[ Bleach, FMA, Gravi, Hanakimi, HMC, Naruto, PotC, HOLiC, Azumanga, KH, Host Club, Utena, XS ]
Notes/Babbling: Hurr hurr hurr. GUESS WHAT I AM DOWNLOADING RIGHT NOW. Hint: Be prepared to be spammed by my shame show! >:D
Series:
Fullmetal Alchemist - 1 Fanfic
Gravitation - 1 Fanfic
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - 3 Fanfics
Howl's Moving Castle - 1 Fanfic
Naruto - 1 Fanfic
Pirates of the Caribbean - 1 Fanfic
xxxHOLiC - 2 Fanfics
Azumanga Daioh - 1 AMV
Bleach - 1 AMV
Kingdom Hearts - 5 AMVs
Naruto - 2 AMVs
Ouran Koukou Host Club - 1 AMV
Shoujo Kakumei Utena - 1 AMV
Xiaolin Showdown - 3 AMVs
- Fullmetal Alchemist - Rust by scratchmist - measuringlife recommended this story to me (repeatedly, because I am terribly lazy about getting around to reading fic) and I finally read it tonight and it was... wow, gorgeous. Really gorgeous. The writing is lovely, but it's the characterization of Al that just took hold of my heart, squeezing it until it ached for all that he goes through every day. There's a subtle quality to the writing, it doesn't try to hit the notes too hard so that the mood is broken, instead it lightly touches on them and makes the emotion all the more poignant for it. It's also not a story that isn't without hope, there are bright spots even when things are difficult for the brothers and the relationship between them... for all that they go through so much and hurt each other because their shared sins weigh them down... this is why the Elric brothers need each other and the fic shows the power of that relationship. Beautiful. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gravitation - Opposition by gottlieb_omen - I feel like I may have read this fic before, the premise is one I've seen, Eiri feeling confined in the role they've created for him, he started and Shuuichi wants it that way, wants the highs and lows of it, doesn't want anything less than an extreme. But I can't find the fic listed anywhere and it's certainly worth another read even if I'm missing it. The emotion of the piece was powerful and it was a fascinating take on the relationship, intense and sharp-edged. One of the reasons I stay in the Gravi fandom is for fic like this, the kind that isn't just happy fluff but without being emotastic fic, either. The smooth writing of the piece was lovely, the pacing of it was very well done, I can see this coming from Eiri's point of view. Not necessarily my preffered dynamic, but certainly one that could make a strong home in the original canon, I think. And very, very well-done. (Yuki/Shuuichi, R-rated content.)
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - for love is blind by measuringlife - I have come to be very fond of measuringlife's Akiha fics, both serious and light-hearted. The way she tackles different aspects of the character (I'm convinced that's the only way you can show what a surprisingly complex character Akiha turned out to be) is wonderful; this time it's a younger Akiha in high school and the way his early fascination with Sempai and photography got started. I love the beginning lines of this piece, it so eloquantly describes that moment when he noticed Umeda, then shows the beginnings of his understanding about what makes a good photo through that. I also quietly love the detail that he never showed his best work back then, it makes sense for the character, I think. Also, omg, this was lovely. (Implications of one-sided Akiha/Umeda.)
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - last smoke of the day by measuringlife - God, how much do I love measuringlife for writing fics like this? After awhile, I fear I'm going to start writing feedback (and character essays in respose) as long as the fics themselves, but... they're just such lovely little things that highlight an insight here and there, show a facet of the character or a relationship in such a pretty way. This time, it's Umeda and his last smoke of the day, the little touches of the people in his life ganging up on him to quit smoking and he doesn't fight it because it's annoying and tiring and it's so damn right for the characters. Funny, but not too over the top, even in just a few casual comments in the narration. As well as Akiha being so cheerful, even over the phone, and the way Umeda wavers between old feelings and new feelings is just... perfect. It's not going to be all of a sudden that he forgets about Ryouichi, but there will be steps forward now and again, small baby steps that are incredibly important. This was a gorgeous illustration of one that left me feeling all happy and wibbly. ♥ (Akiha/Umeda, implications of Umeda/Kijima.)
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - Picture Perfect by Elihice - Admittedly, I'm prone to fangirling over this series a lot (shut up, I know) and my comment on this fic was, well, kind of ridiculous, but... I guess I give myself free reign when it comes to this couple, especially with authors who hit that spot of characterization that I just vibe with and I feel they won't think too terribly badly of me for leaving about four paragraphs of feedback. This is one of those fics that just... shows both the overgrown child side of Akiha and the surprisingly complex adult side of the character, the sheer emotion he feels for Umeda practically shining through every word of the text despite that Elihice barely says anything directly about it. You just feel it as you read and, god, I love that. The use of photography is genuinely clever, the details are gorgeous and make for vivid scenes in my head (the conversation over a late lunch was my particular favorite, because that would so go exactly like that), and everything about this fic is wonderful. (Akiha/Umeda.)
- Howl's Moving Castle - Scalloped Sleeves by mellish - This story is listed in the anime/manga section, but it actually seems more based on the book than the movie. Whichever way, though, it's a lovely fic set from Sophie's point of view, while she's slowly starting to realize her feelings for Howl while still an old woman. The language and pacing used in the fic are a very nice match for DWJ's, it felt very much like Sophie and the HMC world while I was reading the fic, the way it could have slid into canon nicely. It's not a precise match for DWJ's style, but the feel of the atmosphere and the way Sophie's thoughts are written lets me picture it in the same way. The ending is especially appropriate for these characters and I quite enjoyed the whole piece. (Implied Howl/Sophie.)
- Naruto - Ashes, Ashes by The Engine Driver - This fic is a bit of a strange bird for me. It departs from the feel of canon themes because it's a much darker ending than I would imagine for the characters. On the other hand, I don't find it out of character, I can see, in a more hopless potential future for the characters, Naruto turning out like that, his inability to give up channeling his actions into a scenario like this. It takes all those things that make Naruto such a strong character and sort of turns them in on himself without breaking the spell of disbelief for me. The scenes between Sakura and Naruto were lovely, the pacing of the piece keeps it moving along and it doesn't drag its feet, the scenes are evocative and powerful. It's... yeah, I didn't quite figure out the ending, so the punch of it hit me just right. It's one of those rare SasuNaru fics that kept me interested because it felt like the pairing, but covered new ground for me. And there was that sense of... there are happy things and there are hard things in the Narutoverse and sometimes things don't work out the way you hope they do. And. Just. Ouch. (Sasuke/Naruo.)
- Pirates of the Caribbean - Shadow and the Soul by She's a Star - [Note: There will be spoilers for Dead Man's Chest in this fic.] After my confusing feelings on which way to go with ships in the PotC series (Jack/Will? Jack/Elizabeth? Jack gen? Which one!?), I stumbled over a Jack/Elizabeth fic here and figured I'd just read a little bit of it. Then, before I knew it, I was sucked into the whole piece because the voice for Elizabeth's character is wonderful. It feels like a novelized version of the movie's spirit of amusement and whimsy, it feels very much like Elizabeth's character (I couldn't have NOT heard her voice saying all these lines or pictured her thinking these things if I'd tried), beyond just that it deals with four seperate moments in canon. The fic took all the potential in the character and made her interesting (for me!) to read, as well as showed the progression of the Jack/Elizabeth relationship in a way that I could believe. The whole thing fairly well sparkled the entire time, especially when they were both drunk on the island and, oh, the ending was hauntingly lovely. (Jack/Elizabeth.)
- xxxHOLiC - an almost winter's evening by measuringlife - This is a gorgeous fic from the point of view of a random customer that does a lovely job of showing how they feel walking into that mysterious shop they've never seen before and what it's like to see the Witch of the Dimension (though, she's never called that, she's just sort of... there, drawing your attention in) and be inside that shop. The narrative voice works really well for the story, lets you feel an intimacy with the character while still having that sense of... surreal happenings. I think that's what I liked most, even better than the lovely descriptions and the way it was such a perfect little moment for one of Yuuko's customers, is that the surreal atmosphere of the piece was perfect for a series like HOLiC. (No warnings/pairings.)
- xxxHOLiC - To Everything a Price by Katharos - There have been a handful of Yuuko childhood stories and I've found them fascinating, lovely even. But I don't think I've read one that left me as breathless as this fic did, because every inch of it was gorgeous, haunting, and just that hint of bittersweet tragedy that is so very true to the series. (As well as CLAMP's darker works as a whole.) I sat down at the beginning of this piece and couldn't stop reading until it was done, both feeling satisfied at a tale well-told and aching for more because it was so much what Yuuko background fic should be. It's a history that I find to be brilliant for her, the beginnings of so much of what we see in Yuuko today (especially the beginnings of her love for sake, the way she has a merchant's bartering skills, and more), wound together with a thousand details that create a vivid picture of every scene. The story of how she came to grant Wishes, the story of two young sisters growing up... I cannot begin to describe it properly. This is one of the best HOLiC fics I've had the pleasure of reading, I only wish my rec for it could be more intelligent. It's incredible how right this fic felt for the character, how I can believe this is exactly how everything got started. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Azumanga Daioh AMV - Azumanga Daioh vs. M.C. Hammer - The entire time I was watching this, I kept thinking, "God, this shouldn't work. But it's so bizarrely entertaining!" And it is. The artist had the right amount of tongue in cheek humor about the whole thing and kept up with the fast-paced clips so that it was a never-ending zoom of amusement. I laughed out loud at least twice in this AMV (The "Oh my god!" part got one of those sharp barks of laughter out of me, it hit me just right.) and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing.
- Bleach AMV - Can't touch this - I think what makes this AMV work for me is that the Shinigami are just dork enough that this song fits. The clips are well-chosen and well-timed, which helps... but, yeah, mostly the dork thing. The artist chose some really great smug expressions to go with the lyrics and the lip synching was really good and it was very fast paced and tons of fighting and... yeah, still the dork thing. Color me greatly amused.
- Kingdom Hearts AMV - My Humps - measuringlife pointed this AMV out to me the other night. And, yes, my initial reaction was probably about the same was anyone who's reading this rec right now. Kingdom Hearts. My Humps. Together. asldfjalsdlkjasd, ow. But the more I watched it, the more fun it was, the more the clips were chosen rather brilliantly, the more I loosened up and thought it was kind of a completely awesome AMV. There are certain moments in it that are hilarious in addition to the fantastic lip synching.
- Kingdome Hearts AMV - Coconuts - Dian linked me to this AMV and it's just... god, the song will get stuck in your head something terrible. Which is part of the reason I'm recommending it, but it's also just sort of fun because it's actually well-put together (some of the expressions/body language/lip synching fits surprisingly well) and I dare you not to laugh at least once.
- Kingdom Hearts AMV - I touch Myself - After the previous AMV, I had to get that song out of my head any way I could. So, I saw a link for this video with an Axel/Roxas pairing and I totally clicked on it (and shoved the link at Dian, too) and it's just... it's not necessarily perfectly done, but the concept alone sends me into fits of delighted amusement and moments here and there are just grand. Totally, totally worth watching. >:D
- Kingdom Hearts AMV - Listen to your Heart - There's something about the footage of Deep Dive that goes so very, very well with the "Listen to Your Heart" song so that even if there wasn't much editing, I sat and watched this whole video all the way through. Maybe I haven't watched the footage enough times to be sick of it, maybe I'm just easy to please, but something about this AMV was just... really good, a lot better than so many of the KH AMVs I've seen. It was a fantastic fit together.
- Kingdom Hearts AMV - Saix Will Survive - It doesn't have to entirely make sense, okay? Sometimes you can just have Saix singing I Will Survive because it's funny, dammit. The artist of the AMV chose some great clips for this, so there are moments when I totally giggled out loud, especially when the song and expressions on his face matched up with the lyrics. God, I love this fandom sometimes.
- Naruto AMV - Narutowned - I'm often wary of collection AMVs, it seems like a perfect format for those just getting started, but too often the whole thing seems half-assed. But this? This was gorgeous. Seven minutes of a bunch of great parodies that I was totally digging... but then at about 6 minutes in? Sasuke vs Naruto with "Anything you can do"? Awesome. But also. Sasuke singing Backstreet Boys. Orochimaru with the "Tra La La" song? Kiba, Akamaru, and the song choice for them? (I don't want to spoil, since the surprise might be the amusing part.) Gai, Lee, and "Men in Tights"? Sasuke with "Can't Touch This"? asdlkfjalsdjf, so much amusement packed into this one. ♥ Seriously, those Sasuke AMVs would be awesome if they were expanded.
- Naruto AMV - Can't Touch Kakashi - I've seen the all-around Naruto version of this (with the Family Guy version of "Can't Touch Me"), but I'd never seen the Kakashi version until now. The first ten or twenty seconds of this one had me choking on my Dr. Pepper because it was somehow brilliantly time and you can't almost sort of imagine Kakashi talking just like that. The rest of the video is fun and I've watched it a couple of times now... I still laugh out loud at the beginning thirty seconds (shut up) because the artist did a great job with the video.
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Can't Touch This - You know, I'm not really that fond of this song, much less constantly hearing the Family Guy version over and over (yet I have a sickness in that I keep deliberately looking for them), but the clips chosen for this one are awesome. Tamaki's goofy antics, whether he's doing the "worm" or the "Peter Griffin bump" or parking in other people's spots (well, you know what I mean), this has some of the most appropriate clips I've seen. I really wound up enjoying this one a lot more than I expected to! :D
- Shoujo Kakumei Utena AMV - Bachelorette - Utena (especially the cracked out movie) is a great series to use for AMVs in some senses, because there's some really beautiful footage that looks great in music videos. The artist for this one did a stunning job with making a non-stop beautiful video, all roses petals and flying hair and graceful lunges or falls, like the animation was almost made to fit the song that was brilliantly chosen for the video. It's one of those rare serious videos that I don't feel like I'm trudging through, instead I sit and watch it almost enraptured at how lovely it looks.
- Xiaolin Showdown AMV - Beautiful Chack Tribute - One of the things I love about the Xiaolin Showdown fandom is that they don't take themselves too seriously, which is exactly why I loved the damn show so much in the first place. So I was chuckling through the "serious" part of the video... and this artist is one of the few video makers that I've seen who can put in 'artist notes' and they actually work for the video. Also, the songs chosen are just... asd;fljalksjdflkjasd, beautiful.
- Xiaolin Showdown AMV - Captain Dojo - Also funny. It helps because the show totally has the "elements" thing going on at the same time, but it's more than just that. The artist actually chose good clips for an AMV, a lot of shots from the credits or well-animated scenes with detail so it didn't go from lots of detail to filler animation, you know? There were also some great expressions and it just... worked all together. And I mentioned the funny part already. XD Because when Wuya's words are perfectly synched to the "You'll pay for htis, Captain Planet!" while she's glowering at Dojo trapped in her hands? Fantastic.
- Xiaolin Showdown AMV - It's the Xiaolin Family!! - What totally, totally makes this video is the clip choice in certain scenes. The one of Kimiko pretending to be a cyclops just did me in, though, any time the four of them are together and making goofy faces is a plus. For once, I even liked the b&w effect to properly mimic the old TV show. XD
GOAL: 1053/1200
Series:
Fullmetal Alchemist - 1 Fanfic
Gravitation - 1 Fanfic
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - 3 Fanfics
Howl's Moving Castle - 1 Fanfic
Naruto - 1 Fanfic
Pirates of the Caribbean - 1 Fanfic
xxxHOLiC - 2 Fanfics
Azumanga Daioh - 1 AMV
Bleach - 1 AMV
Kingdom Hearts - 5 AMVs
Naruto - 2 AMVs
Ouran Koukou Host Club - 1 AMV
Shoujo Kakumei Utena - 1 AMV
Xiaolin Showdown - 3 AMVs
- Fullmetal Alchemist - Rust by scratchmist - measuringlife recommended this story to me (repeatedly, because I am terribly lazy about getting around to reading fic) and I finally read it tonight and it was... wow, gorgeous. Really gorgeous. The writing is lovely, but it's the characterization of Al that just took hold of my heart, squeezing it until it ached for all that he goes through every day. There's a subtle quality to the writing, it doesn't try to hit the notes too hard so that the mood is broken, instead it lightly touches on them and makes the emotion all the more poignant for it. It's also not a story that isn't without hope, there are bright spots even when things are difficult for the brothers and the relationship between them... for all that they go through so much and hurt each other because their shared sins weigh them down... this is why the Elric brothers need each other and the fic shows the power of that relationship. Beautiful. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gravitation - Opposition by gottlieb_omen - I feel like I may have read this fic before, the premise is one I've seen, Eiri feeling confined in the role they've created for him, he started and Shuuichi wants it that way, wants the highs and lows of it, doesn't want anything less than an extreme. But I can't find the fic listed anywhere and it's certainly worth another read even if I'm missing it. The emotion of the piece was powerful and it was a fascinating take on the relationship, intense and sharp-edged. One of the reasons I stay in the Gravi fandom is for fic like this, the kind that isn't just happy fluff but without being emotastic fic, either. The smooth writing of the piece was lovely, the pacing of it was very well done, I can see this coming from Eiri's point of view. Not necessarily my preffered dynamic, but certainly one that could make a strong home in the original canon, I think. And very, very well-done. (Yuki/Shuuichi, R-rated content.)
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - for love is blind by measuringlife - I have come to be very fond of measuringlife's Akiha fics, both serious and light-hearted. The way she tackles different aspects of the character (I'm convinced that's the only way you can show what a surprisingly complex character Akiha turned out to be) is wonderful; this time it's a younger Akiha in high school and the way his early fascination with Sempai and photography got started. I love the beginning lines of this piece, it so eloquantly describes that moment when he noticed Umeda, then shows the beginnings of his understanding about what makes a good photo through that. I also quietly love the detail that he never showed his best work back then, it makes sense for the character, I think. Also, omg, this was lovely. (Implications of one-sided Akiha/Umeda.)
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - last smoke of the day by measuringlife - God, how much do I love measuringlife for writing fics like this? After awhile, I fear I'm going to start writing feedback (and character essays in respose) as long as the fics themselves, but... they're just such lovely little things that highlight an insight here and there, show a facet of the character or a relationship in such a pretty way. This time, it's Umeda and his last smoke of the day, the little touches of the people in his life ganging up on him to quit smoking and he doesn't fight it because it's annoying and tiring and it's so damn right for the characters. Funny, but not too over the top, even in just a few casual comments in the narration. As well as Akiha being so cheerful, even over the phone, and the way Umeda wavers between old feelings and new feelings is just... perfect. It's not going to be all of a sudden that he forgets about Ryouichi, but there will be steps forward now and again, small baby steps that are incredibly important. This was a gorgeous illustration of one that left me feeling all happy and wibbly. ♥ (Akiha/Umeda, implications of Umeda/Kijima.)
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - Picture Perfect by Elihice - Admittedly, I'm prone to fangirling over this series a lot (shut up, I know) and my comment on this fic was, well, kind of ridiculous, but... I guess I give myself free reign when it comes to this couple, especially with authors who hit that spot of characterization that I just vibe with and I feel they won't think too terribly badly of me for leaving about four paragraphs of feedback. This is one of those fics that just... shows both the overgrown child side of Akiha and the surprisingly complex adult side of the character, the sheer emotion he feels for Umeda practically shining through every word of the text despite that Elihice barely says anything directly about it. You just feel it as you read and, god, I love that. The use of photography is genuinely clever, the details are gorgeous and make for vivid scenes in my head (the conversation over a late lunch was my particular favorite, because that would so go exactly like that), and everything about this fic is wonderful. (Akiha/Umeda.)
- Howl's Moving Castle - Scalloped Sleeves by mellish - This story is listed in the anime/manga section, but it actually seems more based on the book than the movie. Whichever way, though, it's a lovely fic set from Sophie's point of view, while she's slowly starting to realize her feelings for Howl while still an old woman. The language and pacing used in the fic are a very nice match for DWJ's, it felt very much like Sophie and the HMC world while I was reading the fic, the way it could have slid into canon nicely. It's not a precise match for DWJ's style, but the feel of the atmosphere and the way Sophie's thoughts are written lets me picture it in the same way. The ending is especially appropriate for these characters and I quite enjoyed the whole piece. (Implied Howl/Sophie.)
- Naruto - Ashes, Ashes by The Engine Driver - This fic is a bit of a strange bird for me. It departs from the feel of canon themes because it's a much darker ending than I would imagine for the characters. On the other hand, I don't find it out of character, I can see, in a more hopless potential future for the characters, Naruto turning out like that, his inability to give up channeling his actions into a scenario like this. It takes all those things that make Naruto such a strong character and sort of turns them in on himself without breaking the spell of disbelief for me. The scenes between Sakura and Naruto were lovely, the pacing of the piece keeps it moving along and it doesn't drag its feet, the scenes are evocative and powerful. It's... yeah, I didn't quite figure out the ending, so the punch of it hit me just right. It's one of those rare SasuNaru fics that kept me interested because it felt like the pairing, but covered new ground for me. And there was that sense of... there are happy things and there are hard things in the Narutoverse and sometimes things don't work out the way you hope they do. And. Just. Ouch. (Sasuke/Naruo.)
- Pirates of the Caribbean - Shadow and the Soul by She's a Star - [Note: There will be spoilers for Dead Man's Chest in this fic.] After my confusing feelings on which way to go with ships in the PotC series (Jack/Will? Jack/Elizabeth? Jack gen? Which one!?), I stumbled over a Jack/Elizabeth fic here and figured I'd just read a little bit of it. Then, before I knew it, I was sucked into the whole piece because the voice for Elizabeth's character is wonderful. It feels like a novelized version of the movie's spirit of amusement and whimsy, it feels very much like Elizabeth's character (I couldn't have NOT heard her voice saying all these lines or pictured her thinking these things if I'd tried), beyond just that it deals with four seperate moments in canon. The fic took all the potential in the character and made her interesting (for me!) to read, as well as showed the progression of the Jack/Elizabeth relationship in a way that I could believe. The whole thing fairly well sparkled the entire time, especially when they were both drunk on the island and, oh, the ending was hauntingly lovely. (Jack/Elizabeth.)
- xxxHOLiC - an almost winter's evening by measuringlife - This is a gorgeous fic from the point of view of a random customer that does a lovely job of showing how they feel walking into that mysterious shop they've never seen before and what it's like to see the Witch of the Dimension (though, she's never called that, she's just sort of... there, drawing your attention in) and be inside that shop. The narrative voice works really well for the story, lets you feel an intimacy with the character while still having that sense of... surreal happenings. I think that's what I liked most, even better than the lovely descriptions and the way it was such a perfect little moment for one of Yuuko's customers, is that the surreal atmosphere of the piece was perfect for a series like HOLiC. (No warnings/pairings.)
- xxxHOLiC - To Everything a Price by Katharos - There have been a handful of Yuuko childhood stories and I've found them fascinating, lovely even. But I don't think I've read one that left me as breathless as this fic did, because every inch of it was gorgeous, haunting, and just that hint of bittersweet tragedy that is so very true to the series. (As well as CLAMP's darker works as a whole.) I sat down at the beginning of this piece and couldn't stop reading until it was done, both feeling satisfied at a tale well-told and aching for more because it was so much what Yuuko background fic should be. It's a history that I find to be brilliant for her, the beginnings of so much of what we see in Yuuko today (especially the beginnings of her love for sake, the way she has a merchant's bartering skills, and more), wound together with a thousand details that create a vivid picture of every scene. The story of how she came to grant Wishes, the story of two young sisters growing up... I cannot begin to describe it properly. This is one of the best HOLiC fics I've had the pleasure of reading, I only wish my rec for it could be more intelligent. It's incredible how right this fic felt for the character, how I can believe this is exactly how everything got started. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Azumanga Daioh AMV - Azumanga Daioh vs. M.C. Hammer - The entire time I was watching this, I kept thinking, "God, this shouldn't work. But it's so bizarrely entertaining!" And it is. The artist had the right amount of tongue in cheek humor about the whole thing and kept up with the fast-paced clips so that it was a never-ending zoom of amusement. I laughed out loud at least twice in this AMV (The "Oh my god!" part got one of those sharp barks of laughter out of me, it hit me just right.) and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing.
- Bleach AMV - Can't touch this - I think what makes this AMV work for me is that the Shinigami are just dork enough that this song fits. The clips are well-chosen and well-timed, which helps... but, yeah, mostly the dork thing. The artist chose some really great smug expressions to go with the lyrics and the lip synching was really good and it was very fast paced and tons of fighting and... yeah, still the dork thing. Color me greatly amused.
- Kingdom Hearts AMV - My Humps - measuringlife pointed this AMV out to me the other night. And, yes, my initial reaction was probably about the same was anyone who's reading this rec right now. Kingdom Hearts. My Humps. Together. asldfjalsdlkjasd, ow. But the more I watched it, the more fun it was, the more the clips were chosen rather brilliantly, the more I loosened up and thought it was kind of a completely awesome AMV. There are certain moments in it that are hilarious in addition to the fantastic lip synching.
- Kingdome Hearts AMV - Coconuts - Dian linked me to this AMV and it's just... god, the song will get stuck in your head something terrible. Which is part of the reason I'm recommending it, but it's also just sort of fun because it's actually well-put together (some of the expressions/body language/lip synching fits surprisingly well) and I dare you not to laugh at least once.
- Kingdom Hearts AMV - I touch Myself - After the previous AMV, I had to get that song out of my head any way I could. So, I saw a link for this video with an Axel/Roxas pairing and I totally clicked on it (and shoved the link at Dian, too) and it's just... it's not necessarily perfectly done, but the concept alone sends me into fits of delighted amusement and moments here and there are just grand. Totally, totally worth watching. >:D
- Kingdom Hearts AMV - Listen to your Heart - There's something about the footage of Deep Dive that goes so very, very well with the "Listen to Your Heart" song so that even if there wasn't much editing, I sat and watched this whole video all the way through. Maybe I haven't watched the footage enough times to be sick of it, maybe I'm just easy to please, but something about this AMV was just... really good, a lot better than so many of the KH AMVs I've seen. It was a fantastic fit together.
- Kingdom Hearts AMV - Saix Will Survive - It doesn't have to entirely make sense, okay? Sometimes you can just have Saix singing I Will Survive because it's funny, dammit. The artist of the AMV chose some great clips for this, so there are moments when I totally giggled out loud, especially when the song and expressions on his face matched up with the lyrics. God, I love this fandom sometimes.
- Naruto AMV - Narutowned - I'm often wary of collection AMVs, it seems like a perfect format for those just getting started, but too often the whole thing seems half-assed. But this? This was gorgeous. Seven minutes of a bunch of great parodies that I was totally digging... but then at about 6 minutes in? Sasuke vs Naruto with "Anything you can do"? Awesome. But also. Sasuke singing Backstreet Boys. Orochimaru with the "Tra La La" song? Kiba, Akamaru, and the song choice for them? (I don't want to spoil, since the surprise might be the amusing part.) Gai, Lee, and "Men in Tights"? Sasuke with "Can't Touch This"? asdlkfjalsdjf, so much amusement packed into this one. ♥ Seriously, those Sasuke AMVs would be awesome if they were expanded.
- Naruto AMV - Can't Touch Kakashi - I've seen the all-around Naruto version of this (with the Family Guy version of "Can't Touch Me"), but I'd never seen the Kakashi version until now. The first ten or twenty seconds of this one had me choking on my Dr. Pepper because it was somehow brilliantly time and you can't almost sort of imagine Kakashi talking just like that. The rest of the video is fun and I've watched it a couple of times now... I still laugh out loud at the beginning thirty seconds (shut up) because the artist did a great job with the video.
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Can't Touch This - You know, I'm not really that fond of this song, much less constantly hearing the Family Guy version over and over (yet I have a sickness in that I keep deliberately looking for them), but the clips chosen for this one are awesome. Tamaki's goofy antics, whether he's doing the "worm" or the "Peter Griffin bump" or parking in other people's spots (well, you know what I mean), this has some of the most appropriate clips I've seen. I really wound up enjoying this one a lot more than I expected to! :D
- Shoujo Kakumei Utena AMV - Bachelorette - Utena (especially the cracked out movie) is a great series to use for AMVs in some senses, because there's some really beautiful footage that looks great in music videos. The artist for this one did a stunning job with making a non-stop beautiful video, all roses petals and flying hair and graceful lunges or falls, like the animation was almost made to fit the song that was brilliantly chosen for the video. It's one of those rare serious videos that I don't feel like I'm trudging through, instead I sit and watch it almost enraptured at how lovely it looks.
- Xiaolin Showdown AMV - Beautiful Chack Tribute - One of the things I love about the Xiaolin Showdown fandom is that they don't take themselves too seriously, which is exactly why I loved the damn show so much in the first place. So I was chuckling through the "serious" part of the video... and this artist is one of the few video makers that I've seen who can put in 'artist notes' and they actually work for the video. Also, the songs chosen are just... asd;fljalksjdflkjasd, beautiful.
- Xiaolin Showdown AMV - Captain Dojo - Also funny. It helps because the show totally has the "elements" thing going on at the same time, but it's more than just that. The artist actually chose good clips for an AMV, a lot of shots from the credits or well-animated scenes with detail so it didn't go from lots of detail to filler animation, you know? There were also some great expressions and it just... worked all together. And I mentioned the funny part already. XD Because when Wuya's words are perfectly synched to the "You'll pay for htis, Captain Planet!" while she's glowering at Dojo trapped in her hands? Fantastic.
- Xiaolin Showdown AMV - It's the Xiaolin Family!! - What totally, totally makes this video is the clip choice in certain scenes. The one of Kimiko pretending to be a cyclops just did me in, though, any time the four of them are together and making goofy faces is a plus. For once, I even liked the b&w effect to properly mimic the old TV show. XD
GOAL: 1053/1200