DJ Recommendations:
Notes:
By "DJ", I mean doujinshi. Please note that the following are only recommendations. You do not necessarily have to take my word for it. In order to view the recommendations, please pick from the categories above. The adjectives should be enough to describe the category. ^_~
Sexy:
Before I picked out the circle for this one, I had to consider the Oomph! that comes with the illustrations when you first see them. You may be surprised to find that I picked out Pepper Vivio's circle Pepper Vivio-kun for this category. You'd probably think that their art is crazier than it is sexy. True, Pepper Vivio-kun is rather adept at having the characters fly all over the place but you should try to stop for a moment and consider the full-body illustrations that seem out of place in their wacky books. Take a closer look at them and watch yourself drool. They're pretty good. In fact, the come hither look is almost a standard in the illustrations. It's most prominent in their Quatres but that doesn't mean it doesn't work as well on the other four either. A favorite of mine is the entwined Quatre and Trowa illustration. It just screams sexy in every possible way. Then again, their wacky storylines have that sexy Quatre feel to it anyway.
Adorable:
Several circles belong in this category and it would be difficult to pick the best one. Considering that there are several to choose from, the circles that have already been recommended for the other categories will not be included here. It was a difficult decision to pick the best one but after careful deliberation, Reika Akanagi's circle W:Chupetto comes out on top. I only own one book (Doki Doki) by this artist but it is by far the cutest book I've ever come across. What's great about it is that Quatre's not the only one who's adorable. Trowa is too. They're so cute that you almost want to squeeze their brains out. It doesn't matter if the story has a little bit of angst going on. It's still too cute for words.
Second place? I'd also have to recommend Mizuho Asakura's circle A&A. You have to admit that those angel books are quite the charmer. Quatre deserves to be placed in a hug-o-lator until his saturated sweetness overflows. The only reason why the circle doesn't take first place is because Trowa isn't as cute as Quatre. Quatre's adorable - doujinshi or no doujinshi. It's Trowa who's usually harder to work with.
Shameless:
Bring on the smut! You could probably guess which circle is the number one in this category - Kazuka/Haruka Minami's one and only circle Mecca. If you're looking for male organs, this is it. It's all over the place and I don't mean those partially censored ones with the black rectangle over them either. This is the real deal. Shameless as the art is, you would have to appreciate the fact that everything is displayed with pride. There's no hiding anything, which makes it eerily more like a work of art than plain pornography. Call me crazy but you just have to appreciate the subtle beauty that comes with every scene. That's probably why I called this circle 'shameless' rather than 'dirty'. Also, don't forget to check out her Trowa. He's gorgeous. The sizes though... Quatre's organs are so tiny...
Romantic:
This is probably where Ryou Mizukane's circle Karyou's expertise come in. The first word that came to mind when I picked up one of Karyou's books is "romance". The storylines are heartwarming and overflowing with so much sap it will trigger the soft spot within you. Even when Quatre and Trowa's relationship goes awry, you could still sense that it's not over yet. You just know that whatever problem there is will be resolved not because it could be but because it needs to be. That's the way it's meant to be. There's that happily ever after feeling that comes with viewing the pages. It's not just the storylines either, the way Quatre and Trowa are drawn in such a delicate way aids in imagining that the relationship will work out perfectly. There's just something about Trowa's unusually soft look that draws you in to make that conclusion.
Eccentric:
By eccentric, I mean stylistic. Perhaps the most stylistic of them all would be Ruise Kallen. Ruise Kallen's work is very attractive and extravagant. The characters are drawn to be very tall, very skinny with huge eyes serving as the focal point. You may find that it's difficult to appreciate the art because of the fact that it's not close at all to the original. You could decipher which character is which but would not be able to guess right away that it's a Gundam Wing illustration unless you pay close attention to the details (check La Grange's front cover as an example). However, the style does not necessarily detract from it's appeal because you must admit that it's truly a beautiful work of art albeit the eccentricities. It's something not everyone can appreciate and you can't say the same for very many circles.
Canon:
By far, the most canon style you'll come across is Soushi Amori's circle Oyaji (if we're talking 3x4 artists of course - Yuuki Kamon's 2x1 circle Shirakawa Yofune Rengou is probably the closest you'll get. The artist is rumored to be a Sunrise animator). Everyone looks like the way they should be, sometimes even better. It's not just Quatre and Trowa either. Every single character or sub character looks as if they jumped right out the the TV - perfect for some, seemingly less imaginative for others. However, that's as far as the similarity will go. Oyaji's characters have their own unique personality that strays away from being the typical boys you see in the series. They have sort of a flair that adds to the serious tone of Gundam Wing. This is a circle specializing in gags so you could guess that the storylines are more comical. Why is it such a great circle then? You just have to pick up a book to see exactly why. You won't be able to put down one without feeling something significant whether it be a strange sort of contentment or an urge to let out a satisfying laugh.
Notables:
Blasphemy! Where's Eiri Asato in this whole list? I think I heard that coming. Don't worry because Eiri Asato's work is quite popular that it isn't too likely to be forgotten. There just isn't a more appropriate category for it. Why the popularity then? Eiri Asato does an amazing Quatre, no doubt about it. It's not to say that Quatre looks canon but he has that air about him that emanates grace, purity, beauty, and everything good. He looks so ethereal you can't help but be drawn in. Couple that with such imaginative storylines and you'll hopelessly be drooling over every single one of her books. Not only does Quatre look it, he acts it too, so much that it looks like he deserves to be offered human sacrifices (preferably Trowa ^_~). Trowa looks good too although he looks a bit too broad, a bit too big and burly for Quatre. Then again, they complement each other. Don't forget to pick up one of her books, preferably the latter, more serious ones (like Mechanical God and Blanche). They're well worth it.
Other popular favorites include: Shiino Neko's circle Shiino-Ya, Yoshi Ikuzansu's circle Kokusai Kagaku Kenkyujo, and Flamingo Nobeko's circle Pooh Farm.