Warhammer 40K be damned, this is how you write a parody of Evangelion: you pay tribute to the Super Robot hijinx while being unafraid to tip the hat to the parent source's Grim Dark. In this wacky What If scenario, Shinji is a much more well-adjusted everyman caught up in insane schemes to save — or destroy — the world. Distant from his parents and still burdened with the terrible duty of killing Angels, he manages to get on well with a cast who decide to not mope in existential angst in the favour of doing something constructive. Rei has amusingly become an unholy blend of Suzumiya Haruhi and Kamina due to her Daddy's influence, while Asuka's mother has likewise twisted her daughter into a nervous wreck. Other characters like Mana, Mari and newcomer Uri all fit into the cast like a bizarre mosaic or family tree, each working into the plot rather nicely. While some plot elements border on stupid fan-pandering (Gendo in a fist fight with Stephen Colbert!? Blow me and go back to The Daily Show!) and the mood whiplash can be VERY awkward (Going from Iruel mind raping Asuka with sickeningly lurid sadism to having the same character do a song-and-dance number in Asuka's mind; inconsistent, guys!), I overall enjoy this little diversion. Funny, exciting, and even bordering on touching (though it can feel forced), Nobody Dies earns my grudging approval. Recommended.
Sneebs' review
Warhammer 40K be damned, this is how you write a parody of Evangelion: you pay tribute to the Super Robot hijinx while being unafraid to tip the hat to the parent source's Grim Dark. In this wacky What If scenario, Shinji is a much more well-adjusted everyman caught up in insane schemes to save — or destroy — the world. Distant from his parents and still burdened with the terrible duty of killing Angels, he manages to get on well with a cast who decide to not mope in existential angst in the favour of doing something constructive. Rei has amusingly become an unholy blend of Suzumiya Haruhi and Kamina due to her Daddy's influence, while Asuka's mother has likewise twisted her daughter into a nervous wreck. Other characters like Mana, Mari and newcomer Uri all fit into the cast like a bizarre mosaic or family tree, each working into the plot rather nicely. While some plot elements border on stupid fan-pandering (Gendo in a fist fight with Stephen Colbert!? Blow me and go back to The Daily Show!) and the mood whiplash can be VERY awkward (Going from Iruel mind raping Asuka with sickeningly lurid sadism to having the same character do a song-and-dance number in Asuka's mind; inconsistent, guys!), I overall enjoy this little diversion. Funny, exciting, and even bordering on touching (though it can feel forced), Nobody Dies earns my grudging approval. Recommended.