First up is a glimpse into the lives of Enma and Tsuna, two tiny fairies who live in a human’s house and feed on sugar. But Tsuna can only eat konpeito candy, which the house’s owner hasn’t bought in a while, so he’s slowly starving. Enma tries everything to help him, but comes up short until Byakuran, the marshmallow fairy, appears to save the day.

While this doujinshi could generously be called shounen-ai because of how Byakuran cures Tsuna, it’s really just a cute fantasy slice-of-life. Thoughtful details like their shirt design accounting for their wings or how the fairies grow and shrink based on their energy level make this comic a pleasure to read and reread whenever you need a little joy in your day.

Here’s another alternate universe where generations collide in a web of crushes and confusion. Giotto (Vongola Primo) and Tsuna live in an apartment together, trying to deal with the antics of their neighbors, Daemon Spade and Mukuro. Daemon is hopelessly head-over-heels for Giotto, but is too hardheaded to admit it, so he just stalks the blonde bombshell instead. Mukuro can’t stand Daemon’s behavior, but soon realizes that he feels the same way for Tsuna. Do the four of them even stand a chance of making sense of this mess?

DGMT is one of only a few doujinshi that combine the ancestor characters with the present day cast. It creates an intriguing compare-and-contrast dynamic between the experienced adult first generation and their “reincarnations” – are Tsuna and Mukuro truly destined to be just like their predecessors? In this case, it seems like they have no choice but to fall in love too.

Hibari and Dino are difficult characters to write, especially when they’re together. To keep them as true as possible to their canon personalities, Hibari can’t just be a battle-obsessed killjoy and Dino can’t be a bumbling idiot. Luckily, this doujinshi’s writing strikes just the right balance and both boys have much more to them than meets the eye.

In the comic, Hibari dreams that Dino breaks up with him and drifts farther and farther away as the years pass by. He dies unexpectedly, supposedly calling out for his former lover at the very end. When Hibari wakes up, tears stream down his face and he can’t form the words to explain to Dino what happened. Later, he muses on how this Italian knucklehead has wormed his way into his prized private space. It’s a simple narrative, but one that represents how a relationship between the two of them would likely work. They don’t need words to express their love, just a feeling of comfort and safety.

Mukuro’s imprisonment in the Vendicare facility for most of the anime is a fruitful source of drama in doujinshi, since he has to rely on illusions and his host Chrome to interact with anyone. In Cannibalism, he appears before his favorite opponent, Hibari, to taunt and tease him into fighting. Hibari gains the upper hand and wraps his tie around Mukuro as a way to mark his “prey”, never seeing him again after that. Ten years later, they have a chance to meet once more.

What’s especially compelling about this doujinshi is that it provides backstory for the loose black tie that adult Mukuro wears. It’s a detail from the original material that didn’t originally mean anything, but now represents the sexually charged duel between these two mysterious characters who are always at each other’s throats. Readers of this comic can watch the anime and smile, knowing that the tie might be more than just a fashion statement.

Yamamoto and Gokudera are a joy to watch no matter what, since their polar opposite personalities play off of each other so well. Here, the laid-back Yamamoto pushes Gokudera’s buttons on purpose when playing with the storm guardian’s feisty cat Uri, getting a rage-filled rant in response. Later, Yamamoto sadly reminisces about playing baseball without a care in the world, back when he didn’t have to worry about Byakuran ruining the future. Gokudera comforts him with an awkward kiss.

Like Cannibalism, Nervous ties in its romance plot to the canonical struggles that the characters have to go through. Yamamoto’s serious side comes out so rarely that it’s a real treat to see here, especially since it’s done so well. Gokudera’s prickly demeanor also gets to shine and doesn’t go away even when he’s trying to cheer up his buddy. You really get the sense that these are just two teenage boys trying to figure out what they mean to each other.

Mukuro and Tsuna have a difficult-to-define relationship, even in the canon storyline. Are they friends? Are they still enemies? Even they don’t seem to know themselves. In Aquarium Dream, Tsuna goes with an illusion of Mukuro to an aquarium and apologizes for letting him be captured by the Vindice. The two share a heartfelt conversation about why they worry so much about this situation.

Tsuna is such an empathetic person that he even cares about the wellbeing of his enemies, but he realizes in this comic that he’s in love with Mukuro... and that the feeling is mutual. It’s all revealed in a slow trickle that matches the rain pouring down on them as they talk. The outstanding illustrations really add to the emotion, portraying shadows and complex expressions that make the characters seem all the more real.

Squalo has always been fiercely loyal to Xanxus, even for the eight years that Xanxus was suspended in ice. Vice-captain Ottavio (introduced in a light novel called X-Fiamma) tried to wrest control of the Varia during this time, but Squalo never let him move an inch. When Xanxus finally awakens, we sneak a peek at how their violent but trusting relationship really works.

It’s not exactly love, or at least not love as we would define it, but these two share a deep bond that goes back for many years. Bottom of the Hell allows us to see past their masculine bravado surface personas and take a look at how Xanxus and Squalo actually relate to each other on a base, instinctual level. It’s dark, possessive, and maybe a bit detestable, but it makes perfect sense for them.

Moving away from depressing dramas for a bit (and it really is only for a bit), let’s take a look at Tip Taps Tip. It’s a deceptively simple doujinshi where Tsuna and Gokudera chat about how Tsuna might be getting taller and more muscular after all of his fights. Gokudera worries for a moment that his beloved Jyudaimei might tower over him one day, but Tsuna knows from seeing the future Gokudera that there’s no way it would ever happen.

The art and writing in this comic are phenomenal, expertly portraying subtle expressions and movements that reveal what’s really going on in this conversation. Tsuna and Gokudera are massively in love with one another, even though neither of them has quite realized it yet. It’s these lingering glances and small smiles that elevate Tip Taps Tip to the number 3 spot.

Shouichi can never catch a break. One day, he runs into Lambo and the 10 Year Bazooka, and the next he’s accidentally given his former best friend the power to take over the world. This doujinshi focuses on Shouichi doubting whether his friendship/romance with Byakuran was real or if he was always just a cog in the Millefiore leader’s machine.

Glorydays excels at showing the internal battle between denial and acceptance that Shouichi faces when thinking back on Byakuran’s betrayal. The comic’s added layer of affection and sexuality between the two makes it even more heartbreaking, especially since Shouichi still has to see and work for his former lover every day. It’s a tragic struggle for such an unlucky character to endure.

Is it trashy to list a vampire AU as the number 1 doujinshi for Reborn? ...Yes, yes it is. But in our defense, Koutetsu no Vampire (Steel Vampire)’s narrative is crafted so well that we were transfixed the entire time. In this story, Gokudera leaves on a trip to Italy and becomes infected with a virus that essentially turns him into a vampire. But since he refuses to drink blood, he’s losing control of his own thoughts and slowly starving to death. Tsuna forces his way into the mansion where Gokudera is being held and offers himself up as a blood donor.

We adore how this doujinshi portrays Tsuna and Gokudera’s relationship as a selfless, loving combination of two people who wouldn’t be able to live without each other. Without the romance, it perfectly represents their sweet and trusting dynamic in the official canon. But with the magic of shounen-ai, it becomes a love story for the ages.