The World Ends With You/Fanfic Recs

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying for, followed by winning The Game and coming back to read them again, here:

These are recommendations made by Tropers for The World Ends With You, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be erased. Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.

Do warn when a fanfic may head into romantic or non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business.

Authors, and Websites
Scrawlers
 * Recommended by User:Keltena, starstuff99
 * An author who seems to have an endless muse for TWEWY stories, she's equally adept at humor and drama. She has around a million stories for this fandom, some of which are oneshots and some of which are in progress. Her stories are generally pairingless, although hints of Neku/Shiki and Beat/Eri sneak in there sometimes.
 * Special recommendations include Rhythm for humor and lighthearted fun, and Elegy and Wiping the Slate for drama.

BrDPirateMan
 * Recommended by User:P Miller 1
 * One of the well Authors, Make some Good Story, Post-Games. And have a story for the "Lesser-Known Pals" with a story call Moon and Sun that Ship Ai/Makoto and some More.

General Fics
''Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.''

Dividing by Zero by Ersatz.Love
 * Recommended by User:Kris Mahai
 * Synopsis: Post-game, and contains spoilers from the secret reports. "The battle was lost, but the war's not over; the Composer's biggest threat has yet to be erased, after all." Minamimoto-centric.
 * Comments: Extremely well-characterized, and one of the best Minamimoto fics you'll find out there. The writing is flawless, and the plot is engaging. However, it appears to be dead, or at least it has very slow updates.

Krick-KRACK by The Light's Refrain
 * Recommended by User:Rhyme Beat
 * Synopsis: Post-game. All was well after the Shibuya game, right? Wrong. Things are going to hell. All the creativity has gone to ultra-competitiveness. Meanwhile, both of the Bito siblings are lost without ambitions.
 * Comments: It really does a good job showing the consequences to even the positives of the Shibuya game. Consumption is a pretty neat idea. Overall the fic is very scary and it manages to make Beat angst without breaking character.

roulette by Lucky Dice Kirby
 * Recommended by User:Keltena
 * Synopsis: Fairness is a subjective thing. Not every problem has a solution, once you mess with the numbers enough.
 * Comments: The author lists it as onesided Joshua/Neku, but it's really more of a gen fic unless you excel at reading pairings into fanfics. The style is straightforward and almost painfully honest, and gives an accurate representation of what might become of Neku and Joshua's relationship postgame.

Playing for Keeps by FlikFreak (Crossover with the Kingdom Hearts series, put on this page because it takes place in the TWEWY-verse.)
 * Recommended by User:Sapphire Blue, User:Haustere
 * Synopsis: Sora is sent to Shibuya to investigate some strange activity coming from there. But instead, he ends up being thrust into the Reaper's Game. He's partnered up with Neku, who's back due to an accident but was instructed to help Sora. Together, they find out that the Heartless have come to Shibuya. Neither of them knows much about the other. But they still have to figure out what's going on, while still making it safely through the Game. (Note From the Future: Written way before KH3D.)
 * Comments: OK, so that wasn't the best description. But seriously, this is one of the best crossovers I've ever seen. You wouldn't think that a series like Kingdom Hearts would mesh well with a more serious game like The World Ends With You, but this author manages to make it work. Everyone is kept in-character, and the two stories are put together in a way that seems believable. The plot is sufficiently interesting, and the writing is good. After all, this author is listed on the fanfic recommendations page for Kingdom Hearts. Overall, it's certainly well-done. If you like both Kingdom Hearts and The World Ends With You, I'd recommend taking a look at this. (There's also a sequel, but I personally don't like it quite as much.)

Chapters by Azalee
 * Recommended by starstuff99, User:Haustere, User:Keyseeker
 * Synopsis: /ReseT/ Neku finds a new app in his phone.
 * Comments: Based off the "what-if" scenario of Neku finding the Chapters option in his phone from post game. As expected, Neku is thrown into the last three weeks of Game all over again with his memories intact, but is prevented from doing anything because it's already happened. While repeating canon events, the author skillfully throws in real elements from post-game, such as Neku finding a "mysterious box" each day and eventually finding the Secret Reports. There's plenty of angst, but not so much as to overload the reader, but features beautiful, if sometimes disjointed writing on Neku recognizing the signs he should have seen.

Joshua Trips by Kipper Snack
 * Recommended by Spencerrr, User:Ellamew, Snergby, User:Haustere
 * Synopsis: ...well, he does.
 * Comments: A brilliantly written parody in which Neku and Joshua are transported into a bizarre alternate universe while playing hopscotch. Hilarity ensues. The author would like you to remember that "this is a story about Joshua and Neku. This is not a story about Joshua/Neku. Don't worry, the protagonists do not engage in sickening fluff with each other. That would not be manly. This story involves Joshua/Neku, but not between the main characters Joshua and Neku. And besides, it's not exactly Joshua/Neku anyway - so if you're not into that sort of thing, then you're okay. If you are into that sort of thing, then...okay."
 * Seconded by Ellamew. No amount of emphasis can accurately describe how incredible and fabulous this story is. Although this story at first seems akin to Those Lacking Spines as a parallel work in the slash parody regime, they absolutely cannot be compared. Joshua Trips is an entirely different novel, cleverly unique in both its feel, humor, and ingenuity. It is guaranteed to catch your interest no matter what kind of shipper you are, and that is not to be said lightly. Again, this story is NOT a Josh/Neku story, although that certainly doesn't lessen its appeal to such fans. Or any sort of fan. With full honesty, you have not read TWEWY fanfiction until you have read this story. It will make you laugh. It will make you sing (with laughter). It will make you cry (with laughter). It just might make you horrified in disgust (yet still with laughter). But most importantly, it will keep you engaged as you root out loud for our Josh-Josh and Nekkun as they brave the horrendous trap that is the grisly, distorted Josh/Neku-but-not universe. Be sure to give yourself a solid afternoon to read this masterpiece, as you will be incapacitated until the very last word. (Except maybe the occasional pause to search up the definitions for those multitude of exquisite vocabulary words you wish you knew.) So take a glorious bite of this brilliant adventure, and keep in mind that the author probably eats cool beans for breakfast.

Noise of Regalement by The Light's Refrain
 * Recommended by User:Ellamew
 * Synopsis: Your life. Another life. Sanity. Humanity. How easily these are taken for granted. In the end, what must you sacrifice for a power you don't even want?
 * Comments: A profound and thought-provoking story made up of five separate scenarios strung together by a single "loose thread", one unifying circumstance. The author takes the concept of pacts between Reapers and brings it to a whole new level with the unique and disturbing idea of consumption. The story begins with a normal day with the Reapers Kariya and Uzuki, but as it progresses, it ends with a horrifying revelation. This must-read story is a beautiful creation that will forever change your perception of a pact and its implications, but importantly, it challenges you to reconsider which is more difficult - to sacrifice or to consume.

Dreamless by Tenshi No Akuma (alt link)
 * Recommended by User:Marshmello, User:Keltena
 * Synopsis: After the Game, everyone has changed... except Rhyme.
 * Comments: A thoughtful look at Rhyme post-Game. Original Flavour to the max, and the dialogue convincingly preserves all of the characters' personalities and mannerisms. One of the very few fics that can put Rhyme and Joshua in the same room without shipping them.

Shibuya's Composer by Natalie Field
 * Recommended by User:Little Miss Sophie
 * Synopsis: Sight has always been a problem for Yoshiya Kiryu. Not because of what he can't see, but because of what he can... The story of how Joshua became Shibuya's Composer.
 * Comments: A sweet story about Joshua's becoming. It also displays his and Mr. H's relationship to it's full extent, which is extremely heart-warming.

Know You Better by The Genius Mage Divine Wolfe
 * Recommended by Death Note Fan
 * Synopsis: Post-game, one-shot, friendship fic. Shiki knew she needed to tell her, but the words were lodged in her throat and seemed content on staying there.
 * Comments: A story where Shiki plans on telling Eri about the Reaper's Game. In the end, she's so lucky she believes her.

Down the Sewer Hole by Ellamew
 * Recommended by Theboywonder
 * Synopsis:One uneventful day, Rhyme's beloved bell pendant takes a tumble down the local sewage system. Worried brothers, bad coffee, math frauds, and tale-telling shoes aside, she wants it back.
 * Comments: A different take on Rhyme's personality. Hilarious.
 * User:Bio D: Worth reading just for Rhyme accidentally calling Joshua.

Proof of Life by Etoile Luna
 * Recommended by Keyseeker
 * "Synopsis": While Joshua struggles to survive in the game between him and the angels, Neku struggles to understand the Composer. After all he's the only one who can help Joshua, as his only friend in the RG.
 * Comments: This is a sad, touching fic focusing on Joshua and Neku's friendship as Neku tries to keep Joshua alive for as long as he can.

The Game by Pugatorie's Respite
 * Recommended by User:The Thnikkaman
 * Synopsis: A summary of the premise of TWEWY
 * Comments: Better Than It Sounds

How To Become Composer by meiflower
 * Recommended by Anderling
 * Synopsis: There was one way. It was murder.
 * Comments: A fic that explores the relationship Joshua had with his predecessor, the Composer he killed to get the job.

Shipping Fics
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

Aftermath by Jestry
 * Recommended by User:Arc Varanus
 * Pairings: Neku/Shiki
 * Synopsis: Aftermath of the Reaper's game. In which we attempt to pick up the shattered pieces of our lives, and glue them back into some semblance of reality.
 * Comments: Written from Shiki's POV as she comes to grips with how the Reaper's Game has changed her life and relationship with her family, Eri and a certain Mr. Emo. Well written, with many powerful, dramatic and often heartwarming moments portraying the developments of the Players after the Reaper game. This one is definitly worth your time.

Monochrome by The Genius Mage Divine Wolfe
 * Recommended by tropertea
 * Pairings: Neku/Shiki
 * Synopsis: Neku Sakuraba used to see the world in shades of black, white, and gray. A visit to Shiki's house and a small garden changed everything.
 * Comments: Focuses on the ways that Shiki changed Neku's perspective of the world during and after the game. Fluffy read.

Infection by Zilleniose
 * Recommended by User:Keltena, notsomuch.
 * Pairings: Joshua/Neku, sort of
 * Synopsis: "Neku, Neku... did you honestly think I'd let anyone else kill you?"
 * Comments: A pretty good look at Neku and Joshua's relationship postgame, using the workings of the game's universe in a manner that should interest even non Josh/Neku fans.

Signal to Noise by twigcollins (Alternate link)
 * Recommended by User:Juanaxu, Azalee, User:Ellamew, User:Kris Mahai, User:Kaiserin Kai, User:Haustere, User:Myriam D, User:Keltena, moooomoooo
 * Pairings: Joshua/Neku
 * Synopsis: Hey, what’s the worst that can happen?
 * Comments: An excellent fic that explores what would happen if Neku agrees to be Joshua's Conductor. Neku attempts to balance his life with his Conductor duties, tries to come to terms with everything that happens in the Game, and falls for Joshua. Everyone is in-character, and the fic has a lot going on besides Josh and Neku's relationship. It does enter the realm of NC-17 in a few places though.

Things You Don't Do by weaverofstars
 * Recommended by Death Note Fan, User:Keltena
 * Pairings: Eri/Shiki, Joshua/Neku
 * Synopsis: There were a lot of things that Eri had to learn not to do when she became friends with all of them.
 * Comments: A story of Eri wanted for Shiki to tell her of what really happened.

Out of Body Experience by Br D Pirate Man
 * Recommended by Infinite Lunacy
 * Pairings: Neku/Shiki
 * Synopsis: From the fic itself: Neku has won the Reapers' Game but is unfortunately reincarnated in Eri's body. How would he cope with everyday life from now on? Rated T for language and ecchi sexiness. The final part is here, along with an "extras" chapter!
 * Comments: Fans of gender-benders might like this one...