[ ARASHI, Bleach, DGM, EVA, FSN, Gintama, GundamW, Hanadan, HOLiC, Host Club, Naruto, OS, YYH ]

[tomomichi]

Notes: asdhalksa;jsdflakjsdflkajsdlkjasdlkj DEVIL SPAWN. *MAKES SIGN OF THE CROSS AT* (Also more and more hellspawn.)
Series:
    ARASHI - 2 Fanfics
    Bleach - 1 Fanfic
    Hana Yori Dango - 2 Fanfics
    Naruto - 2 Fanfics
    Ouran Koukou Host Club - 1 Fanfic
    Shin Seiki Evangelion - 1 Fanfic
    Yuu Yuu Hakusho - 5 Fanfics
    D.Gray-man - 5 Fanart
    Fate/Stay Night - 1 Fanart
    Gintama - 1 Fanart
    Gundam Wing - 1 Fanart
    Katekyou Hitman Reborn! - 1 Fanart
    Original - 1 Fanart
    Odin Sphere - 1 Fanart
    xxxHOLiC - 1 Fanart


- ARASHI - Remedial Dating by Honooko - Oh, man. This is why I love Arashi fandom, because there's a fic about Sho's total fail at pick up lines. I mean, it's never not funny to watch them laugh themselves sick at Sho's fail on that special corner of Shukudai-kun, but the rest of Arashi trying to give him advice? And they're half seriously trying to help and half seriously complete idiots and/or bastards? And, holy crap, I love Aiba. I mean, I love Jun being all girly in his advice, I love Nino being a bastard, I love Ohno being Ohno, I love Sho being so put-upon, but just about any time Aiba opened his mouth? Utter hilarity. ♥ A-also the ending is A++++ ;__;b (There's some Sho/Kobayashi Mao here, but it's not really the point.)

- ARASHI - what one wants. by aoimidori - I've been reading a lot of manga/anime-based fic again these days, but it's fics like this that remind me why I've spent nearly a year being so obsessive over Matsumoto Jun and why fic can sometimes make me practically glow with fannish love. This is such an insightful, beautifully written piece about what he wanted out of life and love, what he saw around him and the subtle feelings that he has with the rest of his band. It's even more lovely for how he was so young in this fic, he still hadn't quite figured things out, he was just growing into himself and the fic does a beautiful job of showing that, rather than telling it. It's a bit introspective, but in the sort of way that Jun would be, the way he has found so much of himself by age twenty-four. In addition, his relationship with Aiba in particular is beautifully written here, maybe something more, maybe something platonic, which fits wonderfully with the actual Matsujun. I would chain this author to her keyboard for more fic for a long time to come, if I could. (Potentially Aiba/Jun, but it's more a Jun introspective piece.)

- Bleach - Permanence by mikan - I went back and forth on this story a little, my biggest quibble being that the impression the manga left with me is that Hisana deliberately abandoned Rukia because she couldn't support both of them, not because she had to leave Rukia behind or they would be killed. But the writing of the story was just so lovely that I couldn't put it down, even when that sort of different take from mine (which isn't a bad thing at all, mind, everyone has their own take on events that aren't fully explained in a series) usually distracts me away from a fic. The characterization of Hisana, someone who is delicate and very nearly frail, yet still has such spirit and grace to her, is very much what I imagined she must be like, the situation she finds herself in grows more intriguing with every chapter, and I want to know what the author is plotting out there. There's such a lovely use of imagery and Japanese culture in this fic, woven together with the actual story (which is also just as fascinating as the rest of it) and such beautiful language that I find myself wishing the author had written more stories, the fandom could use more authors like this. (Eventual Byakuya/Hisana?)

- Hana Yori Dango - A Dozen Battles Won by ErieDragon - I will never get tired of proposal and marriage and baby antics with Tsukasa and Tsukushi, because I want that for them so very badly. And this fic was really cute, it had the two of them bickering and yet obviously loving each other a lot, the author weaving together past circumstances as they wait for their first child to be born. The author could have made the scene seperations a little more clear, I had to blink in confusion a couple of times, but it was totally worth it for the overall sense of satisfaction from the fic, the way it was lengthy without dragging on, and did a fantastic job painting a happy future for the two of them. It's everything I wanted for them and the characterization is very solid and it genuinely made me smile so often. I just. I'm kind of in an OTP-induced mushy pile after reading this. ♥ (Tsukasa/Tsukushi.)

- Hana Yori Dango - The Sweetest Thing by dementedchris - Okay, this was adorable and you know Doumyouji would totally try to outdo Rui's cooking (since Tsukushi loved the cake he made so much) in a fit of jealousy and then totally fail at it. Which was expected and a lot of fun (I had to laugh at at least couple of points), but what really won me over with the fic was the ending, when Tsukushi finally tasted the real cake (since Doumyouji couldn't keep it secret from her, he didn't have it in him) and her reaction. They're such retarded teenagers in love and the ending just made me happy because it was so damn sweet and adorable. (Tsukasa/Tsukushi.)

- Naruto - Heir by Dan'yu - You know, as much as I usually go for something more bittersweet with NejiHina, occasionally I just want that to be balanced out with something softer, sweetier, fluffier, and more adorable. This fic totally fills that need for me, something happier in a Neji/Hinata future as Neji rushes across Konoha half-naked and uncaring, after a message has been delivered to him. It's probably only going to appeal to those who already like the pairing, but it made me honestly happy to read. <3 (Neji/Hinata.)

- Naruto - To Promise To Fly by Dan'yu - This is a bit closer to what I usually read, if still on the warmer and fuzzier site (not that I'm complaining <3), where Neji is stubborn and thinks about flying a lot and is kind of a dumbass, but in a Neji sort of way. The imagery the author uses in this fic is lovely, it's almost introspective for Neji, but not precisely, as he pushes himself too hard to return home. The NejiHina relationship is just quiet enough and just sweet enough here that I really adored the fic. ....man, this is a terrible rec. Just go read the fic. (Neji/Hinata.)

- Ouran Koukou Host Club - Juncture by Urei Sachi - This is sort of a sad fic and... it's not something I would have normally found myself reading, but I'd read a lot of the author's other Host Club fic and really liked her take on Kyouya/Haruhi, so I wanted to read, even if this was more bittersweet than anything. After Haruhi's father dies, the rest of the Host Club attends and the author does a fantastic job of showing the sense of loss in her, I felt that right along with Haruhi, even if it meant that her father could be with her mother again now. Kyouya's reactions to her (or, perhaps, lack of reactions to her) are lovely as well, just as sharp as one would expect him to be. It's not a direction I would have the series go in, but as a fanfic it's really beautifully written and very, very interesting. I'm glad I read it. (Kyouya/Haruhi.)

- Shin Seiki Evangelion - Choice by soul-of-tabris - This is a fascinating look at what may have been going through Kaworu's mind as he enters NERV, surrounded by all these humans, being what he is, and his encounter with Rei. I really like the take on his thoughts, he isn't very nice in this fic, his thoughts aren't sharp or jagged, but there's a real undercurrent of anger and of being at war. At the same time, there's pity for both Shinji and Rei and... something like arrogance is mixed in as well. It's wonderfuly written, a fascinating read on Kaworu's mindset at that moment in the series, I can see this fitting together with canon very well. (Some implications, but this is on the level of canon.)

- Yuu Yuu Hakusho - untitled by Nightwalker - So far, I have yet to tire of Yuusuke and Kuwabara's friendship, especially when they are such teenage boys about everything, even if they are very powerful people. And this is a really hilarious little fic about Kuwabara and Hiei having been trapped in a candy store for far too many hours together and it goes about as you'd expect it. I love that the characterization just sparkles, I love that the friendships between all of them are just spot-on and so much of what made me love the series in the first place. (No warnings/pairings.)

- Yuu Yuu Hakusho - untitled by Nightwalker - asdl;fkjaslkfaslkj Atsuko and Yukina in a car chase and, oh, my god, I am kind of in love with the YYH fandom right now. Like, I want to drag out all the manga I've been letting pile up and tear through it (because I ♥ Togashi's manga and I've never read the YYH manga properly) and flail over every single character, because it's fic like this that reminds me that I love the whole entire cast. And Atsuko and Yukina together here are fantastic, they make such an awesome team that I can hardly stand to not keyboard mash all over this recommendation. a;sdlfkajsldalskjd <-- *fails* (No warnings/pairings.)

- Yuu Yuu Hakusho - Yuugou Hakusho by Mistress 259 - I picked up the link to this fic from Aishuu's rec and I don't think I've had a 16,000+ word story fly by me so quickly in a very long time. The writing is clean and smooth, it just sails right along and I hardly recognized I was reading words instead of having a story told to me, it's professional-level quality, and incredibly solid (and good) style to read a fic like this in. This is a story about the demon Kurama fleeing to the human world and the long years he had to wait while his human body grew up and it's beautifully done. Everything the author puts forth in the fic meshes with canon so well that I could easily take this for canon itself, it fits together and the characterization is fantastic and it's brilliantly paced. Each scene from Kurama's childhood, the quiet boy who was so unusual and so smart, the teenager he grew up to be because he couldn't quite leave his human mother behind, it all works. This is one of those stories that reminds me of just how much I like Kurama. A-also, the stuff with Hiei totally didn't hurt my feelings, especially since it could have been entirely gen (I'm not sure if the author was implying it or not, which I loved) and just-- yes. This is what YYH fic should be. ♥ (No warnings/pairings.)

- Yuu Yuu Hakusho - Yuujyou Hakusho by Mistress 259 - This fic is a follow-up to Yuugou Hakusho and, as the author's notes say, it could probably stand on its own, but it does work better if you've read that one first. This is an interesting look at Kurama's continued attempts to convince his mother of his normal human life, going so far as to have Yuusuke over for dinner, as he's the first friend that Shiori has seen her son meet. It's interesting because you can really tell how long it's been since Kurama has had someone to talk to about demon-related events, about himself and who he used to be, without that someone judging him or, you know, being like talking to a brick wall. It's interesting to see the parallels the author draws between Kurama and Yuusuke, you can see their easy friendship starting to build right from the beginning, which is nice to see. (No warnings/pairings.)

- Yuu Yuu Hakusho - A Thousand Years of Solitudes by Nightwalker - The older I get as a YYH fan (actually, YYH was my first series, from way back before there were manga scanslations or any such thing as digital/on-line subbing, I'm so ooooold omg), the more I like stories like this, that are about the friendships between the characters and what they came to mean to each other as they settled into this balance between the human world and the demon world. Yuusuke and Kurama's friendship is spot-on here, Kurama is insightful and Yuusuke is loud, brash, and headstrong, but there's more underneath that. There's a real person in there, with real worries, especially since he's not really human anymore. It's a little bittersweet, especially considering the setting, but it's also hopeful and it does a fantastic job of the story it wanted to tell. (There's some character death here.)

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- D.Gray-man - ALPHA [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This site has some damn fine sketches, they look fantastic even when the artist doesn't really "finish" them. I'd love to see more from her that took the time to do proper illustrations because she obviously has a lot of talent and draws in a style very similar to the original manga, which makes the characters look so hot. Her use of color (sometimes used very sparingly) also works for the style and when she does a more "proper" image with full color and all? Gorgeous work. Her Allen (as well as her Cross) look just utterly amazing and-- well, hell. Every character she draws, whether Allen or Kanda or Cross or Rinali or Ravi or Tiki, looks amazing. (Some potential pairings, both het and yaoi, but no real themes.)

- D.Gray-man - skip*pb [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I hesitated over this site for awhile, some of the early art is a little shakey for my usual take on a Ravi/Allen site, but... the artist drew some really cute stuff when the two of them were together. And somewhere along the line she started picking up steam and drawing some really interesting stuff. It's a lighter CG style, lots of lighter colors, but that works for Allen especially. The art is more cute than anything and will likely mostly appeal to fans of the pairing or those who love DGM fanart surfing just for itself, but I enjoyed it and think the artist has a lot of potential. <3 (Ravi/Allen.)

- D.Gray-man - Carmine Cross [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - The art on this site starts out a little shakey, but by about a quarter of the way through, I could see the artist tightening her work up and starting to show a lot of potential. By about half of the way through the gallery, she was producing some really pretty stuff. It'll probably still only appeal to fans of the Kanda/Allen pairing and not everything works for me, but there's enough art here that I really liked a lot for me to be satisfied with the site. The colors are very bright and vivid, very CG, but when the artist really puts a lot of effort into the illustrations, they look almost like they could be poster-style art for the anime series. Worth a look if you like the pairing, I think. (Some Kanda/Allen, some other, some gen.)

- D.Gray-man - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I wish there were a bit more art on this site, because the artist really has a lot of potential to do some great images and has gotten really good since the beginning of the gallery. I love the way she does Kanda's hair especially, you can tell how much she really likes the character. Much of the time, she doesn't use that much color, but that just shows off how hot her basic lineart can be... however, sometimes when she does, she can do some really smoking stuff--there's one of Kanda with his cloak around him, the image mostly dusky purples and tans and then the brighter blue of his eyes and it looks fantastic. I really enjoyed this site. (Kanda/Allen, some gen.)

- D.Gray-man - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I really tried to avoid caving on this site, because I didn't think the style was for me, but I was skimming around, just randomly clicking links and flipping through the pages and there were some really cute little illustrations. And the colors were really pretty. And there was a lot of Kanda going ~_~ while Allen grinned annoyingly at him. I'm... I'm weak to that sort of thing in the right artist's hands. Plus, the colors are really pretty, that soft kind that are nearly glowing combined with fine lines and Kanda's hair looking really pretty as it spills over his shoulder and that's the kind of thing I like so much. Probably definitely not going to be for everyone, but if you like the pairing, you might find a few illustrations you like here, there are some cute ones. There are some really adorable little!Allen illustrations (so cute omg ;__;♥) and some cute Lavi and Rinali illustrations occasionally tucked away amongst the others. (Kanda/Allen, some gen.)

- Fate/Stay Night - Master K [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I never got that far into Fate/Stay Night, it just couldn't hold my attention, even if it was very pretty. But I was wandering idly around various fanart sites and happened to stop by this one that has some really, really beautiful Archer/Rin illustrations and I couldn't resist. Rin is especially lovely and the amount of detail put into the artwork is impressive at times. There's one where Archer is pulling Rin close, possibly kissing the side of her face, that's just beautiful and the reason I wound up caving on the site in the first place. Very nice. (Archer/Rin.)

- Gintama - East Scandal [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Somehow, of all things, I got here from a D.Gray-man site. But I was immediately sucked into the Gintama section because there was shiny, shiny GinZura art, which is my pet pairing of choice. The further I got into the gallery, though, the more I came to really like the Kondo/Tae and Okita/Kagura art as well, since the artist does these sunset-colors-style CG illustrations and these pretty, pretty pastel colors so very well. I generally prefer Hijikata/Okita, but this site... it really makes me kind of fond of the idea of Okita/Kagura (which I've never hated, because it's hilarious in the manga), especially if fanartists are going to draw it so well. (Some Gin/Katsura, some Kondo/Tae, some Okita/Kagura.)

- Gundam Wing - Sloe Gin [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Man, what GundamW fanart sites will reduce me to. But this artist does such a hot Duo! The colors are those vivid, almost glowing colors that I'm so weak towards and her Duo is really kind of badass and her Quatre is bright and airy and I've been dying for some new GundamW fanart. Her Duo is these long, lean lines and, okay, I suspect I wouldn't recognize him half of the time without the braid, but he's pretty and I think that's the important thing here. There's one where he's got a bloody scrape on his face as he stands in the rain and that illustration sort of epitomizes why I couldn't resist this site, because it's such a beautiful image, even if I have to squint to see Duo in it. Not that this is a criticism, by the way, it's simply that my view of the characters differ from the artist's, but I still see how lovely her art is. (Duo/Quatre, some gen if you step carefully.)

- Katekyou Hitman Reborn! - 10/10 [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I really wish there were more than just eight links in the main gallery section because this artist does a tremendous job with Tsuna/Gokudera, each illustration is full of tons of detail and really pretty, soft colors. There are a couple of comics on the site as well, which could totally be really good doujinshi for the level of detail that's in them and how hot the characters look. It's a small site, but worth checking out if you like the pairing. (Gokudera/Tsuna.)

- Original - [ Japanese Art Site ] - As if I don't have enough to keep up with just looking at fanart sites, I have to start looking at original art sites again? It's been awhile since one caught my eye, but I just couldn't resist this site, the colors were too vibrant and glowing for me to not. The level of detail on the images is really amazing sometimes, down to the finest little thing, the lace and beads on a gown or the curls of hair falling down a girl's back or a suit of armor. The characters here are beautiful, some of them incredibly intriguing, I'd love to see a manga or original story about a lot of them. (No warnings.)

- Odin Sphere - A Capella [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I am recommending this site for a couple of reasons. The main one is that there are sprites (adoptable sprites? I'm not entirely sure) here that are so damned adorable and cover every major character (as well as various transformations or clothing changes, omg!) that I was just in utter love. But I also was kinda intrigued by the oekaki art, as I was skimming through the board. Her Oswald isn't too bad, but... the one of Oswald and Gwendolyn in the cafe where Oswald has this hilarious Dark Look on his face immediately kinda made me love the artist. The site won't be for everyone, but I enjoyed those parts of it a lot. (Some Oswald/Gwendolyn.)

- xxxHOLiC - Cherrywood [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I've recommended this site for the Tenipuri, FMA, and Hikago art before, but that was before HOLiC had started coming out, so I revisited the site after finding the link again in a search engine. It didn't take long for the site to impress me--the b&w illustrations are solid and very pretty, but when the artist does color, she does an amazing, gorgeous job with Doumeki and Watanuki. The art style is very canon-esque, except a little softer and gentler with the color art than the manga's style. There's not a lot of art here, but it's worth a visit, since HOLiC fanart is semi-rare. (Doumeki/Watanuki.)


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