2008-03-10 A masterpiece

This first volume of Ai no Kusabi will not be for everybody, that's inarguable. If you are looking for plotless smut with graphic artwork then go elsewhere. If, however, you are looking for a literary masterpiece that has a multi-layered, epic scale to it with strong characters, is fabulously written and will leave you eager for the next installment, then this could well be right up your alley.

Admittedly, for Yaoi, the first chapter is the only one that contains scenes of an erotic nature but, as the first in a series, it's a pretty good set up for what may be to come.

The build up of the background of the cities and societies is a mind-blowing combination of imagination and a good chunk of observations about life that relates as much to our lives today as it does to the world of the story. The author effortlessly draws these comparisons for those able to see them and has a way of wording thoughts and phrases perfectly, and often beautifully.

The characters themselves are damn-near tangible - particularly the main characters. Take Riki, for example. In this novel, we are told how he was before he left the slums; an energetic fire-cracker of fight and personality, someone who was revered and admired in the slums. Even though we do not live through this time with him, we still feel the loss of this side of his persona when he returns more sullen and restrained. Unfortunately, the other principle character is much of an enigma in this novel but the chapters that include him stick vividly in my mind - his beauty, his power, his dominance. As with the first chapter, it leaves you desperate to see more of him and trust me, you will!

The story itself in this may be what deters some readers. It's slow and could be argued that there isn't really much plot at all BUT, seeing as this is just the first in the series, it could be forgiven as being the book that introduces the cast and sets the stage for what is to come. I have also heard complaints of the translation but this, for me, was never a big problem. There may have been times when words were mixed or a phrase was used that perhaps didn't quite make the sense it could have done but as I can recall none in particular, I would say that, for anyone prepared simply to enjoy and get lost in the story, it will not be a problem at all.

Overall, in my opinion, 'Ai no Kusabi' is a must read... or at least a must attempt. If it isn't to your tastes, then fair's fair but to reject it outright or criticise it for it's lack of sex is rather an insult. Anyone who can follow the story and appreciate the author's accomplishment as a writer will see the potential of the story and the characters and will want to stick it out until the end because, the way this author writes, the final novel is going to be a tearjerker!