tani_recs

Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Pairings/Characters: Kurama/Kuwabara
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 8,900
Spoilers for: Sensui arc to the end of the series
Author: nightwalker3
Website: Chaos Central
Summary: Sometimes being the normal one is the really exhausting job.
Why: I started rewatching the Yu Yu Hakusho anime recently, and it's given me a much greater appreciation for Kuwabara, so I'm always glad to find good fic centering on him. I'll admit, the Kurama/Kuwabara pairing is something I never thought I'd read, but the author fits it in so naturally that I actually really liked it a lot. I really liked the friendship that developed between Keiko and Kuwabara as well. They're two characters that don't seem to get a lot of interaction, but they worked really well here. Finally, there's just something about the mood in this story that appeals to me; it's laidback but there's also that confusion about what the future will bring that I can really sympathize with at the moment and that made me like the story even more. This definitely isn't your average Yu Yu Hakusho fic, but that's part of what makes it good.

Meanwhile, Back in the Ningenkai by nightwalker3

Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Pairings/Characters: Hiei/Kurama
Rating: M
Spoilers for: anime eps 1-25, manga vol 1-4
Author: tallihensia
Website: The Alatri Nebula
Summary: This story depicts what happened to Kurama and Hiei after Yusuke recovered the three Sacred Objects from them, to the point where they meet up with Yusuke again at the land of the Four Sacred Beasts.
Why: I went through a brief spurt of interest in Yu Yu Hakusho a short while back, and this is one of the stories that I read in that time. I've been subconsciously debating with myself how to phrase my rec ever since. I've also reread the story a couple times, which should tell you how much I like the story. Larissa does a great job of creating a story around the canon we are given in the early part of the series. I really enjoyed reading her explanations of
Kurama and Hiei's pasts and her account of the events that take place between their first encounter with Yusuke and their subsequent joining of the Spirit Detective group.

However, I do feel obligated to warn that some people may not enjoy Hiei's characterization in this story. I'll admit that I was a little thrown by it myself. As the story progressed, though, I found myself, if not entirely convinced, enjoying myself enough that I really didn't care. Honestly, I think that as long as you're willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, you'll find this story a very enjoyable experience.

The Beginning by Larissa