[ Black Donnellys, Bleach, CCS, DGM, FFXII, Hanadan, JE, Nobuta, SaiMono, Eva, SPN, House, etc. ]
Notes: *shimmers* RyoSaku manifesto! ♥
Also. I have watched the Hanadan Returns finale. I. I just-- I mean-- OH MY GOD. THIS SHOW. *jibbers incoherently*
Series:
The Black Donnellys - 1 Fanfic
Bleach - 1 Fanfic
Cardcaptor Sakura - 1 Fanfic
D.Gray-man - 1 Fanfic
Final Fantasy XII - 1 Fanfic
Hana Yori Dango - 5 Fanfics
JE - 1 Fanfic
Nobuta wo Produce - 6 Fanfics
Saiunkoku Monogatari/Viewfinder - 1 Fanfic
Saiunkoku Monogatari - 1 Fanfic
Shin Seiki Evangelion - 1 Fanfic
Supernatural/House - 1 Fanfic
TricK - 1 Fanfic
- The Black Donnellys - Brothers Like by Gen X - I wasn't sure I was going to get into something like the Black Donnellys for fic, I was thinking I might just quietly enjoy the show and leave it at that. But then this author posted fic and it was easy to read and I found myself really enjoying the Joey Ice Cream POV. It works here, it balances out all these things from the show (like how annoying the character can be, yet still how interesting he can be, like how he knows certain things, but is still not quite accepted in spite of them) and the style of this piece is just quietly very cool. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Bleach - The Key to Everything by Goldberry - This was one of those pieces that focused on simple things, on the subtle movements a character like Byakuya makes, yet captured so much of what happened beneath the still waters above, both with Hisana and Rukia. It's a really beautiful piece that says so much more than the words specifically say. ....and shut up, that totally made sense to me. (Some Byakuya/Hisana implications.)
- Cardcaptor Sakura - Writer's Block by Aishuu - I know fandom tends to want to string me up for this, but I actually sort of like the idea of Touya/Nakuru. I mean, yes, Touya and Yukito/Yue are meant to be and I'd bite off anyone's face if they disagreed. But I liked the potential of something that was never going to happen with Touya and Nakuru, which this fic totally has fun with. Nakuru is interesting, sort of genuinely liking Touya, sort of completely craving his magic, and just so... delightful and off the wall that it's pure Nakuru trying to write a letter to Touya. Hee. ♥ (Some Touya/Nakuru, but one-sided.)
- D.Gray-man - I am diminished, with or without you by demoerin - I've been saying this ever since the manga first started coming out, that I desperately wanted more Lee Siblings and whyyyyy wasn't fandom giving it to me!? This fic did a lot to help with that urge, the way it showed how much both these characters go through because of Rinali's Innocence, how much Komui was willing to give up to be near his sister again, how thin a line he had to walk, too, how damaged Rinali is, all of this without beating the reader over the head with it. It's a backstory that I can definitely believe for both characters, but... more than that, it feels right for them for the way... well, whatever it is I feel for them in the manga, I felt it reflected here. There was something very satisfying about this piece, something that I am utterly failing to put into words here, which is a shame because this is one of the better DGM fics I've read lately. *_* (No warnings/pairings.)
- Final Fantasy XII - Waltz With Me by Dagas Isa - I wouldn't have thought I'd like a fic about Balthier and Fran dancing, it would be too easy to stray from the dynamic that I liked about them so much. But this fic somehow makes it work, managing to weave in so much about their partnership and what made them the people they are, all while not having to overstate it. Just... really lovely, a quietly effective piece. (Balthier/Fran implied.)
- Hana Yori Dango - kiss by tin - [Note: This fic is locked, but the author friends everyone who friends the journal, so I'm making an exception here.] Every so often there's a fic about kissing that is both satisfying for the physical act itself and because it says so much about a couple in the way they kiss. The author's writing is lovely, there's such a lovely intimacy here, such pretty imagery in the way Tsukasa and Tsukushi kiss, the way it's described shows just how much emotion is between the two of them. Very lovely. ♥ (Tsukasa/Tsukushi.)
- Hana Yori Dango - Lovers Absent Speak by Dora-chan - I loved this fic. The style (Tsukasa and Tsukushi writing letters back and forth to each other) was really fun and their voices still managed to come through so well--you could tell how much they loved each other and how much they each got under each other's skin. There were several points where I laughed out loud (which I'd love to quote, but wouldn't want to spoil, just... Tsukasa clearly has the weirdest thinking patterns ever and it's great) and I was just... I was charmed by the way the characters were written, the style of their letters back and forth, just how much fun this was. (Tsukasa/Tsukushi.)
- Hana Yori Dango - Toukon 4 by Dora-chan - Admittedly, this story could use a little tweaking here and there, some cleaning up to make it a stronger piece on a technical level. But it's the kind where it just needs to be given a good beta for the little things, not the content or characterization, which were just so... there's this sense of the HanaDan characters that came through so strongly for me. And there was actually a plot! I didn't expect to find that in the fandom! Tsukushi decides to temporarily enter another school for various reasons and drags half of the cast along with her and it's just... this is pretty much exactly how I would expect such a story to go in the HanaDan universe, right down to Doumyouji's jealousy and beautiful, beautiful, brilliant idiocy. The pacing, the way the characters interact (I love that it focuses on the four girls), the little details of their personalities, the way situations just seem to wind up, and even the Tsukasa/Tsukushi relationship... all of it was just tremendously satisfying to me. Especially after mainlining the drama which makes me desperately crave those two idiots just being near each other. I'm just sad that the fic is only four chapters long and not likely to be continued. (Some Tsukasa/Tsukushi, but it's not entirely the point.)
- Hana Yori Dango - Tsutsumareta by Jennifer Wand - There have been so many times that I've just wanted to lock Tsukasa and Tsukushi in a closet until they can finally work off a little of that UST, so fics like this help tremendously. It also helps that the lanaguage and imagery used are very pretty, there's a lovely sense of intimacy through the two of them touching each other, kissing each other, even more than what they're building towards. It's the emotions of the piece, the way Doumyouji's presence surrounds her and fills up her senses even more than that they're half naked together on the bed. Yet another very satisfying piece that makes me feel a little better about the series/characters. Also, this is why fics with kissing = ♥♥♥ (Tsukasa/Tsukushi, maybe a slight content warning, but I wouldn't put it above PG13 honestly.)
- Hana Yori Dango - Twitterpated by Maho-chan - This was a really cute, fun, and surprisingly sweet (given the couple involved) look at the Tsukasa/Tsukushi relationship from an outsider's point of view. Tsukasa is appropriately bitchy and arrogant yet still the sweetest thing ever at times, Tsukushi is adorable even when she's not actually in the fic, and it was just... fun. The kind of fic that I was looking for this morning. ♥ (Tsukasa/Tsukushi.)
- JE - Precautions by helicoptersky - I am honestly sitting here, trying to write a rec for this fic, and I can't do it. Every time I try to think of something to say about the fic, I just starting cracking up all over again, because, oh my god, Pin is the most awesomely dumb thing in the world and this is why. Jin. Yamapi. And condoms. I just want to roll around on the floor and laugh until I cry at how beautifully Pin they are here, how great the writing and comedic timing is. The second to last scene makes me dissolve into giggling fits every single time. (Yamapi/Jin.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - Simple Truth by Ilana - You know, one of the reasons I like the idea of Akira/Shuuji so much (other than the ending being really, really kind of seriously gay) is because it can lead to situations like the one in this fic, where it feels like such a natural progression of the events in the drama. In a way, it's a simple fic--Akira likes Shuuji, Shuuji is confused, it's not as complicated as it seems--but it's the way the author makes it feel like the series, the way the writing is so clean and smooth, that the story fills me with this sort of... delight at fandom, that it can produce things like this.
- Nobuta wo Produce - Bando wo Produce by ghost lingering - I did not know how much I wanted this fic until I read it! I knew I wanted more Bando/Nobuta fic, but I didn't realize how much I wanted Mariko - Nobuta - Bando friendship (or the steps towards friendship, with Bando not quite coming around just yet) until I read this fic. It's a quiet, almost understated piece post-series, where Nobuta is continuing to grow and learn how to be a friend and things are better and her friendship with Mariko is the sweetest thing and the little details of this fic are fabulous. My only complaint about the story is the rather abrupt ending, I would have liked it to be a couple more pages long and have better resolution. Which, really, only goes to show much I honestly liked the author's work here. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - funny how i'm thinking about you now; it's only been a year or so and after this, will you look at me as if i'm the bad guy? by rain_streaked - While watching the drama, I found that I really did like the themes of friendship and enjoyed the series for what it was, but... at the same time, whenever Bando and Nobuta were around each other, I wanted something more for them, which this fic played on nicely. It gets across that quiet yearning that Bando has for something nicer, but not forgetting that she has trouble with that. It shows how there's a certain something about Nobuta for her, the way Nobuta has a quiet sort of beauty, and it's just... very nice. (Bando/Nobuta.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - Love is by asinful - As you can see, I've been tearing through as much Nobuta fic as I can get my hands on lately and this one is just... it's one of those quiet little stories that I liked. Shuuji's younger brother is a really good device for this fic, the surprising sweetness (and genuineness?) of Shuuji's character, the way Akira is so weird but somehow eventually gets around to the right thing to say, and it's just... it was nice. I liked this fic. It felt like it captured the themes/points of the series pretty well. <3 (Maybe Akira/Shuuji a little, but maybe just gen, too.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - Youthful Love by Karma - [ part 01 - part 02a - part 02b ] - Every so often there are lengthier fics that I mean to just sit down and read a little bit, test the fic out to see if I like it, maybe come back to it later, but somehow wind up pulled into the story and utterly unable to look away. The author of this piece has a really clean, smooth style of writing that kept me fascinated with what was going to happen next, kept me connected to the characters, and drawn into the story she was weaving. Not to mention the cliffhanger of the first part is quite the nasty one, so of course I had to keep reading. The story is a great look at post-series Akira and Shuuji, how they're both growing and changing (while still being so very, very Akira and Shuuji), how their relationship goes from friends to romantic, but not without their share of bumps on the road along the way. I think that's one of the things I liked most about this, Shuuji's hesitance, Akira's confusion and hurt, the way it wasn't just an easy step to a different kind of relationship, because they're both still trying to figure out who they are post-Nobuta. The length of it was really sort of wonderful, the way the author showed both sides of the events, from both Akira and Shuuji's POV, getting inside both of their heads and nudging them along bit by bit. I also loved that I really cared about the characters, that I was drawn into the emotional aspect of the story, so that when Akira hurt, I felt badly for him, when Shuuji was afraid, I felt for him, too. It was one of those defining fics for me, I think, the way it captured everything I wanted from an Akira/Shuuji fic, the way it was everything I could have asked for from the fandom. In a way, I desperately want more now, because I know how good Nobuta fic can be, but at the same time this fic was just so satisfying, too. ♥ (Akira/Shuuji.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - Supreme Commander Hikaru-chan by pinkpapyrus - Omg! More fic from the previous babyfic, with cute little Hikaru and the author here is also great at keeping what made me love these characters so much and making me adore the addition to their family. Seriously, kid!fic is SO CUTE here and Shuuji and Akira not-precisely-arguing about giving her musical instruments is fabulous because it's so perfectly them and it's funny and cute and charming and all the things that make me keyboardmash over the original series. I can't describe it any better than that. ....also, seriously, I love that the author deliberately seemed to tred the line between maybe-something, maybe-nothing with Akira/Shuuji, because you can take away your own meaning from it. Which I happily, happily did. ♥ (Technically gen, but you could read Akira/Shuuji into it if you wanted.)
- Saiunkoku Monogatari/Viewfinder - untitled? by Tammaiya - I swear, if she weren't one of my favorite people already... mobster!SaiMono would certainly have put her on that list. Just. OMG. I wouldn't trust a lot of authors with this concept, but here it's just... just... just... I flail a lot, okay? I love what she's done with each of the characters, the way they've been adapted to this universe, the way Ryuuki is head of their gang but still so Ryuuki, the way Seiran is beautifully himself no matter where he is, the way I want to give Shuurei a whole lot of hugs. Even the way it crosses over with Viewfinder and alds;fjalsd;j holy crap Feilong with the SaiMono characters and the scene he has with Seiran is just awesome. And! The Seiran/Ryuuki! Just. Eeeeeeee. I definitely want more of this one. ♥_♥ ....after she's finished with the Reishin/Kouyuu thing that is. +_+ (Some Seiran/Ryuuki.)
- Saiunkoku Monogatari - Bloom by Cairnsy - I would have been happy to read Reishin/Kouyuu fic at all. That this piece has some of the most beautiful imagery from a fic that I've read in ages? That the characterization of their relationship took my breath away and made my fangirl heart ache? Just that much more amazing. It was. It was a story filled with these lovely images of patterned silk clothing and small blossoms stubbornly clinging to life in winter, beautifully set against Reishin being Reishin when he tells Kouyuu to wear a certain outfit. The sense of quiet intimacy between the two of them at the right moment, the way Kouyuu is just so Kouyuu in his reactions, even the ending (the utterly, utterly perfect ending), the way so much is said underneath the lack of words between them... it really did sort of take my breath away to read this. Gorgeous, gorgeous fic with gorgeous, gorgeous flowers omg. (Reishin/Kouyuu.)
- Shin Seiki Evangelion - Good, or Don't Be by Abaddon - I was just randomly wandering around to look for fic to read the other day and somehow stumbled over an Eva fic. I hadn't read Eva fic in ages but something about this fic caught me, keeping me reading all the way through it, and I'm not sure I can specifically put my finger on why. There's something... almost surreal about the storyline, yet still coherent enough that I can follow it, which is a lot like the Eva series itself, really. I think that's a lot of what I liked so much about this, it's all weird and twisted up like the series, it shows what a crap life Shinji lives and why everything is so painful, it shows how Kaworu is different in his life, how much he made Shinji feel. The different scenes, each one changed a little, until the final one was just... it was really well done. The ending was quietly powerful and just... this is what Eva fic should be. (Kaworu/Shinji.)
- Supernatural/House - we speak in idolatry by fated_addiction - I'm fairly certain it was Zau who mentioned this fic somewhere and the idea of the John/Cameron pairing intrigued me and I follow along like a good little puppy wherever Zau goes ^_~ and this was... I don't think it was precisely what I expected, but I'm not sure what I was expecting either. It's certainly intriguing, the way the two series wind together was perfectly clear in my head, the quiet almost understated characterization here was really fabulous, and I have grown to really love the author's style, the short scenes set over a longer period of time that shows the progression of the non-relationship. This was just... really intriguing and a really cool little piece that said so much about both characters through their (non-)relationship with the other that I enjoyed reading. (John Winchester/Allison Cameron, somewhere around NC-17.)
- TricK - Half and Half by Pero - afldsjlaf;j, ahahahahahAHAHAHA OMG. Ueda and Naoko's kid and it's just so beautifully perfect that I can hardly stand it. Because of course the poor kid would probably have a complex with those parents and, hell, even that grandmother (who was completely awesome in this fic, btw) and it was just... this was a treat to read, it was hilarious in all the right places, and the ending was just... it took me a moment, then I thought back over the series, and totally started giggling because, yes, that is exactly how things would turn out. Fabulous, totally beautiful idiocy from everyone involved, and just... *flails* TricK fanfic! That's funny! OMG. ♥ (Ueda/Naoko in the background, but it's only half the point.)
NEW GOAL: 479/1500
Also. I have watched the Hanadan Returns finale. I. I just-- I mean-- OH MY GOD. THIS SHOW. *jibbers incoherently*
Series:
The Black Donnellys - 1 Fanfic
Bleach - 1 Fanfic
Cardcaptor Sakura - 1 Fanfic
D.Gray-man - 1 Fanfic
Final Fantasy XII - 1 Fanfic
Hana Yori Dango - 5 Fanfics
JE - 1 Fanfic
Nobuta wo Produce - 6 Fanfics
Saiunkoku Monogatari/Viewfinder - 1 Fanfic
Saiunkoku Monogatari - 1 Fanfic
Shin Seiki Evangelion - 1 Fanfic
Supernatural/House - 1 Fanfic
TricK - 1 Fanfic
- The Black Donnellys - Brothers Like by Gen X - I wasn't sure I was going to get into something like the Black Donnellys for fic, I was thinking I might just quietly enjoy the show and leave it at that. But then this author posted fic and it was easy to read and I found myself really enjoying the Joey Ice Cream POV. It works here, it balances out all these things from the show (like how annoying the character can be, yet still how interesting he can be, like how he knows certain things, but is still not quite accepted in spite of them) and the style of this piece is just quietly very cool. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Bleach - The Key to Everything by Goldberry - This was one of those pieces that focused on simple things, on the subtle movements a character like Byakuya makes, yet captured so much of what happened beneath the still waters above, both with Hisana and Rukia. It's a really beautiful piece that says so much more than the words specifically say. ....and shut up, that totally made sense to me. (Some Byakuya/Hisana implications.)
- Cardcaptor Sakura - Writer's Block by Aishuu - I know fandom tends to want to string me up for this, but I actually sort of like the idea of Touya/Nakuru. I mean, yes, Touya and Yukito/Yue are meant to be and I'd bite off anyone's face if they disagreed. But I liked the potential of something that was never going to happen with Touya and Nakuru, which this fic totally has fun with. Nakuru is interesting, sort of genuinely liking Touya, sort of completely craving his magic, and just so... delightful and off the wall that it's pure Nakuru trying to write a letter to Touya. Hee. ♥ (Some Touya/Nakuru, but one-sided.)
- D.Gray-man - I am diminished, with or without you by demoerin - I've been saying this ever since the manga first started coming out, that I desperately wanted more Lee Siblings and whyyyyy wasn't fandom giving it to me!? This fic did a lot to help with that urge, the way it showed how much both these characters go through because of Rinali's Innocence, how much Komui was willing to give up to be near his sister again, how thin a line he had to walk, too, how damaged Rinali is, all of this without beating the reader over the head with it. It's a backstory that I can definitely believe for both characters, but... more than that, it feels right for them for the way... well, whatever it is I feel for them in the manga, I felt it reflected here. There was something very satisfying about this piece, something that I am utterly failing to put into words here, which is a shame because this is one of the better DGM fics I've read lately. *_* (No warnings/pairings.)
- Final Fantasy XII - Waltz With Me by Dagas Isa - I wouldn't have thought I'd like a fic about Balthier and Fran dancing, it would be too easy to stray from the dynamic that I liked about them so much. But this fic somehow makes it work, managing to weave in so much about their partnership and what made them the people they are, all while not having to overstate it. Just... really lovely, a quietly effective piece. (Balthier/Fran implied.)
- Hana Yori Dango - kiss by tin - [Note: This fic is locked, but the author friends everyone who friends the journal, so I'm making an exception here.] Every so often there's a fic about kissing that is both satisfying for the physical act itself and because it says so much about a couple in the way they kiss. The author's writing is lovely, there's such a lovely intimacy here, such pretty imagery in the way Tsukasa and Tsukushi kiss, the way it's described shows just how much emotion is between the two of them. Very lovely. ♥ (Tsukasa/Tsukushi.)
- Hana Yori Dango - Lovers Absent Speak by Dora-chan - I loved this fic. The style (Tsukasa and Tsukushi writing letters back and forth to each other) was really fun and their voices still managed to come through so well--you could tell how much they loved each other and how much they each got under each other's skin. There were several points where I laughed out loud (which I'd love to quote, but wouldn't want to spoil, just... Tsukasa clearly has the weirdest thinking patterns ever and it's great) and I was just... I was charmed by the way the characters were written, the style of their letters back and forth, just how much fun this was. (Tsukasa/Tsukushi.)
- Hana Yori Dango - Toukon 4 by Dora-chan - Admittedly, this story could use a little tweaking here and there, some cleaning up to make it a stronger piece on a technical level. But it's the kind where it just needs to be given a good beta for the little things, not the content or characterization, which were just so... there's this sense of the HanaDan characters that came through so strongly for me. And there was actually a plot! I didn't expect to find that in the fandom! Tsukushi decides to temporarily enter another school for various reasons and drags half of the cast along with her and it's just... this is pretty much exactly how I would expect such a story to go in the HanaDan universe, right down to Doumyouji's jealousy and beautiful, beautiful, brilliant idiocy. The pacing, the way the characters interact (I love that it focuses on the four girls), the little details of their personalities, the way situations just seem to wind up, and even the Tsukasa/Tsukushi relationship... all of it was just tremendously satisfying to me. Especially after mainlining the drama which makes me desperately crave those two idiots just being near each other. I'm just sad that the fic is only four chapters long and not likely to be continued. (Some Tsukasa/Tsukushi, but it's not entirely the point.)
- Hana Yori Dango - Tsutsumareta by Jennifer Wand - There have been so many times that I've just wanted to lock Tsukasa and Tsukushi in a closet until they can finally work off a little of that UST, so fics like this help tremendously. It also helps that the lanaguage and imagery used are very pretty, there's a lovely sense of intimacy through the two of them touching each other, kissing each other, even more than what they're building towards. It's the emotions of the piece, the way Doumyouji's presence surrounds her and fills up her senses even more than that they're half naked together on the bed. Yet another very satisfying piece that makes me feel a little better about the series/characters. Also, this is why fics with kissing = ♥♥♥ (Tsukasa/Tsukushi, maybe a slight content warning, but I wouldn't put it above PG13 honestly.)
- Hana Yori Dango - Twitterpated by Maho-chan - This was a really cute, fun, and surprisingly sweet (given the couple involved) look at the Tsukasa/Tsukushi relationship from an outsider's point of view. Tsukasa is appropriately bitchy and arrogant yet still the sweetest thing ever at times, Tsukushi is adorable even when she's not actually in the fic, and it was just... fun. The kind of fic that I was looking for this morning. ♥ (Tsukasa/Tsukushi.)
- JE - Precautions by helicoptersky - I am honestly sitting here, trying to write a rec for this fic, and I can't do it. Every time I try to think of something to say about the fic, I just starting cracking up all over again, because, oh my god, Pin is the most awesomely dumb thing in the world and this is why. Jin. Yamapi. And condoms. I just want to roll around on the floor and laugh until I cry at how beautifully Pin they are here, how great the writing and comedic timing is. The second to last scene makes me dissolve into giggling fits every single time. (Yamapi/Jin.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - Simple Truth by Ilana - You know, one of the reasons I like the idea of Akira/Shuuji so much (other than the ending being really, really kind of seriously gay) is because it can lead to situations like the one in this fic, where it feels like such a natural progression of the events in the drama. In a way, it's a simple fic--Akira likes Shuuji, Shuuji is confused, it's not as complicated as it seems--but it's the way the author makes it feel like the series, the way the writing is so clean and smooth, that the story fills me with this sort of... delight at fandom, that it can produce things like this.
- Nobuta wo Produce - Bando wo Produce by ghost lingering - I did not know how much I wanted this fic until I read it! I knew I wanted more Bando/Nobuta fic, but I didn't realize how much I wanted Mariko - Nobuta - Bando friendship (or the steps towards friendship, with Bando not quite coming around just yet) until I read this fic. It's a quiet, almost understated piece post-series, where Nobuta is continuing to grow and learn how to be a friend and things are better and her friendship with Mariko is the sweetest thing and the little details of this fic are fabulous. My only complaint about the story is the rather abrupt ending, I would have liked it to be a couple more pages long and have better resolution. Which, really, only goes to show much I honestly liked the author's work here. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - funny how i'm thinking about you now; it's only been a year or so and after this, will you look at me as if i'm the bad guy? by rain_streaked - While watching the drama, I found that I really did like the themes of friendship and enjoyed the series for what it was, but... at the same time, whenever Bando and Nobuta were around each other, I wanted something more for them, which this fic played on nicely. It gets across that quiet yearning that Bando has for something nicer, but not forgetting that she has trouble with that. It shows how there's a certain something about Nobuta for her, the way Nobuta has a quiet sort of beauty, and it's just... very nice. (Bando/Nobuta.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - Love is by asinful - As you can see, I've been tearing through as much Nobuta fic as I can get my hands on lately and this one is just... it's one of those quiet little stories that I liked. Shuuji's younger brother is a really good device for this fic, the surprising sweetness (and genuineness?) of Shuuji's character, the way Akira is so weird but somehow eventually gets around to the right thing to say, and it's just... it was nice. I liked this fic. It felt like it captured the themes/points of the series pretty well. <3 (Maybe Akira/Shuuji a little, but maybe just gen, too.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - Youthful Love by Karma - [ part 01 - part 02a - part 02b ] - Every so often there are lengthier fics that I mean to just sit down and read a little bit, test the fic out to see if I like it, maybe come back to it later, but somehow wind up pulled into the story and utterly unable to look away. The author of this piece has a really clean, smooth style of writing that kept me fascinated with what was going to happen next, kept me connected to the characters, and drawn into the story she was weaving. Not to mention the cliffhanger of the first part is quite the nasty one, so of course I had to keep reading. The story is a great look at post-series Akira and Shuuji, how they're both growing and changing (while still being so very, very Akira and Shuuji), how their relationship goes from friends to romantic, but not without their share of bumps on the road along the way. I think that's one of the things I liked most about this, Shuuji's hesitance, Akira's confusion and hurt, the way it wasn't just an easy step to a different kind of relationship, because they're both still trying to figure out who they are post-Nobuta. The length of it was really sort of wonderful, the way the author showed both sides of the events, from both Akira and Shuuji's POV, getting inside both of their heads and nudging them along bit by bit. I also loved that I really cared about the characters, that I was drawn into the emotional aspect of the story, so that when Akira hurt, I felt badly for him, when Shuuji was afraid, I felt for him, too. It was one of those defining fics for me, I think, the way it captured everything I wanted from an Akira/Shuuji fic, the way it was everything I could have asked for from the fandom. In a way, I desperately want more now, because I know how good Nobuta fic can be, but at the same time this fic was just so satisfying, too. ♥ (Akira/Shuuji.)
- Nobuta wo Produce - Supreme Commander Hikaru-chan by pinkpapyrus - Omg! More fic from the previous babyfic, with cute little Hikaru and the author here is also great at keeping what made me love these characters so much and making me adore the addition to their family. Seriously, kid!fic is SO CUTE here and Shuuji and Akira not-precisely-arguing about giving her musical instruments is fabulous because it's so perfectly them and it's funny and cute and charming and all the things that make me keyboardmash over the original series. I can't describe it any better than that. ....also, seriously, I love that the author deliberately seemed to tred the line between maybe-something, maybe-nothing with Akira/Shuuji, because you can take away your own meaning from it. Which I happily, happily did. ♥ (Technically gen, but you could read Akira/Shuuji into it if you wanted.)
- Saiunkoku Monogatari/Viewfinder - untitled? by Tammaiya - I swear, if she weren't one of my favorite people already... mobster!SaiMono would certainly have put her on that list. Just. OMG. I wouldn't trust a lot of authors with this concept, but here it's just... just... just... I flail a lot, okay? I love what she's done with each of the characters, the way they've been adapted to this universe, the way Ryuuki is head of their gang but still so Ryuuki, the way Seiran is beautifully himself no matter where he is, the way I want to give Shuurei a whole lot of hugs. Even the way it crosses over with Viewfinder and alds;fjalsd;j holy crap Feilong with the SaiMono characters and the scene he has with Seiran is just awesome. And! The Seiran/Ryuuki! Just. Eeeeeeee. I definitely want more of this one. ♥_♥ ....after she's finished with the Reishin/Kouyuu thing that is. +_+ (Some Seiran/Ryuuki.)
- Saiunkoku Monogatari - Bloom by Cairnsy - I would have been happy to read Reishin/Kouyuu fic at all. That this piece has some of the most beautiful imagery from a fic that I've read in ages? That the characterization of their relationship took my breath away and made my fangirl heart ache? Just that much more amazing. It was. It was a story filled with these lovely images of patterned silk clothing and small blossoms stubbornly clinging to life in winter, beautifully set against Reishin being Reishin when he tells Kouyuu to wear a certain outfit. The sense of quiet intimacy between the two of them at the right moment, the way Kouyuu is just so Kouyuu in his reactions, even the ending (the utterly, utterly perfect ending), the way so much is said underneath the lack of words between them... it really did sort of take my breath away to read this. Gorgeous, gorgeous fic with gorgeous, gorgeous flowers omg. (Reishin/Kouyuu.)
- Shin Seiki Evangelion - Good, or Don't Be by Abaddon - I was just randomly wandering around to look for fic to read the other day and somehow stumbled over an Eva fic. I hadn't read Eva fic in ages but something about this fic caught me, keeping me reading all the way through it, and I'm not sure I can specifically put my finger on why. There's something... almost surreal about the storyline, yet still coherent enough that I can follow it, which is a lot like the Eva series itself, really. I think that's a lot of what I liked so much about this, it's all weird and twisted up like the series, it shows what a crap life Shinji lives and why everything is so painful, it shows how Kaworu is different in his life, how much he made Shinji feel. The different scenes, each one changed a little, until the final one was just... it was really well done. The ending was quietly powerful and just... this is what Eva fic should be. (Kaworu/Shinji.)
- Supernatural/House - we speak in idolatry by fated_addiction - I'm fairly certain it was Zau who mentioned this fic somewhere and the idea of the John/Cameron pairing intrigued me and I follow along like a good little puppy wherever Zau goes ^_~ and this was... I don't think it was precisely what I expected, but I'm not sure what I was expecting either. It's certainly intriguing, the way the two series wind together was perfectly clear in my head, the quiet almost understated characterization here was really fabulous, and I have grown to really love the author's style, the short scenes set over a longer period of time that shows the progression of the non-relationship. This was just... really intriguing and a really cool little piece that said so much about both characters through their (non-)relationship with the other that I enjoyed reading. (John Winchester/Allison Cameron, somewhere around NC-17.)
- TricK - Half and Half by Pero - afldsjlaf;j, ahahahahahAHAHAHA OMG. Ueda and Naoko's kid and it's just so beautifully perfect that I can hardly stand it. Because of course the poor kid would probably have a complex with those parents and, hell, even that grandmother (who was completely awesome in this fic, btw) and it was just... this was a treat to read, it was hilarious in all the right places, and the ending was just... it took me a moment, then I thought back over the series, and totally started giggling because, yes, that is exactly how things would turn out. Fabulous, totally beautiful idiocy from everyone involved, and just... *flails* TricK fanfic! That's funny! OMG. ♥ (Ueda/Naoko in the background, but it's only half the point.)
NEW GOAL: 479/1500