for April 1st The GIFT8/11/2022 c14 BellMunT
I keep rereading this fanfic, it was one of the first I read, and I have a special fondness in my heart for it. First of all, the story was at its best, the problems, the development of the characters, how they interacted with each other, just natural. Even when they went out of their "role" you could tell you had put a lot of effort, because everything was well done. An original story, really creative, unexpected events, the relationships between them, Hana and Kaede well portrayed, the parents were a love, unfortunately here Hana had no family, but she had her Gudam, her family. I have so much to say with this story, because this story itself marked me. I definitely wish you the best and if you see this message, if you write again, it will be a pleasure to read your works.
3333333
I keep rereading this fanfic, it was one of the first I read, and I have a special fondness in my heart for it. First of all, the story was at its best, the problems, the development of the characters, how they interacted with each other, just natural. Even when they went out of their "role" you could tell you had put a lot of effort, because everything was well done. An original story, really creative, unexpected events, the relationships between them, Hana and Kaede well portrayed, the parents were a love, unfortunately here Hana had no family, but she had her Gudam, her family. I have so much to say with this story, because this story itself marked me. I definitely wish you the best and if you see this message, if you write again, it will be a pleasure to read your works.
3333333
6/28/2014 c14 
43satomika
It's so Kaede and so Hanamichi! :D
Anyway...
When Kaede said that he doesn't want anyone ogling at Hana's body, that just made me laugh. It's so him! I can honestly say, and picture him saying that to Hanamichi in the anime series!
Kya!
I love it!
So romantic and dramatic that it really made me cry!
Anyhow, keep up the good work! :D
43satomikaIt's so Kaede and so Hanamichi! :D
Anyway...
When Kaede said that he doesn't want anyone ogling at Hana's body, that just made me laugh. It's so him! I can honestly say, and picture him saying that to Hanamichi in the anime series!
Kya!
I love it!
So romantic and dramatic that it really made me cry!
Anyhow, keep up the good work! :D
2/19/2013 c14 Guest
this fic is just fucking awesome!
loved it to the core...
this fic is just fucking awesome!
loved it to the core...
11/12/2011 c14 IndulgeInTQismMSimsGP
Well, here’s a very long-winded and ranty review. I generally loved April 1st, though there are some parts or aspects I don’t.
LIKES:
1) The FujiHana scenes were the most erotically pleasing and impressionable ever in the realms of my yaoi fetish, despite how much more appealing I find RH. Maybe the absence of explicit RH love scene partially had something to do with it.
2) IMO, it’ll be extremely difficult to best the beauty of Fujima’s characterization in this story. You seemed to have perfectly blended his masculine and feminine traits, while giving him a very human, complicated, and sympathizable personality. I especially found his plentiful displays masculine aggressiveness extremely refreshing and irresistibly appealing, as I Fujima is nearly always depicted a bit too feminine for my liking (or sometimes so feminine and womanly, he might as well be a trans-woman-he definitely wasn’t so feminine in the original, especially when playing on court).
3) I love Maki’s possessiveness, vulnerability, and love towards Fujima, not to mention the fact that they are a couple. That, and how you did so without perplexing OOC-ness.
4) The Mitsui-Miyagi moments were downright sweet (as they were in March 31st, as well). I loved how desperate and vulnerable Mitsui was towards Miyagi, and Miyagi turning out to reciprocate. I have a real soft spot for Mitsui X Miyagi, given how the two were initially bitter enemies (especially on Mitsui’s part, his ugly brutality gave me a permanent distaste towards his original series character), and the two apparently became little more than compatible but neutral-at-best comrades when the series ended (no indications of further growing friendliness among them, but remaining mere colleagues).
5) I appreciated the other three Sakuragi Guntai’s involvement in the story, even if they haven’t played the major part Youhei did. Most Ruhanaru authors tend to leave out their existence. I think you provided them with some emotional depth, intelligence, and insight (rather than just portraying them as loyal but airhead clowns) which I feel they deserve.
AMBIVALENCES/DISLIKES:
1) For better or worse, SH is treated by unbending pair of super sexy and handsome or beautiful suitors (Sendoh and Fujima) and Adonis-incarnate fiancé (Rukawa) like a male Marysue ingénue. Which he definitely isn’t, seeing how there are still traces of the egotistical bully he had been (in the Prequel, March 31st), and he can still get a bit too violent towards whoever displeases him (unless he wants to avoid them for his own-or Rukawa’s-sake). Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Sakuragi as the submissive in stories, and am rarely interested in stories where he is the dominant party. I just find the dynamics between Sakuragi and his lover/admirers VERY OOC and out of place.
2) RK and SH’s relationship was portrayed so romantically maudlin/soapy and perfect, I can’t help being reminded of Edward and Bella’s in the Twilight saga. So much in fact, I found myself wishing Fujima and SH did get together (in a foursome with Maki and Rukawa; and I’m serious) ;P
3) Many elements, including Sendoh and Rukawa's extravagantly wealthy status effectively turns the whole story into an extremely typical yaoi Harlequin Romance. Not that I think it’s necessarily a bad thing, just that I have a love-hate relationship with the genre.
4) As mentioned above, no explicit Rukawa X Sakuragi or Maki X Fujima action (I find the latter pairing steaming hot, yet rarely do I see any fan make a lemon for them). It’s really too bad (for me, at least) April 1st was not rated M and full of lemony goodness.
5)This is just probably me, but certain parts involving females turned me off. Given this is a yaoi, it makes perfect sense how the way the story was set in an AU where male homosexuality was the norm, and heterosexuality/female homosexuality was apparently the rare minority. I was very slightly bothered how the only females (Ayako and Haruko) appeared quite dense and pretty much useless (in doing anything remotely helpful when they first bumped into the drugged Sakuragi-they stood around wondering and worrying for Sakuragi’s safety, yet doing nothing more). However, the line about Rukawa’s deceased twin sister bothered me to no end; I felt it added no significance or meaning, and that all it did was give an impression how little you think of female (or female characters) in general (if it were Rukawa’s twin BROTHER who died, then I’d think it was neutral).
I really adore yaoi, but obvious misogynistic elements ruins it for me pretty much all the way, no matter how much I love the story otherwise. IMO, authors really ought to refrain from involving female characters in their yaoi stories if he/she can’t help belittling or even bashing them hatefully just because of the characters’ gender.
I really, really hope I misinterpreted or misunderstood you in that regard, because your yaoi stories are currently among my top favorites.
6) All throughout the story, I thought, “poor, poor Hanagata”. I really wish Kogure happened to follow and help out the main couples through their worse (seeing how he is the only other neutral/straight guy with a steady head on his shoulders). Although he’s not as tall or strong as Hanagata, I think he’d be a lot of help pacifying dangerous situations via verbal skillfulness (as he’d done in the original, when Mitsui attempted to wreck the Shohoku basketball club). It’d be interested to see how he’d vocally help with the issues bubbling among Rukawa, Maki, and Fujima.
7) I personally wish Kiyota was paired up with Koshino or Hikoichi at the end of the story; I think either pairing would be original, interesting, and adorable ;P
8) I thought everyone was being too mean to poor Hikoichi for no good reason (starting from March 31st). If you ever make that Sendoh X Hikoichi story, I do hope Hikoichi stops being a constantly bullied doormat blinded by his idolization/ obsessive worshipping, and actually finds the dignity or means to retort evenly if Sendoh (or Koshino, or Sakuragi) directs uncalled for mean-ness or coldness at him.
Well, here’s a very long-winded and ranty review. I generally loved April 1st, though there are some parts or aspects I don’t.
LIKES:
1) The FujiHana scenes were the most erotically pleasing and impressionable ever in the realms of my yaoi fetish, despite how much more appealing I find RH. Maybe the absence of explicit RH love scene partially had something to do with it.
2) IMO, it’ll be extremely difficult to best the beauty of Fujima’s characterization in this story. You seemed to have perfectly blended his masculine and feminine traits, while giving him a very human, complicated, and sympathizable personality. I especially found his plentiful displays masculine aggressiveness extremely refreshing and irresistibly appealing, as I Fujima is nearly always depicted a bit too feminine for my liking (or sometimes so feminine and womanly, he might as well be a trans-woman-he definitely wasn’t so feminine in the original, especially when playing on court).
3) I love Maki’s possessiveness, vulnerability, and love towards Fujima, not to mention the fact that they are a couple. That, and how you did so without perplexing OOC-ness.
4) The Mitsui-Miyagi moments were downright sweet (as they were in March 31st, as well). I loved how desperate and vulnerable Mitsui was towards Miyagi, and Miyagi turning out to reciprocate. I have a real soft spot for Mitsui X Miyagi, given how the two were initially bitter enemies (especially on Mitsui’s part, his ugly brutality gave me a permanent distaste towards his original series character), and the two apparently became little more than compatible but neutral-at-best comrades when the series ended (no indications of further growing friendliness among them, but remaining mere colleagues).
5) I appreciated the other three Sakuragi Guntai’s involvement in the story, even if they haven’t played the major part Youhei did. Most Ruhanaru authors tend to leave out their existence. I think you provided them with some emotional depth, intelligence, and insight (rather than just portraying them as loyal but airhead clowns) which I feel they deserve.
AMBIVALENCES/DISLIKES:
1) For better or worse, SH is treated by unbending pair of super sexy and handsome or beautiful suitors (Sendoh and Fujima) and Adonis-incarnate fiancé (Rukawa) like a male Marysue ingénue. Which he definitely isn’t, seeing how there are still traces of the egotistical bully he had been (in the Prequel, March 31st), and he can still get a bit too violent towards whoever displeases him (unless he wants to avoid them for his own-or Rukawa’s-sake). Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Sakuragi as the submissive in stories, and am rarely interested in stories where he is the dominant party. I just find the dynamics between Sakuragi and his lover/admirers VERY OOC and out of place.
2) RK and SH’s relationship was portrayed so romantically maudlin/soapy and perfect, I can’t help being reminded of Edward and Bella’s in the Twilight saga. So much in fact, I found myself wishing Fujima and SH did get together (in a foursome with Maki and Rukawa; and I’m serious) ;P
3) Many elements, including Sendoh and Rukawa's extravagantly wealthy status effectively turns the whole story into an extremely typical yaoi Harlequin Romance. Not that I think it’s necessarily a bad thing, just that I have a love-hate relationship with the genre.
4) As mentioned above, no explicit Rukawa X Sakuragi or Maki X Fujima action (I find the latter pairing steaming hot, yet rarely do I see any fan make a lemon for them). It’s really too bad (for me, at least) April 1st was not rated M and full of lemony goodness.
5)This is just probably me, but certain parts involving females turned me off. Given this is a yaoi, it makes perfect sense how the way the story was set in an AU where male homosexuality was the norm, and heterosexuality/female homosexuality was apparently the rare minority. I was very slightly bothered how the only females (Ayako and Haruko) appeared quite dense and pretty much useless (in doing anything remotely helpful when they first bumped into the drugged Sakuragi-they stood around wondering and worrying for Sakuragi’s safety, yet doing nothing more). However, the line about Rukawa’s deceased twin sister bothered me to no end; I felt it added no significance or meaning, and that all it did was give an impression how little you think of female (or female characters) in general (if it were Rukawa’s twin BROTHER who died, then I’d think it was neutral).
I really adore yaoi, but obvious misogynistic elements ruins it for me pretty much all the way, no matter how much I love the story otherwise. IMO, authors really ought to refrain from involving female characters in their yaoi stories if he/she can’t help belittling or even bashing them hatefully just because of the characters’ gender.
I really, really hope I misinterpreted or misunderstood you in that regard, because your yaoi stories are currently among my top favorites.
6) All throughout the story, I thought, “poor, poor Hanagata”. I really wish Kogure happened to follow and help out the main couples through their worse (seeing how he is the only other neutral/straight guy with a steady head on his shoulders). Although he’s not as tall or strong as Hanagata, I think he’d be a lot of help pacifying dangerous situations via verbal skillfulness (as he’d done in the original, when Mitsui attempted to wreck the Shohoku basketball club). It’d be interested to see how he’d vocally help with the issues bubbling among Rukawa, Maki, and Fujima.
7) I personally wish Kiyota was paired up with Koshino or Hikoichi at the end of the story; I think either pairing would be original, interesting, and adorable ;P
8) I thought everyone was being too mean to poor Hikoichi for no good reason (starting from March 31st). If you ever make that Sendoh X Hikoichi story, I do hope Hikoichi stops being a constantly bullied doormat blinded by his idolization/ obsessive worshipping, and actually finds the dignity or means to retort evenly if Sendoh (or Koshino, or Sakuragi) directs uncalled for mean-ness or coldness at him.
4/23/2007 c13 mariesolsd
wow, this is really a great fic... i was crying when i read the end especially the song that hanamichi choose. wah! really really love this. go ruhana! arigato!
wow, this is really a great fic... i was crying when i read the end especially the song that hanamichi choose. wah! really really love this. go ruhana! arigato!
12/28/2006 c1 3tartar12345
Very beautiful! I love how Rukawa X Sakuragi show their need for each other, although Fujima's desire for the redhead is real interesting, too...
3tartar12345Very beautiful! I love how Rukawa X Sakuragi show their need for each other, although Fujima's desire for the redhead is real interesting, too...
6/12/2004 c2 4mercurialmaiden
Yenny-sama! I've read two chapters an it was already so good! Amazing! Incredible. I love the love love thing going! It's so great! KAede and Hana loving out in the open! Ah
4mercurialmaidenYenny-sama! I've read two chapters an it was already so good! Amazing! Incredible. I love the love love thing going! It's so great! KAede and Hana loving out in the open! Ah
4/4/2003 c1 jayne
hello there! i think your story is great!... i really like hana and ru...hehehe...especially when ru is the head, something like that.
hello there! i think your story is great!... i really like hana and ru...hehehe...especially when ru is the head, something like that.
2/22/2003 c1 jeddah
well its really a nice fic! its good you can put so many characters in this one. i just dont like the conflict and how the climax goes. also i dont like the idea of miyagi-mitsui pairing, also youhei-sendoh! if you ask me mitsui and kogure is much better and miyagi and ayako. but its inspirational.
well its really a nice fic! its good you can put so many characters in this one. i just dont like the conflict and how the climax goes. also i dont like the idea of miyagi-mitsui pairing, also youhei-sendoh! if you ask me mitsui and kogure is much better and miyagi and ayako. but its inspirational.
12/26/2002 c14 7Arizzato
Niiiicccccceeeeee!
I felt just like reading a pocketbook,just like what tha blue eyed kitsune said earlier.
But could you change the rating to PG-13 or R
'cause the bed thing with fujima and their love-making of rukawa is defenitly not for kids.And especially not for kids under 13.But I think Its better if its rated R.
Anyway,your fic's great!
My eyes got sore just looking at the screen and reading your fic.Its so romantic I wanna PUKE!He,he!just jokin'.
7ArizzatoNiiiicccccceeeeee!
I felt just like reading a pocketbook,just like what tha blue eyed kitsune said earlier.
But could you change the rating to PG-13 or R
'cause the bed thing with fujima and their love-making of rukawa is defenitly not for kids.And especially not for kids under 13.But I think Its better if its rated R.
Anyway,your fic's great!
My eyes got sore just looking at the screen and reading your fic.Its so romantic I wanna PUKE!He,he!just jokin'.
11/18/2002 c14 15Blue-eyed Fox
Hi there! Great fic! Really lovely. Its like reading a pocket bookk of some kind. Really nice. I really cant imagine Youhei gone gay with Sendoh but i guess, the way you wrote really got my brain to accept and realize that it can be.
I lve you r fic! Oh yeah, about the other fic of yours, "You, Me and Him", if you dont mind, can yo u make a repost? its a real nice fic. Too bad FF.net removed NC-17.
Sore Ja! Gambatte!
~Blue-eyed Fox
15Blue-eyed FoxHi there! Great fic! Really lovely. Its like reading a pocket bookk of some kind. Really nice. I really cant imagine Youhei gone gay with Sendoh but i guess, the way you wrote really got my brain to accept and realize that it can be.
I lve you r fic! Oh yeah, about the other fic of yours, "You, Me and Him", if you dont mind, can yo u make a repost? its a real nice fic. Too bad FF.net removed NC-17.
Sore Ja! Gambatte!
~Blue-eyed Fox
11/15/2002 c1 75vulpixfairy
I have actually read your fic sometime ago before saving on my com. I want to say that this is one sweet Ruhana fic I have ever read.
If you are into more sap, please look at my yaoi Slam Dunk fic, arigatou! It is the same pairing (Ruhana).
your stories are great!
75vulpixfairyI have actually read your fic sometime ago before saving on my com. I want to say that this is one sweet Ruhana fic I have ever read.
If you are into more sap, please look at my yaoi Slam Dunk fic, arigatou! It is the same pairing (Ruhana).
your stories are great!
11/10/2002 c3 15Blue-eyed Fox
Nice!
I think I'll just cont6inue reading the other chappies some other time...
Nice fic you got here! Love it! i just wonder what that hentai Sendoh is up to this time...
15Blue-eyed FoxNice!
I think I'll just cont6inue reading the other chappies some other time...
Nice fic you got here! Love it! i just wonder what that hentai Sendoh is up to this time...