I know that the original studio hold WWI in the same esteem that Gryph holds sad endings, but I recently dug out an absolutely brilliant doujinshi that takes a completely different view of proceedings.

Those Magnificent Men, created by the (presumably pseudonymous) Lanoe Flasheart VC DSO BSE DDOS BanHMER, looks at the war from the perspective of technological advancement and the way the conduct of war changed - and plays off the whole "Colonel Camel is definitely and indisputably a chap, as well as an absolute brick". It is still quite sombre, with the Young Etonians and their Kaiserreichenluftstreitkraftemenschen counterparts beginning not as combatants but as a way of finding peace between the nations that utterly and abysmally failed, leading directly to them becoming enemies and the later series. However, it all takes place towards the end of the war, as advances in tank technology and tactics in general made the trench combat system untenable, thereby saving the needless carnage that marked the war previously.

The characters are well-drawn in addition to being, er, nicely drawn, with "Pago" Handley as the YE's gentle giant of a bomber most memorable. He's just, y'know, pleasant to be around. Also built like a brick shithouse and awkward and a bit shy and yes please I would do things to him that would make the baby Jesus sad and possibly confused. D.III is also very, very pretty, in that whole diamond-cold, kill you if you so much as think of looking at him sort of way. Camel and F2 are, well, it's like comparing a male underwear model with Martin Freeman; they're nice, but they're not damn, y'know. Also arcs characters motivations complex plot I'm not shallow LET ME FANTASISE IN PEACE DAMMIT.

It's sad for the German side, of course, and more than a bit sad for YE even when the Yanks show up (and claim victory despite putting in sod-all work not that we're ones to bear a grudge), but it's that rare, rare thing in works that deal with the Seminal Catastrophe: hopeful. By focussing on how war changed from mindless slaughter, it makes the series feel brighter as it goes forward, which I really liked. It also features the first actual Fly Girl, albeit hidden behind honest-to-God plate mail. That'd be Sally, aka Salamander Sopwith, designed for ground attack and barely used at all during the Great War, and yes she's canon shut up! Word Of God said so at Fan Conference XI and Sally is really really cute and her armour actually looks like armour rather than having stupid boobplates or cut away sections and everybody in this doujin is just wonderful and and and just download it okay? Please?

---
"She's old, she's lame, she's barren too, // "She's not worth feed or hay, // "But I'll give her this," - he blew smoke at me - // "She was something in her day." -- Garnet Rogers, Small Victory

FiMFiction.net: we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have standards.

Oh, and yes, there is a scene at the end involving the first Armistice Day celebration and those that can still walk are pushing those that can't up to the Cenotaph and Camel laid a poppy wreath and you can tell how much he's trying not to cry and Spitfire just holds his hand and a dead character whose name I refuse to give for spoiler reasons takes his other hand and the whole cast including everyone who died which is a LOT all look up to the sky and there were real tears, guys, real fucking tears, just get this thing alright? Just get it.