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[ DBZ, Gravi, House, X, FMA, ML, CCS, Tenipuri, VS ]
Series:
Dragonball Z - 5 Fanfics
Gravitation - 3 Fanfics
House - 1 Fanfic
X - 1 Fanfic
Full Metal Alchemist - 4 Fanfics
Meine Liebe - 1 Fanfic
Cardcaptor Sakura - 1 Fanfic
Prince of Tennis - 2 Fanfics
Vagrant Story - 1 Fanfic
- Dragonball Z - Second Son, Last Chance by Nora - I cannot express the utter delight with which I read this fic, because this is so perfectly, so brilliantly the Vejiita and Bulma that I love. Gorgeous writing and a subtlty to the characters that I pine to find more often. There's this sense about the author's characterization of Vejiita that gives him a real depth, right down to the way he looks at baby Trunks or the way he looks at Bulma, in their conversation. Set the day after the final confrontation with Cell, it's a lovely story about Bulma dealing with the post-fight stress, with losing her childhood friend for good this time, with the father of her child not being around, all in a way that's just... subtle, quiet, and yet meaningful. These are the characters I come back to time and again, the perfection of it keeping me reading it again and again over the years. (Vejiita/Bulma.)
- Dragonball Z - The Third Bond by Nora - Really, I can't believe I'm only getting around to rec'ing Nora's trilogy now, it's been years since I first read them and fell in love with the characters. I suppose they were before I started doing the recs thing, but still! They're some of the founding stories that shaped my love for the characters! This story is no exception--it's a concept that might not have worked with another author, the idea of a psychic bond between the characters, but here the concept is pulled off brilliantly well, I actually BELIEVE it. The author's characterization of both Bulma and Vejiita continues to be brilliant, I don't even have to try and I can hear their original voices, I can picture the entire scene, and it all fits with the characters I know, it all makes sense, I can believe these events completely without reservation. I just... sink into this story every time I reread it, from dealing with the aftermath of the 13th movie to the scene where they're flying together (which could have been another of those painfully cliche things, but instead wound up being something that put stars in my eyes) to the island that Vejiita finally showed Bulma, all of it was so painfully perfect that I mourn the lack of more writing like it. *whines* (Bulma/Vejiita.)
- Dragonball Z - Prince of the Park by Nora - Another story that I read ages and ages ago and can't believe I haven't mentioned until now, 'cause I love it JUST THAT MUCH. The author's sense of humor and timing as Vejiita takes Trunks and Goten to an amusement park is just... oh, man, with so many other authors, I would have run SCREAMING from this fic, but here I cackled the entire way through and loved it SO FREAKING MUCH. Because the author retains Vejiita's personality, I can still see him in the character and believe he would react the way he does. I also love Trunks and Goten in an amusement park, from the bumper cars to the arguing about where to go next to the HORRIBLE FOOD THEY EAT and Vejiita's views of the park, what MUST be the true purpose behind all of it... it all was written with such a deft hand that it was brilliant. I suspect I'm overusing that word, but. I'm going to use it a few more times anyway. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. <3 Also? The end? So perfect. Just... aww, yeah, that's the way a DBZ fic like this should end. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Dragonball Z - From Bad to Worse by Darke Angelus - I think I was a little spoiled for this story, I started "A Dragonball Honeymoon" (as it stood on its own pretty well, even if it was the third in a series) before I backed up to read this one and I'd been watching a lot of the subtitled series and reading a lot of the manga. If I hadn't had those other examples to place next to these two, I suspect my view of this story would have fared better--however, I will also say that this story certainly did a lot of things that impressed me and I read the entire thing in the span of about two days. Given that it's almost 700k long, that certainly says a lot about how engaging the story is. Anyway. Getting my reservations out of the way first, my biggest qualm is that I didn't quite buy Vejiita's characterization, it struck me as a watered down version of the character. Mmm, maybe that's not quite it, more that this Vejiita was weaker than I would have liked, was more vulnerable than what I felt even the extreme circumstances called for. He felt off in a lot of places, was too quick to let the more angsty emotions overtake him, which are a lot different from the frustration and potent rage I'm more used to. There's also very definitely some favoritism going on with the story, the Vejiita/Bulma relationship is written with an undercurrent of always being better than everything else, that everyone is oh-so-wrong about Vejiita's true nature, that they're put in their place when they learn the truth. Of course, given that Vejiita is my favorite character and this is my favorite relationship, it didn't rankle me as much as it probably should have. ^_~
Okay, so after all of that bitching, why am I recommending this story? Because the author's prose is fantastic, I read 700k in the span of a couple of days because it was so smooth and easy to read that I was sucked right in. Even if I had my reservations about them, the dialogue and plot of the story were incredibly sparkling, the pacing of the story was fantastic, and the scope was perfect--epic without dragging. The author had a knack for writing a well-structured scene, the background/side characters felt very natural to the scene, so that you weren't just left with a skeletal Vejiita/Bulma scene, you had something that was three-dimensional and professional-feeling. The relationship is well-paced, they don't just immediately jump into bed, nor is the spark-filled dynamic ever forgotten, instead it thrives more and more as the story goes along. The author clearly loves both characters, gives and takes with both of them, and it was a genuinely interesting relationship that I enjoyed reading about.
This isn't meant to be a half-hearted rec, more one that I had reservations about, but still wound up thoroughly enjoying. The author was really good at weaving in background details (like Vejiita's Saiyajin memory skills, the way his race reacts to technology and the use of it or the way Bulma's company has made her an incredibly rich woman and how that affects her status in the world), at flinging problems at the couple that weren't quite so predictable, the way the funny moments were genuinely funny instead of forced-funny, the way everything felt very natural in the progression, that nothing was skimped on and this truly felt like a novel. There's a plot here and there's even sex. One of the things that I enjoyed most about the story was the way sex was worked into their dynamic without feeling awkward about it. I love Vejiita/Bulma sex when it's done well like it was here--not too graphic but not too glossed over, either. And I thought it was pretty. I'll forgive a lot for the pretty hetsex. ^_~ Oh! Oh! And one other thing I almost forgot about, one of my favorite things about the fic--Bulma had a brain in her head, she would actually stop and think about what Vejiita was saying/doing and why he was doing it, rather than just flying off the handle because the author needed extra "drama". It was refreshing to see her being sensible and smart, but still so very proud, stubborn, and hot-headed. It helped convince me a little more that this relationship could actually work in the way the author presented it. <3 (Vejiita/Bulma, occasionally NC-17-ish content.)
- Dragonball Z - A Dragonball Honeymoon by Dark Angelus - Tuning out all of the distractions of the city around him, Piccolo tried to rationalize this strange, new information. He supposed he should have been happy for the couple. Bulma had apparently found her long-awaited soul mate and Vegeta had actually allowed himself to conform to Earth rituals and make their union legitimate. As ever, the Namek rationalized the present situation with his usual pessimism: A brilliant human with an insatiable curiosity who thrived on adventure was now united with a homicidal alien capable of wielding incalculable destruction. As I mentioned in the previous rec, I started this story before I went back to the beginning to read and, in some ways, I'm glad I did, despite the way it colored my vision. I might have given up on the author if I hadn't read this story and sparkled over it so hard, because it's a lot like what I do want so badly from Vejiita/Bulma stories. In this story, they're recently married and off on their honeymoon (obviously) and it's... it's fun! Bulma has decided that they're going to have an old-fashioned dragonball hunt, meaning no super-fast flying or Super-Saiyajin abilities to hunt them down, so that they can spend time together.
Which results in one adventure after another--while none of them have the scope of the DBZ series, none of the earth-shattering danger (thus far, anyway), they're mini-adventures that are a delight to read about. The characterization of the characters has settled a bit from the previous story, so that I'm vibing better with them, Vejiita is less vulnerable and more centered/assured of himself, but without losing the fun, spark-filled relationship with Bulma. (Whom I've never really had too many comlaints about, she's always been written well, I thought.) It's another long story (just under 500k and the story is still in progress, so it may not even be half over yet) and everything I said about the author's work being so incredibly readable in the previous rec still applies here as well. Once I get started with the series, it's hard to put down, because the writing just sucks me in and is seamless enough, is richly detailed without being cumbersome or ever an info-dump enough that I lose track of time while reading.
There are a ton of little moments in the story that I just enjoyed the hell out of--little Trunks picking up on his father's language or the way he reacts to Piccolo in the first chapter are two moments that stand out in my mind, both having made me giggle madly--whether because they were funny or because I enjoyed the light-hearted sexual tension between the characters or whatever other reason. Ooh, ooh, and the chibi!Vejiita flashbacks? Too fucking cute. XD (Vejiita/Bulma, NC-17-ish in some chapters.)
- Gravitation - Difficult Exchange by Hawk Clowd - I really liked this story because I thought it did justice to the way sex between Yuki and Shuuichi would affect them--it can't be easy on Shuuichi and Yuki would not like causing him pain, yet he's not exactly the nicest or most open guy around. I loved that you could tell how Yuki really felt, but that he was still Yuki about it and the sniping back and forth? So much fun and the really sharp sort of dynamic that I love with these two. Gorgeous characterization and one of those little moments that just make the couple for me. ♥ (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - His Vices by Hawk Clowd - An interesting style to approach the course of Yuki Eiri's life, between New York and the beginning of the series, giving an overview of how he changed, how the vices he had became such a part of his life. There's a certain melancholy, sad tone to the fic, but not depressing, given the way things are going to change, obviously. My favorite thing about the story is the sense of emptiness to his life without the reader having to have that bashed into their head. <3 (No warnings/pairings.)
- Gravitation - Winter Roses by Hawk Clowd - Funny dialogue, great little moments (Yuki and the coffee especially amused me), and a hysterical way Yuki treats Shuuichi (seemingly almost barely aware of the chaos that is Shuuichi swirling around him) and you get a story that was a delight to read. The way Yuki absolutely knows how Shuuichi is going to react when it's snowing outside and Shuuichi doesn't get his way (ie, Yuki is not going outside to make snow angels) and the way Shuuichi is actually sarcastic sometimes...! Heeheehee. Just... so many good little moments and a nicely warm ending that I could believe and... *flails* this rec sucks, go read the fic anyway! (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- House - Safe from Harm by Panthea - [ part 01 - part 02 - part 03 - part 04 - part 02 - part 06 - part 07 - part 08 - part 09 - part 10 - part 11 ] - (I can't shake the feeling that I've rec'd this already. And, yet, I can't find it on my list. So if it's done twice, eh, it's worth reading twice? ....yeah. e__e) Amanda pointed this fic out to me awhile back and I've been watching the author's journal for updates every so often, because I think this may be the strongest House fic out there yet. The dialogue is so sharp and utterly nails the series' style to the point that I could have confused this story for canon. The author also says she doesn't have much medical knowledge, but it's not reflected in the fic, which feels incredibly natural in that aspect as well. The characterizations are also brilliant, House is his usual arrogant, bastard self, but that's the charm of the character. The Hot Young Doctors are also fantastically themselves, Wilson and Cuddy are fantastically themselves, and did I mention that the dialogue is as sharp as the show itself? I'm genuinely curious about the plot that's developing here, because it's unfolding in that way that the show itself has. I suspect that, by the time this fic is finished, it may well be the best fic in the fandom. Love it so far. (No warnings/pairings.)
- X - themes 4 and 5 by Kelsey - Okay, not so much Fuuma/Subaru this time around, but when Kelsey writes, I always have to read eventually because she just... she does such justice to these characters. The first one of these two ficlets is just... the way Fuuma sees Subaru's Wish, the way it clouds and changes sometimes, it felt so strongly of the series and hurt in a vague sort of way because you know the inevitable is the inevitable without having to be told that. The second says so much about Seishirou's relationship with Subaru, the way Fuuma intrudes in his spaces and how that affects him, connecting to the previous one in a lovely way. Just... this is the X I love. (Some Seishirou/Subaru.)
- Fullmetal Alchemist - Fullmetal Narcissist by Harukami - I proudly, proudly flaunt any part I may have taken in helping to encourage this story because... the Ed x Edclone? Oh SO pretty. And just... *cracks up* there's something so Ed-like in the crack of this, there are those lovely moments of his thought patterns that are so sharp and brilliant, the little moments where he says or does something that's just so like him, even amongst the brilliant crack here. And, oh, what crack it is. Based on the PS2 game where Ed can make clones of himself, Haru takes that concept, gleefully skips off to the gutter, and runs with it, creating the most brilliant fic out of it. Just... I wheezed with laughter for this fic at at least four seperate points. I also mentioned the hot sex? Because. Yes. So much love for her. ♥ (Ed x Ed, NC-17 content.)
- Fullmetal Alchemist - Worst Day of the Year by Harukami - Eeeeee! Oh, this one started out as wonderful Valentine's Day crack and ended up as something that was just... *waves hands* oh, you have to go read it. Ed's adorable when he's being stalked by people who want to give him chocolate (Breda was my favorite, I think XD) or when he's turning to Hawkeye to be the only sane one in the place (Her Valentine's Day plans? SO NEAT. I was shocked at how much I liked that bit, but it really makes sense in a way.) or the way Roy's near-fanclub was practically legend and THE END! YOU MUST READ IT FOR THE END! Just... I am filled with the happy. <3 (Random pairings hinted at, but nothing explicit.)
- Fullmetal Alchemist - Keep Me Level by Bri - Okay. So. I've gone on at length about the author's FMA fic already, so I probably should back off a notch. Hmph. Yeah. That'll happen. Anyway, yukihyou was darling enough to inquire about the author's other work and passed along the links so I have more RoyEd to read! *twirls* And this one is just... there are all these little images woven into the fic, the fighting or the sex or the sleeping afterwards, they all paint these incredibly lovely images in my head that make me wish I could draw them, despite not being an artist at all. The gorgeous images of a sleeping Roy with his head resting against the back of Ed's shoulder or the way Roy's dark hair slides through Ed's fingers or any of the other little movements while they have a quiet moment to offset the way Ed had punched him earlier in the day. It's not quite sap, it's quiet instead and I love that. I suspect I made bad fangirly humming noises while reading this. >___>a (RoyEd.)
- Fullmetal Alchemist - War by Bri - ....I. Love. This. Fic. So, so, so much. It is classic, brilliant RoyEd snarky dynamic. Well, not so much snarky as tie-Ed-to-a-chair-and-try-to-make-him-drink-milk-before-he-escapes-and-or-mutilates-you RoyEd dynamic. I very nearly cackled the entire way through this because the author is good at the humor here, it doesn't go too far over the line into parody, yet is still funny as hell. And, oh, the comedic timing and the brilliantness of both characters and I'm ready to call this use of the calcium pill on the same level as Pengie's from Tenipuri, because HAHAHAHAHA LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH. If you're only going to read one of Bri's fics, I suggest this one because... HAHAHAHAHA, GENIUS. The kind of genuinely funny fic that doesn't get written nearly enough these days, much less with these characters. I'm in love. You probably picked up on that, huh? (Roy/Ed.)
- Meine Liebe - Push Shots by iniqincognito - There's something about this fic that I wound up just utterly LOVING, something about it that really captured the spirit of the series so well that I could just picture it. Orphe's narrative voice was really nicely done, especially the way he looks at Ed, how it's never too obvious, but the meaning underneath is obvious how much he cares for the other. The idea of a pool hall isn't something I would have thought up for the characters msyelf, but it works wonderfully well to bring out facets of the characters and I could just SEE it in the same style as the anime that I wound up falling in love with the fic. Really good ML fic, YAY! <3 The world needs more than just two of them. XP (A little bit Orphe/Ed, but could really be gen, too.)
- Cardcaptor Sakura - Morning People by baka deshi - Heeheehee. Touya-waking-up-fic! I love the author's take on the character, because she does such a fantastic job of hitting that balance between cranky and genuinely caring that Touya is, because her humor is actually funny. Because I love the image of Yukito being a morning person (Touya had asked him once how on earth that was possible, and Yuki had gotten that weird spacey look before saying (in Yue's voice) that "My former Master had an...odd sense of humor." (The Plushie, for his part, had simply clarified that "Clow was as nutty as a fruitcake, and there's just No Accounting for Some People.") ....I crack up EVERY TIME I read that. XD XD XD), because Touya being cranky at the morning light and the BIRDS amuses me so much, because everything working against him makes me break out in delighted laughter, because this is such a FUN fic. <3<3<3 (A little Touya/Yukito, but nothing explicit.)
- Prince of Tennis - Duet: Andante by Shi Lin - Ohtori is aware that a post-game rush of endorphins will make things seem simpler, clearer, better than they might actually be; Shi Lin has this absolutely lovely way of weaving a musical theme into her writing with these two characters that's not too obvious and yet still has meaning, still lets her build to something that I never quite see coming, but makes perfect sense. Which is me trying to say that I don't find her fics trite or predictable, instead her lovely, lovely writing sails along as she intends it, gentle and subtle, the way these characters should be written, her writing so smooth and clear that it nearly pains me to read it. Just... this is Shishido and Ohtori for me, she captures them so well. <3 Ooh, and the ending! So much love for that and what it SAID without saying anything. :D (Ohtori/Shishido.)
- Prince of Tennis - Sigma by karabana - TezuFuji! And MATH! Eeee, both my inner geeks/fangirls have come together in a lovely union and are now busy lighting up about three seperate universes with the power of their glowing. ......ahem. I mean. Ooh, new TezuFuji author that writes them with that lovely subtlty that almost borders on obscurity that somehow works for these characters in this fic. It's also an interesting take on their dynamic, why they're together and I really like the way Tezuka thinks in terms of math when it comes to Fuji, just for a moment. It works beautifully well here. (Tezuka/Fuji.)
- Vagrant Story - Bell the Cat by Harukami - Someday, I'll finish a VS story by someone other than Haru. Until that day comes, I'm going to continue to delight in her Sydney/Ashley fic because she... I mean, with most fic, I just don't do the bloodplay thing, but somehow she makes it work with these characters and makes it interesting even to me. The dynamic between the characters rings really true for me (not that I've played the game, mind, but they still give off that sense to me) and the ending? Really, really good. (Sydney/Ashley.)
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And I love the fact that you're a DBZ fan. SO MUCH! Cuz lets face it, when you say you're a DBZ fan, you usually get that LOOK. The one that says "ugh, are you SERIOUS?!" And especially being an adult female DBZ fan... that's pretty rare. I've loved Dragon Ball since I saw those first 12 horribly mangled and dubbed eps at 5am on saturday morning TV waaay back in 1995, and although I have seen MANY other anime since then, I still have such nostalgia and love for Dragon Ball that I still get in moods for it and just HAVE to bust out all the tapes again. And actually, this past year I finally saw the entire DBGT season, so my Dragon Ball love has been revived again!
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I'm SO GLAD I'm not the only one who's a fan of the series in a serious way, because there is a lot of that, "But it's such a BAD series, why do you like it? It's not even so bad it's good, it's just bad!" and it's hard to tell them that it's half about the silly and half about an honest-to-god good show. I don't mind the dub terribly, because it's still the show and I've watched a fair chunk of it and I can understand a lot of the choices they made, especially given that it was one of the earlier series imported over. And yet... the dubbed version really can't compare to the original. Even Sailor Moon's dub got the impact of the series across better than DBZ's dub did.
And yes! I've seen many, many other anime since then and I've liked a lot of them immensely. DBZ wasn't even one of my first, I didn't get into it until I'd been around the block a time or two, yet it still had something classic that drew me in. I made the Sailor Moon comparison before and I think that stands here, too--there's something really eternal about both series, they each set the standard in a lot of ways and they're good when you get to the heart of the series, surprisingly full of intriguing characters.
I tried to keep up with GT as super5.com was putting out the subbed episodes, but even I had a hell of a time getting past the art, because... wow. Gohan, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? Bulma and Chichi looked almost... like bobble-head dolls and Trunks just looked WEIRD and I resented the way they'd pretty much turned him into a pussy and Pan annoyed the crap out of me, but I do want to go back and finish the series at some point, because the rest of the characters intrigue me and the SSJ4 level amuses me greatly. (I was also rewatching bits and pieces, where Bebi has taken over Goten and is forcing him to fight against Gohan and EEEEEEE SON BOYS FIGHTING EACH OTHER EEEEEE SO MUCH LOVE!)
....and I'm rambling now. :x
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Anyway, my recomendation for GT is to watch it for free (I borrowed the DVDs from my father's friend from work!) and try not to compare it to the original series, cuz it's definitely not going to compare at all. But like I said, it's entertaining in its own quirky way.
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In a weird way, I kinda like the SSJ4 designs, I think it was because they were more streamlined than the SSJ2 and SSJ3 ones--there was only so much hair you could put on a character before it was bigger than he was, you know? Plus! The tails! I kinda liked that they regrew their tails. >___> (I also remember being a little amused that Gojiita screwed around so long that the fusion wore off before they could defeat the enemy because he/they was/were JUST THAT ARROGANT. XD) I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one annoyed by Pan in the first arc (I caught a few minutes of the dub the other night and, strangely enough, I almost liked her better there--though, I wanted to just SMACK Trunks, he was so irritating. That's one of my biggest gripes--NO, NO, NO, NO, YOU DO NOT MAKE TRUNKS A PUSSY, YOU JUST DON'T *DO* THAT! >E), but knowing what to expect ahead of time now, I hope it'll come across better, since this has inspired me to hunt down all the episodes and finally watch them all the way through. <3
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(Terribly glad you liked, though. I was having Fuuma issues when I wrote them. TT)
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(Fuuma... I'm fascinated by the character when done right, but he strikes me as one of the more difficult ones to get right, considering how little we really KNOW about WTF is going on with him. ....I still think, given the image of one Kamui ripping a feathered wing out of the other Kamui when the Dark Kamui awoke, that it's not really FUUMA, that it's the other half of Kamui that's taken over him, that MAYBE Kamui only retains his sense of self and wanting to get Fuuma back because he hasn't fully awakened yet, but just try working THAT into a fic. *links off*)
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And I DID hear dubbed!Trunks' voice during the Cell Games eps, but I haven't heard him on GT. Is it the same actor? Cuz I thought he wasn't that bad from what I heard of him. Of course, you must admit, GT!Trunks IS a pussy compared to Future Trunks ^^;;. Hell, he's a pussy compared to himself as a chibi! He musta stopped training or something after he got older!
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I didn't mind dubbed!Trunks' voice in the Cell saga or even chibi!Trunks' voice in the Buu/Fusion/etc. sagas, because it fit the character pretty well for a dub. I'm not sure if it's the same voice, but I THINK Goku's voice is the same as the original dub for the Dragonball series?
What bothered me most about making Trunks a pussy (even if chibi!Trunks is one compared to him--which is only fair, given that the same could almost be said of teenage!Gohan and Future Gohan) is that the ending of DBZ didn't really indicate the character was headed in that direction. He'd always seemed to love getting into mischief, he looked FORWARD to strong opponents and dangerous situations with nearly unholy glee and... all of a sudden he's had a complete personality transplant and has become a whimpy teenager? ARGH. (Also, I can't help thinking Vejiita would have beaten the shit out of him every day in training until he MADE Trunks get back into fighting shape if he even just started to slip. The idea that Trunks would just let himself go like that... ARGH! *rips hair out*) So, really, it's my beef with GT in general, not just the dub.