Other animanga fandom recs
Posted on December 27, 2008
Filed Under small fandom recs, anime/manga fandom, Antique Bakery, Gankutsuou, Kyou Kara Maou |
As usual,
## means “loved to bits OMG!”
# stands for “liked.”
[] means “rather liked.”
In case you have no clue what I’m talking about here, check my manga and anime recs.
Antique Bakery, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler), Kyou Kara Maou, Loveless, Let Dai,Samurai Champloo
Fools and Their Money, by treneka #
Gen, G, ~1000 words.
Fabulous and funny. Chikage plays at stock market. An impending disaster, you’d think? Heh. Read and see. I adored it. All the characters are IC, especially Tachibana and Chi whom we can see the most. I want to quote the entire short fic because there are wonderful bit after wonderful bit but I’ll limit myself with just one of them:
He was also strangely good at remembering things long after a true idiot could have been distracted from them. It was a talent that Tachibana’s parents had exploited many times in caring for their son. Tachibana might forget to take his vitamins or change his sheets or call home, but Chikage would helpfully remind him beyond all hope of pretending he forgot anyway. Worse, you just had to reward him for being helpful, because yelling at Chikage was like kicking molded gelatine: it caused a ripple, but ultimately didn’t change much.
“We could play together, if you taught me the rules?” Eager as a daisy in the morning.
It took a week of asking followed by a week of hopeful glances, until finally Tachibana gave in and explained the quotes.
“So you’re helping companies that need you, and someday they pay you back?”
“Or they suck your money into a black hole of bad management and a soft economy and you never see it again.” As usual, Chikage had blissfully ignored that part.
Learning to Fly, by afrai (or here) []
Ono/Chikage, PG-13, short. Summary: In retrospect, thought Ono, kissing Chikage had been a bad idea.
It’s a story of one ill-considered kiss (can you imagine anything else from Ono?) and how it turned out. I can’t even tell why I liked it. There’s just something in it that seems to me to fit the manga very well. Pleasant story, as for me.
Omikuji, by Tenika D #
PG, ~11K words. Pairing: not telling. Summary: Paper fortunes for a life no more substantial. Sometimes Tachibana wondered what things would be like with just a little more dimension. Then he drank more sake and had a nap. Maybe read porn. Depended on the day.
This story is completely different from the one above. It’s quiet, contemplative and, I don’t know, unobtrusive, if one can say so about the story. The relationship between the characters I’m not naming (so that you could see how it works on your own) grew so logically, so, to use the author’s word, inevitably, that I was completely persuaded that they make sense together by the end, even though I’d never even thought about them as a pairing before. Tachibana’s having a sort of midlife crisis. He feels like something is missing in his life. Purpose maybe? Or anything truly meaningful. I felt his disquiet throughout the story, and love the details that highlighted it, such as the cup and what adventures it gets. The story is like a less comical episode of the anime/chapter of the manga, although not like those sinister ones either. I liked it.
Evermore, by Amanuensis (you can leave a comment on LJ here) #
Fandom: Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. The Count/Albert, soft NC-17, ~3300 words. Summary: Albert is in love. That’s all he knows and all that matters. A/N: If you know The Count of Monte Cristo in any form, you should find this accessible, as Gankutsuou is the same story, names and all, set in the future.
I wanted something to kiss it better after watching the anime but this story broke my heart. No, nothing bad whatsoever happens in it. It’s just like a sharp needle that pins you to where you sit. Precise, to the point, and very emotionally affecting, all the more so because the author doesn’t press any buttons heavily. It’s exactly like the Count’s and Albert’s relationship in the anime, a slice of it taken, say, from the middle, only with sex added — and it’s a step that is easy to imagine. I was reduced to arm-waving and OMGing after reading it, and even the summary kills me dead, so perfect it is.
Going Cold, by Rayne (FreezingRayne) #
Fandom: Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo). Franz d’Epinay/Albert de Morcerf, NC-17, short. Summary: “Do you remember when we all used to be friends?” He sits down across the table from Franz. “All those rides in the countryside, the trips to the beach? When we talked to each other?
Bittersweet? No, probably plain angsty but as for me, less so than canon. I liked how, even though the Count never appears on screen, everything in this story revolves around him, as it should. It’s a short story but it manages to evoke lots of emotion. Do try it!
new Howl and the Castle That Didn’t Move, by Lyssaphra #
Gennish Snape/Howl, PG, ~2K words. Harry Potter/Howl’s Moving Castle (book) crossover. Challenge: Snape adopts Harry; Snape/Howl; in HP-verse; animagi; aversion to some animals.
This fic was written for me, on my challenge, and by my close friend. Of course I was going to like it. But I think other people might like it too, so here, have this rec. The fic isn’t outright funny but it’s amusing and rather tongue-in-cheek. I mean just think “Wizard Howl.” It asks for Hogwarts and stuff, right? Right. But I would never expect all these twists the author invented. Clever, sweet, will make you smile if you’ve read Howl’s Moving Castle.
All Fall Down, by Sleeps with Coyotes / ciceqi #
Undertaker/Ciel slash, pre-Sebastian/Ciel, NC-17, one-shot. Warnings: Erm. Necro roleplay? References to “that month.” Oh, and shota! *laughs* That feels so redundant in this fandom…. Summary: Funny how you get used to the little quirks when they’ve always been there….
OMG, this fic is so strange and wonderful! It’s rather creepy but amusing at the same time, just like canon. And look at the pairing! I would pounce on the fic with this pairing in any case but this one is written really well, and it works, trust me! All in all, a sheer pleasure to read!
His Butler, Mirthful, by Nimori #
Fandom: Kuroshitsuji. Gen with lots of Sebastian-aimed UST, PG-13, short. Summary: Sebastian’s tastes in humour, as in everything, is fiendish.
The Phantomhive servants follow their butler, compare notes, lust after him collectively and individually, place bets on who will make him laugh and dream of hearing it — in other words, the story fits into the anime canon (I haven’t read the manga so I wouldn’t know) pretty well with all its servants’ quarters’ silliness. Also, there’s a nice hint of creepiness, which is very fitting too. Nice little fic!
Afterglow, by lunesque
Conrad/Gwendal, NC-17, very short, ficlet. Warnings: Incest, Rimming/Felching. Summary: Conrad loves the quiet moments.
Gulity pleasure alert. Nothing to pick a bone with in this fic in what concerns words. They are smooth and precise; the author knows how to use words to a great effect. My problem with it is that it’s a PWP and so tiny, these characters could have been anybody. None of the questions that you can come up with are answered here. This is what I said in my comment: I’m sitting here with my jaw on the floor ‘cos GUH. GUH! That was unbelievably hot! And I don’t like PWPs to begin with, and this, this was, I dunno, half a PWP ‘cos it was so short. But… GUH!!! OMG :) I’ll now be trying to imagine how they came to be lovers, what their relationship looks like, etc, based on tiny wee hints peppered in this fic.
new And Everything In Between, by Kameko (Inglorious DMK) #
Gwendal/Yuuri, PG-13/soft R, short. Summary: It’s the closest Gwendal’s ever been to falling in love, and it’s ruining the careful order of his life. It all used to be so easy.
And here’s a KKM fic I want to rec without any ‘but’. I love Gwendal, probably love him best among the KKM cast. As for me, this story does him justice. It’s rather sad (not tragic though) and leaves enough for a hopeless optimist like me to cling to, in vague hopes for a better future. Also, there are cats! Wouldn’t be a proper fic about Gwendal if there weren’t anything fluffy and cute in there, right? Anyway, it’s a good story, with enough to think about and to feel, despite its being so short. Give it a try!
Duties of a King, by Amanuensis #
Fandom: Kyou Kara Maou. Harem!smut (Yuuri/Conrad, Yuuri/Gunter, Yuuri/Gwendal, Yuuri/Wolfram), soft NC-17, ~3300 words. Summary: The Maou has to keep everyone happy.
Absolutely delightful! Subtle, amusing, insightful, and very much in character. Amy makes every one of these characters shine and express themselves perfectly in how they treat their king and how they behave in bed. As I love Gunter best of them, of course I loved his part best too :)
At nine o’clock, the door opens to admit Gunter, and Yuuri’s wide awake.
It’s not because of the noise. Well, perhaps it is. Not the volume of the noise, to be clear. The noise is just Gunter’s inhalation as the door shuts behind him, leaving him alone in the room with his beloved majesty. The inhalation carries the sigh of a man who fears he might faint from giddiness. Yuuri always hears it.
Kyou Kara Maou, 20 Themes, by Mousapelli []
Various, PG-13, collection of drabbles, about 6k words total.
As usual with a fic that consists of drabbles, some of them seem better than others. I particularly liked #6, 9, 14, 15, and 16. The fic makes a pleasant, mosaic-like impression, not unlike KKM itself. I enjoyed it.
My White Tiger and Opaline, by Lady Devonna #
Gwendal/Günter, G, short; story 2 is PG-13 and WIP. Summary 1: A very young Gwendal meets his true love and immediately makes a fool of himself. Warning: teen angst. 2: Following “My White Tiger” a few years down the road, Lady Celi has become the Maou and Gwendal must shoulder responsibility for his family and country and still find time to cope with his devoted and slightly more grown-up love for Lord Gunter Von Christ
Story 1 is lovely and slightly bittersweet. It contains a scene from the past and a scene from the present. I liked how the author addressed Günter’s seemingly flawless elegance and battle prowess and on the flip-side, his chibi-like clumsiness. Story 2 is much longer (and still a WIP) and darker but very enrapturing. Same as the first one, it’s written from Gwendal’s POV and I completely believe that this is what young Gwendal would be like. He’s already grumpy and asocial, he likes to be in charge of people and dislikes court intrigues; he knits to relieve stress and express what tender emotions he feels in the only way he knows how. He’s also young and awkward and completely love-struck. As he’s the POV character, the story is mostly about him but Günter shines too, because Gwendel loves with the utmost concentration of a loner who finally found something to penetrate his defences, so of course it’s all about Günter for him. I don’t know how canonical it is, but Günter is older here. Not quite a generation gap but enough to bring age issues forth.
This is my favourite kind of story: plotty but centred on character and relationship rather than action/adventure. Although there’s enough plot in the most literal sense to keep the reader on tenterhooks. I didn’t want it to end. I hope the next chapter is posted soon!
Return to Me, by Striped Neko
KKM. Gwendal/Yuuri, R, WIP (looks abandoned?). Summary: Haunted by the ghosts of the past and current misunderstandings, Gwendal von Voltaire has never been an easy demon to love. Can the Maou’s light overcome the stoic General’s resistance? Will he win Gwendal’s heart, or lose him to old regret?
Gulity pleasure alert. This is almost a half-star rec. Almost. The writing isn’t perfect (epithets again), but it’s smooth enough not to jar on you too much. And it’s not out of character. Hard to be, really, with a canon as silly and over-the-top as Kyou Kara Maou. It’s just a bit too romantic? In places a bit too mushy? And I suspect will get only more so as the story goes on, judging by other fics of this author. Canon lends itself easily to romance though, especially with Celi but… I don’t know. The fic is not as well-balanced between silly, dramatic, and romantic as canon maybe? And the author likes Wolfram much less than I do, which is saying something. There’s no outright bashing though, I must say in the author’s defence. She’s just less kind and understanding to him than to the rest of the cast. In any case, it’s an enjoyable reading. And how often do you find a Gwendal/Yuuri long fic (64K words currently) to enjoy?
The Twelfth Treasure of Shin Makoku, by Striped Neko
Gunter/Yuuri, R, novel-length. Summary: Once upon a time there was a beautiful demon lord who fell in love with the Demon-king…and that’s when his problems REALLY started! By request, a Gunter/Yuuri fic with some action, romance, and hopefully some laughs, too. Oh. And kissing. Yeah. Kissing.
Gulity pleasure alert. Read what I wrote about another fic by this author, Return to Me, above; this is what I repeat about it. Only, Wolfram is loved even less. This is why I like this fic less. Also, the ending 20K words or so are so mushy they almost made my teeth ache for real. But this fic is finished. It’s a plus :) 100K words of a Gunter/Yuuri, awfully romantic fic, er? Say you don’t want it, er? ;)
new Feels Like Fading Away, by allira_dream []
Dai/Jaehee, PG, under 1K words. Warnings: Spoilers for the end of the manwha. Summary: If this was a movie, Dai would have been just there, across the street, not looking at him, perhaps listening to some music, perhaps looking at the TV’s. A/N: Written for springkink: Let Dai, Dai/Jaehee: reunited - we aren’t Romeo and Juliet.
I didn’t want any fic after reading Let Dai. But now that several months have passed, I do. I want a long well-written fic set post series with lots of angst, drama, love, and a happy(ish) or hopeful ending. I haven’t seen any. So I’ll take a very short one. Say, this. There’s one problem with this fic: needs editing for a few times where character names are confused (but Dai and Jaehee being one, in essence, it’s understandable :D). Otherwise, it’s written well, with the right balance of poetic, angsty, and charming, and reads very pleasantly. Do try it!
Bondless, by Gloomy_Gloo []
Soubi/Ritsuka, NC-17, short. Sequel to Deepening the Bond by Vyver. Summary: Soubi and Ritsuka strive to strengthen their connection, but what if that’s not enough?
While it’s not quite necessary to read the prequel to get what’s going on, I think it might help, although I didn’t like it enough to rec. I did like this sequel though. It’s angsty and emotional, although in no way hopeless. The ending is lovely :)
A Degree of Captivity, by reversedhymnal []
Ritsuka/Soubi, NC-17, shortish. Prompt: Looking as the other jerks off. “Stockholm syndrome.” Summary: When Ritsuka walks, he trails invisible chains behind him.
A bit more angsty and poetic than what I usually like, but this story is worth reading. I can imagine Ritsuka and Soubi’s relationship going along a more twisted way when Ritsuka decides to get rid of his ears because the manga is twisted enough to lend credit to that. Very hot and felt IC to me. Give it a try!
Dreaming into Being, by Katharos / antique_land []
Gen(ish), Ritsuka, Soubi, PG-13, short. Summary: Memory and identity are such complex things. Who could say where one ends and the other begins? Futurefic, speculative. Very speculative.
What if, a few years later, the true Ritsuka comes back and now he doesn’t remember those years that are the plot of the manga/anime? Interesting speculation, well-written.
Familiar, by Sleeps with Coyotes / ciceqi []
Gen(ish), Ritsuka/Soubi, PG-13, ficlet, AU. Summary: He doesn’t do love spells.
A tiny but memorable AU with a role reversal: Ritsuka is a wizard, of sorts, and Soubi is his cat. Whimsical and lovely.
Give and Take, by Sleeps with Coyotes / Ciceqi #
Ritsuka/Soubi, NC-17, short. Warnings: Um. Toys? And Ritsuka is underage, but that’s sort of, y’know, canon. *coff* He’s 16 in my head, but YMMV. Summary: Ritsuka gets the wrong idea and Soubi gets creative.
I absolutely loved the power dynamics and tension in this story, the initial dissonance and the solution Soubi finds. Ritsuka finally arrives at the stage of his development where he feels like losing his ears but goes about it in a way that makes Soubi rather unhappy. When his subtler hints remain unnoticed, he makes a considerably more obvious one. Lovely, sexy, intense, everything I want from a Loveless fic! Ciceqi has more Loveless stories; I’m planning to get to them ASAP :)
Life Cycle of the Butterfly, by still-ciircee #
Soubi/Ritsuka, NC-17, one-shot.
Even though it’s technically Soubi/Ritsuka, it’s Ritsuka who’s in charge and I liked how the author wrote it. This fic is also considerably plottier than the ones above, that is to say, it’s not a PWP. It’s a story, with Seimei, the Seven Moons, and some porn that actually helps to move the plot and is nice on its own. I loved Soubi’s repeated pleas. Wonderful reading :)
Of Human Rind, by Sleeps with Coyotes / ciceqi #
Seimei/Ritsuka/Soubi, PG-13, one-shot. Summary: One way it could go in the end.
I really like the idea of such a threesome and loved how the author wrote their complex relationship here! One bone to pick with this fic is that it’s a pre-threesome. I SOOOO wanted to read more of it!
Pleasing to the Ears, by inksheddings #
Ritsuka/Soubi, R, short. Summary: Ritsuka loses his ears and- oh, wait. No, he doesn’t. And it’s confusing the hell out of him.
A sort of what-if: Ritsuka and Soubi had sex but Ritsuka’s cat’s ears are still very much present. ANGST! Or not. :) Pretty amusing and lovely.
Rejected Goods, by lazulisong #
Ritsuka/Soubi, R, 2450 words.
Lovely, with just the right amount of angst and poetic things, just the right amount of cat’s ears and tail, and just the right amount of porn. Pleasure :)
Visceral, by inksheddings #
Ritsuka/Soubi, NC-17, short. Summary: If only they could just blame the spell.
And here’s a fine example of “aliens made them do it”, that is, in this case, a spell. Which is perfectly logical for the Loveless canon. A spell cast in a battle earlier that day makes Ritsuka behave as a dominant partner. But the spell wouldn’t work if there weren’t anything in Ritsuka for it to work on. This fits my view of Ritsuka and the pairing dynamics, btw. Also, there’s a bit of tail porn :) Nice!
The Way He Is, by white_aster #
Ritsuka/Soubi, NC-17, shortish. A/N: Hairbrushing, with a hefty side of Ritsuka!angst and a pr0n dessert.
Ritsuka is having some sort of, very Ritsuka-ish, sexual identity crisis and decides to help himself test his preferences by brushing Soubi’s hair. Sexy and IC. Ritsuka is very much a teenager, Soubi is messed-up but steadfast. Nice :)
new Antagonists, by shayheyred []
Mugen/Jin, R/NC-17, short. Summary: They hate each other. It must be love.
Pleasant and a bit more melancholic and romantic than canon but the writing is smooth and enticing.
new The Barbless Hook, by lynnmonster #
Jin/Mugen, NC-17, ~8,000 words. A/N: This Jin is post-series, rather aimless, and somewhat disillusioned. He’s not quite the same Jin we saw during the course of the show — but then, he’s had something and now has had time to feel its lack, so I think that although he’s a bit different, he’s not entirely out of character here. Mugen has changed, as well; he evolves during the series, and I like to think he continues to grow up a bit even afterward.
At first, it feels like reading a Pirates of the Caribbean story rather than a Champloo one. Because it’s set after the series and the author makes Mugen revert to his past activities, namely piracy. The story is mostly set on a pirate ship and in port towns. But however strange an impression it makes, I feel that everything in this fic is within the realm of possibility. And the characters felt very much in character to me: Jin with his very quiet disquiet and Mugen who’s as loud as ever but weirdly observant underneath all his idiocy. The story on the whole is lovely. I did wonder all the while what ending the author would give it and yay, it was the best of all :) It feels pleasantly natural, thanks to Mugen, I’m sure :)
new Bruised, by Eleanor K. #
Jin/Mugen, NC-17, shortish.
It’s a PWP but hot and well-written, and somehow intriguing enough to keep one reading even without porn, I think. Or maybe it hits my kinks :) In any case, I liked it a lot.
new Predictable, by shayheyred (or here) #
Jin/Mugen, NC-17, shortish. Summary: Bushido does not cover getting Mugen laid
Utterly brilliant! In character, funny, and hot. Mugen is horny (isn’t he always?). He makes an advance on Fuu and, predictably, gets slapped. Jin hints — among his monosyllabic grunts — that he could teach him how to get a woman who’s not a whore. What follows is a fantastic mix of manipulation and honest lust. Very, very amusing. Won’t be quoting for fear of spoiling your fun but believe me, I’m tempted to quote at least half the story. Highly recommended.
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this is pj's fannish place made with the goal to be a sort of public library of (or a gateway to) fanfiction. I read mostly slash, I love sex and various kinks, so if you are underage and somehow wormed your way here past net nannies and warnings, please surf responsibly and go somewhere else when you are asked to!
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