What is your opinion?
Hands Down, a Great Fic
"I am a huge fan of superheroes, and I love Soul Eater, so a blend of the two absolutely drew my attention. I am always very grateful for clever interpretations of powers into new worlds and new dimensions, and I found this to be an excellent explanation of theirs. They translated well and represented the powers in canon without being too heavy-handed. The cast of characters was very well done, and it was great to see so many interesting roles for different people. I'm especially fond of Kid as DA, but they are all well-thought out. There were a lot of potential superhero themes that could have been explored, and I was a bit disappointed to see that they were not. There were many different avenues that could have been explored, but the plot is solid nonetheless. The final fight scene was very well executed, and we really fear for the characters. The stakes feel high and the payoff is therefore well earned. I appreciate the ending, and feel that there is a lot of potential for a sequel for further exploration. I look forward to seeing what might happen in this expansive world!"
All the Superheroes
"This is a fantastic twist on the superhero genre with all our SE faves. It's one part redemption story, one part comic book adventure, and one part fandom homage. The characterization is wonderfully done. I enjoyed the way we get glimpses of the characters in the "normal" lives, to see how they live when it's not all high adventure and superpowers. It's very... human. There's fun tech, lots of action, some sexy romance, hilarious one-liners, evil super villains, and so much more. A very fun fic with just the right amount of angst!"
Superheroes at their best
"As someone who loves the superhero genre but it always let down by it's problematic mainstream canons, this fic is everything I have wanted from the genre! With a clear and original premise and interpretation of the genre, ProMa delivers where existing texts fail. The characters are well developed with clear motivations, relationships and superpowers. The angle of the ex-villain and the superhero falling in love and building a life together is particularly unique and executed in a way that leaves no doubt of their love for each other or their identities as super-humans trying to make a difference in the world. Soul's voice as the POV character is consistent and compelling, his self-doubt/loathing never coming off as annoying or pitiable and his devotion to changing his life and aiding Maka never grandiose or over the top. It is definitely one of the best Soul characterizations I have read."Down and Out in Death City" is definitely one of my go-to stories when I'm craving some superheroes."
Whiplash
"I've never found myself very invested in superhero stories. Spiderman was never really my thing, and though I do enjoy Christian Bale doing his growl-y manly man shtick, I don't really give much a damn about his story. This fic made me rethink my indifference toward all things superhero. The true beauty of this piece is really shown in Soul's internal struggle against his less than noble thoughts and tendencies. It's like meeting your shadow, and then having it hold out it's hand for you to shake but instead it clocks you and leaves you reeling. Soul's battle with the self is so familiar, so truly tangible that i could feel his frustration, his anger, his pain, I could feel everything he was feeling, right alongside my own set of emotions. The resolution to this story felt realistic and right. No one gets through this shit unscathed, but they rise from ruin again all the same, and all the better for it. I really love this story.. It's heartwarming, funny, sexy, painful, and more, and everyone who has the opportunity to read it should absolutely do so. Thank you for sharing your beautiful work."
More intriguing AU than I thought would be
"So now that I've finally finished reading the whole thing (and admittedly, I probably skimmed some stuff because I was too anxious to see SoMa's interactions and the inevitable reveal of identity) I have to say, this is definitely a very successful AU. It's like a cross between heroes, X-Men, and Soul Eater, and I like it. In the time I spent away from the computer before I'd completed it, it left my imagination rolling, too. A little more language than I'd have liked to see, but that aspect did help portray some of the panic, so it's not something that I'd necessarily count against it. You did a very good job in staying in character and yet putting them in different scenarios and relationships. The introduction on how they got to this life style of ex-villain was very simple, but entertaining enough, so it seemed a very good transition. I especially loved how you portrayed Black Star as well. This is something I have trouble doing in regards to that specific character. However, most of all, I loved the entire conclusion and how you really animated the emotions, thoughts, and actions in the last chapter. It gave a good closure to the story as a whole. Overall... I approve!"
Down and Out in DC was great!
"Ahh, I really love your style. You mix in a lot of snark and the kind of stream-of-consciousness ideas that people get in everyday life, but maintain really good grammar and a very coherent storyline. Plus, I think the idea of Soul and Maka as superheroes, once enemies, now partners, is very sexy. I also liked the way you included a bunch of other cast members and wove all their stories in with Soul's and Maka's. Black Star as a family member was especially sweet!"
a wonderful journey and experience
"Once again, thank you for having me as a beta, the pleasure was all mine and the experience was definitely one I won't soon forget. Your prose, language, and style is always so vivid and articulate and has a very distinguishable charm and flair that is signature to you.. Your plot idea is fantastic and your characterization is not only spot on, but also cheeky in which you capture the initial joy of Soul Eater by leaving them light and quirky despite the pressing situation and the relationship. Truly one of my favourites to come from Resbang in 2014, and I don't have a bias because I got to be a part of the process! Thank you for sharing this fic, Promama!"
Down And Out In Death City Review
"Villain rehab has never been quite this interesting, funny and devastating. Each half of the pairing is determined to keep the other safe, and attempts to do so with mixed results. Superhero is a genre unsuited to the written word, I've been told. Whoever said that didn't read this."
Flipped the Script on the Superhero Narrative
"Stories of superheroes and forbidden love stories are a dime a dozen, which is why I think you're story about what happens after the happily ever after is so engaging and subversive. The prologue emphasizes right at the beginning that simply getting together isn't the end, but the beginning of a new conflict. As an ex-supervillain, Soul never truly sheds his instincts to throw conventional morality to the wind and fight tooth and metal blade to achieve his own goals. Loving Maka didn't suddenly make him a better person, and being with her didn't suddenly make all of his problems go away. His real struggle is to learn how to channel all that inner bitterness at the world towards something positive. I was taken aback by Soul's constant tunnel vision when it came to helping and saving Maka, even when he was thinking of something unrelated to her, but I soon realized this was another subversion. The entire superhero genre is about good and bad guys nurturing their obsessions, but they almost always include death and tragedy (ie: Batman and his dead parents). Soul's backstory is actually about love and rebirth, he will do anything to preserve his happy ending. Your homages to Soul Eater canon were really fitting, particularly Kid's role as the up and coming ADA (another homage to superheroes?). In terms of technical things, your writing style glides the way through. If there were grammar errors, I didn't notice because I was sucked into the story. Thanks for sharing your story on Inkitt, and I hope you win the fandom contest!"
A lot of unexplored potential
"Down and Out is cleverly written, with nods to the original series cropping up in creative ways that I hadn't seen before. The universe ProMa has created here has several layers, hinting at more large-scale organizations and world mechanics than the limited perspective of the protagonist can allow. It makes the reader wonder what all is going on and what kind of backstories exist. Pretty cool uses of superhero powers that reference the original series without coming off as hokey, and there are bouts of conflict from both the good side and bad side, which keeps it interesting. I do wish I could have seen more of Maka, particularly in the beginning, to see just why Soul adores her so much rather than being simply told. Soul also has grueling bouts of self loathing, which are also told (frequently) more than shown, and I was holding out for him to realize his own worth by the end of the story, but it never seemed to quite happen, even though the story wraps up fairly nicely. Between this and his overall caustic attitude (namely with his students), I found it difficult to sympathize with him. This story has a lot of fantastic concepts, and I'd love to see ProMa take them up and explore them with more depth. Some of the character interactions are really entertaining, with great dialogue! I really enjoyed that Soul and Maka were quick to talk through obstacles -- seeing relationships with active communication in fic and fanfic is so important."
