..:: Ai no Kusabi ::..

Oh....I see pictures from Kira Takenuchi's books are up.

@noone: I think I know what Kira means...Of course the story comes to a dead-end, so to speak But the story encompasses about 3-4 years of their lives. The society they are part of is large and hardly explained in the story. There is so much left unsaid, so much that leaves room for the imagination, and in that respect the story is left wide open...

@ Hakucho: I was wondering, Iason did walk away from Riki in the OVA, but after he saved him from that group, right? Why do you think Iason came to the rescue? I have no idea myself, but maybe you have?

Yes, yes, that's it, make my point children Dialogue can only occur if one feels the need to question or doubt what others said before.
Well noone, I think I explained myself there, what I said is, it's open in the sense that we won't know what they truly feel for each other or the reasons they did some of the things they did. They die, but we are left still wondering. I know I am. There are endless posibilities for why did Riki go back and die beside Iason. That's what I ment. Sorry if i did not make sense, it's a habit of mine...

Aaaaand, thank you kindly dear Hakucho and dearest Miriashi for the support

Hakucho. I'm one who believes in love a first sight. (Sorry, that's just me). And I truely feel that Iason stopped the car and went to save Riki because he was pulled towards him. If I remember correctly (Iason's assistant "S" something) was driving the car at that time. If he was, I'm surprised that Iason was the one who got out of the car to save Riki. Can't remember the details now.

Hello all. Love at first site is not impossible, limitedfan, and I know what you mean. I am not disagreeing for I am sure you saw different things when you saw the movie as compared how I interpreted the movie. But I must say I didn't see any attraction from Iason's part and there was none accroding to the book either. In fact, to put it rather bluntly, Iason was a really terrible person with no empathy for people. He was living on his high horses regarding people to be nothing but expendable assets and even considered Raoul to be odd for he liked female Pets. He was also a seethingly jealous person and one demanding to be the centre of attention.

He had never seen Riki before and in the alley where Riki was attacked, the mongrel was surrounded by four-five other people and thus, Iason couldn't possibly see whom he was rescuing. And according to the book, Iason was not interested in Riki until he came to his apartment and felt his body close. That was also pure physical attraction and fascination to someone so different, for he had never been so close to something so wild. As they spent more and more time together, iason began to change and to some extent he didn't see that, but what he felt (attracktion turning into love) was welcomed and he slowly changes into a more caring person allowing Riki to have more freedom and do more mischief without going punished (causing a ruckess at the Pet display when he beat Enu - although both Riki and Mimea felt the sting from both Raoul's and Iason's wrath when they stepped over the boundaries). I think we need to remember that poor Iason, being brought up as he was, he had no idea of how to treat a person with kindness, for all he had ever seen was that a Blondie's command was the law to everyone else below. But that was not doable with Riki for he bit back.

Iason came to the rescue 1) he was in the are due to a meeting he attended and 2) for even though he cares less for the mongrels he did pride himself on having panache. He respects certain qualitites regardless of skin colour and loaths cowardice, which is what the others showed when they were several against one. Iason does ask the youngsters acting cowardly; what possible danger can one man pose for several having to act together to overpower him. After scaring the cowards off, Iason walk away completely uninterested in Riki, who persistently wants to pay him back. He choses to get out of the car instead of the assistant for his mere appearance is intimidating. He knows that no mongrel would ever dare to touch him (as you see the guys back off as soon as they see it is a Blondie). His assistant though, would very well be attacked and Iason is a resourceful guy...he doen't like to risk more than he can gain. For him it wasn't more dramatic than for a grown up to separate a few kids from pouncing on each other. He is after all much stronger and taller than the average human and has strength that is not even comparable.

During those three years with Iason, Riki changes dramatically for although he hates to admit it, he is being tamed and he looses more and more of his feistiness, whereas Iason slips further and further away from his selfcontrol to keep a distance to the boy. Riki is no longer just a Pet. he becomes an obsession and a source of life for Iason. That takes time for them both. Whilst Iason was more into the fact of having Riki as a Pet (an unusual one, mind you) he falls into his own "trap" and realizes that there is more to life than juts another pretty face. He realizes that there is a depth in a person...even a simple mongrel. And even though he is very angered by Riki's obstinacy, he respects the mongrel for being incorruptable. Remember that Iason is a politician where lies are intertwined with the truth and keeping a front to shield your true emotions is the norm. Riki is always like an open book for he openly display his loss of control and his confusion. Whilst Iason "never tells a joke", Riki is both angry and exited by Iaosn's touches and his body is acting without his control. He is constantly confused and though he wants to break free he doesn't manage. However, Iason thought he was immune to those feelings, but realizes a bit too late that he is not. Raoul has a bit of a hard time with this for he is expected by Jupiter to be the puppet master in the background. But it is a job he is not proud of and though he has the ability to manipulate with people's minds he "bluntly refuses" to do so with Iason. As a sucker for art and details, if you see the characters' appearance you can see that Raoul's harsh face of straight lines is softened by the softness of his curls that also partly shade his eyes and he is more often found smiling on the OVA as compared to Iason. He is a softer character than Iason, but is a bit ambiguous as his face (also a represenation of soul/character) is hid behind his fringe as if he is a person of duality. Iason is as straight as an arrow, but he is harsh with icy eyes and nothing softening his harsh features. He is headstrong and supposedly the one that cannot be quenched - he is the leader...but...he is being quenched by Riki evetually. I hope I answered some of your question Miriashi.

Basically, anyone can be right in their interpretation, but this is what I saw and came to understand from the stories, scripts and translations. But please, do expand your ideas guys if you disagree.


Cheers and AnK hugs to all ....

Of course I support you Kira...I am your fan.

Hakucho: Well I know I felt the spark from Iason at first sight. I just kept thinking I wish Riki understands and sees how much Iason loves him and is welling to give everything to him or give up everything for him. If I could shake Riki I would've.

Hakucho! Thank you for your elaborate explanation (twice )
Your ideas reflect many of my own. I can live with your view on why Iason came to the rescue. Your explanation fits his personality and his way of life. I have to read the chapters in the book again because there are quite some differences between the OVA and the book at this part as I recall...
I do believe love at first sight exists, but I have to agree that this was probably not happening between Iason and Riki when they first met...

@limitedfan: As anyone is free to their own interpretations, I am curious for your opinion as well. Please, if you like ,would you tell me how you saw that spark of love at first sight? Was it how Iason looked into the ally from out of his car? Or how he looked at Riki? Or did you get it from the book?

I enjoy this social group quite a lot! ^^ Thanks a lot for the very interesting views and explanations... I cannot wait to have the whole lot of the novels now ^__^

Miriashi: To me, Iason had to have seen Riki while passing through, and he was intrigued enough to stop and get out of the car (and not that other guy who I forgot his name for now). I think seeing the fight in Riki's eyes even though he was about to be really hurt, made him interested to know more about Riki. But it was Riki's arrogance not to be indebted to anyone that challenged Iason. I think that challenge is what stirred Iason’s heart (his insides). Then I believe the touching did him in.

How I see it, is that Iason’s arrogance (the fact that Riki was able to capture his heart, yet he never felt the same) took the better of him and he decided to force Riki into loving him. But since Iason is a Blondie who has control over everyone, he did what he knows best “Tame Riki”.

Riki probably began to love Iason, but never really accepted it. And I think he was more confused once he went back to Guy. I think Riki never saw Iason’s (chain technique, performance show, etc.) as ways to express love. So, off course, he preferred the familiar and common Guy (same cloth) then the controlling, tormenting Iason (totally different level).

The last scene when Riki comes back. I really see how much Iason loved him. And it wasn’t about flesh. Otherwise he would have wanted that “deep kiss” to be a real one, not via a cigarette stick.

That’s how I see it. Or better, how I feel it.