 Isamu 2008-07-07 . chapter 10Well, it is without a doubt an amusing read. Having Belldandy be the one who granted the wish makes this little foray into the greater ani-verse a bit less "buw-wah?" inducing. But only just. The Celestial Guardian thing was an interesting way to get the "everyone's after me" effect going. The family and more you've assembled around him is a bit hard to follow at times. You might want to include a dramatic persona list, with notes, to help with that.
On to some more critical notes. Gendo was portrayed very badly. I don't see him pulling a gun, or physically threatening Shinji. I can see him trying to use those emotional hooks and handles that's he cultivated in Shinji for years to continue the mind ** that is Shinji's life.
Misato would not have forgotten her charges birthday, if for no other reason then keeping his moral up. While she might have been called away to work that day, she would have done something for him. It might have been clumsy and ill thought out, but a gesture would certainly have been made.
Asuka is really getting the short end of the stick as well. She's just as messed up in the head as Shinji is, she just acts out on it in radically different ways. However, her life is tainted by trauma just as much as Shinji's.
Rei, well, she just sat there. While I can see her maybe asking, very calmly, about these people, I can also see her just sitting there and watching.
Touji and Kensuke, wow, harsh. So Misato's a MILF, no need to hate on a couple of red blooded guys for appreciating that. Also, they are pretty loyal to Shinji, and while they have those things that brought them into the friendship, I think it would have grown a bit deeper. Also, Touji should be thanking Shinji for saving his life.
Shinji's found his balls pretty damn quick too. While I can see him gaining a lot of ground, mentally speaking, from a wonderfully disfunctionally functional family being dropped in his lap, this seemed a bit too quick. (Sorry, dad's a vampire, mom's a moon queen, one of his siblings is a shape shifter, another two are magical girls, and the last is a ninja warrior (if memory serves). There is no way it's going to be anything like what you'd classically call a "functional" family. However, sane parenting decisions will probably be made more often then not, and there's love, so it's not like it's a bad family.) Unless that pill also had sanity restoring functions. It's a good source of humor though, so it's not a bad choice.
The super Gundam thing was amusing, but maybe a little overboard (ok, ok, Washu made it, so probably not, but still). I'd go with one control mode over another, and maybe limit Shinji's Mary-Sue level powers while inside it? Maybe?
Shinji has well strayed over into Mary-Sue territory, but if you try hard, he can be dragged back. Kicking and screaming, sure, but it's for his own good. Really, it is. My advise to do so: tone back his powers first and foremost! Less of the wacky ninja BS from Naruto and not nearly as good of control over the Anything-Goes (or work to make some hybrid of the two, that limits the breadth of what he can learn, while making the techniques he can use more effective or zany). Don't slap on an Aura of Smooth. Shinji's already way to close to this, if he hasn't already crossed that line. Tone it down some. This still has to be Shinji. Play more with the transformation of whimp to competent. Don't make the Gundam thing the end-all, be-all. The Guyver Beam cannon thing was just too much. The Sailor Scouts as body guards? Poor Serena, being stripped of her friends and court like that. A little more respect for the source relationships if you're going to use multiple characters like this. Finally, the bad guys need to get more powerful. Much more powerful. Otherwise, there's no sense of drama. No idea that the good guys might not win.
Also, I'd change the tag to include humor, and play that off a bit more. The situation you've created, and the way it's playing out, lend itself far more to that idea. Maybe family/humor or action/humor.
Not a bad yarn over all, but it's falling into some of the classic Eva pitfalls. I think it could avoid them, and the story might very well be served well to do so. Or, make it a comedy, and do running jumps into the pitfalls and play them the hell up. One way or another would be my final note of advise.
This Yakuza sez: Interesting and amusing premise, but it could be more so.
Rating: 7/10. It made me chuckle, but it also made me wince. More chuckle and less wince please.
Water and Shade |