To Tame a Magus (FSN / Familiar of Zero)

[Altima of the Gates]

If Shinji learned to have a better poker face he could probably defeat people just by being so smug that they feel they have no hope and surrender

I mean he managed to look smug when standing next to a smirking Gilgamesh. There's just nothing in FoZ that can top that.

It is literally against his personality to not show his cards on his face, you would have to totally change him to do that.
And he looked smug next to the guy while everyone else is telling him, "bro, that guy, he is probably gonna do bad stuff to you" and they end up right. The smugness then looks hilarious as a result.

But anyway, I will keep a look out for this, having someone like Louise as his partner? Either a recipe for disaster or the catalyst toward change. But hey, it can be both!

[Siriel]

It is literally against his personality to not show his cards on his face, you would have to totally change him to do that.

What are you talking about, Shinji is a master of deception. Didn't you see how he cleverly pretended that the field was just in case someone attacked him before immediately setting it off for no reason?

And he looked smug next to the guy while everyone else is telling him, "bro, that guy, he is probably gonna do bad stuff to you" and they end up right. The smugness then looks hilarious as a result.

That is the tragedy of Shinji's life.

Absolute superiority, unloseable scenario. Enter smugmode.

Total defeat.

[DezoPenguin]

Also "abusive rapist", while correct, is kind of redundant.

It reflects Shinji's creativity and eclectic nature, in that he also abuses in ways that are not rape.

This is intriguing, though. My usual take on ZnT is that Saito deserved roughly 30-40% of the crap that Louise dishes out because he is a complete moron and pervert. I figure that with Shinji's greater capacity for genuine evil, that'll get that percentage up higher. Thus, the relationship will be a 50-50 balance of who's going to be the monster today! A much more likely scenario for long-term happiness. (Actually, the thought of two of the characters whose canon versions are among my most hated characters in Japanese media spending 500K words brutally abusing each other sounds very cathartic! )

[Kuradora]

It reflects Shinji's creativity and eclectic nature, in that he also abuses in ways that are not rape.

This is intriguing, though. My usual take on ZnT is that Saito deserved roughly 30-40% of the crap that Louise dishes out because he is a complete moron and pervert. I figure that with Shinji's greater capacity for genuine evil, that'll get that percentage up higher. Thus, the relationship will be a 50-50 balance of who's going to be the monster today! A much more likely scenario for long-term happiness. (Actually, the thought of two of the characters whose canon versions are among my most hated characters in Japanese media spending 500K words brutally abusing each other sounds very cathartic! )

Double the inferiority complex, double the emotional damage.

[KooriRenchuu]

Well, this is going to be a wild ride. GO FOR IT BROBLE!

[EnigmaticFellow]

Basically, Shinji is a far more horrible person, but he is also a far more interesting person. And in a story, being interesting is really what matters.

Preach it, brother!

[Flere821]

And he is still a step above Saito!

Fuck, no. Saito did his attempted rape because he was incredibly idiotic when it came to social cues, while for Shinji it was for baser motives (anger at not being heir, jealousy, and so on). Not to mention Saito learned to not take advantage of vulnerable women after that, while Shinji had went on with Sakura for years.

'step above Saito' for the sake of the story, possibly (inferiority complex and all sorts of emotional baggage), but if you meant 'as a better person' I'm going with 'WTH are you smoking man?' >.>

[dragon20990]

Fuck, no. Saito did his attempted rape because he was incredibly idiotic when it came to social cues, while for Shinji it was for baser motives (anger at not being heir, jealousy, and so on). Not to mention Saito learned to not take advantage of vulnerable women after that, while Shinji had went on with Sakura for years.

'step above Saito' for the sake of the story, possibly (inferiority complex and all sorts of emotional baggage), but if you meant 'as a better person' I'm going with 'WTH are you smoking man?' >.>

I Agree. It all has to do with the stpry context. As a person and even as a heroic protagonist Saito is better then Shinji. In a thousand different worlds and fics, Shinji is never a character of importance let alone a protagonist. He is an asshole and rapist with an inferiority complex to those who do magic. What is interesting is how he will deal with Halgenkia and their mages. As Gandalfr he will be given a taste of power and the potential to be stronger then anyone, but can he get over his past? Shinji will never be the heroic harem lead that is Saito. Everyone knows that. He is not even good enough to be a bad as anti-hero. Shinji is the epic failure who survives through trickery and cowardice. Let's see how that works here.

[Siriel]

Okay, so I hate to be /that guy/, but Shinji isn't an epic failure.

Well, he is, but only as a magus.

He's otherwise a fairly smart, popular, successful dude as long as you don't step into his giant "I WILL FUCKING CHOKE YOU BITCH" button. (AKA magi looking down on him.)

Just look at the very first description we get of him from Rin's POV (also noting that she mostly knows Shinji through reputation):

This smiling guy is Matou Shinji, of class 2-C.
He's the vice-captain of the archery club and owner of the hearts of half the girls in this school.

Kind of an idol, good looking, good grades, sociable, and kind to girls.

We, the audience, know him at his worst because the only environment we see him in is either the thing that he's a loser at (being a magus) or when he's around the person that he hates the most (Sakura).

[forumghost]

Shinji huh? This is not going to end well...

[ILurkNoMoar]

He's otherwise a fairly smart, popular, successful dude as long as you don't step into his giant "I WILL FUCKING CHOKE YOU BITCH" button. (AKA magi looking down on him.)

It's a pity that he was summoned to a world were magical ability determines social status then. I can just tell Shinji isn't going to react well to Louise's whole "Shut up, you're a commoner and I'm a noble so you should be honored to be my familiar."

[Duncan Idaho]

Shinji huh? This is not going to end well...

I have yet to see truer words.

[Siriel]

It's a pity that he was summoned to a world were magical ability determines social status then. I can just tell Shinji isn't going to react well to Louise's whole "Shut up, you're a commoner and I'm a noble so you should be honored to be my familiar."

Well, yes. I doubt this will be a social situation where Shinji gets to shine.

Not until he discovers the powers that he may or may not now have, at any rate.

- - - Updated - - -

And I can't believe I just noticed this but this Shinji can't come from any of the canon routes, since I don't believe there is one where Shinji hates Ilya in particular.

[forumghost]

Well, yes. I doubt this will be a social situation where Shinji gets to shine.

Not until he discovers the powers that he may or may not now have, at any rate.

At which point he will get worse, because if there is one thing FSN showed about Shinji, it's that he really shouldn't have power, as it tends to turn him from "Smug Jerkass" into a full-blown Megalomaniac.

[Mattias]

And I can't believe I just noticed this but this Shinji can't come from any of the canon routes, since I don't believe there is one where Shinji hates Ilya in particular.

I just assumed he was from Fate, after Ilya/Herc attacks him, but before the killing blow. Then again, with Herc, the killing blow would be the first blow...

[Siriel]

I totally blanked on what happened to him in Fate.

I am truly a man of rare knowledge.

[TSB]

I'm interested to see how Louise will react once she finds out a bit more about Shinji. I hardly think she'll be amused to learn that she, a near-complete failure in magic, has summoned a boy descended of magic users but is completely incapable of magic.

[Duncan Idaho]

I'm interested to see how Louise will react once she finds out a bit more about Shinji. I hardly think she'll be amused to learn that she, a near-complete failure in magic, has summoned a boy descended of magic users but is completely incapable of magic.

forgot the rapist part

[nununu]

Gallia's gonna lose their monopoly on batshit crazy Void mages soon.

[ILurkNoMoar]

Gallia's gonna lose their monopoly on batshit crazy Void mages soon.

But Joseph was never crazy.