Ai No Kusabi The Space Between Volume 8 (Yaoi Novel) Paperback – November 26, 2013

This was a fantastic series with many twists and turns, very beautiful world building, amazing love story, all leading up to this final book. Those who have followed this series since the beginning as well as watched the OVAs know how this story goes but if someone is reading this story for the first time they will have trouble following the story while having to muddle through the bad translation, as well as the rather rushed ending. To me this series did not receive the full ending it deserved, in some parts you can tell where the author has basically copied the exact events of the OVA instead of fleshing out a scene as it deserves.

I have read all of the volumes now and have seen both the original video and the remake. The writing is excellent in descriptions of characters and the environment. The book fills in some of the questions I had towards some feelings and motives that you have a tendency to fill in yourself when watching the videos. I wish I had read the books before seeing the video. I would like the author to think about revisiting Tanagura and this society to give us another peek at how things are going on their world. I will, of course, be reading this volume again.

So the editing on this version is bad. The story itself if good and comes to it's conclusion in this volume. Prepare to have tissues ready because the ending is sad.

This was a great ending to a great series. It took me by surprise. I read the whole series again just to read this book.

Awesome. I love it. Very good quality. by the way the story was awesome and hear breaking in the end

That's all folks

Once again the lazy translation and localization for this volume blemishes what is otherwise a dark, sometimes twisted yet beautiful and tragic love story of Iason Mink and Riki The Dark. I don't know why DMP/DMI have given such little care to the translation of this series' last two volumes but it's a real shame. So sadly, once again, scenes and dialogue are missing. So much characterization is left out of this novel that it really feels rushed from the third chapter onwards. The ending chapter especially feels so rushed that anyone who may not have seen the old Original Anime Video release of it may not get to really grasp Riki's decision after first reading it. It all happens so fast due to the fact much is left out in a failed attempt to streamline the storytelling. Luckily, the story (especially the twist ending) is so excellent and visceral that even with the bad translation, the story strikes a deep cord. It will stay with you long after you have read it. For better or for worse. I would give the superb story a 5 if not for the translation. I'll settle on a 4 instead of a 3 (like my review of volume 7) because the story here is just that good. More specifics of problems thanks to the bad translation are below.Aisha is still referred to as a female when he is in fact male. Due to lack of characterization by the translator, there are serious downsides for the two lead characters. Iason actually comes off kind of shallow in this in comparison to Riki, Guy and even Katze! Despite this volume delving into Riki's now broken psyche as he tries to determine once and for all how he feels and where he stands as far as Iason and Guy go, the lack of characterization just makes him come off as wishy-washy and indecisive (and kinda whiny too).One last thing missing in this translation is the illustration of Iason making Riki literally lick his boots in front of the Bison gang. I don't know if this is out of censorship (showing how cruel Iason can be is too harsh maybe?) or DMP/DMI continuing to mistreat this novel series. I always thought that it was important to remind the readers by letting them see the visual that no matter Iason's true feelings for Riki, he is essentially an inhuman cybernetic villain in the eyes of Guy and the rest of the Bisons for very good reasons. Which of course helps elaborate why Guy goes off the deep end too. The actual illustration would drive that point home for the readers of Iason coming off as a villain that kidnapped Riki as far as Guy and the gang can see but again, DMP/DMI failed us here by leaving it out.All in all this a captivating, very compelling and dark love story with a beautifully tragic ending. Also tragic and in no way beautiful, is the botched translation. -MKP.S. Have a box of tissues ready.