notes: early enstars is a SLOG. why is hokke so sexist. why have none of them ever talked to a girl before. i hate it here. funnily enough, this is the first time i've actually read the first main story! somehow! i should have read it sooner, but besides the explanation of yumenosaki's status quo (student council always wins, no creativity allowed, rigged dreamfes, trickstar revolution), it sucks ass.

notes: still nothingburger. it was nice seeing the introduction of the light music club and rabits. that's about it.

notes: yay! eichi is here! love this guy! the story FINALLY picks up here. i refuse to believe fine is THAT popular though. if i saw rainbow circus live i would just start crying on the spot.

notes: THANK GOD IT'S OVER. This entire story is way longer than it needs to be. It was pretty funny seeing the other units show up as mini-bosses, and eichi was great as always!

If you could, don't tell anyone I was talking with the lion. (renna)

summary: When the cherry blossom trees have been completely covered in green, fine participates in a 'circus' as part of a new DreamFes experiment. It seems a helper is assigned to assist Tori, who isn't used to acrobatic movements...

notes: surprisingly uneventful! eichi's lion monologue is iconic + his final monologue is significant too (setup for eichi/tori later conflict, eichi's current point in development, wataru is There), but other than that this story was kind of just a lot of fluff. to be fair it probably has about as much fluff as some of the other stories here but i've never really cared all that much for tori (ive read all of the significant fine stories he's just not the most compelling character around to me).

notes: oh my god. knights are a disaster. i love them. really entertaining for such a short story! Loved the "ritsu's pastries look horrendous but taste amazing" factoid and izumi's bitchiness (the acne bit?? literally me). This story was also great for how it clarified knights' current status quo: leo is gone, they're a bit down after losing the ddd, everyone is a disaster + mostly working for themselves, arashi is trying to keep it together, and tsukasa is There. obligatory mention of the naru aggressions that i was NOT expecting btw. holy shit she cannot catch a break! izumi and tsukasa just kept going...crying for her right now :[

summary: The School Festival is held every year, and the other units have started preparing for their displays. UNDEAD has yet to come up with anything, but Kaoru announces that he wishes to help with that. Just what on earth is his ingenious idea?

notes: cute fluff! nice to read for kaoru's earlier characterization (hitting on anzu every other second) since i skipped the third main story arc. koga and rei are still kicking each other in the shins. also nice to read for more explanations of yumenosaki's current status quo after trickstar's victory over the student council.

Honestly, why does Eichi even insist on owning that crackpot? Just looking at him gives me a headache. (shoe)

summary: The Transfer Student is steadily gaining accomplishments and spends her busy days planning dreamfes that Jin has assigned to her. As she gains cooperation from the students of the idol course, the preparations for Tanabata are going smoothly, but Mitsuru can't seem to calm down...

notes: It's really funny to me that Rei is a super senior and therefore takes the title of "oldest yumenosaki student" from nazuna. features fun appearances from wataru and kaoru (WHY IS WATARU THE BUS DRIVER) and is a nice exploration of the early rabits dynamic! also features chessboard-type scheming from eichi in relation to anzu. I actually really love nazuna right now I don't know why I totally skated over his character three years ago but I love him now! Keito's respect of him was a really nice bit of foreshadowing.

The fuck? Are you horny? Bastard, is that all you're thinking of!? (renna)

summary: RYUSEITAI will be holding a Pirate Festival at the beach behind the academy, and the Transfer Student arranges for UNDEAD to participate as well. As the members fire themselves up, a festival hotter than the midsummer rays will begin.

notes: edit: yeah... this one's rough. i don't know why i reread this actually. it's kinda useless. has funny bits and a cute kaokana moment (kaoru mellowing out the second he's alone with kanata oh my god. oh my god.) but also has certified early enstars writing issues (the game's treatment of arashi and adonis... babygirls im getting you out of there...) which kinda just killed the story.

Ah, I'll carry the rest — can you ask you to go help out Wataru? Wataru will start sulking if I keep you all to myself, after all. (shoe)

notes: cute! features wataru and eichi being attached at the hip + their lunch date turning into them helping anzu out. nice look into wataru/eichi's relationship away from the rest of fine at the beginning of the game.

Come soon, Eichi. I, too, have always wanted to quarrel with you. No ー I’ve wanted spend my youth laughing and crying with all my might. I`m sorry for making you wait. I`ve finally arrived at your heart. (dreamyproject)

summary: On a certain day during summer break, Keito is left absentminded and Souma indignant as AKATSUKI suddenly receives an order from Eichi to disband. They decide to battle against fine in order to remove the order, but will they be able to obtain victory...?

notes: REALLY GOOD. covers keito and eichi's childhood relationship, as well as the formation of akatsuki and its changing purpose. also has anzu tormenting keito. 10/10.

(mandy)

notes: cute!! not very significant, but it was nice to see the early marine bio dynamic.

(shivalries)

summary: Leo has returned to the academy, as well as the original popular and proficient Knights. However, Tsukasa is disillusioned to find that Leo is not how he had imagined. Leo declares 'judgement' to the awkward unit.

notes: Leo's introduction! solid knights story as a whole, with lots of lore hints (leo, eichi, nazuna) as to what exactly happened last year. nice to have the plot finally pick up.

(carnivalofstars)

notes: extremely uneventful, but has nazuna choir boy lore and kanata handing out stuffed animals!

Humans end up “yearning”. No matter how wonderful a trick may be, watching it being performed over and over again will eventually make one go “whatever”. Hibiki Wataru knew that, and he was terrified. (shoe)

summary: Knights and Ra*bits perform in an 8-day long live ranked as the newly-establised S3. Divided between phantom thieves and detectives, the curtains rise on this new live?!★

notes: WATATOMO SUBPLOT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS!! mostly lighthearted knights/rabits interactions, and wataru is the bus driver until he has the most insane monologue ever! great wataru and tomoya stuff, especially since we haven't seen much character introspection of them yet.

(Well, as long as he's enjoying himself. Eichi is also probably passing down something important to his juniors. Look at that face you're making — you're not a monster who can only devour dreams and destroy. Enjoying club time, enjoying youth to its fullest... like an everyday high school student. It's only when you're with the ones in the tea club that you're able to just be "simply Tenshouin Eichi".)(shoe)

summary: Usually, the tea club meets at the garden terrace, but... On a beautiful day, at a tea party outside, Keito's secret is apparent.

notes: OMG. I love the tea club. So much cute Eichi stuff here...love him lots. Mainly features Eichi tormenting Keito with an old alice in wonderland doujin. The thing that always gets me in enstars, especially with the seniors, is finding happiness in normality...burdened characters smiling without a care in the world...so good. like with wataru and tomoya in ptvd!

And in this long life... if I can meet somebody again who would envelope me with love, that'd be a matter of celebration.(shoe)

summary: In March, a Chocolat Fes-like live will start! It appears Koga is having some issues with Rei hitting back with words of rejection!?

notes: BOY WHY ARE WE DOING GRADUATION IN 2016. This feels way too early to do a repayfes story? But I digress. Unless I missed something, this is the first Big story we've got for UNDEAD, and mainly features 2wink's progress after christmas (i missed that story oops), deadmanz's return, and the seniors' plans for after graduation. Really great stuff featuring a mellowed out kaoru, although he's not in that many chapters at the end of the day. The bit about his mom though...i wanna hug him so bad. His conversation with souma is also SO sweet, I really love the marine bio club and their dynamic as a whole. Nice hints towards deadmanz and rei's past self. more to be discovered in future stories!

However, at least I shall be with you until the end. Nito, Kagehira, my youth... my beloved "Valkyrie." (doublerainbow82)

summary:Nazuna starts thinking about the reason for Valkyrie's departure—and fine. The story of the Five Eccentrics' past begins...

notes: Valkyrie's bombastic entrance, and the first war story too! Lots and lots of backstory for essentially everyone who shows up- from Arashi's crush on Kunugi-sensei and friendship with Mika to Kuro's past with his family, Shu, and Nazuna. This is also probably the best unit introductory story yet, with ample time to explore ex-valk's dynamic and the tragedy that ultimately befalls them. Also includes Wataru's early relationship with Tomoya, as well as his reasons for joining fine (tldr eichi LMFAO). Really interesting how this is the first look into the war that we get, especially paired with magiasse (released later this year). Although this is Nazuna's firsthand account, its arguably the one closer to what public perception of the war would have been, in contrast to the clear behind the scenes perspective + eichi scheming of magiasse. ANYWAYS. here's to Nazuna and becoming human ♥

Yaaay, peace...★ Fufu. I got a nice photo taken- I like it. Maybe I should make this my funeral picture? Putting the "fun" in funeral...𝅘𝅥𝅮 (shoe)

summary: Eichi is interested in the arcade. He asks Kaoru to go with him, but all of their classmates end up coming along...?

notes: oh i absolutely love this story. classic class 3a shenanigans, a sweet kaoru moment at the end, and absolutely hilarious eichi + shu interactions. what more could you ask for?

summary: Tanabata Festival approaches. Valkyrie did not expect to participate, but the words that Eichi lets loose trouble Shu...

notes: HOLY SHIT. essentially a yassified version of the tanabata festival event from last year. both epilogues, the shu/kanata one and the eichi/wataru one are absolutely stellar. some really amazing certified evil eichi scheming, as well as setup for the eichi/keito conflict in quarrelfes. speaking of eichi's scheming, he actually makes so many food metaphors here?? unexpected but so fun. more continuation of the exvalk reconciliation arc too, with shu's continued protectiveness over nazuna and a wonderful interaction with them onstage as valk takes rabits' place. there's also a really cute wataru/keito talk here about being eichi's left anf right hands.

You are being slaughtered by the parts within all of you that are human. (shoe)

summary: Spring. Some days after the DDD ends, Switch was trying to hold a DreamFes in the school. Eichi is made to recall last year's incident by the new unit. The second chapter of fine and the Five Eccentrics' story, continuing into today.

notes: probably one of my favorite enstars stories ever! back in 2021 i read this one SO many times. it was honestly concerning. the tragic story of the oddballs never fails to wrench my heart. i can't wait to reread it!

summary: It's winter break, and Natsume and the transfer student bump into each other downtown as they're both there for work. Furthermore, they encounter their oddball seniors by chance as well...?

notes:

summary: The Drama Club is planning on doing a performance for the school festival. Tomoya, who is not used to performing before others, is chosen for the lead role of 'Cinderella'!

notes:

Also, in hard times, I'd probably want to depend on someone. Even if it was a bother to them. After all, if I don't get a nice fresh filling of love, I'll dry up and die. I think you're like me, too. (310mc)

summary: Kaoru and Anzu search at the aquarium for the missing Kanata. Souma joins them.

notes: Such a cute and sweet low-stakes story with ample exploration into kaoru, kanata, madara, and anzu's characters! one of my absolute favorites!

(estol)

summary: A Romeo and Juliet in which Romeo is a girl, and Juliet comes at her with animosity. The drama club’s performance this time does not at all seem to be a normal one, and...

notes: lesbian crossdressing romeo and juliet you are so special in my heart forever and ever

summary: Keito discovers an interesting webcomic that has gained considerable popularity—but its characters are modeled after the students at Yumenosaki Academy...

notes: with all that monologuing on stage i'm sure in-universe enstars rpf goes CRAZY

I'd feel a little lonely if you died, you know. (haranami)

summary: Tori finds Ritsu, who is playing hide-and-seek with the others in the tea club. He's invited to tea, where he hears the origin story of the club.

notes: Quite possibly one of the best scout stories of all time! It has a very different point of view to the proceedings of the war, and also tackles Ritsu's thing of just Being There all the time. His and Eichi's mind games are SO much fun to watch, and their relationship, especially in chapter 7, ends up being so sweet in its own fucked up way. I really, really do love this story.

summary: Wataru declares that the drama club will be disbanded when he retires from the club. In order to overturn the decision, they need to inherit the symbol representing the club president that's been passed down through the generations...

notes:

summary: Due to Tsumugi's hasty response, Eden and Switch are set to perform in a joint live. Natsume doesn't consent to this, but Tsumugi says that this Wonder Game is an important proposal for him...

notes:

i am sorry for being weak... i am sorry for being a failure as a god.
...i'm Terrified, chiaki. (310mc)

summary:Two years ago. Chiaki comes to the pool to clean up the mess made by that era's Ryuseitai when he finds Kanata crouching down at the bottom. This is the story of a boy who longed to be a hero, and a boy who was a god.

notes: INSANE STORY. REALLY NEED TO REREAD THIS ONE.

summary:

notes:

summary: All members of fine are getting busier at their own jobs, but Tori hopes they can do more activities together as a unit. Meanwhile, Tori finds Yuzuru spacing out frequently, so he turns to Eichi and Wataru for help...

notes: my jaw was on the floor when i read this back in 2021 but i can't remember why.

Time for plan B then... Assassinate GFK.
Are you punning "plan B" and "Crazy:B"?
No, it's a pun on GFK and JFK𝅘𝅥𝅮

summary:Kohaku is carrying on an investigation for a certain reason. When he's following a clue, Madara senses his presence. After knowing Leo is related to the person Kohaku is after, Madara tries to join his investigation...

notes: I love Double Face! Too heavy on the long-winded explanations, but a solid debut story overall. with every story i grow more and more attached to mama and kohaku.

summary: Rei hears a rumor that there's a youkai within ES that pulls people into the water, so he and Hinata seek out Kanata to find out the truth—and get caught up in a seemingly unavoidable situation.

notes:

iridesenescence

summary: Shu returns to Japan to prepare for the Japan Neverland Cup, an artistic music festival. Mika has been preparing for Shu's return and the upcoming music event, but his project proposal hits a bottleneck, and he gets lost on the street...

notes:

Jimenyan, Anzu-san too! Get away from that man immediately! (jay)

summary:Nagisa decides on his own to let Eden appear on a variety show that has been avoided since their debut. His arbitrary decision totally disrupts Ibara's original plan. Meanwhile, Hiyori and Nagisa secretly change the script of the variety show, making all Eden members and their co-stars, Ra*bits, form one-to-one duos...

notes: THIS IS TRULY THE STORY OF ALL TIME. ULTIMATE FAVORITE FOREVER AND EVER.

(bakemonoremy)

summary:An antique fair is held near the ES. Sensing a suspicious scent, the two members of Double Face force their way into the stage of Valkyrie and corner them for intelligence. But, unexpectedly, they unveil the secret of Mika...

notes: WAY TOO LONG FOR THE STORY THAT IT IS. nice thoughts about where the characters are at in this point in time in regards to the past, as well as cute interactions, but the climatic realization could have been done in a MUCH shorter amount of stories.

...You’re right. In today’s society, the feelings and opinions of people like “us” aren’t exactly respected. But if I were to become an idol beloved by everyone the world over, and if they came to believe that what I say is right, then maybe... (allegiantheart)

summary: Tori isn't in very high spirits during the regular meeting for the Pretty 5. Arashi gently nudges him outside and asks him about it.

notes: has the most insane plot twist in any enstars story ever tbh! this story is my roman empire. cant believe enstars namedropped same sex marriage.

summary: The idols have been asked to star as characters in the dating sim video game Love★Star. The filming is to be done in pairs, but HiMERU and Tatsumi seem to be having trouble...

notes: HUH??? another one of those stories where enstars decides to be extremely unsubtly meta and also baity and also kinda stupid. some nice stuff for himeru and tatsumi by the end. the rest of it is uhh. sure! shout out to tatsumi for saying incest is bad???

All I ask is for you to stand as my partner 'till the bitter end. Don't run away anymore, "Mikejima Madara". I can't entrust my back to anyone 'sides you, after all. (doublefaceliker2808)

summary: Kohaku is called to the office by Ibara. He expects behind-the-scenes work, but he's asked to make a normal live proposal. He asks Hinata for advice, and finds Madara during a meeting to tell him that he wants to go to the arcade...

notes: screaming. sobbing. crying even! besides this story being the cutest thing ever (MAMA TAKING KOHAKU TO THE ARCADE...AUGH.), it's really great to see a larger character focus and less of a main story yapfest from a double face story! the recurring motif about the cherry blossoms culminating in that last epilogue with rinne about love makes me feel sooooo normal. so incredibly normal!

Tatsumi Kazehaya, Tatsumi Kazehaya, Tatsumi Kazehaya- I want to become like you. No, I want to be you. (jay)

summary: CosPro has organized a project named COMP to revitalize its schools. As their students, Eden, Tatsumi, and HiMERU gather to perform. With the theme of school memories, Jun realizes that HiMERU isn't quite the same as he once was...

notes: tatsumi my disabled christian socialist jesus allegory KING!!! okay jokes aside, Obbligato is truly so well done. It's got a very different feel from the other reminscence stories, and honestly might be one of the darkest stories that Enstars has to offer. Not just in literal content, but how it develops its characters around that content. I loved so many smaller details of this story too; such as Kaname's obsession with Tatsumi, as well as the whole jesus/judas thing they had going on around halfway through??? Tatsumi's character especially was super interesting- reading about his family's generational trauma (due to being hidden christians) and the impact it has had on him was very poignant. I still have to sit on this story, but OH MY GOD. Boy there are So Many Themes.

Let this be a lesson to you, to avoid repeating the same tragedy. Until you become a prince that can save all the cinderellas in the world. (ren)

notes: sorry this idol story is one of the most insane idol stories ever in the best way possible i HAD to include it somewhere

notes: https://ensemble-girls.fandom.com/wiki/Paradise

notes: https://maluridae.dreamwidth.org/38797.html

notes: https://maluridae.dreamwidth.org/5841.html