“Dark-haired Riki, once a slum gang leader, returns after three years as a Blondie's captive pet.”
Ai no Kusabi
間の楔
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AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Dark-haired Riki, once a slum gang leader, returns after three years as a Blondie's captive pet.
On the planet Amoi, a person's status is primarily dictated by the color of their hair. This society is run by the AI supercomputer known as Jupiter and its governing board of perfect blondes, referred to as Blondies, living in the capital city of Tanagura. However, the darker-haired humans live out their lives in the golden "pleasure city" of Midas and its outlying slum Ceres. They are known as "mongrels," and most cannot progress out of the slums. Three years ago, a boy named Riki disappeared from the slums of Ceres. Once the revered leader of the gang Bison, a sudden encounter with an elite Blondie, Iason Mink, forced Riki to abandon everything he had cultivated. The boy was snatched from his home and forced to become Iason's pet. Riki has spent the past three years enduring numerous blows to his pride, his time in Tanagura nothing but a form of torture. Now that Riki has returned, Bison once again rallies behind him. The risk he finds himself in, however, is much greater than ever before—there is always someone ready to sell him out.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 13 sampled reviews
What 13 viewers settled on.
Polarized
σ 2.09 · split reception
—
Not enough recommend signal yet
↓ 1.08
Running avg · Jan 2009 → Jan 2026
- 8 “This anime was something else, I actually just discovered "yaoi" anime and this is in fact the second anime that I have seen that has to do with that term. This anime which was an ova ended up...”
- 10 “WOW!! Such an awesome story filled with intensity, longing, love, obsession, possession, care, jealousy, and more! This ‘92 version expands upon the story of Iason, Riki, Kitze, Guy, & Raoul...”
- 8 “Timeless & ahead of it's time. It's been more than 30 years since this came out (1992), and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't force myself to like the 2012 version over this timeless...”
Watch Order & Related
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See all credits →Production slate
- Format 2 × 54′ eps × min
- Total runtime 1h 48m all episodes
- Aired Aug 1992 – May 1994
- Source Ova media type
- Rated R+ Mild Nudity
- Ref. BS-0663 catalog
Produced by
- On-Lead Producer