Back in the days when I was a fledgling Evangelion Fanfiction Writer, a nice little story came out. It was entitled 'Urusai Asuka,' and it was fun. Since I found this little gem, I've gone back and read it countless times. And I'll probably read it countless more times. For me, this is one of those fics that is just *fun* to read.

Urusai Asuka is a parody that fuses Urusei Yatsura, Nadesico, Gundam Wing, and has more than its fair share of Star Trek jokes. The author also mentions some influence from Irresponsible Captain Tylor, but I didn't see anything noticeable from that series (save for the slack attitude of the crew, something else that seems to have taken more characteristics from the few episodes I've seen of Nadesico rather than Tylor). The first chapter's setup is more UY than the others, but the rest of the story focuses more on the space adventure the crew has.

The story begins when the Oni decide to attack Earth. A representative is chosen by random selection, and the contestan in this 'contest' is none other than Shinji Ikari. Actually, the story begins right after these events 'happen.' (One reason why it helps to be familiar with the UY universe.) After a brief reflection into how Shinji met Rei, they deal with ASUKA. (run away! run away!)

After the inevitable, Asuka decides that Shinji should be hers, and Rei does not like this in the slightest. Because neither Rei nor Shinji want Asuka to win, interstellar war results. Well, The crew of the newly completed Nadesico, led by Captain Katsuragi, go against the Oni race. (My guess is that the rest of the Earth wanted nothing to do with it.)

Mayhem ensues. Gundam pilots are drafted. Sexual preference of said pilots starts to get confusing. Kaji's personality is comapred to Captain Kirk and Commander Riker of Star Trek. And, although the author has nothing to do with it, Pot works its way into the story. And all the while, it's fun.

Despite its fun, there are a few faults. One is the first chapter of the story is UY-heavy, while the rest is Nadesico-heavy. There is also a hefty amount of Gundam Wing in-jokes you'll never get unless you go out and watch the series. Another is the apparent tense changes that happen, and some sentences do tend to come out a little awkward.

Despite these faults, it is a lot of fun. I cannot stress this alone. Heck, the 'SD Virus' alone is worth the admission. So go out, read it, maybe hunt down some of the source material and read it again. Most importantly, enjoy.

Until Instrumentality is needed again...

SEELE-03
May 5th 2000

'Urusai Asuka!' is definitely one of Joyce's work that has gained a wide audience and has been reviewed by the EFRS. Other than her trademark brand wacky humour and madcap fusion/cross-overs, UA! is exceptional for its sensitive handling of the Shinji x Rei relationship. Even Shinji x Rei haters have confessed to be helpless in face of this fic, testifying to the strength of Joyce's characterisation skills. Another hilarous aspect of the fic is the Yui-Gendo-Ritsuko-Maya love triangle (or is that 'love square'?). One thing I've always wondered about is whether the 'Emi Kusanagi' character onboard the ship is really a Joyce Self-Insert. Anyhows, this fic is a riot of fun and reminds me of how much I miss Joyce's participation in the Evafic scene. Sniff.