Ai no Kusabi: 90s vs 2012
Now, I did say at the beginning of these entirely-way-too-long posts that I would tell you why the 90s OVAs are preferable over the 2012 remake of Ai no Kusabi. I hope to be fair in my assessment but of course this all my personal opinion.
So the recent OVAs were intended to be an extended telling of the Ai no Kusabi novel over the duration of 12 episodes but due to lack of funding only 4 of the 12 were ever made. This in itself is one of the drawbacks of the 2012 version, though this was through no fault of the show - however it does mean that we are never given a complete story to enjoy, which can be a bit of a bummer. To its advantage though, had it been a completed series it would have been great because the additional episodes allowed for more of the story to be covered, including what happened in the 3 years that Riki was living with Iason. The 90s OVAs cover this in a flashback at the beginning of the 2nd OVA but a lot of the details were left out - obviously due to time constraints etc. So if you want to supplement that aspect of the story then watching the 2012 version is a good idea because you get to see a bit more of what Riki went through and who he got to know and where he would go while he was in Tanagura.
In terms of the storyline itself, the 2012 version probably sticks to the novel a lot more faithfully because certain events, e.g. Bison going to steal alcohol at the pet auction in Midas, isn’t covered in the novel and is probably a 90s OVA-only event. Additionally, the way that Iason and Riki meet is also different in the novel and is more accurately portrayed in the 2012 version. Be that as it may, I can understand why the 90s OVA took a slightly different approach to the story by changing the details of the events but not the events themselves, and this is probably because of the difference between reading the book and watching it in an animated form. Let me explain - books are filled with detailed descriptions of scenery, setting, clothing, people etc. and portrayed with wonderful words that colour the imagination. It can be something as simple as stepping into the foyer of a grand mansion but the description will leave you in awe. Now, putting this into an animated/visual format, the description is left to the wayside and we rely on the visual impact of the scene to give us that feeling of awe. And therein lies the rub with the 2012 version - while it does stick to the book and gives it its due, the scene itself is actually rather tame by comparison to the 90s version.
For example - the meeting between Iason and Riki in the 90s OVA gives us a proper glimpse at what Riki is all about - passion and pride and cocky attitude with a devil may care approach to life. He fights, he does shady deals and does what he can to survive in this world and has no regrets about it. Putting him in the middle of a confrontation with those who are considered above his class helps to put all that into a visual form and right off the bat you have a good sense of Riki’s character. And of course, Iason steps in helps him out a jam which leaves him in Iason’s debt, which he feels he must pay back. Now in the book, the setting of Midas is described as well as the people and the atmosphere of the town. We also get to know what Riki is thinking as he walks those streets and in that way we get to grips with the sort of guy he is, where he came from and what he wants out of life - at this point in time it’s to pickpocket credit cards that can be traded for money. And he meets Iason when Iason stops him from executing his pickpocketing move and tells him not to do such things if he’s an amateur. And instead of calling the police he let’s Riki go. Riki had the choice at that moment to let that be the end of it but instead chose to chase after Iason so he could pay back this debt he feels he owes this blondie. All good and well. Now, translating that into a visual sense sort of plays down the feeling that’s conveyed in the book because all we see is a bit of Riki’s cocky attitude and him getting stopped by Iason and then chasing after him. Hence I say that comparing the 90s OVA to the 2012 version makes it seem as though something is missing. But always keep in mind that this is just my opinion and everyone is entitled to feel differently. And it is a fact that the 90s OVAs take liberties with how things come about when compared to the original plot in the book.
I mentioned visuals before and perhaps we should talk about that for a bit since it’s the most basic thing that can be compared - animation styles. If you’re like me and you watch a LOT of old school stuff, the animation of the 90s won’t be much of an issue for you and you’ll actually appreciate that they’ve made Iason rather devastatingly hot… And Riki is that “rough around the edges” type but his body is on point. The 2012 version doesn’t lose to the 90s though because with the use of CG and new animation techniques the city of Tanagura and Midas are given their due in breathtaking landscapes and the grand scale of it all. The characters are beautifully animated and make for excellent eye candy. Not only that, but you get to see the other Blondies as well when they have their meeting. The only aspect I wasn’t entirely happy with was the portrayal of Jupiter. In the 90s OVA she has a more humanoid form that’s able to transmute into a series of spheres. In the 2012 version she’s a rather demonic looking humanoid with what looks like a beak and claws. Not quite the “motherly” figure that the 90s achieves, and which seems more appropriate in light of her concern for Iason. Apart from this, there are other small details that get changed, like the bikes that Bison ride, but otherwise most of the character designs have remained similar. So this is always a question of aesthetic because while some people (like myself) enjoy the look of older animation, other may prefer the newer, cleaner, shinier, crisp look that the 21st century has to offer. Don’t get me wrong though because I love beautiful animation as much as the next guy and 2012 definitely delivers. So I would say that both OVA versions are on par here but it just depends on what you like to look at…
Speaking of character designs, while it is true that the essential designs remain the same, the actual personality of the characters is somewhat different between the two versions. This could be as a result of the sequence order but the 90s Iason initially comes across as a haughty Blondie that mocks a prideful Riki but soon sees the value in having a pet such as this - a guy from the slums. Because we see the very beginning and then jump to the bit where Riki is free, we don’t really get to see the full 3 years worth of events between Iason and Riki and what it took to tame Riki. When we pick up again in the 2nd OVA, Riki is back with Iason and Iason is a much gentler man because rather than subjecting his pet to discipline, he slowly loosens Riki’s leash and allows him to live a more regular life than that of a normal pet. And when Riki is kidnapped, Iason goes to any length to save him and shows great care and concern when he finds out what’s happened to Riki. And upon their meeting again, he pretty much does whatever Riki asks of him. So the Iason of the 90s version is a much more caring owner, going on what’s shown to us. And even when there were instances of discipline, it never seemed malicious but rather that this was what he had to do to keep Riki at his side and tame him in this way.
The book actually portrays a pretty similar character and the details of the interactions between Riki and Iason are given in detail, including the process of how Iason slowly starts to change the way he thinks about and feels about Riki, becoming more honest with himself that even though he’s been artificially created, a deeply hidden, human side of him has been unearthed and is beginning to show. He experiences jealousy and sometimes rage and this is all because he has feelings for Riki - feelings that can no longer be denied or kept at bay. And much like 90s Iason, he disciplines Riki and trains him all for the sake of wanting to have him - and never to share him with anyone else.
The 2012 Iason, by comparison, comes across as a lot meaner than the 90s version. When he disciplines Riki for sleeping with Mimea, it doesn’t come across that he’s doing this out of jealousy, but rather that he’s doing this purely for punishment’s sake. And because the show was cut short, we never get to see the development of this character into one that is obsessed with Riki and would do anything (within reason) to keep him by his side. So we are left with this mean Iason to contend with and you never really connect with him as a character. As it is, in the 90s OVA (and the book) Iason explains that he’s given Riki a year of freedom because he just needs to get some fresh air. Being a guy from the slums, being kept in the confining place such as Tanagura for too long may end up destroying the man that Iason fell in love with, so he lets him go. In the 2012 version, he’s less than honest and seems to defer to the other Blondies as his reason for letting Riki go - that he felt pressured to do so.
I think that the other reason why the 90s Iason comes across as softer or more likeable is because of the seiyuu that portrayed him - Shiozawa Kaneto. Shiozawa-san has a voice that is rather soothing and subdued but within that, you can clearly get the sense of what emotions he’s trying to convey - whether it’s irritation, affection or condescension. When this Iason speaks to Riki, those whispers are enough to make you both fear and love that Blondie - exactly as it should be. This doesn’t take anything away from Ōkawa Tōru, who is a prolific seiyuu in his own right and portrays that cool/unfeeling side of Iason well but as I’ve stated before - we never get to see the transition of Iason from condescending Blondie to love-sick man… With regard to Riki, his character is pretty consistent between both versions of the show so no complaints there.
To be fair, if you’re looking for an accurate depiction of what’s in the original novel then the 2012 version is where you can find it in glorious detail. It remains true to the book and uses a visual style that portrays it beautifully. Tanagura and Midas look as the should for a cyber-punk sci-fi style yaoi and the characters are beautiful as well as charming. And if you’re a BL fan, you will LOVE!!!! hearing all your favourite seiyuus portraying the Blondies - Koyasu Takehito, Kuroda Takaya, Horiuchi Kenyuu and more… just divine! The 2012 version would have been so good had it been a finished product and a lot of the things that I’ve mentioned here may have been put to rest with the development of the characters over the remaining episodes. But the reality is that we will probably never get the rest of those episodes and so we make do with what we’re given - which isn’t a whole lot. I really appreciated that it filled in the bits that were missing from the 90s OVA, but overall that incomplete feeling can’t be erased. I myself actually watched the 2012 version before watching the 90s version because back then I was more into the currently aesthetically pleasing version of anime we have today and I was more than happy to watch it with wide-eyed wonder at the sheer scope and magnificence the 2012 OVAs portrayed. But a little later, I decided that I should check out the older version because being a proper fujoshi meant checking out all the yaoi/BL anime - including those from the 80s/90s.
While the art style of the 90s version take some getting used to if you’re new to older animation styles, this was the show that essentially stole my heart. Why? Because it’s a story that’s got heart. And for me - whether it’s 2012 Iason or 1992 Iason, they are both beautiful beyond compare. Even though the 90s OVAs took some heavy liberties with its deviation from the book, the end point of each event remained the same, thereby avoiding turning it into an entirely different story. The characteristics of the characters remain in tact and the deviations just served to spice up the story or extend the show a bit. Purists would hate that sort of thing, but if you’re open minded then you won’t mind a little tweak here and there. In return, what you’re given is a more complete story which chronicles the relationship between Iason and Riki from the beginning to its untimely and tragic end. Although that ending had me crying (literally), it was such a satisfying watch. And that’s because over the space of two 45-minute OVAs I managed to become pretty invested in these characters and their tragic love. You feel for both as they are pulled together and what each has to deal with - Iason is almost mocked for loving a mongrel and Riki wants to run away but somewhere deep inside he knows it’s way too late for that. So while they seem to be running in circles, it’s more like a spiral where the two will eventually meet in the centre. And this is what sets these OVAs apart from the 2012 version - the feels! What the 2012 version has in beauty, the 90s version has in heart…
So I’ve gone on and on about why I prefer the 90s version but I always say that this should be taken with heavy doses of salt because what I think and feel may not be the same as someone else. There may be some that agree and some that think I’m talking nonsense or maybe you agree with certain parts but not other… But you know, rather than choosing to watch one or the other why not do what I did and watch both. You get something out of each and the stories actually compliment each other (aside from the plot inconsistencies here and there with regard to the events I mentioned before). So don’t discount one or the other, but rather enjoy both and cry with me as we watch Ai no Kusabi one more time…
And if you’re interested in the 90s version, I’ve created a couple of posts that pretty much tell you the story of Ai no Kusabi according to the 90s version of events:
Original Ai no Kusabi 1992 OVA (Part 1)
Original Ai no Kusabi 1994 OVA (Part 2)
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