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01 April 2022 @ 05:30 pm
As buffyversetop5 moves into its 17th year, there will be some changes for our session come October 22nd. We will be consolidating activity into our Dreamwidth account.

We took this decision for several reasons:

  • During last year's Top 5 session there was no activity on the LiveJournal account during our session;
  • Since 2012 we have imported all LJ content annually onto Dreamwidth. But importing may or may not be working come October;
  • There are a number of people now using DW since last October, and they are more likely to post to the Dreamwidth account.

    As a result we are closing the LiveJournal side of Top 5. The account itself will remain and can still be searched through tags or by browsing. However we suggest doing so on Dreamwidth for several reasons.

    Not only will it hold more posts going forward, it already does. Because many people have been deleting their LJ accounts for years, those posts have also vanished from the LJ Top 5 account. However they are still preserved in the Dreamwidth account. In addition, for a number of years we have been getting posts made there which exist only on Dreamwidth. Plus on the Dreamwidth side there is a "search within journal" feature which allows one to search post text as well as their tags and titles, allowing much greater specificity.

    The Buffyverse Top 5 account at AO3 remains open for browsing as well. At present it holds roughly a third of the content recced during past Top 5 sessions, and links to works not on AO3 will continue to be added each year. In this way Dreamwidth itself will also have a form of accessible backup.

    We hope everyone will keep an eye out for the October session as it draws near and prepare some posts to share! If anyone would like to open a Dreamwidth account who does not already have one, and has questions or needs assistance, feel free to drop a comment on this post or the one at Dreamwidth.

    Also, a signal boost for our affiliate seasonal_spuffy: signups for their Spring 2022 round start on May 9. Visit the link to learn more!
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    01 November 2021 @ 06:28 pm
    If you haven't been on both sites or using our fandom's wonderful resource, the su_herald, to keep up with recs in all places, Top 5's LJ community will be backed up to Dreamwidth in a few days, so all recs will be together there. Read more...Collapse )

    We also want to take the opportunity to signal boost the opening of our affiliate seasonal_spuffy on November 8. There are some unclaimed posting dates still available!

    Thanks to everyone, and petzipellepingo and I hope to see you next year!
     
     
     
     
    28 October 2021 @ 03:20 pm
    Just a reminder to everyone that tomorrow is the final day for mixed Classic + 2021 posts. Saturday kicks off our 2021 Flash Forward weekend until we close at midnight UTC on November 2!


    Feel It Still by double-dutchess. Just when you think that Buffyverse vids have tapped everything, here's one on Spike (along with Buffy, the most overvidded character) and yet it feels fresh and energized and modern. Read more...Collapse )
     
     
     
    22 October 2021 @ 03:50 pm
    1) Reassembling by texasfan. "What if both Buffy and Anya died at the end of The Gift?" Eventual Spike/Xander. I liked both the gradual way this developed and also watching how this one big change was able to lead to various other ones through S6. Read more...Collapse )
     
     
     
    21 October 2021 @ 06:28 pm
    Join your co-mods petzipellepingo and yourlibrarian in celebrating Halloween through all the time zones until midnight UTC on November 5 (check that in your time zone). Share your all-time favorite recs of fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms -- and, as always, crossover content is most welcome!

    Classic Recs is running on both LiveJournal and Dreamwidth, with the option to copy posts onto Pillowfort. Top 5 is also open for recs tagged with # buffyversetop5 at Twitter. Post at whichever you wish. And if you like the treats someone has shared, let them know by commenting!

    One request is that if you happen to know that the work being recced is available at AO3, please use that link for it as it will make it easier to invite creators to include their work in our AO3 Collection. But works are welcome wherever they can be found. (Please alert readers if the work requires a login to view.)

    Today kicks off our Classic Recs weekend for pre-2021 content. Recs for all time periods will be welcome starting Monday the 25th. Then next Saturday, October 30 will begin our Flashforward 2021 session to highlight current works until we close.

    Do let us know if you have questions or need any help understanding what/how to post -- we'll be glad to hear from you!
     
     
     
    21 September 2021 @ 10:59 am
    It's time to pick out your costume, start carving those pumpkins, and decide on goodies to share because it's almost time for the 2021 session of Buffyverse Top 5!

    That means recs for all fanworks in the Whedon fandoms. Our kickoff is on October 22, 2019 at midnight UTC (click here for your time zone). That is 6 PM EST on Thursday, October 21 in the U.S.

    We'll be starting out with a Classic Recs weekend, and then from October 25 through October 29 feel free to post any mix of recs you'd like. Then on October 30 - November 1 we'll be closing things out with our Flash Forward weekend -- several days of focusing on content from 2021. So no matter what assortment of fan-created content recs you have, they will be welcome!

    So for these 11 days please share your all-time favorite recs of fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms. As always, crossover content is A-OK, so let's celebrate these fandoms' works!

    We also want to alert anyone following us here that our Dreamwidth account is also open to posts during this session but there is no need to duplicate content there if you are already posting here. For anyone on Twitter or Pillowfort, please check those accounts for more information about local participation.

    For anyone who has questions about how things will go, please comment here or you can check out information on what to post during a Buffyverse Top 5 session. And don't forget to signal boost this reminder as that way we'll have a good holiday feast :)
     
     
    09 May 2021 @ 06:11 pm
    seasonal_spuffy, Truth or Dare, will run from Monday, May 10th through Tuesday, May 23, on Dreamwidth and LiveJournal . Links to all new entries will be available during the round on both of these sites and also on tumblr and Facebook, the Elysian Fields Discussion Group on Facebook, and in the General Discussions section of BuffyForums.

    If you didn't sign up, you're still welcome to post any new Spuffy work on the 2 free-for-all days:

    Monday, May 24th and
    Tuesday, May 15th.

    And if you would like to participate in another way, remember that anyone can currently comment on any Seasonal Spuffy post with or without logging in.

    Just a reminder that they are also looking for anyone who might be interested in becoming a Seasonal Spuffy mod.
     
     
     
    Our friends at Seasonal Spuffy have announced sign ups for Round 30.

    The Spring 2021 round of Seasonal Spuffy starts on Monday, May 10, and runs through Tuesday, May 25, on LiveJournal and Dreamwidth. The theme for this round is Truth or Dare. The theme exists to inspire, not limit. You are free to interpret the theme however you wish or do your own thing instead.

    Sign up for a posting day by choosing a day in the schedule and leaving a comment on that post.
     
     
    14 February 2021 @ 11:34 am
    March Meta Matters Challenge banner by thenewbuzzwuzz

    Dates: March 1 to April 1

    For anyone who has ever created any meta, the March Meta Matters Challenge community will be running again to help keep you going (or get started!) on archiving your meta works on AO3.

    While creators have often used multiple sites to host their works, one type of work has generally been left out of fans' efforts at archiving and preserving fanworks -- meta. In many cases, meta posts have not been copied anywhere else other than the location where they were first posted, leaving them hard to find and particularly vulnerable to loss.

    So what if we can make a small dent in getting it saved? The March Meta Matters Challenge is focused on not just new meta, but making sure older meta gets a chance to be read and remain a part of fandom history. While new meta is also encouraged, the priority for Meta Matters is to make sure meta doesn't vanish with sites or personal accounts when those get closed or moved.

    This is a month long event that kicks off on March 1. There are no signups and anyone can participate, as anonymous comments are enabled at the Dreamwidth community.

    If you have any questions about MMM, look over how the challenge works, or visit our FAQ or leave a comment!
     
     
     
    01 December 2020 @ 02:01 pm
    Our friends at seasonal_spuffy are asking for participation in a poll to determine when the community rounds will be open. "We've been thinking that we might be able to save ourselves some work as mods, in a number of obvious and less obvious ways, and maybe even make it easier for all of us to plan our year, if we didn't make that decision anew for each round. The length of the rounds might change as needed, and we'd still have polls about themes and such, but we would always know when the rounds are scheduled to start.

    So, if Seasonal Spuffy ran at the same time each spring and fall, what time should it be?"

    Visit their post to weigh in.
     
     
     
    02 November 2020 @ 06:01 pm
    I am happy to note that while this 15th session coincided with the potential loss of a very longstanding fannish resource, it appears now as if it's going to find a new home. I will take any hopeful sign in 2020 that I can!

    If you haven't been on both sites or using our fandom's wonderful resource, the su_herald, to keep up with recs in all places, Top 5's LJ community will be backed up to Dreamwidth in a few days, so all recs will be together there. Read more...Collapse )

    The LJ and Dreamwidth accounts will be running as usual next year. We'll be reopening on October 22 and running until November 3. with the same format as this year, beginning with Classic Recs, having open recs, and then focusing on 2021 recs.

    Thanks to everyone, and petzipellepingo and I hope to see you next year!
     
     
     
     
    01 November 2020 @ 12:26 pm
    The Costume Codex is a lovely YT channel run by a costume designer who analyses the subtext of shows through their costuming decisions. All the videos are worth a look, but I really enjoyed this analysis from a few months back of Giles’s evolution in the Buffy ‘verse as it is reflected in his clothing choices - Our Man in Tweed; a look at Giles through costume.

    More random lovelies...Collapse )
     
     
     
    01 November 2020 @ 09:19 am
    summer_of_giles is a lovely sandbox to play in every year and to enjoy some wonderful creativity. Here are five fics from SoG I enjoyed this year. (There's a lot more there than just these five, so go over to the comm and have an amble through all the great work.)

    The Mirror Broke (But All My Friends Were Laughing) by 23Murasaki. I’m a sucker for a well written AU and this one is lovely. Randall lives post Eyghon and Giles’ life takes a different turn. This is excellently done.

    More Gilsean goodness this way...Collapse )
     
     
     
     
    01 November 2020 @ 01:56 am
    Only one of these is from 2020, but I received kind permission to post the list anyway, so here goes!

    Customize your own Playmobil Spuffy by flowspuffy: I loved playing with Playmobil as a kid, so it was great to see a Playmobil Buffy and Spike at seasonal_spuffy this year.

    More fancraft ahead!Collapse )
     
     
     
    01 November 2020 @ 12:43 am
    Spike by scranndo

    Spike and Xander by manabombs

    Spike by dewberrysolar

    Spike by flummoxed angel (plus bonus Giles and Wesley)

    Buffy and Spike by astrangertomykin (could be considered slightly NSFW?)
     
     
     
    31 October 2020 @ 11:56 pm
    I don't usually read WIPs, but I am making an exception for these ones, because they're just so good or because I know they're going to be good. I may be cheating a bit here, as several of the WIPs in this list were not started in 2020, but since they all got updated this year I think it still counts. To compensate, two of them are REALLY recent.

    Read more...Collapse )
     
     
     
     
    31 October 2020 @ 11:54 am
    I promised a second 2020 Buffy 'verse vid post, so here it is.

    The Preacher by heda reyes. This is dark, angsty and gorgeously done.

    Even more video beauties this way...Collapse )
     
     
    31 October 2020 @ 08:59 am
    Happy Halloween folks. We’re now onto the recs for fandom creativity that has happened since last year’s buffyversetop5. I’ve noticed a lot of great vids this year, so here’s the first of two 2020 vid posts

    Welcome to the Jungle by ethereal. This is a beautifully edited Ensemble vid with an emphasis on Buffy for obvious reasons!

    More video beauties this way...Collapse )
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Copper and Moonlight (the Mimi & Rodolfo Remix). This is another one from nwhepcat because why would you ration yourself when there is quality fic to be had? Willow and Xander tend to Giles after his ordeal with Angelus. (This is a remix of Substitute by antennapedia which is also worth your time)

    More random lovelies this way...Collapse )
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    28 October 2020 @ 12:01 pm
    Stories I love, in no particular order :

    "Flight to Egypt" by powerofthebook. A scene from Not Fade Away.

    "Standoff" by powerofthebook. Spike/Dawn

    Death is no gift by kaymickbee. Giles reflects

    Postcards from the end by renee2939. The gang post-"Chosen"

    Nightswimming by calove. Spike, Buffy and a swimming pool.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    25 October 2020 @ 04:10 pm
    1) Medley of Extemporanea by idyll. Angel and Lindsay meet again in Pittsburgh post-series, and neither of them is the same as they once were. An intriguing concept of how they might come to a middle ground. Read more...Collapse )
     
     
     
     
     
    24 October 2020 @ 11:21 am
    Meta, Reactors, Vids and Artwork work that deserve some love.

    Fandom is a City by ruuger is a lovely essay on the rise and fall of fandoms - about their longevity and fleetingness and the traces they leave in their wake. The author puts it far more eloquently than I could so go read. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

    More randomness this way...Collapse )
     
     
     
    23 October 2020 @ 10:48 am
    I love rare pairings fics. I’m so ingrained in the characters and the ships that I write that it’s a real joy to be challenged when I come across stories that make me take a step back and think wow, the author really makes that pairing work. (Where possible the entries are on A03, but unfortunately not all are available there.)

    Slow Learners by glossing is beautifully achy and bittersweet Devon/Xander. Oz has left and Xander is bereft. Devon provides solace even though Xander isn’t gay. This is gorgeous.

    More pretties under the cut...Collapse )
     
     
    22 October 2020 @ 05:07 pm
    Yay for this year's buffyversetop5. It's always a joy to rec favourite fandom things and enjoy discovering things I hadn't come across through other people's recs. Kicking off this year's Classic Recs sections with a few awesome vids.

    Princess of the Streets by double_dutchess This is Spike/Dru and has Perfect editing to a perfect song from The Stranglers that could have been written for Dru.

    Follow Dru's whisperings to the rest of the pretty pictures...Collapse )
     
     
     
    22 October 2020 @ 06:09 pm
    As we all await your rec lists, I'd like to share a few statistics with readers (and do feel free to share this post).

    This happens to be Top 5's 15th anniversary. This is particularly fitting because I have spent several months since our session last year, going through every post in the community (1,846 of them!) as part of an effort to locate recced content on AO3.

    This gave me a unique perspective on patterns in the fandom as well as a good bit of nostalgia about participants and creators over the years. So I thought I'd share those observations as we kick off this year's celebration of works old and new. Read more...Collapse )

    On a personal note, it was heartening when I found a fan long absent from the fandom on the archive. I would often be quite excited to find that a work I didn't expect would be there -- actually was! It was also sad as I came across many other references to names once frequently seen, but who have since left the fandom. There was even, in 2010, a post made at Top 5 with 71 comments which was a tribute to one of them.

    Also a pleasant surprise is that, despite the devastation across older accounts caused by image hosts closing or changing their terms in the last 5 years, many images shared in Top 5 posts are still intact. To be sure, many aren't or show up watermarked now, but the number is not as lopsided as I expected.

    One last factoid? The first Eurovision Contest crossover recced was in 2007.
     
     
    18 October 2020 @ 02:53 pm
    Our affiliates over at seasonal_spuffy have 4 posting days more than takers so far for their current session. The open days are in the second and third week of the round, ranging from November 10 to November 17.

    If you weren't sure about committing to a posting day before and you now see that you'll be able to take one after all, do let them know at their
    signup post with the schedule.

    (Also, buffyversetop5 opens for its annual session in 5 days!)
     
     
     
    06 October 2020 @ 04:54 pm
    Just a last reminder that this year's Buffyverse Top 5 session will open in 15 days at midnight UTC on October 23!

    First, a request:

    1) If the recced work can be accessed through AO3, and you're choosing between links to use, using the AO3 link will save the mods time (and might be more stable). Read more...Collapse )

    Regardless of where a work exists though, please rec it here!

    2) This is the first year when we are also accepting rec lists made through Twitter! Read more...Collapse )

    If you happen to use Twitter yourself, please do let other Buffy fans there know about the October session and point them to our account so they can join in!

    3) As of last year, there is now one session to rec works from all Whedon fandoms and all time periods. But to help us keep a mix of new and older content, we encourage contributors to create separate lists for them if possible.

    We'll be starting out with a Classic Recs weekend from the 23-25, and then from October 26-30 feel free to post any mix of recs you'd like. On October 31-Nov 2 we'll be closing things out with our Flash Forward weekend, several days of focusing on content from 2020. So no matter what assortment of fan-created content recs you have, they will be welcome!

    You can comment here to let your mods, petzipellepingo and yourlibrarian know if you have any questions. We hope to see your lists soon!
     
     
     
    09 September 2020 @ 01:12 pm
    ... of recs for all fanworks in the Whedon fandoms! Next month we'll be returning for our annual buffyversetop5 session which will open at Midnight GMT on October 23 and run until Midnight GMT on November 3. As in the past, this Halloween session will be open for Classic Recs, but all time periods are welcome. We'll be closing out the session with a FlashForward Weekend for your 2020 recs.

    So we hope you'll share your favorite fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms (crossovers included!) Our session runs on both LiveJournal and Dreamwidth, with the option to copy posts onto Pillowfort. For the first time we'll also be incorporating posts from Twitter to our new AO3 Collection.

    Don't hesitate to drop a comment here if you have any questions. We hope to see you and your recs soon!
     
     
     
    10 May 2020 @ 11:32 am
    Just a reminder that our affiliate seasonal_spuffy is kicking off their latest round. The Spring 2020 round of Seasonal Spuffy runs from today (Sunday, May 10) through Monday, May 25, on LiveJournal and on Dreamwidth. The theme for this round is Enemies with Benefits. As always, creators are free to interpret the theme however they like or do something else altogether.

    If you didn't sign up, you're still welcome to post on the free-for-all days: today (May 10), May 24, and May 25 (plus, occasionally, an extra free-for-all day appears in the middle of the round, so you might want to keep an eye out for news).
     
     
    02 March 2020 @ 09:07 pm
    Our affiliate Seasonal Spuffy has announced that the Spring 2020 round will run from Sunday, May 10, through Monday, May 25, on LiveJournal and on Dreamwidth.

    The theme for this round is Enemies With Benefits. Creators are free to interpret the theme however they wish or do their own thing instead. Original, never-before-posted Spike/Buffy fanworks of any format: fic, art, and beyond are welcome.

    You may sign up for a posting day by leaving a comment on the Signup Post on LiveJournal. (LJ login is not necessary for that.)

    There will also be free-for-all days on May 10, May 24, and May 25. On those days, anybody may post without signup.

    Also, just a reminder that the March Meta Matters Challenge has begun! Anyone can join in anytime this month so dig up some of your old meta!
     
     
     
    03 February 2020 @ 11:40 am
    March Meta Matters Challenge banner by thenewbuzzwuzz

    Dates: March 1 to April 1

    Hello Top 5 Participants!

    I would like to let everyone know of a new challenge I am running in March. This challenge was actually inspired by my experience with Top 5 and adding recced works to our new AO3 Collection.

    While creators have often used multiple sites to host their works, one type of work has generally been left out of fans' efforts at archiving and preserving fanworks -- meta. In many cases, meta posts have not been copied anywhere else other than the location where they were first posted, leaving them particularly vulnerable to loss. I found, while searching AO3 for content recced at Top 5, that I was finding a good bit of it. But none of it was meta, even though meta has been recced at every session we've held.

    So what if we can make a small dent in getting it saved? The March Meta Matters Challenge is focused on not just new meta, but making sure older meta gets a chance to be read and remain a part of fandom history. That's also why the challenge will be using the Archive of Our Own as a destination site.

    The MMM Challenge will be a low stress event that provides you reminders and company as you locate and copy over your content. The challenge will also give you an opportunity to promote the meta you're preserving as well as some prompts to write new meta!

    Find out more at our introductory post and get some detailed how-to's in our FAQ. The challenge is open to fans at any online location.

    I have also attempted to start a feed for the community here on LJ but it seems like there's some sort of error with adding feeds. Would anyone be willing to try adding one? It requires a paid account.
     
     
    05 November 2019 @ 07:17 pm
    That groaning squeak you hear is the door being closed on this 2019 session. Although you'll have to put away the pumpkins and trick or treat bags until next year, don't forget to let the creators know how much you've enjoyed the tasty goodies that have been shared.

    There are also some new plans for next year! Read more...Collapse )

    We want to remind anyone watching that the only reason membership has become moderated on our LJ account is due to spam accounts (we had one attempt membership just this past week). Actual people wanting to join and post are very welcome and they should get approval notices within 24 hours.

    Also, by this time tomorrow all content posted on LJ will be backed up into the Dreamwidth account. petzipellepingo and I urge you to visit the community directly to find additional recs that got posted only on Dreamwidth as you'll find quite a few more works.

    buffyversetop5 will reopen for its 2020 session on October 23 at midnight UTC (check when that is in your time zone) and run through November 3. Thank you to everyone who shared lists or stopped by to chime in about them!
     
     
     
    05 November 2019 @ 10:07 am
    We're down to the final hours of our session, and here's one last recs list of 2019 works from me.

    Thanksgiving with the Burkles, 2019 by shadowscast. This ficlet is not only a new work from her in the Buffyverse but it's a sequel! (And also perfect for this new month).

    Villains by electric_heart. Fun icon of the Troika. Also I quite liked her pairing icons.

    Excardiation by beer_good_foamy. "After Buffy runs away from home, Joyce finds herself bringing home a curious flowerpot from the gallery." Well you know that's not going to go well.

    Roses Are Red, Angelus Is Blue by thenewbuzzwuzz. A series of scenes tied together with roses, covering up the scent of denial.

    Change, Like Sunshine by still_lycoris. "When Wash first joined the crew, he thought Zoe was Mal's lady. He was quite wrong about that." And Mal was quite wrong about it disrupting a smoothly working ship.
     
     
     
    04 November 2019 @ 12:09 pm
    Buffy, Slaying Vampires Since 1996 by shiruji. I have to quibble about the date since it was either earlier with the movie or the TV debut was in 1997, but a cute icon nonetheless!

    All the Children I've Had to Say "Good Bye" To by protoneoromantic. Such a strong finish to this, and a title with such a punch when you know who it's said by.

    Comics Buffy by misbegotten. Lovely set of Buffy comics icons. No. 5 is my favorite but the Xander one is also striking.

    Night Flight by JolieMariella. Wing AU Spike fanart.

    The Ballad of Wishverse Giles by thenewbuzwuzz. Giles POV poem. I'd say "fun" but the episode theme wasn't on the happy side, so I'll just point out that it's clever instead ;)
     
     
     
    03 November 2019 @ 05:39 pm




    I have already recced five short Spuffy fics and this is will be my last entry for this year. It's a list of five multi-chaptered Spuffy fics. All of them have been published and completed in 2019. Hope you enjoy some of them!

    Read more...Collapse )
     
     
    03 November 2019 @ 07:56 am
    This is my last set of recs for this session of buffyversetop5. Thanks as always to the brilliant mods for hosting this every year, and thank you to everyone who has added wonderful recs, both old and new, to my ‘to read list'. Anyway, on with the motley...

    Confidence by Deangerous - nice, believable moment between Cordy and Xander when he tells her about sleeping outside at Christmas.

    More randomness this way...Collapse )