by excluding them almost entirely from a narrative of intense homoerotic relationships and macho vendettas. In depicting abusive relationships between men, in a world from which women are removed or somehow distanced, she tapped into an unexpectedly large subsection of female fandom. Ai no Kusabi found a passionate readership in Japan, sufficient to secure a Seiun Award for its illustrator Katsumi Michihara, although not for its author. The series has twice been adapted into anime, as a two-part video in 1992 and on DVD in 2012; there have also been CD dramas in the style of Radio plays, as well as a Manga edition. Long before its licensed translation in the twenty-first century, it gained a similarly passionate fan following at the periphery of US anime fandom, often among viewers who were forced to guess at the Japanese plot. In its romanticizing of both abstinence and abuse, it can be seen as a forerunner of certain subsets of twenty-first century fantasy, particularly the depiction of Vampires typified by Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.
Ai no Kusabi was the subject of a prolonged fan translation project, the results of which are often at odds with the output of the legal English-language publication. This is a feature of the sheer fanaticism of Fandom, but also of the many difficulties facing a translator of its complex, multi-layered situations. Even the title encompasses a multiplicity of meanings, with "The Space Between" in Japanese also a pun on "Bonds of Love", "Wedge of Interval" and numerous other possible readings. Moreover, some of Yoshihara's editions offer a decorative English-language subtitle on the Japanese cover, even though her English-language title is often an inexact or counter-intuitive rendering of the actual Japanese. Such fogging of meaning is commonplace in modern Japanese sf, but plays havoc with encyclopedia listings (> Hisashi Kuroma).
Although hardly one of the Mainstream Writers of SF, Yoshihara shares many of their concerns, being primarily an author in one genre (her mundane homosexual romances are largely unlisted here), who only occasionally dabbles in Fantastika. Several of her other books touch on otherworldly themes. Kage no Kan ["House of Shadows"] (1994) eroticizes the relationship between Lucifer and his sworn enemy, the archangel Michael. Although not listed as a sequel per se, the following year's Satan no Fūin ["Seal of Satan"] (1995), shares an illustrator, as well as an apparent continuation of the story as Lucifer lives out his exile on Earth (> Gods and Demons). [JonC]
Yoshihara's work is strongly redolent of the sexually-charged mysteries of Ranpo Edogawa, and shares many overt themes with the controversial sf of Shōzō Numa. However, it reached an entirely different audience, one largely unaware of these precursors. The world of Ai no Kusabi is divided by decree into classes defined by Genetic Engineering as signalled by the hair colour of the blond rulers and their black-haired subjects. The Blondies are forbidden from sexual intercourse, but often keep members of the dark-haired underclass for use as "pets" and "furniture". In an attempt to curtail Overpopulation, no more than 10% of births may be female, effectively rendering the milieu as an all-male environment, as opposed to the female Keep of Yoshihara's contemporary Yumi Matsuo.
In a sense, Yoshihara's work is an extreme comment on Women in SF, by excluding them almost entirely from a narrative of intense homoerotic relationships and macho vendettas. In depicting abusive relationships between men, in a world from which women are removed or somehow distanced, she tapped into an unexpectedly large subsection of female fandom. Ai no Kusabi found a passionate readership in Japan, sufficient to secure a Seiun Award for its illustrator Katsumi Michihara, although not for its author. The series has twice been adapted into anime, as a two-part video in 1992 and on DVD in 2012; there have also been CD dramas in the style of Radio plays, as well as a Manga edition. Long before its licensed translation in the twenty-first century, it gained a similarly passionate fan following at the periphery of US anime fandom, often among viewers who were forced to guess at the Japanese plot. In its romanticizing of both abstinence and abuse, it can be seen as a forerunner of certain subsets of twenty-first century fantasy, particularly the depiction of Vampires typified by Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.
Ai no Kusabi was the subject of a prolonged fan translation project, the results of which are often at odds with the output of the legal English-language publication. This is a feature of the sheer fanaticism of Fandom, but also of the many difficulties facing a translator of its complex, multi-layered situations. Even the title encompasses a multiplicity of meanings, with "The Space Between" in Japanese also a pun on "Bonds of Love", "Wedge of Interval" and numerous other possible readings. Moreover, some of Yoshihara's editions offer a decorative English-language subtitle on the Japanese cover, even though her English-language title is often an inexact or counter-intuitive rendering of the actual Japanese. Such fogging of meaning is commonplace in modern Japanese sf, but plays havoc with encyclopedia listings (> Hisashi Kuroma).
Although hardly one of the Mainstream Writers of SF, Yoshihara shares many of their concerns, being primarily an author in one genre (her mundane homosexual romances are largely unlisted here), who only occasionally dabbles in Fantastika. Several of her other books touch on otherworldly themes. Kage no Kan ["House of Shadows"] (1994) eroticizes the relationship between Lucifer and his sworn enemy, the archangel Michael. Although not listed as a sequel per se, the following year's Satan no Fūin ["Seal of Satan"] (1995), shares an illustrator, as well as an apparent continuation of the story as Lucifer lives out his exile on Earth (> Gods and Demons). [JonC]
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 4, 2012
Iason Mink proves himself a master of the ever-rebellious Riki, changing circumstances and his secret dealings in the underworld. However, the sense that he has gripped a tiger by the tail and created an untenable situation for himself by taking in a slumdog mongrel as a pet grows ever stronger with each passing installment.
So far, Ms. Yoshihara has presented Mink as the epitome of all Blondies, untouched by either troubling emotion or the difficulties he engenders for himself with his unorthodox behavior and decisions. I myself am becoming more and more annoyed by this impervious figure of ice. I long for him to be toppled from his pedestal, humiliated and destroyed by his own obsessions. That, after all, is usually what happens to people who allow their obsessions to take hold of them. That day seems far off, at this point.
Iason Mink, like the rest of his kind, isn’t human; he’s merely an android with a fleshy human brain. While he longs with savage desperation to know something of the ecstasy that he inflicts on his poor pet, the true sensations that Riki experiences are forever beyond him simply because of his very nature. So Ms. Yoshihara has managed the spectacular feat of making me loathe this creature and pity him at the same time.
So far, Ms. Yoshihara has presented Mink as the epitome of all Blondies, untouched by either troubling emotion or the difficulties he engenders for himself with his unorthodox behavior and decisions. I myself am becoming more and more annoyed by this impervious figure of ice. I long for him to be toppled from his pedestal, humiliated and destroyed by his own obsessions. That, after all, is usually what happens to people who allow their obsessions to take hold of them. That day seems far off, at this point.
Iason Mink, like the rest of his kind, isn’t human; he’s merely an android with a fleshy human brain. While he longs with savage desperation to know something of the ecstasy that he inflicts on his poor pet, the true sensations that Riki experiences are forever beyond him simply because of his very nature. So Ms. Yoshihara has managed the spectacular feat of making me loathe this creature and pity him at the same time.
July 9, 2015
I am incredibly happy that Juné decided to continue this series. The only sad part is that the book is quite short - but still, a good continuation to the series.
Somehow I'm so into Iason and Riki's weird relationship and I was glad that Iason actually did something in this part. I can relate to his obsession and how it intertwines with his obsession with power and domination. Yoshihara writes Iason well - oddly distant and inhuman, but with carnal desires that make him more human than he would like. I also like Riki and how he grows throughout the series (in more than one way). Submission does a lot, but there is more - an inseparable connection that sometimes is akin to love.
This book shows us new sides to the relationship and how Iason and Riki handle things. Yoshihara keeps us at arm's length and it works well. The only thing that bothers me is that the book seems somewhat incoherent at times and thus perhaps would have needed more pages to it. Who needs Fifty Shades when you can have this?
Somehow I'm so into Iason and Riki's weird relationship and I was glad that Iason actually did something in this part. I can relate to his obsession and how it intertwines with his obsession with power and domination. Yoshihara writes Iason well - oddly distant and inhuman, but with carnal desires that make him more human than he would like. I also like Riki and how he grows throughout the series (in more than one way). Submission does a lot, but there is more - an inseparable connection that sometimes is akin to love.
This book shows us new sides to the relationship and how Iason and Riki handle things. Yoshihara keeps us at arm's length and it works well. The only thing that bothers me is that the book seems somewhat incoherent at times and thus perhaps would have needed more pages to it. Who needs Fifty Shades when you can have this?
April 5, 2023
my heart is breaking 💔
January 2, 2021
READ. THE. FAN. TRANSLATION.
This review will be based solely on the official version published by DMP (Digital Manga Publishing) who translated the Ai no Kusabi novels. (I rate it two stars, here's why:)
Between Vol 6 and 7, the translator for the series changed and the quality of the translation took a turn for the worse: translation errors, rewriting, additions not present in any form in Japanese, massive possible censorship of sexual content; a lot of text overall has been scrapped (20,000 words VS 34,000+ words for the fan-translation). Unlike the previous installments, Vol 7 & 8 are severely lacking in many ways.
If you have read the official version, once rated this book and/or want to read a more accurate version, I strongly encourage you to go check out the fan-translated one because this volume published by DMP is, if anything, what I would call a distasteful mixture of canon and "DMP-fan fiction."
Link to the fan-translation: https://rabi-ank.tumblr.com/post/6366....
I thank you for your understanding and hope you'll enjoy reading this non-profit revised edition.
I'm open to private messages if you have any questions.
This review will be based solely on the official version published by DMP (Digital Manga Publishing) who translated the Ai no Kusabi novels. (I rate it two stars, here's why:)
Between Vol 6 and 7, the translator for the series changed and the quality of the translation took a turn for the worse: translation errors, rewriting, additions not present in any form in Japanese, massive possible censorship of sexual content; a lot of text overall has been scrapped (20,000 words VS 34,000+ words for the fan-translation). Unlike the previous installments, Vol 7 & 8 are severely lacking in many ways.
If you have read the official version, once rated this book and/or want to read a more accurate version, I strongly encourage you to go check out the fan-translated one because this volume published by DMP is, if anything, what I would call a distasteful mixture of canon and "DMP-fan fiction."
Link to the fan-translation: https://rabi-ank.tumblr.com/post/6366....
I thank you for your understanding and hope you'll enjoy reading this non-profit revised edition.
I'm open to private messages if you have any questions.
December 8, 2022
Riki returns to life in Eos, unable to escape, no longer seing the point of struggling. Ther’s no living quietly for him. Not with the outrage and secret (and not so secret) desire that he evokes. Not with the scandal he’s uncovered about the true face behind the glittering facade of Tanagura. The environment and its denizens prove too fragile for him, but not for Iason. So when Riki makes a desperate plea, Iason makes another bold, revolutionary move to cage, have, and own the man he desires to the point of madness. Or perhaps his madness is perfectly reasonable.
Ther was as much of Iason as there was of Riki in this book. How the perfect, ideal, remote android at the top of the social hierarchy of this world envies and desires the raw passion and energy embodied in Riki. How much Iason is risking himself for this passion. How much the other Blondys feel Iason’s passion has corrupted him, yet they are starting to crave the corruption, the stimulus that Riki brings, that Iason challenges them by feeling. It’s made Iason’s peers a little bolder, yet Tanagura feels threatened by Riki, feels the threat to their Pets. Riki can’t quite disregard the Furniture as he once did, knowing whom they are, how their paths once crossed his. The final decision Iason makes creates a space for Riki and himself, giving him what he wants, but the reader can almost feel the short lifetime breathing its last breaths. Powerful, painful, and intensely erotic, this lives up to the rest of the series.
Ther was as much of Iason as there was of Riki in this book. How the perfect, ideal, remote android at the top of the social hierarchy of this world envies and desires the raw passion and energy embodied in Riki. How much Iason is risking himself for this passion. How much the other Blondys feel Iason’s passion has corrupted him, yet they are starting to crave the corruption, the stimulus that Riki brings, that Iason challenges them by feeling. It’s made Iason’s peers a little bolder, yet Tanagura feels threatened by Riki, feels the threat to their Pets. Riki can’t quite disregard the Furniture as he once did, knowing whom they are, how their paths once crossed his. The final decision Iason makes creates a space for Riki and himself, giving him what he wants, but the reader can almost feel the short lifetime breathing its last breaths. Powerful, painful, and intensely erotic, this lives up to the rest of the series.
May 3, 2020
Oh, Iason... you poor tormented creature. Now I get you, after 7 volumes. You're on the freaking cusp of humanity and pushing like a madman to get there, but it's still out of reach. Physically out of reach, if not emotionally. It never crossed my mind to wonder why we never see Iason in the throes of any pleasure, I chalked it up to the whole skewed BDSM angle of play, but nope. It's only at an intellectual level and at an emotional level as well that Iason can derive any satisfaction. The best he can do is deliver pleasure to the point of insanity and savor the reactions. I think I was misled by the anime into thinking he got as good as he gave and enjoyed himself in equal measure.
Plus, all the other aspects of this entanglement, the very real danger Iason is putting himself in with all his deviant behavior, the thrill of living on the edge... they're just attempts at being human.
Bless, I still love you to bits, Iason-sama, but this takes you down a peg... or six, on the godhood ladder.
Plus, all the other aspects of this entanglement, the very real danger Iason is putting himself in with all his deviant behavior, the thrill of living on the edge... they're just attempts at being human.
Bless, I still love you to bits, Iason-sama, but this takes you down a peg... or six, on the godhood ladder.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2021
Riki in Apathia and Guy looks more into the secrets of Midas.
Great story, but too many repetitions/recaps again. Each book is only 1.5 hours at the most per book. So many repeats arent necessary and hinder it. By skipping them, its only 1 hour at the most.
Great story, but too many repetitions/recaps again. Each book is only 1.5 hours at the most per book. So many repeats arent necessary and hinder it. By skipping them, its only 1 hour at the most.
July 26, 2021
No se si se deba a la traducción, pero si bien avanza la historia, realmente no aclara la relación que hay entre los protagonistas, aunque tal vez no haha mucho que aclarar, se vuelve repetitiva con palabras que ha venido mencionando en los tomos anteriores.
June 15, 2025
There's at last more substantial development to Riki and Iason's dynamic, I'm really reluctant to read the next volume, but I've also come this far, even tho I know it'll destroy me, i also wanna go to the end.
(ps for future ref; i read the fan retranslation instead of the official one)
(ps for future ref; i read the fan retranslation instead of the official one)
December 22, 2022
Check TV JC Erie sorry to office do the in an HR CNN is and GMA doesn't DMV end she's shy access screening to my GMA FM if did fly too did do Jamie sync
August 28, 2023
The fan translation saved the day. Looking at the last volume with trepidation now.
February 4, 2024
la versione inglese distribuisce la storia diversamente da quella italiana che invece è corente con la suddivisione originale dei volumi, quella giapponese pt.1
December 18, 2022
Somehow, Aisha's become a female. Changing the gender of a character is quite a mistake when translating a book. For those who didn't notice, Aisha is, indeed, a male (all Blondies are).
In this book we can finally see that, despite being a Blondy, Iason has some strong human features. His infatuation with Riki is causing his world to slowly fall apart. Deep down, he knows that he's overstepped the limits of what is acceptable long ago, but he still can't let Riki go.
In this book we can finally see that, despite being a Blondy, Iason has some strong human features. His infatuation with Riki is causing his world to slowly fall apart. Deep down, he knows that he's overstepped the limits of what is acceptable long ago, but he still can't let Riki go.
January 6, 2016
I. Need. Volume. 8. NAOW!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews