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

In the year 1989, the Japanese government passed the Media Betterment Act, allowing a group of soldiers known as the Media Betterment Committee (MBC) to destroy and censor any "problematic" media under the guise of protecting public morals. As a response, regional governments established the Library Defense Force (LDF), whose members take up arms and put their lives on the line to protect freedom of expression. At the top of the Kanto branch of the LDF stands the Library Task Force (LTF): an elite squad consisting of only the most exceptional fighters.... more>>

As a high schooler, Iku Kasahara experienced the terror of censorship first-hand when she refused to surrender the newest volume of her favorite series to MBC agents. She only came out unscathed thanks to a lone member of the LDF, who protected her and her beloved book. Now in her 20s and still unable to forget the man who saved her, Kasahara joins the LDF in the hope of becoming just like her prince.

But LDF training turns out to be far more rigorous than she could have imagined, and her instructor, LTF member Atsushi Doujou, seems fixated on making her life a living hell. Given her struggles, Kasahara is shocked when she is selected as one of the two new LTF recruits as a result of Doujou's recommendation. As Kasahara does all she can to become worthy of the LTF and unravel her enigmatic superior's motivations, she wages war—both on the battlefield and in her personal life.

Vol 1 – Toshokan Sensou (図書館戦争) (Library War)
Vol 2 – Toshokan Nairan (図書館内乱) (Library Infighting)
Vol 3 – Toshokan Kiki (図書館危機) (Library Crisis)
Vol 4 – Toshokan Kakumei (図書館革命) (Library Revolution) <<less

Koushun Takami's notorious high-octane thriller envisions a nightmare scenario: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part... more>> of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violet exploitation when first published in Japan—where it became a runaway best seller—Battle Royale is a Lord of the Flies for the 21st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world. <<less

The story of a girl who falls in love with another girl in a country where all women are born only to serve men.

“I thereby swear to give you my full loyalty, never betraying you for as long as I live.”... more>>

First person MC (female); the pairing is her brother (Li Xi) and an unnamed ‘he’. Both are high-ranking officers in a war.

Angsty, single-chaptered short story (oneshot) set in a dystopian fictional universe. <<less

When the apocalypse broke out, Yu Qingxian chose to die.... more>>

But death failed, and she became a zombie.

With social anxiety and depression in life, she chose to go on a walking tour.

Since she was a zombie anyway, she seemed to have lost her fears. <<less

What does it mean to live when it’s so painful?... more>>

A young boy thought about it for days and days, but he couldn’t think of an answer.

To him, every day was like a nightmare…

Until one day, when the answer came to him.

Bang–!

[ Level has risen. ]

This is a story of a villain who hid his true colors and vowed to become a hero. <<less

The world is shrouded in radioactive dust, descendants of ancient gods hunt mankind as mutant creatures run rampant all while bizarre existences emerge from unknown depths. ... more>>

The alliance of humanity has long ago fallen apart, suffering, poverty and death nibble away like maggots at the remaining human souls.

Li Mu awakens from the distant past and discovers that he too possesses the power of the ancient gods.

Before him, there are two paths: one is to soar high above the heavens, overlooking the changes of the world among other ancient gods, and the other is to light the forge, strike the hammer of battle and completely change the world. <<less

A data loving young man from Earth has an accident which transports him to a dark land filled with terrifying creatures and magical powers. ... more>>

Fortunately for him, he has a Biological Assistance Chip to ease his path.

However, things in this bizarre and strange world are not always as they seem, and, though it is a tremendous asset, the chip doesn’t always work as expected. With all of the crazy creatures and magical mayhem around him, one can only wonder what the future holds for this young man… <<less

A spaceship from the Kingdom of God had greatly contributed to the development of civilizations. Mechas, warships, and wormhole jumps, human beings are advancing rapidly on the road to conquering space.... more>>

Ancient martial arts, myths, genetic modification,
human beings are gradually drifting away in the
exploration of self-evolution. The smoke of wars birthed twisted individuals, human beings are approaching the border in the cycle of self-destruction.

Suddenly one day, people found the legendary
Holy Grail, only to realize that the world is so big,
but their horizons are so narrow.

It happened when Niu Ben was born and his
parents named him.

"The son of the Niu family must be a cow, four
cows, and a bull run!" <<less

A daughter from a wealthy noble family,
She attempted to kill herself after she witnessed the affair of her fiancé and her sister.
It was fortunate that she didn’t die, however, she fell into depression.
Not until one day, a man came into her life.
She was swept away by the man’s fluttering charms.
But even that relationship, eventually turned into tragedy.... more>>

As tragedies of life have no limitations.

She had lost her family overnight, without knowing the cause, and her life from then on were driven to the brink.
And another man came to her and miraculously gave her a choice.

“Madeloena de Devon Jay. You have two options:
One, to simply die. And two, live a complicated life. Which would you choose?”

She had lost her family, her memories, and her name.

When she woke up in a blank state, a medical officer said to her,
“Your name is Harley.”

She was thrown into an unfamiliar situation, unaware of anything. <<less

I’ve been struggling for over a decade in this world where magic is equivalent to science. And now I’ve realized that my employer is the protagonist’s enemy.... more>>

...Boss, can I quit my job? <<less

I awoke as Violet, a familiar villainess trapped in a shady corporate research lab. Screw this! With my unstoppable cloning technique, I'm getting out of... more>> here and going to the Academy to live my own life! <<less

※ This novel contains numerous vulgar expressions related to the human body, as well as intense violence, profanity, non-consensual relationships, and offensive expressions. Please be cautious when reading.... more>>

※ In addition, the background and setting of the work are all fictitious, and the names of regions, characters, groups, and other companies are not related to reality.

※ Not all thoughts expressed in the work are the same as the author's beliefs.

※ This book is a spin-off of "Wax Doll Explosion Academy."

At the end of the 29th century, there was a king in Far East Asia.

In an era where the number of countries in the world had dwindled from 237 to 98, and Far East Asia was suffering from resource depletion and an abnormal climate, countless human butchers, driven by their lust for the power to control the country, unleashed a bloodbath. Among these numerous villains, he was particularly notable.

―Shall we now try to seduce the Goddess of Fate?

To prevent a disaster from befalling his country, the king takes the gamble of a lifetime. However, what awaits him is an unforeseen emotion he hadn't even anticipated by 0.1 percent.

"Turn my love into a handful of ashes." <<less

※ This novel contains numerous vulgar expressions related to the human body, as well as intense violence, profanity, non-consensual relationships, and offensive expressions. Please be cautious when reading.... more>>

― Entering the worst school on Earth!

Twenty-year-old Ryu Hopi, who staked everything on revenge, hides his identity and enrolls in “Hwado.” Hwado is a prestigious 5-year school, considered one of the nation’s top educational institutions. It is the only gateway for ordinary male students to advance in society and attracts many freshmen each year. However, the number of graduates is extremely low compared to the number of enrolled students…

Ryu Hopi realizes the reason behind this after being chased by a crazed serial killer while jogging on his first night after enrolling. He discovers that “Hwado,” which he thought was just a prestigious boarding school for boys, is actually a slaughterhouse where students form gangs and engage in mu*der and violence.

And in front of Ryu Hopi appear four mysterious men…

What is the hidden secret behind this worst school on Earth? <<less

Zhu Ning, who had been leading the charge against zombies in the apocalypse, found herself transported to a post-apocalyptic world. In this world, 80% of the land was polluted, and humanity was divided into five classes. She ended up as the lowest class, a fifth-class citizen—essentially an unlucky, defective product.... more>>

Completely broke, Zhu Ning had no choice but to become a cleaner, sweeping up garbage.

It was said that cleaning jobs in the wasteland paid well and were easy, practically a dream job.

But... why does this cleaning job seem so different from what she expected?

On the mysteriously disappeared Line 1, she encountered mermen in suits carrying briefcases, with fish heads.

At a famous hotpot restaurant, the hotpot itself tried to eat people!

In a haunted house, the furniture moved around at night and even tried to kill the owner.

Even the supposedly warm and healing aquarium was filled with aggressive mermen demanding to reproduce, bloodsucking mechanical jellyfish, and unknown transparent creatures.

She visited a dental clinic, and as soon as she reached out her hand, it started raining teeth.

...

And that wasn’t all. The cleaning company seemed to be hiding a big secret.

The AI might be the mastermind behind everything.

The pharmaceutical companies looked completely shady!

Zhu Ning found herself inexplicably drawn into conflicts, where one wrong move could lead to a short life.

In the wasteland, everyone had eight hundred schemes up their sleeve.

Zhu Ning: Is heaven messing with me? <<less

The year is 2013, and it's the city of No. 6: a stringently controlled, diligently maintained megalopolis that embodies the highest ideals of humankind. Sion has lived under close supervision as a "high-ranking elite and therefore one of the city's assets" since the age of two, and feels secure - if not particularly happy - in his carefully planned out, government-sponsored future. ... more>>

On the night of his twelfth birthday, his comfortable lifestyle is turned upside-down when he meets, tends the wounds of, and shelters, a strange boy with an icy demeanour who calls himself "Nezumi" (Rat).

Why did I open the window that night? If I had not, I'd never have been forced to know what it's like to fight, to starve, and to suffer in anguish... <<less

In a future city intertwined with science, magic, and various races, a fearsome villain lives.... more>>

"How dare you try to use such a young child. Do you have no conscience?"

"It's truly regrettable. To think that this girl could be the key to eradicating a den of evil."

"You can rest easy now. We will definitely protect you."

Sorry, but I'm actually that villain...

It seems like a serious misunderstanding. <<less

A War Without Casualties.... more>>

The Republic of San Magnolia has long been under attack from the neighbouring Giadian Empire’s army of unmanned drones known as the Legion. After years of painstaking research, the Republic finally developed autonomous drones of their own, turning the one-sided struggle into a war without casualties-or at least, that’s what the government claims.

In truth, there is no such thing as a bloodless war. Beyond the fortified walls protecting the eighty-five Republic territories lies the “nonexistent” Eighty-Sixth Sector. The young men and women of this forsaken land are branded the Eighty-Six and, stripped of their humanity, pilot the “unmanned” weapons into battle…

Shin is the leader of a squadron of eighty-sixers. Lena is a “handler” who commands the detachment from the remote rear with the help of special communication technology.

The farewell story of the severe and sad struggle of these two begins! <<less

Every drop of this family bloodline is stained with sin. They are the embodiment of contradiction; calm yet maniacal, with great memories yet often forgetful. They pledge themselves to their dreams yet often compromise, are angels that are also devils… It’s why I hate them. And also love them. ... more>>

The only hope of his family, a youth with the blood of elves and demons walks on a battleground of annihilation and rebirth. He wills his way through boiling lava and icy depths, killing on this field of despair to strike down the lofty figure in his sight. One day he’ll grasp his blade tightly and survey his surroundings, only to find no more enemies to kill. <<less

This is the Lone Isle Prison.... more>>

Here, atrocities are tolerated, and normalized. The society works on a completely different set of rules.“You can decide the life and death of the prisoners. Only on this isle. Here, you can do whatever you want.”

Maybe, there is a devil on this isle, he can make a decent man lost in power and violence. <<less

In this latest work by Lord of the Mysteries author, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, be prepared for a well-thought out and detailed apocalyptic, cyberpunk world with a setting superseding Lord of the Mysteries! ... more>>

Our protagonist, Shang Jianyao, is crazy—literally crazy, at least that's what the doctors said. Living in a huge, underground building of Pangu Biology, one of the few remaining factions in this apocalyptic wasteland known as the Ashlands, he acts in unfathomable ways that's head-scratching, comical, and shrewd. So is he really crazy? Probably.

He has a grand dream: to save all of humanity.

Intricately tied to this dream is something everyone in the Ashlands believes in: Deep in a particular ruin buried away by danger and famine, a path leading to a new world awaits. To step into the new world, one only needs to find a special key and open that certain door.

There, the land is bountiful, as if milk and honey flows freely.

The sunlight is dazzling, as if all coldness and darkness are washed away.

The people will no longer have to face desolation, monsters, infections, mutations, and all kinds of dangers.

There, children are joyous, adults are happy, everything is fine as they are supposed to be.

Every Antiquarian, Ruin Hunter, and Historian roaming the Ashlands knows: That's the New World. <<less

[This sci-fi concept will blow your mind + multiple female leads + overpowered MC + apocalypse + hoarding supplies + lone wolf + selfish]... more>>

In 2066, a mycology research expedition discovered a brand new ancient microbial fungal community under the Arctic glaciers.

In 2070, a viral pandemic swept across the human world. Spherical fungal viruses that used fungi as hosts emerged and brought about the apocalypse, taking over the planet. 90% of the global population was infected and turned into fungal zombies with mushroom heads! Against this backdrop, the fungi controlled the zombie puppets to establish a civilization belonging to the microbial fungal community, wiping out human civilization.

Reborn one month before the apocalypse, Xu Que intended to hoard supplies to build an impregnable doomsday fortress that could withstand the fungal invasion. By chance, he dug a magical hole in the wall. He had wanted to use the hole to peep at his beautiful neighbor showering next door, but instead saw that the beauty was also a zombie...

When doomsday came, people were willing to abandon everything for a protective mask. Xu Que hid in the banquet hall inside the hole, sipping red wine and gazing at the table full of dishes, not knowing which to eat first.

Goddess: Xu Que, please, as long as you let me in, I'll do anything!

Nosy relative used to moral coercion: Xu Que, I'm your elder. Quick, bring some supplies to honor your auntie!

High school show-off classmate: Xu Que, we're classmates. Please, I'm begging you, throw a bun out here to feed me! <<less

Every infant on planet Chrome has gemini prints on their palms. Those prints match another newborn from planet Exilon.... more>>

On their eighteenth birthday, they will be married to each other. However, those children without partners will be hunted, killed and offered as tributes to the idols.

***

Orion Tudor is a seventeen year old prince from planet Chrome whose gemini prints vanished. His mission is to find his lost soulmate so that he can escape from the retribution of the Gods. Unfortunately, he was caught by the Legions and thrown to the Pillar’s custody. To escape death, Orion led the uprising revolution of all demon children in the Sanctuary – an Outer Space Orbiting Station at Parthenon Galaxy. In his search for his soulmate, he found out there are four of them with the same gemini prints.

Who among them is his soulmate? What’s the reason behind the emergence of four people with the same gemini prints? <<less

The story takes place in a world where people continue their war against the “unknown”—the enemy of humanity. Children who have been evacuated to a... more>> cold sleep facility during the invasion by the “unknown” several decades ago wake up from their slumber and learn that their bodies developed some supernatural forces. In order to protect the country from the “unknown” emerging from the Tokyo bay gate, the boys and girls wage battles in the defense the cities of Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Chiba. <<less