tani_recs

Fandom: Yugioh
Pairings/Characters: Joey/Yugi
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: ~350
Author: Cody Nelson
Website: Rat and Fox
Summary: Joey loves Yugi. But not that way.
Why: I like this for its simplicity and because for some reason, I enjoy reading about characters who are in denial far more than I really should. Not to mention that Joey/Yugi is rare, and so I have to treasure it when I find it. ;)

Joey Loves Yugi by Cody Nelson

Fandom: Yugioh
Pairings/Characters: Tea/Yami/Yugi, Jou/Mai
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 10,700 for "The Road of Souls" and 73,000 for "Yugioh The College Years"
Author: Yuugi Motoh
Website: Yuugi Motoh on Ff.net
Summary: How do you live when your soul is divided? And what do you do when you find the missing half?
Why: I'm reccing these together not only because they're from the same alternate universe, but also because I think that if you enjoy one, you'll enjoy the other. The first, "The Road of Souls," sets up the main concept of the universe. Then "The College Years" continues with that idea.

Sometimes, you read fanfiction to see something that never ever would have happened in the source material. However, sometimes, you read fanfiction to reestablish a connection with the things that originally made you love the series. These two stories fall into the latter category. So, if you desperately miss the Yugioh anime (specifically the dub), and really want to read something that has the same kind of feel as that, this is absolutely the story for you. Even though it's an AU, it's still very much in the vein of the anime, without actually retelling the anime. All the characters are wonderfully in character, there's a well-paced plot, and there's even some romance for good measure. What else could you want?

The Road of Souls
Yugioh the College Years: The Different Story

Fandom: Yugioh/CSI
Pairings/Characters: Joey, Yugi, Yami, Grissom
Rating: T
Author: Matt Morwell
Website: Matt Morwell on Ff.net
Summary: Joey is accused of murdering a high ranking Las Vegas businessman, and his alibi can't be confirmed. There's only one thing that can clear his name... the evidence.
Why: First, a caveat. I don't watch CSI. I've seen random snippets, I know the basic idea, I even have a rough idea of who some of the characters might be, but I don't claim to have any real knowledge of the series. In other words, I can't say that the characterization for the CSI characters is good; I honestly don't know. However, I certainly didn't find anything wrong with the story from the Yugioh side of things. It's not often in the Yugioh fandom where plot is the point rather than pairings, but this is an example of that rare beast: the Yugioh gen fic. The author does a great job of creating a mystery and then drawing it out to an interesting conclusion. The Yugioh characterization is very much in line with what we see in the dub. I also have to comment that I really enjoyed the interactions between the two universes, even though I can't guarantee accuracy. In all, I found this to be an enjoyable read, well worth the time that it took to get through.

Evidence of Shadows by Matt Morwell