2022 Yuletide Promo Post

[crantz]

Welcome to the Fandom Promo post, everyone!

Here's where you get those eyes on your fandoms for sign-ups!

Share what makes your Yuletide fandoms the shiniest and why you love them. A big part of Yuletide is how small our fandoms can be, and this is a good way to make sure other people know what gems there are out there!

NEW: We've made a register! There is now a searchable Google spreadsheet index of the canons promoted on this post. Go ahead and add yours or any you see that are missing! We hope this helps connect people up with canons of interest to them.

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Here are some areas you can cover:

<b>Title:</b>
Please put your fandom's title in the subject of your comment, too. This helps people find your promo again.

<b>Media:</b>

<b>Approx length:</b>

<b>Where to find it:</b>
(If giving links, please only link to legal sources. You may want to encourage people to contact you directly if they are having trouble finding a canon and you can give them tips)

<b>What is it, in summary?:</b>

<b>What do you love about it?:</b>

<b>What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:</b>

<b>Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:</b>

<b>Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):</b>
This is at your discretion and is not expected to be comprehensive

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(Bonus options: What are you thinking of requesting for this? If you're thinking of nominating worldbuilding, what sort of worldbuilding topics might people explore?)


Useful tip (Not required, but helps people if they want to engage with your fandom!):


- It's best to make each fandom its own entry with its own title in the subject line! That makes it easier for people to find/see what you're promoting! Don't worry about 'spam', that is the entire point of this entry and you're using it exactly as intended.


Previous fandom promo posts can be found at this tag!

Comments

Zombillenium

[carpe_noctem]

Title: Zombillenium

Media: Comic

Approx length: 5 volumes, with a 6th that might or might not be out in time for yuletide.

Where to find it: Amazon has both physical and ebook version for volumes 1-4.

What is it, in summary?: Zombillenium is a french comic about a theme park staffed by monsters and which deals with subjects such as workers' rights and the cutthroat nature of capitalism. Originally conceived as a safe haven for them by the park's director, the park is actually a way to collect souls for its demon owner - when an employee stops working or otherwise breaks their contract, they are sent to hell. The plot then follows Gretchen, a witch, as she attempts to free the souls of those trapped and turn the park into what it was always meant to be.

Something to take into account is that there's an animated film by the same name, and while it shares several plot points with the first volume of the comic, it's actually a prequel, not an adaptation. It explains the backstory of character that shows up in vol.4 onwards, but it's an optional watch for the purpose of my requests.

What do you love about it?: I love the humor (my favorite joke is Jaggar trying to tear a contract in two only to be told that he can't because the employee is part of the syndicate), but I also love the way it shows how easy is to be complicit of an abusive system even with the best intentions.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'll definitely be requesting Jaggar/Francis! I think the two capitalist vampires should kiss in between all the attempted murder.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Since vol. 5 is only available in french right now and, if it comes out in time, so will vol.6, I'm perfectly fine with fics only covering vols. 1-4.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): There's some nudity, but nothing explicit.

Triangle Strategy

[(Anonymous)]

Title: Triangle Strategy

Media: Video Game (available only for Nintendo Switch)

Approx length: ~35 hours for one route (out of four), but NG+ makes subsequent playthroughs faster. If watching a Let's Play, the time will be even shorter since you can skip battles.

Where to find it: You'll probably have to order it online if you want to play it with a physical copy, since it's not reliably stocked at video game stores. It's also available on the eshop. There is a demo for it available if you would like to try it out before committing! The story is a bit slow, but it is very representative of the gameplay.

There are also Let's Plays available on Youtube! I do not have any particular recommendations for those, but I am reasonably certain that there are Let's Plays for all the choices and routes, as well as the character side stories.

What is it, in summary?: A strategy JRPG with branching choices where you do not technically make the choices; you must convince your party members to vote for the choice you think the party should take. The choices made also affect your future persuasiveness to your party members-- if you argue for the pragmatic choices, you become more persuasive with pragmatic arguments, and it will be difficult for you to suddenly pivot to morality-based arguments and be persuasive to your party members.

That's the gameplay; the story is about a continent where salt and iron are the major resources. There are three countries-- Hyzante controls salt, Aesfrost controls iron, and Glenbrook controls neither but is a breadbasket nation. Previously, a very long war raged across the continent because of salt and iron, but there is now a tentative peace. Of course, that peace becomes shattered by Archduke Gustadolph of Aesfrost, who conquers Glenbrook to take control of a particular mine that had been a joint venture between the three nations. Our protagonist, the son of one of the main lords of Glenbrook, becomes embroiled in this political intrigue that spreads across the continent and ignites a second war.

What do you love about it?: I love the characters, and the choices! So often the choices are between two bad things, and it rarely feels like the game is condemning you for taking one of the choices it offers. Because of how the choices branch, there are lots of routes you can take before you get to the big final choice of which ending you'll have. There's also a golden route you can get by meeting special conditions! That one's my favorite. It has a lot of side characters that are a lot of fun. I also love the way that making different choices shows you different sides of the characters. I also really like the tactical gameplay-- each unit is unique with unique abilities and uses.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I am definitely going to request fic of Cordelia and Avlora, the princess of Glenbrook who would be made a puppet by its conquerers, and the enemy general who conquered her country but becomes persuaded to offer her loyalty solely to the conquered princess. I love how they both inspire each other, and I find them super super shippy. Cordelia is physically weak but becomes determined to take back her country because of Avlora's words to her. Avlora initially judges Cordelia as weak and unfit to rule, but sees her change and become stronger and eventually devotes herself to Cordelia and promises to help her free her country.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: While a general knowledge of the plot is probably necessary, Avlora and Cordelia aren't main characters in the game and thus their scenes can be watched and you can get the important info!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Fantasy racism and slavery

Toji no Miko | Katana Maidens (Anime)

[rubylily]

Title: Toji no Miko | Katana Maidens

Media: Anime

Approx length: 24 half-hour episodes

Where to find it: Crunchyroll has it available both subbed and dubbed

What is it, in summary?: Young girls known as Toji wield special swords to hunt supernatural monsters called aradama. The first episode starts with a tournament, but it quickly becomes an action/thriller series as protagonist Kanami and her friends find themselves involved in a plot involving aradama-possessed humans and the truth of the great disaster from twenty years ago. The anime has a good variety of female characters and plenty of femslashy subtext too.

You can't go wrong with girls with swords, and all the yuri subtext is definitely a welcomed touch. I really liked the friendship between the girls, and I also enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope. All the sword-fighting is good too - even with utsushi, fighting aradama is no easy feat, and one of the girls being injured during battle is also ripe for hurt/comfort potential. My favorite character is Mai, Kanami's best friend, and she also has a sweet relationship with the soft-spoken and silver-haired Sayaka.

Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi | Sunday Without God (Anime)

[rubylily]

Title: Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi | Sunday Without God

Media: Anime

Approx length: 12 half-hour episodes, plus a bonus episode on the DVD/BD set

Where to find it: It used to be available on HiDive, but currently it doesn't appear to be streaming on any legit sites. The English Blu-ray release is readily available, though.

What is it, in summary?: According to legend, God abandoned the world fifteen years prior, and thus people are no longer able to give birth and cannot find rest after death unless buried by a mythical "gravekeeper." The protagonist, twelve-year-old Ai, is one such gravekeeper for her tiny, isolated village. After tragedy strikes her village, she resolves to set out on a journey to save the world God has abandoned, and along the way she makes new friends and discovers how humanity has adapted to this slowly dying world.

Despite the bleak premise, it's actually a rather hopeful series, and I loved Ai's journey and her relationships with her companions, and I also really love the canon's setting, as it's both beautiful and haunting. My favorite character is Julie, who becomes Ai's father-figure after the events of episode 3 and basically acts as the guardian of Ai's little traveling group.

Code Vein (Video Game)

[rubylily]

Title: Code Vein

Media: Video Game

Approx length: HowLongToBeat says about 50 hours, and my initial playthrough was about that length too.

Where to find it: It's available for the Playstation 4, XBox One, and Steam.

What is it, in summary?: Code Vein is a post-apocalyptic action RPG, and a rather difficult one at that, and while it takes place in the same universe as the God Eater series, you don't need to be familiar with God Eater to enjoy Code Vein. You play as an amnesic protagonist who bands with other revenants - humans who died and were revived as immortal vampiric beings - to battle the monstrous Lost and find a way to survive in a dying world.

The gameplay is difficult and the action bloody and frenetic, and there's a high emphasis on exploration. You can also have a companion join you during exploration, and each companion has their own strength and weaknesses depending on your playstyle. My personal favorite companion is Io, because I have a thing for mysterious white-haired anime girls; like the protagonist, she remembers little of her past and strives to learn more about the purpose of her existence. As mentioned above, being a Souls-like game, it's a rather difficult game, and there is a demo available if you want to get a feel for the difficulty yourself.

Japanese Local Hero City Mascots

[spikedcoffee]

Title: Japanee Local Hero City Mascots

Media: Live action

Approx length: As a canon, it's... huge. Hundreds of characters connected to various degrees. The most practical approach is to focus on a character/team and just watch shows things that feature them (stage shows tend to last between 30min to 1 hour).

For my planned requests, watching all the shows in which the characters appear together takes about 3 hours, and consuming their most important individual shows will bump that up to about 5hrs.

Where to find it: You can start here https://lvlh-hub.dreamwidth.org/

Feel free to contact me if you'd like me to send you copies of the shows, I know that between the pages being in Japanese, the payment systems they use and getting the subtitles to work on a webpage, accessing them can be a pain.

What is it, in summary?: "Local Heroes" are essentially mascots created to promote places and companies in Japan. Their main activities are stage shows and meets & greets, and depending on the skills of the person playing them, they'll do all sort of things - from acrobatics to sword fights, to simply talking about why the food of their hometown is the best.

What do you love about it?: I find the concept in general very charming, and I love all the different aspects that go into the production of a stage show. I'm also a sucker for masked characters, so I find a lot of them very handsome!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'm planning to request fic of Shuraomaru and Tiefedorf! Shuraomaru is an immortal ninja who embraced darkness in order to become strong enough to fight against the evil in the world, while Tiefedorf is a former crow god who now serves the King of Darkness. Since they both share a love for interesting people and strong opponents, they immediately hit it off, and they end up becoming friends and well as partners in Tiefedorf's attempts to gather power for his master.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: As Shuraomaru is actually a rather prolific villain, I think the three shows featuring him and Tiefedorf (Sapporo, Wakayama and Kitakyushu) stand reasonably well on their own.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): N/A.

Dead Ringers (1988) (Movie)

[noalarms]

Title:
Dead Ringers (1988)

Media:
Movie

Approx length:
1h 55m

Where to find it:
It's available on HBO Max. If you cannot access HBO Max, feel free to send me a PM here on Dreamwidth and I can help you out.

What is it, in summary?:
A David Cronenberg film about identical twin brothers (both played by Jeremy Irons) who run a gynecology clinic. They are highly successful in their field and have perfected their system for success: Ellie writes the papers and makes the speeches, while Beverly does the technical work and collects data. The two of them share everything: accolades, their career, their apartment, and even women. The events of the film are set off by Beverly falling for a patient of theirs, an actress named Claire. It's the first thing that really comes between the twins, threatening to sever their bond, and the film follows how the two of them cope with this new change in the status quo (hint: not very well).

What do you love about it?:
The homoeroticism and codependency of it all. The relationship between the twins crosses the line into inappropriate on multiple occasions, and the conclusion of the film illustrates quite starkly how neither of them can live without the other. Plus, it's just a really great horror film--the whole thing has an unsettling, almost stifling aura, befitting of a Cronenberg production, though it's light on the body horror compared to most of his movies.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Anything and everything exploring the relationship between Beverly and Elliot, from childhood up through the events of the movie--or AUs post canon.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Incestuous overtones, rape by deception, addiction. Medical malpractice in the gynecology field.

Jheronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights

[pikkugen]

Title: Jheronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights

Media: Painting

Approx length: n/a

Where to find it: The best digitalization is probably at BOSCHPROJECT, here: http://boschproject.org/view.html?pointer=0.518,0.003&i=00MCPVIS

What is it, in summary?: A medieval work of art, with wonderful scenery, biblical themes and the weirdest little critters you could hope! Most of what happens in the painting is probably allegorical or a visual joke (the BOSCHPROJECT page has some explanations, if you want to dive into them, but that's not what I'm expecting), but the demons and allegories of all things earthly are all by themselves endlessly fascinating. I've spent hours examining all the details just for fun.

What do you love about it?: The weirdness of it all! The art is very much to my liking stylistically, the colors are beautiful (and allegorical, probably) but all the things going on are just fodder for imagination. What Is Going On? Why are they doing THAT? What are Those? I could write or read endless stories about the characters without even caring about their possible historical meanings, but for the sake of Yuletide, my favorites are the weird mermaid-ish figures strewn among the middle part of the painting. There's one who flies, one who does acrobatics in the air (in a very sexual context), and a few who swim on top of water. Some are clearly female, some possibly male and fully armored(!). I'm fond of mermaid art, especially the non-traditional and scary ones, and I think this painting has had a strong influence on that, since I've loved it from my childhood. (We had a lot of art books home. I never became a visual artist. Go figure.)

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I want to know about the mermaids! Why and how are they flying/swimming on top of water/doing whatever it is they're doing? I love mermaid art, both conventional and unconventional, so a modernization of them would be a welcome gift too!

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: http://boschproject.org/view.html?pointer=0.423,0.000&r=0.3280,0.0891,0.2344,0.1251&i=00MCPVIS shows many of the merpersons doing merperson-y things, http://boschproject.org/view.html?pointer=0.466,0.004&r=0.2748,0.0011,0.2131,0.1138&i=00MCPVIS shows the fish-flyer one, and http://boschproject.org/view.html?pointer=0.514,0.004&r=0.6445,0.1881,0.1455,0.0777&i=00MCPVIS has the acrobatic one. But do take a peek at the whole before engaging! You can scroll closer and farther on the image, but be warned, it's a time trap!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): well. Nudity and weird alluded sexual acts are a given, so is goreless violence, there is a possibly rape-y scene in the painting, and the Garden and the Hell parts are a treasure-trove of This Better Not Awaken Anything In Me -kinks, but none of it is extremely realistic or straightforward. We're in the Middle Ages after all. Er, tits and willies abound?

Re: Jheronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights

[dr_zook]

Haha, I love this pitch! ♥

Exandria Unlimited: Calamity

[honekujira]

Title: Exandria Unlimited: Calamity

Media: Web Series

Approx length: ~20 hours

Where to find it: YouTube, most podcast platforms

What is it, in summary?:
According to Critical Role's wiki:
"Six adventurers...uncover a hidden corruption beneath the city they've sworn to protect, and attempt to prevent The Calamity [a disaster that essentially annihilated the world's advancements]."

What do you love about it?: In just four episodes, you get attached to these incredibly fascinating characters as they try to undo the wrongs they've perpetuated in their hubris. They also balance that serious tone with just the right amount of humor.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Pre-canon stuff pertaining to the characters' families/happier lives. Maybe AUs as well.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Not really, unfortunately

Content warnings: Some gore/violence as is typical of a fantasy/D&D setting, but it's never described in terribly graphic detail imo.

Re: Exandria Unlimited: Calamity

[nonesensed]

I'm so happy to see Calamity being brought up for Yuletide! Would absolutely love to see more of the Age of Arcanum and the Ring of Brass <3

Pretty Hard Cases

[anagrrl]

Title: Pretty Hard Cases

Media: Television Series

Approx length: Two seasons so far, 22 episodes total.

Where to find it: This is on the CBC (Canada) and also Netflix (although possibly only in Canada).

What is it, in summary?: A buddy-cop drama set in Toronto. Two cops, Kelly Duff and Sam Wazowski, work together to deal with various guns, gangs, drugs, murder cases.

What do you love about it?: This is a funny, well-written series with great actors (especially the 2 main characters and one of the secondary cops) and characterisation. It's a bit drama, a bit comedy, and very, very Canadian in tone. It's also centred on women - the detectives are women, their boss is a woman, some of the criminals are women. The two main characters play off each other really well (both in terms of antagonizing each other, and having each other's backs), have a great vibe, and they get shit done (sometimes to the frustration of others!). There are some great secondary characters too.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I think that anything really in this 'verse would be great. There are lots of possibilities and options for directions, from character study pieces to exploring romance sub-plots, to case-based stories.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Not really.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): I guess some typical cop-drama level violence, but it's pretty low key on that end.

Rec: Constellation Games (Leonard Richardson, 2012)

[js_thrill]

Title: Constellation Games by Leonard Richardson


Media: Novel


Approx length: 368 pages


Where to find it: The author hosts a page for the book which has two sample chapters downloadable for free, and links to places to buy it.


What is it, in summary?: Constellation Games is a comic and philosophical first contact novel where humans are on the receiving end of first contact. The main character, Ariel Bloom is a video game programmer and enthusiast whose primary reaction to seeing the arrival of these advanced and ancient alien species is, approximately "I wonder what kind of video games they have!" He then gets wrapped up in matters large small with a number of alien and human friends and factions, as he tries to keep up with the political/cultural changes provoked the Constellation as well as his blogging.


What do you love about it?: The book's sense of humor, its reflections on art, games, culture and politics, and some of the characters in particular, are especially appealing to me. It is one of my favorite "comfort" reads/re-reads.


What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The book itself, almost by necessity, focuses on human perspectives. But the various alien cultures are really fascinating and I am really intrigued by the development they do get/the peeks we get into their cultures. I am likely to request either world-building or stories about various alien characters in particular.


Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: It's a novel, so, hard to go for sub-sets.


Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): There are comprehensive author's notes on the linked page above, so I would recommend scanning those for subjects/topics that might be in these areas. There are some sex scenes, but they aren't graphic, and if I recall correctly, some discussions of racism in the abstract, but not much to flag with CW. A bit of violence in the book, but even that is on the lighter side, I think.

Re: Rec: Constellation Games (Leonard Richardson, 2012)

[primeideal]

Picked this up and am enjoying it so far, thanks for the rec!

Rec: China Mountain Zhang (Maureen McHugh, 1992)

[js_thrill]

Title: China Mountain Zhang by Maureen McHugh


Media: Novel


Approx length: 313 Pages


Where to find it: It is available in bookstores and libraries.


What is it, in summary?: I don't think I can do better than this summary/review, but to give my own brief summary: Zhang Zhong Shan is a mid-level construction engineer living in a version of the US that is a satellite state of Communist China. He is gay, he is half Chinese and half Mexican, but has had genetic surgery performed to allow him to pass as fully Chinese, and he has to mask his race and sexuality in order to navigate his society. The novel alternates between chapters from Zhang's perspective and chapters from other people's perspective. Zhang is not a mover or shaker in this world. His trials and tribulations are things like "the boss wants you to go on a date with his daughter, and you have to tank it, but not so badly that you get fired", or "how do you figure out how to meet other gay people when you move to a new area where the norms are different and more restrictive".


What do you love about it?: The novel is a poignant and touching exploration of loneliness, isolation, oppression, and connection. It is almost like a variant of cyberpunk, in that the futuristic technology that pervades th novel is, rather than made grim and gritty: banal. The sheen and futurity and excitement of the technology is stripped away, as it becomes part of the Sisyphean burden of just living one's life under oppression (and depression).


What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The novel is a "mosaic novel", so interwoven with Zhang's story are chapters with other characters who intersect Zhang's life at tangents. Almost like a short story collection in parallel with Zhang's story (but with more narrative coherence than this suggests). Their stories are told, to some extent in outline, leaving lots of room for worldbuilding or just expansion on their particular stories, which are left incomplete.


Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: n/a


Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
The novel has a lot of racism depicted throughout, and there are some racist terms (used diagetically) especially early on; that caught me off guard when I first read it. There are some depictions of injuries, a suicide, and a sexual assault. There may be some other content in these neighborhoods that I am neglecting, but those are the major ones that come to mind.

Re: Rec: China Mountain Zhang (Maureen McHugh, 1992)

[rosehiptea]

This is a great book and I so seldom see people mention it.

Rec: The Architect's Brother (Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison)

[js_thrill]

Title: The Architect's Brother (Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison)

Media: Photo Collection

Approx length: Around 70-75 images

Where to find it: Here are links to the images on the Artists’ Website.

What is it, in summary?: In "The Architects' Brother" Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison create almost surreal images using complicated staging and design, rather than computer manipulation. One museum that hosted the exhibition described the exhibition thus: "Robert ParkeHarrison's innovative approach to picture making draws upon the use of the paper negative and collage to construct stories of healing and restoration amid landscapes scarred by technology and overuse. In Herculean actions that are both humorously metaphorical and lyrically poetic, ParkeHarrison constructs beguiling stories that gently remind us to consider the state of our one and only earth. At the center of each of his pictorial tales is a lone individual—ParkeHarrison himself as "Everyman"—the "Architect's" brother. This suit-clad figure patches holes in the sky, creates rain machines, chases storms to create electricity, and communicates with the land to learn of its needs. Robert's wife, Shana, collaborates with him to produce the work."

There are printed books available of the exhibition, but one can also view the images on the Artists' website.

What do you love about it?: The images have a haunting otherworldly quality, and manage to convey huge amounts of narrative in the space of individual images. There is a sense of a whole continuity that hangs together, even though the only text is names for particular images or groupings of them.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: worldbuilding.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: One could just browse subsets of the images, I suppose, or particular groupings rather than all of them?

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): not really

Re: Rec: The Architect's Brother (Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison)

[(Anonymous)]

Hey, just a head's up that dreamwidth appears to have eaten your link to the website

Rec: Mother Keeper

[marinehaddock]

Title: Mother Keeper

Media: Manga

Approx length: 72 chapters

Where to find it: Amazon JP

What is it, in summary?: Here's a quick primer I wrote

What do you love about it?: I love the characters a lot and their complex experiences leading to the choices they make, where few feel completely good or bad. I love my old men and their relationship.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Most likely a rerun of last year's requests

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: The "Hunter" Chapters are the main point for my main ship (psst I have a primer for them)

Content warnings: More details in Primer but frequent violence and gore

Red: Short Poppies

[ramsaybaggins]

Title:
Short Poppies

Media:
TV show

Approx length:
8 half hour episodes

Where to find it:
Amazon

What is it, in summary?:
A half hour mocumentary which follows a different character played by Rhys Darby in a small New Zealand town. The last episode has them all come together in one episode.

What do you love about it?:
It's very funny, and each character is so wonderfully unique. It's not mean, either.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
There are a number of distinct characters, so a fic around each of them is possible! Their personalities are so diverse that there's sure to be something for everyone.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
You only need to watch the one episode for each character, really!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Some jokes fall a little bit flat now but there are only one or two in the entire show

Rec: UuultraC

[marinehaddock]

Title: UuultraC

Media: Visual Novel (18+)

Approx length: HowLongToBeat says 20 hours, I read it all in 2 days

Where to find it:
DRM Free on MangaGamer
Steam to show all your friends what you're playing

What is it, in summary?: UuultraC is a set of 3 interwoven stories set in 1970, inspired by Tokusatsu and similar children's media. The world is filled with kaiju and the city is protected by Sun Mask Icarus.
Chapter 1 is about a man in his early 20s, living with his boyfriend. His life is unexciting, working part-time jobs to support them and wanting to be an actor. One day, he's caught up and washed in kaiju blood, putting him at risk of infection.
Chapter 2 is about a former child actor turned photographer, reuniting with the girl he swore his heart to as a child. Said girl is no longer a girl (now a non-binary man) and has become a kaiju, fighting for revenge against those who hurt the love of his life.
Chapter 3 is about Sun Mask Icarus and the other heroes that protect the city.
I have a primer with more details.

What do you love about it?: I'm already a big tokusatsu fan, so this was just a visual novel made for me. I love the references to toku and other shows (Chapter 1 is the works of Go Nagai, Chapter 2 is Kamen Rider Ryuki among other things, Chapter 3 is Kamen Rider Black) even though it can definitely stand on its own if you're not that familiar with them. I also love the relationships between all the main couples and just the characters in general. I love how cute Shoutarou and Akira are and how they can work through everything together. I give Shirou a lot of crap for not deserving Isshiki, but really they're exactly alike and couldn't be more suited for each other. Yomi and Juurou just drive me wild in general because of spoilers but I love Juurou's characterisation as being so dependent on scripts but finally speaking for himself when it's Yomi. I fell in love with all of them so hard.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Absolutely ship content. I love these ships too much and constantly need more content.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: You have to play chapter 1 to unlock 2 and 3, but you can pick whichever chapter is relevant to whichever ship.

Content warnings: Full list is in primer, with context for all but it's Long. Brief list: 18+ Content, Rape, Incest, Fantasy Racism, Gore/Violence, Child Abuse, Queerphobia, Suicide

The Monstrumologist Series - Rick Yancey

[sheeon]

Title: The Monstrumologist Series - Rick Yancey
Media: Books
Approx length: 4 books, roughly around 400 pages each
Where to find it: It is widely available in print and can be found wherever you get books.

What is it, in summary?: The Monstrumologist books are YA in the horror fantasy genre. The story revolves around Will Henry and Pellinore Warthrop, the two of them seeking out monsters for study, following Will Henry's point of view as he acts as Warthrop's assistant and becomes further exposed to the horrors in the world. Each book gets progressively darker with Will Henry and Warthrop's bond becoming strained as Will Henry grows older.

What do you love about it?: I love the dark tone of the series and Will Henry and Warthrop's relationship is endlessly fascinating to me. They play off of each other in such interesting ways while Will Henry assists Pellinore in studying monsters. They’re both deeply codependent and lonely people in need of companionship, even if they struggle to articulate that in words, and they understand each other in ways that no one else can. There’s so much intense feeling between them even in their most fraught moments.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Will Henry and Warthrop, of course! I'm the most interested in exploring their relationship in a variety of ways.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: All the books need to be read to get a full understanding of the story, but the first book would work well as a sampler for deciding if you want to try the rest of the series.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Emotional abuse, gore, and character death are the major ones. The books also have questionable writing regarding women and characters of color. I'd be happy to answer further questions about content warnings if anyone has them.

Elana Series

[circumference_pie]

Elana Series
Books (YA)
Approx length: First book 308 pages, second book 344 pages.

Where to find it:
Both books are borrowable as e-books from Internet Archive for free upon account creation:
Enchantress from the Stars
The Far Side of Evil

Physical books are available for borrowing at many libraries, and for purchase from most large bookstores, including BetterWorldBooks. E-books are also available for purchase from some large bookstores. There is an audiobook for Enchantress.

What is it, in summary?:
The first book, Enchantress from the Stars, is a young adult story that's fantasy from one character's point of view, but science fiction from another's. What if we had knights and dragons and sorceresses, but the magic is just technology from a more advanced civilization, and the sorceress is just a girl from that culture? Elana is a member of a utopian, spacefaring civilization called the Federation, and has accidentally joined a mission to the medieval planet of Andreica. She becomes an "enchantress" to help the Andreicans save their planet from a "magical" threat.

The second book, The Far Side of Evil, features the same main character all grown up, and on a mission to a planet at about the same technological level as Earth in the 20th century. It is considerably more adult, grapples with themes of morality and human nature, and very much a product of the author wrestling with the existential questions of the Cold War.

What do you love about it?:
The first book is fun, engaging YA with an interesting premise that it delivers on. The second expands on the worldbuilding, and is a worthy and more complex continuation.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
* One of the key elements of both books is the injunction from Elana's culture to never let developing planets know about the existence of more advanced civilizations out there. While this is an integral part of canon, I always wonder what would happen if certain characters from these planets just found out.
* Worldbuilding about the less-lawful elements of the Federation.
* Post-canon fic about how these planets ended up developing.
* Other characters' takes on the events of Enchantress.
* What does the Federation file on our planet look like?

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
Both books can be read as standalones.

Content warnings:
Nothing egregious, but I remember reading The Far Side of Evil and thinking, Ah, its 70s ideals are showing.

Re: Elana Series

[primeideal]

Sylvia Louise Engdahl is great, I read another trilogy that turns into a stealth crossover with this series I think! May need to circle back and read these too. :D

The Peregrine (J.A. Baker)

[circumference_pie]

The Peregrine
Book (nature writing)
Approx length: 432 pages

Where to find it:
Print books: available at some libraries and for purchase at large bookstores, including BetterWorldBooks.
E-books: Available at some libraries, and for purchase at large book retailers.
Audiobook: Available for purchase from Apple Books and Amazon.
Please feel free to message me if you are having trouble finding it!

What is it, in summary?:
Nonfiction, a nature diary about the landscape of eastern England and the two peregrines the author follows throughout a winter.

What do you love about it?:
The prose is breathtakingly gorgeous. Here's the opening:

East of my home, the long ridge lies across the skyline like the low hull of a submarine. Above it, the eastern sky is bright with reflections of distant water, and there is a feeling of sails beyond land. Hill trees mass together in a dark-spired forest, but when I move towards them they slowly fan apart, the sky descends between, and they are solitary oaks and elms, each with its own wide territory of winter shadow. The calmness, the solitude of horizons lures me towards them, through them, and on to others. They layer the memory like strata.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
* Role reversal: A "nature diary" from the peregrines' point of view, and of that weird two-legged creature who follows them.
* Observations of the landscape and birds of a different region. (AU? :P )

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
Not sure.

Content warnings:
The author writes about the peregrines killing prey, so a warning for animal death.

Re: The Peregrine (J.A. Baker)

[(Anonymous)]

I love this book so much! <3

Fly me to the Saitama

[spikedcoffee]

Title: Fly me to the Saitama

Media: Movie

Approx length: 1hour 45mins

Where to find it: I don't think it's legally available to watch with english subtitles anywhere, but it's relatively simple to find online.

What is it, in summary?: "Fly me to the Saitama" is a Japanese comedy about a world where people from the suburbs and rural areas are treated as second class citizens. Cue Rei, a young man from Saitama who has studied for years to be able to pass himself off as a wealthy socialite from Tokyo and who, together with the son of the governor of Tokyo, becomes the leader of a revolution.

It's basically every in-joke about the rivalry between city people and country people but turned up to 11 and given a coat of BL paint.

What do you love about it?: It's a very fun movie all around, from Gackt playing a teenager despite being nowhere near the correct age, to Momomi dreaming about Rei getting tortured with peanuts, to Saitama's rebellion being partly motivated by feeling frustrated about being landlocked. It also features a bunch of attractive people invading each other's personal space.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Either Kenzo/Akutsu or Duke Saitama/Akutsu. Basically, I love Akutsu and his devotion to Chiba, and I want him to get absolutely wrecked by some older man he shouldn't be involved with.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: N/A

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
N/A

Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) (Movie 2020)

[isabrella]

Title:
Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) (2020)

Media:
Movie

Approx length:
1 hr 22 min.

Where to find it:
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s52hpoNege8
Available on Showtime, via Hulu and Prime Video I believe.

What is it, in summary?:
It's an Australian teen rom-com about a queer girl and her love interest. It centres around Ellie, a proudly gay seventeen-year-old, who is visited by her "fairy" godmother (her deceased aunt), Tara, after coming out to her mum. The movie follows her as she tries to work up the courage to ask her crush to the formal and learns about her family history and queer activism through her aunt. The movie has an amazing soundtrack, amazing cast (esp. if you're Kiwi/Aussie), and it's all-around heart-warming.
What do you love about it?:
• Abbie is played by Zoe Terakes, an Indigenous non-binary actor!
• Rachel House, beloved NZ icon, gives a stunning performance as Ellie's other aunt figure.
• Tara's dyke camp everything.
• It deals with some very heavy themes around queer history and queer futures but does it in a way that I thought was really great at interweaving the two and showing how they are related.
• Hopeful! Funny! Heart-warming!
• "I think we should have the sex talk again, because lesbian sex is very different." "Nope, NOPE!" "And I don't want you to learn about it from PORN!"

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Fun and fluffy interactions between the main characters!

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
It's a whole movie, so no.

Zolita - The Somebody I F*cked Once Trilogy (Director's Cut) - music videos

[isabrella]

Title:
Zolita - The Somebody I F*cked Once Trilogy (Director's Cut)

Media:
Music video trilogy.

Approx length:
15 mins

Where to find it:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSBj6fwroNU

What is it, in summary?:
A music video trilogy about two girls who have a relationship in high school, separate for college, and reconnect as adults. A lot of dramatic cheerleader/goth aesthetics, prom scenes, etc.

What do you love about it?:
I love the whole referential vibes of music videos - notes to But I'm a Cheerleader, You Belong with Me, etc.
The aesthetic is just *chefs kiss*.
Also it's just super sweet and short and fun to watch!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Missing/deleted scenes, fluffy vibes, angsty vibes, post-canon scenes.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
It's so short I wouldn't bother but I guess any of the stand-alone videos.

Julia Stevens music video series by Hollie Col

[isabrella]

Title:
Julia Stevens Series - Hollie Col

Media:
Music video/short film series.

Approx length:
30 mins.

Where to find it:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaBLTNqnLa9U-cokdMwEh63SIhUW-Bh5F

What is it, in summary?:
A music video and short film series about two queer girls falling in love, set in the 1970s, and featuring Australian indie pop music.

What do you love about it?:
Hollie Col is a particular musical love of mine, so that! The 70s aesthetics! The potential for angst! And fluff!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Missing/deleted scenes, fluffy vibes, angsty vibes, post-canon scenes.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
It's so short I wouldn't bother but I guess any of the stand-alone videos.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

[sarunohadaki]

Title: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Media: A JRPG-style video game released in English in 2018

Approx length: ~85 hours

Important note: You do not need prior knowledge of the other 10 games to enjoy this one!

Where to find it: Youtube playthrough (with commentary) DQXI on steam Youtube 'movie' of the game (5-part edit of cutscenes)

What is it, in summary?: You play as the Luminary, who's on a hero's journey to find his destiny and save the world! Complete with a lovable cast of characters and a colorful world bundled into three acts.

What do you love about it?:

{spoilers ahead!}

Look at this boy.

Now tell me you don’t at least think he’s cute or are slightly interested in his Hero’s Journey across a land that eventually succumbs to crippling darkness but through the power of friendship and found family is saved, with the hero going back in time at the end of the second act to prevent the darkness from happening in the first place.

DQXI is full of a cast of lovable characters, each with their own unique voice and appeal. (Even the 30-year-old men get some love!) The game has a lot of lore, fun character dynamics, and potential for worldbuilding. (IF you can overlook the mindf*kery that is the world map.)

The man, the myth, the fabulous legend.

Sylvando is probably at least 50% of what makes this game great. He’s a lot of people’s favorite character, and who can blame him? He might initially come off as a gay stereotype but spend some more time with him and you will rapidly fall in love with his energy, kindness, and humor. It’s like they took everything LGBTQ and put it into this one precious little character. Give him different pronouns, let him be a literal clown, have him be your party’s Emotional Support Parent. It’s all up for grabs when Sylv’s around. (Or Sylvia, if you prefer~)

Lastly, the shipping. The longer I stick around this fandom, the more brain worms I have accrued, to the point that I don’t think there’s any (reasonable) ship that I would not enjoy. There are so many possible pairings that have yet to be explored, and don’t even get me started on friendships!

Missing scenes, fix-its, and canon diverge are popular mainstays for this fandom and there is a lot of canon material you can twist, tweak, and tamper with.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Canon divergence, time traveling nonsense, and post-canon aus. I'm also interested in events happening before canon, and during canon, and anything you can think of, really. I'm most in love with luminerik but am chest-deep in the minutae of this fandom and would happily devour fanfiction about anything, from an obscure NPC's perspective of act 3 to slice of life.

Content warnings: non-explicit past child abuse, implications of sexual assault, child death/main character death.

SUNDOWN — Short Film

[sarunohadaki]

Title: SUNDOWN

Media: Animated short film

Approx length: 5 minutes

Where to find it: Youtube video

What is it, in summary?: Ami's part of a traditional dance troupe that's about to perform. The only problem? One of the members is missing.

What do you love about it?: The energy, the colors, the characters, the environment. The way things escalate from "Sacha joined a rival team" to "omg he must have died!!!" (Seriously, these characters are SO charming and come with a fun dash of drama.) I especially love the storytelling, how it's fast-paced enough for you to feel the tension of the atmosphere, just as the characters do.



Look at how badass this poster looks!!! You can glean so much from these character's personalities just from one image. Isn't that wonderful? The little Instagram images featured in the video are the same way. I've also found the directors on twitter and am sucking up
allll the lore now. (Did you know Ami and Jun are cousins?)

I would be honestly so happy if there were any fic for this on AO3, but atm, there's nothing. Let's change that! I even did all the digging (because I have an obsession) and learned everybody's name.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The main cast's backstories/character studies; worldbuilding and exploring Ami's life in the circus; retelling the short film from Sacha's perspective.


A colorboard for Sundown shared by director Juliette Brocal on Twitter. (You should def check it out!!)

Re: SUNDOWN — Short Film

[violet_pencil]

Oh wow, I hope you get fic for this! I really liked it!