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

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

High school senior, Junya Sawa, gets a new classmate when Uzuki Kobayakawa, the heir to notorious crime syndicate, transfers to his school. The other students... more>> in Junya's class all keep their distance, giving Uzuki a wide berth, however Junya soon becomes good friends with him. Gradually, the two become attracted to one another, but Uzuki's educational "advisor" admonishes him, telling Uzuki that the world he must live in has no room for Junya, and the two are separated. Then, 8 years later, still holding that wound that never healed, the adult Junya reunites with Uzuki... <<less

Takechi Shigeto needs medicine for one of his patients, but can't afford it. a childhood friend sees his problem and pays for it for him.... more>> However, the medicine must be paid back at a cost.. <<less

One moonlit night, Detective Kusaka Daisuke of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Investigation Department, 1st Division, managed to catch some criminals red-handed in the middle of an... more>> illegal drug deal. Struck by one of the perp's bullets, the detective sought refuge down one of the city's many back alley and stumbled upon a beautiful blond boy. The boy's eyes shone red, his skin unearthly pale like a porcelain doll. He called himself Luca, and against all logic, mysteriously aged into a young man before Kusaka's very eyes! What will become of this chance encounter? Find out in this modern-day fantasy set in the bustling streets of Tokyo. <<less

Kanae is a university student whose "cold beauty" has led people to spread nasty rumors about his promiscuity. In truth, Kanae is a virg*n, and... more>> is secretly in love with the Don Juan of the campus, Yuuichi. Poor Kanae would do anything to be with Yuuichi, even if it meant a merely s*xual relationship with no feelings involved. But when the opportunity arises, can he settle for anything less than love? <<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

Fujishima’s wound he suffered from protecting Tooru has healed and he’s finally been released from the hospital. Their life together starts again once more. Tooru... more>> wants them to live together as lovers, but Fujishima refuses, saying “I have no intentions of loving you.” Is Fujishima afraid of Tooru remembering something in particular if he regains his memories? The bonds of the past are finally becoming clearer... <<less

After losing his memory in a serious car accident, Tohru Takahisa is taken in by Fujishima, an older man who claims to be his friend. But the taciturn Fujishima refuses to reveal anything about Tohru’s past! Despite the gulf between them, a strange and awkward tenderness grows, even as they are held apart by the tragic events of Tohru’s forgotten past! Dramatic, heart-wrenching romance and tragedy combine in a gripping story where the past and present are intricately entwined.... more>>

Reading order of the series:
Cold Sleep
Cold Light
Cold Fever <<less

Tomoki Naruse has just started his freshman year in high school. And as with all healthy, young men at his age, he's been dreaming of... more>> s*x. But Tomoki isn’t having normal wet dreams like his classmates! In his nightmares, err… dreams his partner is a man and to make things worse, Tomoki is on the bottom! Aside from Tomoki’s unsettling dreams, high school life is fun – especially with his new, handsome, best friend Yugo Oda. But Yugo is no ordinary freshman; he is involved in mysterious activities that Tomoki can’t even begin to imagine… <<less

Left behind on a deserted island he was visiting on business, Yuichi must now spend his days with his good-for-nothing over-weight co-worker/boss, Imakura until someone... more>> realizes they're missing! As the two spend more and more time in each other's presence, Yuichi's "nice-guy" facade starts to break down, and...! <<less

The official novelization of the first chapter of the manga Viewfinder by Yamane Ayano, originally released as a short story in B-Boy Phoenix in 2007.... more>> Only the first chapter of the manga was ever adapted into prose. <<less

One day after school, high school student Meguru Shina is ravished in the train station bathroom by Sasakawa, his math teacher. Usually Sasakawa deceives the world with his slightly dirty white coat and teacher’s mask, but in reality he is a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.... more>>

Starved for love but unable to reveal his weakness due to his own pride, Shina is drawn in by Sasakawa’s sweet words and pleasing techniques. Shina is trapped by s*xual desire. Sasakawa burns with jealousy. The two fall deep into the darkness of a corrupting love… <<less

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," so goes the old adage about art, and nowhere is this truer than in the relationship between Itsuki and Tokiwa. To every one else, Itsuki is nothing more than a useless wallflower, but only Tokiwa can see that the man is actually a diamond-in-the-rough.... more>>

It all began eight years ago, when amateur painter Itsuki Hashimoto and up-and-coming sculptor Masatsugu Tokiwa became friends through their love for art. But a few years later, family circumstances forced Itsuki to cut Tokiwa out of his life. Now, Itsuki is living a confined life as the "human pet" of Yamabe-sensei, Tokiwa's former teacher.

Can Tokiwa help Itsuki break free of his cage? Or has Itsuki become too much of a living "doll," without a soul or freewill of his own? <<less

Energetic teenager Shuichi Shindo is the lead singer and songwriter for the smash-hit pop band, Bad Luck. He's recently moved in with his older boyfriend, Eiri Yuki, the handsome, sophisticated, and uber-famous romance novelist. Nothing goes smoothly for Shuichi, however. Yuki is inexplicably cold and cruel toward him, more so than usual; due to a rash of publicity appearances on comedy sketch shows, he can't get anyone to take his band seriously; and he's suddenly entered, totally unprepared, into a nationally televised concert with Bad Luck's rival band, Ask.... more>>

In this often touching, frequently hilarious story based on the popular manga and anime, Gravitation: The Novel details a young man's quest for success in love and music. <<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

Honoo no Mirage (Mirage of Blaze) is a complexly-plotted novel which incorporates a large number of elements, including romantic melodrama, historical politics and supernatural fantasy. Japanese history predominates the heavily structured story-line, which mainly involves the continued aggression between power-wielding guardians ('possessors'), and the denizens of a 'feudal underworld'- a group of restless souls belonging to long-dead samurai from the warring states period who are attempting to re-ignite those age-old wars in present-day Japan.... more>>

Volume Titles:

1: Honoo no Shinkirou (炎の蜃気楼)
2: Aka no Zanei (緋の残影)
3: Garasu no Komoriuta (硝子の子守歌)
4: Kohaku no Ryūseigun (琥珀の流星群)
5: Mahoroba no Ryūjin (まほろばの龍神)
6: Hasha no Ma Kagami 1 (覇者の魔鏡(前編))
7: Hasha no Ma Kagami 2 (覇者の魔鏡(中編))
8: Hasha no Ma Kagami 3 (覇者の魔鏡(後編))
9: Minagiwa no Hangyakusha (みなぎわの反逆者)
10: Wadatsumi no Yōkihi 1 (わだつみの楊貴妃(前編))
11: Wadatsumi no Yōkihi 2 (わだつみの楊貴妃(中編))
12: Wadatsumi no Yōkihi 3 (わだつみの楊貴妃(後編))
13: Yomi e no Kazaana 1 (黄泉への風穴(前編))
14: Yomi e no Kazaana 2 (黄泉への風穴(後編))
15: Hiwa no Ōkoku 1 (火輪の王国(前編))
16: Hiwa no Ōkoku 2 (火輪の王国(中編))
17: Hiwa no Ōkoku 3 (火輪の王国(後編))
18: Hiwa no Ōkoku Reppū-hen (火輪の王国 烈風編)
19: Hiwa no Ōkoku Retsu Tō-hen (火輪の王国 烈濤編)
20: Jūjika o Daite Nemure (十字架を抱いて眠れ)
21: Retsumyō no Hoshi (裂命の星)
22: Sakigake no Maji (魁の蠱)
23: Onshū no Mon Oumi-hen (怨讐の門 青海編)
24: Onshū no Mon Shakkū-hen (怨讐の門 赤空編)
25: Onshū no Mon Hakurai-hen (怨讐の門 白雷編)
26: Onshū no Mon Kurohi-hen (怨讐の門 黒陽編)
27: Onshū no Mon Kōjō-hen (怨讐の門 黄壌編)
28: Onshū no Mon Hakai-hen (怨讐の門 破壊編)
29: Mugen Jōdo (無間浄土)
30: Akaru hen Mokushiroku I Nachi no Shō (変黙示録 I 那知の章)
31: Akaru hen Mokushiroku II Nuno-to no Shō (耀変黙示録 II 布都の章)
32: Akaru hen Mokushiroku III Yata no Shō (耀変黙示録 III 八咫の章)
33: Akaru hen Mokushiroku IV Jinmu no Shō (耀変黙示録 IV 神武の章)
34: Akaru hen Mokushiroku V Tenma no Shō (耀変黙示録 V 天魔の章)
35: Akaru hen Mokushiroku VI Ranka no Shō (耀変黙示録 VI 乱火の章)
36: Akaru hen Mokushiroku VII Nigoyabu no Shō (耀変黙示録 VII 濁破の章)
37: Kakumei no Kane wa Naru (革命の鐘は鳴る)
38: Ashura no Maegami (阿修羅の前髪)
39: Kaminari no Ikusaba (神鳴りの戦場)
40: Senoku no Yoruwokoete (千億の夜をこえて) <<less

Takumi, Kouki, and Jin are three boys living a normal high school life, until the day when a traumatic car accident turns their lives upside... more>> down. Caught up in a phenomenon that twists the boundaries between the realms of the supernatural and the world of man, their fates seem to be sealed…and yet they survive. What does their mysterious survival mean, and how will it change their lives? <<less

A contract marriage!? ... more>>

Satsuki has gone to England to study acting, but it’s all he can do to pay his living expenses. Just then, the handsome Count Edward offers him money in exchange for entering a fake marriage! If Edward isn’t married by his next birthday, he will lose most of his assets.

The two start out awkwardly, but gradually grow attracted to each other. But then a misunderstanding leads Edward to grow jealous, and he forcibly embraces Satsuki…!? <<less

Whatever he does, it always backfires, a salaryman who always fails, Saeki Katsuya. Facing restructing, a guy appeared before him when he wanted to give... more>> up. “From the moment you put these on, your life will alter drastically.” The glasses which were handed to him, seemed to be a forbidden item that will change its wearer into a dominant brute... Having obtained the glasses and on the road to being a beast, will Katsuya obtain real love? <<less

On the night of the year-end party, in high spirits and under the influence of the party’s free-flowing alcohol, Satori ends up sleeping with Asou. Since then, every day that Asou comes over, he does nothing beyond kiss Satori over and over, and as much as it perplexes him, Satori is unable to resist his kisses. But one day Satori hears a nasty rumor that Asou has a girlfriend. Satori begins to wonder, “Why does he kiss me so? And why can’t I refuse him?” Asking himself these questions again and again, what will Satori’s answer be?... more>>

Includes the back-up story "Hold Me Tighter". <<less

In his young life, Takeyuki has never really known hardship. The youngest son of a wealthy family, he has never had any difficulty getting anything... more>> he desired. Now, though, Takeyuki is enjoying his last month of freedom before he begins working at his father’s import company in Tokyo, and he has decided to spend that time with his brother and his sister-in-law in Cassina, a small country in the Middle East. Little does Takeyuki know that his prideful manner will soon land him in hot water! In Cassina, some dangers are very real and some people are not who they seem. For example, who exactly is the charming, majestic man who won’t stop staring at Takeyuki during their flight to Cassina, and why do his blue eyes make Takeyuki feel like his chest will burst? <<less

"Let’s play a game. Who can make me fall in love?"... more>>

Kenji Oshiro, Yoshiaki Zaizen, and Akimi Shiratori are three young, successful professional men who have been close friends since college. But secrets will be revealed and emotions laid bare as their carefree friendship is disrupted by a mysterious young man named Kakeru, who proposes a dangerous game! <<less

The delicious tale of Masaki Ashizawa who is contracted by a famous restaurant mogul to find a world-class chef for a new French restaurant in... more>> the works... and the perfect candidate he finds-- Shuichiro Tsubaki, the gruff master chef and owner of a small restaurant whose food Ashizawa can't seem to get enough of. Ashizawa's plans hit a snag, however, when he learns that the proud Tsubaki, happy calling the shots in his own restaurant, has no interest in starting a new restaurant... Ashizawa must go to all new lengths to convince him to accept the offer. And, also, what happens when Ashizawa realizes he has fallen in love with more than just the divine food at Tsubaki's restaurant? <<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