While the summary on FF.net doesn't give much indication of the actual story, it definitely belies the greatness of this piece. With an interesting premise and a new, inventive take on the old formula - that is, that Yui and Kyoko are alive, and yet NEITHER are parents-of-the-week - this fic starts off somewhat slow but very quickly finds its feet. The plot is highly intriguing, with many things yet to be revealed to the audience and many often surprising, yet highly realistic diversions in regards to the story and characters. The narrative is strong and consistent, making for an easy yet intensely powerful and emotional read.
What makes this fic stand out is the characterisation. While the characters do have some basis on the original series, it's done in such a way that they're much more bearable, especially Shinji. In addition, Alternate Character Interpretation works wonders for both the plot and the characters - Asuka's much more even-tempered (I'd say she's at the mid-point between Canon-Asuka and Nobody Dies-Asuka), and Ritsuko is more open-hearted and MUCH more emotionally stable, making her a surprisingly effective Parental Substitute for Shinji and creating quite some CMOH throughout. Ones like Hikari and Maya are given greater focus than before, allowing for deeper development of their roles and personalities. Some, like Gendo and Misato are noticably less prominent than in canon, but this doesn't hurt the story nor the characters in question - it makes things more intriguing and complicated. In fact, everyone is, if not likeable, at least bearable for their roles in the fic (except Kyoko, but that's implied to be a complicated situation anyway ...)
There may be some O Cs set to become significant in the fic - and, in fact, one has currently appeared and looks to have some plot-related significance later on - but do not panic: said OC is NOT a Spotlight Stealing Squal, and actually has an interesting, original personality.
The story itself isn't necessarily Darker And Edgier not Lighter And Softer than canon. Rather, it takes it's own pace, style and narrative, and runs with them - and it works.
Definitely worth a look at least - it's one of the most unique AU interpretations of NGE yet. Just be warned that looks set to be of epic length.
A fascinating take with great potential - dark, yet so full of hope
While the summary on FF.net doesn't give much indication of the actual story, it definitely belies the greatness of this piece. With an interesting premise and a new, inventive take on the old formula - that is, that Yui and Kyoko are alive, and yet NEITHER are parents-of-the-week - this fic starts off somewhat slow but very quickly finds its feet. The plot is highly intriguing, with many things yet to be revealed to the audience and many often surprising, yet highly realistic diversions in regards to the story and characters. The narrative is strong and consistent, making for an easy yet intensely powerful and emotional read.
What makes this fic stand out is the characterisation. While the characters do have some basis on the original series, it's done in such a way that they're much more bearable, especially Shinji. In addition, Alternate Character Interpretation works wonders for both the plot and the characters - Asuka's much more even-tempered (I'd say she's at the mid-point between Canon-Asuka and Nobody Dies-Asuka), and Ritsuko is more open-hearted and MUCH more emotionally stable, making her a surprisingly effective Parental Substitute for Shinji and creating quite some CMOH throughout. Ones like Hikari and Maya are given greater focus than before, allowing for deeper development of their roles and personalities. Some, like Gendo and Misato are noticably less prominent than in canon, but this doesn't hurt the story nor the characters in question - it makes things more intriguing and complicated. In fact, everyone is, if not likeable, at least bearable for their roles in the fic (except Kyoko, but that's implied to be a complicated situation anyway ...)
There may be some O Cs set to become significant in the fic - and, in fact, one has currently appeared and looks to have some plot-related significance later on - but do not panic: said OC is NOT a Spotlight Stealing Squal, and actually has an interesting, original personality.
The story itself isn't necessarily Darker And Edgier not Lighter And Softer than canon. Rather, it takes it's own pace, style and narrative, and runs with them - and it works.
Definitely worth a look at least - it's one of the most unique AU interpretations of NGE yet. Just be warned that looks set to be of epic length.