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

Piano no Mori (anime)

[erlkonig_gheyn]

Title: Piano no Mori | Forest of Piano
Media: anime
Approx length: 24 episodes of about 22 minutes each (about 9 hours total)
Where to find it: Netflix

What is it, in summary?: It's about Kai, who is super-mega-talented, becoming a great pianist. But for me, it's about Shuuhei, the son of a famous concert pianist, having a one-sided rivalry with Kai. The anime follows the two of them preparing and competing in the International Chopin Competition.

What do you love about it?:
I love Shuuhei's arc. He's good but not miraculously so. He's nowhere near comparable to Kai, but he tries. He tries so hard, and he despises himself terribly, and his parents are so disappointed. And he is so, so envious. That really resonated with me: someone of ordinary talents facing an impossible goal, and not in an uplifting or inspiring way. No, Shuuhei faces Kai in self-loathing and despair, and I love that.

I also love the attention to the pieces it showcases. There's one scene where Kai snaps a string in the piano as he's performing, rendering that key unusable. The scene then shows him improvising to avoid the broken key, and the arrangement faithfully avoids that middle G# for the rest of the piece. They wrote a whole new arrangement and performed it, and it's gorgeous.

I love that they actually showed Concerto in e-flat minor being performed like 10 times in the second season, and never worried that the audience might tire of it. I love that piece and would love to listen to it a hundred times more.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Kai and Shuuhei kissing and getting together and playing the piano together. For Kai to think Shuuhei is brilliant and inspiring. Probably some angst with a happy ending. I have simple tastes :)

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?: Hmm, probably season 2 episodes 6 and 7.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): none

Pieces MV (L‘Arc~en~Ciel)

[kitkaos]

Title: Pieces MV (L‘Arc~en~Ciel)

Media: music video

Approx length: 6 minutes 22 seconds

Where to find it: on the band’s official YouTube:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=32b1bIz-hJE&list=PLUsP-war7Md5UzH1zSnEpANrImi-MWcA9&index=26

What is it, in summary?: it’s a music video telling the story of a (cursed?) dagger and the deaths by it

What do you love about it?: it‘s haunting and suggesting and the story it tells is tragic yet beautiful. I love the tone the song lends to the story

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: what happened around the short instances we see in the video? Why and how would the dagger find these people? We’re there other instances we don’t see in the video?

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 music video that can be watched completely without context

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

Dial H for Hero (2019)

[kitkaos]

Title: Dial H for Hero (2019)

Media: Comic book

Approx length: 12 issues of 32 pages each, or two collection issues of 160 pages each

Where to find it: your trusted comic book dealer / Amazon / ask me for more possible sources

What is it, in summary?: Miguel, a teen daredevil, becomes the newest wielder of the Hero Dial—a rotary phone-like device that grants the user superpowers for one hour when they dial H-E-R-O. Will he rise as a new hero in the DC Universe or crumble under the weight of responsibility the dial thrusts upon him? (from Amazon)

What do you love about it?: it’s pretty much all I want from a good YA comic book - Miguel and Summer are both great, three-dimensional characters, the story told is quirky and fun and full of tongue-in-cheek references to the classic superhero thing (also in how it’s told, with secret origin stories for all the heroes they dial into, etc)

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: there is this cute guy Miguel gets absolutely tongue-tied around but in the end he asks him out, so I’d love to read about their first date; also maybe some 5+1 of Miguel and Summer’s time as interns at the Daily Planet; or more fun absurd hero dialing; or maybe even some 5+1 of the rotary phone design not being practical (come on, no one uses rotary dials anymore)

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?: I’m afraid there aren’t really, but the series isn’t all that long, so I’d say reading it would be 2-3 hours max?

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
None

Re: Dial H for Hero (2019)

[crantz]

I want to echo that H for Hero is GREAT and the art is outstanding, but I want to add a bit of a content warning:

There's some pretty messed up child abuse in Summer's backstory from her mom.

Anyway, though, everyone read Dial H for Hero. It's fun!

Jill — E A Dillwyn

[edwardianspinsteraunt]

Title:
Jill

Media:
Novel

Approx length:
About 300 pages in paperback form

Where to find it:
Available on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/53489

What is it, in summary?:
A Victorian adventure novel about a woman called Jill who runs away from home to escape from her gold-digging stepmother. She ultimately finds employment as a lady's maid to the proud and emotionally repressed Kitty, an old crush of hers, and the narrative is pretty explicit (by Victorian standards) about how fascinating and attractive Jill finds Kitty, and how she'd lay her heart at Kitty's feet if Kitty showed the slightest sign of reciprocating her feelings.
The novel as a whole is great fun, very fast-paced and a little bit silly. Jill's various escapades make for entertaining reading, but the real heart of the story, for me, lies in the Jill/Kitty relationship and its sense of unfulfilled pining and missed connection.

What do you love about it?:
It contains many elements that I find extremely iddy: emotionally repressed characters, a mistress/maid relationship, identity issues, discussion of social class, intense queer longing, unfulfilled romance…

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Jill/Kitty fix-it fics xD

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Very period-typical attitudes to working class and non-British people. Dillwyn, to her credit, does try to comment upon the difficulties faced by servants and to present different cultures in a positive light, but there's still very much a sense that white, upper class, Anglo-Saxon Protestants are inherently superior to everyone else.

Re: Jill — E A Dillwyn

[regshoe]

I second this! It's a brilliantly fun book with loads of femslash potential. :D

There's another potential f/f ship between Jill and Helena, the Sister at a hospital where Jill stays, whose religious philosophy and solemn devotion to her duty make a strong impression on Jill. Plans are not finally decided, but I may request fix-it/relationship development for Jill and Sister Helena as well as Jill and Kitty.

Mike Bowditch Mysteries

[lawsonblakestan]

Title: Mike Bowditch Mysteries

Media: Books

Approx length: Currently there are 13 books in the series.

Where to find it: Public library, book store


What is it, in summary?: Mystery series by author Paul Doiron. Mike Bowditch is a Maine game warden who continuously runs into trouble in the form of all sorts of illegal activities happening on the coast and in the woods of Maine.

What do you love about it?: Mike starts out as an a**hole 23 year old macho guy who keeps making the wrong decisions but we get to see his growth as each book he gets a year (roughly) older. The sense of place is amazing--real and made up Maine towns and natural spaces feel very real.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Romance, adventure, drama. Mike (or other characters) in a new place--what if he were suddenly in NYC or in Nevada or another place totally foreign to a Maine boy like himself? What if he went undercover to assist in a police investigation--how would he relax his rigid code of ethics to blend in with criminals?

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 series is great for reading in order, but you could read a random book from the middle of the series and still understand the vibe.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Depends on which book but there is a lot of fighting, some swearing, gun violence. Alcoholism, addiction.



Worldbuilding isn't really necessary since the world is so firmly established already.

Rec: Something Dark and Holy Series

[vvitchsdesire]

Title: Something Dark and Holy Series, a trilogy composed by Wicked Saints, Ruthless Gods, and Blessed Monsters

Media: Books

Approx length: between 400 and 544 pages

Where to find it: Available on Amazon or another retailer!!

What is it, in summary?:the series in set in fantasy!russia and fantasy!poland, two countries at war because of religious differences - fantasy!russia has a pantheon of gods and clerics, figures that are able to communicate and wield the gods' powers, while fantasy!poland has said "fuck this shit" and invented magic of their own, which upset the gods and caused war for the past few centuries. our protagonist is nadezhda "nadya" lapteva, the last of the clerics, able to commune with the entire pantheon, and who leads a mostly normal life in the monastery where she was abandoned at - until the prince of fantasy!poland comes knocking to kill her. nadya flees, and ends up meeting a mysterious soldier from fantasy!poland, alongside his two traveling companions.

What do you love about it?:I like the cast - they're a bunch of extremely competent people, who also happen to be a few of the biggest losers you've met. I also like the magical systems - both feel rounded and robust, and although they're not the main focus, you can still feel like they make sense. idk I just really like these books

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'm requesting shippy content but I'd be genuinely down for Anything

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?: just reading Wicked Saints would be good to get you writing!!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):blood, self harm, heavy body horror in later books

onlyoneof (Kpop) - underground idol #1 & #2 music videos

[geckoholic]

Title: onlyoneof (Kpop) - underground idol #1 & #2 music videos

Media: music / music video (Kpop)

Approx length: ~10 minutes

Where to find it: #1 - YooJung ‘begin’ and #2 - KB ‘be free’

What is it, in summary?: The story of a hookup, in short, between a bored night shift waiter and this intriguing costumer. It's told over two music videos to songs by single members of the Kpop band onlyoneof. I haven't heard of them before, but these two songs/videos got to me.

What do you love about it?: It tells the kind of story that gives you the bare bones but leaves so much room to play. The chemistry between the two singers is great, too, and it's just really beautifully done.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Pairing fic, expanding on what we see in the videos.

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 really short as is, so I'll leave this question blank. XD

Content warnings: none

Re: onlyoneof (Kpop) - underground idol #1 & #2 music videos

[(Anonymous)]

Oh wow. Supper excited to see this! I was gonna nominate them if no one else did. Would you consider adding in MV #3 Junji's be mine video too?

Malevolent (Podcast)

[(Anonymous)]

Title: Malevolent

Media: Podcast

Approx length: Currently at 25 episodes, about ~one hour each, the canon is on-going. It updates weekly with ten minute long episodes on Patron but releases public episodes combining all those episodes monthly for free.

Where to find it: Most likely freely available on your podcast app of choice. The official website has links too https://www.malevolent.ca/

What is it, in summary?: It is a horror podcast about a 1930s private investigator named Arthur Lester who gets himself possessed by a “being” who now controls his eyes. Meaning Arthur is effectively blind and reliant on the being to tell him what’s going on as the two “share” Arthur’s body (with the being only controlling the eyes and one other body part). Together they have to figure out who/what the being is, how to get him out of Arthur’s body, all while trying not to get killed by an array of Lovecraftian monsters and cultist as the two slowly become friends.

What do you love about it?: The relationship between the detective Arthur and the being (who has a name I am not using for spoiler reasons) and their entire situation of sharing a body. They go from being forced into a bad situation and having to work together while not trusting each other to caring a lot about each other, even as both keep arguing (bitterly at times) and make mistake that affect how they feel about each other. Their friendship and the kindness they show to each other among all the horror the world throws at them is great.

Apart from that, the plot is really great, focused on the two solving mysteries while fighting monster and trying to figure out the overarching mystery of the show with some effective and great horror moments.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Arthur and the Being. I ship them a lot and I’d love to see some get together while on a case fic and some pining. Gen focused case fics/plot stuff is also great, I also adore the plot of the show.

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?: Their relationships changes a lot through the episodes (it’s honestly a roller coaster) and I feel to get their full backstory and how they feel/think about each other, all the good and all the bad, what exists of the canon so far would need to be fully consumed.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): It is a horror podcast, with descriptions of gore, violence, injuries and gruesome monsters, people dying and other horror related themes, including psychological horror.

Great Freedom (movie)

[geckoholic]

Title: Great Freedom

Media: movie

Approx length: ~ two hours

Where to find it: Since movie streams differ by country, I won't put links here, but I watched it on German Amazon Prime.

What is it, in summary?: In post-war Germany, liberation by the Allies does not mean freedom for everyone. Hans is imprisoned again and again under Paragraph 175, a law criminalizing homosexuality. Over the course of decades, he develops an unlikely yet tender bond with his cellmate Viktor, a convicted murderer.

What do you love about it?: It's raw and honest and doesn't pull its punches. The two main characters aren't easily liked, but as they grow to care for each other, so does the viewer. It's a rough love, but deep when it finally fights its way to the surface for both of them. The movie is also about the consequences of making love a crime, for this one guy who won't give up on who he is and suffers the consequences again and again. An emotional and touching story. (trailer with english subtitles; there's also a streaming link in the description)

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Explorations between the lines of canon, and examinations of setting and history.

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 one movie, so I'm leaving this one blank.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Homophobia, obviously. Also violence, corporeal punishment, isolation, references to the holocaust and concentration camps, and minor character death.

夜は短し歩けよ乙女 | The Night is Short Walk on Girl (2017)

[sarunohadaki]

Title:
The Night is Short, Walk on Girl



Media: Movie

Approx length: 1 hr 33 min

Where to find it:
Rent on Youtube for $1.99 (Japanese audio, English subtitles)
Rent on Amazon for $2.99 (Japanese audio, English subtitles)
HBO Max (Only English audio and subtitles)

What is it, in summary?: A story between a lovestruck upperclassman and his crush, who spends the evening exploring different parts of the night life. Will the two ever meet, or will the girl just keep on walking...?

What do you love about it?: The masterful way the story diverges and converges at different parts of the movie. There's a few little B stories that get resolved at the end, and I really enjoyed seeing all the characters throughout the movie return to the narrative later in a natural way. This is definitely a movie you want to watch over and over again and see what new things you didn't notice before.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I want to read about the black-haired maiden getting into more mischief. Maybe interacting with different gods other than the god of colds or used bookfairs. I'd also love to explore more of Ponto-cho, its culture, and all the people who occupy it. What is Higuchi up to now? Or the koi salesman?

My favorite parts of the movie are the Crackpot of Monte Cristo and everything about "apples hit our heads at the same time"! It cannot be said enough how much I love the director's character and his relationship with gender. I could ramble more, but I'll leave that for my letter later 😉



Content warnings: There's a portion of the movie where the male upperclassman walks around without underpants. Nothing explicit is shown. Also, there is recreational binge drinking and sexual assault (man grabs woman's boob and gets punched in the face).

Rec: Celebrity Assistant Series (Goodnight Moon ASMR)

[teddyaltman]

Title: Goodnight Moon ASMR (Specifically her Celebrity Assistant Series)

Media: Web Series

Approx length: 7 hours - There are ~13 Celebrity Personal Assistant videos, with a few more on the Youtube channel could be seen as part of the wider universe of the Celebrity character.

Where to find it: Goodnight Moon ASMR's Youtube channel or on Spotify as audio files only.

What is it, in summary?: A series of videos intended to create ASMR, that are centered around the viewer being a Celebrity & the person on screen speaking to them as their Personal Assistant who performs various tasks and schedule planning.

What do you love about it?: The one-sided dialogue reveals an absolutely unhinged personality for the viewer's character, and a deeply codependent relationship between the Asisstant and Celebrity. One positive affirmation she says to the Celebrity, completely seriously and in a valley girl accent, is: "It's okay that you still don't know what a fraction is even after it's explained to you. Fractions have no place in your life, fractions are toxic."

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Celebrity Assistant/Celebrity femslash, for sure. But also their origins as friends, following a recent Valley Girl series video that implied that these two met in high school.

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?: Yes! The original "Celebrity Personal Assistant" video is 32 minutes and sums up their relationship very well, plus the personality of both characters.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): I think some videos discuss a character having an ex stalking her but it is played off casually.

Re: Rec: Celebrity Assistant Series (Goodnight Moon ASMR)

[(Anonymous)]

I love this series! I am also a huge fan of the stylist character and her personality (she's the one who got stalked by her ex hacking into her smart fridge after she kept calling him by the wrong name and another ex taking her fridge when she left the stylist).

Definitely will be looking forward to requests for this!

[karanguni]

Title: Kamusari Series - Miura Shion, comprised of The Easy Life In Kamusari and Kamusari Tales Told At Night

Media: Book

Approx length: 2 books, neither particularly long. Goodreads series page.

Where to find it: Both books are available in the US in very good English translation from the Kindle store or wherever your local independent bookseller can get you one!

What is it, in summary?: City boy gets unceremoniously dumped in the mountainous sticks to work in the forestry industry and learns a lot about aborists, himself, and community along the way! Bonus super-light sprinkles of maybe magical realism/Japanese mythology put fantasy decorations on top of a novel set in real-world Japan.

What do you love about it?: This easy-to-read series is like a Studio Ghibli movie smashed together with modern life in the most relaxed and heart-warming of ways. It's literally like watching a slice-of-life anime, except it's a book. If you want to be wrapped in a warm blanket of descriptions about quiet mountainside forests, village life, the magic of nature and community, this is for you. Especially because it's told from the point-of-view of a Yokohama boy who has no idea what he's doing here...

You might know Miura Shion from previous Yuletides (or in general) for Fune o Amu/The Great Passage, which was about making dictionaries. She does a fantastic outsider perspective into niche, competence-porn-y worlds. The narrator of Kamusari is HILARIOUS, but like all of her characters nuanced and just a joy to be with for the too-few pages you'll be spending with him and the amazing villagers of Kamusari. Maybe her next book will be about making paper, and the trifecta will be complete! Then there is an ensemble cast of oddball villagers, some of them old folk who are just so good at being themselves.

There's also a light dusting of magical realism and mythology thrown in: there're deep beliefs about the forest and a little bit of maybe!kamikakushi. But it's all layered underneath being in the village of Kamusari, and whether the magic is real or Kamusari itself is the magic is wholly debatable. SO GOOD.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Worldbuilding, or more-of-the-canon-same gen, or mashups with general Japanese mythology!

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 first book was adapted in Japan into the movie WOOD JOB!〜神去なあなあ日常〜, which I haven't watched anything except the trailer of. It's hilarious and you might know it from the trailer too, because phalluses it's so... visually memorable. I've got to go watch this now...

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Can't think of any off the top of my head, though you might find one of the village's traditions a bit Wtf Masculinity, but no harm comes to anyone from it.

Bloods (2021)

[babster]

Title: Bloods

Media: Live action sitcom

Approx length: 17 episodes of 30 minutes each

Where to find it: It's on Hulu in the US, and in the UK it's on Sky (not sure elsewhere, unfortunately)

What is it, in summary?: Bloods is about an ambulance depot in London, and the paramedic teams there- the focus is on Maleek and Judy, but there's also Darrell and Darryl, Kareshma and Gary, and (kind of) Jo and Lawrence. The cast is great- Samson Kayo, Jane Horrocks, Julian Barratt, and Lucy Punch are some of the bigger names.

What do you love about it?: I really enjoy the way the cast plays off each other, and the various disasters they all are. The women, especially, are messy and all over the place. There are also some good storylines/episodes dealing with heavier stuff, especially grief.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: While I love all the characters, I'm probably going to request focusing on the head of the depot, Jo (Lucy Punch), and George (Katherine Kelly), the mental health expert who appears in season 2. They have a wonderfully antagonistic and petty relationship, and I want them to kiss, or be friends, or something.

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?: George doesn't appear until s2, so although the show isn't too terribly long, you could probably just do that if you wanted.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): The show does touch on racism in a few episodes, mostly for Maleek and Kareshma, and there's a storyline featuring a patient with terminal cancer. The show also deals with death and depression, and it's set post-COVID, so there are also mentions of COVID if you want to avoid that.

Time Engraver

[trobadora]

Title: L'Oréal "Time Engraver" Commercials

Media: commercials
Total runtime:: 10 minutes 8 seconds

Where to find it:
2019 Time Engraver commercial
2020 Time Engraver commercial

What is it, in summary?: Two short film-style commercials around a sort of anthrompomorphic personification of time who transports people into his workshop to engrave wrinkles and lines into their skin.

What do you love about it?: Despite also being a vehicle for an "O NOES NOT THE WRINKLES" product, these commercials really are great little mini-films. There's fascinating worldbuilding/mythology to play with and expand on; there's a lot of potential for mortal/immortal interaction (the Time Engraver chats at his subjects! what if one of them wakes up?). There's stunning beauty. And I don't mean just Zhu Yilong, who plays the Time Engraver - the cinematography is genuinely gorgeous, and personally I adore the aesthetic especially of the first commercial. (It's also a great concept for optional crossovers!)

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: just anything about the Time Engraver and his world!

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?: each commercial can be watched and written for on its own :p

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): n/a

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem

[(Anonymous)]

Title: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem

Media: Limited-series comic written by Shaun Simon and Gerard Way, with art by Leonardo Romero.

Approx length: Six issues

Where to find it: Collected as a trade paperback, or available to read online at https://comiconlinefree.net/comic/the-true-lives-of-the-fabulous-killjoys-national-anthem.

What is it, in summary?: The story of Mike Milligram who discovers that the tedious reality he lives in is a carefully-cultivated fiction, and that his fragmented memories of being a last-ditch defender in a technicolour dystopia are all true, because the past is about to catch up with him.

What do you love about it?: The world of the Killjoys is so vivid and imaginative and out-there, with themed teenage gangs (like the Pristeens and the Lorettas, not to mention the Wierdss), a constant questioning of reality and a big overarching conspiracy. The story is rich and many-layered and the art complex and detailed.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: There's so much worldbuilding to be explored in the setting - about the other gangs, the Analogue War which they were fighting, and the creatures who attack reality - and so many questions left unanswered in the story. What is the meaning of the daisy, x-ray, ladybug motif? Who is the man who steps out of the Sterelax commercials? Who is the DJ giving a live commentary on events as they happen? I'd prompt for anything which expands on the existing plot and background.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): It's violent in a comic-book fashion, and the imagery is sometimes gory and disturbing in a reality-warping way, but it's not done for shock value.

长公主在上 | Eldest Princess On Top

[trobadora]

Title: 长公主在上 | Zhǎng Gōng Zhǔ Zài Shàng (Web Series)
(also known as: Eldest Princess Above, Her Royal Highness, My Princess, The Dowager Princess is Above Me, Eldest Princess On Top)

Media: webseries
Approx length: 27 mini-episodes with a total runtime of just under one hour

Where to find it:
Youtube playlist
Compilation (all episodes in a single video)

What is it, in summary?: A mini-drama about a princess/bodyguard relationship in a reverse harem setting with spy shenanigans and political intrigue. Li Yunzhen, princess and regent for her little brother the Emperor, lives a sybaritic lifestyle and is rumoured to be corrupt and cruel; Gu Xuanqing is sent by the Emperor to spy on her in the role of a guard, but finds her not quite what the rumours say.

What do you love about it?: The dynamic between Li Yunzhen and Gu Xuanqing is great. She's in charge, of course, and plays the dominant seducer with gusto - and he's entirely unprepared for finding himself actually into it, and wanting to hand himself over to her for real. (So, yes, the titular princess is indeed very much on top. *g*) And even though he's been sent in as a spy, once he comes to know her beyond the facade she presents, betraying her starts weighing on him. Trust, loyalty, betrayal - all that tasty stuff! (And many of the usual tropes, including kneeling in the rain.) And the political intrigue doesn't just provide context for the relationship, but plays a major role itself.
There's enough material for a full-length drama in this, compressed into one hour - distilled down to its most crucial and dramatic moments, which is fascinating as well as enjoyable. :D

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I want more of anything and everything – the romance, the BDSM, the spy shenanigans, the loyalty kink, the political intrigue. :D

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?: I don't think so.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): there’s some ethnic stereotyping around the visit of "the Prince and Princess of the Turks" (突厥王子和郡主).

Re: 长公主在上 | Eldest Princess On Top

[mekare]

\o/

Starlight Brigade — TWRP ft. Dan Avidan (Music Video)

[sarunohadaki]

Title: Starlight Brigade — TWRP ft. Dan Avidan (Music Video)



Media: Music Video

Approx length: 4 minutes

Where to find it: Youtube link

What is it, in summary?: An alien boy has to save his planet with the help of the Starlight Brigade, a space crew made up of members in the band TWRP.

What makes it great?: The colors! The animation! And… the music, of course! It gives me heavy nostalgic vibes and has the potential for a lot of worldbuilding. The original plot is straightforward and your typical hero's journey, which gives a lot of potential for additional plot/conflicts/etc.

Also…


Strive! A soft boy!!! I am obsessed with him and wholeheartedly invite you to fawn over him with me. He’s expressive, has hair floof, and a heart of gold. What’s not to love?

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Anything with Strive. Particularly if it’s shippy. I love him, and I want to know more about him. How does one woo this blue alien? What is he like in an established relationship? How do you not cuddle and shower him with love and affection every second of your life?

I've never been all that interested in sci-fi things, but I like that the barrier of entry for this one is really low. It's a five-minute fandom with a sandbox for worldbuilding pretty much built into it!

McDonald & Dodds (TV)

[moontyger]

Title: McDonald & Dodds

Media: TV

Approx length: 3 seasons, each consisting of three 90 minute episodes

Where to find it: I watched it via BritBox and that seems to be the only place with all 3 seasons in the US. In the UK, you can also watch it on ITV, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV. Overall, I recommend checking justwatch for your country to see where it might be streaming.

What is it, in summary?: British police procedural. Young black female detective from London transfers to Bath for the promotion to DI, where she is partnered with a 50ish white man who has spent the last 11 years doing a desk job.

What do you love about it?: I saw someone on imdb review this as "a classic whodunit" and that is definitely one of the things I love about it. I like a good scandinoir as much as anyone, but sometimes it's nice to watch something less dark.

I also really love both main characters and how different they are from usual detective characters. Lauren McDonald is openly ambitious and the show is fine with this. Dodds looks like your stereotypical accountant and kind of acts like one, too. I watch a lot of police procedurals and I can't think of any character either of them is particularly reminiscent of.

I also adore that this is a male-female detective pair and for once there's no "will they; won't they" plot.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I love their friendship and would be interested in seeing more. McDonald and her boyfriend are supposed to join Dodds' pub trivia team; how does that go? Casefic is always good. I'd also be interested in seeing what they do when they don't have a case. Bath as a setting is interesting; there's a brief reference to the difficulties in living and working somewhere with so many historic buildings that all look the same; a fic using that element could be interesting.

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 could probably get by just watching the first season.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Not really, though since it is a police procedural, someone does die each episode. However, we aren't made to watch these deaths; this isn't a show that dwells on gory details.

There is a suicide in the first episode of season 3.

Re: McDonald & Dodds (TV)

[fabrisse]

I love this series! So happy that it might be a yuletide fandom.

Tarot of the Haunted House

[robberbaroness]

Title: Tarot of the Haunted House



Media: Tarot deck

Approx length: Standard 78-card deck

Where to find it: From the publisher at Llwellyn, or from Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, or wherever else you get your mass market tarot decks.

What is it, in summary?: It’s a gothic romance told through a tarot deck! It’s about a gothic heroine named Raven Wandsworth who comes to a mysterious manor which turns out to have pretty much every dark secret imaginable, from vampires to cults to ghosts and beyond. She even has a dashing love interest, the Knight of Cups- an angel!

What do you love about it?: There are a million possibilities within each card and especially following the "plot" of each suit from ace through court carts. I own a lot of tarot decks, and I've never found anything that interpreted the Fool's Journey like this. Built on a love of old school gothic romances and Hammer Horror movies, it turns each classic tarot archetype on its head to find something entirely new. I love how well characters are conveyed through successive images throughout the deck, and I love how much story potential there is in any combination of cards!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Horror and romance, fleshing out the plots of the suits, telling the story behind your favorite card images, or stories based on a particular spread!

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?: There's a review with lots of pictures on aeclectic, and more reviews on youtube.

Content warnings: Some violence and general macabre imagery, but nothing gory or explicit

Wings of Fire - Tui Sutherland

[raininshadows]

Title: Wings of Fire - Tui Sutherland

Media: Novels and audiobooks (all books) and graphic novels (1-5 currently available - they form a self-contained arc)

Approx. length: About 350 pages per book, 17 books.

Where to find it: Anywhere books are available. Most public libraries have them.

What is it, in summary?: Did you like those books about animals in a fantasy world going on adventures and fulfilling prophecies and fighting evil - Redwall, Warrior Cats, etc.? This is like that, but with dragons.

What do you love about it?: It's like Redwall/Warriors, but with dragons and in-text queer relationships (all the canon queer relationships are f/f so far, but there's m/m subtext). Their society is heavily matriarchal, although that part isn't super heavily emphasized, just pervasive. It focuses on the power of friendship, understanding others' point of view, and redemption.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Some combination of my favorite ships (all f/f), more content with the characters in Book 15, the immediate fallout of the end of Book 5, and worldbuilding.

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?: One of my requests could probably be written using only info from books 1-5, and so could the worldbuilding. The other ones all require full-series knowledge.

Content warnings: Some descriptions of serious physical injury and resulting disability. In-universe racism between different races of dragon and against mixed-race dragons. Humans treated as unintelligent animals.

Re: Wings of Fire - Tui Sutherland

[marmolita]

Seconding this one and here's a little more info!

Each five books forms its own arc:
* 1-5, the dragonet prophecy
* 6-10, the jade mountain prophecy
* 11-15, the lost continent prophecy

There are also some additional side novels.

The Jade Mountain Prophecy arc is my favorite, because it deals with a lot of dark themes (like mind control, absolute power corrupts absolutely, genocide, complicated feelings about being raised more as a weapon than as a person/dragon) and has some great characters! My requests are focused on this arc.

Additional content warnings to add to those provided above: child abuse, child neglect (these are for dragon children, not human), mind control, attempted genocide, magically changing people's (dragons') emotions, something that looks very much like enslavement of a dragon race though it's never directly called that.

For all the warnings, keep in mind these are middle grade books targeted at 8-12yo readers so it's kind of that genre of books where adults understand how messed up some content is while it goes over kids' heads.

Climax (2018)

[robberbaroness]

Title: Climax (2018)

Media: Film

Approx length: 97 minutes

Where to find it: Stream for free with a subscription on Amazon, Hulu or Showtime, or most other streaming sites for around 2.99

What is it, in summary?: A French horror movie about a dance troupe who are doing their final rehearsal and party before going on tour- and then it turns out someone spiked the sangria with LSD, and it all goes to hell.

What do you love about it?: It’s beautiful and hideous and mesmerizing to see modern dance turn into a crazed bacchanal, mildly sleazy types turn into full-blown monsters, and even find genuine heroism in some of the dancers. There’s something that feels darkly mythic to me, like a dramatization of the Bacchae that shows just why Dionysus and his maenads were so terrifying. I’m not usually one for “New French extremity” but this blew my mind.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Mythic or supernatural stories, setting and era AUs like ancient Greece or post-revolutionary French Bals des victimes, stuff with ghosts or witches, stuff about the characters of Selva and Psyche

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?: There’s a good video about it by JessFlix, if you want to get a feel for the type of movie it is and don’t mind spoilers.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Oh god, everything. Lots of violence, some gore, sexual assault, incest, child death, miscarriage, self-harm, suicide, and of course it’s all kicked off by non-consensual drugging.

しまなみ誰そ彼 | Shimanami Tasogare (Manga) (Our Dreams at Dusk)

[sarunohadaki]

Title: しまなみ誰そ彼 | Shimanami Tasogare (Manga) (Our Dreams at Dusk)



Media: Manga series

Approx length: 4 volumes, complete

Where to find it: Barnes and Noble (Paperback for $12.99 or ebook for $8.99)

Content warnings (moved up because there's a few big ones, and you might want to see them before going further):
Homophobic slurs, hate speech, minor character death (vol. 4), terminal cancer (vol. 4), suicide attempt/thoughts of suicide (vol. 1), body dysmorphia, misgendering, sexual assault (vol. 2, ch. 9 with passing mentions elsewhere).

What is it, in summary?: A coming-out, coming-of-age story centered around Tasuku Kaname, who is a closeted gay. At his lowest moment, he meets Someone-San, who introduces him to the drop-in center, a place where he meets people whose problems aren't much different from his own.

This manga has a really diverse representation of queer identity, from asexual characters to trans characters, all depicted in a realistic way. It explores their lives, their struggles, and the community that keeps them together.

What do you love about it?: Its ability to absolutely devastate me emotionally. I thought I was doing pretty well, and then I hit the ending and ended up bawling like a baby. It's such a raw, genuine depiction of what it's like to be discriminated against just because of who you are or who you love.

But there's also tender moments, and growth, and the main character, Tasuku, comes out of it a stronger person. All the female characters are particularly strong too, including Daichi-san and Someone-san. One of my favorite lines is Daichi saying, "Gay people are not zombies who only think about love and sex twenty-four seven". (But if you really want to talk about my favorite line, it's, "Look, dad. Your favorite person's here.")

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Exploration into someone-san's past. More growth for Misora Shuji (the author did them dirty the most, imo). A look into how the relationship between Tasuku and Tsubaki further develops. I was surprised when the manga ended after just four volumes, because although some characters got their happy endings, I didn't feel complete closure.

The characters really get driven through the ringer in this one, and I would gleefully accept something more lighthearted or comfort-focused that gives the characters a chance to breathe. Now that Tasuku's realized he isn't alone and found a community where he can be himself, what's next for him?

Re: しまなみ誰そ彼 | Shimanami Tasogare (Manga) (Our Dreams at Dusk)

[quicktimeeventfull]

I’ve just read the first volume and absolutely loved it. It’s incredibly moving and everyone’s stories feel so complex and real. It somehow manages to be both gentle and absolutely brutal in its honesty at the exact same time. I hope you get fic for this, it’s really fantastic!

Rec: Rude Tales of Magic (podcast)

[peach_soft]

Title:
Rude Tales of Magic

Media:
Podcast

Approx length:
Ongoing, currently 30+ hours of episodes.

Where to find it:
https://www.rudetalesofmagic.com/home or any podcatcher

What is it, in summary?:
A comedic DND actual play with drama and horror elements. Light on the game elements, heavy on the roleplay and humor.

What do you love about it?:
The characters and their dynamics are fantastic, and it (often) masterfully juggles many tones. The story is compelling, and there are lots of fun moments alongside genuinely frightening ones. I also just LOVE Cordelia-- she's a fantastic character in pretty much every way, especially from a fic writing standpoint if you're into exploring complex/unhealthy relationships, self-esteem issues, and emotional isolation. She's also super funny and thoughtfully portrayed. I also love the snooty jerk character, de Bonesby, which surprised me. The way he and his character development are executed is incredibly cool. The podcast also puts out oneshots of different games with one-off characters, and they're all super fun to listen to as well. The editing is great and often very goofy too.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
I love Cordelia/Albee (they start off best friends and seem a bit codependent!), de Bonesby/Cordelia (some very iddy fun things happen with them), Stir Fry/de Bonesby (starts off with a servant/jerk master dynamic, gets more nuanced and if possible, more fun), and the Witch Hunter/Cordelia (the Witch Hunter says some rather horny sounding things while hunting Cordelia and is generally terrifying)

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?:
Yes. Just from the first few episodes, the Cord/Albee and Stir Fry/de Bonesby dynamics are pretty meaty. For the other two pairings, you would probably need to be a couple dozen episodes in, but not necessarily all the way caught up.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
There is gross foley work related to some horror scenes. There is somewhat graphic description of body horror and less graphic description of violence and gore. Family loss and abuse are not huge themes but present. There is at least once instance of incestuous characters played humorously.

Atlantide - E.M. Epps

[choirwoman]

Title: Cold Sandwiches and All and its prequel The Deniability of Danishes

Media: Books

Approx length: Novel length, Danishes a bit shorter than Sandwiches

Where to find it: On the author's website (disregard the browser warnings, it's just an expired certificate and I've messaged her about it). Or back Emma on Patreon with $2 or more and you get ALL of her books.

What is it, in summary?: Light-hearted romance with magic, set in alternate America.

What do you love about it?: The people! The magic! The setting! The writing! Everything!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Missing-scene stories, shenanigans, character study.

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?: Either book can be read without the other, and if you read both you can do it in any order. There's more religion in Danishes and more politics in Sandwiches.

No content warnings apply; E.M. Epps purposely writes fantasy without explicit sex, gore and violence.

Re: Atlantide - E.M. Epps

[(Anonymous)]

These sound so cool! FYI the link to her website doesn't seem to work (when I open it I see https://yuletide.dreamwidth.org/www.emepps.com , so I can guess the link but in case you wanted to edit and fix that so others can find these cool books :D

What Did Veronica Dream Of? (Video Game)

[kittyeden]

Title: What Did Veronica Dream Of?

Media: Video Game

Approx length: 1-2 hours worth of playtime

Where to find it: https://stibiumghost.itch.io/what-did-veronica-dream-of (free to download!) There's also at least one playthrough on Youtube, although I can't vouch for the quality.

What is it, in summary?: An obscure short surreal puzzle game with beautiful graphics and a deeply confusing, beautifully surreal (lack of) plotline.

What do you love about it?: The atmosphere!! The gorgeous graphics and wonderful character design!!! The puzzlesolving, which was honestly on the trickier end, but I found it all the more satisfying because of it. The absolute vagueness of whatever's going on, which the ending doesn't even ATTEMPT to resolve (leaving lots of room for theorizing, of course). I could ramble about all of the little moments that made my brain sing with delight, but then I'd spoil all of the good stuff. I'm just kind of in love with the whole game in general.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Honestly I think I'd be happy with any sort of content exploring and/or interpreting whatever's going on in this game, but I'm most drawn to the dynamic between Veroncica herself and the girl in the greenhouse. Their interactions are dangerous and delightful and fascinating, and even though I don't know what's going on with them in the LEAST I can't help but ship them a little bit. Well, a lot. Failing that, I just want to know what's up with Veronica herself and the world around her. Her reflection handing her the key, why her dreams are so strange, who's on the other side of the phone, why the library's LIKE THAT. (I also love the librarian. Go figure.)

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, the game itself is pretty much all there is. And it's not too long, either.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): gore, unreality, death, a section that includes a few jumpscares, a lot of vaguely unsettling content