Title: Those Who Love Monsters
Author: Gabriel Blessing
Rating: M
Genre: Horror/Romance
Status: Complete
Fandom: Medaka Box & Bakemonogatari
Pairings: None yet
Summary: Those who fight monsters must look to themselves that they not become monsters, for when you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back into you. For Zenkichi, his response to monsters was always a little different.
Link: Those Who Love Monsters

I honestly don't know what to say about this story, I barely know the source material but I red it anyway simply because it is by GB, and while I had some trouble at first with the help of wikipedia I managed to find my way and now I can't wait for the next chapter.

 

I think this is better written than some of Gabriel's recent, longer works. I'm not enjoying the story as much, perhaps because I'm having difficulty relating to the characters and the bizarre setting and backstory. I am finding it intriguing, however.

I won't rate this fic until it's finished. Gabriel reckons it should be done by Halloween.

 

I've only seen the Bakemonogatari anime, and am in the process of reading the prequel (about Koyomi and the vampire). While how Shinobou talks in this fic may fit what Orion Orsola Kisshot Heart-Under-Blade used to be, it does not fit how she is portrayed in the anime, where she's a silent girl who finally takes refuge in Koyomi's shadow.

Maybe Gabriel has read the latter light novels (which are still untranslated in Baka-Tsuki and from what I hear, are going to remain that way for the foreseeable future), and Shinobou has recovered somewhat. Or maybe he's just pulling this out of his ass.

Anyway, dropped the fic at the first scene between Koyomi and Shinobou. Not gonna pick it up again (unless it becomes better by a fair margin).

 

Story is now complete, how the hell do I change the header from WIP to Complete?

 

I don't think you can. You have to ask a mod to do it.

 

I liked it. Even though this is a bash-fic by the author's own admission, it's a well constructed bash-fic. The portrayal of Zenkichi's and Sharnui's friendship was easily my favorite part of the entire story, and I hope that GB will occasionally return to the world of Medaka Box if only for that. A related work detailing the Student Council's encounters with Kai wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility either.

That said, the epilogue seemed off to me. I can't really put my finger on it, but I think that I was expecting one thing, and GB wrote something completely different. After giving it some time to settle, how he ended the story was probably the only way to do so, but it still seems off to me. Maybe I just don't like ambiguous endings? Eh, something to ponder later.

This is probably my favorite story by GB so far. It's interesting and entertaining, and the fact that he kept it so short insured that my biggest problem with In Flight - the complete lack of adequate pacing - didn't rear its ugly head.

4/5

 

^

Pretty much what I was going to say so I'm just going to quote Jon. XD