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[ Samurai Champloo, FF7, Samurai 7, Love Mode, WK, G-SEED, HP, FMA ]
Series:
Samurai Champloo - 1 Fanfic
Final Fantasy 7 - 1 Fanfic
Samurai 7 - 2 Fanfics
Love Mode - 1 Fanfic
Weiss Kreuz - 1 Fanfic
Gundam SEED - 1 Fanfic
Harry Potter - 1 Fanfic
Gundam Wing - 1 Fanfic
Gundam SEED - 10 Fanart
Gundam SEED/Full Metal Alchemist - 1 Fanart
- Samurai Champloo - Bruised by Eleanor K. - Oh, how I have pined for Samurai Champloo fanfic like this. Even if no other fic comes along ever again (not that this should stop people, mind +__+), I can be happy with this story, because it's rough, it's intense, it's not easy, it's not smooth, it's Jin and Mugen, and the way they fight. The author's writing is lovely, but it's this sense of the fight between Jin and Mugen, the intensity of that and the hotness of it, just... it's so... Samurai Champloo-like. The characterizations were fantastic, too, and just... yeah, I wish I could give this a better, more intelligent/insightful rec, but sometimes all there is to say about a fic is, "Guh. Go read now." *__* (Jin/Mugen, NC-17.)
- Final Fantasy 7 - Hula Hula Baby by Harukami - I don't read much FF7 fic, simply because I'm not very familiar with the characters, but I have a strong soft spot for Cid/Vincent stories and when Haru wrote one, well, naturally I had to read it. And what really kind of impressed me here is that she took an idea that could have been a goofy little oneshot and made a real, solid fic out of it and it was utterly natural and felt so very much like the characters. So many gorgeous little details and so many moments that made me smile or giggle, but it was the way that Cid just sort of... is so himself and how that's such a good thing for Vincent. Things aren't forgotten, people aren't forgotten, nothing is easy or smooth, everything is sharp-edged and difficult, but it's also, you know, a GOOD STORY. ♥ (Cid/Vincent, a lot of swearing, obviously.)
- Samurai 7 - Wash by mswyrr - (Note: This fic will have spoilers for episode 12 and this rec may contain vague spoilers as well.) I remember seeing this fic back when I was still way, way behind on Samurai 7 and saved it to read once I'd gotten at least through episode 12 and I'm so glad I did because this was a lovely compliment to Kirara and Katsushirou's scene, making the ache of it hurt just like it did in the episode. There's a certain gentle elegance the fumbling they do, to the pain they share, and the characterization and writing are just... right on for this series. I wibble just thinking about this scene and how marvellously it compliments the anime. ;____; (I'm going to call it gen, but it might be a little Katsushirou/Kirara.)
- Samurai 7 - Grains by Mina Lightstar - Oh, my fangirl heart delights that Mina wrote fic for Samurai 7, because this story was just so good and expanded on the characters so well and kept in tune with them so well. She hit all the right notes with Katsushirou, played with all the aspects of the character that make me adore him for being so much more than a pretty boy, and the relationship with Kambei was perfect. Not quite his teacher, yet still guiding him and things are a little harsh for all of them, but that's exactly the atmosphere in the series itself. That's the other thing I loved, that it captured that tone the series has, especially with the example with the rice used here, that I could so very easily see this sliding right between the frames of canon. Beautiful fic. ♥ (No warnings/pairings.)
- Love Mode - Past Wounds by darkgloom - (Note: There may be vague spoilers in referenced in this story or even this rec if you haven't read the end of the series.) This fic makes me want to cry. But in the way it was supposed to, because... part of me feels guilty for liking a Reiji/Kiichi piece where Haruomi was never introduced into the situation at the Aoe household and the way things ended differently because of that, especially because it was not a happy time for them and just... this story captures the rage and helplessness and awfulness of life under Aoe Shougo's household, even years after he's dead. Every little detail about this story, from Kiichi's expressions to the imagery of his abuse to the cigarettes to Reiji's emotions/reactions was beautifully done, utterly did the series justice, I thought. If things hadn't gone the way they had... I honestly believe this is how they would have. It's heartwrenching and yet beautiful for that. It made me want to cry. ;___;
- Weiss Kreuz - Deserted by Eleanor K. - Since Jenn-san has been writing WK fic lately, it's been putting me in an even more WK-ish mood and this little fic just made me even more ravenous for good fic on the series, because it had this well-done atmosphere to the piece, in the sense that... it was very evocative of an emotion (isolation/not-isolation) while still being wonderfully in character. All four scenes were described beautifully, capturing a certain sense about them, especially the emotion behind with without being emotional about it (<---that makes sense to me, that's all I care about >P) and tying everything back together at the end without being obvious. Plus, I have such mad love for Schwarz, I really do. ♥ (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gundam SEED - Stay by Shikami Yamino - I had been desperately searching for Gundam SEED fic that didn't, you know, suck and I was having minimal luck until I managed to stumble over this story and was I just entranced. The writing is lovely, not just clean and clear, but also clever and sharp as hell. It... well, sparkled. The relationship between Ashuran and Cagalli was not only pitch-perfect, but it was the kind that had that same spark that they have, it was good. And, oh, the emotion of the piece, the lighter ending of the second chapter, the way the whole thing either touched my heart or made me smile... it's exactly, exactly what I was looking for. ....wow, that's a crappy rec for possibly the best G-SEED fic I've read. (Ashuran/Cagalli.)
- Harry Potter - Beyond the Veil by Helene - (Note: Spoilers, of course, for the Order of the Phoenix book.) I just... I don't even know where to begin with this story. I normally have trouble reading anything that's longer than 35k, but I could not put this 300k+ story down from the moment I started reading it, it left me breathless and on the edge of my seat the entire time. There are so many wonderful little things about the story and I wish I could give this story a proper rec because... this is sort of the defining 'dream fic' that I'd been searching for, the one that fixed what I wanted to be fixed, but did so in a believable and utterly amazingly well-done way. I imagine most people who are looking for a post-OotP story that 'fixes' the even events of said book have already read this story, but it took me awhile to get around to it and I'm kind of sad that it took me this long. I really can't express the sort of... desperate craving that this story fulfilled, that I finally found that one perfect fic I'd been craving so badly. And I harp on this a lot in the review because that's what utterly sent me over the moon--that this is what I wanted.
And what that was? An extremely well-plotted and believable and logical 'fix it' for Sirius' death, a way to get him back in a way that I could buy. Everything felt like it was possible, like the magics used fit with the Harry Potter world, the little details of various artifacts or grains of knowledge that are from the HP background coming into play and being used in a way that made sense, that everything just... came together. It felt natural. I can't sparkle madly about that enough. (Hence why this is quite the long rec. My apologies for the over-fangirling here. ~___~) And, oh, man, the characterization. It wasn't just cut and dry plotting of various bits of magic and 'world building', there was so much emotion packed into the scenes, even little touches of humor, so that I was caught up in the whirlwind of what was happening with the characters, that I felt their ups and downs right along with them.
The dialogue and little bits of insight you see whenever a scene was written from a certain character's POV was just wonderful--Remus understanding things that most people don't get and the way Harry is slowly starting to learn to open his eyes as well; the scenes with Snape in the fic were some of the best for that. The way any given character reacted to him was fascinating to watch, because it explained so much about their characters. And they were all three-dimensional here, all working with their own motivations and issues and, gaaaah, this story got to the heart of what I'd been wanting authors to play with, the dynamics between Sirius, Remus, and Harry (with a little bit of Snape thrown in there) and... I flutter. And gush. My apologies if I got your shoes all wet over it. *wry* (Sirius/Remus, post-OotP.)
- Gundam Wing - To Fall From Grace by Shikami Yamino - I happened to pick up this story because I'd just finished reading the author's Gundam SEED fic that I was so gushingly dippy over and saw that she was at least 1x2-friendly and her writing was good, so I figured, what the hell, I'll give this one a shot. I was immediately sucked in and could not stop reading until I'd read all 350k+ of it that was available. I will give two caveats before I get into it: One, the story is not finished and ends on a rather nasty cliffhanger. It doesn't seem to have been updated in a couple of years, so it may very well be abandoned. I do still recommend it, though, because what there is of it is a hell of a ride. Two, the random Fangirl Japanese being littered througout the fic can be distracting at times, but I will grant that it didn't rate as high on my annoyance meter as it usually does, so I think the incredible strength of the writing counteracts it a lot. That said, man, I think this has to be one of my new favorite GundamW fics, because it is just so thoroughly plotted and the characterization is so incredibly tight.
Every scene is filled with details of the background world and it all fits together, makes sense, and, the most gorgeous part of it all, is that it's not distracting. It's not an info-dump, it's all woven into the writing of the story, so that when something comes up, it feels like it's part of the entire tapestry being woven, not something just tacked on. That's an incredibly rare thing to find when you have something that has as many little details packed into a story as this one does. And it all blends with the characters as well, their skills and their personalities and just... I could believe this, more than any other fic I've read, I think. It makes all of the characters brilliant soldiers, but still so very human. Heero's humanity is peeking through, but you still see the battle-hardened soldier. Quatre's gentleness never wavers, but you still see the incredibly strong person that he is. Wufei's beliefs are still as strong as ever, but you see the human side of him, too. And, oh, Duo, even when he's evil, he's so brilliantly a fighter.
What I love about this story is that it takes its concept (that a rising faction is assassinating world leaders and the Preventers need to stop them and the G-boys have to be called in because one of their own is involved and they're the only ones who can stop him) and runs with it, really crafting a story that feels... solid out of it. But then you combine the characterization, the way I was carried along with the characters' emotions, the way they cared about their friends (OMG! WITHOUT being 14-year-old girls about it! I could have wept for joy.) and were so damned determined to save him and keep the peace. From the minute I picked up this story, I couldn't put it down, I was riveted to it and the unfolding plot and desperate to know what would happen next. I pine that the ending hasn't been posted, but it wasn't the worst place it could have ended, I suppose. ^_~ ....oh, yeah, and the Heero - Duo friendship stuff totally sent me into orbit because it wasn't overdone and it respected both characters and it was just... amazingly written. I flutter over the fic. ....shut up, I can gush if I want to. >P (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gundam SEED - kurobosi [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I knew right from the top illustration of this site, which is a beautiful illustration of Kira and Lux (who's wearing this beautiful light pink dress and Kira's outfit has all these neat straps/buckles on it that I totally go for) that I would probably love this site and I wasn't disappointed--the artist's basic lines are really strong, she has a good sense for softer details in her fine lines, so the characters' hair wind up looking just terrific and she does this great thing with their eyes that really makes them stand out. But it's more than just that and it's more than just that the artist does really well with their clothes, it's that... I get a sense of fangirlyness when I go to this site, because her characters are just so lovely. And it doesn't hurt that she seems slightly more fond of Kira/Lux, which makes me wibble with great joy. <3 (Kira/Lux, Ashuran/Kira.)
- Gundam SEED - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I don't know what it is about Fraga/Kira that makes artists draw so well, but there are a handful of them out there who are drawing some really, really nice stuff and this artist... her lines and colors and proportions are all just so solid and made the art so much fun for me to go through. The colors are those softer colors that I just go nuts over and the way they make certain details stand out (especially their eyes) always impresses me and... well, I guess I'm not sure what to say about the style of the art, because it's just simply good, the kind that you can tell there's a lot of talent and discipline there and... it's the kind of art that wins me over to pouring over the gallery because it's such pretty stuff. But I'm also recommending this site because, if you skip the K/F stuff and just go straight for the Mwu la Fraga section, there is some gorgeous Fraga art that is worth the site alone, it's really some of the artist's best stuff, I think. I swoon. (Fraga/Kira, worth going for the gen Fraga stuff, too.)
- Gundam SEED - DASH [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - This site isn't going to be for everyone, especially the girl!Dearka stuff (where he's dressed up as a cheerleader or in a skirt sometimes), but I had to recommend it for two reasons. One, the artist's Dearka looks really nice--she draws him looking gorgeous or as a kid who is utterly adorable and she often times has an awesome sense of color. Two, Dearka/Millie fanart sometimes! *shimmers* Walking on the beach and holding hands or similar things. While Yzak/Dearka is more common on the site, it's one of those that draws Dearka so well (god, his eyes and hair look fantastic sometimes) and in so many different poses/concepts that it's worth going if you like the character at all or if you like either pairing with him. I had much fun on the site. <3 (Some Yzak/Dearka, some Dearka/Millie.)
- Gundam SEED - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - ....holy crap, this artist draws a fantastic Ashuran, to the point that it could almost be on par with official art at times. The basic lineart is really, really good (the top two b&w sketches in the rakugaki section really show it off well), but then you add in some really solid coloring and the art gets even better. The top illustration of Ashuran from Destiny, in his new outfit is just so pretty to look at and the more I went through the gallery, the more I noticed that her inking is really top-notch, it's what pulls the illustrations together, I think. Plus, Ashuran in his space suit pulling an unconscious (?) Cagalli in her own space suit closer, the way you can just feel his desperation from his body language was so good. This site made me sparkly. :D (Some Ashuran/Cagalli.)
- Gundam SEED - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Aaaaaaand I think this may be, hands down, the prettiest Fraga/Kira site I've ever seen. The artist's work is just everything I look for--she does these beautiful colors and her lines are very fine and detailed yet clear, and she puts all these details into her illustrations that I nearly swoon over each and every one of them. They're just... it's not that I'm convinced of the pairing by them, but they make them so much fun to go through and so much fun to pour over the entire contents of the site. This is another one where I really do suggest going even if you're not a fan of the pairing but you like the individual characters because there's some gorgeous Fraga fanart on this site. Buried somewhere in one of the oekaki/rough galleries (make sure you hunt all over) there is this hot illustration of Fraga sliding a gun into/out of the back of his pants that I swear every G-SEED fangirl should see. *__* Just... man, this art is beautiful. (Fraga/Kira, worth going for the gen Fraga stuff, too.)
- Gundam SEED - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I think... maybe the Fraga/Kira fanart is eating my brain? Just a little bit? But, really, I have massive love for Fraga so anything with pretty fanart of him on it, I immediately want. I kinda like the sense of this site, the intensity somehow, maybe it was just the slightly more rough take on the characters, but... well, there's this one of Fraga with his shirt open and he's got all these muscles and I just go, "*___* Hiiiiiiiiii, you're very pretty, aren't you~~?" and have to get out the mop. ^_~ It's not my ultimate favorite, I probably do usually prefer something a little softer, but I also like the art here and some of the more recent stuff does a really great job with the Destiny characters and all that gorgeous long hair. *__* (Some Fraga/Kira.)
- Gundam SEED - 4th Not Found [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I... I... I... I tried not to like the idea of Fraga/Kruze, I did! But... the artist drew a couple of the illustrations to look so pretty that I was kinda won over. I mean, I like both characters a lot and something about the way this artist draws... she uses that softening filter really well, so everything looks really pretty and gentle and I totally go for that kind of stuff. And, yeah, the proportions are a little off sometimes, but I really will forgive a lot for pretty colors and an artist working with a lot of different characters, including some nice illustrations of the girls or some nicely done group shots. Plus, a lot of the Azrael fanart illustrations were well-done, fit well with the character or just looked really nice (like the one with the white wings *_*), and I mentioned that Fraga and Kruze (seperately and/or together) looked good? Yeah, that's all I need. ^_~ (A little Fraga/Kruze, a little Kruze/Azrael, some gen.)
- Gundam SEED - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Eeeeeeee! Dearka/Millie! *squees happily* I knew about this pairing before I'd really seen where it came from in the series and it sort of seemed like it must have been one of those pairings that was thrown in to detract from the potential yaoi, but... I really vibed on it once they started interacting and it's so sweet and this site just utterly fed my desire for more. The art was a bit difficult to find, but it's very much worth it, I think, if only for the wedding illustration, which... okay, I'm a dippy fangirl and I kinda went nuts over it. But the artist draws these really intimate/romantic/fun illustrations that get at the romantic fangirl in me and make her sigh with happiness. Plus, they're pretty! and who can resist shirtless!Dearka and pantless!Millie lying curled up next to each other and looking intently at each other? *floats~* (Dearka/Millie.)
- Gundam SEED - Happy Water [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - So I found a bit of the Dearka/Millie corner of the G-SEED fanart sites and I immediately pounce on anything that had them and this is one of the sites that... occasionally, the art is slightly off, but the artist does some really great things with colors and when she's on, she's on. Her Christmas Dearka/Millie is utterly lovely and the one of them in kimonos with the little fans is even prettier and there's lots of hand-holding and hugging going on and even the occasional slight bit of ecchiness that totally made me happy, like the one of Millie in Dearka's lap wearing nothing but strategically placed ribbons. *__* I tore through her SEED section and really wanted more when I was done, so that's how I know it was a good site. *grin* (Dearka/Millie. None in the G-SEED section as of yet, but watch out for some nudity in the other catagories if you go exploring.)
- Gundam SEED - ASUKA-CLUB [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - ....I originally never planned a Dearka/Millie section on my archive site, because I assumed I wouldn't be able to find enough of them. Then I found this site. And I fell in love even more. Absolutely everything on this site made me just shimmer madly over the gorgeousness of the art, I couldn't even possibly pick out a few to detail a little because everything is just so... right for them. The colors, the lines, the proportions, the concepts/poses, the sense of fun and attraction between the characters, all of it. One of the best things about the site, though, is the extensive collection of really wonderful oekaki art that... okay, sometimes oekaki art can be a little disappointing when compared to regular art, but I found myself enjoying the hell out of her oekaki because it's almost on the same level as her regular stuff--the colors are gorgeous, the proportions great, just... this is what I wanted from a Dearka/Millie site. And that wedding one as the current top? Or the one of them in kimono and sharing sake on the top of the gallery page? Gorgeous. Everything is worth scouring over with this site, I think, so make sure to hit the artist's oekaki board, there's a lot more there, too. ♥ ♥ ♥ (Dearka/Millie.)
- Full Metal Alchemist/Gundam SEED - Scalar [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I swear, this site did more for my FMA fannishness lately than I would have thought possible, but... I am such the sucker for Roy/Ed art that's both cute and squee-inducing, especially when you have stuff like Roy ducking under Ed's umbrella in the rain or Ed flopping onto him while reading or Ed sliding a sleeping Roy's boots off or the two of them holding a dog and cat and looking SO FECKING ADORABLE. The artist really has a strong sense for colors that work with the characters and just draws them to look pretty and managed to somehow hit that SQUEE factor for me. And her SEED art has much the same pros that her FMA work does--the lines are clean, fine, and detailed, the colors are soft but not washed out, it's adorable art (even I have to smile at Fraga's hat being way too big for Kira and flopping over his eyes and a sort of "Geeehh!!" posture >D) and is just... you could almost barely tell there were any pairings here, everything's just... friendly and nice. Soothing. I like that. <3 (Roy/Ed and Fraga/Kira.)
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Wai! #^_______^# Sankyuu~
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