Talk:Ai no Kusabi

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The title of the anime "Ai No Kusabi" in Japanese characters is 間の楔. The first kanji 間 is read as "a space, an interval, a distance". 楔 is read as "wedge". The whole phrase is something like "interval's wedge" or a little more easily in English, "the wedge of distance" or perhaps even more to the point "a distance that can't be crossed" or "a distance that acts as a wedge". The jist being that there is a gap between two points which cannot be closed.

It seems the title refers to the distance between the two main characters and also the distance between their apparently different species and certainly the distance between their culturally defined roles and classes.

I agree with this analysis of the title - I would just like to add that the apparently translated 'wedge' part of the title has the same kind of double meaning as the phrases 'to cleave together' and 'to cleave in two'. It is something that is ultimately attractive yet repellent. Something that binds the protagonists yet pulls them apart.

"Riki, do you know what 'Ai no Kusabi' is? It's something that strongly links two opposites together like you and Iason. I suppose people could call it love." Quote translated from anime.--Sharonlees 22:37, 15 July 2006 (UTC)

To add support to the analysis of the double meaning of the title - Goo's Kokugo dictionary gives many definitions for ai, but the two most applicable are a space between two things and a relationship between two people. There are also two definitions for kusabi: a tool for splitting things, and "something that tightly connects two things to each other. Kizuna (a bond - often emotional)." So depending on the interpretation, the title suggests both connection and division. Besides the attraction/repulsion of the main characters, 'ai no kusabi' could also describe the Iason/Riki relationship itself, linking the highest in society to the lowest, or the divide from society as a whole that eventually destroys the main characters. The translation of 'Ai no Kusabi' as 'Wedge of Love' is too narrow, and probably came about from a false assumption that ai = love. Shiva Indis 05:21, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Opinion Based

I just think it's worth while bringing up the fact that the majority of the contents of this article is just opinion and doesn't really give a factual account of the anime or its history. I would completely replace the summary as I don't feel it's actually that informative, and those researching or looking for an objective summary, history and analysis would feel at a complete loss. I was planning to do this myself before this article popped up and was pretty pleased that I wouldn't have to do this myself but now I don't know.... I think it's a cause for concern but I don't want to go ahead and replace the whole submission, I think I need to see what others think!!--Sharonlees July 2006 (UTC)

Do it, I say. Practically the whole thing is ganked from http://boysonboysonfilm.com/anime/ainokusabi.html anyway, so you're hardly destroying someone's writing. Voici 18:36, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

I have started the re-writing of this article and have only written the general info - story and voice actors etc to come. So I have removed neutrality warning for now. --Sharonlees 14:40, 12 September 2006 (UTC)