I have experienced all the eight sufferings of this world.... more>>

I do not ask for nirvana, but for you.

Wild and hard-to-tame demon (gong) X Cold, ascetic and childish immortal (shou) <<less

Flum Apricot never even wanted to leave her village. She would've been content to live out her entire life there in peace. But unfortunately, after... more>> being prophesied by the God of Creation Origin to join the Hero's party and defeat the Demon Lord, she's known nothing but misery. How is someone with stats of zero like her supposed to be of any use? Her only ability is 'Reversal', and not even she knows what that's supposed to mean. The party's sage, Jean Inteige, is also convinced that she has no right to be there, and he knows just how to get rid of her. Through the depths of despair, when the curse finally 'reverses' itself, what will be left of Flum? And what kind of life will she make for herself? <<less

Rena, a girl who was transferred to another world as a Hero, finally brought down the demon lord. However, the kingdom feared the enormous power... more>> she possessed and not only snatched away her equipment, but also imprisoned her in order execute her later. There, Rena received advice from the similarly imprisoned demon Dejiizu and awakened her true ability – ”Domination.” That is a power where one could take control over a target by sending in magic power by means of a kiss, and manipulate them freely. She, for starters, took control over the princess who had betrayed her. <<less

What was originally an ordinary day, suddenly became a historical turning point. Enormous, mysterious Cubes appeared all over the world without warning and as if Judgement Day’s spears, inserted themselves into the blue planet.... more>>

From inside the enormous Cubes, endless streams of monsters gushed out alike raging tides, utterly defeating the unguarded armies of each state in the blink of an eye.

In order for humanity to preserve its final embers, the heads of states issued orders of retreat, to no longer attack the Cubes but rather to cling to remote cities, which they turned into self-sufficient survivor bases and around which they built 100-meter-tall Walls of Life!

Many years later, while bearing the heavy weight of history, the first expeditionary force brought back a world changing piece of information. The Cubes possessed exceedingly high intelligence and they regularly transmitted mission instructions to humans nearby. The mission rewards were incredible.

Since then, humans rushed out of the confines of the walls and once more set foot on the wasteland! <<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

Where the knight fled to, a strange forest and a man…

The male fiance seemed to be on good terms with another woman so the female fiancee decided to get rid of the bad insect.

One day, a virus capsule fell into a region and contaminated the area. Anyone who contracted it became a zombie.... more>>

The area was quarantined for a while, but some foolish security guard let a few infected people out.

Since then, the number of zombies has been increasing, but unknown to everyone, there are two people who have been quietly fighting the zombies.

They operate under the name of ” Odin’s Eye” and maintain the peace in secret.

Is it the world that is rotten or the people? Their unrelenting battle knows no end. <<less

A long time later, I began to understand the value of a golden palace.... more>>

If Wei Zifu loved you, then her story could only have ended the way mine did.

People often said that the limits of love lay in one’s ability to endure – to endure the fact that the man we loved would have three wives and four concubines.

Wei Zifu managed to tolerate. So, she accompanied you by your side for thirty-eight years.

She could accomplish this because she did not love you.

All along, what she wanted was never love.

If, from the beginning, all I wanted was only the precious throne belonging to an Empress, perhaps I would not have lost you as quickly as I had.

Note: This oneshot narrates the true story between Emperor Han Wudi (Liu Che) and his first wife, the deposed Empress Chen Jiao. Their story has been encapsulated into a famous chinese idiom called “金屋藏娇” (jīn wū cáng jiāo), which literally means ‘putting (Chen) Jiao into a golden house’. <<less

N/A

I was dying. As if obvious God then appeared in front of me. That God said:... more>>

“Just this once, I will make one of your wishes come true.”

After being troubled about what to ask, I decided.

“I wish to have unlimited wishes.” <<less

The youth, a seminary student, one day saw a prostitute with a tattoo of a blue flower on her arm in a back alley. From... more>> that day on, his happiness was shattered. <<less

The meeting of two people who both hate to lose.... more>>

Neither will go down until the other does.

(This is about gambling in a fancy casino, a dealer vs a gambler.) <<less

After the end of the world, the last man on Earth sat in his house. Suddenly, he heard the doorbell ring.

Lexia Sinclair was in a party with a girl called The Hero to captured an unexplored land.... more>>

She, who has the skill of 《Recovery》, had been partying with her best friend, Meik, a hero, but one of her comrades Act told her that she was unnecessary.

Desperate in her despair, she was pushed down into the abyss and couldn’t die immediately, but heard the voice of a “girl” in pain.

The girl’s name was 《Lochness the Weeping Cat》 a Demon King who ruled the world. <<less

When the last prodigy level esper on Earth disappeared, Earth was in deep trouble of becoming another species' colony. The ordinary Han, with his intelligence and hardworking character, was able to make a fortune after “accidentally” stepping into the world of dark net, later purchasing an esper power crystal that brought him the ultimate power that changed the fate of the universe.... more>>

Dark net is a subset of the Deep Web that is not only not indexed by traditional search engines, but that also requires special tools like specific proxy or authentication to gain access. Dark net is not restricted by any law or morals, so the dark net market has everything that is prohibited by the law. Drugs, s*aves, firearms, uranium, bioweapons, rare animals, human testing, assassination, and the list goes on. During the year of 2075 on Earth, Han Lang logged into the largest hyperspace dark net market, and our story begins. <<less

Talent, appearance, power.... more>>

No matter how hard I try, I can't beat the people born with these things.

But, within this dungeon, I can overcome them. <<less

"I am 'Torturchen' Elisabeth Le Fanu, both a proud wolf and a lowly sow."... more>>

After dying, Sena Kaito was reborn in another world and confronted with a peerless beauty, Elisabeth, who had appeared before his eyes. Introducing herself as "Torturchen," she commanded Kaito to become her servant, but he refused on the spot. When Elisabeth presented Kaito with the choice of either torture or butler, he immediately submitted and began to serve at Elisabeth's side, to accompany her until she completed her mission. Unbelievably, it turned out that Torturchen's mission as a condemned sinner was to eliminate fourteen ranked demons and their contractors!

"Yes, indeed. I shall die, as lonely as a wolf and as pitifully as a sow."

Ayasato Keishi x Ukai Saki! This awesome partnership offers a masterpiece of dark fantasy set in another world! Here begins the legend of world salvation, undertaken by the maiden who had been condemned by the world. <<less

A mysterious natural phenomenon caused the Earth to be plunged into darkness. The world turned into endless bloody chaos and mankind is on the brink of extinction…... more>>

Chu Yun Sheng, an ordinary white-collar worker, discovered his family heirloom, a book, shining a bizarre light by accident. Out of curiosity, he tried to study the book.

After long research, he still only understood a few symbols written in the ancient book. However, he was shocked when he figured out what messages the ancient book tried to tell him: the sun will disappear, and humanity is doomed…

He tried to spread the message, but no one believed him; his family and friends even tried to take him to see the psychiatrist. Eventually, he gave up telling anyone but prepared for the apocalypse in secret.

Until one day — the sun really disappeared… <<less

Kara no Kyoukai is a series of stories written by Kinoko Nasu with illustrations by Takashi Takeuchi.... more>>

The first five chapters were posted online on Nasu and Takeuchi's dojin website "Takebouki" starting Oct 1998, and the last two chapters being released at Comiket 56 in 1999. In 2001, part of the story was included in "Tsukihime PLUS-DISK," created by TYPE-MOON, the doujin circle Nasu and Takeuchi joined. The story gained huge popularity, and the doujinshi edition of the stories saw release on December 30, 2001 at Comiket 61.

Note; The cover image is from The Garden of Sinners non-novel volume 1 edition published in 2004. <<less

Taking place in a futuristic city called Mardock City, Rune Ballot is a young prostitute who was taken in by the notorious gambler Shell Septinous.... more>> One night, Shell abandons Rune and attempts to mu*der her in an explosion. However, she is rescued and transformed into a cyborg by Dr. Easter. An Artificial intelligence in the form of a Mouse accompanies her to adapt to her new life. Rune is trained to use the advanced technology fitted on her to defend herself against Shell's attempts to have her killed to stop her from testifying against him. <<less

The series takes place in an indeterminate time in the future, 500 years after an apocalyptic war between all of Earth’s nations destroyed civilization, when humanity has reestablished itself. ... more>>

In this future world, the Roman Catholic Church has become a major military power, whose goals include the protection of humanity against the vampiric Methuselahs, who war upon humankind (or “Terrans,” as they call humans). Their seat of power is the Vatican, an attractive place with traditional European architecture; it is likely the same Vatican city in the real world (albeit perhaps rebuilt following the previous war).

The Methuselahs are themselves another major political and military force. Their capital of Byzantium (presumably built on the site of the real world’s Byzantium, now Istanbul) appears as an elegant metropolis, surrounded by a field of particles which filters out UV radiation, thus protecting the Methuselah population. <<less

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

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