“We will face various situations, and encounter different enemies.”... more>>

From team leader Jang Mok-Hwa, who seeks the true new world,

To Seong Geon-Woo, who wants to save humanity,

Baek Sae-Byeok, a relic hunter who roamed the wasteland,

And Yong Yeohong, who simply dreams of a stable life.
Together, they travel through the wilderness,

Finally coming face to face with a world only heard of in tales.

To avoid repeating the same mistakes,

They must find the cause of why the old world fell.

Under the spreading sunlight of the true sky,

Will the rescue team members be able to grasp the truth? <<less

"Demon King"
That was the title they used to call me in my past life, before I became human.

Noda has never wanted to be a source of disappointment or shame to his family. Raised in a pious, conservative household, he knew he had certain expectations to meet. Get a job, find a wife, have children- these were to be his destiny. But Noda has a secret. 10 years ago, he had a torrid s*xual affair with an acquaintance, a male acquaintance. Noda had kept himself from getting to know Wakasugi too well, hoping to distance himself from emotional entanglements. After all, it had to end sometime s two men couldn't carry on a forever type of relationship. When it got too personal, Noda pushed Wakasugi out of his life.... more>>

Now, Noda is all alone in his newly built house. His wife has left him, and they've had no children together. Then came the unexpected phone call from Wakasugi. Feelings buried for ten long years were given an opportunity to be laid to rest. But the outcome was not as either man expected, as passions that had simmered for ten long, lonely years insist upon a reckoning. Is Wakasugi ready to risk his heart again, and can Noda find the courage to step out of the closet he has locked himself and his emotions into? Two hearts reach across time and emotional distance to feed the fever that burns... <<less

The story follows Kang Shin from South Korea, who is raised on tales of fighting monsters by his eccentric father. One day he learns it’s... more>> more than just a tale. Follow this brutish lad on his journey as Earth is exposed to outside forces and unparalleled existences. <<less

--- Now, let's kill the girl and save the world!... more>>

The world has been shattered. As a result of the most dreadful of diseases that afflicts only girls --- the 《Labyrinth Disease》. That's why the students are taking lessons. Lessons for the purpose of killing the girl. Learning magic, figuring out the map of the labyrinth, forming teams, and studying the weakness of the girl...... The time limit is 6 hours. If the girl isn't killed within that time, then the world gets destroyed.

"I have no interest in the world at all so please spare me. Frankly, it's really suffocating." Together with the one who said these words, the most horrible protagonist in history, enter the world of whizzing magic and surging youth.

A school fantasy in labyrinth raiding, begins here! <<less

19-year Segawa Yuuta was looking forward to start his new university life and go through a normal university life, making new friends, etc, etc. But... more>> suddenly, when the plane which his elder sister and brother-in-law were on went missing, he became the 'father' of his three young nieces! Now, his six-tatami mat apartment not just has to accommodate himself, but 14-year old Sora, 10-year old Miu, and 3-year old Hina. What will be the fate of Yuuta? <<less

KAGEROU DAZE, written by Jin and illustrated by Shidu, joins Shintarou Kisaragi, a NEET—person “Not in Education, Employment, or Training”—who has refused to leave the comfort of his room for two whole years. But Shintarou’s easy and solitary life is about to take an unexpected turn when his computer crashes and he is forced to venture into the world he was happy to shut out forever…and stumbles into the middle of a hostage situation!... more>>

Note: The song album "daze/days" contains the short story "My little daze" featuring Ayano in a brand new story. <<less

High school student Mikoshiba Ryouma was summoned to a different world for the sake of helping his summoner wage wars. Sensing the malice from the... more>> one who summoned him, he reacted by killing the summoner, one of the most important people in the empire. After the escape, he rescues a pair of twin sisters from the hands of bandits. The sisters who can use magic, swear to serve him as subordinates. Thus, Ryouma begins his journey on the path of the supreme ruler. <<less

Strawberry Panic, the first yuri light novel in North America, is set at Astrea Hill, where three exclusive all-girl schools converge. At St. Miator Girl’s... more>> Academy, gentle breezes scatter cherry blossoms across its lush campus. Nagisa, a normal and cheerful high school student, is stunned when she meets Shizuma, the school’s top student, whose beauty takes her breath away. When Shizuma unexpectedly reciprocates Nagisa’s feelings, both love and wacky chaos soon erupt. <<less

She is stubborn and tough. He is cold and indifferent. In difficult times, she and he went through life and death. In his arms, he embraced another woman. In this life, she is his most hated woman; In this lifetime, he toppled her feelings of this whole life. Because of this desperate love, tears are all over the place, enough to unite seven summers and autumns. Old clothes are weak, red lotus has fallen. In the end who for whom covered each other’s younger years? Suddenly realizing in a dream that they are separated by the other end of the world. So it turned out that some love has long ago entered the bones……
... more>> 40px;"> Su Qing Qian’s gentle yet tenacious courage went in a battle of wits with a loved one through the autumn’s wind and the monthly flowers. Plotting and calculating to help the loved one reign the world. Cold emperor became an affectionate husband. Unable to distinguish if the enemy’s country hostage prince is a friend or a foe, is it exploitation or protection? Even with an oppressive heart and deep feeling is not enough to describe this story.

He is standing with his sword, his eyes are full of cold mu*derous aura. In the moment between life and death, a few words from the woman beside him saved her. This woman is his favorite fei and also the only one in his heart over these past years.

It turned out that she is someone who keeps hanging on her brother in law without any sense of shame and is a woman being disgusted by the world.

She has the appearance enough to cause the fall of a land and has been identified by the people as a demoness.

He is cold to the absolute, a lone person with fierce ambitions. Because of one catastrophe, feelings have been planted in her heart for him. Touching love, went through life and death together, but she was still unable to break the ice in his heart.

She is his most obscure secret; she is also the woman he hates the most. All his love he gave to another woman, except he was reluctant to let her leave…….

Inside the dragon curtain, he is embracing the woman he loves the most while she is silently waiting outside the chamber.

Desire or temptation? Addiction or monopolizing? Meeting by chance or consigned to eternal damnation?

In this life, she accompanied two men. One took her life with one strike. The other pushed her in the abyss of deception…… <<less

Is it wrong to face the perils of Dungeon alone, in a single-member guild blessed by a failed goddess? Maybe. Is it wrong to dream... more>> of playing hero to hapless maidens in Dungeon? Maybe not. After one misguided adventure, Bell quickly discovers that anything can happen in the labyrinth-even chance encounters with beautiful women. Only problem? He’s the one who winds up the damsel in distress! <<less

High school freshman Shotaro Izumi has a problem. That problem is his childhood best friend, Makoto Natsuki. Natsuki lives the life of a prince. Ever since elementary school, his perfect looks and sweet disposition have won the hearts of everyone around him and attracted a gaggle of fans. But Natsuki's burst into fame has plunged Izumi into hell. Five years ago Izumi's offhanded criticism of his friend earned him the hatred of all the girls (and boys) in school, and it's only gotten worse since. His friendship with Natsuki was destroyed over the incident, and the ostracism has seriously warped his personality. The more Natsuki becomes a star, the more Izumi becomes a bitter social... more>> outcast. So when Natsuki asks Izumi one day what he can do to make up for everything, Izumi flippantly says "Go out with me" just to get a rise out of him. But to his shock, Natsuki takes him up on the offer—and seems to take it very seriously...

-----------

Shotaro Izumi hates Makoto Natsuki. He always has. Well...maybe not always. In elementary school, they were inseparable. But a misunderstanding turned the entire class against Izumi, and Natsuki rocketed into popularity. Now, they're fifteen, and Izumi is the most warped kid in school. A loner, sarcastic, and always spoiling for a fight with Natsuki's friends, his 'entourage.' Until one day, after school, Izumi issues a challenge to humiliate the Prince Charming of their class.

"Then go out with me."
"...Out where?"
The classic dumb response. "I'm saying let's enter a 'chaste, platonic courtship.'"

But what starts out as a joke, turns into something else when Natsuki takes Izumi seriously. Old friendship and habits are reawakened, but has something else developed in their years apart? Warped and anti-social Izumi has no idea what to do when the class star only has eyes for him. <<less

"I will search for you, definitely..."... more>>

Dream divination is Liu Xiao's born gift, even though he is incapable of having feelings.
It's as if a part of his soul is missing, left behind in the distant past, a thousand years ago.
Yet he's unable to resist fate, destined to be tied once more at the moment he encounters that man.
The lawyer, Gong Qian Shi, appears upon receiving an assignment, causing throbbing ripples to emerge for the first time in Liu Xiao's deathly-stilled heart.
And the connection between the dreams of the past and that of the future gradually becomes clearer... <<less

Toru lost his most of his memory in an accident. He can’t remember anything that happened from the past six years. But with time, yet... more>> he struggles, he slowly recovers his memory. He feels as if he is a different person now, and he hates “the other guy” – the “himself” from six years ago… And thinking, Fujishima was his friend, felt like he was being watched over like a guardian angel but in the end he’s betrayed. Miserable and emotionally drained, Toru is trying not to relive in the shadow of his past. He is trying to move on with his new life… but harder he tries, he finds himself being pulled in by Fujishima. <<less

It started when my weirdo classmate, Chiba, tried to save me from a runway truck and got us both killed instead. Idiot. Then we got... more>> transported to another world, which I guess is like an otaku dream come true, or something? Chiba ends up with cheat abilities, and what do I get? Nothing! Lucky me, I get to be a s*x worker instead. Gotta earn some money somehow - but since I have to do it, I'm gonna kick ass at it. This world treats women even worse than the one we came from, so things get...rough. Still, I've made friends with some of the girls, and if I can juggle Chiba's idiocy and Sumo the virg*n's emotions on top of all the various kinks my customers throw at me, things will be alright...won't they? <<less

The life of a traveling merchant is a lonely one, a fact with which Kraft Lawrence is well acquainted. Wandering from town to town with... more>> just his horse, cart, and whatever wares have come his way, the peddler has pretty well settled into his routine—that is, until the night Lawrence finds a wolf goddess asleep in his cart. Taking the form of a fetching girl with wolf ears and a tail, Holo has wearied of tending to harvests in the countryside and strikes up a bargain with the merchant to lend him the cunning of “Holo the Wisewolf” to increase his profits in exchange for taking her along on his travels. What kind of businessman could turn down such an offer? Lawrence soon learns, though, that having an ancient goddess as a traveling companion can be a bit of a mixed blessing. Will this wolf girl turn out to be too wild to tame? <<less

Naofumi Iwatani, an uncharismatic Otaku who spends his days on games and manga, suddenly finds himself summoned to a parallel universe! He discovers he is one of four heroes equipped with legendary weapons and tasked with saving the world from its prophesied destruction.... more>>

As the Shield Hero, the weakest of the heroes, all is not as it seems. Naofumi is soon alone, penniless, and betrayed. With no one to turn to, and nowhere to run, he is left with only his shield. Now, Naofumi must rise to become the legendary Shield Hero and save the world! <<less

On the outskirts of the Pleasure City of Midas lies the Ceres special autonomous area, commonly known as the slums. Gang leader Riki, looking for an easy pocket to pick in the nightlife districts, gets caught red-handed…by none other than one of the highest-ranking, golden-haired android elites ruling from the capital Tanagura: the “Blondy” Iason Mink!
By all rights, a Blondy standing at the pinnacle of aristocracy and a slummer should have never crossed paths—their chance encounter marks the beginning of a love twisted by obsession, soon spiraling into a karmic chain of events...... more>>

⬇️ //// About the Japanese novel and anime adaptations ////
⬇️ //// About the English translation ////
⬇️ //// Current translation status ////
⬇️ //// Drama CDs, prequel and side stories ////

//// About the Japanese novel and anime adaptations ////

Originally serialized in the bimonthly magazine Shosetsu June (小説ジュネ) spanning six chapters from December 1986 to October 1987, the novel was released with minor revisions into a hardcover edition in 1990.
This first version of the story received a two-episode/OVA anime adaptation in 1992 and 1994.

Between the years 2001 and 2007, the original story was greatly expanded upon and released in six paperback volumes. After a change of Japanese publisher, two more volumes were released between 2009 and 2010, completing the series (the six aforementioned volumes were released as volumes 1-4 in the newest Japanese edition).
This second version of the story was meant to be adapted into a twelve-episode OVA anime—initially planned to release in 2010—but was postponed to 2012, only to be discontinued after the fourth episode’s release.

//// About the English translation ////

The English paperback expanded edition is made up of eight volumes: the six first volumes (Seibido/Crystal edition) + the two later volumes (#7 and #8 in English, but #5 and #6 in the newest Tokuma/Chara edition).
The change in Japanese publisher led to a change in translator for the English edition between vol1 to 6 and vol7 to 8: it is highly recommended to read the fan translations of #7 and #8 as opposed to reading the licensed edition, due to the massive loss in translation (expect a 50% word count difference between the two).

//// Current translation status of the different editions of the novel (as of April 20th, 2024) ////

. Shosetsu June edition, unlicensed: 2/6 chapters, ongoing fan translation.
. 1990 hardcover edition, unlicensed: 2/6 chapters, ongoing fan translation. An older fan translation had 4/6 chapters translated but the project was dropped.
. 2000’s expanded edition, English licensed: fully translated, complete.

//// Drama CDs, prequel and side stories ////

– The Shosetsu June story was adapted into a drama cassette and a drama CD (Dark Erogenous).
– The expanded story was adapted into three drama CDs (Destiny, Nightmare, Resonance)
– A prequel called Midnight Illusion was serialized in Shosetsu June between December 1992 and April 1993, and released as a hardcover in 1996. 3/6 chapters have been fan-translated into English.
– The 5 side stories have all been fan-translated into English (Kizu/Wound, File-0, Cal’s Sighs, Musk, Illusion Night) and are based on the expanded version of the novel.

Look up online “Ai no Kusabi Master List LiveJournal” to find the links to all the material listed above and more.

[This page was updated as per an anon’s request, all credit goes to the AnK community where credit is due.] <<less

Akikan (”Empty Can”) is the unlikely story of high school boy Kazuichi Souda, whose can of melon soda magically transforms into a human girl. More... more>> "akikan" girls begin appearing, each of them needing to be infused with carbon dioxide from their respective drink types to survive. The akikans were created as part of the 'Akikan Elect' to determine whether steel cans or aluminium cans are superior. The akikans must battle each other until only the strongest type is left standing. <<less

Elves are obsessed with me—not beauties, but rather those battle-crazed gamblers who go 'all-in' on my death.

Suddenly a high school student Subaru Natsuki has been summoned to another world on the way back from the convenience store. With the biggest crisis of his life being summoned to another world and no sign of the one who summoned him things become worse when he is attacked.... more>>

But when he is saved by a mysterious silver-haired girl with a fairy cat, Subaru cooperates with the girl to return the favor. When they finally manage to get a clue Subaru and the girl are attacked and killed by someone.

Subaru then awakens in the place he was summoned and notices the ability he gained “Returns by Death” a helpless boy that only has the ability to rewind time by dying. And beyond the despair can he save the girl from the fate of death! <<less

Planet Martine is suddenly attacked! The alien invaders are known as the Abh. They are of human origin, but have been genetically modified so that... more>> each Abh has superior talent, skill, beauty, and longevity. Martine's president surrenders completely in the face of the Abh's awesome military power. Through a bizarre twist of fate, his son Jinto becomes a nobleman in the Abh's vast, intergalactic empire. <<less

Meet Haruhi — a cute, determined girl, starting high school in a city where nothing exciting happens and absolutely no one understands her. Meet Kyon — the sarcastic guy who sits in front of Haruhi in homeroom and the only boy Haruhi has ever opened up to. His fate is now tied to hers. Meet the SOS Brigade — an after-school club organized by Haruhi with a mission to seek out the extraordinary. Oh, and their second mission? Keeping Haruhi happy…because even through she doesn’t know it, Haruhi has the power to destroy our universe…... more>>

v1 - The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第一巻: 涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱
v2 - The Sigh of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第二巻: 涼宮ハルヒの溜息
v3 - The Boredom of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第三巻: 涼宮ハルヒの退屈
v4 - The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第四巻: 涼宮ハルヒの消失
v5 - The Rampage of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第五巻: 涼宮ハルヒの暴走
v6 - The Wavering of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第六巻: 涼宮ハルヒの動揺
v7 - The Intrigues of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第七巻: 涼宮ハルヒの陰謀
v8 - The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第八巻: 涼宮ハルヒの憤慨
v9 - The Dissociation of Suzumiya Haruhi / 第九巻: 涼宮ハルヒの分裂
v10 - The Surprise of Suzumiya Haruhi (First Part) / 涼宮ハルヒの驚愕 (前)
v11 - The Surprise of Suzumiya Haruhi (Final Part) / 涼宮ハルヒの驚愕 (後) <<less

Meng Qingqing is an orphan. She is grateful to the parents of Dabo, and she is grateful for the care of the uncle. One day... more>> after she graduated from college, she accidentally discovered a secret that caused her to subvert all cognition. She also suffered a demise. After the disaster, she woke up and found that she had returned to the age of twelve, more than a month before her father died… <<less