It can't be understated how much I enjoyed this fic. At first when I was reading it, I didn't know what to think of the back and forth time travelling chapters. I was really hoping going into this that it was all going to take place post 3I, with them understanding each other and healing and just living and surviving in their world. (Which I'll admit, is still my favorite part about the story, I'm a sucker for the scenes of them accepting the world and making the best of it, for each other). But I found my self to really appreciate the time travel segments. Especially with how much emotion they held. This is the first story I read that actually made me tear up several times. After realizing they lost Aki, and then thinking back to the earlier scenes before it was revealed they had a kid, and not understanding exactly why they were so sad. It was tough. Then the emotional moments hit even harder. Asuka's reluctant pregnancy, the death scare (which there obviously wasn't a reason to worry, thinking back on it, but I did nevertheless), and all of the scenes with her growing up. I was just gutted left and right with some of the lines you put in here, in the best way possible. The story finally reaching it's climax with the EoE fight was also just wonderful and almost tragic. I was hoping to god that it wasn't going to end that way, but I really didn't know where it would go. Asuka was alive in her plug, and Aki was right around the corner. Yet Shinji had no clue, and truly thought he had lost everything. Absolutely amazing writing. Still most hard hitting fic I've read on the emotional front.

I'm a sucker for time loop stories so this was a blast to read! I loved the chapters switching from current time to the time during the 3rd impact, it was awesome to read about there life's during the 3rd impact. I epically love that the story needed on a high note!

Thank you for making this!

This is the gold standard with fixing Anno's trainwreck. I honestly appreciate your story and Aki is a genuine treat.

This is my second time reading this and i have already read fanart manga.

Kind regards, Lone

This is the chapter that gave us Advice and Trust, Apotheosis Echo and all the others who were unsatisfied with Anno's work.

第八次读了

That was quite decent. The last few chapters were much better than the earlier ones. You inspired others well. Good job. My heart melted a few times.

Right, I love this fanfic, I love the sequel and everything, about it, recently I've been re-reading alot of my favorite eva fanfics to have a thought experiment on the possibility of a theoretical Evangelion novel series I want to make reality, personally, I feel unqualified to write it as someone who doesn't have a good relationship with my parents, is not a parent of a child myself, and doesn't have a partner, furthermore, there is the question of all the fanfictions would take inspiration from, and whether if all their creators would agree to me taking large concepts and even entire characters. But I am not here to day to ask for permission, as the idea is still just that, an idea. Rather here I come to ask the question of if the beautiful concepts in this could even be pushed to a larger audience without creating significant controversy, and if there is a way to get around these issues.

(Spoilers)

Largely based on the single question of Asuka's struggle with pregnancy, as most know- there is a controversial topic about whether or not a pregnant woman should/have the ability to abort a child if she doesn't want it, the approach in this fanfic is more than palatable for me, but I can notice many elements that I definitely see others not being able to get over, such as the idea that asuka unconsciously wanted to keep the child anyways being taken as a reflection of most or many women who abortions irl. Then there is the take that a child in a mother womb is alive, and while obviously it is alive according to science, what's more important is how that reflects on a woman's choice in the matter, this take would mean abortions are killing and women not wanting a to deal with pregnancy and childbirth would be making a "bad" decision. This would mean big problems and hate against a story that obviously means well. Which brings us to the topic of how to get around it, as established, the main sore points for the general public will be the implied asuka's unconscious choice and Shinji's "the unborn are living beings" take.

1. The entire conflict of chapter 6 is the choice of keeping/having a child or not, so avoiding this conflict won't work even if it want required to make the story a captivating one
2. The issues people have with Asuka unconsciously wanting the child can be maybe be avoided if it is made clearer that asuka is conflicted about having a child instead of dead against it.
3. The conflict can be perhaps redirected more torwards communication issues to lessens the spotlight on the pregnancy,
4. There is a rather large mostly unexplored question of whether bringing a child into their world was even a good idea, seeing as they might be alone once their parents departed or be left with only siblings, perhaps this could be used as a greater point of conflict to distract further from and lessen the story leaning on Asuka's subconscious.
5. Having them perhaps stumble as a rash, wishful, and over-optimistic young couple into keeping this pregnancy in the blind hope that people will return which grows into a potential later major plot point as they worry about their child's future, which then delves into the themes of the story, using blatant magic to reward optimisim and hope doesn't happen in real life, making for a bad theme that isn't applicable to the average audience. Though once again, perhaps the theme can be redirected at perseverance being rewarded or something like such.
6. This talk of themes brings me to overarching intentions, I personally want to make the messages and themes behind everything in the story to be constructive on the issues it tackles, which involves not taking any big sides or any hard statements

Moving from the issue of Asuka's subconscious then, which I feel if not solved by the previously proposed or similar solutions, will be impossible to solve, but onto Shinji's even harder to solve take on unborn humans, which is a direct stance that people will automatically attack.

1. Here I think the story will need to be restructured so that Shinji doesn't begin with arguing for a unborn child but focuses rather more on their relationship issues that the incedent would cause, overshadowing the subject of a unborn child and saving the recognition of its life for when there is less conflict and reason for the audience to be angry
2. As previously said, I wish to make everything constructive, and the few ways I can see solving the issue is by appealing to the audiences for their empathy for the unborn child in the aftermath of something blindingly happy so that despite the recognition of there being a living person in there, people will not readily hate the entire situation/concept

And yeah, that's my proposals on this subject for a adaptation for a wider audience, does anyone think this would work or if this is fixable at all?, if so how would you go about it?

This will be my new canon

One of my favorite Shinji and Asuka stories.
I love how you combine perspectives from the past and present. And the development of the relationship of the two of them to get to be together. And of course Aki, a girl who has plenty of charisma and endears herself as the story progresses.
A classic that remains incredible despite the years.

2nd Try Massive spoilers ahead

When browsing through the internet for quintessential Asuka x Shinji fics or just Evangelion fics in general 2nd Try was always a fic that came up with the likes of other well-known stories such as Genocide, Scar Tissue and Advice and Trust. From what I saw I knew it was considered to be a classic fic about time travel and fixing the past kind of like Re-Take. With that in mind I figure I give it a shot and check it out and what I found was a not just a fix the past fic but a story about survival, forgiving one another, fighting for a greater cause then oneself and the fact that despite the incredible difficulty it adds, that raising a child is a truly beautiful and rewarding endeavor.

I liked how the fic had a cool gimmick of switching time periods each chapter as you slowly learn more and more about why Asuka and Shinji are the way they are and why their struggling in the chapters where they are sent back in time. Unlike other stories with this similar scenario Asuka and Shinji very much still struggle against the angles and learn very soon that these fights won’t be any easier the second time. This struggle works greatly to make it seem to the hero’s that their attempts at saving the world are futile and that the 3rd impact is destined to happen which adds great tension. The post impact chapters do a wonderful job of emphasizing the very realistic hurdle both former pilots now face which is surviving in a world where they’re the only two people left on earth. You really when out of your way to show all the real struggles the two would face in that situation such as food becoming rotten, Combating diseases with no doctors, and the need to farm and find supplies. And not to mention how this issues only get 10x more complicated once Aki comes to the picture.

I also really liked how Shinji finally breaks through to Asuka via a role reversal of the eoe kitchen fight and how both of them while still very damaged have left instrumentality as a stronger people. The two falling in love and Shinji making a wedding for them on the beach was nothing short of wonderful to read. Probably the most somber part of the story for me was Asuka’s struggle upon becoming pregnant. I felt you painted a very realistic and mature depiction of her self-doubt and understandable fears and seeing her try to starve the baby prior to it being born was truly heartbreaking. I love how you showed Shinji being the partner Asuka needs as he singlehandedly gets her through the pregnancy showing he has truly grown up.

There are only a handful of original characters in fanfiction that I have come to really love as most of the time they’re just in the background or aren’t interesting. Aki however is a rare exception that not only is enjoyable to read and adds to the story but in many ways steals the show. Not only is she adorable but feels like a real kid because you clearly spent a large amount of time forming her characters traits and beautifully innocent personality. You also go out of your way to show that being a parent is no cake walk but a true challenge of patience and endurance, especially with living in post apocalypse and being the only humans alive. Yet you always make sure to depict how rewarding it is as it not only gives both Asuka and Shinji endless joy but makes them the best versions of their selves. This story I feel truly shines in eoe message that Yui gives that anywhere can be paradise as long as you have the will to live. People have stated in the past they enjoy the post impact chapters the most when reading this story.

While I would say they are the most important parts of 2nd Try I think the present day’s chapters have some of the stories strongest moments too. I think it’s a great twist that ironically going back in time is actually a tragedy since Aki is nowhere to be found and they now have to cope with their greatest lost while trying to do the imposable all over again. My favorite aspect of this story besides Aki is how you managed to make Shinji and Asuka into the noblest versions of their selves. The scene where Asuka completely lost and unwilling to fight and sees a group of mothers pay with their children who are Aki’s age and realizes the real reason why she and Shinji have to pilot Eva is a moment of beautiful selflessness and personal sacrifice. It’s the type selfless heroics you don’t often see as much in stories today as it reminds us that it’s often the sacrifices of brave people who believed in something greater than their own self that allowed society to come as far as it has.

The final chapters are more than satisfying with Gendo being sinister while also being appropriately sympathetic, the scene of him questions the pilots is probably the tensest moment in the whole story. The MP Eva unit fight is real highlight and one of the better battles I’ve read in fanfiction, the realization they were originally toying with Asuka previously and throwing Jet Alone into the mix were nice touches. Another highlight and perhaps the most wholesome part of the entire story is Rei finding and befriending Aki, it is both cute funny and a great character moment for Rei to finally understand the value and merit of being alive. Being raised in a world of secrets and cold hearted people, it’s appropriate that the beauty of an innocent child would breakthrough her cold interior. Aki reuniting with her parents and meeting Misato is nothing short of gratifying and the final scene involving Gendo in a comma is both somber and heartwarming.

All in all I can see way 2nd try is regarded as a classic and understand how it inspired a generation of fanfic writers. It’s a warm and touching tale that doesn’t shy away from the appropriate amount of hardships that the characters would combat in the situations they face. I’m truly happy to have read this story, thank you Jimmy for adding this wonderful story into the Eva fandom. It was worth reading if just for the fact it actually made me more encouraged to have kids in the future, and I honestly can’t tell you the last time a story or any piece of media in general had been able to accomplish that!

Welp, this was fucking beautiful. Sappy as it is i absolutely love sad stuff that ends happy

What a wild ride. Excellent work - a dream to read.

Unfortunately, I agree with the "naivety" in certain parts, most of all during the early even chapters. I feel as if their lives just after the third impact could be developed more. In particular - their personal demons, the desolate world, and how they would overcome together. However, I understand the appeal in moving past the difficulties quickly to create a comforting setting which would contrast with the odd chapters though.

The 2nd Try is one of my favourite stories. I love both the scenes in the main timeline and what happens Post-3I. Shinji and Asuka overcome so much and are able to come together in such a natural way. And the bond is strengthened by Aki, and the happiness she brings. You really feel the pain when they get sent back without her. Watching them fight towards the end was awesome, and how they defeated the angels a second time. Gendo was Gendo, but he couldn’t stop them. The final reunion with Aki is amazing, truly one of the best emotional moments in any fic I’ve read. Thank you for a story so great it’s still stuck talked about and regarded after all this time.

Solo puedo decir: Hemoso

Sometimes, destiny offers people another chance just to undo small mistakes, even to avert the end of the world. Other times, the price for another chance is higher than anyone could guess...