Fanfic Recommendation: What Survives of Us

This would be your reaction too.

Long time since we had one, eh?

For the record, this recommendation is a rather surprising one...

Warning: Male Pregnancy, painful birth scene (at least, it's not graphic)

Link: What Survives of Us

See, why it's so surprising?

Anyways, my thoughts on mpreg is pretty much a guilty pleasure. Even though I know how illogical it is, it's still a guilty pleasure.

The Omega/Beta/Alpha dynamics on the other hand is absolutely not. It's the very fact you can examine the gender roles and how much it impact the players in the game and the world. Porn aside, again psychological acknowledgements.

Review: This is officially my favorite Sherlock mpreg story to date. There are stories of birth and just plain sexual intercourse but it's always the thought of the birth that would decide the factor. Are the parents ready to be parents? Is the 'mother' willing to go through the pains and their body feeling like it's splitting in half to give birth to a child they may or may not want? Since Sherlock, who doesn't seem to look at children as well as other adults, prizes his body could contain himself during pregnancy and birth. This story amplified what character Sherlock truly is but he is doing everything out of love for a child he and John created. It's unlike Sherlock but at the same time, you know it's also Sherlock to do something for someone he love and he himself love. John was portrayed as someone who protects Sherlock like his knight in shining armor but in this situation much like the fall, he's utterly useless. He felt that and he wants to still protect him and love him.

This time, they are going to make it through with their second child.

Hibari Kyouya's Character

Don't get me wrong, I love Hibari Kyouya no matter how much of an ass he is. It's just how he came to be this vicious that the entire neighborhood of Namimori is willing to bow down to him is what interests me and seems like a lot of people too.

Amano did not even think of making a back-story for this little terror here. Welshy once said on one of his reviews that making a very sympathetic backstory or something of the like would decrease the fearsome reputation the character had built. To me, as long as the back-story would justify the actions but it had to be good for the character, it's alright for me.

In fanfics, Hibari's childhood was once happy until tragedy struck him and his family. We can only fear the worst for him in those stories trying to explain his actions like why he is choosing to be the best of the best of all fighters in the world and of course running an information network. Whether it is watching his own parents die before his eyes or his own friend forgetting his own existence, it was too much for him and he despaired from any real human connection.

I sincerely do love dark and troubled pasts for characters. It gives depth and a psychological analysis. Even a normal life can be filled with such things. Asian parents have such horrible disciplinary and forceful techniques that eliminate chances for a child's self-worth growth. As cliche as it is, it's one of my favorite cliches simply because it can explore a huge range of psychological disorders even as Hollywood style.

In canon, if Hibari's back-story was revealed, most people - out-of-universe - would either decry him for making less of a badass or sigh in relief since we finally got some story about him! In-universe, it would likely be shocked all over the place; people always thought Hibari had always been like a demon since a little kid especially when given tonfas at a young age. Kids started out innocent until something they witness first-hand they shouldn't see or exposed to emotional pain they couldn't handle.

I'm still love giving Hibari such torture since he seems to be the type to keep people at a distance (heck even Kusakabe, a brother to him, is kept at arm's length whenever I notice them on manga/anime), his element Cloud notwithstanding. Maybe, he's afraid that his heart would be broken and so he hardened his heart. *shrugs*

The character of Kyouya Hibari is too interesting to pass up to make up a tragic story for him. Other than being such a violent fiend, it's no surprise that most people would think violence = internal pain/trauma. It goes one way or another.

As long as his actions make sense in the context in terms of the story, it's fine by me. Though I had to wonder why Tsuna, may he have been beaten up, been spared or at least beaten to a less degree than Gokudera or Yamamoto...

Character - Arcana 

Tsuna - Temperance (pre-character development) -> Fool

Reborn - Hierophant

Gokudera - Magician

Yamamoto - Emperor

Ryohei - Sun (hilarious but between the Star and the Sun, I ultimate chose the latter because it encapsulated Ryohei more)

Lambo - Star

Hibari - Hermit

Chrome - Strength

Mukuro - Devil

Kyoko - Priestess

Haru - Lovers

Lal Milch - Wheel of Fortune

Collonello - Lovers

Bianchi - Empress

I-Pin - Temperance

Xanxus - Chariot

Squalo - Temperance

Dino - Magician

Byakuran - Death

Yuni - Death

Shoichi Irie - Judgment

Giotto - Fool

Daemon - Tower

Enma Cozart - Emperor

OC Couplings

I really can't see L with anyone really... I thought he was asexual at best. 

I'm never the one for OC pairings EVER unless it has characters who does not have a designated love interest. To me, Original Characters can be good when done right but horrible when done wrong.

I don't steadfastly ship any OC pairings at all (perhaps not yet). You already saw my utter hatred for Mary Russell; that's how it's done incorrectly.

You can see the love triangle...

To my surprise, I love OC Couplings when it is kept ambiguous. Take for example, Seiji Yukimura & Reborn in Birds Love Namimori and Fen & Harry Potter in Card Captor Harry. Just to let you know, these just came at the top of my head. That doesn't mean I support them.

It's a given that these two ships are given a lot of teasing more than what the couplings you thought should be given (Shizuka for Seiji and Winter for Harry). However, both ships show just how compatible the two ships are but they are maybe, maybe.

Their interactions are worthy of any Yay. Anybody can see sometimes the (blatant) subtext. Other characters take it the wrong way whenever they are acting unusual together like being very nice and acting like a lovey-dovey couple. Unlike others I seen, they seems blissfully unaware that they are seen as such but does have an idea and acts tsundere-ish (Reborn and Fen).

I usually avoid any OC with a canon character like a plague if they are the main ship but if it's a side, that's a maybe. Sometimes, I may not know since these pairings above aren't definite and not listed.

Like crossover couples, I don't easily won over so like other works I let fanfiction and other fan products to do it for me. It has to be some other sources that does not list the pairings as much. Granted, listing pairings can grab attention if romance is the main point. However those will only work on me if there are any canon pairings or fanon pairings but not OC pairings.

This is my opinion. I like to only pair OC with OC only. Even though they are some great OC pairing out there with a canon character, I just have a bad experience with one and I don't read them much. I just feel that it's just wish fulfillment or an empty slate.

Top Three Favorite Anime

You might have seen this list before. Coincidentally, JesuOtaku (Hope Chapman) has the same list as I did...for only the top 3, only that.

Anyone from my past posts can see that I don't have a definite list. I already have a hard time making grades (see Code Geass and Death Note; the two have the same score because I can't be sure).

The one listed below are in fact A+ or Five Stars or Ten Stars or whatever. It's just a perfect grade even though there are some hiccups then and there in the respective works.

The list is definite and not likely to change. Heck even Madoka Magica still haven't reach the levels no matter how well I managed to grade it. From 4 to whatever number is still up in the air since I still have no idea where to place anime/manga I genuinely love below these top three. I still don't know why it's so easy for others to make a list and a rating...

1. Fullmetal Alchemist - Hiromu Arakawa, Studio Bones
2. Cowboy Bebop - Shinichiro Watanabe, Studio Sunrise
3. Trigun - Yasuhiro Nightow and Yosuke Kuroda, Madhouse

I am not the arrogant type who believe that angsty is better or something like that. I judged works on its own merits as much as my friends do. One of my friends said while the series are good, it doesn't exactly appeal to her.

My friends know what type of anime generally capture my interest: psychological realism. I like things realistic, keeping things grounded no matter how ridiculous the circumstances may be. Why else One Piece still manages to survive unlike Naruto and Bleach? Heck, I even liked Bleach at first until it jumped the shark repeatedly. Naruto, I cringed at how broken the themes are.

While there are works out there had their fair share of said type, these three had shown a good grasp of what to tell. Their maturity and understanding of their world enraptured me like no other. I basically have no word for it.

I could refer you to JesuOtaku or Bennett the Sage for the series, the latter with the last two. I don't want to review properly on this blog since well reviews of them are over the place, praising them. It's like Sherlock again. Admittedly, these three anime were one of the starting points where I started to get really interested in storytelling and the working behind the scenes.

I don't exactly squeal over them like mad; sure my friends know how much I love these three series. Then again, I almost squealed when I found the complete DVD collection of Trigun at AX.

I still haven't found anything Cowboy Bebop or Trigun. There are lots of Tiger & Bunny though. There were a lot of Sunrise productions merchandise. I still managed to get a shippy SuzaLulu wall-scroll though and of course an FMA wall-scroll.

I should've taken a picture of Wolfwood in my trip to AX. I seen the cosplayer but I never gotten the chance to. Then again, I haven't been able to find proper FMA cosplayers; all I found were nameless Amestrian Soldiers, not Riza or Roy or Havoc.

I will be listing below only Japanese media.

Okay, so I want merch of these: I want useful or practical stuff like purses/bags/pouches/towels/etc. or electronics or storage trunks/cans. I don't certainly mind charms like bracelets and necklaces (I prefer the former though) and figurines/plushies. I want to have first volumes or to complete volumes manga or the complete series of the anime like Collector's Edition.

• Hetalia - 
• Pokemon - Any series, I will see what I browse and deem what I want to buy.
• Persona - 
• Detective Conan/Magic Kaitou -  I would love Kaitou Kid variations of merch. Not that I wouldn't mind Conan merch, just that I tend to be drawn to the Kid merch. 
• CLAMP - Any series you throw at me, I will buy something I will deem likely I want to buy.
• Fullmetal Alchemist - While I would honestly prefer the 2003 merch, I don't mind Brotherhood merch.
• Trigun - Only the really special ones 
• Cowboy Bebop - Only really special ones 
• Sailor Moon - I don't mind the first anime, Crystal, or anniversary. I know that my cousin would be getting me a Samantha Vega Sailor Moon Luna bag for Christmas; I specifically requested the metal insignia because really a cloth one, especially when one was sloppily sewed on, would not be a great one for a Japanophile...when that person wants to buy merch from Japan anyways. More expensive but I need to buy the merch to support the anime/manga. 
• Madoka Magica - 
• Shugo Chara - 
• Digimon - Depends on product and series. I would love to buy Tamers merch. 

I admit the flaws of everything that I watched. If there is something that is decidedly wrong on how it was portrayed like the treatment of women, then that's bad. Like slut-shame (as in insulting someone just for have an active sex life or being proud of their sex), homophobia, etc.

Favorite Book: Fahrenheit 451

I just love this book with all my heart. I don't exactly declare it my number one favorite but it's still up there.

I always love the dystopian genre and such a bookworm. I can literally read anything you give me as long as the plot interests me. It's just this book that I grew to love and I'll gladly reread it.

The characters are simple but brilliant. The plot is easy enough to follow. Basically everything about this book means the world to me.