 Ai no Kusabi - An Illustrated
Synopsis
The story is set in a futuristic world, some human beings now live on a planet in space. In this planet, people are ranked according to their hair colour, from the lowest to the highest privileged group: black, red, blue/green, silver, blonde. The story is mind-boggling, but I find the background of this futuristic world just as interesting, so here are some background info. Background Like a lot of SF stories, the real controller of this world is actually a computer, and the highest ranked species, the blondies, are genetically engineered human with superior physical and mental abilities, they are perfect in every normal sense, except that they are sterile. Iason being the most superior blondie of all, with every privilege you can imagine. These blondies keep pets (aka sex slaves) for entertainment, they would watch/tease/torture the pets as they see fit. It is said that the blondies themselves don't have sex with the pets nor anyone else, perhaps because sex to them is of no reproductive purpose, or perhaps they are too divine to be in sexual contact with another living thing, as strange as it seems. To take care of the pets, we have another group of people called "furniture", they are good looking low ranked beings that don't qualify to be pets. People in the slum are dying to be furniture, just to get out of the slum and live in the same palace like buildings as the blondies. Of course, there is a price to pay for the comfortable life ... the furniture are all castrated. Katze, a red head, has served as the furniture of Iason, but later moves on and becomes a prominent figure in the black market. The lower ranked people have no right whatsoever, and live in a slum called Midas, where people have no identity and no life. The population in the slum is more than 90% male, probably kept that way by the super computer that means to control human reproduction itself. In the slum, most of these men have a "pairing partner" (same partner as "this is my partner" when a gay man introduces his lover). It's a wonder why such a notion exists, as between these pairing partners themselves, there don't seem to be much love, and that the bonding is based on sex. They may as well have anyone they want, it's not like there is AIDS in this world. Riki, a black haired guy, is the lowest of the low, all he does is committing petty crimes here and there. His pairing partner is Guy. |
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the story ... One day in Midas, Iason is driving around and comes across Riki beaten up by a gang. Under any normal circumstances, a blondie like Iason would ignore all these and move on, but instead, Iason gets out of his car and fights off the gang effortlessly (the blondies are so much taller and stronger, they can crash another human easily with one hand). Doesn't want to owe Iason a favour, Riki offered Iason his body and they head off to Riki's home. At home, Riki gets undressed, his hands are then bound above his head by Iason’s left hand, and was jerked off by Iason’s right hand. There must be some unexplainable chemistry between the two, for the highest of the high now wants the lowest of the low to be his pet, and the proud and arrogant Riki who doesn't bow to anyone seems to partly agree himself. All these are exceptions even in this absurd world in space, a blondie keeping a black haired pet, and Riki partly willing to be his pet. To complicate things just further, slum habitants actually crave to be pets if they qualify, because it is the only chance to get out of the slum, but Riki being the community hero that has personality, would not have yielded in this case unless he is somewhat attracted to the blondie too. For 3 years, Riki has been Iason's pet, and has stayed in Eos where all the high ranked people spend most of their time. And then for some reason, Riki is set free again, and he goes back to Midas. He meets up with his friend Guy and his gang, and hangs around in the slum, starting that purposeless life all over again. It is unknown to the audience as to why Iason lets Riki go, because all Iason wants, despite risking his position and his life as a blondie, is Riki himself. I believe that Riki is let go, because Riki himself must have been begging for the freedom for a long time, and Iason eventually can't refuse to entertain his wish, decides to give Riki a taste of the freedom, and gets him back when the time comes.
And the time has eventually come, Riki's gang is committing another crime again but falls into a trap set up by Iason, and Guy is caught. Guy is now Iason's ransom, so Riki has every reason to go back. It may seem that Riki is going back so as to save Guy's life, but we can see that part of him just desires to be with Iason, unquestionably, Iason has treated him well, in the sexual sense, in fact so well that Riki wants to go back for more. Now Riki and Iason are back together in Eos (Iason's apartment’s on the highest floor). Did I mention the pet ring? Every pet has an ID that is imprinted on the pet ring, and a pet has to wear the ring all the time. The ring can be placed anywhere, as per the master's request, like on the finger, wrist, neck, etc, and can only be taken off by the master (a really hi-tech ring it seems). For Riki's case, the ring happens to be a cock ring. A usual game for the two seems to be something like this: Iason teases Riki with the cock ring on, when Riki gets all aroused, Iason would take the ring off eventually, and you know what happens afterwards. Having been separated for a while, Iason and Riki continue their hot and steamy love making for a few scenes at various settings. However, in no time, Riki is getting bored and suffocated in this envied palace for the privileged. He starts begging Iason for freedom all over again, and Iason just can’t "disobey" his pet, so he gets Riki a job, monitered by Katze. Meanwhile, Guy is planning his revenge on Iason, having been told about Riki's ring already, and strongly believing that the proud and "honorable" Riki that he knows is unwillingly serving the fearful blondie. One day, he gets to the place where Riki works, and kidnaps him to a shielded room that no radar can reach. The Brutal Part .... Guy and Riki are now in the same room, and the two are talking and fighting, Riki is actually blaming Guy for "saving" him, for there is no way to get away from this world that is controlled by the blondies. And of course, there is all the fuss about the pet ring, how can Riki live for the rest of his life with that thing on?
Guy, obvious to the audience now that he is desperately in love with Riki, has his own plan, in fact he has everything planned out from the beginning, and he seems to have successfully convinced Riki of this plan too .... Guy brings out an alcoholic drink, and Riki drinks it, and then the ring is finally detached from Riki's body together with Riki's penis. We are not shown this scene in the anime, but the idea is scary all the same. With the ring in hand, Guy has the upper hand in the game, as Iason now agrees to meet Guy in a crappy and dangerous place. In a building that is going to be blown up, Iason and Guy meet. Iason demands that Guy return Riki at once, believing that Riki is also in the building (the ring has some kind of transmitter, and Iason can detect the location of the ring), but when Guy throws him the ring with a cold laugh, Iason realizes at once just what Guy has done to Riki. Iason is mad, really mad, and starts beating the hell out of Guy, ripped off his arm, and he just has to kill this guy that maimed the only person he will ever want in this world. Going back in time a little bit, Riki has passed out after the trauma, and has been put on a bed by Guy. A few hours passed, and Riki wakes up, most probably because of the pain. It’s obvious that he’s in agony, he can barely move (poor, poor Riki). Guy isn’t around, and Riki starts to get worried, so he calls Katze and tells him about the sick event. Katze, having experienced the very same thing personally, rushed to Riki’s hiding place. Even though Riki is in no condition to walk or move or do anything, he insists on finding Guy, and the two head to the crappy building where Iason is smashing Guy. Riki gets there right on time, Guy is not yet killed, and Riki has to ask Iason to stop what he is doing to Guy. Iason doesn’t listen at first, but then gives in when Riki says that Guy is doing all these because of them (Iason and Riki), it’s them that have pushed Guy to such limit. Now the building is collapsing, and the three are fleeing towards the door. The mutilated Riki not only has to run himself, he also has to carry Guy on his shoulder, Iason isn’t helping Riki, and is running in front of them. Iason could have escaped long before the building comes down, but he waits for Riki. Now, the ceiling is really collapsing, and you can see that Riki and Guy are going to be buried…. At this very moment, Iason pushes the two away towards the exit. Geezzzz, another bloody scene, Iason has managed to get the two out of danger, but he has been hit himself, and both of his legs under the knee are chopped off. If Iason is in pain, his expressions are definitely not showing, as he is still the same Iason with the same expressionless features. But we know that he must be able to feel pain, as genetically superior as he is, if he can feel pleasure, there is no reason that he can't feel pain. Meanwhile, Riki continues his quest of getting Guy outside, while in lots and lots of pain himself.
Outside the building, Katze is waiting anxiously, on seeing them, he is delighted but at once notices that Iason is missing. Making a decision this time is easy, Riki goes back into the crashing building without a second thought, taking a box of black moon (poisonous cigarette that can kill in a matter of seconds) from Katze. For the very last time, the blondie with no leg and his castrated pet meet, and have the last "long deep kiss" while lighting the cigarettes together inside the furnace of a building. As unreal as it seems, the two have never been more satisfied and in peace in their life. The anime ends with Katze and Guy together somewhere reminiscing what must have been love that has bound Iason and Riki together, for life. Back to Main Index |
