Nivenus at the Desk VII: Heroes (Season 2), Evangelion R, and NWN1 ReReview
It’s been a long time since I last wrote a review and the fact is I’ve been pretty busy. It’s a shame though, since I wanted to get my Heroes Season 2 review out before Season 3 began airing. Unfortunately, I got sick, and things fell out of place from there. However, if you managed to hit the pilot, you’ll still be able to catch every other episode since then, at least until the end of the week anyway, on Hulu. So far, it’s a decent season, though I’m not sure I like every direction they’re taking the show and there’s at least one case of character derailment that appears to be a major plot point.
Anyhow, I’m back now and I hope to maintain a regular schedule from here on out. We’ll see how that works out, since I still do have several major writing projects (not to mention college) which distracts from all that. So we’ll see. I’m not making any promises.
This week I’m reviewing the aforementioned Heroes, Season 2, also known as Generations. I will also be reviewing Evangelion R, perhaps the most impressive piece of fan fiction I’ve ever seen. Lastly, I’ll be revisiting my score of Neverwinter Nights, which may not have been entirely fair in retrospect.
Enjoy.
Table of Contents
Heroes, Season 2
Evangelion R
Neverwinter Nights: A Second Look
Heroes, Season 2
Overview
NOTE: Since Heroes, Volume 2: Generations is the second season in Heroes expect some spoilers for the first season, Genesis (spoilers for Generations itself will be refrained from).
Genesis was a great first season for Heroes though the show was not without flaws during its first season it did a fair job and piquing my interest in it and making me want to keep watching more. That said, I didn’t go into Generations, the second season, without reservations. I’d heard more than a small amount of flak directed at the show’s second season for anything from new characters that were unwanted to having slow pacing to being too short (though the latter it not something the producers had any control of, given the Writer’s Strike). So I went in to the second season, expecting to be disappointed.
Fortunately I wasn’t, but more than a little bit directly because of these lowered expectations. Generations is good, but it isn’t as good as Genesis, for variety of reasons that I will go over shortly in more detail. But it’s not bad and definitely not awful and if you’re a fan and willing to watch the show’s quality dip slightly, I can recommend it.
Plot
The plot of Generations is coincidentally both the second season’s greatest strength and greatest weakness, which may go more than little way’s toward describing how schizophrenic the season can appear at times. On the one hand, the second season has a plot that is perhaps even more interesting than the first one, with more depth to it and with a few interesting twists that are more of a surprise than some of the bangs thrown at the audience in Genesis.
But the plot’s not all good. I did, after all, say it was also the worst part of the second season. Like the first season’s plot, Generations takes a long time to warm up and get going. If the season were regular length like the first season was, then this wouldn’t be so much of a problem. However, since Generations is only eleven episodes long, this is a rather major flaw and by the time things really start going it’s more than halfway through.
This isn’t the second season’s only flaw, storywise. The writers also make the rather stupid mistake of feeling as though they have to recapture the feeling of discovery that permeated the first season as we discovered what each of the character’s powers were. Nice try, Tim Kring, but that was the last season’s job. We already know what our main cast’s powers are, you don’t have to try and show us discovering them again.
This is particularly obvious with one character who falls victim to the cliché of the memory wipe. Granted, some of the best stories in the world use amnesia as a plot device but here it is pulled off as little more than a gimmick that is, of course, reversed halfway through the series. The hero regains their memories with no obvious penalty. What’s more - they seem to forget entirely about the events that occurred during their period of mind wipery. It’s almost as if one bout of amnesia was replaced with another.
I said in my review of the first season that Heroes obviously had a lengthy and preplotted arc. I’ve since learned that this is not true, unlike in the case of BSG, Babylon 5, or X-Files but that, in fact, the writers are making most of it up as they go along, having planned to actually kill the cast off by the end of Season 1. This becomes more and more obvious throughout Season 2 as the writers clumsily try to develop such an arc.
In some ways, they succeed. They develop further the mythology of the mysterious “Company,” and even more moral nuances to both it and the characters opposing it. Likewise, the chief villain of the season has a more grounded and believable cause than that of the previous season’s chief villain, “Linderman,” even if it’s ultimately more drastic in its methodology.
In other ways, however, the clumsiness of finding an arc post-first season may ultimately end up hurting the show. This is likely the reason behind the show’s “reintroduction” to old characters, altogether entirely unnecessary, and it is probably the reason that it takes so long for the story to develop. I only hope that Tim Kring and company avoid the disasters of two famous superhero film franchises, Spider-Man and X-Men, both of which chose to develop the films into a trilogy during production of the second films, forcing the third film of each franchise to “wrap up” the so-called “arc” in rapid fashion.
Overall, the story of Heroes Season 2 has strong points both in its favor and working against it. While it presents a tale with more moral depth and nuances than the first season it does so while hopelessly rehashing elements from the first season and poor pacing.
Score: 8.9 (out of 10.0)
Characters
Most of the characters from Genesis survive in spite of the writers’ original intentions and so Heroes comes with an in-built cast. However, to replace characters that were killed, such as Isaac Mendez (the precognitive painter) the series introduces a few new characters, some who work, and others who don’t.
As for the old characters, most proceed along to a point that seems natural for their developmental arc. Take, for example, Nathan Petrelli, who following his near fall into the dark side becomes so utterly depressed as to withdraw from the political office he won through voting fraud and begins to seek atonement through Matt Parkman, who has likewise progressed along his arc and finally embraced his powers and has used them in, an admittedly somewhat crooked manner, to win the detective job he longed for. Another good example of an evolving character is Noah Bennet, who switches sides from where he was last season while remaining what is essentially a well-intentioned extremist.
Other characters, however, do not develop so fully and appear trapped in the image the first season set up fro them. Claire Bennet, for instance, goes back to school and, once again, has to pretend she has no powers and deal with a father she doesn’t quite trust, ignoring all the character development she underwent in the first season, including the seemingly budding relationship between her and Zach.
Likewise, Hiro Nakamura, in spite of all the horrible things that happen to him both this season and the next, seems to never lose his spunky and ultimately naïve attitude towards life. However, in his case, his static personality actually ends up harming him and the rest of the world in the long run, thereby giving this stasis an actual purpose rather than simply betraying a lack of imagination, particularly since the show ends with him doing something remarkably non-Hiro like. Similarly, though the series may appear to over romanticize feudal Japan it’s possible this is entirely because of Hiro’s own viewpoint, since few of the characters he meets in the era seem to meet his expectations of honor and beauty.
As for the new characters, it’s a mixed lot. There are two characters, twins, named Maya and Alejandro who become one of the central foci of the story, much to my dismay. While I don’t dislike the idea of two Hispanic illegals on the run from the law due to an accidental misuse of powers the two soon become embroiled in self-hate and wangst to a high degree, thereby making their tale more of a misaimed sob story than anything else. The single most interesting part of their story is when they meet up with a character from the first season’s main cast, who at least introduces another rhythm into an otherwise broken record.
Similarly, there is a character introduced in Claire’s story that I took an immediate dislike to. He reminded me all too much of people I knew in school who thought they didn’t need anyone and anybody because of how cool they were, even if everyone else thought they were geeks. Not to mention he demonstrates some seriously creepy personality traits, such as, *ahem*, stalking. Hoping he would become just a minor character he, unfortunately, became a rather important one around which most of Claire’s arc for the second season focused, though at least he underwent a realistic development later in the season.
There are a few new characters I do like, such as a New Orleans fast food worker who turns out to be a relative of Micah Sanders’. I also enjoyed another character who’s introduced in an entirely different part of the world, who seemed to have walked straight out of a Scorcese film but in a manner that seemed charming and different, rather than forced. Unfortunately, she doesn’t appear to stick around for long, though I will reserve my hopes that she turns up later until I see more of the third season.
I did however, like many of the new villains introduced. For instance, take “Bob,” from the Company who appears to play both Noah Bennet and Linderman’s role from the first season. He’s not quite a magnificent bastard, nor is he as affably evil as Linderman was in the first season but he nonetheless manages to hold his own admirably, being just slimy enough to make you enjoy hating him while also being well-spoken and intelligent enough to realistically manipulate those around him.
There are two other main villains that pop up in Generations other than the ones already introduced, such as Angela Petrelli and Sylar, and these two I can’t name since that would be giving away details from later in the season. One, a woman, helps lead the hunt for a character who’s presumed dead at the beginning of the season while the other helps that character get away from her. Both are entertaining to watch, particularly the latter one who makes a convincing conversion from would-be-hero to villain while being charming and witty the entire way. In fact, if you’re not slightly rooting for him by the end of the season in spite of his diabolically evil plans (all for a better cause, of course) I’d be rather surprised. The former, however, is just plain sociopathic (which she openly admits even!) while playing to a different tune, surprisingly enough, than Sylar.
Much has been said on the romances of the second season so I’ll address them briefly here. Two out of three were poorly written and unbelievable, seemingly coming from out of nowhere and suffering from “love at first sight” syndrome. One, however, developed in a manner that seemed entirely realistic, if more than a bit clichéd and used a character who I think was genuinely interesting and who I hope to see more of in the future. Without giving too much away I’ll say that all three romances involve main characters who also suffer from the “too much of the same” problem that plagues the second season and are gendered man, woman, man.
Oh, yes, there’s also another “romance,” but it’s really more of a deception on the part of one of the characters than a genuinely affectionate relationship, as brutally demonstrated several times later in the season after it’s introduced.
Overall, like the story, the second season’s treatment of characters is varied. Overall, I think the writers manage to maintain interest in spite of flaws in their design brought upon by unwanted characters, stymied development, or poor romance writing.
Score: 8.8 (out of 10)
Production
The production team for Heroes doesn’t seem to have changed in quality between the two seasons, the most noticeable difference being that half the season was spent in what is effectively a jidaigeki (Japanese period) film. This results in a more varied design, at times good, at other times poor.
The feudal Japan milieu Hiro Nakamura finds himself stranded in is mildly impressive, with well-designed sets and impressive costumes. The colorful, bright bamboo forests stand out starkly from other settings throughout the season including the dark and rainy corridors of Ireland’s underworld or the oppressively bright heat of the wastelands between Mexico and America. This contrast in style helps serve the individual stories of the characters, even if it only serves further to rose-tint the glasses viewers see feudal Japan through.
The special effects of the new season are, likewise, up to good if not the best standards. Effects for powers are dramatic and colorful, entertaining in a popcorn-sort of way. You never believe you’re actually looking at what the screen is telling you, but it’s a good enough illusion for you to suspend your disbelief for awhile.
There is one considerable lapse in this, however, that I noticed immediately and which is odd, considering a similar effect was done much, much more convincingly in the first season. This is, interestingly, a flight scene during which one of the characters carries another through the sky. So unconvincing was the shot that you could actually see the lines where they photoshopped in the background.
Similarly, just as in the first season the music did little for me compared to other soundtracks. The leitmotifs used were strong enough to project emotion but don’t stick with me. I don’t find myself humming or drumming my fingers to the tunes of Heroes in other words and the music plays little more than a background role.
The acting is of similar quality to the first season, though unfortunately the poor roles Hayden Panettiere and Noah Gray-Cabey are given for this season mean they don’t play as strongly in their roles as they should. For the last season, I was slightly unimpressed with Milo Ventimiglia but this season his character gets a chance to try out a broader set of roles and emotional nuances and, a little bit to my surprise, the actor pulls it off reasonably well, even when some of the writing doesn’t.
More than any of the above though, I was impressed with David Anders’ performance as one of the key characters of this season. In just about every scene Anders’ character (whose identity is a surprise in more ways than one) is in he steals the show, even from the talent he stands beside. I don’t know if this is just the character being written exceptionally well or the charisma of the actor, but I really enjoyed Anders throughout the entire season.
Score: 8.8 (out of 10.0)
Summary
Plot: 8.9
Characters: 8.8
Performance: 8.8
Overall: 8.8
Evangelion R
Overview
NOTE: Since Evangelion R is a fan-derived, imaginary second season for the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion expect some spoilers for the show (spoilers for Eva R itself will be refrained from).
As most who likely read my blog know I’ve written fan fiction and will proudly say so. Once something of a ghettoized practice within the already ghettoized culture of fandom fan fiction has since become somewhat mainstream. How else do you explain, for instance, the fact that best selling authors (such as Naomi Novik) now openly talk about their “fan fiction” writing days to the press? Or the fact that many officially-run sites support fandom? Or the fact that network television actually airs Star Wars fan films? Geek culture has begun to go mainstream.
Detractors of fan fiction will remark that is simply irredeemable crap without imagination pilfering on the ideas of other authors? I respond by first point out that most fan fiction is irredeemable crap but so is a great deal of published fiction. Decrying an entire practice for those who do it badly is hardly a good way to make an argument. Secondly, authors have borrowed and reused and rehashed stories since time immemorial. Much of the best selling fiction out there today is, in fact, licensed fiction for franchises like Star Wars or Forgotten Realms. And even before the modern era, most stories were retellings of old ones, adaptations from real life, or tales inspired by others.
That said, some fan fiction, as aforementioned, is crap and it’s rare to find fan fiction as deep in its content and as well-produced as published fiction. Evangelion R, produced and written by Maher Al-Samkari, may not be quite as deep and interesting as the original anime series on which it is based, Neon Genesis Evangelion but as a piece of fan fiction it is incredibly impressive, representing just the pinnacle of fandom-produced works.
What better way to demonstrate this than the fact that it spawned it’s own fan fiction?
Truly, regardless of what you think of it, Eva R, as the imaginary second season of Evangelion is often called, it truly inspiring.
Plot
The original Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most controversial anime shows in existence. While it contains nothing particularly volatile politically or culturally it’s story and characters ran against the expectations of audiences, often to a degree that could be considered almost violently. The story was grim up and into the end of the show where, essentially, the world died. The characters, as covered in more detail later, were each psychologically wracked individuals, many of whom suffered from serious disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder. So dark and grim was the story that even I, who have a reputation for liking dark stuff, found it a little bit too pessimistic for my tastes.
However, the story was also very well-written. Like most anime shows, the original Evangelion followed an arc and unlike some, stuck to it without getting dragged down in bottle shows or ending anticlimactically. The show builds up steadily to a climax and then releases into a resolution, even if that resolution is ultimately unsatisfying (both of them, given that there are two). The story was full of excellently placed twists, mini-climaxes, and just general plot progression, with a strong pace that most anime lack.
When it comes to story, Evangelion R is similarly strong, though perhaps not as strong as the original series was. But while the original series was irredeemably dark, ending essentially in an “everybody dies” scenario this piece of fan fiction actually manages to lighten up, even though it includes as much apocalyptic scenarios and emotional trauma as the actual show.
Evangelion R begins at the same diverging point that the show’s original ending and the movies branch off from, right after Shinji Ikari, the central protagonist, was forced into killing his new friend Kaworu Nagisa, who was, in actuality an angel. It’s at this point that I should probably explain for those who for some reason are reading this review and haven’t familiarized themselves with the source material what this series is all about. No - there’s too much to explain. I’ll summarize.
Briefly, the Earth was devastated in a worldwide apocalypse called the Second Impact caused by a group called SEELE attempting to return humanity to the cosmic womb from which consciousness spawned. Another race, known as angels, are attempting to accomplish this for themselves and are fought by a series of biomechanical mechs piloted by teenagers with traumatic family histories.
There, I’m done. Now returning to the review.
At this point in the story, everything is simultaneously worse than ever and seemingly optimistic. While the angels appear to have been slain to their last number the characters of the show have all just, right around this point, suffered intense trauma that has sent some into a coma and others into just deep depression. Nobody’s happy, except for SEELE, since, after all, everything’s going to plan.
The beginning of Evangelion R is hence it’s weakest point plotwise. Hideaki Anno, the creator of the original show, deliberately wrote the characters into this dead end to set up for the finale of the show, which is either meant to serve as therapy through art (for himself) or in the case of the second movie, a quick end of the world. So, Maher Al-Samkari finds himself in an unenviable position of having to rescue the story from this pitfall in order to justify a second season.
He pulls this off partially and find a justifiable reason to delay the end of the world - a publicity stunt on the part of Gendo Ikari, the magnificent bastard behind the evangelions as he uses the recent victories in order to buy time and money to refurbish NERV, thereby putting it too far into the limelight for SEELE to justify striking against it quite yet. However, one has to wonder why the ancient conspiracy of doom even cares what the public thinks about NERV.
As soon as this justification is in place the plot proceeds more normally, with new characters being introduced almost immediately (more on them shortly). Fortunately, Eva R manages to develop an internal arc (mostly) independent of the first show while retaining the overall plotline. With the angels destroyed the plot becomes more about the characters’ development and gradual recovery as well as the subtle intrigues and pseudo-cold war being waged between SEELE and NERV as each attempts to undo the other.
One result of this new storyline is the invasion of Tokyo-3 of several faux angels as well as the development of a new weapon by NERV. This is a refreshing take for the plotline, after what was essentially a “monster of the week” show in the original Evangelion. Comparatively few battles occur in Evangelion R, meaning the reader can savor each and every one rather than growing bored with the repetition. Another, more interesting, development story-wise is that of the spy war being waged, including new Orwellian organizations such as UN Synapse and some added intrigue within NERV itself.
The story also benefits from the increased focus on character relationships, which gives a slowly more hopeful and cautiously optimistic attitude. Whereas the characters of the original show barely talked to each other at parts and grew close only to tear apart again, the tendency in this fan sequel is to simply grow closer. This might make the show a little bit too “soap opera-y” for some but I, for one, appreciated the change.
However, the “show” does suffer from some deficiencies. One of the problems here is an over-the-top use of technobabble, even beyond that used originally in Evangelion, with characters spouting nonsense numbers at every turn and using words that obviously shouldn’t go together. This, however, is less of a problem than a minor nuisance.
More importantly, the pacing of the story is seriously off, unlike the original show, which proceeded at a steadily increasing and dramatic pace. For most of the first half of Eva R little to nothing happens. It’s only near the middle part of the series, as it nears its own branch point (like the original show the fan series has two alternative endings) that the show really picks up. And even then, the series has a tendency to insert unneeded dramatic pauses all too regularly, sometimes after just about every other sentence with a few characters.
Lastly, I should note that both of the ending of Eva R are several times better than either of the ones originally offered. One is, essentially, a repeat of the Evangelion films but with a more optimistic endpoint, albeit in a cop-out sort of way. Another, my preferred ending, is called Eva R: Prime and actually manages to bring the series to a close that is both entirely different from any of the previous endings and ultimately satisfying in a way that makes sense for the characters and story alike. Unlike the former ending mentioned it doesn’t end on a completely happy note, but rather bittersweet, but in a way that offers hope for the future and brings the Evangelion storyline to a comfortable close. Though a fan sequel to Eva R does exist, I felt no need to read it after reaching the end of Eva R: Prime.
Overall, the story of Evangelion R is strong, particularly for fan fiction, and compares well with the source material. The plot is complete with interesting twists, some of which may entirely unforeseen, as well as a strong arc that manages to yet blend in with the already existing story. However, it is dragged down somewhat by poor pacing, a few obvious plot holes, and the writer simply getting dragged into a material perhaps too deep for him to swim in comfortably.
Score: 8.8 (out of 10)
Characters
The characters of Eva R are both a strength and a weakness for the series. Like Evangelion, all are rather damaged psychologically and probably could do with a few years of therapy - maybe a decade or two. However, in what is a demonstration of Al-Samkari’s talent he actually manages to convincingly, in my opinion, pull the characters out of the rut they find themselves in at the start of the faux second season so that, by the end, they aren’t so broken anymore.
All the characters, with the possible exception of Gendo Ikari (just because he’s the perfect magnificent bastard the way he is) undergo some sort of change throughout the series. This is ultimately very satisfying since, while Evangelion played with each of the characters to an enormous extent in the context of the show they all pretty much ended up where they started. Actually, scratch that, they ended up worse by the time the show was through. Shinji went from a depressed loner to a self-loathing character with zero confidence, Asuka ended up in a coma following mind rape, and Rei became even more apathetically disinterested in everything.
Al-Samkrai plays well with these characters, transforming each and every one of them. Shinji continues to angst as usual, gradually emerging from his depression to become more and more confident in his abilities without ever quite abandoning the hesitation and self-doubt that make him the character he is. Likewise, Asuka never fully abandons her bitchy side and actually undergoes another breakdown mid-series but eventually manages to turn her ferocity into more constructive passions and accept the fact that she can’t always win, allowing her to leave her parentally-induced self-loathing behind.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Rei goes from sort of the emotionless doll to an outright motherly figure. By the end of the series, Rei has perhaps evolved the most (along with Maya Ibuki surprisingly) out of all the characters and while she remains introverted and dispassionate she finds someone besides Gendo Ikari to die for and protect, becoming the character’s faux mother. In a sense, this fits sense Rei is, after all, supposed to be the living, breathing reincarnation of Shinji’s mother, Yui Ikari, who was perhaps the most loving character of all those written into the original series. While never a large fan of Rei from the original series I found her one of my favorite characters here.
As pointed out earlier, I also found Maya’s character to be really interesting, especially since she was little more than a background figure in the original show. Throughout Eva R, however, Maya transformed into a very important character, more so than the other technicians with whom she shared her ornamental role. This transformation was particularly interesting given the fact that Maya starts as something of a naïve pacifist and ends up being perhaps one of the more manipulative and intriguing characters in the series.
On the other hand, Samkari proved less adept at writing his own, original characters. While the triumvirate of pilots from the original series is written very well, two of the three new characters are essentially clones of earlier individuals. Take Lyn Anouillh, for instance, a male eva pilot who takes a major role in the story. He’s essentially what you get if you take Shinji and make him even more self-loathing while adding a good dash of Asuka’s foreignness (she’s from Germany, he’s from the UK).
Lyn spends the majority of the series in the depressive anguish that Shinji found himself in throughout the first season. This wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the fact that Samkari pulls off this angst with less gusto than the original writers did. More cruelly, Lyn spends a good portion of his most angsty scenes with Seyoko Okazaki, another of the new characters, who is essentially a less fun-loving Misato.
However, Samkari does manage to introduce one character, Aoi Tamashii, who is unlike any other before her, except perhaps Kaworu Nagisa in that she shares his cheery optimism. Unlike everyone else she projects a beam of hope throughout the story, acting as the odd one out amongst a band of emotionally broken individuals. Of course, as with all Evangelion characters not all is as its seems with Aoi, who ends up having a pretty important secret as well as some hidden facets to her psyche that show she might not be quite as much of a happy-go-lucky Japanese schoolgirl as she at first appears to be. Aoi is probably the best of the new characters, bringing something entirely different to the faux sequel.
The last of the new characters isn’t revealed in full until mid-series, though he’s actually present from the very beginning, which is a character known as “Tenkei” (literally “divine oracle” in Japanese). He’s almost the cute kid that can grow annoying over time but never does because there’s so much more to him. In fact, in some ways, he’s wiser than all the other characters around him and shows an uncanny wisdom for things that he shouldn’t even begin to understand. Also, like Aoi, he has a pretty nice twist to his character, though it’s actually only a twist to the other characters since the audience more or less knows about it from the start.
Perhaps the best part of Evangelion R’s characters is that the faux second season actually pulls off its romances. The romances in the original show, if they could even be called such, were more subtly hinted than outright present, half-imagined by the ship-eager audiences that watched the show. However, there were enough hints, particularly in the later released director cut episodes to suggest that there was something going on, at least between Shinji and Asuka and possibly even Shinji and Kaworu (and possibly Shinji and Rei though by the end of the show Shinji’s more than appropriately creeped out by her being a clone of his mother). Oh, and there was Misato and Kaji, the only on-screen couple, though, of course, Kaji died.
Eva R, on the other hand, actually develops these romances, or at least the Shinji and Asuka one, into a fully realized relationship, though it takes a very long time to get there (as in the last episode). This is good however, since the two characters are so damaged and have such a bad history that it would be unrealistic to have them rush into a relationship. Unlike some writers, Al-Samkari does this without derailing either character, making their unique attributes the strengths that bind them together rather than simply ignoring them and either pacifying Asuka or toughening up Shinji. Instead, Al-Samkari uses shared traumas and tender moments to gradually shift both characters into a position where they can commit to one another.
Likewise, though I’m not a big fan of Lyn I’ll say his romance gets a really decent treatment throughout the story, in part because of the character he’s paired with. His love story comes quicker and more readily than does Shinji and Asuka’s, but it’s no less endearing or realistic and it is the major instrument through which his character is developed, somewhat lessening the agonies of his deficiencies as a character.
In fact, so romance friendly is Eva R that Toji and Hikari continue dating in spite of the end of the world and even Kensuke the irredeemable nerd obsessed with military tech, gets a love story (albeit one only shortly realized). And none of these romances is played for laughs or even angst, but simply emerges as a part of that character’s development into a stronger person.
Ultimately, Eva R’s characters are its strongest point, even more so than it’s story, in spite of the somewhat derivative nature of Lyn and Seyoko. Strong development occurs here, to a point unrealized in the original material. How you view the characters here, however, may well depend on how you felt about them in the first show. If you tired of the miseries they endured and the angst they breathed you’ll find Eva R a refreshing change. If, on the other hand, you liked the way Evangelion handled its cast and feel that giving them an easier time cheapens their struggles, you’ll probably dislike the way Eva R reconstructs them. I, for one, enjoyed the change.
Score: 9.4 (out of 10.0)
Production
Though, technically, Evangelion R isn’t a television show, I’m going to treat it as though it were since, for all intents and purposes, it pretty much is. Eva R is to Evangelion what Shadows of the Empire and now The Force Unleashed are to Star Wars - a film (or in this case, show) without the movie. Eva R has an impressive multimedia component, with concept art, wallpapers, doujinshi manga, a musical soundtrack, and even a trailer featuring the voices of Gendo Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu from the English dub of the original show. You heard me right.
First, off, the bat, the website that hosts Eva R is impressive in of itself in design, embracing a sleek image that is attractive without being distracting. The website then leads itself to a just as sleek episode viewer. What’s particularly impressive about this viewer is the design that goes into each “volume.” Each of these sections, which includes two episodes, has its own custom-designed DVD cover that only adds to the illusion that you’re immersing yourself in a genuine sequel.
The art used for each cover, as well as for the art panels found within the episodes, varies in quality, though generally it’s pretty good. Some pieces are particularly impressive, though, equal in quality to some commercial manga and anime while others are pretty rough around the edges to the point they don’t seem beyond my own limited capacity for drawing. Overall, however, the quality is moderately good.
The three dimensional renders are probably what give the series its most unique look, since in the original series all the evangelions were hand-drawn. Opting instead to use CGI models, Al-Samkari creates a unique look for Eva R that helps to set it apart artistically. However, this is not entirely good and while the renders of the evas themselves are impressive the renders of their surroundings are bland and uninspiring and lack the majesty that could be found in Tokyo-3’s cityscape throughout the original anime.
Perhaps what impressed me the most, besides the trailers (the first of which works equally well as an imaginary opening sequence), was the music. While the music sounds nothing like the original Evangelion’s soundtrack it is nonetheless impressive and fitting to the mood of the series. Each of the new faux angels gets their own theme, as do some of the characters. Particularly impressive, however, are the imaginary main theme Tangent and The Human Complement, both of which sound thoroughly professional (particularly the latter, which includes vocals). If Al-Samkari doesn’t find a career in writing he could probably find one in music.
The production of Eva R is not flawless however. The writing is, for instance, somewhat stunted and it’s very obvious that Al-Samkari never took a class on how to write a screenplay - nor even attempted to back engineer from ones now easily found on the internet (and even so found back in the late 1990s when the series was written). The writing format is perhaps the greatest burden to Eva R and can be more than a bit tiresome, with character silence represented by long, unbroken ellipses, sometimes with each character responding in kind for several lines. Similarly, non-verbal actions are represented through parenthesis, which would make many screenwriters turn in their graves.
However, with this exception the production of Evangelion R is very, very impressive and frankly, I can’t think of another fan work that comes close, though I’ve attempted some such projects myself. Whether or not you like what Eva R does with its characters and the story you can’t help but admire the hard work and talent put into presenting Eva R to the online world.
Score: 9.7 (out of 10.0)
Summary
Plot: 8.8
Characters: 9.4
Production: 9.7
Overall: 9.3
ReReview: Neverwinter Nights
Presentation
I’m going to keep this brief.
It occurred to me only shortly after looking at Neverwinter Nights that I may have overlooked a major part of its appeal and perhaps the best part of the game - the toolset.
I’ll confess I’ve never used the NWN toolset, except in playing around briefly with it in curiosity. Normally, I like content editors but since NWN was already several years old when I first started playing it and I had access to NWN2’s more versatile (if disproportionately more complicated) toolset it never really occurred to me to use it. And I forgot to mention it entirely in my review of the game.
A game should never be judged solely on its customizability, since most games entirely lack this feature and it’s really more of a side treat than the main point. However, from my understanding, the NWN toolset was a major landmark in mod design, representing the first instance in which most (though not all) of the tools used for the game’s development were handed over to customers. This was a huge revolution in mod design, as evidenced by the immense number of custom-designed modules for NWN to be found on the internet.
The only comparable event, really, was the original debut of StarCraft’s StarEdit or the would-have-been event of Relic Entertainment’s proposed but never realized support for Homeworld 2 modders. Or, perhaps, the release of the Forge for Halo 3 in the usually mod-absent console world. So the fact that I didn’t touch on this was a rather large mistake.
As a result, I’m going to give NWN a boost in score. Not a major one, but enough to lift it up to a C plus or B minus.
Summary
Plot: 7.2
Characters: 7.0
Presentation: 9.1
Overall: 7.8
Anyhow, I’m back now and I hope to maintain a regular schedule from here on out. We’ll see how that works out, since I still do have several major writing projects (not to mention college) which distracts from all that. So we’ll see. I’m not making any promises.
This week I’m reviewing the aforementioned Heroes, Season 2, also known as Generations. I will also be reviewing Evangelion R, perhaps the most impressive piece of fan fiction I’ve ever seen. Lastly, I’ll be revisiting my score of Neverwinter Nights, which may not have been entirely fair in retrospect.
Enjoy.
Table of Contents
Heroes, Season 2
Evangelion R
Neverwinter Nights: A Second Look
Heroes, Season 2
Overview
NOTE: Since Heroes, Volume 2: Generations is the second season in Heroes expect some spoilers for the first season, Genesis (spoilers for Generations itself will be refrained from).
Genesis was a great first season for Heroes though the show was not without flaws during its first season it did a fair job and piquing my interest in it and making me want to keep watching more. That said, I didn’t go into Generations, the second season, without reservations. I’d heard more than a small amount of flak directed at the show’s second season for anything from new characters that were unwanted to having slow pacing to being too short (though the latter it not something the producers had any control of, given the Writer’s Strike). So I went in to the second season, expecting to be disappointed.
Fortunately I wasn’t, but more than a little bit directly because of these lowered expectations. Generations is good, but it isn’t as good as Genesis, for variety of reasons that I will go over shortly in more detail. But it’s not bad and definitely not awful and if you’re a fan and willing to watch the show’s quality dip slightly, I can recommend it.
Plot
The plot of Generations is coincidentally both the second season’s greatest strength and greatest weakness, which may go more than little way’s toward describing how schizophrenic the season can appear at times. On the one hand, the second season has a plot that is perhaps even more interesting than the first one, with more depth to it and with a few interesting twists that are more of a surprise than some of the bangs thrown at the audience in Genesis.
But the plot’s not all good. I did, after all, say it was also the worst part of the second season. Like the first season’s plot, Generations takes a long time to warm up and get going. If the season were regular length like the first season was, then this wouldn’t be so much of a problem. However, since Generations is only eleven episodes long, this is a rather major flaw and by the time things really start going it’s more than halfway through.
This isn’t the second season’s only flaw, storywise. The writers also make the rather stupid mistake of feeling as though they have to recapture the feeling of discovery that permeated the first season as we discovered what each of the character’s powers were. Nice try, Tim Kring, but that was the last season’s job. We already know what our main cast’s powers are, you don’t have to try and show us discovering them again.
This is particularly obvious with one character who falls victim to the cliché of the memory wipe. Granted, some of the best stories in the world use amnesia as a plot device but here it is pulled off as little more than a gimmick that is, of course, reversed halfway through the series. The hero regains their memories with no obvious penalty. What’s more - they seem to forget entirely about the events that occurred during their period of mind wipery. It’s almost as if one bout of amnesia was replaced with another.
I said in my review of the first season that Heroes obviously had a lengthy and preplotted arc. I’ve since learned that this is not true, unlike in the case of BSG, Babylon 5, or X-Files but that, in fact, the writers are making most of it up as they go along, having planned to actually kill the cast off by the end of Season 1. This becomes more and more obvious throughout Season 2 as the writers clumsily try to develop such an arc.
In some ways, they succeed. They develop further the mythology of the mysterious “Company,” and even more moral nuances to both it and the characters opposing it. Likewise, the chief villain of the season has a more grounded and believable cause than that of the previous season’s chief villain, “Linderman,” even if it’s ultimately more drastic in its methodology.
In other ways, however, the clumsiness of finding an arc post-first season may ultimately end up hurting the show. This is likely the reason behind the show’s “reintroduction” to old characters, altogether entirely unnecessary, and it is probably the reason that it takes so long for the story to develop. I only hope that Tim Kring and company avoid the disasters of two famous superhero film franchises, Spider-Man and X-Men, both of which chose to develop the films into a trilogy during production of the second films, forcing the third film of each franchise to “wrap up” the so-called “arc” in rapid fashion.
Overall, the story of Heroes Season 2 has strong points both in its favor and working against it. While it presents a tale with more moral depth and nuances than the first season it does so while hopelessly rehashing elements from the first season and poor pacing.
Score: 8.9 (out of 10.0)
Characters
Most of the characters from Genesis survive in spite of the writers’ original intentions and so Heroes comes with an in-built cast. However, to replace characters that were killed, such as Isaac Mendez (the precognitive painter) the series introduces a few new characters, some who work, and others who don’t.
As for the old characters, most proceed along to a point that seems natural for their developmental arc. Take, for example, Nathan Petrelli, who following his near fall into the dark side becomes so utterly depressed as to withdraw from the political office he won through voting fraud and begins to seek atonement through Matt Parkman, who has likewise progressed along his arc and finally embraced his powers and has used them in, an admittedly somewhat crooked manner, to win the detective job he longed for. Another good example of an evolving character is Noah Bennet, who switches sides from where he was last season while remaining what is essentially a well-intentioned extremist.
Other characters, however, do not develop so fully and appear trapped in the image the first season set up fro them. Claire Bennet, for instance, goes back to school and, once again, has to pretend she has no powers and deal with a father she doesn’t quite trust, ignoring all the character development she underwent in the first season, including the seemingly budding relationship between her and Zach.
Likewise, Hiro Nakamura, in spite of all the horrible things that happen to him both this season and the next, seems to never lose his spunky and ultimately naïve attitude towards life. However, in his case, his static personality actually ends up harming him and the rest of the world in the long run, thereby giving this stasis an actual purpose rather than simply betraying a lack of imagination, particularly since the show ends with him doing something remarkably non-Hiro like. Similarly, though the series may appear to over romanticize feudal Japan it’s possible this is entirely because of Hiro’s own viewpoint, since few of the characters he meets in the era seem to meet his expectations of honor and beauty.
As for the new characters, it’s a mixed lot. There are two characters, twins, named Maya and Alejandro who become one of the central foci of the story, much to my dismay. While I don’t dislike the idea of two Hispanic illegals on the run from the law due to an accidental misuse of powers the two soon become embroiled in self-hate and wangst to a high degree, thereby making their tale more of a misaimed sob story than anything else. The single most interesting part of their story is when they meet up with a character from the first season’s main cast, who at least introduces another rhythm into an otherwise broken record.
Similarly, there is a character introduced in Claire’s story that I took an immediate dislike to. He reminded me all too much of people I knew in school who thought they didn’t need anyone and anybody because of how cool they were, even if everyone else thought they were geeks. Not to mention he demonstrates some seriously creepy personality traits, such as, *ahem*, stalking. Hoping he would become just a minor character he, unfortunately, became a rather important one around which most of Claire’s arc for the second season focused, though at least he underwent a realistic development later in the season.
There are a few new characters I do like, such as a New Orleans fast food worker who turns out to be a relative of Micah Sanders’. I also enjoyed another character who’s introduced in an entirely different part of the world, who seemed to have walked straight out of a Scorcese film but in a manner that seemed charming and different, rather than forced. Unfortunately, she doesn’t appear to stick around for long, though I will reserve my hopes that she turns up later until I see more of the third season.
I did however, like many of the new villains introduced. For instance, take “Bob,” from the Company who appears to play both Noah Bennet and Linderman’s role from the first season. He’s not quite a magnificent bastard, nor is he as affably evil as Linderman was in the first season but he nonetheless manages to hold his own admirably, being just slimy enough to make you enjoy hating him while also being well-spoken and intelligent enough to realistically manipulate those around him.
There are two other main villains that pop up in Generations other than the ones already introduced, such as Angela Petrelli and Sylar, and these two I can’t name since that would be giving away details from later in the season. One, a woman, helps lead the hunt for a character who’s presumed dead at the beginning of the season while the other helps that character get away from her. Both are entertaining to watch, particularly the latter one who makes a convincing conversion from would-be-hero to villain while being charming and witty the entire way. In fact, if you’re not slightly rooting for him by the end of the season in spite of his diabolically evil plans (all for a better cause, of course) I’d be rather surprised. The former, however, is just plain sociopathic (which she openly admits even!) while playing to a different tune, surprisingly enough, than Sylar.
Much has been said on the romances of the second season so I’ll address them briefly here. Two out of three were poorly written and unbelievable, seemingly coming from out of nowhere and suffering from “love at first sight” syndrome. One, however, developed in a manner that seemed entirely realistic, if more than a bit clichéd and used a character who I think was genuinely interesting and who I hope to see more of in the future. Without giving too much away I’ll say that all three romances involve main characters who also suffer from the “too much of the same” problem that plagues the second season and are gendered man, woman, man.
Oh, yes, there’s also another “romance,” but it’s really more of a deception on the part of one of the characters than a genuinely affectionate relationship, as brutally demonstrated several times later in the season after it’s introduced.
Overall, like the story, the second season’s treatment of characters is varied. Overall, I think the writers manage to maintain interest in spite of flaws in their design brought upon by unwanted characters, stymied development, or poor romance writing.
Score: 8.8 (out of 10)
Production
The production team for Heroes doesn’t seem to have changed in quality between the two seasons, the most noticeable difference being that half the season was spent in what is effectively a jidaigeki (Japanese period) film. This results in a more varied design, at times good, at other times poor.
The feudal Japan milieu Hiro Nakamura finds himself stranded in is mildly impressive, with well-designed sets and impressive costumes. The colorful, bright bamboo forests stand out starkly from other settings throughout the season including the dark and rainy corridors of Ireland’s underworld or the oppressively bright heat of the wastelands between Mexico and America. This contrast in style helps serve the individual stories of the characters, even if it only serves further to rose-tint the glasses viewers see feudal Japan through.
The special effects of the new season are, likewise, up to good if not the best standards. Effects for powers are dramatic and colorful, entertaining in a popcorn-sort of way. You never believe you’re actually looking at what the screen is telling you, but it’s a good enough illusion for you to suspend your disbelief for awhile.
There is one considerable lapse in this, however, that I noticed immediately and which is odd, considering a similar effect was done much, much more convincingly in the first season. This is, interestingly, a flight scene during which one of the characters carries another through the sky. So unconvincing was the shot that you could actually see the lines where they photoshopped in the background.
Similarly, just as in the first season the music did little for me compared to other soundtracks. The leitmotifs used were strong enough to project emotion but don’t stick with me. I don’t find myself humming or drumming my fingers to the tunes of Heroes in other words and the music plays little more than a background role.
The acting is of similar quality to the first season, though unfortunately the poor roles Hayden Panettiere and Noah Gray-Cabey are given for this season mean they don’t play as strongly in their roles as they should. For the last season, I was slightly unimpressed with Milo Ventimiglia but this season his character gets a chance to try out a broader set of roles and emotional nuances and, a little bit to my surprise, the actor pulls it off reasonably well, even when some of the writing doesn’t.
More than any of the above though, I was impressed with David Anders’ performance as one of the key characters of this season. In just about every scene Anders’ character (whose identity is a surprise in more ways than one) is in he steals the show, even from the talent he stands beside. I don’t know if this is just the character being written exceptionally well or the charisma of the actor, but I really enjoyed Anders throughout the entire season.
Score: 8.8 (out of 10.0)
Summary
Plot: 8.9
Characters: 8.8
Performance: 8.8
Overall: 8.8
Evangelion R
Overview
NOTE: Since Evangelion R is a fan-derived, imaginary second season for the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion expect some spoilers for the show (spoilers for Eva R itself will be refrained from).
As most who likely read my blog know I’ve written fan fiction and will proudly say so. Once something of a ghettoized practice within the already ghettoized culture of fandom fan fiction has since become somewhat mainstream. How else do you explain, for instance, the fact that best selling authors (such as Naomi Novik) now openly talk about their “fan fiction” writing days to the press? Or the fact that many officially-run sites support fandom? Or the fact that network television actually airs Star Wars fan films? Geek culture has begun to go mainstream.
Detractors of fan fiction will remark that is simply irredeemable crap without imagination pilfering on the ideas of other authors? I respond by first point out that most fan fiction is irredeemable crap but so is a great deal of published fiction. Decrying an entire practice for those who do it badly is hardly a good way to make an argument. Secondly, authors have borrowed and reused and rehashed stories since time immemorial. Much of the best selling fiction out there today is, in fact, licensed fiction for franchises like Star Wars or Forgotten Realms. And even before the modern era, most stories were retellings of old ones, adaptations from real life, or tales inspired by others.
That said, some fan fiction, as aforementioned, is crap and it’s rare to find fan fiction as deep in its content and as well-produced as published fiction. Evangelion R, produced and written by Maher Al-Samkari, may not be quite as deep and interesting as the original anime series on which it is based, Neon Genesis Evangelion but as a piece of fan fiction it is incredibly impressive, representing just the pinnacle of fandom-produced works.
What better way to demonstrate this than the fact that it spawned it’s own fan fiction?
Truly, regardless of what you think of it, Eva R, as the imaginary second season of Evangelion is often called, it truly inspiring.
Plot
The original Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most controversial anime shows in existence. While it contains nothing particularly volatile politically or culturally it’s story and characters ran against the expectations of audiences, often to a degree that could be considered almost violently. The story was grim up and into the end of the show where, essentially, the world died. The characters, as covered in more detail later, were each psychologically wracked individuals, many of whom suffered from serious disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder. So dark and grim was the story that even I, who have a reputation for liking dark stuff, found it a little bit too pessimistic for my tastes.
However, the story was also very well-written. Like most anime shows, the original Evangelion followed an arc and unlike some, stuck to it without getting dragged down in bottle shows or ending anticlimactically. The show builds up steadily to a climax and then releases into a resolution, even if that resolution is ultimately unsatisfying (both of them, given that there are two). The story was full of excellently placed twists, mini-climaxes, and just general plot progression, with a strong pace that most anime lack.
When it comes to story, Evangelion R is similarly strong, though perhaps not as strong as the original series was. But while the original series was irredeemably dark, ending essentially in an “everybody dies” scenario this piece of fan fiction actually manages to lighten up, even though it includes as much apocalyptic scenarios and emotional trauma as the actual show.
Evangelion R begins at the same diverging point that the show’s original ending and the movies branch off from, right after Shinji Ikari, the central protagonist, was forced into killing his new friend Kaworu Nagisa, who was, in actuality an angel. It’s at this point that I should probably explain for those who for some reason are reading this review and haven’t familiarized themselves with the source material what this series is all about. No - there’s too much to explain. I’ll summarize.
Briefly, the Earth was devastated in a worldwide apocalypse called the Second Impact caused by a group called SEELE attempting to return humanity to the cosmic womb from which consciousness spawned. Another race, known as angels, are attempting to accomplish this for themselves and are fought by a series of biomechanical mechs piloted by teenagers with traumatic family histories.
There, I’m done. Now returning to the review.
At this point in the story, everything is simultaneously worse than ever and seemingly optimistic. While the angels appear to have been slain to their last number the characters of the show have all just, right around this point, suffered intense trauma that has sent some into a coma and others into just deep depression. Nobody’s happy, except for SEELE, since, after all, everything’s going to plan.
The beginning of Evangelion R is hence it’s weakest point plotwise. Hideaki Anno, the creator of the original show, deliberately wrote the characters into this dead end to set up for the finale of the show, which is either meant to serve as therapy through art (for himself) or in the case of the second movie, a quick end of the world. So, Maher Al-Samkari finds himself in an unenviable position of having to rescue the story from this pitfall in order to justify a second season.
He pulls this off partially and find a justifiable reason to delay the end of the world - a publicity stunt on the part of Gendo Ikari, the magnificent bastard behind the evangelions as he uses the recent victories in order to buy time and money to refurbish NERV, thereby putting it too far into the limelight for SEELE to justify striking against it quite yet. However, one has to wonder why the ancient conspiracy of doom even cares what the public thinks about NERV.
As soon as this justification is in place the plot proceeds more normally, with new characters being introduced almost immediately (more on them shortly). Fortunately, Eva R manages to develop an internal arc (mostly) independent of the first show while retaining the overall plotline. With the angels destroyed the plot becomes more about the characters’ development and gradual recovery as well as the subtle intrigues and pseudo-cold war being waged between SEELE and NERV as each attempts to undo the other.
One result of this new storyline is the invasion of Tokyo-3 of several faux angels as well as the development of a new weapon by NERV. This is a refreshing take for the plotline, after what was essentially a “monster of the week” show in the original Evangelion. Comparatively few battles occur in Evangelion R, meaning the reader can savor each and every one rather than growing bored with the repetition. Another, more interesting, development story-wise is that of the spy war being waged, including new Orwellian organizations such as UN Synapse and some added intrigue within NERV itself.
The story also benefits from the increased focus on character relationships, which gives a slowly more hopeful and cautiously optimistic attitude. Whereas the characters of the original show barely talked to each other at parts and grew close only to tear apart again, the tendency in this fan sequel is to simply grow closer. This might make the show a little bit too “soap opera-y” for some but I, for one, appreciated the change.
However, the “show” does suffer from some deficiencies. One of the problems here is an over-the-top use of technobabble, even beyond that used originally in Evangelion, with characters spouting nonsense numbers at every turn and using words that obviously shouldn’t go together. This, however, is less of a problem than a minor nuisance.
More importantly, the pacing of the story is seriously off, unlike the original show, which proceeded at a steadily increasing and dramatic pace. For most of the first half of Eva R little to nothing happens. It’s only near the middle part of the series, as it nears its own branch point (like the original show the fan series has two alternative endings) that the show really picks up. And even then, the series has a tendency to insert unneeded dramatic pauses all too regularly, sometimes after just about every other sentence with a few characters.
Lastly, I should note that both of the ending of Eva R are several times better than either of the ones originally offered. One is, essentially, a repeat of the Evangelion films but with a more optimistic endpoint, albeit in a cop-out sort of way. Another, my preferred ending, is called Eva R: Prime and actually manages to bring the series to a close that is both entirely different from any of the previous endings and ultimately satisfying in a way that makes sense for the characters and story alike. Unlike the former ending mentioned it doesn’t end on a completely happy note, but rather bittersweet, but in a way that offers hope for the future and brings the Evangelion storyline to a comfortable close. Though a fan sequel to Eva R does exist, I felt no need to read it after reaching the end of Eva R: Prime.
Overall, the story of Evangelion R is strong, particularly for fan fiction, and compares well with the source material. The plot is complete with interesting twists, some of which may entirely unforeseen, as well as a strong arc that manages to yet blend in with the already existing story. However, it is dragged down somewhat by poor pacing, a few obvious plot holes, and the writer simply getting dragged into a material perhaps too deep for him to swim in comfortably.
Score: 8.8 (out of 10)
Characters
The characters of Eva R are both a strength and a weakness for the series. Like Evangelion, all are rather damaged psychologically and probably could do with a few years of therapy - maybe a decade or two. However, in what is a demonstration of Al-Samkari’s talent he actually manages to convincingly, in my opinion, pull the characters out of the rut they find themselves in at the start of the faux second season so that, by the end, they aren’t so broken anymore.
All the characters, with the possible exception of Gendo Ikari (just because he’s the perfect magnificent bastard the way he is) undergo some sort of change throughout the series. This is ultimately very satisfying since, while Evangelion played with each of the characters to an enormous extent in the context of the show they all pretty much ended up where they started. Actually, scratch that, they ended up worse by the time the show was through. Shinji went from a depressed loner to a self-loathing character with zero confidence, Asuka ended up in a coma following mind rape, and Rei became even more apathetically disinterested in everything.
Al-Samkrai plays well with these characters, transforming each and every one of them. Shinji continues to angst as usual, gradually emerging from his depression to become more and more confident in his abilities without ever quite abandoning the hesitation and self-doubt that make him the character he is. Likewise, Asuka never fully abandons her bitchy side and actually undergoes another breakdown mid-series but eventually manages to turn her ferocity into more constructive passions and accept the fact that she can’t always win, allowing her to leave her parentally-induced self-loathing behind.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Rei goes from sort of the emotionless doll to an outright motherly figure. By the end of the series, Rei has perhaps evolved the most (along with Maya Ibuki surprisingly) out of all the characters and while she remains introverted and dispassionate she finds someone besides Gendo Ikari to die for and protect, becoming the character’s faux mother. In a sense, this fits sense Rei is, after all, supposed to be the living, breathing reincarnation of Shinji’s mother, Yui Ikari, who was perhaps the most loving character of all those written into the original series. While never a large fan of Rei from the original series I found her one of my favorite characters here.
As pointed out earlier, I also found Maya’s character to be really interesting, especially since she was little more than a background figure in the original show. Throughout Eva R, however, Maya transformed into a very important character, more so than the other technicians with whom she shared her ornamental role. This transformation was particularly interesting given the fact that Maya starts as something of a naïve pacifist and ends up being perhaps one of the more manipulative and intriguing characters in the series.
On the other hand, Samkari proved less adept at writing his own, original characters. While the triumvirate of pilots from the original series is written very well, two of the three new characters are essentially clones of earlier individuals. Take Lyn Anouillh, for instance, a male eva pilot who takes a major role in the story. He’s essentially what you get if you take Shinji and make him even more self-loathing while adding a good dash of Asuka’s foreignness (she’s from Germany, he’s from the UK).
Lyn spends the majority of the series in the depressive anguish that Shinji found himself in throughout the first season. This wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the fact that Samkari pulls off this angst with less gusto than the original writers did. More cruelly, Lyn spends a good portion of his most angsty scenes with Seyoko Okazaki, another of the new characters, who is essentially a less fun-loving Misato.
However, Samkari does manage to introduce one character, Aoi Tamashii, who is unlike any other before her, except perhaps Kaworu Nagisa in that she shares his cheery optimism. Unlike everyone else she projects a beam of hope throughout the story, acting as the odd one out amongst a band of emotionally broken individuals. Of course, as with all Evangelion characters not all is as its seems with Aoi, who ends up having a pretty important secret as well as some hidden facets to her psyche that show she might not be quite as much of a happy-go-lucky Japanese schoolgirl as she at first appears to be. Aoi is probably the best of the new characters, bringing something entirely different to the faux sequel.
The last of the new characters isn’t revealed in full until mid-series, though he’s actually present from the very beginning, which is a character known as “Tenkei” (literally “divine oracle” in Japanese). He’s almost the cute kid that can grow annoying over time but never does because there’s so much more to him. In fact, in some ways, he’s wiser than all the other characters around him and shows an uncanny wisdom for things that he shouldn’t even begin to understand. Also, like Aoi, he has a pretty nice twist to his character, though it’s actually only a twist to the other characters since the audience more or less knows about it from the start.
Perhaps the best part of Evangelion R’s characters is that the faux second season actually pulls off its romances. The romances in the original show, if they could even be called such, were more subtly hinted than outright present, half-imagined by the ship-eager audiences that watched the show. However, there were enough hints, particularly in the later released director cut episodes to suggest that there was something going on, at least between Shinji and Asuka and possibly even Shinji and Kaworu (and possibly Shinji and Rei though by the end of the show Shinji’s more than appropriately creeped out by her being a clone of his mother). Oh, and there was Misato and Kaji, the only on-screen couple, though, of course, Kaji died.
Eva R, on the other hand, actually develops these romances, or at least the Shinji and Asuka one, into a fully realized relationship, though it takes a very long time to get there (as in the last episode). This is good however, since the two characters are so damaged and have such a bad history that it would be unrealistic to have them rush into a relationship. Unlike some writers, Al-Samkari does this without derailing either character, making their unique attributes the strengths that bind them together rather than simply ignoring them and either pacifying Asuka or toughening up Shinji. Instead, Al-Samkari uses shared traumas and tender moments to gradually shift both characters into a position where they can commit to one another.
Likewise, though I’m not a big fan of Lyn I’ll say his romance gets a really decent treatment throughout the story, in part because of the character he’s paired with. His love story comes quicker and more readily than does Shinji and Asuka’s, but it’s no less endearing or realistic and it is the major instrument through which his character is developed, somewhat lessening the agonies of his deficiencies as a character.
In fact, so romance friendly is Eva R that Toji and Hikari continue dating in spite of the end of the world and even Kensuke the irredeemable nerd obsessed with military tech, gets a love story (albeit one only shortly realized). And none of these romances is played for laughs or even angst, but simply emerges as a part of that character’s development into a stronger person.
Ultimately, Eva R’s characters are its strongest point, even more so than it’s story, in spite of the somewhat derivative nature of Lyn and Seyoko. Strong development occurs here, to a point unrealized in the original material. How you view the characters here, however, may well depend on how you felt about them in the first show. If you tired of the miseries they endured and the angst they breathed you’ll find Eva R a refreshing change. If, on the other hand, you liked the way Evangelion handled its cast and feel that giving them an easier time cheapens their struggles, you’ll probably dislike the way Eva R reconstructs them. I, for one, enjoyed the change.
Score: 9.4 (out of 10.0)
Production
Though, technically, Evangelion R isn’t a television show, I’m going to treat it as though it were since, for all intents and purposes, it pretty much is. Eva R is to Evangelion what Shadows of the Empire and now The Force Unleashed are to Star Wars - a film (or in this case, show) without the movie. Eva R has an impressive multimedia component, with concept art, wallpapers, doujinshi manga, a musical soundtrack, and even a trailer featuring the voices of Gendo Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu from the English dub of the original show. You heard me right.
First, off, the bat, the website that hosts Eva R is impressive in of itself in design, embracing a sleek image that is attractive without being distracting. The website then leads itself to a just as sleek episode viewer. What’s particularly impressive about this viewer is the design that goes into each “volume.” Each of these sections, which includes two episodes, has its own custom-designed DVD cover that only adds to the illusion that you’re immersing yourself in a genuine sequel.
The art used for each cover, as well as for the art panels found within the episodes, varies in quality, though generally it’s pretty good. Some pieces are particularly impressive, though, equal in quality to some commercial manga and anime while others are pretty rough around the edges to the point they don’t seem beyond my own limited capacity for drawing. Overall, however, the quality is moderately good.
The three dimensional renders are probably what give the series its most unique look, since in the original series all the evangelions were hand-drawn. Opting instead to use CGI models, Al-Samkari creates a unique look for Eva R that helps to set it apart artistically. However, this is not entirely good and while the renders of the evas themselves are impressive the renders of their surroundings are bland and uninspiring and lack the majesty that could be found in Tokyo-3’s cityscape throughout the original anime.
Perhaps what impressed me the most, besides the trailers (the first of which works equally well as an imaginary opening sequence), was the music. While the music sounds nothing like the original Evangelion’s soundtrack it is nonetheless impressive and fitting to the mood of the series. Each of the new faux angels gets their own theme, as do some of the characters. Particularly impressive, however, are the imaginary main theme Tangent and The Human Complement, both of which sound thoroughly professional (particularly the latter, which includes vocals). If Al-Samkari doesn’t find a career in writing he could probably find one in music.
The production of Eva R is not flawless however. The writing is, for instance, somewhat stunted and it’s very obvious that Al-Samkari never took a class on how to write a screenplay - nor even attempted to back engineer from ones now easily found on the internet (and even so found back in the late 1990s when the series was written). The writing format is perhaps the greatest burden to Eva R and can be more than a bit tiresome, with character silence represented by long, unbroken ellipses, sometimes with each character responding in kind for several lines. Similarly, non-verbal actions are represented through parenthesis, which would make many screenwriters turn in their graves.
However, with this exception the production of Evangelion R is very, very impressive and frankly, I can’t think of another fan work that comes close, though I’ve attempted some such projects myself. Whether or not you like what Eva R does with its characters and the story you can’t help but admire the hard work and talent put into presenting Eva R to the online world.
Score: 9.7 (out of 10.0)
Summary
Plot: 8.8
Characters: 9.4
Production: 9.7
Overall: 9.3
ReReview: Neverwinter Nights
Presentation
I’m going to keep this brief.
It occurred to me only shortly after looking at Neverwinter Nights that I may have overlooked a major part of its appeal and perhaps the best part of the game - the toolset.
I’ll confess I’ve never used the NWN toolset, except in playing around briefly with it in curiosity. Normally, I like content editors but since NWN was already several years old when I first started playing it and I had access to NWN2’s more versatile (if disproportionately more complicated) toolset it never really occurred to me to use it. And I forgot to mention it entirely in my review of the game.
A game should never be judged solely on its customizability, since most games entirely lack this feature and it’s really more of a side treat than the main point. However, from my understanding, the NWN toolset was a major landmark in mod design, representing the first instance in which most (though not all) of the tools used for the game’s development were handed over to customers. This was a huge revolution in mod design, as evidenced by the immense number of custom-designed modules for NWN to be found on the internet.
The only comparable event, really, was the original debut of StarCraft’s StarEdit or the would-have-been event of Relic Entertainment’s proposed but never realized support for Homeworld 2 modders. Or, perhaps, the release of the Forge for Halo 3 in the usually mod-absent console world. So the fact that I didn’t touch on this was a rather large mistake.
As a result, I’m going to give NWN a boost in score. Not a major one, but enough to lift it up to a C plus or B minus.
Summary
Plot: 7.2
Characters: 7.0
Presentation: 9.1
Overall: 7.8