In the tides of time, humankind has lost their position as the wisest of all creatures. The Steel City that suddenly rose in the center... more>> of the eastern lands and a man-made god, ‘Father,’ have replaced them. Mechs have taken over the world of this petri dish, Astrolabe, that the ancient Creators have left behind. One day, a young human s*ave named A-Ka finds a black-haired male on a beach of Desolate Sea… The world of Astrolabe is about to reboot, so what will become of the future of the humans, androids, and mechs? <<less

That day, mankind could finally see the sun. The sky that had always been covered in smog and had never been seen before, who would have thought that it was so pure and alluring?... more>>

Thus, they danced in admiration of the gods’ grace bestowed upon them. They drank and sung, rejoicing about the gods’ greatness.

Despite their sincere gratitude, the gods chastised the people. After the festival that lasted for three days and three nights, the sky started to collapse.

The gods descended from above, and they dyed the land blood-red. <<less

Ethan, the former secretary working for the Energy Bureau of Earth Union, was detained in a place called ‘Forbidden City’ after being deprived of his moral value points for committing treason. Everyone in the city is tr*sh among humans. They have to continually go on specified hazardous and terrifying missions for the sake of atonement and to exchange moral values points. If their moral value points reach 100 one day, they would obtain a chance to be released from the Forbidden City and return to the world of the humans to restart their lives as a human. But it was said that once someone enters the Forbidden City, no one can come out alive.
... more>> 40px;"> Ethan just wanted to live, but from his first mission, he felt like he had descended into a whirlpool of terror. In front of these huge monsters that could devour the entire universe, he can only keep falling.

This novel is inspired by Lovecraftian horror. <<less

Deeply-closeted Xiaoming has downloaded a zipped file and opened one of the novels at random. He closed it immediately after two pages because he found it way too kinky for his tastes, and can only faintly recall the cannon fodder and the antagonist.... more>>

Waking up later, he became that cannon fodder on his way to tomorrow’s killing gauntlet reality show. Failing to return even after reciting the core values a hundred times, he could only pick up his sword. As long as the tragic fate could be rewritten, it’s fine to become tainted or whatever. <<less

Exile No. 239: thirty-something, male omega, first degree felon. One day, he comes home to find the alpha girl Yasha sleeping in his bed.... more>>

The unwholesome love story of a bashful tyrant girl and a listless young man. <<less

“Until the day humanity falls.”... more>>

In the year 2020, Earth’s magnetic poles disappeared and humankind was nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation. Within the span of a hundred years, living creatures began to mutate and devour each other while the remaining humans, numbering in the tens of thousands, struggled bitterly in their man-made bases.

In the Abyss, home to the mutated xenogenics, there lived a sentient little mushroom. Because it had been nourished by the blood and flesh of the deceased human An Ze, not only did it take on a similar-looking human form, but a similar name as well: An Zhe.

An Zhe is determined to go to the human base to search for his spore, which had been harvested by humans. Once there, however, he faces the omnipresent risk of discovery and certain death as he tries to keep his non-human nature hidden from the Judges, whose responsibility is to inspect for and eliminate xenogenics like himself. And of all the Judges, Colonel Lu Feng is the most perceptive and merciless—as soon as he determines that someone is a xenogenic, he will execute that person on the spot.

But An Zhe’s mutation goes undetected by Lu Feng’s eyes, and so a tale of humans and xenogenics unfolds…

Silver Award winner at the 12th Chinese Nebula Awards for Chinese Science Fiction. <<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

A fighting genius.... more>>

In grade 6, Choi Hyuk killed someone. He then promised his mother that he would never fight again. He spent his school days being bullied and blankly staring out the window.

One day, a ring appeared in the middle of his classroom.

Choi Hyuk, now a high schooler who had spent his whole life atoning for his sins, was now faced with a decision, to kill or to be killed. <<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

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 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

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

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

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

Mobile game Arcane Seoul.... more>>

The day after I drew my first SSR Character.

I became a rookie grade character, Kim Jeonsa.

[2023 Grand Prize at the World’s Largest Web Novel Contest] <<less

Major Kang Young-hoon of the Strike Team.... more>>

The moment he died, he possessed his former self of 9 years before his death.

A C-Class ability user with 9 years of experience, this is the story of Kang Young-hoon's new life. <<less

“Man is never a peaceful species. If there is a subspecies that is superior, the modern species will feel threatened.”... more>>

From some point onward, a new subspecies, the so-called ‘wolves’, appeared to threaten modern humanity.

Modern humans began to confine them to underground cities to protect themselves.

Then one day, the ‘Professor’ was kidnapped and sent to an underground city.

He realizes that he is a wolf… <<less

A land covered with snow-white sand, an air with a foul smell of sulfur, and a land where it was difficult to breathe without a purifier. A gloomy future where even tomorrow’s life could not be guaranteed.... more>>

Faced with a desperate crisis, humanity sculpts the dragon’s corpse to create eight cities. The chosen move to a new city, and the unchosen are left in the desolate Dead sea.

The ‘Theory of Paradise’ will be supported by three pillars. The three of them will be attending the school at the same time, dreaming and sharing the same senses, so they will surely acknowledge each other’s presence.

1000 years after the city was built, three youths who were abandoned and destroyed by the world faced an old prophecy.

“Tell me, you will never love me.”

“You said there was a light outside the tunnel, but to me, the light was you.”

Even in the gloomy dystopian era, the three main characters, Eun Woo, Jae Hee, and Yoon Hwan, were constantly in dynamism. They faced their fate head-on and continued to carry out their own beliefs that they firmly believed on. Through this, it showed how important “love” was in choosing the direction of life, how courageous choices were gathered to change the world, and how overwhelming the ‘love-induced revolution’ was.

‘Theory of Paradise’ was the story of three people who had fallen into hell and had lived desperately, trying to change the world for the one they love, and eventually finding light in the dark. <<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