Heee! - I'm so relieved I'm not alone. and not terribly surprised that you got dragged in too, though I am thrilled ^_^ This damn series...yeah. Exactly what you said, it's so trite and cliche and oh god the CARD BATTLES (...which I'm getting used to. umm. the symbolism of them can entertain? eheheh. You know you've seen too much YGO when...) But good golly miss molly, the friendship stuff may be as subtle as a two-by-four to the kneecaps, but I can't help it. Love it. I loved it from the first chapters, if I really am being honest - I actually reread the first few volumes of manga several times, it was perfect late-night insomnia reading, pure mindless happy-making. The chapters when Jounouchi gets shanghaied back into his old gang? and they're desperate to believe in him anyway? *sigh* not to mention Anzu's smiley-face on their hands, which I still think is one of the cutest friendship gestures anywhere. And then there's the mindboggling amount of h/c - yes, the early chapters have an annoying habit of cutting short right when the really good smarm would be, but still! the random beating up! the holding! Yugi is so portable!
I have to ask - is there any chance you still have the scanlations? I have looked everywhere, and cannot find them; the site they were on appears to be down. I'm planning on picking up some of the later volumes in Japanese because I just can't wait for Viz, but would be nice to have them translated (even semi-translated; I did find the Jounouchi-goes-evil chapters, which gives me an idea of the quality of the script...) (if you don't have them anymore or don't feel comfortable sharing a licensed series, I fully understand; I tend to be pretty easy about things that are not actually available for purchase, but know not everyone is, um, so morally flexible. I just have to ask!)
...I also had to see the anime, especially since I couldn't have the manga. And since I have zero dub tolerance anyway, I ended up getting bootlegs of the whole thing. so now I've seen up through Battle City of the anime, and while the manga is definitely superior (not to mention the anime starts with v.8, so it misses so much good stuff!) it's still great fun to watch. And some of the filler is hella cute, too...
And. Eheh. Yes. Fic. Soon to be quite a lot of fic, because the last time I was bitten by this many simultaneous plotbunnies was, hmm, GetBackers, two years ago. Though I'm sorry to say it might not be what you're looking for - it's all gen, but it's also all Kaiba-brothers focused. Not that it won't have the others (and Yugi and Jou are my faves after the Kaibas) but I have sort of fallen completely hopelessly for Seto and Mokuba. (the series may be as cliche as anything, but I maintain Kaiba is a fascinating character for being at first glance a painfully classic stereotypical rival, but then having all sorts of unexpected facets. His undenied and entirely reciprocated devotion to his little brother being one of the big ones. And the element that really tipped me over into fanning...it was the bit with the lockets that did it, in the end.)
That being said...I would looooove Jou-Yugi smarm. I have found, umm, NONE, and not for lack of searching. And you, writing Jou-Yugi smarm *happy shivers* Please, please do? you know you waaaant to!
Re: Come over to the DAAAARK SIIIIIIIDE!
I have to ask - is there any chance you still have the scanlations? I have looked everywhere, and cannot find them; the site they were on appears to be down. I'm planning on picking up some of the later volumes in Japanese because I just can't wait for Viz, but would be nice to have them translated (even semi-translated; I did find the Jounouchi-goes-evil chapters, which gives me an idea of the quality of the script...) (if you don't have them anymore or don't feel comfortable sharing a licensed series, I fully understand; I tend to be pretty easy about things that are not actually available for purchase, but know not everyone is, um, so morally flexible. I just have to ask!)
...I also had to see the anime, especially since I couldn't have the manga. And since I have zero dub tolerance anyway, I ended up getting bootlegs of the whole thing. so now I've seen up through Battle City of the anime, and while the manga is definitely superior (not to mention the anime starts with v.8, so it misses so much good stuff!) it's still great fun to watch. And some of the filler is hella cute, too...
And. Eheh. Yes. Fic. Soon to be quite a lot of fic, because the last time I was bitten by this many simultaneous plotbunnies was, hmm, GetBackers, two years ago. Though I'm sorry to say it might not be what you're looking for - it's all gen, but it's also all Kaiba-brothers focused. Not that it won't have the others (and Yugi and Jou are my faves after the Kaibas) but I have sort of fallen completely hopelessly for Seto and Mokuba. (the series may be as cliche as anything, but I maintain Kaiba is a fascinating character for being at first glance a painfully classic stereotypical rival, but then having all sorts of unexpected facets. His undenied and entirely reciprocated devotion to his little brother being one of the big ones. And the element that really tipped me over into fanning...it was the bit with the lockets that did it, in the end.)
That being said...I would looooove Jou-Yugi smarm. I have found, umm, NONE, and not for lack of searching. And you, writing Jou-Yugi smarm *happy shivers* Please, please do? you know you waaaant to!