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

Human body with fishtail was known as mermaid.... more>>

They were pretty and mysterious, their tears congealed to a pearl worth a city.

Miao Miao never thought that one day she would set foot on the lake shore as a human.

She had no desire, only wanted to be close to a man.

Even though she was seeking her own doom, but she gladly endured the hardship.

—— I like you, for ninety days. <<less

The Peng Society for Gentlemen — a secret friend-making club for the homos*xual men of the Great Xia Dynasty. Its services were designed to help its members along in their quest for their lifelong partners. Upon paying a monthly fee of fifty coins, members could get themselves listed in The Pengornisseur after providing a self-portrait, a mailing address, their age and hobbies, as well as a self-introduction. All members would receive a copy of the monthly publication, and they could communicate with one another in private using the information in The Pengornisseur.... more>>

Wu Xingzi, a bachelor about to turn forty, worked as the adviser to the magistrate in Qingcheng County.

Qingcheng County was a place with barely any resources. In other words, it was poor. In the list of counties of the Great Xia Dynasty, it had been ranked at the bottom for the past two hundred years.

Wu Xingzi felt that his life was hopeless: not only was he a homosexual, he was also a virg*n. Even his retirement fund was lacking. Worse still, his looks were… forgettable.

He might as well die.

Hence, Wu Xingzi decided to commit su*cide on his fortieth birthday. However, he was unwilling to remain a virg*n to death! And so, gritting his teeth, he joined the Peng Society for Gentlemen and received The Pengornisseur. It was very painful; after all, fifty coins were the sum of his daily expenditure for ten days! He would only pay it once, and he was determined to succeed on his first try. <<less

All three types of intrinsic genders emit a hormonal scent (pheromone), with alpha and omega being stronger and beta being almost indistinguishable. Pheromone not only plays a role in reproductive matching, but also the basis for identification between different genders and classes.... more>>

Alpha’s pheromone is musk, while omega is similar to beaver. They are all animal aromas. Beta is distributed as an object and is very uncommon.

Alpha has a clear possessive appetite for the spouse, the most obvious being the “marking” behavior. The mark is completed by “knot”, and within one month after the knot, the spouse is marked by the alpha pheromone.

The pheromones of Alpha and Omega are attracted to each other, but this does not mean that there is no room for choice between them. In general, Alpha’s ability to resist pheromones is stronger than Omega; the better the quality of Alpha and Omega, the stronger the ability to resist pheromone temptation.

Omega men and women have estrus, and the length is about three days. Estrus interval, female omega for one month, male omega for three months. During estrus, male omega cannot eat and excrete normally.

Population screening is a kind of pregnancy <<less

Princess Lotta was sent to a rural earl's estate following the downfall of the king. Behind the small house they were given, there was a... more>> beautiful spring, and within its waters lay a mysterious stone… <<less

Using quirky fortune-telling tricks to vent her frustration with endless luck, Hanh An helps Minh Khang—the CEO of Corporation S—realize that his very own girlfriend has planted a green pasture and a pair of horns on his head.... more>>

From that moment on, the romantic paths of Hanh An and Minh Khang start to align!

Her witty conversations and playful banter make Minh Khang utterly smitten.

A series of laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt misunderstandings gradually bring them closer, leading to a beautiful happy ending. <<less

A man who feels the pain of his lover after a blood transfusion :... more>>

The man (GyunHee), with a voice colder than the breath of winter, speaks to the woman(Sunny).

“Wait until I contact you again.”

But his car slips upon the wet road not long afterwards and crashes

“Please save him! Please!!”

Sunny shouts desperately for her boyfriend’s life as she arrives at the hospital.

“What is your blood type?” The doctor asks.

“…Pardon?”

He was in dire need for a blood transfusion, it was a common question but she could not answer.

After giving her blood to save her man, she decides their relationship wasn’t one of love and decides to leave him.

And as GyunHee wakes up a few days later…

He decides to chase after Sunny..

But what is this pain that he is feeling? <<less

A story between a nouveau riche who didn’t graduate from elementary school and an educated poor.

Once an imperial princess, now reborn among the lowest of s*aves of the nobility.... more>>

As Nanzhao’s eldest imperial princess, she received the burden of an imperial ruler and took to the battlefield in tumultuous times. Instead of being a hero, her actions were vilified by officials as meddling in court affairs. Watching her trusted confidante die as she stood among a sea of flames, her tattered heart was pierced by an arrow shot by the one she loved most.

In her previous life, she was known as Ning Rulan.

Resurrected as a palace maid carrying out the most menial of tasks in Beimin’s imperial palace, she is resolved to take revenge and save her younger brother. However, many devilish and vindictive nobles stand in her way as she navigates through the dangers of court politics.

Travelling across nations and unravelling secrets, she carves out a new place for herself.

A place for the woman now known as Su Xi-er.

Will she remain shackled to her past? Or will she reach for the chance at happiness before her?

No matter if she is Ning Rulan or Su Xi-er, this time, there would be no more regrets! <<less

An underprivileged prodigy, a cruel, ruthless world, and an epic story of battle and conquest. A young man with an exceptional inheritance leaves the small, rural city from which he hails on a journey to find the girl of his dreams. He defeats countless prodigies, sweeps through all forces that dare to stand in his way, and progresses step by step toward the pinnacle of all the worlds!... more>>

“I’m not targeting any gods in particular. All I’m trying to say is that all gods are tr*sh in my eyes!” <<less

On Sarah's first day of work, she gets a call from her boyfriend's number claiming it is his fiance and she is pregnant. To make matters worse, her boss has the same name as her ex boyfriend.
When she see's the back of her boss' head, she hits him with her purse that has two books in it, however when he turns around she realizes she has never seen his face before.... more>>

"Who are you?"
"No, who are you?" <<less

She is the dark side of the world’s first beauty, shaped by the heart.
He gave birth to a face similar to that of the First Beauty, but could only be exiled to Xiao Qianjie.... more>>

Later, she became the flayer of many people.

Today, she is still in trouble

Flayer: Your uncle is still your uncle

The old lady can go on for another five hundred … No, five thousand years! <<less

When the kingdom of El Pasa fell into abysmal ruins, Princess Beatrice of El Pasa assumed the identity of Chloe to survive.... more>>

But then, a man known for his exquisite appearance and coldness appeared and stirred up the peaceful life she led in s*avery.

That man was Alexandro Graham — the same man who was the sole reason of her kingdom’s downfall. <<less

Because of some coincidence, the leader of the imperial bodyguards who was supposed to be executed by “the death of a thousand cuts” —— the Yingnu, Xu Lingyun, became the Son of Heaven, Li Xiao’s storyteller, telling him the narrative inside “The Historical Records of Yu.” Alongside Xu Lingyun’s narratives, Emperor Chengzu, Li Qingcheng’s life story gradually appeared inside Li Xiao’s mind: his misfortune on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival that made him have to leave the capital, the war against Xiongnus outside the Feng Pass, how he conquered the entire Western Plains without costing him a single soldier, the imposing army loyal to the rightful monarch's decisive battle on the capital…... more>>

The written and oral history gradually come to an end, while those secrets buried inside the history reappear one after another. Xu Lingyun’s unexpected real identity, Li Xiao’s confusing experience, Emperor Chengzu’s Yingnu, Zhang Mu and Li Xiao’s hidden connection… everything is quietly unveiled!

————

The history and narrative intertwine. Xu Lingyun and Li Xiao pursue one another, looking for themselves. In the end, during this turbulent era, amidst the golden spears, armored horses, and numerous fire beacons, who can stay loyal to themselves? Who can stay true to the truth? Who will get to obtain the rivers and mountains? And who will get to open up a new era? <<less

In her previous life, she tried her best, she struggled. In the end, she has lost to her own mediocrity. ... more>>

In this life, she resigned to her fate.

After her mother passed away, Xia Rou reincarnated as an orphan and she got taken in by her mother’s lover. Once again she stepped into Cao family, and once again she had to confront the people she loved and hated…

She dares not to expect anything, only except that she won’t suffer any more in this life… <<less

There wouldn't be an end without a beginning, the benevolence Gods had shown Su Mo, wasn't it cruelty then, to Xue Cao?

Hatate Souta is a high school boy, who has an ability to visualise "flags" for future events such as "death flag," "friendship flag," and "romance... more>> flag." Despite the flag-viewing ability, he avoids making friends with others due to a trauma he experienced in a ship submergence accident. Twelve beautiful girls get interested in his strange way of living, and they begin to live with him at the school dorm. <<less

My lover was found dead on the wedding day. With another girl.... more>>

Riddell dies one month after the death of her fiance, the Prince. Riddell, who died at the age of twenty-two, returns to the past six years ago.

In front of Riddell, who decides not to repeat the same tragedy, the secret of her dead lover and the secret surrounding his death are revealed one by one… <<less

Ming Jing woke up and transmigrated into an otome game as a Mary Sue female protagonist. Due to the virus invasion, the male protagonists in the game have all blackened with extreme personalities, doing everything they can to have her to themselves.... more>>

The male protagonists with their innocent expressions: We just want to fall in love with you!

Ming Jing smiling brightly and charmingly: Fall in love?

No, this father here just wants to teach you how to be human! <<less

I am Karne Pivoine Feian, a poor and pitiful princess in hiding. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I’m currently residing in the house of a Baroness under a hidden identity. I promised I’d do anything they asked me. But I didn’t think I’d be asked to do things that would put my life in danger! As expected, freeloading in someone else's house is no easy feat. I've got no choice. I have to find a way to reclaim my identity!... more>>

One day, a handsome man approached me to offer a deal.
"I’ll give you an unimaginably great reward if you bring me what I ask of you."

I think I've already found my reward, though! I've not only gained money, but an absolute hottie as well. Will I finally be able to walk down a path of happiness? <<less

He was Madat, the most powerful and greatest high priest of Kandar, one of the five places in the continent.... more>>

Although he was a human closest to God, while at the same time, a representative of God, he couldn’t at least be freed from the curse strangling him since he was born.

Black hair, black eyes.
She was Seren, the one who resembled the mermaid in a legend orally passed down, said to be a symbol of misfortune in the world.

She, who was captured as a thank you gift that would be offered to Madat, whispered to him to kill all the villagers who had betrayed her.

“Then what will you give me? If you ask me for a favour for one reason or another, I expect that you would have something to offer to me. I don’t think you’re naive to the point you wouldn’t know that.”

“I will be able to offer an exhilarating time to Lord Madat.”

Seren was a smart and cunning woman, and at the same time, an unique woman,

And so, Madat chose her.

****

“I love you.”

The person whom Madat loves dies no matter what.

The beginning of the curse

Is ‘Awakening.’ <<less

One day, I found a Grimoire in the Royal Library and inadvertently summoned a devil. The devil is said to grant wishes in exchange for... more>> souls. I decide to ask the devil to kill my ex-fiancé, who betrayed me and broke off our engagement, and my friend, who slept with him...…. <<less

Loosely based on the history of Song Dynasty, To Rule in a Turbulent World tells the story of You Miao—the dandy son of a merchant who climbed his way to the very top from rock bottom. We witness the history of a nation, from prosperity to decline, to a new order.... more>>

Peace, war, internal strife; You Miao has lived through it all—but not without his loyal Quanrong s*ave-turned-husband, Li Zhifeng. Theirs is a story of undying devotion that combats racial boundaries in a time when the ethnic tribes of the north clashed with the Han empire. Together, they ruled the world! (Behind the scenes, of course.)

The epic continues its song, and as tides rise and fall, the most beautiful moonlight of the great desert is yet to come… <<less

Queen Lucienne has chosen Eric, the graceful and burly knight, to be her groom. She is finally able to share a kiss with the one she has always loved just like in her dreams. “You are mine, my adorable queen.”... more>>

A hot wedge pierces her lower abdomen, and intense pleasure crawls through her entire body.

“I will never leave you.”

In his tight embrace, she was happy…

Every day after that, as if he had let go of all restraints, she is devoured by absolute possessiveness.

This is the worryingly le*d newlywed life of a knight and a queen! <<less

I possessed a character with an intelligence of 100 in a classic medieval fantasy land-grabbing game.... more>>

An intelligence score of 100. That meant my predictions were always accurate.

However, since I was physically weak and didn’t quite understand why that was the case, I thought it best to just live quietly.

But then… leaders who began to recognize my ability started to become obsessed with me. <<less