Subject: Classic Reviews #4
From: gaffney@iconn.net
Date: 7/2/1996, 10:23 PM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

OK, first of all, I would like to apologize for the less
than lucid style of #3.  It was written at 2 in the morning 
and I was zonked.  Hopefully people interpreted my
gibberish to actually *mean* something.

Now, onward...


No Mere Mortal
by Ed Sharpe


This one could be called a classic fic for many reasons.  
First of all, the characterization is impeccable.  Urd is
written as she should be, i.e. predominately nasty.  Keiichi
and Belldandy's relationship is definitely post-OAV 5, but
still shy and awkward.  (And dig that off-camera scene!)

But of course, Skuld is the focus here.  Now, I have never
been a big Skuld fan, but this one really got her *down*.
Just entering the goddess version of puberty, she's even
more of a bag of nerves than usual, imagining slights even
when they aren't there.  Best of all, her relationship is
written as a 13-year-old girl, which means being circumspect.
It's rare to find taste in Anime fanfic relationships, but
it's here.

And, needless to say, this fanfic is here because of Kenji.
A character so well-written into the AMG story that other
authors have assumed his presence (he's in at least 4 
others, all by other authors, and if I ever write an AMG,
I'll ask Ed's permission to use him.)  A realistic guy
who doesn't seem like an "author" character at all, Kenji
makes his mistakes and has his victories.  More importantly,
he and Skuld are ready to let their relationship develop
*slowly*, which, as Keiichi and Belldandy show, is a good 
way to ensure that there is a relationship.

Looked at more for its consequences than the fic itself,
No Mere Mortal is one of the best AMG fics around, with
only Scenes from a Life beating it (and it's nearly
impossible to beat Scenes, the perfect fic.)

4 stars.  Joe Bob says check it out.


Next:  Well, since Stefan's back, let's look at (IMHO)
the best of his fics, Terry Gilliam's Ranma 1/2 -- um, I
mean Ministry of Confusion.

--Sean Gaffney
--but I'm feeling *much* better now... - John Astin, Night Court