So wondygal did the original fic version of this meme, which I had been planning to do for a while, but kept putting off because it is REALLY, REALLY difficult (I still plan to do it! Eventually!). But then I saw a fanvid-inspired variation, and wanted to occupy myself while HIMYM and Gossip Girl download. I - can't imagine anyone will want to read my crazy love-fueled vid rambling, but whatever, I ENJOY TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS.

Pick your five ten all-time favourite fanvids, the ones which made you laugh or cry or kicked you in the guts, that inspired you to offer the vidder internets and first born sons, and tell us why you loved them. Any fandom, any pairing, any genre - the only requirement is they stood out from the crowd. Also, links or it didn't happen.



10. I Kissed A Girl by bop_radar. Smallville. Clark experiments with heterosexuality.

OK, obviously this vid is not on the same scale thematically as some of the others, but I felt it warranted a spot because it's the entire reason I started watching Smallville. Basically: Tom Welling makes out with girls. A lot of girls. Occasionally while shirtless! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST. CLAAAAAAARK! "I Kissed A Girl" narrowly triumphed over giandujakiss' infinitely hilarious Angel/Spike vid "Don't Cha", a.k.a. the BEST "DON'T CHA" VID OF ALL TIME, GUARANTEED.

09. Summer Love by talitha78. The O.C. Gayest. Sailboat. Ever.

It doesn't matter if you've never seen The O.C., are not too taken with Seth/Ryan, or think shows that take place in high schools are the dumbest things ever and have vowed never to watch them, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND WATCH THIS THING. It is pretty much, one of the most charming and fun shippy fanvids I have ever had the pleasure of watching! Seriously, this vid is like Kelly Kapoor + marshmallow peeps + old school Britney. THAT'S HOW DELIGHTFUL IT IS. Come on! Snappy pop songs! "Featuring Seth Cohen as Mr. Justin Timberlake and Ryan Atwood as 'Girl'"! PERFECTION.

08. Le Manège by buffyann. Pushing Daisies. A happy mush bubble of Ned/Chuck.

Oh God, this is so pretty and wonderous! Pushing Daisies has always sort of reminded me of a charming, kind of kooky French movie, so this was pretty damn awesome to behold. The song is very light and airy and the video is just so fluid. It makes me want to twirl across my bedroom like a ballerina and then go pick daisies. (Also - if Audrey Tautou was a fanvid, she would be THIS ONE, RIGHT HERE.) Narrow winner over charmax's Chuck vid "Angel With An Attitude".

07. Elemental by wistful_fever. Merlin. Merlin is of nature, Arthur of man..

I feel like there are quite a few Merlin vids out there that are easily more sophisticated in terms of editing or the interweaving of various themes, but none of them struck me emotionally quite as much as this one did. First, the use of secondary source is PHENOMENAL, and many of the clips fade into each other, which makes the vid brilliantly smooth and delicate. The song - "Stay" by Michelle Featherstone - is one of my absolute favorites, ever, and it's used excellently here. The lyrics matchups make my soul flail. Most of all though, I think it's the idea behind the vid that really drew me. It's a little abstract in terms of association with the source, but is executed beautifully. Narrow winner over halycon_shift's Gwen/Morgana vid, "Non Lievi Alchun".

06. Sundrenched World by talitha78. Smallville. Tell me I belong..

OK, this is Clark/Lana, but JUST HEAR ME OUT before you run away screaming. I liked Clark/Lana a lot during S1 because they were basically adorable puppy dogs who made googly eyes at each other and smiled a lot. Annnnnnd then S2 came around, and the writers started paving the way for the angst train that Clark/Lana apparently becomes, and...I did not like them very much any more. But then there's this. This vid takes the angst and runs with it, and watching it was kind of like being punched in the soul, which was kind of alarming because I REALLY DID NOT EXPECT ANYTHING SOUL PUNCH WORTHY FROM CLARK/LANA (I watch Clark/Lana vids 'cause they tend to soothe me when I'm upset/nervous/worried/etc. (pretty people kissing!) - this vid did not soothe me AT ALL, but it was fantastically awesome.). But, God, this is truly phenomenal. It shows Clark and Lana's relationship in the later seasons from Clark's point of view, and seems to mostly hinge on how Clark has built up this crazy, carefree, perfect Dream Lana in his head who is obviously not and will never be the real Lana, and I think he subconsciously knows this, but keeps trying to well, play house with her and force what's not there. Of course, I have no idea what goes on in S5-7 so I could be just making this all up in my head. Nevertheless, the song is gorgeous, the vid is gorgeous, and even if - like me - you have no idea what's going on half the time, it's mindblowing. One of the best relationship study vids I have ever seen, for sure. Narrow winner over obsessive24's Clark/Lex vid "Change (In The House Of Flies)" and sisbet's "Without You I'm Nothing".

05. Superstar by heresluck. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Never gonna be the same again.

I was a bit skeptical the first time I watched this vid because it starts off a little, well, 'slow' isn't the word I'm looking for, I guess 'unflashy'? I'm very fond of vids that consist of a lot of fast cuts and motion, and this one doesn't, really, but it is freakishly stunning. Faith has always been one of my favorite things about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and "Superstar" tells her story in a way that's sympathetic and beautiful. Narrow winner over dualbunny's Buffy/Faith "Volcano Girls".

04. Women's Work by sisabet and sockkpuppett. Supernatural. Our bodies, ourselves.

I think every Supernatural fan is aware that the show has some Big Serious Issues over its portrayal of women, whether they're demons, victims, or the Girl of the Week. This vid explores that in a way that's smart and clever. And pretty impressively, I think it features nearly every female guest star in Seasons One and Two. Plus, the song is totally awesome ("Violet" by Hole). Narrow winner over bradcpu's Heroes video "Goodnight Moon".

03. People Get Ready by heresluck. Heroes. We have all the time in the world.

When I first say this one, I was kind of an idiot regarding fanvid watching. If the clip choices weren't blindingly obvious, I pretty much just sat there going, "Yeah, this is pretty but WHAT IS GOING ON?" So I didn't really like it all that much at first. I kept it on my hard drive but mostly forgot about it. And then one day I was randomly inspired to watch it again and I got it. Simply put, THIS is the definitive Heroes ensemble vid for me, forever and always. Mostly, I feel like when people ask me why I adored Heroes, I can just point to this vid, right here, and they'll see it too.

02. I'll Be There by millylicious. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Every heroine needs a support system.

I CAN'T WATCH THIS ONE ANYMORE WITHOUT CRYING. It's not that it's particularly sad, just extraordinarily touching. It's the Scoobies, S1-7, and a look at how they're always there for Buffy. I can't really put into words why I love it so much, but it's kind like the fanvid equivalent of how most people feel when they watch The Notebook (I couldn't say because I actually don't really like The Notebook. Gasp! Shock!)? Lovely and a little heartbreaking all at once.

01. Handlebars by flummery. Doctor Who. I'm the Doctor. Look me up.

!!!!! I'm pretty sure everyone in the entire universe has already seen this vid, but if you haven't, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? I don't want to say too much because discovering the vid's themes on your own is the fun part, but basically, it raises some very interesting points about the Tenth Doctor. The editing is amazing, the clip choice is amazing, the song is amazing, the idea behind it is absolutely spectacular. I could easily just sit around watching this one for the rest of my life.


WELL THAT WAS EXTREMELY TIME CONSUMING. But fun! If any of you decide to do this, definitely link me in the comments, so I can check it out (I have given up on checking my f-list. IT IS LIKE DROWNING). ♥