Ajora's Doujinshi Reviews

Before I go into the list of Ken & Takeru doujinshi, I would like to first state my pairing preferences.

- Pair like with like. Introverts with introverts, extroverts with extroverts, and introverts-with-extrovert-masks with introverts-with-extrovert-masks. Occasionally introverts with introverts-with-extrovert-mask. Thus Jou/Koushiro, Daisuke/Miyako, Osamu/Ryo, and Ken/Takeru, respectively.
- Similarity in past experiences, interests, or personality; but enough differences that the characters stand on their own.
- I'm not fond of loud, energetic characters. They're cute and all, but then I imagine being in the same room with them for more than a few minutes and get a headache. If Daisuke were to approach me irl, I'd put up with him for all of 10 minutes before excusing myself for space to breathe (and then run the hell away before he went and sucked up ALL my energy). I am NOT going to try to pair up someone loud and energetic with someone quiet and reserved. They can be friends, sure, and there's a virtue in friendship that is missing in most romances, but imagining them living together and having the introvert put up with this for extended periods does little to sway me. Can I have my nice, quiet characters together, please? (this is why I will NEVER, EVER pair up Osamu with Jun. EVER.) (PS: "Not fond of" does NOT mean "zomg h8!!!11," and anyone assuming that will be beaten within an inch of their life with my heaviest dragon statue. Do you really think I'd write Daisuke at all if I hated him?)
- Rape and/or blackmail are big no-nos in my book. I make allowances for pairings like Millenniumon/Ryo, but only because Millenniumon would contemplate it and fantasize about it, but ultimately never act on it. Ryo is the only person he has ever referred to or talked to in a respectful manner, so why would Mille rape him in the first place? Seduce and coerce, yes. Seduction is a whole other thing entirely and works for the pairing.
- I hate, hate, HATE feminizing the male characters without just cause. In all the cases I've seen so far, there is no just cause.
- I have very exacting demands for enjoying particular pairings. For most pairings (Ken/Takeru especially, for this rant), I expect similar pasts/interests, mutual respect and attraction, friendliness, calm, some tension, equality, and absolutely no rape or coercion. Ken/Takeru is supposed to be my cute-but-not-saccharine pairing. I write it the way I like to see it, but apparently few other people do.

... Of course, not everyone sees things the way I do, and I respect that. But why the hell do people write Takeru (or Ryo, in regards to Japanese Ryo/Ken doujinshi) as a rapist? I mean really. He has Issues, yeah, but so does Ken. Neither of them is going to rape anyone post-02.

Anyway, that said, the list:

Coelacanth Pain (front, back)
By: Yapoosneo
Review: Illustrated novel. More male bonding than actual slash, but I liked that they recognized the similarities, instead of focusing on differences like most do.

G-Angel Level-D (front, back)
By: Yapoosneo
Review: Some manga, some illustrated novel. Takeru thinks about Ken and what drove him to do what he did, and recalls losing Angemon like Ken lost Wormmon.

Shinkaigyo (front, back)
By: Yapoosneo
Review: The first half is manga, the second half is novel. Takeru runs into Ken in Odaiba before the Christmas episode, there are a few tense moments over the dogfight before the Kaiser's fall (which Ken apologizes for), and they go on their way. Ken reflects on the encounter afterwards.

Seijin (Saint) Program (front, back, pg 9)
By: Maniac Nangoku Etc
Review: Ken runs into Takeru while searching for Wormmon's egg, but didn't expect Takeru to not attack him. They talk for a bit about the village of beginnings and the Digital World, come to an understanding, and go on their separate ways. Afterwards, Takeru thinks about the encounter and Ken's change after the Kaiser's fall, then thinks maybe they could be friends.

Electric Mind 2: Canaan (front, back)
By: Shisinden
Review: Some season 1 short manga at the beginning with Koushiro and Tentomon, a short Taichi/Yamato novel I didn't read because I don't care about the pairing, and the main story has Takeru having a Bakumon-induced dream about encountering Ken and Stingmon with Seraphimon (while floating in the air and glowing like some angel and how cliche is this?), Ken tries to repent, and Takeru kisses him. Then Takeru snaps out of it. Kind of cute, very nice artwork.

Voile de Noir (front, back, pg 17)
By: Ao Matsumoto
Review: I don't know how to describe this. At all. Seems to be a shared dream between Takeru and Ken involving the Dark Ocean, an apple, and for some reason "I hate you" is Takeru-ese for "for some inexplicable reason, I like you but can't say it outright so I'll tell you I hate you instead" (this turns up in Canaan too). Ken, naturally, is confused as hell over the doubletalk.

Sukiken (front, back)
By: studio FAKE Side "J" DA-VINCH-kun
Review: First story (by Fake Side J): Porn with Takeru actually nice, sweet, and somewhat in character. WHY IS THIS SO RARE?! Apparently he and Ken are sleeping together because neither of them can have Daisuke. Why does any nice pairing with them have to include Daisuke as the unattainable goal? Can't they just be together without either of them wanting Daisuke sexually? Second story: Much less nice than the first, but I blame it on the different artist (Da Vinch-kun). It's just weird and comes across as forced sex despite the dialogue. Bleh.

Tenshi no Tamago (front, back)
By: Kaimu-doh
Review: Another one of those tense encounters involving digitamas, a long talk, and Ken repenting to the group. Afterwards there is forced sex. WHY DO PEOPLE THINK TAKERU IS A RAPIST?

Digimon Graveyard (front)
By: Suteki!Muteki!Mukkimuki
Review: Starts off innocently enough, with the start of the relationship around late 02. Five years later and Ken goes to Takeru's apartment regularly for sex, but not much more. It just comes across as really joyless and bleh. I expect angst in my favorite pairing, but not so much that it's completely devoid of any happiness.

Taboo (front)
By: Ukiuki K-side
Review: Really short, just Ken licking away at Takeru's cut finger. Wins for bloodsport.

Give Me A Toy (front)
By: R-Shitei
Review: Takeru and Ken have been having a weird affair since Tag Tamers and lasting through the whole Kaiser thing. WTF? Apparently Takeru hid it really, really well.

Himitu (front)
By: Gangu
Review: There's sex and bad art, and not much more.