my favorites list is so ridiculously bloated that i feel i have an obligation to make a TRUE FAVORITES list, to express my love for works i read again and again.

... and yes, i do have a problem.

Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen (Naruto)

a fanfiction classic. read it. read it even if you only vaguely know what the fuck a naruto is. read it even if you're not a big fan of oc fics. read it, love it, and read it again because you probably missed some details that will blow your mind on the reread. i'll say this, until you've read dreaming of sunshine, you're not Valid. it is better than the source material by fucking miles, and i will fight you on this. yes its long. you should be grateful cause when i read it, there was only about 40 chapters and the binge read was bittersweet and short. you have a unique opportunity. gorge yourself on this fic, and fall in love with all 600k words of it. ps, don't forget the side stories. they're all great too.

Stockholm Syndrome by Neassa (Sly Cooper)

i don't care how little you know about Sly Cooper - this series is great. you don't need to know a whole lot going into it, never heard of sly cooper in your life? fine. look up the first ep of a walkthrough, watch like five mins of it and you'll be good to go. you'll thank yourself for it, the romance is a beautiful slow burn, the characterisation is deliciously complex and theres plenty of sequels to sink your teeth into after this one. yet another fic that you can file as 'better than the source material'.

Marie D Suesse And The Mystery New Pirate Age! by Phalanx (One Piece)

a parody of mary sue fics that isn't a one shot and has a compelling story??? yep, it's real. this story is both self aware and bomb as hell. it is incredibly original, with no canon rehashing in sight, while still calling back to canon enough to keep you intrigued. all the tropes are explored, and none are left unscarred. a must read, especially if you've ever read a mediocre One Piece OC fic before.

Penance by Laora (Fullmetal Alchemist & Harry Potter)

there are so many fma and hp crossovers. this one is unique in that it's complete, in character, has a satisfying ending and has al as an actual character in it. do people just forget al exists??? not this time! al is in this fic and he's great. All the characterisation in this fic is great. hp/fma crossovers can be quite derivative - once you've read one, you basically know the gist of all of them, but this one is original and a whole lot of fun... in a painful way. painfun.

A Place Where No One Lives by Habetrot (Twilight)

if you hate twilight, read this. more specifically, if you hate edwards abusive stalkerish behavior, bellas lack of characterisation just in general, the poor world building and the shitty writing in twilight, this fic will make you feel heard like no fic ever does. a self aware mary sue arrives in forks, and then calls the cullens and edward out on their bullshit. There's a sequel too!

Lucky Child by Star Charter (Yu Yu Hakusho)

an OC fic of extremely high quality and depth, staring our main character accidentally replacing Keiko's role in the story and dealing with the inevitable fallout. the story unfolds wonderfully, like a flower, so hold on during the sometimes slow start. this is also one of the first oc fanfics i've read which deals extensively with the trauma and effects of a OC SI style experience, and makes the how and why of our main protagonist's presence in the story a key plot point. this fresh spin on the old reincarnation self insert trope is very welcome. i'm always happy to see this fic in my emails - currently updating regularly and with good solid chunks of chapters. Not-Quite-Keiko is a great protagonist, likeable, well-rounded and so understandably flawed.

Lizard Brain by Peruna (Naruto)

This is by no means an easy read. do be aware of all the warnings and the M rating - plenty of violence and dark themes here. our main character (an oc) is more flaw than virtue - just like all our beloved canon characters in this fic - but the dark tone is never so extreme as to inspire disbelief. while characters make mistakes, those mistakes are treated kindly and embraced by the narrative, and it is all so tragically human. if you don't mind a dark tone and are fine with the warnings given by the author, lizard brain is a compelling and thrilling read.

Phantom of Truth by HaiJu (Danny Phantom)

if you read one danny phantom fanfic, let it be this one. a very polished piece of writing with great characterisation and a compelling look at where the danny phantom universe could have taken the somewhat darker themes of the original show. of course, our main duo of danny and maddie have a great dynamic over the course of the fic - especially with danny's identity as her human son hidden from her. a satisfying read on it's own, but if you hunger for more, side stories and a complete sequel may be found on HaiJu's Profile.

Tourmaline by PhantomRose96 (Steven Universe)

once again, phantomrose is back to make all the shows you love angsty. even lighthearted source material cannot stop the mighty phantomrose. a lot of the headcanons in this fic have since been jossed by the show itself, but the story and world building are strong enough that they stand on their own - without canon material. comparing the similar material (a redemption arc of sorts for Peridot) between fanon and canon is an interesting exercise all the same, so if you can stomach jossed fics, this is one for you. classic of the fandom, of course, with haunting scenes that i recall vividly even after years since a reread. do give it a go.

There Goes Hoping by Kino46 (Hunter x Hunter)

finally i can rec a hxh fic! the fandom is much smaller than it should be, dudes, get on that HxH 2011 watch man. the adaption is great and super accessible to new fans. putting that asside, its another meta oc fic that lampshades the common tropes of the genre but with significant story implications! our oc is very morally grey, much different from the fanfiction she wrote herself into in middle school. yet, here she is, in the body of an oc she designed in high school and not super happy about it. this is not necessarily an examination of oc tropes in the same way as Marie D Suesse is, but a more character drama focused story - and a heart wrenching one at that. everytime i read a chapter of this fic, my worry for kaia increases. it's great to see another meta oc fic treated with such a different tone and focus. definitely worth checking out.

Datz a Family by banjkazfan (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)

why am i crying over these side characters and their beautiful parent-child dynamic? how can i be made to cry over phoenix wright characters with such obvious pun names? why is this happening to me?!?!?! 10/10 would cry again at characters i didn't remember the names of my first playthrough (spoilers for spirit of justice, btw.)

Do as the Middle-Earthlings Do by It's-Kraggie (Naruto & Lord of the Rings)

sakura...my sweet character...wronged by her own writer...potential squandered... find rest in this well written crossover with Lord of the Rings and thrive under a writer who understands how not to fuck up every female character they touch... seriously though, is it just me or do fanfic authors get sakura more than her actual creator? guess it's the sexism. anyway the sakura in this fic is the sakura we deserved from kishimoto. crossover fanfics where the pov character is Sakura are pretty much always better than the source material for her character. this is one of the best of the best in that category. lotr fans won't be disappointed either, with a strong focus on the interesting character dynamic that develops between aragon and sakura (no romance tho, don't worry) as well as the sweetness that is the early book hobbits.