FanFicRecs Lavanya Six's review
Exactly What It Says On The Tin. Nobody dies in this story, not even Yui. In a way it's a reconstruction of Evangelion, where there's adventure and giant robots fighting but the characters are developed without being crippled by their neuroses. It's also a very fun fanfic. There's lots of humor, especially in the Magnificent Bastardry of Yui. The AU aspect is also spun in interesting ways. Shinji is essentially the same person, if less prone to black moods, but Rei is a Genki Girl and Asuka is a crazy depressive.
FanficRecs Hopeful
Giving it a careful recommendation again due to the recent events in the story, hopefully it will return to the quality of the early chapters.
FanficRecs Well worth your time, but only if it's what you want to read
Because as brilliantly, clevery constructed this story is - as funny and innovative as it may be - I don't enjoy it. I can be torn apart by rapid ND fans all they want, but I will not sugar-coat this by lying and claiming that this is my type of fic because, quite frankly, it's not.
As I said, the story is highly pleasing aesthetically, with good characterisation and interpretation. The concept is unique, and the balance between humour and drama is quite impressive. The story arcs, the villains, the O Cs are all fantastic additions to this story's arsenal and only exemplify its strengths. Even the obvious artistic licence which proves this isn't a mere For Want Of A Nail works superbly.
The problem is that this just isn't my type of fic. Honestly, I tried this story, I really did, and a great part of me really wanted to enjoy it. I just couldn't.
I dislike Crazy Awesome Rei and Shrinking Violet Asuka. I don't see the point of the Ree. I don't care for Badass Boast Angels, especially not when in a more sane setting it would just make them stupid cartoonish villains. And the Alternate Universes are so over-the-top and needless for the most part.
These traits - and many more - are all part and parcel for this fic. They are not bad, and the story itself is nothing short of genius.
But it's not my kind of fic, and it never will be. I like when NGE feels like NGE, thanks very much, and I don't mean Darker And Edgier. What I do mean is that when I read fics from a fandom, I tend to look for those which embody the aspects of the story that I followed the fandom for in the first place. Nobody Dies, in my case, simply does not deliver.
But if all these traits and aspects are your great love, then congratulations and good luck; chances are that you will absolutely love this fanfic!
gODSPEED!
FanFicRecs Darman's review
Not much to say that hasn't been said already, even with the introduction of several elements and a (thankfully short) crossover the fic is still Evangelion at it's core, if you ignore the fun and crazyness and focus on the characters you'll find that the main themes of Evangelion are present, the hedgehog's dilemma, what it means to be human?, a lot of parental issues and the price of wanting to play God, also bonus points to the author for having Shinji still be recognizable as Shinji, something that sets it apart from Shinji and Warhammer 40k.
FanFicRecs Night's review
This fanfic is...well okay I'll say it. It's plated in pure metal awesome for a good long time. Like Shinji and 40k, however, it starts to tarnish under the weight of its own drive to incorporate ever more new ideas which don't necessarily follow from the others. By the time you drag ME 2 crossovers into the mix the story is seriously getting crowded out by the references. Narrative choking is never pretty, especially when it happens to something this much fun. Read it damn you!...but be prepared to pull a Heimlich at some point.
FanFicRecs TheTygre's review
What can I say that hasn't already been said? This is hard to put down, an ecstatic labyrinth that can keep you up all night long. Something for everyone, really. The ridiculousness is the cornerstone of the fun. A must read, and instant classic for the fandom! Now, let's hope it can keep that pace. My one complaint goes to the entire multiverse plotline. It was, in short, a bit of a clusterfuck for me. But that payoff, ohh, the payoff...
FanFicRecs 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.
FanFicRecs Ultra Sonic 007's review
The presence of Yui and others makes for startling changes, and Rei is an Eldritch Abomination on a Beyond The Impossible sugar high. Even with the lulz put into the fic, there are still multiple moments of Mind Screw and Oh Crap worthy of canon!Evangelion.
FanFicRecs Comartemis's review
This is what I imagine NGE would be like if it took a few cues from Gao Gai Gar or Gravion and then gained a sense of humor. And whatever Rei is, she's Crazy Awesome and freaking hysterical. This is perhaps the only Rei version I like better than Shinji and Warhammer 40K's Apocalypse Rei... which is saying a lot.
FanficRecs One of the best you're likely to come across
Of all the fics on the AU rec page, this is one of the most impressive, not only because of the story itself, which is very good, but because it has such a rabid fan following that it's only about 3/4 finished (as of this writing) yet has already spawned its own multiverse - several side fics, some of which have been canonized to the ND verse, and a few A Us which take certain fulcral points of the story and run in new and, arguably, equally valid directions. Gregg's interpretations of the characters are a delight to read, especially Rei and her sisters; his takes on Yui and Kyoko Soryu are well-realized; and his skill at using Sure Why Not and Throw It In (a result of the flood of ideas and suggestions in the fic's Spacebattles.com threads) have made the fic arguably better than what it could have been on its own. He's also done a good job at bringing Cerebus Syndrome in, keeping the light atmosphere while gradually unearthing the darkness that's in its foundation.
Now, all that being said, it does have problems. Some parts are just silly, almost too much so, and the transitions between these parts and the more serious material can cause Mood Whiplash. The aforementioned Throw It In and Sure Why Not, while overall have helped the fic, have caused some plot holes and inconsistencies to show up. Rouge Angles Of Satin, while not pervasive, does show up frequently, sometimes painfully so. Also, if you haven't read all of the fics that get referenced in the crossover section, and/or if you're not familiar with some of the franchises that are brought in as Shout Outs, you're gonna be lost.
Overall, if you're looking for a fun fic that works both as a reconstruction of NGE and a dose of nutty character rebuilding, you can't go wrong with Nobody Dies. Highly recommended.
FanFicRecs K 9 Thefirst 1's review
Another strong recommendation, though I'd say Rei is more of a Cloud Cuckoo Lander than a Genki anything, and poor Asuka's more screwed up than canon Shinji!! Yes, I know how odd that sounds. Gregg often has some of the Angel's introduce themselves in his stories, and I was glad to see Ramiel and Gaghiel do so here. He also plays with the idea of the Angels having personalities, and Ramiel Post-Lobotomy is truely worth reading for the Lulz it brings.
FanFicRecs Looney Toons' review
Rei is something more than just a Genki Girl; she seems to border on a Genki Eldritch Abomination at times. This is a clever and well-written fic that doesn't shy away from either darkness or comedy when they're appropriate to the moment.
FanficRecs One of the best up to a point
This fic and its concept are pure, brilliant genius. Disregarding the overt silliness of a large amount of the story (though that is, by no means, a bad aspect), the characterizations of Yui, Naoko, and Kyoko are believable and fascinating. The effects they have on the story just by existing likewise work very nicely. Giving Shinji a bit of a spine seemed strange at first, but then it starts to make sense once Gendo appears. Asuka's OOC also makes sense after a bit of exposition.
However, there is a severe drawback to this fic, and that is that past a certain point, everything is so over the top that it comes off as forced and the entire thing ends up being cluttered. A lot of things are thrown in that simply don't need to be there or are entirely nonsensical, adding nothing to the plot at best and detracting from what would otherwise be near-perfection at worst.
That being said, if you can part the veil of silliness and look at the actual plot, characters, and themes, you'll realize that what's being written here is platinum that has not yet been extracted from the mined ore.