[ ARASHI, Avatar, FE:PoR, MAOU, REBORN!, SE, Yamatarou, Yoiko no Mikata ]
SHARING TIME:
Awww, yay! Digimon week!
AND ONTO THE RECS:
ARASHI - 4 Fanfics
Avatar: The Last Airbender - 3 Fanfics
Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - 1 Fanfic
MAOU/Yoiko no Mikata - 1 Fanfic
Yamada Tarou Monogatari - 1 Fanfic
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - 3 Fanart
Soul Eater - 2 Fanart
2008 GOAL: 571/1602
ARASHI: Snapshots by Circe - a;slkfjaslkj this fic is so great, because it refers to Arashi no Shukudai-kun #95, the live episode where Sho did a really god-awful drawing, and this fic then has Sho/Nino BFFery and making me laugh over Sho's terrible drawings some more and makes me fall in love with the band all over again. It's kind of an amazing mix of all three elements, right down to how perfect Nino is when he goes to collect Sho's latest drawing like he's been doing for years and he's just so Nino about it, so hard to pin down even when Sho knows him really well, and then a totally perfect ending with Ohno. It's just. So easy to see and so perfectly... Arashi. *beams* (I suppose you could say it was a little Ohno/Sho/Nino, but it's really entirely gen.)
ARASHI: Portrait by Circe - a;lsdkfjlkas as if the previous fic weren't enough, this one is more actual Ohno/Sho/Nino, which is a dear, dear OT3 of mine that doesn't get enough attention in fandom. It's set from Nino's point of view and I love her Nino because he's just the right combination of needy and stupidly in love and bitchy, all at the same time. I love the way he approaches Sho and Ohno differently, the way he gives each of them a key is completely different from the other, the way all three of their things (newspapers, art supplies, game consoles, etc.) sort of crowd together in the apartment and it says so much about them without having to really say it. Plus, I was totally a sucker for the cameo with Aiba and Jun, which was seriously A++++ material, and the way Nino was reminded to give Sho a key and Sho's reaction. OH AND THE ART COLLECTION. WOULD TOTALLY LOL AGAIN OVER THAT. (Ohno/Sho/Nino.)
ARASHI: The Way Things Are: Time Out (an interlude with Aiba and Jun) by Circe - Possibly I should not be recommending these seperately but a) they're long enough that I can justify it, b) they're different enough to warrent it, and c) I want to. As much as I love Circe's Nino, I love her Aiba just as much because he's so spot on here, when he just barges into Jun's dressing room to talk to him and clearly knows Jun so well. I love it. He's cheerful even when talking about something serious, he's bouncy and energetic, but in that wonderful Aiba way that's not about being an idiot. I love him because he's just so clearly enjoying his friendships/something more with his bandmates and somehow (through the magic of being Aiba) manages to get them all to agree to sleep with him (or will get them to agree) and no one will feel badly about it. I love how much you can feel Jun is completely, stupidly gone on Aiba, even as he has a total crush on Sho at the same time, it makes me happy in my soul. (Mostly Aiba/Jun, but some implied Sho/Jun as well. And, you know. Aiba/EVERYONE.)
ARASHI: Four Times Ohno's Bandmates Worried About His Weight (And Once Toma Almost Did) by Aki - You know what I really love about this fic? Two things, really. One is the way the author so clearly loves Ohno and how much that shines through here. I love when someone clearly really loves their favorite, you can pick up on that love they have for the person. The second is the way her Ohno love doesn't mean the rest of the band takes a backseat, instead it's focused on their interaction with Ohno and it has this great way of showing how Ohno draws them all together. I love that this fic picks up on the reference from the episode of Himitsu no Arashi-chan where Aiba started calling him a "plasma TV" because he'd lost so much weight, then just totally runs with it and they're all such a bunch of morons about it in that Arashi way. Each scene is delightful and genuinely funny, each scene shows their idiocy or how much they care, each scene touches on an aspect of their dynamics with each other, and my favorite is probably the Ohno/Jun one because Aki totally nailed their interaction, but also because I've missed them. Plus, her Toma is fantastic. *loves* (Some Ohno/Arashi, but it could be gen, too.)
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Sum of Us by icybright - [Note: There are spoilers for the series finale in this fic and in this rec.] As I've mentioned before, I'm growing kind of fond of the idea of Sokka/Suki/Toph as a threesome (though, I imagine part of it is the novelty and high from the last few episodes of the series) and this fic came along at the right time for me with that. I like that it focuses on the Suki/Toph side of things, working in the Sokka/Suki and Sokka <-- Toph angles that were from the series and making it sort of... a more balanced potential threesome instead and it's just. Really cute! (Sokka/Suki/Toph.)
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Pressure by Kanthia - [Note: There are spoilers for the series finale in this fic and in this rec.] This is an interesting take on the effects of the finale, something that's not quite so happy and instead a little haunting and painful, for what both Aang and Zuko had to face during that time. I find it a really interesting way to go because, as much as I love the world being at peace and that everything was wonderful at the end of the series, I feel like this could fit together really well with the canon if it were to have kept going. Aang being troubled by Ozai's lingering presence, Zuko being haunted by the image of his sister, the way everything around them is at peace, but they aren't. It was a nice connection between them and I'd really like to see where this is going. (Some implied Zuko/Mai, but it's really, really far from the point.)
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Autumn Rain by Empatheia - I was FFNET hopping tonight and stumbled over this author, whom I liked for her Naruto fic. So, she had written an Ursa piece, which I was curious about. Ursa is a character we don't actually know that much about, but this fits together with what do know of her beautifully, while not presuming too much. I love the use of flowers and what she is saying with them while no one else really notices, I love the touch of details from the background world, and the gentle, intelligent grace of Ursa here. It's such a fascinating, insightful look at the character and is a really beautiful read. (Some Ozai/Ursa, implied one-sided Ursa/Iroh, but neither are the point, I'd consider this gen.)
Katekyou Hitman REBORN!: a portrait of the last Sunday by Jennifier D. - It feels like it's been aaaaages since I read any of Jenn-san's fic, but she posted D18 today and, wow, did I ever just zoom right over to read. ♥ I really like what she does with her style, it's got this sort of hazy, quiet feel to it that works with the characters because it still conveys the intensity of the connection between the characters, but Hibari is still so quiet and lethal, while Dino is sunny and just as dangerous in his own way. It's about the subtle qualities underneath the obvious and set during the future arc (though, a little different) where there's this... connection between them even when they're off doing other things. I actually sort of like the way Tsuna's death was handled here, the way there's so much major stuff going on and then it's something so small.... The ending scene is lovely, both for the way they touch each other and move around each other, but also for the mood that's so present but not explicitly stated. *fangirls* (Dino/Hibari.)
MAOU/Yoiko no Mikata: untitled? by Aki - I-- I didn't know how badly this fic needed to exist until Aki wrote it and it was brilliant. She nails each and every character, she does brilliantly with both series' atmosphere and style, yet winds them together so easily that I can perfectly see it. Sora-chan at Himawari Daycare, which means getting Taiyou-sensei and Naruse-san in the same room and it's. It's exactly how it would go, right down to the brilliant pov from Taiyou-sensei and his sunny outlook on everything, even when Naruse is being creepy. The use of Sora-chan being bullied and how Naruse deals with that, how Taiyou-sensei reacts to all of it, to the little details from the rest of the teachers and parents, I-- I can't even-- Just-- asldkfjaslkj such a good fic, omg. (Maybe a slight bit of Naruse/Shiori, it's not really the point.)
Yamada Tarou Monogatari: with a little help from my friends by waxrose - I wouldn't have thought that I'd necessarily even want porn for YamaTarou, but... I'll read just about anything by waxrose and just totally eat it up, because I didn't realize how much I kind of wanted something like this until I read it. I love her porn SO MUCH, I love the shower handjobs here and how easy it was to see the characters in this. I love that it's an excuse to write shower porn, of course, but there's a whole lot of character insight here as well and it has this really delightful... almost day in the life of quality to it. I love that Tarou is so... Tarou, while not being ridiculously dense, he still takes a bit to catch on, but he isn't to one ridiculous extreme or the other, it's hard to balance a character like that, but she does it wonderfully here. The Mimura/Tarou dynamic is fantastic and totally spot-on as well. *___*♥ (Mimura/Tarou, R rating.)
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Normally, I'm fairly set in my pairings for FE:PoR, but... I can't resist a truly gorgeous site sometimes. The artist's favorite is probably Ranulf, he gets a lot of really lovely fanart, and there's a decent amount of Ranulf/Ike, but it's really the artist's Ike that made me fall in love with the site. The shades of blue she uses for his eyes and hair are so vibrant and look beautiful with the way her basic lineart is styled. There's not a ton of art here (aside from a lot of doodles that I admittedly skimmed), but it's worth a quick trip through, I think. (Some Ranulf/Ike, some other yaoi, some gen.)
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - It really pretty much took me only two or three clicks into this gallery to kind of adore this site. The one of Naesala playing with Reyson and Leanne, done in this really bright, cel-shading style coloring and looking so cute as he laughs while Reyson gets all >:O and it's just. It was really sweet and totally pretty. Or! The one of Muarim hugging Tormod close! So cute! There's also a lot of art of Zelgius/the Black Knight, which are really pretty. Oh and! The little doodle of kidlet Naesala being tucked into bed! The style is actually really pretty and I'd have recommended the site for that alone, so many of them look almost professional, but it's also the nice selection of art. The comics are really gorgeous when the artist puts her mind to it (the one of Naesala and Reyson as kids is fantastic) and there's a lot of art and just. It's a really, really good site. *__* (Maybe some Naesala/Reyson, some Naesala/Leanne, a little Tormod/Sanaki, but there's more gen than anything, I'd say.)
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Another site with a lot of Ike and Ranulf, but I found myself not minding again because the art is really pretty and there's a decent amount of it. Actually, there's not that much focus on any given pairing, there's a lot of gen sketches, and it was fun to go through the galleries. Just. Watch out for surprise Oliver fanart sometimes. But the artist does have a nice style and it wasn't a bad site to stop by at all. (Some Ike/Ranulf, some other, some gen. There are some NSFW illustrations, so beware.)
- Soul Eater - NOx [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Okay, this is actually a re-rec, despite that I recommended it previously not all that long ago, but. A lot of new art has been added since then and, holy shit, is some of it gorgeous. The most current comics, with Stein being all crazy at Spirit are really, really hot, the shading and lineart on them are gorgeous. Her Stein is especially smoking hot and there's this quick little comic of him against Medusa and wow that's really hot, too. And and and! Younger Stein all dressed in white in a dull gray room, the only real color are splashes of blood and his pale eyes and asd;lfkjasljk yes plz. The artist has always been good, but I wanted to do a re-rec to point out that she got a lot better in the last month or so, to the point where she's totally hitting my buttons beautifully now. ♥ (Some Stein/Spirit, some gen.)
- Soul Eater - Virtual Reality [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I went back and forth on this site a lot, because some of the illustrations really started to get me interested, but other times it just wasn't my kind of style. The art is very CG-style and a little stylized in its own way. Which isn't bad, just that it wasn't quite hitting me personally. But you know what I'm weak to? Soul/Maka art that's really super-cute at times or is of them lounging around and kissing or Soul picking Maka up to carry her or Maka kissing his cheek. It's a bit on the simple side, but the colors are nice, the style kind of suits the series, and the content made me go ".... ♥" a lot. That's all I need from a site. ♥ (Some Soul/Maka, some gen.)
Awww, yay! Digimon week!
AND ONTO THE RECS:
ARASHI - 4 Fanfics
Avatar: The Last Airbender - 3 Fanfics
Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - 1 Fanfic
MAOU/Yoiko no Mikata - 1 Fanfic
Yamada Tarou Monogatari - 1 Fanfic
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - 3 Fanart
Soul Eater - 2 Fanart
2008 GOAL: 571/1602
ARASHI: Snapshots by Circe - a;slkfjaslkj this fic is so great, because it refers to Arashi no Shukudai-kun #95, the live episode where Sho did a really god-awful drawing, and this fic then has Sho/Nino BFFery and making me laugh over Sho's terrible drawings some more and makes me fall in love with the band all over again. It's kind of an amazing mix of all three elements, right down to how perfect Nino is when he goes to collect Sho's latest drawing like he's been doing for years and he's just so Nino about it, so hard to pin down even when Sho knows him really well, and then a totally perfect ending with Ohno. It's just. So easy to see and so perfectly... Arashi. *beams* (I suppose you could say it was a little Ohno/Sho/Nino, but it's really entirely gen.)
ARASHI: Portrait by Circe - a;lsdkfjlkas as if the previous fic weren't enough, this one is more actual Ohno/Sho/Nino, which is a dear, dear OT3 of mine that doesn't get enough attention in fandom. It's set from Nino's point of view and I love her Nino because he's just the right combination of needy and stupidly in love and bitchy, all at the same time. I love the way he approaches Sho and Ohno differently, the way he gives each of them a key is completely different from the other, the way all three of their things (newspapers, art supplies, game consoles, etc.) sort of crowd together in the apartment and it says so much about them without having to really say it. Plus, I was totally a sucker for the cameo with Aiba and Jun, which was seriously A++++ material, and the way Nino was reminded to give Sho a key and Sho's reaction. OH AND THE ART COLLECTION. WOULD TOTALLY LOL AGAIN OVER THAT. (Ohno/Sho/Nino.)
ARASHI: The Way Things Are: Time Out (an interlude with Aiba and Jun) by Circe - Possibly I should not be recommending these seperately but a) they're long enough that I can justify it, b) they're different enough to warrent it, and c) I want to. As much as I love Circe's Nino, I love her Aiba just as much because he's so spot on here, when he just barges into Jun's dressing room to talk to him and clearly knows Jun so well. I love it. He's cheerful even when talking about something serious, he's bouncy and energetic, but in that wonderful Aiba way that's not about being an idiot. I love him because he's just so clearly enjoying his friendships/something more with his bandmates and somehow (through the magic of being Aiba) manages to get them all to agree to sleep with him (or will get them to agree) and no one will feel badly about it. I love how much you can feel Jun is completely, stupidly gone on Aiba, even as he has a total crush on Sho at the same time, it makes me happy in my soul. (Mostly Aiba/Jun, but some implied Sho/Jun as well. And, you know. Aiba/EVERYONE.)
ARASHI: Four Times Ohno's Bandmates Worried About His Weight (And Once Toma Almost Did) by Aki - You know what I really love about this fic? Two things, really. One is the way the author so clearly loves Ohno and how much that shines through here. I love when someone clearly really loves their favorite, you can pick up on that love they have for the person. The second is the way her Ohno love doesn't mean the rest of the band takes a backseat, instead it's focused on their interaction with Ohno and it has this great way of showing how Ohno draws them all together. I love that this fic picks up on the reference from the episode of Himitsu no Arashi-chan where Aiba started calling him a "plasma TV" because he'd lost so much weight, then just totally runs with it and they're all such a bunch of morons about it in that Arashi way. Each scene is delightful and genuinely funny, each scene shows their idiocy or how much they care, each scene touches on an aspect of their dynamics with each other, and my favorite is probably the Ohno/Jun one because Aki totally nailed their interaction, but also because I've missed them. Plus, her Toma is fantastic. *loves* (Some Ohno/Arashi, but it could be gen, too.)
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Sum of Us by icybright - [Note: There are spoilers for the series finale in this fic and in this rec.] As I've mentioned before, I'm growing kind of fond of the idea of Sokka/Suki/Toph as a threesome (though, I imagine part of it is the novelty and high from the last few episodes of the series) and this fic came along at the right time for me with that. I like that it focuses on the Suki/Toph side of things, working in the Sokka/Suki and Sokka <-- Toph angles that were from the series and making it sort of... a more balanced potential threesome instead and it's just. Really cute! (Sokka/Suki/Toph.)
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Pressure by Kanthia - [Note: There are spoilers for the series finale in this fic and in this rec.] This is an interesting take on the effects of the finale, something that's not quite so happy and instead a little haunting and painful, for what both Aang and Zuko had to face during that time. I find it a really interesting way to go because, as much as I love the world being at peace and that everything was wonderful at the end of the series, I feel like this could fit together really well with the canon if it were to have kept going. Aang being troubled by Ozai's lingering presence, Zuko being haunted by the image of his sister, the way everything around them is at peace, but they aren't. It was a nice connection between them and I'd really like to see where this is going. (Some implied Zuko/Mai, but it's really, really far from the point.)
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Autumn Rain by Empatheia - I was FFNET hopping tonight and stumbled over this author, whom I liked for her Naruto fic. So, she had written an Ursa piece, which I was curious about. Ursa is a character we don't actually know that much about, but this fits together with what do know of her beautifully, while not presuming too much. I love the use of flowers and what she is saying with them while no one else really notices, I love the touch of details from the background world, and the gentle, intelligent grace of Ursa here. It's such a fascinating, insightful look at the character and is a really beautiful read. (Some Ozai/Ursa, implied one-sided Ursa/Iroh, but neither are the point, I'd consider this gen.)
Katekyou Hitman REBORN!: a portrait of the last Sunday by Jennifier D. - It feels like it's been aaaaages since I read any of Jenn-san's fic, but she posted D18 today and, wow, did I ever just zoom right over to read. ♥ I really like what she does with her style, it's got this sort of hazy, quiet feel to it that works with the characters because it still conveys the intensity of the connection between the characters, but Hibari is still so quiet and lethal, while Dino is sunny and just as dangerous in his own way. It's about the subtle qualities underneath the obvious and set during the future arc (though, a little different) where there's this... connection between them even when they're off doing other things. I actually sort of like the way Tsuna's death was handled here, the way there's so much major stuff going on and then it's something so small.... The ending scene is lovely, both for the way they touch each other and move around each other, but also for the mood that's so present but not explicitly stated. *fangirls* (Dino/Hibari.)
MAOU/Yoiko no Mikata: untitled? by Aki - I-- I didn't know how badly this fic needed to exist until Aki wrote it and it was brilliant. She nails each and every character, she does brilliantly with both series' atmosphere and style, yet winds them together so easily that I can perfectly see it. Sora-chan at Himawari Daycare, which means getting Taiyou-sensei and Naruse-san in the same room and it's. It's exactly how it would go, right down to the brilliant pov from Taiyou-sensei and his sunny outlook on everything, even when Naruse is being creepy. The use of Sora-chan being bullied and how Naruse deals with that, how Taiyou-sensei reacts to all of it, to the little details from the rest of the teachers and parents, I-- I can't even-- Just-- asldkfjaslkj such a good fic, omg. (Maybe a slight bit of Naruse/Shiori, it's not really the point.)
Yamada Tarou Monogatari: with a little help from my friends by waxrose - I wouldn't have thought that I'd necessarily even want porn for YamaTarou, but... I'll read just about anything by waxrose and just totally eat it up, because I didn't realize how much I kind of wanted something like this until I read it. I love her porn SO MUCH, I love the shower handjobs here and how easy it was to see the characters in this. I love that it's an excuse to write shower porn, of course, but there's a whole lot of character insight here as well and it has this really delightful... almost day in the life of quality to it. I love that Tarou is so... Tarou, while not being ridiculously dense, he still takes a bit to catch on, but he isn't to one ridiculous extreme or the other, it's hard to balance a character like that, but she does it wonderfully here. The Mimura/Tarou dynamic is fantastic and totally spot-on as well. *___*♥ (Mimura/Tarou, R rating.)
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Normally, I'm fairly set in my pairings for FE:PoR, but... I can't resist a truly gorgeous site sometimes. The artist's favorite is probably Ranulf, he gets a lot of really lovely fanart, and there's a decent amount of Ranulf/Ike, but it's really the artist's Ike that made me fall in love with the site. The shades of blue she uses for his eyes and hair are so vibrant and look beautiful with the way her basic lineart is styled. There's not a ton of art here (aside from a lot of doodles that I admittedly skimmed), but it's worth a quick trip through, I think. (Some Ranulf/Ike, some other yaoi, some gen.)
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - It really pretty much took me only two or three clicks into this gallery to kind of adore this site. The one of Naesala playing with Reyson and Leanne, done in this really bright, cel-shading style coloring and looking so cute as he laughs while Reyson gets all >:O and it's just. It was really sweet and totally pretty. Or! The one of Muarim hugging Tormod close! So cute! There's also a lot of art of Zelgius/the Black Knight, which are really pretty. Oh and! The little doodle of kidlet Naesala being tucked into bed! The style is actually really pretty and I'd have recommended the site for that alone, so many of them look almost professional, but it's also the nice selection of art. The comics are really gorgeous when the artist puts her mind to it (the one of Naesala and Reyson as kids is fantastic) and there's a lot of art and just. It's a really, really good site. *__* (Maybe some Naesala/Reyson, some Naesala/Leanne, a little Tormod/Sanaki, but there's more gen than anything, I'd say.)
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Another site with a lot of Ike and Ranulf, but I found myself not minding again because the art is really pretty and there's a decent amount of it. Actually, there's not that much focus on any given pairing, there's a lot of gen sketches, and it was fun to go through the galleries. Just. Watch out for surprise Oliver fanart sometimes. But the artist does have a nice style and it wasn't a bad site to stop by at all. (Some Ike/Ranulf, some other, some gen. There are some NSFW illustrations, so beware.)
- Soul Eater - NOx [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Okay, this is actually a re-rec, despite that I recommended it previously not all that long ago, but. A lot of new art has been added since then and, holy shit, is some of it gorgeous. The most current comics, with Stein being all crazy at Spirit are really, really hot, the shading and lineart on them are gorgeous. Her Stein is especially smoking hot and there's this quick little comic of him against Medusa and wow that's really hot, too. And and and! Younger Stein all dressed in white in a dull gray room, the only real color are splashes of blood and his pale eyes and asd;lfkjasljk yes plz. The artist has always been good, but I wanted to do a re-rec to point out that she got a lot better in the last month or so, to the point where she's totally hitting my buttons beautifully now. ♥ (Some Stein/Spirit, some gen.)
- Soul Eater - Virtual Reality [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I went back and forth on this site a lot, because some of the illustrations really started to get me interested, but other times it just wasn't my kind of style. The art is very CG-style and a little stylized in its own way. Which isn't bad, just that it wasn't quite hitting me personally. But you know what I'm weak to? Soul/Maka art that's really super-cute at times or is of them lounging around and kissing or Soul picking Maka up to carry her or Maka kissing his cheek. It's a bit on the simple side, but the colors are nice, the style kind of suits the series, and the content made me go ".... ♥" a lot. That's all I need from a site. ♥ (Some Soul/Maka, some gen.)