2012 Ai no Kusabi English Dub

In 2017 Media Blasters re-released Ai no Kusabi with English dub, provided by Kocha Sound, on DVD and Blu-ray on December 19, 2017.

## Production Process

Aware of the poor translation of the subbed version, Kocha Sound attempted to do a better job of bringing Ai no Kusabi to international audience with limited success. Unable to procure the first 6 volumes of the official English translation, the team had to rely on volumes 7 and 8, which are notoriously poorly translated, as well as fan blogs and resources which, especially at that time, were unreliable. Some new sections were even included based on source material.

This process resulted in a markedly better translation than the subtitled version, but it wasn't without major errors either. The main issues seem to stem however from the changes/oversights from Media Blasers themselves. Riki's age was changed to 18 in an effort to make it more appropriate due to the sexual nature of the anime. Similarly, Mimea's voice was made to sound more mature, probably for the same reason. Aisha's voice was dubbed by a female voice actress, presumably because Aisha was already misgendered in volumes 7 and 8 of English translation.

Other issues concerned the actual product. The DVDs and Blue-rays were manufactured on-demand, using a homemade recordable DVD which, in addition to not being of professional quality, didn't play on numerous devices. Some buyers also reported that the recordings, even when they managed to access them, were erroneous. Many also received a DVD after ordering a Blue-ray.

Ai no Kusabi Unchained Edition can be purchased: Amazon

Or watched and downloaded: Here

## Official Summary

The official summary of the Unchained edition can be found on the back of the packaging box, and contains numerous errors.

### Transcript

AI NO KUSABI, a four-episode OVA, is based on a novel by award-winning female sci-fi author Rieko Yoshihara. Set in a dystopian future, the patriarchal society of the planet Amoi lives under a strict caste system controlled by an authoritarian super-computer named Jupiter. Social class is determined by the color of one's hair, and Iason sits at the top of the pecking order as a 'Blondie'. His privileged life draws scandal when he chooses to take on a 'mongrel' gang leader named Riki as a 'pet'. There are no taboos against the lighter-haired elites staking claim to the dark-haired denizens of the slum, but when Riki commits an unforgivable act, the intensity of their relationship begins to draw dangerous attention. As emotions and tensions escalate, will Iason and Riki escape the fateful consequences of their forbidden romance? AI NO KUSABI is a gritty, suspenseful, and sensual title sparring with heavy topics and themes including systemic racism, sexual agency, and social isolation.

### Corrections

* "**Social class is determined by the color of one's hair**": A common misunderstanding of the universe. The hair-colour based system, Noram, is only applicable to elites (who can change their hair colour at will, so the hair colour serves more as a demarcation of one's status). It does not affect the humans from Midas, who have their own class system, Zein, nor does it affect slum mongrels from Ceres.
* "**There are no taboos against the lighter-haired elites staking claim to the dark-haired denizens of the slum**": Not only is this considered taboo, it is absolutely unthinkable and is considered an unheard-of precedent. The elites keep pets as a status symbol, and Blondies such as Iason are expected to have the highest quality pets in the universe - Academy manufactured purebloods. No elite in their right mind would consider keeping a slum mongrel. Moreover, elites are not supposed to feel lust and to have intimate relations themselves with their pets is another unthinkable scenario.
* "**the dark-haired denizens of the slum**": As stated earlier, hair colour has nothing to do with status. Slum mongrels have various hair colours that don't affect their position in society at all.
* "**lighter-haired elites**": Elites themselves come with different hair colours, including black-haired Onyx.
* "**when Riki commits an unforgivable act**": The act in question is his attempt to escape Eos (also known as the Daryl Incident). While, yes, this was a massive scandal, by this point it was simply one of many, and Iason's attachment to Riki had been a thorn in everyone's side for years by that point.
* "**forbidden romance**": worth noting is that the "romance" in question, at least at this point, was entirely one-sided. In fact, Riki was kept a prisoner in Eos and was deeply unhappy. Hence his escape attempt.

## Cast and Crew

### Staff

* **ADR Director:** Brittany Lauda
* **Casting:** Kocha Sound
* **Assistant ADR Director:** Matt Shipman
* **Lead Writer:** Matt Shipman
* **ADR Writers:** Matt Shipman (Ep 1& 3) & Y. Chang (Ep 2 & 4)
* **Production Consultant**: Y. Chang
* **ADR Engineer:** Matt Shipman
* **Assistant ADR Engineer:** Brittany Lauda
* **Dialogue Editing:** Kocha Sound
* **Mix Engineer:** Justin Ramos
* **Executive Producer:** John Sirabella
* **Associate Producer:** Carl Morano
* **Assistant Producers**: Kocha Sound

### Cast

* **Iason Mink:** Todd Haberkorn
* **Riki:** Darren Mitchell
* **Guy:** Ricco Fajardo
* **Kirie:** Bryson Baugus
* **Norris:** Matt Shipman
* **Sid:** Austin Tindle
* **Luke:** Tyson Rinehart
* **Maxi**: Ray Hurd
* **Katze:** Michael A. Zekas
* **Jeeks Leader:** Clifford Chapin
* **Jeeks Lackey**: Jordan Dash Cruz
* **Daryl:** Y. Chang
* **Mimea:** Elizabeth Maxwell
* **Raoul:** Chuck Huber
* **Orphe:** John Swasey
* **Aisha:** Meli Grant
* **Gideon:** Marcus Stimac
* **Gilbert:** Keith Silverstein
* **Hubert:** P.M. Seymour
* **Marcus:** Lucas Schuneman

* **Additional Voices**: Brittany Lauda, Madeleine Morris, Michaela Amanda Laws, Jacob Browning, Alex Mai, Jordan Jones, Gene Marks, Lucas Schuneman, Keith Silverstein, Patrick Seymour, John Swasey, Marcus Stimac, Austin Tindle, Clifford Chapin, Jordan Dash Cruz, Ray Hurd, Meli Grant