[ Alias, FFVII, FFVII, KH, DNAngel, Naruto, OP, Host Club, JungleGuu, Saiyuki ]
Notes/Babbling: At some point, I'm going to make a list of shiny doujinshi posts from various communities because these things are hugely entertaining to me. Especially when there's Sephiroth/Zack doujinshi and there's kissing and gropage and the characters being all hot and stuff.
Series:
Alias - 1 Fanfic
Final Fantasy VIII - 1 Fanfic
Kingdom Hearts/DNAngel - 1 Fanfic
Kingdom Hearts - 1 Fanfic
Naruto - 1 Fanfic
One Piece - 1 Fanfic
Ouran Koukou Host Club - 8 Fanfics
Prince of Tennis - 1 Fanfic
Multiple Series - 1 AMV
Final Fantasy VII - 2 AMVs
Final Fantasy VIII - 2 AMVs
Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu - 1 AMV
Ouran Koukou Host Club - 5 AMVs
Saiyuki - 1 AMV
- Alias - Somewhere Only We Know by SpyKate - [Note: There are SPOILERS for the Alias series finale in this fic.] Ever since I watched the Alias finale, part of me has steadfastly refused to believe that it ended exactly like that. Partly because of denial, but partly because it's entirely plausible that some parts of Jack could have landed into the Rambaldi goo and then things would have gone just like this. This is that story I was desperately hoping to find, the one that would lend just enough credence to my denial, but also be a genuinely good story. The tension/lust/everything else between Jack and Irina is fabulous here, you can feel how much hate and lust is there, how deep the history goes between them. They're these incredibly large, intense characters and that comes through really well. The ending also had my heart just aching for the characters, especially because it felt somehow so... Alias in that way that was bittersweet but sort of positive. And while I'll probably still keep looking for resurrection fics, this fic... satisfied something in me that I desperately needed. It fit together with the series in exactly the way I was looking for, it packed the emotional punch that it needed. I loved this fic a lot. (Jack/Irina.)
- Final Fantasy VIII - The Philosophy of Movement and Analysis of Touch or, G-String Night at Joystix (2) by Renay - [Note: This is the second chapter of a fic that starts here.] Okay. Normally, I don't do high school AUs. If I want high school fic, I'll go read/watch a high school series and read fic for that fandom. Much less high school fic where it's a complete AU of the series. But. But. This series. It's got this great, sharp dialogue and Zell is such a... such a... such a firecracker in it and Seifer is smug and condescending and prickly and there's all these dark edges to him even as you want to hug him. Somehow it keeps the spirit of the game/characters and makes them still sparkle. I mean, a month ago, I would have balked at the idea of reading Laguna as a teacher, Seifer and Zell in his class. Or Seifer being adopted by Cid and Edea and going to a new high school. Or a dozen other little things. But. It just. I don't quite know how to say it. It's more than just that it keeps the feel of the series. It's that it's... clever. I'll read just about anything for clever dialogue and this fic shines with it.
And, sure, it helps that Renay's writing always has that quality where I can read almost 6,000 words of it and it feels like I just barely got started, because time flies when I read it, but. Again. More than that. It's more than that the Seifer/Zell scenes shine or that the pacing of the piece is fantastic, that the story is taking its time to set the world up, but without dragging or unnecessarily padding everything with pointless scene-stretching details. All the little things added into the writing help further flesh out the storyline. It's all of these things combined together, I think. ....okay and a lot the Seifer/Zell, shut up, I like them. (Seifer/Zell... sort of. It's kinda gen. Right now. But.)
- Kingdom Hearts/DNAngel - untitled by Meg - The second set of Meg's fic request meme and there are two KH/DNAngel ficlets here, so I figured I'd just recommend it this way. It's just. Kingdom Hearts. DNAngel. I didn't realize how much I wanted them to go together until Meg wrote them, until I saw how well they fit together. The second one is especially great. I just. Oh, god, I love Dark. Love him so much. This should totally be a full-fledged crossover. *beams* (No warnings/pairings.)
- Kingdom Hearts - The Creeps by kunoichi_life - [Note: There will be some spoilers for KHII in this fic.] Dian linked me to this fic tonight, mentioning that the ending had really creeped her out, so I was curious to read it. It's not a very long fic, but somehow the pacing feels exactly right so it's still really satisfying. The fic is... it's something more than just that it's well written, it's also that the tone manages to fit the KHverse. In the beginning it's light-hearted and adorable (the way the three of them sleep in the same bed like that is perfect), in the middle there's some emotional heart-tugging, and then the end... is quietly, subtly creepy even when things are happy again. The fic is an enjoyable read (especially Sora and the cat at night, so cute!) but it's the ending that really makes it worthwhile. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Naruto - Hush by Luc Court - ShikaTema is one of those pairings that I can see it canon, but it holds little interest for me in fic that I never bother to read it. But when a particularily favored author of mine writes it... well, what the hell, I said to myself. I can at least give it a shot. Were Shikamaru/Temari to be a pairing that I shipped actively, I imagine it would be something very like this, the way it's subtle and complicated while being so... straightforward and uncomplicated at the same time. This piece relies a lot on imagery and that's what made me like it so much, there are dozens of different little images to pop up in your head or turns of phrase to prettily describe the scenery, yet still retaining something of Kishimoto's style. And, quite simply, they work in this fic. (Shikamaru/Temari.)
- One Piece - My Fuckwit Valentine by _paperpencil - This fic is... it's so odd and I don't know what the hell to make of it half the time. But the other half of the time, I'm either going, "Awww, they're so cute when they're retarded and in love!" or "HAHAHAHAHAHA, OMG, THAT'S GREAT." or even "HELL YES." It's just. It's humorous and WTF-ish without being charicatures of the cast, it's completely off the wall and batshit, but in that way that I actually like, rather than just cracked out stereotypical characterization. ....which makes sense in my head, shut up. But it's also that the author took her time actually developing the storyline, it actually unfolds scene by scene as Zoro tries to figure what the hell is going on. And the ending is just. HARTS. Nami is especially awesome in this fic and I love how manipulative she is, but that even she has her girly weaknesses and the Zoro/Sanji is kinda really hot and just... it was fun and enjoyable. (Zoro/Sanji... ...a little Everyone/Sanji. >_>a)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Revolutionary Étude by trixie - This was a sweet little piece... well, maybe not 'sweet', it's difficult for Kyouya to be sweet, even around Tamaki. Which is sort of the point of the fic, that Kyouya is distracted by Tamaki, just a little, but that's still legions more than the rest of the world. And he... likes Tamaki, maybe it could be just friendship or interest or maybe it could be something more, which fits well with how I see the characters. And Tamaki is so... he's not dumb, but, no, he doesn't really stop to think/listen, he just dashes off again and again, boundless enthusiasm, but that's part of what Kyouya is fond of. Which all comes through very nicely in this fic without using the dumbstick to beat it into our heads. (Kyouya/Tamaki.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Back to Nature by Celeste - I think Celeste is definitely starting to hit her stride with this series, the way the characters go "camping" is just... it's brilliant and perfect and would totally happen just like that. I could picture it, all of the characters and their batshit antics and Haruhi being all, "....." But what really sold me on this fic was, omg, Mori. Mori was just. asldaolksfl;askj, hahahahahaha, oh, my god, that killed me with laughter. He would. He so would. And it would end up just like that. Just like that. Just. So much fun. <3 (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Girls by artemisgirl - This is a different take on Mori's character than the one I usually see, it verges a little too much on something like jaded for my usual taste, but... something about this fic made it kinda work. He's not angry, he's just... quiet and insightful. He notices things. And then he notices Haruhi and the fic has this really pretty, well-written way of getting at what attracts me to the Mori/Haruhi pairing, the way it's quiet but something very real there, some quiet connection (which is badly phrased on my part, it's not an all-consuming love affair right from the beginning and this fic doesn't try to force it into that, it manages that same level of connection the manga has) and it's just... sweet. Nice. (Not necessarily Mori/Haruhi, but you could read it that way if you liked.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Between by chaineddove - I admit, I tend to view the Kaoru/Hikaru relationship a little differently than this author, I feel that Hikaru is the one who holds on tighly and Kaoru the one takes the first steps towards growing up, but... at the same time, I can't really argue with the fic because it's written well with the scenes from the series and the case presented in the fic is really well-done. The writing itself is lovely, the way the twins are in their own little world even as they interact with everyone else, the way Haruhi just sort of carelessly crashed into their world, the way I could feel the heartache from Kaoru... who is one of my favorite characters from the series, actually, so to have his emotions shine through in this fic for me was a treat. It's a lovely story about the twins as children, about them growing up, and about the way things slowly start to change. And one of the best things is that I can completely imagine all the antics they got up to, every example that the author used to illustrate the different stages of their lives (which were really effect as well!) were ones I could completely imagine having happened in their past. (Kaoru/Hikaru, Hikaru/Haruhi, not quite safe for work.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Ordinary Day by chaineddove - I've probably mentioned, y'know, a time or two that I have a great fondness for the twins. They're such utter little shits sometimes and it would not have been any different when they were children, so a fic about them getting into antics and driving their nannies mad when they're five years old? Well, I hopped right on over to read. And they're the kind of characters that I can absolutely believe would behave just like this, who would drive their nannies to madness just like this. And, yet, god, they're still so damn cute. The writing for this was just delightful. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - A Give and Take Affair by S.B. Kisses - I admit, I'm probably softer on this fic because it's Kyouya/Haruhi and I like that pairing, I have such the tremendous soft spot for it. So, the idea of them in a private park on a quiet picnic, the only sounds the business section of the paper as Kyouya reads... it makes me happy. The implications of more also appeal to me. I might have wished there were a little more of the reason why Kyouya liked Haruhi in this fic, but... I didn't really find it a detraction here. The writing is lovely and the imagery cute and I already know why I think they work well together or simply felt the chemistry between them. I honestly enjoyed this read and that's about all I ever ask out of fic. XD (Kyouya/Haruhi.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - When Zeus split the human being by Experimental - This morning seems to be by morning for finding Host Club fic that I like and this one was... it's nice when fic can actually work in a lot of references to classical works or notes of culture, especially in a series that's already so steeped with casual references as part of the background. Yet, it doesn't take the focus away from the characters or the story, it sets the stage for the real point of the story, the closeness of the twins and how they're so intertwined that they're as close as they can be without sharing a body. But it's nice to have those details, the references to philosophers and history, to have them in the middle of a new themed week that could actually totally happen. And the characterization is lovely, surprisingly subtle in all the right places, and an ending that resonates with me, it feels right, the way they look at Haruhi and her entrance into their lives. A really, really lovely Kaoru perspective as well, especially since, for half of the fic, I wasn't sure if it was just one twin or set from a first person perspective from both of them. That's kinda cool. (Implications of Kaoru/Hikaru and Kaoru/Hikaru/Haruhi if you want to see them, about on the level of the series itself.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Creative Management by May Flyer - I'm always wary when I click on Kyouya/Tamaki fic links, I love them so much, but they have such a difficult time in a lot of author's hands. And I wasn't sure what I would get out of this fic. It started out all right and then... I just... somewhere, right in the middle of their intruder's entrance, the fic turned brilliant. I had to press a hand against my lips to keep from laughing out loud in that way maniacs tend to laugh, I still stifled giggles the whole way through, and I was just... charmed by how beautiful Tamaki's inner dialogue was. It's perfect for the character, just over the top enough for Tamaki's way of thinking/speaking, mixed together with that slight edge of parody that's so wonderful about the Host Club series and... yes. Yes. This is what more Kyouya/Tamaki fic should be like. Fabulous. And effective at exactly what it was going for. ♥ (Kyouya/Tamaki.)
- Prince of Tennis - Solitude by Maaya - Lately, I, too, have felt... mm, disillusioned with the Tenipuri fandom. Well, it's not "lately" so much as for "the last year or two". But every so often an author will come along that I trust or that gets my curiosity up again and they'll come out with a piece like this, that's made up of subtle implications and something a little like whimsy, but more subdued than that. Even when not much happens, even when Tezuka and Fuji are simply around each other, Fuji's attention caught by this boy who isn't like the others, it's a lovely fic. The author writes well and the characterization is very nice, especially for Fuji. And Tezuka. ....shut up, I like them both, okay? (Tezuka/Fuji.)
- Multiple Anime series AMV - Fangirl Mambo ((Fangirl Service Tribute)) - There are a couple of things that this video did right in my eyes: There was a fun, upbeat song that I actually enjoyed listening to (even if it's sort of like the equivalent of music junk food, it's still fun to listen to) and the rapid-fire pace of the clips was kept up through the entire thing. When AMVs linger too long, I get bored and wander off, but this one pretty much never let my attention stray. The clip choices were amusing, there's a ton of pretty boys and, okay, I laughed when I got the joke about the specific choices they made during the song. All in all, it's just really well put together.
- Final Fantasy VII AMV - Sephiroth As Tarzan, Cloud As Jane - There is something about me that enjoys the off-the-wall AMVs probably even more than the serious ones. I mean. Tarzan!Sephiroth? Jane!Cloud? I clicked that sucker as fast as I could. Then promptly spent the entire video laughing my ass off and going, "Dude, that would have made the Tarzan world, like, a BILLION TIMES BETTER! I WANT THAT now!" The video is just. It's somehow timed beautifully so that it's great, the concept is beautiful in that cracktastic way, and I just... oh, I love it. It fills me with glee.
- Final Fantasy VII AMV - Imaginary - There's something entirely appropriate about an Evanescence song used for Sephiroth and Cloud, all the overly dramatic, dark, but still so beautiful and sweeping music, the kind that... okay, yeah, as much as I like lighter stuff sometimes, I also like videos like this that totally play on the angst of the relationship. The video is well done, the fight scenes are used really, really well, it gets across Cloud's emotions nicely and makes me love the character even more than I did before. Not just as half of a pair, but that I love Cloud by himself.
- Final Fantasy VIII AMV - FFVIII AMV - One of the perils of poking around for FF AMVs is that the same footage is used over and over and over again, so it has to take a little something extra to get your attention with AMVs after awhile. But there's something about the way these clips are strung together to make a trailer for the game that's just really kinda neat. The music is well chosen, the clips match the tempo of the song, it's actually enticing without giving away too many spoilers, it's just... well-done. I liked it a lot.
- Final Fantasy VIII AMV - Listen to Your Heart - This song is one of those that I really wanted to see a FFVIII music video for, especially a Squall/Rinoa one because it just... felt like a song that would fit the couple. The artist of this AMV does a lovely job with it, too, the clips feel a little fresh again, the choices to match to the lyrics were good, and the whole thing just... okay. I know I'm a dippy Squall/Rinoa fangirl. But this is the kind of AMV that totally plays into that, it celebrates how much they love each other, how desperately they fell in love with each other, it fits the tone of the relationship. Which is exactly what I wanted. Also, that final scene where Squall smiles at her from the end of the game? The real smile that he finally was able to give her? Makes me melt into a giant pile of goo every time.
- Jungle wa Itsumi Hale Nochi Guu AMV - Hale's Mom - There is something about this AMV that's just quietly brilliantly done. I've watched it about six times now and every time it just gets a little better, the clip choices fantastic, both in terms of 'context' and for how they matched the beat. I keep watching over and over, because every time Guu does a little dance or 'sings' part of the lyrics, her expression just... matches perfectly. Because part of me can totally imagine her singing this about Weda-chan (who indeed does have it goin' on in this video XD) just to freak out Hale. And the ending? Just as awesome as the rest.
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Tamaki Feels Pretty - One of the interesting things about not watching the Host Club anime is that the footage is almost always new to me or not overwhelmed with the original context, so when I watch an AMV like this, it's even more neat. And just. Hahahahaha, brilliant song choice for Tamaki, some great clips (it occasionally falters, but there are other times where it's just perfect, so it all balances out), and overall it's FUN and NEAT, just like you'd want a Host Club AMV to be. Especially great because I can totally see Tamaki singing this and, you know, I went <3 <3 <3 a lot at the ending. ♥
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Tamaki and Haruhi's Flying Car Dilemma - So, you wouldn't think that conversation from the Clerks movie, the one about the flying car, would be a good fit with a series like Host Club, but this was kind of awesome. The lip synching is really solid and the expressions/body language fit well with the tone of the voices, so you can almost imagine they actually are having this conversation. But it's the little touches that really make the video, the little pictures of cars or the world that they insert at the right time so that I ended up having to very, very carefully not roll around on the floor in fits of laughter.
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Host Club Boom Boom - This is one of those AMVs that had a few moments where it wasn't perfect, but the rest of it was somehow just beautiful. A little bit crack parody, a little bit seriousness, just like the mix of a Host Club AMV should be. It's upbeat, it's fun, it's got some great lip synching moments, certain moments in the video are fantastic, it uses the broad, sweeping clips of the series really well, the credits usage to match the beat of the song is fantastic, and it makes me fall in love with every single character all over again. It's one of those that's a great blend of song choice and artist's execution of the concept, the kind that pumps me up for the series all over again. Just. Just. Flailing and love, man.
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Honey's True Nature - .....LOL. I have a great love of Hunny's true nature (I love that he totally eggs the rest of the club on through cute antics, that he's totally not serious half of the time) and so this AMV came along at just the right time, in just the right way that it made me laugh like a loon. The clip/song choices are great, especially contrasted against each other as they are. It's just. Oh, god. So funny. When the second song kicks in and Hunny goes into his dark mood, it's just brilliant. The image of Hunny "singing" those lyrics... asd;ljalsd;fjals, hahahahahaha *rolls around*
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Boys and Girls - There's just something about Host Club that goes so well with Aqua music, which is totally making my morning here because I love Aqua music. (To probably a bizarre degree.) This is a really solid AMV, it's got a few of those quiet little moments that make me squee, like Mori/Haruhi scenes during the "I think you could use a little smile" lyrics, which is just totally appropriate. Or tons of Tamaki being dramatic during the more fast-paced parts of the songs, lots of uses of the sparklies and roses in the animation and it's just... really fun.
- Saiyuki AMV - Witch Doctor - Okay, usually I dislike AMVs that are only made up of image slide shows, I'd rather have animation if I'm watching a music video, but... I dunno. There's something about the promise of Saiyuki plus Witch Doctor that struck me as particularily funny. And the AMV is actually pretty amusing, there's a TON of Hakkai images cycled through at a rapid pace to match the beat and it's just... I dunno. Saiyuki and Witch Doctor. It makes me laugh and I honestly enjoyed this. And, okay. I totally LOL'd at the ending. Perfect.
GOAL: 921/1200
Series:
Alias - 1 Fanfic
Final Fantasy VIII - 1 Fanfic
Kingdom Hearts/DNAngel - 1 Fanfic
Kingdom Hearts - 1 Fanfic
Naruto - 1 Fanfic
One Piece - 1 Fanfic
Ouran Koukou Host Club - 8 Fanfics
Prince of Tennis - 1 Fanfic
Multiple Series - 1 AMV
Final Fantasy VII - 2 AMVs
Final Fantasy VIII - 2 AMVs
Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu - 1 AMV
Ouran Koukou Host Club - 5 AMVs
Saiyuki - 1 AMV
- Alias - Somewhere Only We Know by SpyKate - [Note: There are SPOILERS for the Alias series finale in this fic.] Ever since I watched the Alias finale, part of me has steadfastly refused to believe that it ended exactly like that. Partly because of denial, but partly because it's entirely plausible that some parts of Jack could have landed into the Rambaldi goo and then things would have gone just like this. This is that story I was desperately hoping to find, the one that would lend just enough credence to my denial, but also be a genuinely good story. The tension/lust/everything else between Jack and Irina is fabulous here, you can feel how much hate and lust is there, how deep the history goes between them. They're these incredibly large, intense characters and that comes through really well. The ending also had my heart just aching for the characters, especially because it felt somehow so... Alias in that way that was bittersweet but sort of positive. And while I'll probably still keep looking for resurrection fics, this fic... satisfied something in me that I desperately needed. It fit together with the series in exactly the way I was looking for, it packed the emotional punch that it needed. I loved this fic a lot. (Jack/Irina.)
- Final Fantasy VIII - The Philosophy of Movement and Analysis of Touch or, G-String Night at Joystix (2) by Renay - [Note: This is the second chapter of a fic that starts here.] Okay. Normally, I don't do high school AUs. If I want high school fic, I'll go read/watch a high school series and read fic for that fandom. Much less high school fic where it's a complete AU of the series. But. But. This series. It's got this great, sharp dialogue and Zell is such a... such a... such a firecracker in it and Seifer is smug and condescending and prickly and there's all these dark edges to him even as you want to hug him. Somehow it keeps the spirit of the game/characters and makes them still sparkle. I mean, a month ago, I would have balked at the idea of reading Laguna as a teacher, Seifer and Zell in his class. Or Seifer being adopted by Cid and Edea and going to a new high school. Or a dozen other little things. But. It just. I don't quite know how to say it. It's more than just that it keeps the feel of the series. It's that it's... clever. I'll read just about anything for clever dialogue and this fic shines with it.
And, sure, it helps that Renay's writing always has that quality where I can read almost 6,000 words of it and it feels like I just barely got started, because time flies when I read it, but. Again. More than that. It's more than that the Seifer/Zell scenes shine or that the pacing of the piece is fantastic, that the story is taking its time to set the world up, but without dragging or unnecessarily padding everything with pointless scene-stretching details. All the little things added into the writing help further flesh out the storyline. It's all of these things combined together, I think. ....okay and a lot the Seifer/Zell, shut up, I like them. (Seifer/Zell... sort of. It's kinda gen. Right now. But.)
- Kingdom Hearts/DNAngel - untitled by Meg - The second set of Meg's fic request meme and there are two KH/DNAngel ficlets here, so I figured I'd just recommend it this way. It's just. Kingdom Hearts. DNAngel. I didn't realize how much I wanted them to go together until Meg wrote them, until I saw how well they fit together. The second one is especially great. I just. Oh, god, I love Dark. Love him so much. This should totally be a full-fledged crossover. *beams* (No warnings/pairings.)
- Kingdom Hearts - The Creeps by kunoichi_life - [Note: There will be some spoilers for KHII in this fic.] Dian linked me to this fic tonight, mentioning that the ending had really creeped her out, so I was curious to read it. It's not a very long fic, but somehow the pacing feels exactly right so it's still really satisfying. The fic is... it's something more than just that it's well written, it's also that the tone manages to fit the KHverse. In the beginning it's light-hearted and adorable (the way the three of them sleep in the same bed like that is perfect), in the middle there's some emotional heart-tugging, and then the end... is quietly, subtly creepy even when things are happy again. The fic is an enjoyable read (especially Sora and the cat at night, so cute!) but it's the ending that really makes it worthwhile. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Naruto - Hush by Luc Court - ShikaTema is one of those pairings that I can see it canon, but it holds little interest for me in fic that I never bother to read it. But when a particularily favored author of mine writes it... well, what the hell, I said to myself. I can at least give it a shot. Were Shikamaru/Temari to be a pairing that I shipped actively, I imagine it would be something very like this, the way it's subtle and complicated while being so... straightforward and uncomplicated at the same time. This piece relies a lot on imagery and that's what made me like it so much, there are dozens of different little images to pop up in your head or turns of phrase to prettily describe the scenery, yet still retaining something of Kishimoto's style. And, quite simply, they work in this fic. (Shikamaru/Temari.)
- One Piece - My Fuckwit Valentine by _paperpencil - This fic is... it's so odd and I don't know what the hell to make of it half the time. But the other half of the time, I'm either going, "Awww, they're so cute when they're retarded and in love!" or "HAHAHAHAHAHA, OMG, THAT'S GREAT." or even "HELL YES." It's just. It's humorous and WTF-ish without being charicatures of the cast, it's completely off the wall and batshit, but in that way that I actually like, rather than just cracked out stereotypical characterization. ....which makes sense in my head, shut up. But it's also that the author took her time actually developing the storyline, it actually unfolds scene by scene as Zoro tries to figure what the hell is going on. And the ending is just. HARTS. Nami is especially awesome in this fic and I love how manipulative she is, but that even she has her girly weaknesses and the Zoro/Sanji is kinda really hot and just... it was fun and enjoyable. (Zoro/Sanji... ...a little Everyone/Sanji. >_>a)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Revolutionary Étude by trixie - This was a sweet little piece... well, maybe not 'sweet', it's difficult for Kyouya to be sweet, even around Tamaki. Which is sort of the point of the fic, that Kyouya is distracted by Tamaki, just a little, but that's still legions more than the rest of the world. And he... likes Tamaki, maybe it could be just friendship or interest or maybe it could be something more, which fits well with how I see the characters. And Tamaki is so... he's not dumb, but, no, he doesn't really stop to think/listen, he just dashes off again and again, boundless enthusiasm, but that's part of what Kyouya is fond of. Which all comes through very nicely in this fic without using the dumbstick to beat it into our heads. (Kyouya/Tamaki.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Back to Nature by Celeste - I think Celeste is definitely starting to hit her stride with this series, the way the characters go "camping" is just... it's brilliant and perfect and would totally happen just like that. I could picture it, all of the characters and their batshit antics and Haruhi being all, "....." But what really sold me on this fic was, omg, Mori. Mori was just. asldaolksfl;askj, hahahahahaha, oh, my god, that killed me with laughter. He would. He so would. And it would end up just like that. Just like that. Just. So much fun. <3 (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Girls by artemisgirl - This is a different take on Mori's character than the one I usually see, it verges a little too much on something like jaded for my usual taste, but... something about this fic made it kinda work. He's not angry, he's just... quiet and insightful. He notices things. And then he notices Haruhi and the fic has this really pretty, well-written way of getting at what attracts me to the Mori/Haruhi pairing, the way it's quiet but something very real there, some quiet connection (which is badly phrased on my part, it's not an all-consuming love affair right from the beginning and this fic doesn't try to force it into that, it manages that same level of connection the manga has) and it's just... sweet. Nice. (Not necessarily Mori/Haruhi, but you could read it that way if you liked.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Between by chaineddove - I admit, I tend to view the Kaoru/Hikaru relationship a little differently than this author, I feel that Hikaru is the one who holds on tighly and Kaoru the one takes the first steps towards growing up, but... at the same time, I can't really argue with the fic because it's written well with the scenes from the series and the case presented in the fic is really well-done. The writing itself is lovely, the way the twins are in their own little world even as they interact with everyone else, the way Haruhi just sort of carelessly crashed into their world, the way I could feel the heartache from Kaoru... who is one of my favorite characters from the series, actually, so to have his emotions shine through in this fic for me was a treat. It's a lovely story about the twins as children, about them growing up, and about the way things slowly start to change. And one of the best things is that I can completely imagine all the antics they got up to, every example that the author used to illustrate the different stages of their lives (which were really effect as well!) were ones I could completely imagine having happened in their past. (Kaoru/Hikaru, Hikaru/Haruhi, not quite safe for work.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Ordinary Day by chaineddove - I've probably mentioned, y'know, a time or two that I have a great fondness for the twins. They're such utter little shits sometimes and it would not have been any different when they were children, so a fic about them getting into antics and driving their nannies mad when they're five years old? Well, I hopped right on over to read. And they're the kind of characters that I can absolutely believe would behave just like this, who would drive their nannies to madness just like this. And, yet, god, they're still so damn cute. The writing for this was just delightful. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - A Give and Take Affair by S.B. Kisses - I admit, I'm probably softer on this fic because it's Kyouya/Haruhi and I like that pairing, I have such the tremendous soft spot for it. So, the idea of them in a private park on a quiet picnic, the only sounds the business section of the paper as Kyouya reads... it makes me happy. The implications of more also appeal to me. I might have wished there were a little more of the reason why Kyouya liked Haruhi in this fic, but... I didn't really find it a detraction here. The writing is lovely and the imagery cute and I already know why I think they work well together or simply felt the chemistry between them. I honestly enjoyed this read and that's about all I ever ask out of fic. XD (Kyouya/Haruhi.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - When Zeus split the human being by Experimental - This morning seems to be by morning for finding Host Club fic that I like and this one was... it's nice when fic can actually work in a lot of references to classical works or notes of culture, especially in a series that's already so steeped with casual references as part of the background. Yet, it doesn't take the focus away from the characters or the story, it sets the stage for the real point of the story, the closeness of the twins and how they're so intertwined that they're as close as they can be without sharing a body. But it's nice to have those details, the references to philosophers and history, to have them in the middle of a new themed week that could actually totally happen. And the characterization is lovely, surprisingly subtle in all the right places, and an ending that resonates with me, it feels right, the way they look at Haruhi and her entrance into their lives. A really, really lovely Kaoru perspective as well, especially since, for half of the fic, I wasn't sure if it was just one twin or set from a first person perspective from both of them. That's kinda cool. (Implications of Kaoru/Hikaru and Kaoru/Hikaru/Haruhi if you want to see them, about on the level of the series itself.)
- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Creative Management by May Flyer - I'm always wary when I click on Kyouya/Tamaki fic links, I love them so much, but they have such a difficult time in a lot of author's hands. And I wasn't sure what I would get out of this fic. It started out all right and then... I just... somewhere, right in the middle of their intruder's entrance, the fic turned brilliant. I had to press a hand against my lips to keep from laughing out loud in that way maniacs tend to laugh, I still stifled giggles the whole way through, and I was just... charmed by how beautiful Tamaki's inner dialogue was. It's perfect for the character, just over the top enough for Tamaki's way of thinking/speaking, mixed together with that slight edge of parody that's so wonderful about the Host Club series and... yes. Yes. This is what more Kyouya/Tamaki fic should be like. Fabulous. And effective at exactly what it was going for. ♥ (Kyouya/Tamaki.)
- Prince of Tennis - Solitude by Maaya - Lately, I, too, have felt... mm, disillusioned with the Tenipuri fandom. Well, it's not "lately" so much as for "the last year or two". But every so often an author will come along that I trust or that gets my curiosity up again and they'll come out with a piece like this, that's made up of subtle implications and something a little like whimsy, but more subdued than that. Even when not much happens, even when Tezuka and Fuji are simply around each other, Fuji's attention caught by this boy who isn't like the others, it's a lovely fic. The author writes well and the characterization is very nice, especially for Fuji. And Tezuka. ....shut up, I like them both, okay? (Tezuka/Fuji.)
- Multiple Anime series AMV - Fangirl Mambo ((Fangirl Service Tribute)) - There are a couple of things that this video did right in my eyes: There was a fun, upbeat song that I actually enjoyed listening to (even if it's sort of like the equivalent of music junk food, it's still fun to listen to) and the rapid-fire pace of the clips was kept up through the entire thing. When AMVs linger too long, I get bored and wander off, but this one pretty much never let my attention stray. The clip choices were amusing, there's a ton of pretty boys and, okay, I laughed when I got the joke about the specific choices they made during the song. All in all, it's just really well put together.
- Final Fantasy VII AMV - Sephiroth As Tarzan, Cloud As Jane - There is something about me that enjoys the off-the-wall AMVs probably even more than the serious ones. I mean. Tarzan!Sephiroth? Jane!Cloud? I clicked that sucker as fast as I could. Then promptly spent the entire video laughing my ass off and going, "Dude, that would have made the Tarzan world, like, a BILLION TIMES BETTER! I WANT THAT now!" The video is just. It's somehow timed beautifully so that it's great, the concept is beautiful in that cracktastic way, and I just... oh, I love it. It fills me with glee.
- Final Fantasy VII AMV - Imaginary - There's something entirely appropriate about an Evanescence song used for Sephiroth and Cloud, all the overly dramatic, dark, but still so beautiful and sweeping music, the kind that... okay, yeah, as much as I like lighter stuff sometimes, I also like videos like this that totally play on the angst of the relationship. The video is well done, the fight scenes are used really, really well, it gets across Cloud's emotions nicely and makes me love the character even more than I did before. Not just as half of a pair, but that I love Cloud by himself.
- Final Fantasy VIII AMV - FFVIII AMV - One of the perils of poking around for FF AMVs is that the same footage is used over and over and over again, so it has to take a little something extra to get your attention with AMVs after awhile. But there's something about the way these clips are strung together to make a trailer for the game that's just really kinda neat. The music is well chosen, the clips match the tempo of the song, it's actually enticing without giving away too many spoilers, it's just... well-done. I liked it a lot.
- Final Fantasy VIII AMV - Listen to Your Heart - This song is one of those that I really wanted to see a FFVIII music video for, especially a Squall/Rinoa one because it just... felt like a song that would fit the couple. The artist of this AMV does a lovely job with it, too, the clips feel a little fresh again, the choices to match to the lyrics were good, and the whole thing just... okay. I know I'm a dippy Squall/Rinoa fangirl. But this is the kind of AMV that totally plays into that, it celebrates how much they love each other, how desperately they fell in love with each other, it fits the tone of the relationship. Which is exactly what I wanted. Also, that final scene where Squall smiles at her from the end of the game? The real smile that he finally was able to give her? Makes me melt into a giant pile of goo every time.
- Jungle wa Itsumi Hale Nochi Guu AMV - Hale's Mom - There is something about this AMV that's just quietly brilliantly done. I've watched it about six times now and every time it just gets a little better, the clip choices fantastic, both in terms of 'context' and for how they matched the beat. I keep watching over and over, because every time Guu does a little dance or 'sings' part of the lyrics, her expression just... matches perfectly. Because part of me can totally imagine her singing this about Weda-chan (who indeed does have it goin' on in this video XD) just to freak out Hale. And the ending? Just as awesome as the rest.
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Tamaki Feels Pretty - One of the interesting things about not watching the Host Club anime is that the footage is almost always new to me or not overwhelmed with the original context, so when I watch an AMV like this, it's even more neat. And just. Hahahahaha, brilliant song choice for Tamaki, some great clips (it occasionally falters, but there are other times where it's just perfect, so it all balances out), and overall it's FUN and NEAT, just like you'd want a Host Club AMV to be. Especially great because I can totally see Tamaki singing this and, you know, I went <3 <3 <3 a lot at the ending. ♥
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Tamaki and Haruhi's Flying Car Dilemma - So, you wouldn't think that conversation from the Clerks movie, the one about the flying car, would be a good fit with a series like Host Club, but this was kind of awesome. The lip synching is really solid and the expressions/body language fit well with the tone of the voices, so you can almost imagine they actually are having this conversation. But it's the little touches that really make the video, the little pictures of cars or the world that they insert at the right time so that I ended up having to very, very carefully not roll around on the floor in fits of laughter.
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Host Club Boom Boom - This is one of those AMVs that had a few moments where it wasn't perfect, but the rest of it was somehow just beautiful. A little bit crack parody, a little bit seriousness, just like the mix of a Host Club AMV should be. It's upbeat, it's fun, it's got some great lip synching moments, certain moments in the video are fantastic, it uses the broad, sweeping clips of the series really well, the credits usage to match the beat of the song is fantastic, and it makes me fall in love with every single character all over again. It's one of those that's a great blend of song choice and artist's execution of the concept, the kind that pumps me up for the series all over again. Just. Just. Flailing and love, man.
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Honey's True Nature - .....LOL. I have a great love of Hunny's true nature (I love that he totally eggs the rest of the club on through cute antics, that he's totally not serious half of the time) and so this AMV came along at just the right time, in just the right way that it made me laugh like a loon. The clip/song choices are great, especially contrasted against each other as they are. It's just. Oh, god. So funny. When the second song kicks in and Hunny goes into his dark mood, it's just brilliant. The image of Hunny "singing" those lyrics... asd;ljalsd;fjals, hahahahahaha *rolls around*
- Ouran Koukou Host Club AMV - Boys and Girls - There's just something about Host Club that goes so well with Aqua music, which is totally making my morning here because I love Aqua music. (To probably a bizarre degree.) This is a really solid AMV, it's got a few of those quiet little moments that make me squee, like Mori/Haruhi scenes during the "I think you could use a little smile" lyrics, which is just totally appropriate. Or tons of Tamaki being dramatic during the more fast-paced parts of the songs, lots of uses of the sparklies and roses in the animation and it's just... really fun.
- Saiyuki AMV - Witch Doctor - Okay, usually I dislike AMVs that are only made up of image slide shows, I'd rather have animation if I'm watching a music video, but... I dunno. There's something about the promise of Saiyuki plus Witch Doctor that struck me as particularily funny. And the AMV is actually pretty amusing, there's a TON of Hakkai images cycled through at a rapid pace to match the beat and it's just... I dunno. Saiyuki and Witch Doctor. It makes me laugh and I honestly enjoyed this. And, okay. I totally LOL'd at the ending. Perfect.
GOAL: 921/1200