intro to the Story

Click here for an explanation of some terminology.

On the barren planet of Amoi, scientists hoped to create a perfect society centered around the supercomputer Jupiter. Except Jupiter attained consciousness and seized control. The citizens of Ceres, area 9 of the pleasure city of Midas, once rebelled against Jupiter. Jupiter did not put down the rebellion, but granted the rebels their freedom - and erased their identities. Now they were only able to live and work inside the slums of Ceres. They were no longer citizens. A thriving black market is the only thing that keeps the citizens of Ceres supplied. Because the people of Ceres reproduce naturally, they are called mongrels.

In Tanagura people are genetically engineered, and the elite are engineered by Jupiter to be stronger, smarter and taller than normal humans. The elite are physically perfect - except that they are sterile. Their rank is determined and shown in their hair color - from lowest to highest, the ranks are onyx, ruby, emerald, sapphire, platina and blondie (or black, red, green, blue, silver and gold).

Note: This is sometimes misunderstood as thinking that black-haired people are the lowest of the low (i.e. Riki). You should note that nowhere in these ranks is mentioned brown hair, and that most of the mongrels of the slums (the rest of Bison, for example) have brown hair. Riki is unique in the slums for his pure black hair and black eyes. That is stated in the novel. He is the lowest of the low in Tanagura because he's a MONGREL, not because of his hair. Onyx are the lowest ranking of the elite.

Being sterile and sworn by taboos, elites do not engage in sexual activity, but keep human pets for voyeuristic purposes. Pets engage in sex while their eilite masters watch. The best pets are bred and trained by the Academy. Pets are only trained sexually and have no other skills. Most pets are only kept for a year or so before being auctioned or sold off, mostly to brothels in Midas.

The only escape a mongrel may have from the slums of Ceres is to be fair to look on and be chosen as furniture, decorative slaves of the elite who care for the pets and serve their elite masters. Furniture are all castrated, but most are willing to pay the price to escape life in the slums.

The story

Note: there are some differences between the novel and the OVAs, and this is a bit of a mash-up between them but there should be no contradictions.

SPOILERS BELOW!

Riki, a boy with pure black hair and black eyes, leads the street gang Bison in Ceres. At his side constantly was his second-in-command and pairing partner Guy. Bison was the cock of the walk in Ceres. Riki always told Guy he was going to get out of the slums.

One day he disappeared ...

Riki was out trying to steal a car in Midas when he was set upon by citizens of Midas. When they tried to beat him up, a blondie interfered and saved Riki. Riki felt he owed him a debt for this, and offered to pay him with the only thing he had - his body.

The blondie was Iason Mink, the leader of Tanagura's syndicate and the most powerful man in the city. After Iason received his 'payment' from Riki, he decided to take him as his pet. Iason's friend Raoul warns him that he thinks keeping a mongrel pet is a bad idea.

Iason kept Riki as his pet for three years, which caused a lot of rumors to fly in Tanagura. Riki was too old to be kept as a pet (most are teens), plus he's a mongrel (when expensive, well-bred pets are available), and Iason kept him for much too long. The rumors also said the unthinkable - that Iason had broken the laws of Jupiter and had sex with his pet. (true!)

Riki begs Iason for his freedom, and Iason grants him a year of freedom and allows him to go back to Ceres. Riki is welcomed back into Bison and returns to a normal life. He has changed, however, and is unable to forget the time he spent as Iason's pet.

When the year passed, Iason decided he wanted Riki back, and tells Raoul that he will get him back and that although he removed Riki's pet ring, he never cancelled his registration. Raoul warns Iason not to go against Jupiter and the laws of Tanagura. He refuses to be the one to tamper with Iason's mind.

Through his former furniture Katze, now a black marketeer, Iason arranges for Kirie, a young member of Bison, to set a trap and catch the gang. This ends with Bison being arrested. Riki was let go and told to return to his master, as he was listed as a runaway pet. The rest of Bison is set free on Iason's orders. Kirie's reward for turning against his gang is to have his mind tampered with and be turned into a docile pet himself.

After Riki is let go he rendezvous with Guy and after Guy suggests they return to being pairing partners again, he tells Guy about being Iason's pet. Guy is enraged by this and beats Riki up and throws him out. Riki decides to return to Iason.

After Riki returns to Iason he learns of the taboos Iason has broken to keep him with him, and of how Iason has protected him from the fate of former pets. Iason even decides to grant Riki a bit of further freedom by allowing him to work with Katze in the black market.

Guy misses Riki and doesn't want to believe that Riki has abandoned Bison. Instead, Guy decides that Iason is to blame, that he stole Riki away from them. (Of course, we know that Guy really doesn't want to believe that Riki would choose Iason over him.) Guy decides to get Riki away from Iason.

Guy kidnaps Riki one day while he is walking down the street and takes him to Dana Bahn. He demands an explanation of Riki's true feelings, and Riki hedges in giving them to him. Riki tells Guy that he is not the same person, and that this won't blow over. He'll never be free of Iason, and that as long as he wears Iason's pet ring he can be with Iason. Guy misinterprets what Riki says to mean that as long as Riki wears Iason's pet ring that Riki can't leave him. Guy therefore removes Riki's pet ring by castrating him.

Guy takes Riki elsewhere and gives him some painkillers, then contacts Iason and arranges to meet him in Dana Bahn. Riki activates a tracer in his watch and thereby contacts Katze. Katze helps him and together they go to Dana Bahn to stop Guy from whatever he intends to do.

Iason, thinking Riki is in Dana Bahn because of the tracer in the pet ring, meets Guy there. Guy gives Iason a box containing Riki's penis and pet ring, telling Iason that there's now nothing to tie Riki down. Iason tells Guy he'll kill him, and throws him into a wall, and crushes the bones of his hand. Guy activates explosives that he has placed in Dana Bahn before losing consciousness.

Riki and Katze arrive. Riki enters Dana Bahn and is reunited with Iason. Riki asks Iason to save Guy and not leave him to the explosions, telling Iason that they (Riki & Iason) have driven Guy to this madness. Iason easily picks up Guy and carries him out. Riki can barely walk and Iason moves slowly so that Riki can keep up.

As they approach the front gate a huge explosion wracks Dana Bahn. Iason throws Guy ahead and grabs Riki, jumping and throwing him forward at the last minute. The gates of Dana Bahn collapse and slice Iason's legs off just above the knees. Riki is forced to leave him there while he takes Guy out of Dana Bahn.

Riki sees Katze, who has been waiting outside, and tells him to help Guy. Riki tells Katze that Iason is still inside and that he protected him and now can't move. Katze becomes angry at Riki for leaving Iason there, but Riki is going back to Iason.

Katze gives Riki some Black Moon cigarettes, which are poisonous. He heads back into Dana Bahn and sits down with Iason. They share a last kiss in the form of touching their cigarettes together and finally die in each other's embrace.

Outside, Jupiter gives out an anguished cry. Raoul whispers Iason's name as streams of electricity strike the city. Katze sits down in a chair back at his place and cries as he tries to smoke a cigarette. Guy stands in the ruins of Dana Bahn and thinks about Riki, what all has happened, and the pain of losing one arm ... and Riki.