Azumanga Daioh/Fanfic Recs

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth being stabbed by Osaka for here.

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Azumanga Daioh fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

Authors and Websites
The Comprehensive Kriegsaffe No. 9 by Kriegsaffe (Lemon, Explicit Content, Crack Fic)
 * Recommended by Fish Called Waldo
 * Pairing(s): Various, but Tomo/Yomi and Yukari/Nyamo occure the most
 * Honestly, one of the strangest manga edits ever. Just over 20 'stories' in various albums. Very NSFW in most every way. The azu-girls make twisted and strange geek-jokes and other nearly, but not quite, out-of-character remarks. Almost in character for everyone.

The various short Azumanga works of DB Sommer, also available here
 * Recommended by Zeke
 * Pairing(s): None really; there's some Tomo/Yomi teasing and Kaorin is as Yandere for Sakaki as always
 * These fics will make you happy. It's as simple as that. DB Sommer absolutely nails the characters, and the stories are mindless everyday fun, just like the show. (Except Azumanga Royale, which is a must-read for Battle Royale fans.)

Yukari is Free!
 * Recommended by a mystery lurker.
 * Pairing(s): Some prevalent ones are the usual Sakaki/Kagura and Tomo/Yomi, but there are many, MANY pairings, many which are OC.
 * It's basically Azumanga Daioh, crossed over with demons, aliens, furries, mecha combat, romantic subplots, and above all, an Ax Crazy Yukari Tanizaki who is the biggest murderer and rapist this side of the internet. It mainly crosses over with Yotsubato, but also touches upon Ghost in the Shell, Code Geass, Team Fortress 2, and Portal to name a few.
 * Relinked, due to the original board getting taken down.

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.''

Forevergreen
 * Recommended by Slaneesh Is Sexxxy
 * Synopsis: Sakaki discovers she's not like other people. She is immortal.
 * Comments: Tear jerker to the nth degree.

Investigating Kimura by HaLire
 * Recommended by Doxie Vee
 * Synopsis: Yukari and Nyamo do some thinking, and realise that Mr. Kimura's persona as a pervert doesn't quite add up. As such, they launch an investigation into his behaviour, with surprising results.

Azumanga Epica by Weener1
 * Recommended by Dont Kill Bugs
 * Synopsis: Osaka finds a walking, talking Deus Ex Machina in the woods near Chiyo's summer home, which provides nightmares and Hannibal Lectures to each of the girls to help them become better people. Self-truths and Epiphanys ensue.

Azuology by Weener1
 * Recommended by Dont Kill Bugs
 * Synopsis: Yukari, in a bad mood, gives the class an assignment: prove or disprove the existence of God.
 * Comments: If you're an easily offended Christian, this may not be the fic for you, though you should still read it. The girl's various thoughts on the existence of God ranges from humorous to legitimately thought-provoking. Osaka's in particular has a long paragraph devoted to a dream she had that fuels her interpretation of God. Much like Weener 1's other work, Azumanga Epica, Azuology is a very good read for people who enjoy analyzing and re-analyzing things.

The End of Innocence by Dr-Lovekill
 * Recommended by Da Games Elite
 * Synopsis: A tribute to the people of Japan. Sort of AU. The characters as they experience the quake and its aftermath. Their thoughts and actions as it shakes not only the earth, but the world of Osaka-chan. Written with respect and condolence.
 * Comments: This disturbing story is brief but powerful, able to build and hold tension with detailed sequences of horror, an intense, realistic earthquake scene, and a predictable, yet all around tragic revelation regarding Osaka. There is some minor OOC, but, with the possible exception of Sakaki, none of it is drastic enough to ruin this fic's intensity. It's short, but powerful. Thus far it's incomplete, otherwise I'd say it's one of the most intense Azumanga Daioh Dark Fics I've seen.

Crossovers
Osaka vs The Space Monster, Chiyochan and the Rise of the Destroyers and Azugirls vs The Black Hole by X to the Zoltan
 * Recommended by Fish Called Waldo

The Other Takino by Not-as-Thrilling-as-Advertised
 * Recommended by Sporkaganza
 * Synopsis: Based on a WMG that's been floating around a while on the Internet that postulates that Torako from Yotsubato is actually Tomo's sister, this fiction consists of Torako's daily high-school life and her first meeting and subsequent friendship (and then some) with Asagi Ayase. Tomo and Torako's dysfunctional sister relationship is also explored, and since Tomo's in this fic, Yomi's in it too. Really more of a Yotsubato-centric crossover.
 * Comments: Very Slice of Life-y and vignette-y, but there's still a plot of sorts going on in the background. This fic is really made excellent by the author's unique style and wry, Internet-savvy, and somewhat perverted sense of humor - it's rated M. The chracterization is also quite good, and subplots about Torako and Asagi's petty high-school prank-fights are extremely amusing. Definitely worth a look. Updates infrequently nowadays, but consistently enough to prevent it from being a Dead Fic.

Rain of Terra by Ratatosk
 * Recommended by Sporkaganza
 * Synopsis: Again it's a Yotsubato crossover, and again it "partners" Tomo and Torako. In this one, however, Tomo and Torako aren't related; rather, they are police officers who have been partnered together, investigating the murder of none other than Asagi Ayase. Will they be able to catch the culprit, or will Torako's emotions hinder the investigation? Also, Osaka runs a taco stand...
 * Comments: Influenced by the fic listed above, but arguably much more influenced by pulp crime novels by the likes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. The mystery is intriguing enough to keep you interested but not really the focus of the story. There are a whole lot of similes, but they're not cheesy and always serve to illustrate the characters or the situation. All descriptive dialogue is streamlined to paint a mental picture without getting too long or distracting. The characterization is amazingly well-done here. You almost could say that the mystery is a framing device for a study of Tomo and Torako's close - sometimes very close - working relationship, as it is examined in depth. The character interactions all feel very realistic. Since the police department has to be populated with workers and the story has to be populated with suspects, there are a lot of OCs, but all of them feel totally natural and none of them hog much screen time. The fic somewhat inherits The Other Takino's sense of humor, although it's less Internet-y and pervy and more subtle. Super-super-recommended.

Biological Nightmare by Watanagashi hen.
 * Recommended by Vitruvius
 * Pairing(s): None yet.
 * Synopsis: The girls take a trip to the United States - specifically to Raccoon City. Largely follows the events of the Remake.
 * Comments: I suppose after reading Osaka and the Yellow Sign, I should have realized that no crossover is impossible. Characterization is pretty good and even the impossible begins to seem pretty believable after a while. Not finished, but the author promises he's nearly done. Part of a planned "Daiohazard" trilogy, which may or may not ever be completed.

The Tao of Azumanga by TheSpoonySkald
 * Recommended by Mahoshonen
 * Pairing(s): None yet
 * Synopsis:: The characters of Azumanga Daioh are samurai in the land of Rokugan. Three years after the end of the Four Winds Story Arc, the students are summoned to Toshi Ranbo to serve as deputies for the "Buddy Magistrate Duo" Yoritomo Yukari and Toku Minamo.
 * Comments: [WARNING: the following is from the author]. The story is still in its infancy, but ultimately hopes to reconstruct the dynamics between the characters in the context of a fantasy Jidai Geki environment. Time will tell if it will be more Lighter and Softer L5R or Darker and Edgier Azumanga Daioh (or both), but so far, the emphasis is on the former.

Azuvengers! with Lines by 'Super' Section-Eight and Inks by 'Excelsior' X to the Zoltan (crossover)
 * Recommended by Fish Called Waldo
 * Synopsis: This is another bizarro Azumanga crossover. DC Comics and Marvel Comics, as well as a few others, are all real with the Azu-girls quickly becoming superheroes.

Azumanga Daioh IN SPACE! by X to the Zoltan (AU obviously, a teeny bit of Yuri, nothing physical)
 * Recommended by Selryam
 * Synopsis: Azumanga set in the Star Wars universe. Vastly different story to Star Wars but with enough recognizable elements.
 * Comments: Most definitely better than it sounds. X is very good at keeping everyone in character, even when they are blazing away with a lightsaber rather than studying for exams, and for very clever integration of classic scenes from Azumanga into the narrative. Also worth it just for Jedi Knight Sakaki and Jedi Master Kamineko.

Touhou Azumanga by nattororo (NOTE: it's SFW but it's hosted in Danbooru, which has porn ads!)
 * Recommended by Da_Nuke
 * Synopsis: Azumanga Daioh with Touhou characters. Yukari Yakumo is, well, Yukari, Yuyuko is Nyamo, Remilia is Chiyo, Sakuya is Sakaki, Hong Meiling is Kagura, Pachu is Osaka, Marisa is Tomo, Reimu is Yomi, Alice is Kimura, and Flandre is Chiyo-chichi.
 * Comments: While it's mostly a retelling of the original Azumanga strips, the various Touhou gags will make it a very enjoyable read for a Touhou fan. Sakuya (Sakaki), for example, is ashamed of her small bust instead of her height, and instead of PE class they have danmaku class. Also, the gag where Tomo picks up a picture of Kimura's wife becomes extra creepy.

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

Osaka and the Yellow Sign by Kriegsaffe (Yuri, crossover)
 * Recommended by Zemyla
 * Pairing(s): Kaorin/Sakaki, in awesome, glowing, Great-Old-One-Punching proportions.
 * Synopsis: The only Cthulhu and Azumanga Daioh crossover -- with hints of Exalted, Unknown Armies and shoutouts to Darkest Of Hillside Thicket and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure -- and hilarious for it. The Azu-girls deal with cultists and a visit to Carcosa. Any more explanation would give away half the humor, sadly, but, basically, Osaka, The King in Yellow and eventually pottery, not that it isn't obvious.

Fist of the Necoconeco by Guu-Chan (Yuri, crossover)
 * Recommended by Stratagemini
 * Pairing(s): Kaorin/Sakaki, with a bit of Tomo/Yomi
 * Synopsis: Another twisted crossover of Azumanga Daioh. Crosses as many high school shonen fighting series as possible and turns Azumanga Daioh into a fighting shonen series. Basically it's Angel Densetsu in written form with the names changed.
 * Comments: Mostly humor, with mixes of drama. Dead Fic, with little hope of revival. Strangely keeps everyone mostly in character.

Control by Teris24
 * Recommended by Andyjay
 * Pairing: Yukari/Nyamo (but it's not the main focus)
 * Synopsis: A Dark Fic and then some, but more Film Noir-ish than Wangsty. Yukari becomes hooked on hard drugs and her life begins to spin out of control. Nyamo tries to help out, but is it too late?
 * Comments: A dark masterpiece. The prose is intelligent, lushly descriptive, and witty without being pretentious, the characters are spot-on despite the bleak nature of the story (making you shudder that it could actually happen to the characters), and it proves that Fan Characters can indeed work if done right. Caveat lector: It's rated M for not just Lemon scenes but also some pretty graphic violence. On a lesser note there's also explicit descriptions of drug use. It's also over 30 chapters long, but well worth the read.

Together Always by zeldapeach
 * Recommended by Atlas EXE
 * Pairing: Sakaki/Kagura
 * Synopsis: A romantic piece about Sakaki and Kagura's relationship, told from the point of view of Kagura, both in and after high school.
 * Comments: An excellent Sakaki/Kagura piece. Not only does it manage to weave the relationship into the context of the show well, but also contains many events inbetween, both touching and tragic. Everyone is in character and there are even a couple of offscreen characters given characterization (Kagura's Dad and Sakaki's Mother) that is done well. Highly recommended even if you are not a fan of Sakaki/Kagura.

Loving Chiyo by gman2006
 * Recommended by So We Ate Them
 * Pairing: Chiyo/Osaka
 * Synopsis: A nice story about Osaka and Chiyo full of romance, tragic misunderstandings and the works...
 * Comments: This is truly everything you'd expect from a romance story, if you like these kind of stories, you will love this piece of art. Also, while it introduces a OC as the Unlucky Childhood Friend, this OC is written quite well and not Sue-ish. Furthermore, the story does not only resolve around the three characters in the love triangle, virtually every main character (except Tomo and the teachers) get their decisive parts. Definitively worth reading!

Tail by Salmon Pink
 * Recommended by Sirkku Jää Keiju
 * Pairing: Sakaki/Kagura
 * Synopsis: Sakaki finds another cat and hesitates, in fear of chasing her away.
 * Comments: "So much Sakaki that it burns" as one reviewer wrote. A quiet, subdued story, yet full of passion.

Differing Paths... by otakuXmetalXstorm
 * Recommended by vaguelyyaoilookingcatboy
 * Synopsis: Tomo has achieved her dream to become a cop, investigating a cat-burglar.

Nyamo and the Fight by Miss Prince
 * Recommended by Pichu
 * Pairing: Yukari/Nyamo.
 * Synopsis: Yukari attempts to paint Minamo as a delinquent, Minamo tries to paint herself as innocent, and the girls never do hear the end of the story.
 * Comments: It's an adorably sweet mix of comedy and romance. I found it to be rather in-character too.