Title: NGE: Nobody Dies
Author: Gregg Landsman
Rating: T
Genre: Drama/Humor
DLP Category: Misc
Pairing: Prominently Shinji/Asuka, but many more are featured
Chapters: 110
Words: 596,438
Updated: February 22, 2012
Published: December 13, 2009
Status: WIP
Summary: What would happen if we had everything we ever wanted? What if certain tragedies, in the past, were averted? One would normally think this would make a better world. Some old traumas could be gone. But the new pains could be worse.
Link: Read it, it's worth it.

Well, here's a Neon Genesis Evangelion story I had found about two months ago. By the time I started reading it, it was well on its way into the story.

Now, there's two distinctly different ways you can read this story. Either:

A) As a dramatic interpretation of what would/could happen in the Evangelion universe if none of the major characters ever died. More specifically - Yui Ikari and Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu. Read this way, the story is very dramatic and emotional with interspersed humor, serving as almost as much of a mindfuck as the original anime did, with unexpected plot twists, strong character development and more moral decisions/dilemmas than you can count.

OR

B) As a balls-to-the-wall parody of everything Evangelion-related. Radical changes to well established personalities, funny-as-shit unexpected situational outcomes, and witty dialogue are par for the course. Read this way, the story comes off as a sidesplitingly hilarious story with the occasional bits of severity, rife with...well...radical changes to well established personalities, funny-as-shit unexpected situational outcomes, and witty dialogue.

Either way it's read, it's obvious that the story is well thought out and pretty original. As stupid as it sounds, the author has great vision of what the Evangelion universe would be like if some things went down differently than in canon, and writes with a flair I can't stop reading, even after 49 chapters.

Overall, I guess the best way to read it is as neither A nor B, just taking each scene as they come and not expecting the story to fit in either mold.

Also, I wanna give a shoutout to the person who had a quote from the story in their sig. That quote alone gave me incentive enough to hunt down where it came from, and then read the story I found wrapped around it.


Checked by Minion, Nov. 25, 2012

 

I really tried to read it a few weeks ago and I couldn't just bring myself to continue.
Ill give due for some funny situations but overall I give it a 2/5.

 

This is awesome, imo. I paused reading, as I just read for about 3 hours straight, but it's definitely something I want to continue reading.

 

Read through this recently and quite enjoyed it. Needs quite a lot of suspension of disbelief at the beginning, especially for those who know canon quite well but once you get into it the decisions and situations seem to flow quite well. There are times I found myself laughing along but saying that the author does seem to have some trouble trying to work out what sort of story this is. At times you're reading a fairly accurate portrayal of an abused child and then a paragraph later there's slapstick comedy. Both are well written but they do seem a bit jarring at times when you run into them side by side.

 

Early on, the transitions do seem a pretty abrupt, but as the story progresses they get more streamlined.

 

I came across this story ages ago but never tried it, just because what's the point if nobody dies? I came across it again when I was marking this thread and based on Sin Saiori's and Rainstorm's comments I now actually started reading it.

The story meanwhile has 110 chapters and I am not that far in yet, but I don't regret it.

The story starts with Yuri sitting in Unit 01 during the critical test.
Yuri survives and then the plot jumps forward to the moment Shinji arrives in Tokyo 3. Despite that both parents are alive, he had been raised by his uncle and now was called by his father to return - though two years later than in canon. And at that moment canon turns upside down.

Changes to canon affect the Ikari family and the other children, but the rest of the cast stays more or less the same. Shinji and Gendo are closest to canon, still with a strained relationship but not hostile. Asuka and Rei, however... - there are quite a few wtf moments - in a humorous and serious way.

In reference to Sin Saiori's post I think I read it as a parody with serious undertones. Rei's dominant personality is also dominating my perception of the story and I get the feeling that I might get annoyed of her at one point - but it is leveled out by other characters. The writing is okish at first but gets better soon. You notice how the author improves and gets hold of the plot.


I review it now because I actually doubt I might finish reading the entire 600k words. Nevertheless even if it will become boring after a while I don't regret that I started reading it. It's a different perception of NGE turning over huge parts of canon while staying close to the story and still keeping it interesting.

I rate it 4/5.

 

Logging back on just to give a small review of this fic based on when I read it some time last year. It starts out well, but it devolves into self referential circle jerking rather than plot progression as the author slowly runs out of ideas. The story is propelled by the introduction of new characters and unique events. However these events become more arbitrary and less related to evangelion as it goes on. The story had potential, but the lack of depth and a reliance on novelty really bring it down.

I'd rate it a 2/5. Not a great one here boys and girls.