Current mood:	okay
Entry tags:	fanart: air gear, fanart: amatsuki, fanart: bleach, fanart: d.gray-man, fanart: fire emblem: path of radiance, fanart: higurashi no naku koro ni, fanart: howl's moving castle, fic: arashi, fic: avatar, fic: final fantasy iv, fic: final fantasy viii, fic: katekyou hitman reborn!, fic: ncis

[ ARASHI, Avatar, FFIV, FFVIII, REBORN!, NCIS, Bleach, DGM, AG, HMC, Amatsuki, FE:PoR, Higurashi ]
SHARING TIME:
....so, I figure I only have, what? About 400 more to go before I catch up to where I should be by the end of July? orz On the bright side, changing things around on this journal has actually gotten me a little motivated again!
AND ONTO THE RECS:
    ARASHI - 2 Fanfics
    Avatar: The Last Airbender - 5 Fanfics
    Final Fantasy IV - 1 Fanfic
    Final Fantasy VIII - 1 Fanfic
    Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - 1 Fanfic
    NCIS - 1 Fanfic
    Bleach/D.Gray-man/Air Gear - 1 Fanart
    D.Gray-man/Howl's Moving Castle/Amatsuki - 1 Fanart
    Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - 4 Fanart
    Higurashi no Naku Koro ni/Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - 1 Fanart
2008 GOAL: 544/1602



ARASHI: Going Out by waxrose - You know, I've gotten so used to only reading about my favorite (...basically, I'll ship Matsujun with anything that moves >__>) that I almost sort of passed this one up. Except that I love the author's writing so much that I had to go check it out anyway because I love Ohmiya but canon's usually enough for me except it's Ohmiya in the context of their band as a larger whole and as;dlfkjaslkj yes. This is a brilliant fic, because yes it's centered around Ohmiya, but it has all of Arashi being a bunch of idiots and is so clever with everything. I love how they are so very much still themselves and yet Nino gets to be nervous and it plays on that whole "hiding in plain sight/everyone else thinks it's a joke" while still putting a lot of meaning underneath it, in that way I love. But ALSO ALSO ALSO. STALKER!AIBA AND JUN. And they are fantastic together, too, and I love the extra tag at the end on MS because you could just totally see it happening exactly like that and a;sdlkfjaslkj I love fandom a whole lot right now. (Ohmiya, with some Aiba/Jun on the side.)

ARASHI: untitled by Circe - Do you know who my favorite person ever is right now? Circe, that's who. There is a seriously criminal lack of Shun/Jun fic in the fandom, but part of that might be because it's tough to work together with Arashi's obvious importance to Jun. So how to deal with that? Why, take that snippet of information we got about Jun having Shun's photobook on his nightstand (that he tried to defend himself by saying a friend gave it to him, sure, sweetie, that makes all the difference in the world, of course it does) and have Jun's life made hell by Aiba and Shun. I love it because this is Aiba, such a cheerful, perverted bastard who knows what he's doing even when it gets him smacked for it, because of course he'd find the idea of Jun and Shun together hot and would want to probably do them both at the same time and then of course the rest of Arashi finds out about this and it's just. No matter how many times I reread this, I shriek with laughter every single time. Also, the Aiba/Jun scenes in this? Very, very nice, mmm. *__* And-- and-- every time I get to the part with Shun actually in it and the scene where he spots the photobook, I just lose it completely because it's so easy to see. I seriously cannot express my love without making shrieking, dolphin-pitched noises, shut up. (Aiba/Jun, Jun/Oguri Shun.)

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Dumbest. Custom. Ever. by Nashi Des - [Note: There will be some spoilers for the series finale in this fic and this rec.] Sokka/Suki definitely grew on me in the second half of season three, to the point where I was really okay with them and how it meant my favored Sokka/Toph wasn't going to happen, but. I still have a fondness for it, so what better compromise than a Sokka/Suki/Toph fic? I was sort of wary of the idea, because OT3s to solve a shipping dillemma almost never work for me, but still curious enough to click and I'm really glad I did because this author did really well with the characterization, the little touches of detail (the clothing and Toph's earthbending and the makeup!), and some really spot-on dialogue. The ending totally, totally made me laugh just like it was supposed to and I was surprisingly charmed by how easy it was to imagine this whole thing in my mind's eye, especially the Suki - Toph interaction which was so necessary to make this work. :Db (Sokka/Suki/Toph, blink and you'll miss it Aang/Katara implied.)

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Burn by Nashi Des - [Note: There will be some spoilers for the series finale in this fic and this rec.] Because I'd like the author's Sokka/Suki/Toph fic previous to this, I thought, what the hell, I'll try out the post-series Azula fic, since I was curious. Still a little wary, because you'd have to do post-series Azula fic really well for me (despite that I wanted it a lot), but this fic doesn't disappoint at all. It's so intense and painful and the use of language makes it beautiful and awful at the same time, a perfect tone for an imprisoned Azula who has lost so much. Ursa's role in this, with both of her children, how they've all come to these points in their lives, is also beautifully done, wow. (No warnings/pairings.)

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Love by icybright - [Note: There will be some spoilers for the series finale in this fic and this rec.] One of the best scenes of the finale (well, they were all awesome, honestly) was in the Jasmine Dragon where everyone was happy and together and alive and at peace. This fic expands on that a little, has everyone drawn together occasionally, even as they move on with their lives, and there's so much happiness and peace and love in the little touches between the characters and how they've touched each other's lives, that it just. It makes me fall in love with everyone and everything all over again, this is one of those post-finale fics that I wanted so badly to read and I'm glad it was so lovely. (Some Aang/Katara, Zuko/Mai, and Sokka/Suki, but they're only half the point.)

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Hell Week by icybright - I almost skipped over this fic because I was more interested in looking for post-finale fic or maybe some shippy fic, but, well. When the first line of this fic is: The first night, he finds a frog in his sleeping bag. it's kind of hard to pass up. And this is a beautiful Zuko - Toph fic set during the time when Zuko has just recently joined the group and is still trying to gain their trust and Toph is fantastic and when you get the point of it? When you get what Toph's doing? When you get to the ending? (Which, by the way, made me just about choke with laughter.) Beautiful. I don't want to say too much and risk spoiling the fic (not that it's really a fic to spoil, per se) just. That it was really, really spot-on and so easy to see and just. A-fucking-plus, man. (No warnings/pairings.)

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Fables of Our Lives by icybright - [Note: There MAY be some spoilers for the series finale in this fic and this rec.] This is such a clever, interesting idea! A handful of fairy tales remapped onto the Avatar characters in short little scenes that mirror the original tales so well. They each hightlight a quiet moment or an important moment or just a meaningful one or even just a silly little scene, and I adore what the author did with these. I love that she writes so many different characters and yet it doesn't feel crowded or glossed over to me anywhere, just a really awesome little thing. (Aang/Katara, Zuko/Mai, Sokka/Suki, Sokka/Toph all in brief snippets, but sometimes gen as well.)

Final Fantasy IV: Catch, Release by argle_fraster - This was a sweet little Palom and Porom fic, two characters that I really liked in the original game and who've only gotten more intriguing with After because, damn, those are some really pretty character designs. This was just a short piece, set after Palom returns and Porom's reaction to that and I like the balance it strikes, it could just be two very close twins or it could be something more, whichever way you want to see it. (....I'm not really going to warn for anything.)

Final Fantasy VIII: Whew by Rhianna Aurora - I haven't read FFVIII fic in ages and I'm not sure why because it's not really like my interest has waned. But this was a really fun, delightful read set post-game where Rinoa is going through the process of becoming a part of SeeD properly. I adore it because it has an actual action sequence in it, because Rinoa gets to be herself and be afraid and nervous and sharp to cover her nerves and strong and kick a whole lot of ass on her own. And there are even makeouts! Not that I don't enjoy the quieter pieces just as much, but sometimes it's nice to be reminded that these characters are from a video game and fight against monsters, a kickass Rinoa on top of that is just even more of a bonus. ♥ (Squall/Rinoa.)

Katekyou Hitman REBORN!: Though Everybody Here Thinks He Needs You by bababanaba - This is a series of drabbles, some just about the characters individually, starting with a really interesting, thoughtful snippet about Dino's tattoos and what they mean to him and what they say about him, then how Dino and Hibari work in a lifestyle that requires families to produce heirs and how it's not as difficult as one would think, and then just. How Dino and Hibari work, period. I really like the author's take on them here and the depth and intensity they both have and some really great little moments. The fourth one is probably my favorite, just for that last line of dialogue of Hibari's, because it's just. So. as;ldfkjaslj Hibari. XDDDD (Dino/Hibari.)

NCIS: The Living's Easy During Summer Time by wintersjuly - I went through my mad dash at the NCIS fandom and while there was some really good stuff, there was also a lot of mediocre stuff that just sort of made my eyes glaze over. But Anita makes me almost want to go back to the fandom because this. This is what Tony fic should be. I love the line it walks, it's pre-Gibbs/DiNozzo, but that's not the real point of the fic, the point is Tony being Tony set pre-series, as he tries to adjust to being part of a team for more than a year or two. I love her take on the character, you can tell how much she really likes him and gets him, but I also love her Gibbs in the background and the Tony - Abby scene is delightful. And Ducky! Even Ducky is perfect in this! *happy sigh* (Some Gibbs/DiNozzo pre-slash, but it's not really the point.)

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- Bleach/D.Gray-man/Air Gear - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I don't think this site is going to be for everyone, the art is very much the cutesy style, but what won me over is what I hope will appeal to others as well--namely that it's a Bleach site that's actually focused on the girls! Orihime and Rukia are the two most common and while there's not a ton of art, I'm just pleased as punch that a site like this exists. The chibi-esque art is something I've grown to really kinda like over time and I was just really fond of this site. The D.Gray-man art on the site is balanced out a bit more and I'd actually say it's stronger, the artist has clearly improved tons over time. There's an occasionall Allen or Rinali or Lala or Kanda or group picture that looks really fantastic. Not everything is perfect, but there was enough here that was really cute or the occasional truly lovely piece (oh, man, I'm so looking forward to anything this artist adds from now on!) that I loved it a lot. Plus! There were so many random series that had just one or two illustrations on them! There was Kamen Rider Den-O fanart omg. And it was super fucking cute. ♥♥♥ (Nothing I'd really warn for.)

- D.Gray-man/Howl's Moving Castle/Amatsuki - tooi [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I feel like I've been to this site before, but I can't find the link on my lists, so I'm just going to assume that I've been to similar sites before. (Or else it moved and then, ahahaha, good luck to me for narrowing it down.) Anyway, it's a bit of an acquired taste, it took me a few links into the gallery to really get into the groove of it, but once I did, I loved this site, because the detail was amazing. The colors are incredibly bright almost to the point of being a little blinding, the artist is very fond of the burnt colors look (or something along those lines) but when I look at the detail and the strength of the basic lines, I'm just impressed as hell. There's also so much art here so that even when the HMC and Amatsuki art isn't nearly as much in comparison to the DGM art, it's still enough to justify a rec. I love that the artist covers such a wide variety of the DGM characters, too--I mean, where else am I going to find a really pretty illustration of Kanda and Miranda together? I don't think everyone is going to have the same reaction to this site that I did, but it really wound up charming me a lot. Especially because there is a DGM tarot card series. *gleed over that* As for the Amatsuki art, there's not as much there, but there's something about the style that just worked SO WELL with the Amatsuki manga style that I would have recommended it for that alone. ♥ (....nothing I'm really going to warn for.)

- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - Hanakago [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - So. I probably really shouldn't be looking for FE:PoR fanart, since I'm really only up to chapter 8 or 9 in the game (and am brimming over with fury for it--what do you mean dead means dead!?!? no fair!!!11) but. I was just wandering around a bunch of Tales of the Abyss sites and happened to stumble over art of characters I sort of recognize and this site was so pretty that I couldn't help myself. I only half-recognize most of the characters and a lot of them I couldn't even put names to, but! Such amazingly detailed, fully realized, gorgeously colored art! *__* This is the kind of site that got me into video game fanart sites in the first place. Each and every single piece is amazing to look at and just. asdl;fjkaslj so so pretty. And, holy crap, is the art of Soren on this site gorgeous, there's one of him with magic charts in the background that's just stunning omg. Oh and if you don't melt at wee little Ike and Mist, there's just something wrong with you. (Nothing I'd really warn for, except maybe a smidge of Ike/Soren.)

- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - After the previous site, I was just itching for more art (because it's always intoxicating for me when I step into an entirely new fandom and there'll be a ton of new sites that I know I've never seen before) and so I stumbled over this site and it's really solid and cute. There's a decent amount of art to be found and... okay, I think it's chick!Soren and possibly this makes sense if you finish the game or possibly it's just Japan's odd thing for genderbending, but either way the art is cute and I liked the way the artist drew Ike and there are some really nice colors used here, the bright and sunny kind, and the artist has gotten really pretty good by the time you get to the most current art. I was pleased enough to rec it. (Ike/Soren, I think?)

- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I went back and forth on this site a lot because it's a solid site, but since I didn't share the artist's (seemingly?) favorite pairing, I didn't get as into it as I might have otherwise. But then I would keep going, just to see what else was on the site and I wound up being charmed by some of the Mist illustrations, which were super, super cute. So. Ultimately, I liked this site because I'm still really new to FE fanart and there's some really good Ike illustrations and some of them are REALLY strongly decent fanart! There's a solid selection of art and even some of various other characters as well, so it wasn't a bad site to visit, I don't think. (Some gen, some Volke/Ike?)

- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - Veleta [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - I definitely wish there had been more fully done illustrations, but I didn't mind all that much in the end because there's a solid selection of art here and the artist has some really sharp, nice lines to go with her drawings. She also draws a good variety of characters while not feeling too much like a niche site, so it was cool to see Ike with various characters from the game, especially more and more as her art got better the further I got into the gallery. There's not a super ton here again, no, but it was solid and satisfying when part of a nicely long spree this morning. (Nothing I'm really going to warn for?)

- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni/Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - So, apparently I'd been to this site for the Tales of the Abyss art before, but not the Higurashi art. Maybe I just wasn't into the series at the time? Who knows, but there's not a super ton of art here, but what there is is pretty interesting to look at. Half of the art is cute little doodles (usually with a lot of blood spray, characters crying, and etc!) and the other half are some really kickass Rena illustrations. The coloring is that soft sunet, jewel-tone stuff that I really like with this series. *__* Similarly, there's not a ton of FE:PoR art on the site, mostly a lot of little doodles and whatnot, but the art is cute and the lines are smooth enough that I was charmed by the site. The artist does really well at spreading the art across multiple characters, so it's got a good variety going for it as well! (No real warnings/pairings.)