All he needs is to change his outlook on life for the better, no heroics needed

pwhodges wrote:That's rather the way Shinji is in my fic

And that's why, it's called a fanfic.

Arcadia's legacy wrote:All he needs is to change his outlook on life for the better, no heroics needed

Yeah... Depending on what is understood as "better".

I've seen a couple of fanfics where Shinji and the others make up with the JSSDF who assaulted NERV. Assuming that something similiar happened during the timeskip, could that be a potential way that he could relate to someone who wasn't a pilot?

Stillborn wrote:And that's why, it's called a fanfic.

And equally any predictions (gloomy or otherwise) you may make about how Anno will resolve Shinji's arc are just fan fiction as well.

I never denied that. But that's the most plausible outcome as far as I'm concertned.

Cosmo11 wrote:I've seen a couple of fanfics where Shinji and the others make up with the JSSDF who assaulted NERV. Assuming that something similiar happened during the timeskip, could that be a potential way that he could relate to someone who wasn't a pilot?

I'd assume so. It's pretty unrealistic to assume that everyone in WILLE hates Shinji. People can be really apathetic and nasty, but they can also be astonishingly empathetic. There are bound to be people in WILLE who see Shinji as just a lost and broken kid and at least realize he doesn't mean them any ill will. So I could see some ex-JSSDF being able to put themselves in his shoes, or least understand where he's coming from since, in a way, they're both soldiers.

Cosmo11 wrote:I've seen a couple of fanfics where Shinji and the others make up with the JSSDF who assaulted NERV. Assuming that something similiar happened during the timeskip, could that be a potential way that he could relate to someone who wasn't a pilot?

I touched on that in my fic, albeit one generation removed. Made for interesting family get-togethers, to say the least!

Stillborn wrote:I never denied that. But that's the most plausible outcome as far as I'm concertned.

You mean "easier" outcome to see, because pain and suffering lingers more with you than hope and joy somehow.

It's only "plausible" because you seem to think that the world is by default cold, cruel, and immoral, "dog eat dog", right? So therefore, life can't POSSIBLY be hopeful to the point where people can and will be allowed to redeem themselves, right?

What gives Shinji the will to carry on despite all he's been through?

Most likely something he won't be expecting

Ray wrote:What gives Shinji the will to carry on despite all he's been through?

Probably another guilt trip that will convince him that he need to live to repent. Just this time he will have someone telling him what to do instead of deciding on his own how to fix things.

Simple.

He will need the help of others to broaden his view of the world around him, but i doubt it would need to be in the form of a guilt trip

Ray wrote:What gives Shinji the will to carry on despite all he's been through?

Maybe meeting someone who was saved in some way by his actions before N3I. Maybe some stranger finds him and thanks him for fighting the angels when nobody else could or would. Something to remind him that he's done some good in the world that still means something.

Ray wrote:What gives Shinji the will to carry on despite all he's been through?

Simply being alive. He's not been killed, he's not committed suicide [not managed to, in some views], so he has no alternative to keeping going - and that's as good a basis as any for looking for a better way to carry on.

Lennik#840805 wrote:Maybe meeting someone who was saved in some way by his actions before N3I. Maybe some stranger finds him and thanks him for fighting the angels when nobody else could or would. Something to remind him that he's done some good in the world that still means something.

Sakura would be a good person to talk to. Back in 1.0, she forgave him for her injuries when the other people in Tokyo-3 were giving him the cold shoulder, and she'd never even met him then. Yeah, she did get hurt, but he saved her any everyone else from being killed by Sachiel.

I think he'd really benefit from spending some time away from Nerv, Wille, Evas, all of that. Explore the Lilin settlement(s) for a while with someone and see how regular people are living.

The other thing he needs is full disclosure about N3I, 3I, Seele, and who and what Kaworu really is/was. He's shouldering the burden of guilt for both Third Impacts and Fourth Impact thanks to Kaworu when most of that belongs with Kaworu, Seeele, and their little toy Eva Mark.06. I get the feeling he's not going to react well when he learns the truth about Kaworu, but maybe he'll be able to get some perspective, stop blaming himself for the things that weren't his fault and figure out how to make amends for the things that were.

BlueBasilisk wrote:I think he'd really benefit from spending some time away from Nerv, Wille, Evas, all of that. Explore the Lilin settlement(s) for a while with someone and see how regular people are living.

I've actually thought about that before. During season 6 of Game of Thrones. Sandor Clegane spending time among regular people out in the countryside, working outdoors and building things, put him at peace for a while. And the septon employing him knew he was a man who had just left behind a life of sin and violence, but encouraged him to find new meaning by bringing some good into the world.

I kind of want to see Shinji doing something like that. Working with survivors in the settlements under an understanding mentor who knows who he is and what he's done and still encourages him to move on and tries to teach him the value of things.

Lennik wrote:I kind of want to see Shinji doing something like that. Working with survivors in the settlements under an understanding mentor who knows who he is and what he's done and still encourages him to move on and tries to teach him the value of things.

This sounds like a job for a hobbyist melon farmer!

In fact, I think they've already had their first lesson, but Shinji wasn't ready yet and Kaji's point went right over his head.

BlueBasilisk wrote:This sounds like a job for a hobbyist melon farmer! :Kaji:

In fact, I think they've already had their first lesson, but Shinji wasn't ready yet and Kaji's point went right over his head.

That premise is really interesting. Going from god of destruction to "caretaker" of life is really a good beginning, and with taoism as a foothold on whom to address the duality of his existence would make a good mix.

Ray wrote:Hey guys. . . Ray here, with a question relating to a Fanfic i'm working on. What I'm asking is, how do I characterize an Adult Shinji Ikari

Ray, you are hiding quite some gems here and there! I like the few chapters you posted in this thread very much.

Getting back to the topic, I pretty much agree with what Mariachi was saying. The plot can't move forward if Shinji keeps being catatonic. Let the catatonia run its course and Shinji would probably get very emotionally worn out towards the heartless end of spectrum but that would be a chance for him to become someone a little bit different. Please, no more angst porn episodes for the adult Shinji (but if the curse of Eva keeps his hormone levels this may still happen as usual).

Though I think the worn out Shinji could start a certain transition when he gets to develop some of the cold rational thinking of his father's as an escape from emotions, a cover of wounds. Remember, as the son of Gehirn scientist Yui and head Gendo, he is supposed to be as intelligent as Asuka, only being hampered by the severe lack of drive since 4, whereas Asuka has been working as hard as she could since 4. It would be a waste if his intelligence never gets to shine and he can only reprise his role as an Eva pilot which necessitates him being an emotional trainwreck. I imagine he would be that kind of students who don't show up in classes and still get good grades. In A Throne of Bayonets he got to study with a philosophy professor, which I think is quite interesting and earned him some respect. Though surely the emotional intelligence of Shinji will always be as bad as it gets.

But not entirely heartless as Gendo. He should retain some of his mother's traits of kindness and caring of others, which are just buried deep down and he has given up or is no longer able to express emotionally.

Also, at the risk the getting off-topic, Asuka (and Shinji's other old friends) as an adult would be an important reflection as to how Shinji becomes an adult but we rarely see mature characterization of Asuka. If Asuka has no growth and keeps the same stress, anger, and temper towards Shinji forever, it is hard for Shinji to have any positive change from their interaction. Though this is kind of a moot point since Shinji's bond with Asuka is much weaker in Rebuild than in post-EoE world.

Hey. This is gonna be a bit off topic. . . But I didn't think it was enough to warrant it's own thread given it's kind've just me being me.

I reread this part of my fic to try and get back into the mood I was when I was writing it so I could continue writing something else. Basically it has Shinji and Kaji talking on the way home from a troubling day where his mental problems got the better of him . . . and basically, Kaji makes a joke about how Shinji's 'not gonna get laid with that attitude' in response to his bitterness and overall somber attitude, to which Shinji replies something along the lines of:

"Who would want to sleep with someone as f*cked up as me?"

As I reread that part, it kind've raised a few questions for me personally. I thought. . . Jeez, I'm turning Shinji into one of the Columbine Shooters. I get after all he's been through he'd be bitter, sarcastic, and more than a little spiteful of others . . . I mean he came within inches of causing human extinction. But am I going too far?

Then another thought came to me that had some validity. Who would want to get close enough to someone as f*cked up, physically and mentally as Shinji Ikari to be intimate with him? Would he even let someone get that close? Would he be like Kaji and Misato in college, using sex as a way to escape or attempt to deal with his mental problems? Would he fake interest to get sex? Would he even be interested in sex at all given everything he's been through? Would he just see himself as unworthy of having a relationship with anyone, since he could never be completely honest with them out of fear of them turning their backs on him?

Would girls (or guys, he did have interest in Kaworu just sayin) just think he has too much baggage and bad attitude to be worth the trouble? What if one of them found out the truth? That he IS Impact boy Ikari? The guy who almost ended the world twice? One of the key, if not THE key person responsible for the worlds current misery? Even if they understand he didn't want to do it, he is still son of the guy who DID want to end the world? Would that taint any potential relationship he could have by association?

and I'll have some free time before Christmas to write, so I hope to get at least a few more chapters of SIReP out before New Years. I've got a digital illustrator project to finish before Christmas break.