[ FMA, Viewfinder, Bleach, Naruto, Gokusen ]

[tomomichi]

Notes/Babbling:
1) Despite the lack of it this time around, I am in such the Tezuka x Fuji mood after Anipuri 175. When I hunt down more fic, you all will be utterly spammed with the ZukaFuji. ♥
2) And dude! Bleach! Holy crap, there's fic I can read now! ♥
3) Viewfinder? Really? I totally blame jennifier_d for dragging me back into a series I hadn't touched for A YEAR AND A HALF. I totally don't feel guilty about One Piece anymore. ....not that, uh, I did before, of course. >__>
Series:
    Fullmetal Alchemist - 1 Fanfic
    Viewfinder - 5 Fanfics
    Bleach - 3 Fanfics
    Naruto - 1 Fanfic
    Gokusen - 2 Fanfics



- Fullmetal Alchemist - Window Dressing by the Hoyden - Edward Elric could never be decorative on anyone's arm - unless one favored imminent, continued explosion in one's immediate vicinity. There is an utterly brilliant reveal in this story that had me just floored with how utterly perfect it was to the characters. Just... PRICELESS. And, damn, the Roy and Ed characterizations are brilliant here, too, so sharp and fantastic, right down to the way Ed apparently reacted in the library when the book he'd been looking for was useless. The Roy insight is wonderful, the dialogue sharp and brilliant, but it's just... god, the reveal. If there were better things than Fullmetal having a hissy fit, Roy just didn't know what they were. INDEED. Loved this fic *so much*. To the point of incoherency, apparently. 9__9 (Roy/Ed.)

- Viewfinder - Distorted Reality by Kadira - In my trolling around for Viewfinder fic (I've read one before, but that was probably more for the novelty than a driving need for any of it, given that I hadn't read the series in years), I happened to come across this one and noted that it was a threesome fic and after being yanked back into the fandom by Jenn-san, I have a new appreciation for Fei Long. So! Why bother choosing a pairing (even if I do lean towards AsamixAkihito >__>) when I wanted to see how a threesome would work between them? And, holy hell, this fic was brilliant. To the point I kind of suspect that no other fic will be able to match it for me. The writing is gorgeous and manages to capture that intense, beautiful style the manga has, the kind that I couldn't look away from until there was no more to read. The characterizations are stunning--Akihito is brilliantly in character here, trying to deal with whatever it is that he (and his body) feel towards Asami, how much he hates (and is scared of) Fei Long, the way he sees whatever it is between Asami and Fei Long and the conflicted feelings there. It's this entire bundle of feelings he has that are brilliantly captured into the writing here.

But then there's the smut that's really impressive, as the author takes her time, really builds everything up. It's not just three random guys shoved together, the dynamics here came across as being uniquely Asami, Fei Long, and Akihito. Not to mention gorgeous smut that was worth reading even if it hadn't been a brilliant look into these three characters. And if that weren't enough, the second half of the story, with just Asami and Akihito... it was breathtaking in all the same ways the manga itself is. Asami is not a nice person at all, you feel like you should hate the son of a bitch and want him to die a stabbity death, but he's so goddamned gorgeous and charismatic, that I'm sucked into the story and sparkle-eyed the entire way through.

Of course, even more than just that it's really gorgeous in character Asami/Akihito pr0n, the author carefully starts working on some of their issues, on Akihito's conflicted feelings and has Asami drag a few things out of him that he doesn't necesarily want to admit to, but in such a way that it is beautifully Asami. The motivations and style are so very like these characters, the sex is so very like these characters, the writing is so beautiful that the whole thing felt like the manga come to life for me while I was reading. It absolutely did the series justice in my my eyes. (AsamixFei LongxAkihito, AsamixAkihito, very NC-17.)

- Viewfinder - Cold of the Night by Kadira - This time, this is a more quiet Asami introspective piece from the author of the above fic, which I really liked because of the way she climbs very nicely inside Asami's head, the way he's so... himself. Again, I feel like I should hate the son of a bitch for being such a bastard, but I wind up being so entranced with his elegance that I can't help going starry-eyed over the character. The way Asami thinks about both Fei Long and Akihito here (mostly Akihito, really) is perfect and just... wow. (Asami/Akihito.)

- Viewfinder - Double Exposure by Pru - This was an interesting story that managed to somehow make Asami a little bit more human (and did a good job of getting inside Akihito's head, of showing his reactions to events and the lack of events around him) and the way things change when Asami isn't around so much and then he's around a lot more, but not in the same way as before, all without having to really remark on any of the ways things have changed, you just feel it. Plus, there were some absolutely classic lines in the story ( He is young and well-employed, though he no longer has his anal virginity and a significant percent of mafia groups across Asia either view him as their boss' bitch or number one target. Also, he has a yakuza boss in his bed, drooling on the pillowcases his mother bought for him. That was just one of those moments that is priceless.) and has some absolutely lovely photographic imagery strewn throughout the story without being cliche or overusing it. Pru hit exactly the right balance there, much like the... *waves hand* vague sense I had of clean, glossy manga art underneath my hands while I was reading. I love it when an author can give me a vague sense of actually physically having a manga, rather than just reading text on a screen. (Asami/Akihito, R content/not quite work safe.)

- Viewfinder - Cauchemare by ingenius_inc - This was also interesting for what it said about Akihito, about the way Asami's presence in his life has effected him, just dark enough to match the tone of the series, but not needlessly angsty or overly dark. The light-ish sprinkling of smut (even Asami wasn't there) was also very well-done and this wound up being a very nice little Akihito piece with a nice punch for an ending. (Asami/Akihito, probably not entirely work-safe.)

- Viewfinder - 30 Kisses theme #7 by ingenius_inc - Ooh, ooh, I loved this fic. It was so... Viewfinder, in a way. Asami inviting Akihito to a party, but not the only photographer there and Akihito is just... Akihito in his response and then Asami is Asami in his response and I love this dysfunctional, horrible relationship so much. There are a couple of really pretty lines of kissing that made me melt, but mostly it's that... Asami is always so Asami, no matter what Akihito does that got to me with this fic. Loved it. (Asami/Akihito.)

- Bleach - Drabbles by Akira - Three lovely drabbles about the... whatever it is between Ishida and Ichigo, the tension between them, the want between them, the attraction between them, all wrapped up in lovely wording that gives me pretty mental images. ....WHAT? I like the hints of the smoochies and petting! >E (Ishida/Ichigo.)

- Bleach - Back to Back by Triste - ....oh. I just. I mean. Normally, I would have thought that I wouldn't go for something quieter with Ishida and Ichigo, that I would have preferred the sharp, snarly dialogue instead, but then I read this and it was just... so very effective at what it was trying to accomplish, that I felt my fangirl heart clutch a little for the characters, in that way that Bleach has the ability to make me do. Ichigo is especially brilliant here, for all that he never looks down on or pities Ishida in these moments, because that's not who Ichigo is. Beautiful, beautiful use of the #14 (radio-cassette player) and #15 (perfect blue) themes. *wibbles* (Ishida/Ichigo.)

- Bleach - Two And Two Are Five by Orenji Shadowix - Granted, I was a little wary of this fic after getting about a third of the way through, but kept reading because I'd liked the previous fic I'd read by the author and, if nothing else, Ishida/Ichigo lime! I heart the groping and kissing! <3 And I did see the ending of it coming, but that IN NO WAY lessed the "........AHAHAHAHAHA, GREAT. >D" reaction I had. Plus, the writing is very nice and I'm very much looking forward to more of this one. *happy!* (Ishida/Ichigo, maybe a light R-ish content.)

- Naruto - Before the Storm by haku_kaen - The writing of this story could maybe have used tightening up in a spot or two, mostly just a sanding down of the corners, but the heart of the story was there, when Sakura was visiting Lee in the hospital and you can start to see the glimmers of affection between the two, the way things start to become a little more comfortable. The author writes Sakura in such a way that she becomes so likable to me (not that I dislike her, mind <3) and Lee is OH MY GOD SO DAMNED ADORABLE. His enthusiasm and earnestness were wonderfully done--so intense in him, but not so bad that he became a parody of himself. And just... this made my LeeSaku fangirl happy, I totally wibbled when she gave him chocolates and they shared. ♥ (Lee/Sakura.)

- Gokusen - Iconceivable! by Moon Klutz - *bounce*bounce* Gokusen fic! And, god the author is just absolutely nailing the characters and what made them so much fun to watch in the first place. (I love that I can see this as either anime/manga or the drama or maybe a little mix of both, yet it's not awkaward at ALL, she totally captures the spirit of whatever universe this is set in and flows so well.) Reading about Yankumi at home, after the first fic that the author wrote, was perfect, the way she reacted was just so... Yankumi, in that way she has, but not over the top, the way she's confused by Shin, but not lost in her emotions, the gorgeous bits of background of her parents that her grandfather tells her about when he sees she's confused about something and the ending lines are just... there's this sense of being straight out of the series themselves, that tone they have that's so... Japanese, I guess. Terrible way to describe it, but I can't think of anything better. But it's like these could be novelizations of the series, that's how pitch-perfect I found them to be. (Shin/Yankumi.)

- Gokusen - Swiftly by Moon Klutz - And fic number three in the Shin/Yankumi arc! The author does such a fantastic job with Shin's character--he's so smart, he's cool, he's talented, he likes Yankumi, but he's not too perfect, he's still a human being and Yankumi... well, she certain affects him, in a Shin-like way. The day after he's kissed her, he's not really sure how exactly to act (and covers it up in a fantastic Shin-like way XD) and the way they interact... such a perfect way to show the progression of the relationship. And! Then! Shin having dinner at Yankumi's house was even more fun and the end totally made me melt. ....and lose all coherence, too, apparently, jeez. ~___~ Still. You go read now. Gokusen fic that's GOOD. Much love. (Shin/Yankumi.)

Comments

[mklutz]

-Love- that people actually know what Gokusen is and are reading my fic! Eee! And -you- like it! That's even cooler!

[tomomichi.livejournal.com]

I've been a little surprised that so many people know the series as well, but definitely in a pleasant way. And, really, you've been doing a fantastic job with the fics, I am so glad that you've taken up the challenge for 30_kisses. (Though, also a little fist-of-rage-y at you, since the fandom is so small and there's hardly any fanart, either, so where am I supposed to get my fix next?? *raspberries and runs* ^_~)

[mklutz]

Ha ha ha, it frustrates me! I keep going to that one excellent fanart site and then reading the manga or watching the series and then thinking "Damn, there's only me! Who am I supposed to read?!"

[tomomichi.livejournal.com]

Checking the Gokusen webring, there are 107 sites listed, you'd think there'd at least be a little corner of the fandom to find stuff in! Or a search engine somewhere or something. *stomps foot*

*idly pokes through the webring* ....crap. I refuse to be sucked in. ~__~ (I love webrings, but banners, people, banners!)

[mklutz]

>< They never show you what the goodness is! I know, the webring can be heaven and hell...