[ Tenipuri, OP, FMA, DN, Bebop, Mirage of Blaze, AnK, Eyeshield 21, Gravi, JLA/NW, TE-USA, HP ]
Notes/Babbling: Oh, look. New series. That I've only scratched the surface of. I cry now. And eight million other series that show I have no attention span. I decided to forgo breaking them up because it would have meant three seperate posts and I just want to get this done. Because. You know. I have to go edit 250+ pages to reflect my new layout. ~______~
*counts* 27 in total. Not my record for one day, but not bad, either. ....that's so sad.
Series:
Prince of Tennis - 1 Fanart
One Piece - 1 Fanart
Full Metal Alchemist - 5 Fanart
Full Metal Alchemist/Naruto - 1 Fanart
Death Note - 1 Fanart
Cowboy Bebop - 1 Fanart
Mirage of Blaze/Ai no Kusabi - 1 Fanart
Eyeshield 21 - 5 Fanart
Mirage of Blaze - 1 Fanfic
One Piece - 3 Fanfics
Gravitation - 2 Fanfics
JLA/Nightwing - 1 Fanfic
Touching Evil (USA) - 3 Fanfics
Harry Potter - 1 Fanfic
- Prince of Tennis - Magma [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I am rec'ing this site for two reasons--really pretty Niou illustrations and a couple of adorable Bane-chan/Davide illustrations; the artist really does do great lines with her characters, very detailed and sharp, with really good colors. She's the kind that puts a lot of detail into the hair and eyes, combining it with a solid sense for proportions, so that it really looks like they could have stepped out of a manga. But, really, you're going here for the prettypretty Niou. ....oh, and that really hot one of Sanada and Yanagi. XD (Some Niou/Yagyuu, some other shounen ai, Rikkai-friendly, Rokkaku-friendly.)
- One Piece - KKD [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I admit, the characters' hips can be a little off with this artist, but the rest of the illustrations--right down to the clothes and the poses--are so fantastically done, so keeping with the FEEL of One Piece that I just fell in love. Mostly the artist does Robin--who looks FANATASTIC, she's got some of the most fantastically drawn costumes the artist puts her in--but occasionally does the main cast and some of the other characters, too. There was a really great Smoker illustration, there was a fantastic illustration of Kuragara and Norland that just made me wibble all over the place, and all in all... it was one of those sites that drew the characters in such a way that it reminded me of the One Piece series (the artist has really good coloring, too, very well shaded and detailed)... and I keep harping on that because... I mean, it's not a perfect replication, it's a bit more CG-ish in style, but... it felt like each piece of the background detail was thought out, I guess? Plus, dude, Robin fanart that's REALLY PRETTY. How could I not love? XD (Some Robin/Crocodile, some gen.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This site? FUNNIEST THING EVER. I kept hitting reload to watch the little animations because... well, some of them are just sort of cute; adorable little sprites riding on the train or working at their desks or whatever. But occasionally... one will come along that'll have me literally laughing so hard I get a headache. #15 and #16 in succession are the FUNNIEST THINGS EVER. It's been at least three minutes since I watched it and I'm still laughing. #13 and #20 in succession are pretty damn funny, too. I cannot say anything more than that, because they'll ruin the jokes, but... oh! And #14 had me giggling madly, too. And #30. Oh, hell, they were all pretty great. XD (No real warnings/pairings, I wouldn't say. Maybe a little RoyAi, but.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - One of the first things I noticed about this site is that the artist is REALLY GOOD at CG coloring and inking, to the point some of these illustrations look almost on part with the animation itself. The artist's Ed is especially fantastic looking, you can tell she really draws him SO WELL... there's this one of Ed with the most heartbreaking look on his face and tear tracks running down that's just... it's gorgeous. But the site also has its lighter moments--it's just SO MUCH FUN when he's being annoyed at Roy. Whether because he found Roy's little black book or whether it's because it's Dr. Roy sparkling at an annoyed Ed, it's just... fun. Besides, who couldn't love a site with Doctor Roy?? XD XD XD (Some Roy/Ed, some gen.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Chaos Hearts [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This artist starts out rather shakey and has trouble getting going, but... hell, I had to rec the site just for the INCREDIBLY CUTE chibi neko Ed which was just... EEE OMG SO CUTE EEEEEE I WANNA CUDDLE HIM GIIIIIIVE! XD And the artist does get progressively better, slowly tightening up her art and have some really wonderful illustrations. There are a couple of Roy/Ed ones that practically just shimmer from the colors and softened effects the artist must use and I love it when artists can do that without going too overboard. (There's one of them at sunset, Roy chewing on a piece of Ed's hair, that I just... my Roy/Ed fangirl wibbles over it. ♥) And then there's the usual type of Ed fighting or Roy and Ed with their foreheads pressed together or group illustrations or Ed posing that round the site out and make it worth visiting. (Some Roy/Ed, some gen.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Ohhh, this site is going to be difficult to describe why I like it, why the artist's style works for me, without sounding rather generic. It's just... there's a certain way the artist draws the characters sometimes, something about the way her lines look, that just sorta does it for me. Not in all of them, but you can see it when Roy's got ahold of Ed by the chained collar around his throat (Ufufufufufu, you know how much I loved that one, right? >D) or when Ed's grabbing his watch in the 'Don't Forget' illustration, that just looks... almost sort of elegant. It reminds me of a certain style of doujinshi and it just... it works so well for this artist. Also? As part of one of those theme things, the artist drew an illustration of Lust and Ed that's just absolutely gorgeous and I can't seem to stop staring at it because it's just the right feeling of eerie and traumatizing and pretty that the series itself has. And definitely be sure to check out the oekaki because that style I'm going on about is present there as well and looks awesome. I am utterly taken with the artist's Lust, I really am. *__* So much love for this site. (A lot of gen, and I am only barely putting this in the Roy/Ed catagory because it's rare on the site and really could be almost gen most times.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Better Half [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - The artist here has a certain style to her art that's hard to describe, other than that it has very smooth edges and while I don't always like it, I found that this artist was good enough that I was really quite impressed with her art. It's very CG-painting-ish, but she has such a strong sense for details that it works. And, really, I knew I was going to be won over when there was an illustration of Roy in black leather pants and an open vest and a tie and nothing else. *lusts after* Or the one where Roy's biting his tie and his shirt seemingly has a button missing and he could not be the personification of sex more than he is in that image. ^_~ The artist is really great at colors and her art gets better and better as she goes along. ....also, Roy should not be that cute hiding inside a giant cat costume. >_> (Roy/Ed, one non-work-safe illustration so far.)
- Full Metal Alchemist/Naruto - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I feel like I've seen this site before, but I can't find it in my recs, so I'm going to assume that I haven't rec'd it yet. (Aha, I've been to this part of the site before, but not for the FMA stuff.) This artist is just... she's incredible at drawing the characters in the style of the manga... which isn't necessarily my favorite style, but she makes it look really good here. Her Ed - Al illustrations are just SO ADORABLE and SO CUTE, just so perfectly cute with the way the Elric brothers were when they were younger. I'm not sure if it's meant to be Elriccest or what, but I'm going to assume it's not, but stick it into the section anyway. I also find that I really kinda like her Roy/Ed, she does a great job capturing the spirit/feel of the characters, I guess. Plus, there's a TON of art. *twirls* As for the Naruto stuff, she really does a FUN job with the Naruto characters, capturing the sense of... shounen I guess, rather than prettyboy-ifying them, even when they're in 'pretty' situtations. I guess... if you like the style of the manga for each series, you'll probably like this fanartist. (Some gen-Al-Ed, some Roy/Ed, a LOT of gen, and SasuNaru.)
- Death Note - SODAPOP [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I could have sworn I'd have rec'd this site before, but I can't find it, either. It's also another site that I'll have a tough time explaining why I like it, but I find myself intrigued by the illustrations, especially the lovely blue-ish one of of L carrying a (rather detailed) sword with straps still wound around it because it just... somehow FITS with the character and is really kind of cool. And that's really the gist of all the illustrations here--they're some concept or other or something beautifully colored that looks like a watercolor painting for the series and uses the style to great effect. One of my favorites is a mostly blue/purple illustration of Raito and Ryuuku that winds up looking so vibrant for the splashes of warmer colors in it. Or the one of L standing in a crowd of faded or blurry people, standing out with this intense expression. Also? The junk/oekaki illustrations are nice. (A little L/Raito, a lot of gen.)
- Cowboy Bebop - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I don't go searching for Cowboy Bebop stuff much simply because I'm not well-acquainted with the series enough to really get the impact of a lot of the art, you know? (I keep meaning to watch it... but given that I've been saying that for about three years now.... >_>) But I knew I had to rec this site from the moment I saw the current top illustration of a sleeping Spike because it was just... the lines were so gorgeous and despite knowing little about the series, it really FELT right to me, the style and tone of the illustration. And that's what this gallery felt like to me, too--despite the art being rather simplistic or sketchy many times, it still somehow fit the beautiful art style of the series. Don't ask me how, I just know I like the art. XD (No warnings/pairings.)
- Mirage of Blaze/Ai no Kusabi - Cyclone [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I stumbled over this site completely randomly, while I was looking for Eyeshield 21 art of all things--and, yeah, there's a really GOOD illustration in the JUMP gallery, the real treasure of this site is in the Mirage of Blaze section. And that there's AI NO KUSABI FANART. I'm still shocked. Anyway. Her Mirage of Blaze art alternates between cutesy and these OMG STUNNING illustrations--there's one early on of Kagetora that just... GUH. SO HOT. I mean, the simpler art is really adorable and fun to look at, but when she moves towards the more delicate lines... she draws beautifully. Plus, I'd love any artist who had Naoe presenting a birthday cake to a Takaya with a chain around his neck, no pants under his white shirt, and looking REALLY CRANKY. XD XD XD The Ai no Kusabi art is sort of a mixture between the two, but... there's this gorgeous one of Katze that even I had to go *__* over. And, last, but entirely not least... there are icons on the site. ADORABLE ICONS. Plusing one of shirtless!Naoe slinging yukata!Takaya over his shoulder. I want that one so bad. ....though, I also want the one of them in coats. And the Iason/Riki icon! *twirls* So, so much love for this site. ♥ (Some Naoe/Takaya, a little Iason/Riki, but that's given.)
- Eyeshield 21 - HALmonia [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This was one of the first Eyeshield 21 sites that I happened to stumble over and it definitely softened me up on the idea of Hiruma/Sena because the artist did these really great sketch-like line art illustrations that she softened up so they looked really pretty and... mm, romantic isn't the word I'm looking for, but something like it. And she really does have terrific lineart, a great sense for proportions with some of her early sketches... and, okay, I was won over by the pretty b&w comic towards the very bottom. Not all of her oekaki art does it for me, but just enough of it did that I had to rec the site. ♥ (Hiruma/Shin.)
- Eyeshield 21 - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I must have spend about 45 minutes floating around various sites to find this one again, because I kept seeing it when I was looking for Naruto art and always wondered who the guys were on the top illustration. And now that I've read Eyeshield 21, I get it. The art is really quite pretty here, the artist has such a fantastic sense for colors and such a solid style with her lineart that her Shin is utterly gorgeous. Her Shin in the knight's oufit? OMG SO BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN. I'm not sure I quite agree on the characterization, but I can't fault her beautiful illustrations that make me go *__*. (Sakuraba/Shin. Yeah. In that order.)
- Eyeshield 21 - gouten [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I'd been sort of waffling back and forth on the idea of Hiruma/Sena up until this point, because... yeah, I know, it seemed like yaoi for the sake of finding it anywhere in the series... but then I hit this site and it's just... okay, Sena's a little smaller than he maybe should be sometimes, but the artist so beautifully captures what I would want out of the pairing that I was just completely and utterly won over. I LOVE the art here because you can just tell how batshit insane Hiruma is, how put-upon Sena is, and the style actually really vibes well with the manga. The way the artist does a sort of sketchy quality to the illustrations reminds me of the vibe of the original manga and her poses/concepts are fantastic. Just... this is the kind of site that convinced me. There were SO MANY illustrations that I could have pointed out that were just fantastic, but the ones of Hiruma yanking Sena close while they slept or just layed down... bwahahaha, PERFECT. Oh? And? The one where Keroberos is about to rip Sena to shreds while Hiruma is annoyed on the couch (because Sena is crashing into him)? GENIUS. ....I am inocherent with the love for this site. ♥ ♥ ♥ (Hiruma/Sena.)
- Eyeshield 21 - Room 121 [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This is one of those sites that's just... it's solid and there were just enough illustrations on it that I found I really kind of liked it. Part of it is that the artist's Hiruma is really solid, she uses that slightly sketch-like quality that really WORKS with this manga, but part of it is that her Hiruma/Sena is that... odd combination between cute and hysterical that these two really ought to have. Just... fun, you know? XD (Hiruma/Sena.)
- Eyeshield 21 - S*SPECTRE [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I think I've rec'd this site before for the Zoro/Sanji fanart, but now I'm putting it into the Eyeshield 21 section as well~ I wound up just being so damned impressed by this site because the artist is really good--her lines are fantastic, her colors are fantastic, her inking is totally fantastic, and some of them look just absolutely top-notch. The group illustration of everyone out in the field, Sena with a four-leaf clover, Hiruma with his big-ass gun and evil grin, Mamori with the flowers in her hair, the players frolicing in the background... it was all such beautiful batshit behavior and so PRETTY that I fell in love. Also, the ones of Shin and Sakuraba were beautifully drawn as well and just... yeah, all around great art. I had much fun. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Mirage of Blaze - A Star Fall, A Phone Call by Cerise Tennyo - I admit, I tend to be a little lost when it comes to Mirage of Blaze, because the names are SO LONG and they each have, like, a billion of them, and there's this insane amount of culture and history wrapped up in the series and all the background that is rarely revealed and just... my head swims. Yet, through all of that, one of the elements that attracts me to the series is that you can just FEEL Naoe's hurt and longing for Kagetora/Takaya and it's beautifully encaptured in this story. It never goes too far with Naoe's angst, it never beat me over the head with it (any more than the series did, mind), yet it's still consuming for him, I could practically feel my chest tighten up right along with the character. The writing is gorgeous as well, just completely bringing to mind the lush, beautiful colors and elegant animation of the anime, and just... gahhh, such a perfect fic for the series. (Slight hints of NaoexKagetora/Takaya/whatever.)
- One Piece - Day in the Life - Sanji and Day in the Life 2 - Sanji's Yaoi Special by Celeste - I'm going to put these two together, despite the first one being gen and the second being yaoi... well, really, just because it's easier for me. ^_~ But also because they're sort of the same theme and most people who enjoy one will enjoy the other. I love that these two fics sort of illustrate... both the way the Going Merry crew interacts with each other (the way Sanji can tame just about anyone with a cookie or punish them with a good, strong kick or overly spicey food--the mental image of Zoro drinking all that water cracks me up XD) and because it illustrates something I love about the One Piece story--there are all these little moments that are just so much fun and clever and heart-warming and even during the most routine day, the Going Merry crew is a fascinating bunch. The running tally of who beats more enemies, Zoro or Sanji, made me laugh so much, because that is just SO something Sanji would keep track of (hell, they'd both keep track of it XD) and the way, in the second one, Vivi and Nami liked him more now that he kissed boys, but he still got no action. Just... much love for the stories that have so many FUNNY little details. (Gen for the first, Zoro/Sanji for the second.)
- One Piece - Hidden Perceptions by Rei - This was such a treat to read one morning because it was full of those subtle little signs that I think could be the only way that Sanji and Zoro would be... well, perhaps not nice to each other, but would let any sort of positive feeling show. They never lose the bickering edge, it's still there covering up that the other is important and I adore the way it was set through Nami's eyes, the way she's perceptive enough to pick up on it, because she WOULD be the one to notice first, if things went this way, I would think. And her reaction is just spot-on, I thought, the way it slowly sort of creeps up on her, the way the characters are then filtered through her perception, all of it wonderfully subtle. (Sanji/Zoro referenced.)
- One Piece - Sand by Shadow Omega - There've been a lot of really excellent Zoro/Sanji stories lately that are so wonderfully dealing with the way the characters snipe at each other and really get on each other's nerves, yet there's still the undercurrent of being able to work together and still finding each other attractive, and it all blends together in one sharp-tongued, clever fic like this one here. I adore the characterization because it's not just the basics that anyone can get, you know? It's actually sharp and sexy for the way they don't get along, which is what wins me over every time. Zoro and Sanji on the beach and the troubles that causes because male/male sex isn't exactly easy without a lot of preperation and yet it's not such a big deal and it's got all these little details to practically make you feel the sand on your skin and the attraction between them working for that snarking attitude, even as it's genuinely annoying and... holy crap, this is a bad rec, but you should go read the fic anyway. (Zoro/Sanji, maybe R-ish rated for language?)
- Gravitation - Writing Lesson by anahita - And this was a fun little treat--sparkling, sharp dialogue, cute imagery (Shuuichi being pissed off at Suguru, done in a way that's not over the top and yet still so very Shuuichi-like) and... I adore a slightly nicer Eiri who shows that he cares in smaller ways, but never loses what makes him the mean, cranky guy he is. I also adore the way he can turn Shuuichi on--the description of a first kiss was really nice and I ♥ an Eiri who really is amused by the whole thing. Plus, the detail of the little doodle on Shuuichi's paper? For some reason that vastly, vastly amuses me. (YukixShuuichi.)
- Gravitation - The Eye of the Beholder by ChibiRisu-chan - I cry that this fic isn't finished, I really do, because it's just so... sparkling and clever. The way the author wrote Shuuichi was just... oh, I want to comment and go "Hee!" on, like, eight million things in this fic because there are so MANY of the little things that are hysterical, but I don't want to spoil them. However, I will say that the way the author roused Shuuichi's curiosity about Yuki and had him doing 'research' in the library? I adored it, because I could just picture all of this--it had that touch of meaningfulness that Yuki and Shuuichi's relationship always has, but it also perfectly captured the batshit, off-the-wall nature of the series, too. And Shuuichi's attempts at cooking? Best running gag in a fic that I've read in a long time. I actually laughed out loud at the beer cake incident. And the PIZZA. Yuki being terrorized by some of the hideous pizza Japan produces. GENIUS. It may not sound as funny when I try to describe it, but it's so beautifully in character and I just... the minute I started reading to the very end of the third chapter, I enjoyed and sparkled my way through the fic, because it was beyond just good or funny, it was genuinely clever. And, oh, what I wouldn't give for more of this story because of the way it ended. (Even if you don't usually read WIPs and this one isn't likely to be finished any time soon, I definitely recommend the story because it's good on its own. I mean... BEER CAKE. *dies* XD) (YukixShuuichi.)
- JLA/Nightwing - Fill in for JLA #69 by Amanda - Hmm. Who knows if I'm supposed to rec this or not. But, hell, she wrote it for me and I love it, so I'm totally going to pimp it out 'cause wheeeeeeeeeee! As anyone who's listened to me ramble on about comics for more than five minutes knows that I have a deep and abiding love of The Obsidian Age storyline in JLA because it was just SO GOOD and came along at a time when I was just getting back into comics and I'd desperately, desperately wanted fic on it because... dude. NIGHTWING. LEADER OF THE JLA. PICKED BY BATMAN. Fic-writer's dream, right? And Amanda capitalizes on it beautifully, the balance between scared kid in a cape stepping up to something huge and the guy who knows he's ready for this. The two conflicting sides were balanced perfectly so that I completely believed the way Dick was portrayed here. And then there was Babs and the way she was supportive without being hand-holding. Just... a perfect balance all around and something that feels so perfectly right to me, with the given situation, I can't imagine that this DIDN'T happen exactly like this in canon, that's how pitch-perfect it was for me. (Not actually Dick/Babs, but I'm putting it in that catagory anyway.)
- Touching Evil (USA) - Intimation by AnxietyGrrl - You know, I was thinking about this fic and the certain tone/atmosphere it has to it and thinking about the series itself and the certain tone/atomsphere Creegan and Branca have to them... that would take me probably an hour to put into words, all of the little things with them, but Amanda captures it in a 1,100+ fic so incredibly perfectly. That Branca is serious, but not an uptight bitch, that Creegan is kind of an idiot, but not dumb, that they see through each other, but they still sort of play along, that there are things stirring under the surface, that I could just SEE the entire car ride and expressions on their faces and hear their words while they're discussing how everyone in the office thinks they're fucking and it was just... Amanda really manages to hit these pitch-perfect notes with each universe she plays in that leaves me insanely jealous. (Which is why I tend to comment on that a lot. >_>) She writes stories that could slip so damn easily in between the frames of canon that sometimes it almost hurts to read them. The kind of fic that I have to scrunch up my face and go, "Did I watch that in the show or did I read it in a fic...? I can't remember now." in about three weeks from now. XD (Creegan/Branca UST.)
- Touching Evil (USA) - waffle fic by AnxietyGrrl - Have I mentioned Amanda's ability to write sparkling dialogue? I'm just... so impressed by the way she takes a concept as simple as "waffles" and turns it into this little gem of a fic that says so much about the characters and the UST between them, while still including all those little details that make them so uniquely them. These aren't just two random characters having breakfast, they're these two specific characters, right down to Creegan's numerous quirks and vaguely unnerving body language and Branca's no-nonsense, yet still human attitude. Oh, and I have to quote a large chunk just because it's so perfectly clever and in character: He turned to the pancakes instead, mushed some butter on top of them, and then began to spin the syrup carousel. He picked up one of the pitchers and held it up to the light. "What the hell is boysenberry, anyway? Have you ever seen a boysenberry?"
"They're poisonous until they're cooked, I think."
"Oh, score," he proclaimed, dousing his pancakes. "The fugu of breakfast toppings. Living on the edge." Another one of those "Wait, was that the show or fic again, I can't remember...." stories. (Creegan/Branca UST.)
- Touching Evil (USA) - changes are no good by daygloparker - I don't read too terribly much Touching Evil fic and I suppose I really only started tonight because Amanda got me started on hers and yet... occasionally, I find it fun, especially when there's genuinely good fic. This is another one that somehow captures the feeling of the series and the dynamic of these characters, especially with the narrative style that's not overly decorated, but still paints a clear picture in my head. Actually, I really like the tone to the narration because it seemed to fit Branca--no-nonsense, but not unattractive or dull/lacking. Plus, the chemistry between them was lovely, nearly a tangible thing, and the sex in the bathroom is something I might not have believed of the characters, but the way it played out here? It flowed so seamlessly that I could see it, I could believe it, that this is how it could go once they finally got there. Lovely, lovely fic. (Creegan/Branca, slight R-rated content.)
- Harry Potter - The Pants by sprky007 - Sometimes I swear my attention span is only long enough with HP for short little stories like this, but when I find them, they're wonderful little bite-sized stories and this one has just... truly sparkling dialogue and perfect characterization. Funny and really fitting with both Sirius and Remus, but not going overboard and into fanon stereotypes, you know? And. You know. Hooray for Remus in leather pants! \o/ (Some light Remus/Sirius.)
*counts* 27 in total. Not my record for one day, but not bad, either. ....that's so sad.
Series:
Prince of Tennis - 1 Fanart
One Piece - 1 Fanart
Full Metal Alchemist - 5 Fanart
Full Metal Alchemist/Naruto - 1 Fanart
Death Note - 1 Fanart
Cowboy Bebop - 1 Fanart
Mirage of Blaze/Ai no Kusabi - 1 Fanart
Eyeshield 21 - 5 Fanart
Mirage of Blaze - 1 Fanfic
One Piece - 3 Fanfics
Gravitation - 2 Fanfics
JLA/Nightwing - 1 Fanfic
Touching Evil (USA) - 3 Fanfics
Harry Potter - 1 Fanfic
- Prince of Tennis - Magma [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I am rec'ing this site for two reasons--really pretty Niou illustrations and a couple of adorable Bane-chan/Davide illustrations; the artist really does do great lines with her characters, very detailed and sharp, with really good colors. She's the kind that puts a lot of detail into the hair and eyes, combining it with a solid sense for proportions, so that it really looks like they could have stepped out of a manga. But, really, you're going here for the prettypretty Niou. ....oh, and that really hot one of Sanada and Yanagi. XD (Some Niou/Yagyuu, some other shounen ai, Rikkai-friendly, Rokkaku-friendly.)
- One Piece - KKD [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I admit, the characters' hips can be a little off with this artist, but the rest of the illustrations--right down to the clothes and the poses--are so fantastically done, so keeping with the FEEL of One Piece that I just fell in love. Mostly the artist does Robin--who looks FANATASTIC, she's got some of the most fantastically drawn costumes the artist puts her in--but occasionally does the main cast and some of the other characters, too. There was a really great Smoker illustration, there was a fantastic illustration of Kuragara and Norland that just made me wibble all over the place, and all in all... it was one of those sites that drew the characters in such a way that it reminded me of the One Piece series (the artist has really good coloring, too, very well shaded and detailed)... and I keep harping on that because... I mean, it's not a perfect replication, it's a bit more CG-ish in style, but... it felt like each piece of the background detail was thought out, I guess? Plus, dude, Robin fanart that's REALLY PRETTY. How could I not love? XD (Some Robin/Crocodile, some gen.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This site? FUNNIEST THING EVER. I kept hitting reload to watch the little animations because... well, some of them are just sort of cute; adorable little sprites riding on the train or working at their desks or whatever. But occasionally... one will come along that'll have me literally laughing so hard I get a headache. #15 and #16 in succession are the FUNNIEST THINGS EVER. It's been at least three minutes since I watched it and I'm still laughing. #13 and #20 in succession are pretty damn funny, too. I cannot say anything more than that, because they'll ruin the jokes, but... oh! And #14 had me giggling madly, too. And #30. Oh, hell, they were all pretty great. XD (No real warnings/pairings, I wouldn't say. Maybe a little RoyAi, but.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - One of the first things I noticed about this site is that the artist is REALLY GOOD at CG coloring and inking, to the point some of these illustrations look almost on part with the animation itself. The artist's Ed is especially fantastic looking, you can tell she really draws him SO WELL... there's this one of Ed with the most heartbreaking look on his face and tear tracks running down that's just... it's gorgeous. But the site also has its lighter moments--it's just SO MUCH FUN when he's being annoyed at Roy. Whether because he found Roy's little black book or whether it's because it's Dr. Roy sparkling at an annoyed Ed, it's just... fun. Besides, who couldn't love a site with Doctor Roy?? XD XD XD (Some Roy/Ed, some gen.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Chaos Hearts [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This artist starts out rather shakey and has trouble getting going, but... hell, I had to rec the site just for the INCREDIBLY CUTE chibi neko Ed which was just... EEE OMG SO CUTE EEEEEE I WANNA CUDDLE HIM GIIIIIIVE! XD And the artist does get progressively better, slowly tightening up her art and have some really wonderful illustrations. There are a couple of Roy/Ed ones that practically just shimmer from the colors and softened effects the artist must use and I love it when artists can do that without going too overboard. (There's one of them at sunset, Roy chewing on a piece of Ed's hair, that I just... my Roy/Ed fangirl wibbles over it. ♥) And then there's the usual type of Ed fighting or Roy and Ed with their foreheads pressed together or group illustrations or Ed posing that round the site out and make it worth visiting. (Some Roy/Ed, some gen.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Ohhh, this site is going to be difficult to describe why I like it, why the artist's style works for me, without sounding rather generic. It's just... there's a certain way the artist draws the characters sometimes, something about the way her lines look, that just sorta does it for me. Not in all of them, but you can see it when Roy's got ahold of Ed by the chained collar around his throat (Ufufufufufu, you know how much I loved that one, right? >D) or when Ed's grabbing his watch in the 'Don't Forget' illustration, that just looks... almost sort of elegant. It reminds me of a certain style of doujinshi and it just... it works so well for this artist. Also? As part of one of those theme things, the artist drew an illustration of Lust and Ed that's just absolutely gorgeous and I can't seem to stop staring at it because it's just the right feeling of eerie and traumatizing and pretty that the series itself has. And definitely be sure to check out the oekaki because that style I'm going on about is present there as well and looks awesome. I am utterly taken with the artist's Lust, I really am. *__* So much love for this site. (A lot of gen, and I am only barely putting this in the Roy/Ed catagory because it's rare on the site and really could be almost gen most times.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Better Half [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - The artist here has a certain style to her art that's hard to describe, other than that it has very smooth edges and while I don't always like it, I found that this artist was good enough that I was really quite impressed with her art. It's very CG-painting-ish, but she has such a strong sense for details that it works. And, really, I knew I was going to be won over when there was an illustration of Roy in black leather pants and an open vest and a tie and nothing else. *lusts after* Or the one where Roy's biting his tie and his shirt seemingly has a button missing and he could not be the personification of sex more than he is in that image. ^_~ The artist is really great at colors and her art gets better and better as she goes along. ....also, Roy should not be that cute hiding inside a giant cat costume. >_> (Roy/Ed, one non-work-safe illustration so far.)
- Full Metal Alchemist/Naruto - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I feel like I've seen this site before, but I can't find it in my recs, so I'm going to assume that I haven't rec'd it yet. (Aha, I've been to this part of the site before, but not for the FMA stuff.) This artist is just... she's incredible at drawing the characters in the style of the manga... which isn't necessarily my favorite style, but she makes it look really good here. Her Ed - Al illustrations are just SO ADORABLE and SO CUTE, just so perfectly cute with the way the Elric brothers were when they were younger. I'm not sure if it's meant to be Elriccest or what, but I'm going to assume it's not, but stick it into the section anyway. I also find that I really kinda like her Roy/Ed, she does a great job capturing the spirit/feel of the characters, I guess. Plus, there's a TON of art. *twirls* As for the Naruto stuff, she really does a FUN job with the Naruto characters, capturing the sense of... shounen I guess, rather than prettyboy-ifying them, even when they're in 'pretty' situtations. I guess... if you like the style of the manga for each series, you'll probably like this fanartist. (Some gen-Al-Ed, some Roy/Ed, a LOT of gen, and SasuNaru.)
- Death Note - SODAPOP [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I could have sworn I'd have rec'd this site before, but I can't find it, either. It's also another site that I'll have a tough time explaining why I like it, but I find myself intrigued by the illustrations, especially the lovely blue-ish one of of L carrying a (rather detailed) sword with straps still wound around it because it just... somehow FITS with the character and is really kind of cool. And that's really the gist of all the illustrations here--they're some concept or other or something beautifully colored that looks like a watercolor painting for the series and uses the style to great effect. One of my favorites is a mostly blue/purple illustration of Raito and Ryuuku that winds up looking so vibrant for the splashes of warmer colors in it. Or the one of L standing in a crowd of faded or blurry people, standing out with this intense expression. Also? The junk/oekaki illustrations are nice. (A little L/Raito, a lot of gen.)
- Cowboy Bebop - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I don't go searching for Cowboy Bebop stuff much simply because I'm not well-acquainted with the series enough to really get the impact of a lot of the art, you know? (I keep meaning to watch it... but given that I've been saying that for about three years now.... >_>) But I knew I had to rec this site from the moment I saw the current top illustration of a sleeping Spike because it was just... the lines were so gorgeous and despite knowing little about the series, it really FELT right to me, the style and tone of the illustration. And that's what this gallery felt like to me, too--despite the art being rather simplistic or sketchy many times, it still somehow fit the beautiful art style of the series. Don't ask me how, I just know I like the art. XD (No warnings/pairings.)
- Mirage of Blaze/Ai no Kusabi - Cyclone [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I stumbled over this site completely randomly, while I was looking for Eyeshield 21 art of all things--and, yeah, there's a really GOOD illustration in the JUMP gallery, the real treasure of this site is in the Mirage of Blaze section. And that there's AI NO KUSABI FANART. I'm still shocked. Anyway. Her Mirage of Blaze art alternates between cutesy and these OMG STUNNING illustrations--there's one early on of Kagetora that just... GUH. SO HOT. I mean, the simpler art is really adorable and fun to look at, but when she moves towards the more delicate lines... she draws beautifully. Plus, I'd love any artist who had Naoe presenting a birthday cake to a Takaya with a chain around his neck, no pants under his white shirt, and looking REALLY CRANKY. XD XD XD The Ai no Kusabi art is sort of a mixture between the two, but... there's this gorgeous one of Katze that even I had to go *__* over. And, last, but entirely not least... there are icons on the site. ADORABLE ICONS. Plusing one of shirtless!Naoe slinging yukata!Takaya over his shoulder. I want that one so bad. ....though, I also want the one of them in coats. And the Iason/Riki icon! *twirls* So, so much love for this site. ♥ (Some Naoe/Takaya, a little Iason/Riki, but that's given.)
- Eyeshield 21 - HALmonia [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This was one of the first Eyeshield 21 sites that I happened to stumble over and it definitely softened me up on the idea of Hiruma/Sena because the artist did these really great sketch-like line art illustrations that she softened up so they looked really pretty and... mm, romantic isn't the word I'm looking for, but something like it. And she really does have terrific lineart, a great sense for proportions with some of her early sketches... and, okay, I was won over by the pretty b&w comic towards the very bottom. Not all of her oekaki art does it for me, but just enough of it did that I had to rec the site. ♥ (Hiruma/Shin.)
- Eyeshield 21 - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I must have spend about 45 minutes floating around various sites to find this one again, because I kept seeing it when I was looking for Naruto art and always wondered who the guys were on the top illustration. And now that I've read Eyeshield 21, I get it. The art is really quite pretty here, the artist has such a fantastic sense for colors and such a solid style with her lineart that her Shin is utterly gorgeous. Her Shin in the knight's oufit? OMG SO BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN. I'm not sure I quite agree on the characterization, but I can't fault her beautiful illustrations that make me go *__*. (Sakuraba/Shin. Yeah. In that order.)
- Eyeshield 21 - gouten [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I'd been sort of waffling back and forth on the idea of Hiruma/Sena up until this point, because... yeah, I know, it seemed like yaoi for the sake of finding it anywhere in the series... but then I hit this site and it's just... okay, Sena's a little smaller than he maybe should be sometimes, but the artist so beautifully captures what I would want out of the pairing that I was just completely and utterly won over. I LOVE the art here because you can just tell how batshit insane Hiruma is, how put-upon Sena is, and the style actually really vibes well with the manga. The way the artist does a sort of sketchy quality to the illustrations reminds me of the vibe of the original manga and her poses/concepts are fantastic. Just... this is the kind of site that convinced me. There were SO MANY illustrations that I could have pointed out that were just fantastic, but the ones of Hiruma yanking Sena close while they slept or just layed down... bwahahaha, PERFECT. Oh? And? The one where Keroberos is about to rip Sena to shreds while Hiruma is annoyed on the couch (because Sena is crashing into him)? GENIUS. ....I am inocherent with the love for this site. ♥ ♥ ♥ (Hiruma/Sena.)
- Eyeshield 21 - Room 121 [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This is one of those sites that's just... it's solid and there were just enough illustrations on it that I found I really kind of liked it. Part of it is that the artist's Hiruma is really solid, she uses that slightly sketch-like quality that really WORKS with this manga, but part of it is that her Hiruma/Sena is that... odd combination between cute and hysterical that these two really ought to have. Just... fun, you know? XD (Hiruma/Sena.)
- Eyeshield 21 - S*SPECTRE [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I think I've rec'd this site before for the Zoro/Sanji fanart, but now I'm putting it into the Eyeshield 21 section as well~ I wound up just being so damned impressed by this site because the artist is really good--her lines are fantastic, her colors are fantastic, her inking is totally fantastic, and some of them look just absolutely top-notch. The group illustration of everyone out in the field, Sena with a four-leaf clover, Hiruma with his big-ass gun and evil grin, Mamori with the flowers in her hair, the players frolicing in the background... it was all such beautiful batshit behavior and so PRETTY that I fell in love. Also, the ones of Shin and Sakuraba were beautifully drawn as well and just... yeah, all around great art. I had much fun. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Mirage of Blaze - A Star Fall, A Phone Call by Cerise Tennyo - I admit, I tend to be a little lost when it comes to Mirage of Blaze, because the names are SO LONG and they each have, like, a billion of them, and there's this insane amount of culture and history wrapped up in the series and all the background that is rarely revealed and just... my head swims. Yet, through all of that, one of the elements that attracts me to the series is that you can just FEEL Naoe's hurt and longing for Kagetora/Takaya and it's beautifully encaptured in this story. It never goes too far with Naoe's angst, it never beat me over the head with it (any more than the series did, mind), yet it's still consuming for him, I could practically feel my chest tighten up right along with the character. The writing is gorgeous as well, just completely bringing to mind the lush, beautiful colors and elegant animation of the anime, and just... gahhh, such a perfect fic for the series. (Slight hints of NaoexKagetora/Takaya/whatever.)
- One Piece - Day in the Life - Sanji and Day in the Life 2 - Sanji's Yaoi Special by Celeste - I'm going to put these two together, despite the first one being gen and the second being yaoi... well, really, just because it's easier for me. ^_~ But also because they're sort of the same theme and most people who enjoy one will enjoy the other. I love that these two fics sort of illustrate... both the way the Going Merry crew interacts with each other (the way Sanji can tame just about anyone with a cookie or punish them with a good, strong kick or overly spicey food--the mental image of Zoro drinking all that water cracks me up XD) and because it illustrates something I love about the One Piece story--there are all these little moments that are just so much fun and clever and heart-warming and even during the most routine day, the Going Merry crew is a fascinating bunch. The running tally of who beats more enemies, Zoro or Sanji, made me laugh so much, because that is just SO something Sanji would keep track of (hell, they'd both keep track of it XD) and the way, in the second one, Vivi and Nami liked him more now that he kissed boys, but he still got no action. Just... much love for the stories that have so many FUNNY little details. (Gen for the first, Zoro/Sanji for the second.)
- One Piece - Hidden Perceptions by Rei - This was such a treat to read one morning because it was full of those subtle little signs that I think could be the only way that Sanji and Zoro would be... well, perhaps not nice to each other, but would let any sort of positive feeling show. They never lose the bickering edge, it's still there covering up that the other is important and I adore the way it was set through Nami's eyes, the way she's perceptive enough to pick up on it, because she WOULD be the one to notice first, if things went this way, I would think. And her reaction is just spot-on, I thought, the way it slowly sort of creeps up on her, the way the characters are then filtered through her perception, all of it wonderfully subtle. (Sanji/Zoro referenced.)
- One Piece - Sand by Shadow Omega - There've been a lot of really excellent Zoro/Sanji stories lately that are so wonderfully dealing with the way the characters snipe at each other and really get on each other's nerves, yet there's still the undercurrent of being able to work together and still finding each other attractive, and it all blends together in one sharp-tongued, clever fic like this one here. I adore the characterization because it's not just the basics that anyone can get, you know? It's actually sharp and sexy for the way they don't get along, which is what wins me over every time. Zoro and Sanji on the beach and the troubles that causes because male/male sex isn't exactly easy without a lot of preperation and yet it's not such a big deal and it's got all these little details to practically make you feel the sand on your skin and the attraction between them working for that snarking attitude, even as it's genuinely annoying and... holy crap, this is a bad rec, but you should go read the fic anyway. (Zoro/Sanji, maybe R-ish rated for language?)
- Gravitation - Writing Lesson by anahita - And this was a fun little treat--sparkling, sharp dialogue, cute imagery (Shuuichi being pissed off at Suguru, done in a way that's not over the top and yet still so very Shuuichi-like) and... I adore a slightly nicer Eiri who shows that he cares in smaller ways, but never loses what makes him the mean, cranky guy he is. I also adore the way he can turn Shuuichi on--the description of a first kiss was really nice and I ♥ an Eiri who really is amused by the whole thing. Plus, the detail of the little doodle on Shuuichi's paper? For some reason that vastly, vastly amuses me. (YukixShuuichi.)
- Gravitation - The Eye of the Beholder by ChibiRisu-chan - I cry that this fic isn't finished, I really do, because it's just so... sparkling and clever. The way the author wrote Shuuichi was just... oh, I want to comment and go "Hee!" on, like, eight million things in this fic because there are so MANY of the little things that are hysterical, but I don't want to spoil them. However, I will say that the way the author roused Shuuichi's curiosity about Yuki and had him doing 'research' in the library? I adored it, because I could just picture all of this--it had that touch of meaningfulness that Yuki and Shuuichi's relationship always has, but it also perfectly captured the batshit, off-the-wall nature of the series, too. And Shuuichi's attempts at cooking? Best running gag in a fic that I've read in a long time. I actually laughed out loud at the beer cake incident. And the PIZZA. Yuki being terrorized by some of the hideous pizza Japan produces. GENIUS. It may not sound as funny when I try to describe it, but it's so beautifully in character and I just... the minute I started reading to the very end of the third chapter, I enjoyed and sparkled my way through the fic, because it was beyond just good or funny, it was genuinely clever. And, oh, what I wouldn't give for more of this story because of the way it ended. (Even if you don't usually read WIPs and this one isn't likely to be finished any time soon, I definitely recommend the story because it's good on its own. I mean... BEER CAKE. *dies* XD) (YukixShuuichi.)
- JLA/Nightwing - Fill in for JLA #69 by Amanda - Hmm. Who knows if I'm supposed to rec this or not. But, hell, she wrote it for me and I love it, so I'm totally going to pimp it out 'cause wheeeeeeeeeee! As anyone who's listened to me ramble on about comics for more than five minutes knows that I have a deep and abiding love of The Obsidian Age storyline in JLA because it was just SO GOOD and came along at a time when I was just getting back into comics and I'd desperately, desperately wanted fic on it because... dude. NIGHTWING. LEADER OF THE JLA. PICKED BY BATMAN. Fic-writer's dream, right? And Amanda capitalizes on it beautifully, the balance between scared kid in a cape stepping up to something huge and the guy who knows he's ready for this. The two conflicting sides were balanced perfectly so that I completely believed the way Dick was portrayed here. And then there was Babs and the way she was supportive without being hand-holding. Just... a perfect balance all around and something that feels so perfectly right to me, with the given situation, I can't imagine that this DIDN'T happen exactly like this in canon, that's how pitch-perfect it was for me. (Not actually Dick/Babs, but I'm putting it in that catagory anyway.)
- Touching Evil (USA) - Intimation by AnxietyGrrl - You know, I was thinking about this fic and the certain tone/atmosphere it has to it and thinking about the series itself and the certain tone/atomsphere Creegan and Branca have to them... that would take me probably an hour to put into words, all of the little things with them, but Amanda captures it in a 1,100+ fic so incredibly perfectly. That Branca is serious, but not an uptight bitch, that Creegan is kind of an idiot, but not dumb, that they see through each other, but they still sort of play along, that there are things stirring under the surface, that I could just SEE the entire car ride and expressions on their faces and hear their words while they're discussing how everyone in the office thinks they're fucking and it was just... Amanda really manages to hit these pitch-perfect notes with each universe she plays in that leaves me insanely jealous. (Which is why I tend to comment on that a lot. >_>) She writes stories that could slip so damn easily in between the frames of canon that sometimes it almost hurts to read them. The kind of fic that I have to scrunch up my face and go, "Did I watch that in the show or did I read it in a fic...? I can't remember now." in about three weeks from now. XD (Creegan/Branca UST.)
- Touching Evil (USA) - waffle fic by AnxietyGrrl - Have I mentioned Amanda's ability to write sparkling dialogue? I'm just... so impressed by the way she takes a concept as simple as "waffles" and turns it into this little gem of a fic that says so much about the characters and the UST between them, while still including all those little details that make them so uniquely them. These aren't just two random characters having breakfast, they're these two specific characters, right down to Creegan's numerous quirks and vaguely unnerving body language and Branca's no-nonsense, yet still human attitude. Oh, and I have to quote a large chunk just because it's so perfectly clever and in character: He turned to the pancakes instead, mushed some butter on top of them, and then began to spin the syrup carousel. He picked up one of the pitchers and held it up to the light. "What the hell is boysenberry, anyway? Have you ever seen a boysenberry?"
"They're poisonous until they're cooked, I think."
"Oh, score," he proclaimed, dousing his pancakes. "The fugu of breakfast toppings. Living on the edge." Another one of those "Wait, was that the show or fic again, I can't remember...." stories. (Creegan/Branca UST.)
- Touching Evil (USA) - changes are no good by daygloparker - I don't read too terribly much Touching Evil fic and I suppose I really only started tonight because Amanda got me started on hers and yet... occasionally, I find it fun, especially when there's genuinely good fic. This is another one that somehow captures the feeling of the series and the dynamic of these characters, especially with the narrative style that's not overly decorated, but still paints a clear picture in my head. Actually, I really like the tone to the narration because it seemed to fit Branca--no-nonsense, but not unattractive or dull/lacking. Plus, the chemistry between them was lovely, nearly a tangible thing, and the sex in the bathroom is something I might not have believed of the characters, but the way it played out here? It flowed so seamlessly that I could see it, I could believe it, that this is how it could go once they finally got there. Lovely, lovely fic. (Creegan/Branca, slight R-rated content.)
- Harry Potter - The Pants by sprky007 - Sometimes I swear my attention span is only long enough with HP for short little stories like this, but when I find them, they're wonderful little bite-sized stories and this one has just... truly sparkling dialogue and perfect characterization. Funny and really fitting with both Sirius and Remus, but not going overboard and into fanon stereotypes, you know? And. You know. Hooray for Remus in leather pants! \o/ (Some light Remus/Sirius.)