Focusing on the ill-fated love between Iason and Riki, Ai no Kusabi also explores issues of caste systems and social exclusion. Iason Mink, a high-class Blondie, runs into Riki, a black-haired Mongrel, and makes him his 'Pet.' As Riki learns of the dangers Iason faces by keeping him, he finds himself developing feelings for his master. This futuristic tale is set in a world where men are assigned various social classes based on their hair color. Originally serialized in the yaoi magazine Shousetsu June between December 1986 and October 1987, the story was collected into a hardbound novel that was released in Japan in 1990. Ai no Kusabi is a Japanese novel written by Rieko Yoshihara.
