A Different View - Review Version

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archonix
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A Different View - Review Version

Post by archonix » Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:51 pm

Well here it is, the definitive, final, absolutely finished version.

A Different View

Image

Rating - PG (some violence and swearing)

Plot Summary

An accident in the Professor's lab changes Fry in to a woman, and has more profound consequences that alter the very course of history itself. Now, whilst having to deal with the changes in her personal life, and a new-found friendship, the new Philippa Fry and the crew have to battle to prevent a sinister alien conspiracy that reaches to the very heard of the Democratic Order of Planets in a quest that may force them all to make a sacrifice almost too difficult to comprehend.

Incidentally, the "soundtrack" mentioned at the end is available on request. It's a personal conceit, nothing more. :)

Also: Some art related to this fic can be found [iurl=http://www.simpworks.com/forums/index.p ... #msg101499]starting here[/iurl]. Brows through the thread to see what you can find and enjoy the rest, too, why not?
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Last edited by archonix on Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Our choicest plans have fallen through, our airiest castles tumbled over, because of lines we neatly drew and later neatly stumbled over.
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by archonix » Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:18 pm

Chaptered versions for easy spot marking.
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Our choicest plans have fallen through, our airiest castles tumbled over, because of lines we neatly drew and later neatly stumbled over.
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by missy_misery » Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:14 pm

Short review: This remins Good Stuff. 

I forgot to say in my first review how much I like the Phi/Bender stuff.  When taking on a plot like this people often overlook how the robot who's arguably Fry's closest friend would react to such a change, and you handle it in this fic so very well.  Everything Bender says and does in reaction to Phi is believable.

In short - a fic with a wee bit for everyone.  You have some well-written action, a little humor, some very interesting drama, sci-fi elements, bits of romantic interaction and wee bits of slice of life.  None of these elements overpower each other and all mix up well and make a beautiful picture.

All in all, well worth reading. 

Final Rating: A
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by c_nordlander » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:38 pm

First of all: I've done a bit of beta-reading work with this story, so if this review seems overly gushy, it's because I've already made all the nitpicks I could think of.

I enjoyed this very much. I won't pretend I'm fond of the gender-switch premise, but it's redeemed by what you've done with it. The fact that it's really only an accessary to the more momentous plot about the invasion makes it less clichéd, and it is handled maturely throughout. Like Missy, I'm impressed with Fry's interaction with Bender: it makes the point that losing a friendship can be as sad as losing a love, which I don't see a lot of in most stories. The central dilemma is well done, and builds up to some very nice Leela moments in their fight. The ending is a twist, in the best way possible: unexpected, but not for the sake of it. Bittersweet without being clichéd.

Characterisation is flawless, as far as I can tell. Fry is particularly impressive, but I also enjoyed Bender, Leela and Zapp. Samuel isn't given all that much depth, but he doesn't have to, seeing how he's a minor character anyway. The Ruklisk make for good melodramatic villains.

The writing style is perhaps your best so far, with some beautiful descriptions (the opening sucks you in, and I also like the events when Fry repeats the experiment at the end). This is a drama, obviously, but where there are jokes, they are hilarious.

There's very little not to like here. There is the occasionally slow moment, and the plot felt quite complicated in places, but over all, as Missy says, this fic has a bit of everything. It even made me feel a bit teary-eyed in places.

And now I want to find out what happened after
Spoiler

My rating: A.
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by AssistantCrone » Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:55 pm

Putting the whole thing in spoilers, why not:
Spoiler
ETA: Forgot the rating. I give it ten smiling Zoidbergs!
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by archonix » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:26 am

Well, thanks for the review! And you others too, thanks, I should have said something before... :)

Anyway, Beb, to specifically answer a couple of your questions:

The ruklisk are evil bastards. It's what they do. :)
Spoiler
We need a zoidberg smiley. ;D
Last edited by archonix on Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by Enhas » Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:43 pm

Since I'm lazy and want to say the same thing I did before, here's my post lifted from FMMB:

I've read the whole thing, and I thought it was a really good story.  Very different from most stuff I've read, but done pretty well.  It makes things much easier to remind yourself throughout when reading that Philippa is not really Fry anymore (more like, she's a woman with Fry's memories and is struggling to find her place in things).

Hope to see a sequel sometime and a few pictures to go with it, including Samuel (who in my mind looks like a slightly different-looking Fry with longer brown hair, sort of like Yancy).  Actually, it'd be nice if this whole story / series was illustrated like some of coldangel's are, but it'd probably take too long.

Rating: A- (minor spelling errors / word usage, and a few wrong uses of "he" and "him", but nothing that really detracts from the story)

As for "A Different View 2" (or whatever it would be named), I said before in chat that Philippa should be eventually paired off with someone.  Well, here's an idea I have:

- Due to one of their new contracts from the party, a new liaison is sent back and forth from that company to Planet Express (ie. a delivery boy).
- He's a bit of an idiot but has a good heart (like Fry), and would start showing interest in Philippa.
- Philippa would see what it was like from Leela's point of view after being pined after by someone she doesn't love (at least at first). ;)

I know that you're doing Parallel Lives next, but I look forward to a sequel (and maybe more) of this story.  Never mind what everyone on PEEL says.  And if you ever do a Universe-1 crossover I'd see something like this happening:

Fry-1: Well, we're in weird-colored land again.  Everything's just so wrong!
Leela-1: There's no box around, so we have to figure out why we're here.  Come on, Fry!  We should find the other me.
Fry-1: The purple-haired one?  She was like, really stuck up the last time we saw her!  Uh, no offense!
Leela-1: Actually, I agree.

(Later, when they are at Planet Express)

Leela-1: I never thought I'd see you again!  You're like the big nosy sister I never had!
Leela-A: It's nice, (glances at Fry-1 for a few moments) and a bit awkward.
Leela-1: Well, what have you been up to?
Leela-A (Holding out her hand to show off her ring): I'm married!
Leela-1: Congratulations!
Fry-1: Yay!  I score again!  I'm the greatest and belong with Leela no matter what universe I'm in!  Whoop!  Whoop!
Leela-1: So, you decided to take my advice?
Leela-A (Nervously): Not exactly.. I'm not married to Fry, if that's what you're thinking.  I met this lovely coffee-shop owner, and..
Philippa (after entering the room): Leela, I think we're out of french vanilla cappuccino.. oh.  What the..
(Leela-1 and Fry-1 look completely shocked)
Fry-1: You mean, you're married to..
Leela-A (suddenly realizing what the situation looks like, and is embarassed): No!  Philippa is my best friend, and I'm married to Samuel!  Samuel, who is a man!  A man!
Philippa: Why is the Universe-1 Leela and the other, uh.. person doing here?  I thought that we didn't have the box with their universe in it anymore.
Fry-1: Leela, who's the redhead?  She kind of looks like a younger, hotter version of my mother.. wait, that sounds weird even for me!
(Leela-1 hits his arm)
Leela-A: Well, I could drag this out but I think it's better to get it out all at once.  Philippa, would you be alright if I told them?
Philippa (nodding head): Sure.  But I wonder which one of them will take it better?  If I know Fry, he'll probably freak right out or something!
Fry-1: Hey!  How do you know me? (Turning to Leela-1) Leela, are you sure that we haven't ended up in an episode of The Scary Door?
Leela-A: The easiest way to start is.. is that Fry isn't around anymore.
Leela-1: You mean.. is he dead?
Leela-A: What?  No, of course not!  Over a year ago, there was an accident in the Professor's lab and he was badly hurt.
Fry-1: So, he's in a hospital but in a coma or something?  How could you do this, Universe-A Leela?  If I know me, he'd still be trying to win you over but you went and got married to someone else!  He told me a lot of stuff before I went back home, and then we had a Slurm drinking contest!
Philippa (interrupting): No, he's not in the hospital.. she's here.  And I won that contest!  You really couldn't hold your Slurm, but I probably couldn't now either!
Leela-1 (looking to Leela-A): You mean, she's..
Leela-A: Meet Philippa Fry, Delivery-Girl first class of Planet Express!
Fry-1: Kinky. (Passes out)
Philippa: That went well.

I just had a few ideas to throw out and I don't expect you to use them, but they were fun to make up.  Again, A- for A Different View, but a high A-. ;D

(Edit: Sorry if this is the wrong thread for this kind of stuff, but I didn't know where else I should have posted it.)
Last edited by Enhas on Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by archonix » Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:03 pm

Ahhh... now that's funny. ;D

Thanks for the comments, don't worry about posting it here. Makes it easier for me to, ah... borrow. ;)
Last edited by archonix on Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Our choicest plans have fallen through, our airiest castles tumbled over, because of lines we neatly drew and later neatly stumbled over.
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by TOO S0BER » Wed Aug 22, 2012 2:37 pm

You may or may not remember me, but on DeviantArt I asked for the link to your story, "A Different View". Wasn't more than a week or two ago, and you graciously replied. Once again, thank you.

Not ten minutes ago, I finished your fanfiction story. I used to be an avid reader of various fanfictions on multiple sites, but after many disappointments and letdowns, I lost hope that there was anything worthwhile to read. Your story is perhaps the most amazing fanfiction that I have read in too long to remember. I've always been interested in "sex swap" stories ever since seeing the remake of "Freaky Friday" and the "Neutopia" episode of Futurama. I set out to satisfy that urge, and stumbled upon your artwork on DeviantArt, and subsequently, your story.

The intertwining plot line of the DOOP and Ruklisk "cold war" is an enthralling concept. The depiction of Phillippa's interaction with other characters, Bender most notably, is in my opinion spot on. Like the show, comedy is present and accounted for, without being overbearing. A great effort must have been taken to capture the personalities of each of the main and supporting cast, because as far as I could tell, it was flawless. At some points, I had trouble discerning whether this was a fanfiction or an official work for the series. It was that good. That said, I had no problem imagining every aspect of every scene, the detail incredible. This story, for me at least, invokes great emotion the likes of which I haven't experienced since playing a certain video game (Lost Odyssey- A J-RPG for the Xbox 360 console). Such care was taking in crafting this wonderful tale.

I particularly liked the ending, as another viewer said. Certainly my heartstrings were tugged. Like others, there were great emotional moments where reading became difficult because my eyes were teared.

My only true complaint would have to be grammar and spelling, which was fairly present throughout. Normally, that sucks me out of a story like a tornado sucks up leaves off a nearby tree. However, your writing style, storyline, and superbly crafted character personas "sucked me in" as another reviewer put it.

I greatly hope that this isn't the end of this adventure. Some of the reviewer's ideas seem like they could have great potential for another blockbuster hit.

At this point the rating should be obvious: A

P.S. Originally signed on an account just to comment on this story. Hopefully, it won't be the last!
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Re: A Different View - Review Version

Post by archonix » Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:23 pm

Ahh, well... wow! Of course I remember your comment on deviantart, and it's nice to be getting reviews on this after so much time. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Our choicest plans have fallen through, our airiest castles tumbled over, because of lines we neatly drew and later neatly stumbled over.
— Piet Hein - Grooks
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