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tomomichiNotes/Babbling: And here's the real meat of my update. And we know who I blame for this particular entry, yes? ^_~
Series:
Bleach/One Piece - 1 Fanart
Gravitation - 1 Fanart
Saiyuki - 1 Fanart
Gravitation - 10 Fanfics
One Piece - 2 Fanfics
Saiyuki - 3 Fanfics
- Bleach/One Piece - Paradise View [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I... am slowly developing a strong fondness for Sanji/Luffy and I'm not entirely sure why. I couldn't even come up with an armchair psychobabbly reason for why the pairing would work or anything, I just know that something about it appeals to me. And then I stumble on a site that has OMG ART THAT IS SO FREAKING CUTE (it's the kind where the artist is really good with her style--yeah, it's very chibi-esque, but her colors and lines absolutely rock, the inking looking very profession and her colors are really well done and the poses are ADORABLE and all that) and I just become further convinced that there might be something to the pairing. And, hey, if it fits with my ZoroxNami fondness, all the better. *coughs* >_> Plus, I love seeing the artist's cat!Sanji and cat!Luffy lounging all over each other. And then there's the Bleach art that's much the same--the artist draws a fantastic Kon that I just want to pick up and snuggle with. And when the artist does her little chibi Rukia or Ichigo with him? OMG SO ADORABLE AND PERFECT. XD (A little Sanji/Luffy, no Bleach pairings.)
- Gravitation - [ English Fanart Site ] - I've always found it interesting that English fen seem to provide the better Gravitation fanart than the J-fen (with the exception of Haruka Sena's fan art, which just blows EVERYONE out of the water) and this artist just further proves that. The illustrations are very nicely detailed, using a sort of sparkly CG effect that works really well with the Gravitation style--I mean, there's this one of Shuuichi in a green outfit with white wings that just... the level of detail is wonderful and the color practically shimmers and Shuuichi, against my better judgement of those horrible J-rock outfits, looks gorgeous. And then there's Yuki sitting on the couch with Shuuichi in his lap, where Yuki's hair is very nicely detailed and his eyes look gorgeous, and I'm just in massive love with those long, long legs and broad shoulders of his. *__* Oh, and open-shirt!Yuki with the chibi Shuuichi on his shoulder? VERY nice. *__* (Some Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Saiyuki - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - You know, fanart does something to me, I'm not sure why. But the fanart on this site is just... absolutely, stunningly lovely--a few of them are somehow off or just don't have the same amount of details or whatever, but then along will come one (out of about every five, I'd say) that I could practically swear was on the same level as the official art itself, only even more intimate/meaningful/fangirlable/fanservicey/whatever. Her colors are just fantastic and the artist really has a knack for Minekura-style poses and situations and feels with her art, so the whole tone of the art really fit with the characters. Plus... she does an absolutely incredible Gojyo. And I love fanart. XD;; (Some Gojyo/Hakkai.)
- Gravitation - Routine by Meg - Ahhh, yes, she who started up my Gravitation fascination again. I shall continue to blame her until I've said it at least a hundred times. ^_~ Anyway. This is one of those fics that's not even 500 words long, yet is such a fantastic illustration of Yuki's character that I just sparkle while reading it. (It helps that there are all these little touches of detail--like what Yuki does when he's finished reading, how he marks his folders, the position he sits down in on the couch--yet they further contribute to getting to know the character.) Also? Totally has the sense of humor/style of Gravitation (such as Shuuichi's antics and Yuki's flat reaction to them) down, just the feel of it, it pops the whole thing right into my head. And, yeah, it's one of those adorable little stories that I can't really point to a single place in the series, but I just have the most delightfully mad grins on my face the entire time. XD XD XD (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Composition by Akot - Oho, I adored this fic, because it just made me sparkle over it. Good writing, really sparkly characterization, and I just adored the ending. Because it was so perfectly Yuki and Shuuichi. XD I just... Shuuichi is so adorable when he's trying to write and Yuki is so gorgeous when he's being... err... less cranky than usual? (I love it when authors have him being almost-sorta-kinda-nice, but not sappy, you know?) and heeeeeeeeeeeee to the ending once again. (Yes, this rec sucked, but the fic actually is very good, honest!) And just a wee, wee, PG-13 hint of lime. That always makes me happy, too. (YukixShuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Family by Akot - Ohohohoho, THIS WAS SO CUTE. I was just saying the other night about how much I missed Maiko in the Gravi anime because she RULED and then I stumble over this absolutely adorable story about her and Shuuichi. Just... I don't want to basically detail the whole thing here, so instead I'll just comment on how much I love Maiko to little pieces, how much fun this story was, and how I could just see the entire thing in my head. Wah, I want more of the Shindou siblings! XD (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gravitation - Intent by Akot - You know, I admit that I don't really know that much about Suguru (or his family history that's hinted at more in the manga--I'm only on volume 3 *hmph*), but I read this story anyway because I liked the author's other work and... this story really just sort of hit me in the solar plexus because it was so very subtle and yet there was this sense... even just reading it, I was uncomfortable and out of sorts with Suguru. Even in such a short story, the author really got the frustration and off-kilter and, well, out-of-sorts feeling he had visiting his mother. Lovely job on this story. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gravitation - Ghosts and Inner Demons by Rogue 11 - This story had a few issues here and there (a bit stilted in places, some odd honorifics, some consistent misspellings, some things I'm not sure I believed, etc.), but nothing so much that really jarred me too badly out of the story, which was actually pretty well-paced and well-written. But I liked it because the characters were recognizable, because I could picture the story in my head, because the story isn't just skipping over some of the things that need to happen (so often stories are so short when they should be longer, but neither is this story just padded out to make it longer), and I just... I liked a lot of the little details. The way Yuki's dream was worked in, but not overdramaticized (considering it's Yuki and all XD), the way Shuuichi and Hiro are still singers with concerts to go to, the way Tohma still takes care of Eiri, the way Eiri's not really all that stable and often times dangerous, the conversation with Yuki's editor, etc. These things didn't feel like padding, but instead contributing to the overall story... which is an odd thing to focus in on, since that's not really the focus of the story, but. Well. Yes. Good story. Go read. (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Smokey Kisses by Hsuan - MEG'S FAULT, MEG'S FAULT, MEG'S FAULT, MEG'S FAULT, MEG'S FAULT. I suppose I'm thankful, though. Anyway, she found this fic and mentioned it in her journal. I stole the link from her. Anyway. This was a fantastic Yuki POV story, just... so many little things and such a gorgeous way of writing them all together, into this fluidly written style AND still really sparkly and interesting. I love, love, love the author's Shuuichi as well, because he's Shuuichi, but not over the top about it. The little details of the smoke from Yuki's cigarettes and the way they both see them were excellently done (I loved that that wasn't made a huge deal of, the writing was a bit more subtle than that, rather than feeling like a hammer had been taken to my head) and, eeeee, Yuki/Shuuichi fluff without being too fluffy. Feel-good fic that I could believe. ♥ (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Vows by sobriquette - There were a couple moments when this fic felt off (there were a few honorifics problems especially), but the writing is smooth, readable, and flows very well, the characterizations were quite good, and the story tackled an idea that I've seen done far, far worse and actually made it rather palatable for me here. I usually hate Yuki/Shuuichi marraige fics (I don't know if they WILL get married, but the issue has come up), but I find myself really craving the next chapter of this story because it's not just about YukixShuuichi, it's also about Tohma and Mika and ties the two together really well. Mika's characterization absolutely sparkles here, the way the author writes Yuki and Shuuichi together is wonderful (their conversations over breakfast and at the amusement part were just gorgeously done and, oh my god, Eiri and Mika having lunch and in character and EEEEEEEEE I LOVE IT WHEN AUTHORS WRITE THE UESUGI SIBLINGS), and while I expressed some doubts about the Tohma/Mika relationship (I firmly believe they love each other very much and they married because they loved each other, not for any other reason, like business, family, or Eiri.), but because the author is skilled enough at what she's doing, I'm willing to follow her so far. Also? The author notes at the end utterly cracked me up for some reason. ^_____^v (Some YukixShuuichi and TohmaxMika.)
- Gravitation - Damned Snow by Rosa Aquafire - ...........I literally made a squeaking noise at the end of this fic, that's how much I just absolutely adored this story. God, it's so sad that I'll admit that aloud. The writing was solid, it read smoothly, but the thing that pounced onto me and wouldn't let go was the sweet, wonderful, lovely characterizations of both Hiro and Ayaka. I've mentioned before that it's rare to find a story about them that doesn't break them up or make it a bad relationship, but it's even rarer to find one that really just... illustrates the couple that I fell in love with. How much Hiro genuinely WANTS to be with her, how much he really loves her. How much she's come to genuinely love him in return, how much she really wants to be with him. Plus, it had that fun sort of Gravi humor! Not necessarily Shuuichi type of humor, but, god, this was so perfectly Hiro and Ayaka that I'm currently floating around the room in a happy, blissful little cloud. It just nailed these characters and their romantic, sweet, lovely relationship. I am a happy fangirl yet again. (Hiro/Ayaka.)
- Gravitation - Mother, May I? by Rosa Aquafire - I should hate this fic, I really should. Yuki with a kid from a previous one-night stand who doesn't seem to like Shuuichi, but kind of does, and, oh, yeah, Yuki and Shuuichi are "committed" now, so Shuuichi keeps being referred to as "spouse". And yet... like the little girl herself, there's just something to this fic. The dialogue really sparkles, the characterizations are really sharp, the writing is really solid, all of those little things combine to overcome the premise, I think. I love, love, LOVE Mika in this fic. Like an unholy amount. And you can tell the author does as well (not to an idolizing amount, mind, just that she clearly likes the character), which always makes me sparkle. Yuki's tongue is as sharp as ever, but he's also clearly still fucked up, even if having mellowed a bit. (I love that he's practically on the verge of a panic attack over the whole thing.) I am really intrigued that there seems to be some sort of vaguely creepy subplot building with the little girl and the mother that abandoned her. Just... yeah, I should hate this fic, but I don't because the little sparkly bits totally carried the premise over for me. I mean, I'd read this fic just for Eiri and Mika's phone conversation: "You have a what?" / "A daughter, Mika. It`s kind of like a son, only it smells better." XD (YukixShuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Pseudo Holidays by XTsukimiOdangoX - This was... well, yes, you could tell it was a bit rushed in places (especially with Yuki), but the author was a skilled enough writer that it didn't really detract too much from the story. The characterizations were solid, the writing is solid, the whole thing rolling along very smoothly. I liked that the transition from cute and fluffy to slightly angsty (but not overdone angst) was done at the right pace--I believed the flow from one mood to the next... along with, hey, I got my fluff back at the end. ^_~ Probably not the author's best work (I really liked "Sweet Nothings", IIRC), but a fun read for this morning. (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- One Piece - Truths by X-parrot - Argh! Argh, argh, argh, no fair tempting me back over to the yaoi side of the OP fence! ~_~ Even in such a short little piece, X-parrot has reminded me of why I like the Zoro/Sanji pairing as an actual pairing, rather than purely gen. It's just... it's one of those little situations where it rang so clearly true, where I could just PICTURE the entire thing, practically right out of the manga (I love it when I can actually picture a fic in Oda-sensei's style) that it made me fall in love all over again. Wah. ;__; (Zoro/Sanji.)
- One Piece - Bothered by Sherry Marie - Ahhh, I have such a love of Zoro and Sanji still being at each other's throats even after they're sleeping together and the author has a really good, strong handle on the antagonism that's such a part of their dynamic. The dialogue was strong and the piece was just long enough as it needed to be to illustrate the little Moment fic that it turned out to be. ....dammit, I am sliding back into the yaoi for OP. >_> (Zoro/Sanji.)
- Saiyuki - And Time Again by sf - So, I tried not to rec this story until I'd finished all the parts of it. I got the first fifteen chapters read and then I said *ufufufufufu* I shall rec it NOW instead! Because I really have a terrible time waiting. When I first read the summary of this story--the Sanzo-ikkou had been reincarnated yet again--I was a little hesitant to read, because... well, I wanted Saiyuki as it is, not another version of them. But since I'm turn into a huge fan of the author's already and the story was long, I gave it a shot and wound up really falling in love with it. For one thing, it's INTERESTING and really doesn't take long in getting to the good stuff with the interaction between the characters. For another, do you know how happy it makes me to be able to read a long story where I'm not continually bracing myself against the Sanzo characterization? Where I can sit back and trust that he'll be written well? It's wonderful.
Series:
Bleach/One Piece - 1 Fanart
Gravitation - 1 Fanart
Saiyuki - 1 Fanart
Gravitation - 10 Fanfics
One Piece - 2 Fanfics
Saiyuki - 3 Fanfics
- Bleach/One Piece - Paradise View [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I... am slowly developing a strong fondness for Sanji/Luffy and I'm not entirely sure why. I couldn't even come up with an armchair psychobabbly reason for why the pairing would work or anything, I just know that something about it appeals to me. And then I stumble on a site that has OMG ART THAT IS SO FREAKING CUTE (it's the kind where the artist is really good with her style--yeah, it's very chibi-esque, but her colors and lines absolutely rock, the inking looking very profession and her colors are really well done and the poses are ADORABLE and all that) and I just become further convinced that there might be something to the pairing. And, hey, if it fits with my ZoroxNami fondness, all the better. *coughs* >_> Plus, I love seeing the artist's cat!Sanji and cat!Luffy lounging all over each other. And then there's the Bleach art that's much the same--the artist draws a fantastic Kon that I just want to pick up and snuggle with. And when the artist does her little chibi Rukia or Ichigo with him? OMG SO ADORABLE AND PERFECT. XD (A little Sanji/Luffy, no Bleach pairings.) - Gravitation - [ English Fanart Site ] - I've always found it interesting that English fen seem to provide the better Gravitation fanart than the J-fen (with the exception of Haruka Sena's fan art, which just blows EVERYONE out of the water) and this artist just further proves that. The illustrations are very nicely detailed, using a sort of sparkly CG effect that works really well with the Gravitation style--I mean, there's this one of Shuuichi in a green outfit with white wings that just... the level of detail is wonderful and the color practically shimmers and Shuuichi, against my better judgement of those horrible J-rock outfits, looks gorgeous. And then there's Yuki sitting on the couch with Shuuichi in his lap, where Yuki's hair is very nicely detailed and his eyes look gorgeous, and I'm just in massive love with those long, long legs and broad shoulders of his. *__* Oh, and open-shirt!Yuki with the chibi Shuuichi on his shoulder? VERY nice. *__* (Some Yuki/Shuuichi.) - Saiyuki - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - You know, fanart does something to me, I'm not sure why. But the fanart on this site is just... absolutely, stunningly lovely--a few of them are somehow off or just don't have the same amount of details or whatever, but then along will come one (out of about every five, I'd say) that I could practically swear was on the same level as the official art itself, only even more intimate/meaningful/fangirlable/fanservicey/whatever. Her colors are just fantastic and the artist really has a knack for Minekura-style poses and situations and feels with her art, so the whole tone of the art really fit with the characters. Plus... she does an absolutely incredible Gojyo. And I love fanart. XD;; (Some Gojyo/Hakkai.)- Gravitation - Routine by Meg - Ahhh, yes, she who started up my Gravitation fascination again. I shall continue to blame her until I've said it at least a hundred times. ^_~ Anyway. This is one of those fics that's not even 500 words long, yet is such a fantastic illustration of Yuki's character that I just sparkle while reading it. (It helps that there are all these little touches of detail--like what Yuki does when he's finished reading, how he marks his folders, the position he sits down in on the couch--yet they further contribute to getting to know the character.) Also? Totally has the sense of humor/style of Gravitation (such as Shuuichi's antics and Yuki's flat reaction to them) down, just the feel of it, it pops the whole thing right into my head. And, yeah, it's one of those adorable little stories that I can't really point to a single place in the series, but I just have the most delightfully mad grins on my face the entire time. XD XD XD (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Composition by Akot - Oho, I adored this fic, because it just made me sparkle over it. Good writing, really sparkly characterization, and I just adored the ending. Because it was so perfectly Yuki and Shuuichi. XD I just... Shuuichi is so adorable when he's trying to write and Yuki is so gorgeous when he's being... err... less cranky than usual? (I love it when authors have him being almost-sorta-kinda-nice, but not sappy, you know?) and heeeeeeeeeeeee to the ending once again. (Yes, this rec sucked, but the fic actually is very good, honest!) And just a wee, wee, PG-13 hint of lime. That always makes me happy, too. (YukixShuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Family by Akot - Ohohohoho, THIS WAS SO CUTE. I was just saying the other night about how much I missed Maiko in the Gravi anime because she RULED and then I stumble over this absolutely adorable story about her and Shuuichi. Just... I don't want to basically detail the whole thing here, so instead I'll just comment on how much I love Maiko to little pieces, how much fun this story was, and how I could just see the entire thing in my head. Wah, I want more of the Shindou siblings! XD (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gravitation - Intent by Akot - You know, I admit that I don't really know that much about Suguru (or his family history that's hinted at more in the manga--I'm only on volume 3 *hmph*), but I read this story anyway because I liked the author's other work and... this story really just sort of hit me in the solar plexus because it was so very subtle and yet there was this sense... even just reading it, I was uncomfortable and out of sorts with Suguru. Even in such a short story, the author really got the frustration and off-kilter and, well, out-of-sorts feeling he had visiting his mother. Lovely job on this story. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gravitation - Ghosts and Inner Demons by Rogue 11 - This story had a few issues here and there (a bit stilted in places, some odd honorifics, some consistent misspellings, some things I'm not sure I believed, etc.), but nothing so much that really jarred me too badly out of the story, which was actually pretty well-paced and well-written. But I liked it because the characters were recognizable, because I could picture the story in my head, because the story isn't just skipping over some of the things that need to happen (so often stories are so short when they should be longer, but neither is this story just padded out to make it longer), and I just... I liked a lot of the little details. The way Yuki's dream was worked in, but not overdramaticized (considering it's Yuki and all XD), the way Shuuichi and Hiro are still singers with concerts to go to, the way Tohma still takes care of Eiri, the way Eiri's not really all that stable and often times dangerous, the conversation with Yuki's editor, etc. These things didn't feel like padding, but instead contributing to the overall story... which is an odd thing to focus in on, since that's not really the focus of the story, but. Well. Yes. Good story. Go read. (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Smokey Kisses by Hsuan - MEG'S FAULT, MEG'S FAULT, MEG'S FAULT, MEG'S FAULT, MEG'S FAULT. I suppose I'm thankful, though. Anyway, she found this fic and mentioned it in her journal. I stole the link from her. Anyway. This was a fantastic Yuki POV story, just... so many little things and such a gorgeous way of writing them all together, into this fluidly written style AND still really sparkly and interesting. I love, love, love the author's Shuuichi as well, because he's Shuuichi, but not over the top about it. The little details of the smoke from Yuki's cigarettes and the way they both see them were excellently done (I loved that that wasn't made a huge deal of, the writing was a bit more subtle than that, rather than feeling like a hammer had been taken to my head) and, eeeee, Yuki/Shuuichi fluff without being too fluffy. Feel-good fic that I could believe. ♥ (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Vows by sobriquette - There were a couple moments when this fic felt off (there were a few honorifics problems especially), but the writing is smooth, readable, and flows very well, the characterizations were quite good, and the story tackled an idea that I've seen done far, far worse and actually made it rather palatable for me here. I usually hate Yuki/Shuuichi marraige fics (I don't know if they WILL get married, but the issue has come up), but I find myself really craving the next chapter of this story because it's not just about YukixShuuichi, it's also about Tohma and Mika and ties the two together really well. Mika's characterization absolutely sparkles here, the way the author writes Yuki and Shuuichi together is wonderful (their conversations over breakfast and at the amusement part were just gorgeously done and, oh my god, Eiri and Mika having lunch and in character and EEEEEEEEE I LOVE IT WHEN AUTHORS WRITE THE UESUGI SIBLINGS), and while I expressed some doubts about the Tohma/Mika relationship (I firmly believe they love each other very much and they married because they loved each other, not for any other reason, like business, family, or Eiri.), but because the author is skilled enough at what she's doing, I'm willing to follow her so far. Also? The author notes at the end utterly cracked me up for some reason. ^_____^v (Some YukixShuuichi and TohmaxMika.)
- Gravitation - Damned Snow by Rosa Aquafire - ...........I literally made a squeaking noise at the end of this fic, that's how much I just absolutely adored this story. God, it's so sad that I'll admit that aloud. The writing was solid, it read smoothly, but the thing that pounced onto me and wouldn't let go was the sweet, wonderful, lovely characterizations of both Hiro and Ayaka. I've mentioned before that it's rare to find a story about them that doesn't break them up or make it a bad relationship, but it's even rarer to find one that really just... illustrates the couple that I fell in love with. How much Hiro genuinely WANTS to be with her, how much he really loves her. How much she's come to genuinely love him in return, how much she really wants to be with him. Plus, it had that fun sort of Gravi humor! Not necessarily Shuuichi type of humor, but, god, this was so perfectly Hiro and Ayaka that I'm currently floating around the room in a happy, blissful little cloud. It just nailed these characters and their romantic, sweet, lovely relationship. I am a happy fangirl yet again. (Hiro/Ayaka.)
- Gravitation - Mother, May I? by Rosa Aquafire - I should hate this fic, I really should. Yuki with a kid from a previous one-night stand who doesn't seem to like Shuuichi, but kind of does, and, oh, yeah, Yuki and Shuuichi are "committed" now, so Shuuichi keeps being referred to as "spouse". And yet... like the little girl herself, there's just something to this fic. The dialogue really sparkles, the characterizations are really sharp, the writing is really solid, all of those little things combine to overcome the premise, I think. I love, love, LOVE Mika in this fic. Like an unholy amount. And you can tell the author does as well (not to an idolizing amount, mind, just that she clearly likes the character), which always makes me sparkle. Yuki's tongue is as sharp as ever, but he's also clearly still fucked up, even if having mellowed a bit. (I love that he's practically on the verge of a panic attack over the whole thing.) I am really intrigued that there seems to be some sort of vaguely creepy subplot building with the little girl and the mother that abandoned her. Just... yeah, I should hate this fic, but I don't because the little sparkly bits totally carried the premise over for me. I mean, I'd read this fic just for Eiri and Mika's phone conversation: "You have a what?" / "A daughter, Mika. It`s kind of like a son, only it smells better." XD (YukixShuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Pseudo Holidays by XTsukimiOdangoX - This was... well, yes, you could tell it was a bit rushed in places (especially with Yuki), but the author was a skilled enough writer that it didn't really detract too much from the story. The characterizations were solid, the writing is solid, the whole thing rolling along very smoothly. I liked that the transition from cute and fluffy to slightly angsty (but not overdone angst) was done at the right pace--I believed the flow from one mood to the next... along with, hey, I got my fluff back at the end. ^_~ Probably not the author's best work (I really liked "Sweet Nothings", IIRC), but a fun read for this morning. (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- One Piece - Truths by X-parrot - Argh! Argh, argh, argh, no fair tempting me back over to the yaoi side of the OP fence! ~_~ Even in such a short little piece, X-parrot has reminded me of why I like the Zoro/Sanji pairing as an actual pairing, rather than purely gen. It's just... it's one of those little situations where it rang so clearly true, where I could just PICTURE the entire thing, practically right out of the manga (I love it when I can actually picture a fic in Oda-sensei's style) that it made me fall in love all over again. Wah. ;__; (Zoro/Sanji.)
- One Piece - Bothered by Sherry Marie - Ahhh, I have such a love of Zoro and Sanji still being at each other's throats even after they're sleeping together and the author has a really good, strong handle on the antagonism that's such a part of their dynamic. The dialogue was strong and the piece was just long enough as it needed to be to illustrate the little Moment fic that it turned out to be. ....dammit, I am sliding back into the yaoi for OP. >_> (Zoro/Sanji.)
- Saiyuki - And Time Again by sf - So, I tried not to rec this story until I'd finished all the parts of it. I got the first fifteen chapters read and then I said *ufufufufufu* I shall rec it NOW instead! Because I really have a terrible time waiting. When I first read the summary of this story--the Sanzo-ikkou had been reincarnated yet again--I was a little hesitant to read, because... well, I wanted Saiyuki as it is, not another version of them. But since I'm turn into a huge fan of the author's already and the story was long, I gave it a shot and wound up really falling in love with it. For one thing, it's INTERESTING and really doesn't take long in getting to the good stuff with the interaction between the characters. For another, do you know how happy it makes me to be able to read a long story where I'm not continually bracing myself against the Sanzo characterization? Where I can sit back and trust that he'll be written well? It's wonderful.
But that's not the only appeal to this story--the interaction between the Sanzo-ikkou is gorgeously done. Any time two or more of them are in a room together (which is most of the time in a fic about the Sanzo-ikkou, given XD), I just sort of sparkle like crazy because sf so completely captures the spirits of the characters. Seeing Sanzo become so important to Goku all over again warms my heart, seeing Sanzo and Hakkai look at each other with shared sympathy because their other friends are being morons makes me fangirl like crazy, seeing Gojyo and Hakkai becoming best friends all over again gives me a warm glow, because it's all... RIGHT. Because it all MAKES SENSE. Plus? Fight scenes! Eeeee! Well-done fight scenes and incredible flashbacks (Holy shit, all that stuff with Gyuumaou? SO COOL. +__+) and Kanzeon Bosatsu appearance that makes me practically cackle with delight and, oh, no one's really ignored, because they all get their moments, and my heart HURTS for Goku and there's a PLOT and it's GOOD and just... oh, I don't want this fic to ever end. Ever. ;___; (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Saiyuki - Biting the Bullet by Luc Court - Like Luc Court's other story, this Sanzo is just... he feels right, because his sharp, angry edges don't feel dulled here, because he's not bitchy, he's angry. Like the other story, there's a certain atmosphere to the story--intense, violent, hard, and never, ever clean or easy--that just fits with the Saiyuki I've become addicted to. The way the author weaves a turn of phrase into the writing works here, because they capture the feeling of Sanzo, of the Saiyuki universe, and it's just really good writing. A Sanzo character piece that's just gorgeous and doesn't pull its punches. I love that. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Saiyuki - Clockwork Happiness by Luc Court - Hakkai is nostalgic, which is a burden. He carries the stench of his own memories embodied in what he avoids. That's as good as remaining slave to your adversaries. Hakkai's breach in our defenses only inconveniences us when it keeps him from driving or talking or otherwise playing polite, so normally, I let it go by. This story... just... I don't know how to explain it. The atmosphere of it is just so goddamned perfect for characters like Sanzo and Hakkai that it feels like it's stealing my very breath from my lungs, so great is the tension there. It's... it's not just regular angst, it's the kind that genuinely hurts me, because it's so subtle and layered and hidden and covered. Because Sanzo and Hakkai are both so exquisitely, painfully in character that it puts a knot in my stomach. Because the atmosphere is so incredibly like Saiyuki at it's most intense (non-battle) moments that I know why I've fallen for the series and the characters. It's almost mesmerizing, in a way, this story, with Hakkai and his watch. Parallels being drawn and yet not, because Sanzo isn't the same as anyone, because Hakkai isn't the same as anyone, and just... god, I'm incoherent with how hard this fic hit me. (Some very, very light Sanzo/Hakkai hinted at.)
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Re: :D
Date: 2004-07-26 11:00 am (UTC)And, hey, I'm just happy that I could find stuff I liked in the fandom, because I assumed most authors would have left the series by now and that it wouldn't have attracted too much new blood. But I'd be all too happy to be proven wrong over and over. ^_~
Re: :D
Date: 2004-07-26 11:38 am (UTC):D :D I want more of Vows too. I love TohmaxMika. Do you like TohmaxEiri? ;_; Tell me you don't. One-sided Tohma/Eiri is good...
Re: :D
Date: 2004-07-26 11:53 am (UTC)Tohma/Eiri is... not my cup of tea. Even one-sided. I can see how people would interpret it that way, I'm not going to argue with them, but I don't see it and I'll admit... it drives me a little batty because almost always in those stories, the fic has Tohma either having just married Mika for business or to get closer to Eiri and just... WAH, NO, WANT MY ROMANTIC TOHMA/MIKA AND I'LL CRY IF YOU BREAK THEM UP! ;___;
^_~
Re: :D
Date: 2004-07-26 11:58 am (UTC)...#^_^# I just like seeing the fics I like in your site. I'd always lurved your rec'ing site. So neat. I find myself reading your recs of my favorite fics over and over again just because you really point out what's so good about it. X3
I love TohmaxMika too. I think Murakami meant for them to be together too :-D The manga does have Mika clarifying that...
Re: :D
Date: 2004-07-26 12:07 pm (UTC)Awww, thank you! #^_^# I'll probably forever attempting to encourage more people to do recs pages simply because I like hearing what other people have to say about fics and I like other people wading through the wilds of FFNET/LJ/whatever other archive to find stories, too--it helps increase the chance that I'll have something good to read. But it's also interesting just to read what other people have to say, even if I've already read the fic.
I can understand that Murakami-sensei may have intended Tohma/Eiri or may have hinted at past Hiro/Shuuichi feelings, but I honestly believe that the (het) relationships they're in now are genuine and that they love their partners. (I mean, she's a smart woman. I still think the idea of the doujinshi of her own manga was genius and I wish more mangaka would do that. XD ....I would love to see more smutty doujinshi from mangaka, truly. And OMG if she'd done TohmaxMika smut? HAPPY FANGIRL SQUEEING. XD)
Re: :D
Date: 2004-07-26 12:14 pm (UTC)I'd like to have a rec'ing site myself. Something like that, lol, but my English and describing skills are.. well, crap. I love your website and whenever I write a rec for a fic, I stop and look back at how you rec your fics and try to do just that in order to describe the fic more without spoiling it. Of course um, I practically worship your recs. O:-)
Dumdeedum, I agree with the hintage but I also have to admit Tohma and Mika display lots of.. couple qualities, I suppose. They trust each other and Mika believes in her husband. Tohma would go down my scale if he was taking advantage of that all along. T_T *cuddles Mika and Tohma* Their kiddo looks cute, btw! Murakami made a pic of it and it's up her website! And her doujins of her creations are awesome.. they really generate lots of pairing possibilities and keep fangirls happy with the smut. I'd like to have some TohmaxMika smut too though. XD Maybe a fangirl petition/request will make her do it? : 3
Re: :D
Date: 2004-07-27 07:34 am (UTC)*grins* Well, I don't think you'd have to do a recs site exactly like mine or exactly like anyone else's--several people just say one or two sentences about a story, what it was about or what they liked, and don't write an entire paragraph like I do. (Which is a lot more work, but I like to do it because I can never shut up. ^_~) Just start off with whatever is easiest for you to do and see how it goes from there? *lilting voice* It's not that hard~~ ^_~
Well, if nothing else, they're having a kid in the manga, yes? So, it's certainly not just a business marraige and I really do think that Murakami-sensei may have planted other hints in the series, but Yuki and Shuuichi were the only real shounen ai couple in the series. Just about everyone else was married or had a girlfriend (Hiro/Ayaka, Tohma/Mika, Noriko was married, K/Judy, etc. Though, I will grant Tatsuha's HUGE GIANT CRUSH on Ryuuichi totally being in That Direction, of course. XD)
Re: :D
Date: 2004-07-27 08:50 am (UTC)I don't really believe in Hiro/Ayaka though. It's sweet by Hiro is a bit..err.. And yes, I love K/Judy too. XD I saw 8 and died <3 <3 I love them. XD
I think an adorable pairing would be Suguru/Rage though. In the manga, they seem to be like each other...err.. ^^; (I'm imagining things, I should probably write one..)
Re: :D
Date: 2004-11-02 02:53 am (UTC)Re: :D
Date: 2004-11-02 02:51 am (UTC)Re: :D
Date: 2004-11-02 03:11 am (UTC)