Looks like we have a Lotta trouble on our hands, but an opening has been created. Now, we need to take advantage of it.

Since we don’t have much to discuss today, I’ll use this time to mention something that comes up later on in this batch of episodes.

The often-cited statistic that 99% of all cases brought to trial in Japan end with a guilty verdict was brought up in conversation, and Twitch chat wondered how true that statistic is. I took some time to look into it, and while a few minutes on Google is no replacement for genuine research and journalism, both the BBC and the Human Rights Campaign are credible sources who each wrote articles about the injustice of the Japanese Legal System in January and May of 2023 respectively. It was shockingly easy to find these pieces.

And they each paint a damning picture. I’m not fond of the criminal justice system in the US for the amount of police and prosecutorial injustice found within it, but some of the cases cited by the Human Rights Campaign and the BBC in their respective reports make our legal system here look tame by comparison. If anything, the cartoony and outlandish behavior of the prosecutors and judges in the Ace Attorney games are far easier to swallow.

With Edgeworth joining us on this side of the aisle, whoever they bring to prosecute couldn’t possibly be worse, right?

Right, Wright!?

It’s easy to tell in this first game that the development team was not confident that they could get a sequel off the ground. Someone as menacing as prosecutor Manfred von Karma, and his complete command of the courtroom, including the judge, serves as a perfect antagonist for the finale. Down to his menacingly deep “Objection”, he establishes himself quickly as a credible threat that won’t budge an inch the way Edgeworth might have.

And though we don’t feel the change mechanically, writing-wise there’s a strong distinction between how Edgeworth and Karma prosecute. Edgeworth is quite content to allow Phoenix to press witnesses and then point out how he’s bumbling and stumbling to undermine the defense attorney’s credibility. On the other hand, von Karma more frequently and openly objections as often as he possibly can, refusing to concede even small questions that could create openings. Even though we don’t experience hopelessness because we know that we haven’t made any mistakes, the characters do. Maya even had to sidestep courtroom procedure and get arrested to give us the crack we needed to proceed.

As always, we’re going to perform a turnabout. But before we do, we need to let the pressure build for maximum dramatic effect.

We’re still no closer to getting Edgeworth to sign us on as his attorneys, and the trial date is closing in. Our client(?) needs us, and that means we need to get busy.

That tidbit about how they wanted to reuse Larry Butz to save space, turning recurring characters into a series-long gag, also came from Gita Jackson’s piece in A Profound Waste of Time, Issue 3 where she interviewed series creator Shu Takemi.

That said, even without him, we can already see how everyone’s personal histories are being woven together into a single, final case. It’s deft work, and when we get to the trial next time, I hope we get to dive further into it.

What else is there to be said aside from “Merry Christmas”?

I like the dynamic of this investigation scene because while we are technically investigating the murder, most of our time is spent trying to convince the suspect that they should take us on as legal counsel. Edgeworth is simply too attractive to be the murderer, and we all know it. But even still, we can’t help a client who refuses to be our client.

And that merely sets the stage for the rest of this case. Next time, our investigation continues.

At this point, though some details are unclear, we have a solid idea of who our culprit is. Lucky for us, our prime suspect has seen fit to take the stand.

Let’s break her testimony.

I absolutely respect the Wrightworth shippers. It’s clear the two characters have a natural chemistry that only deepens throughout the series, and it’s not too difficult to read into that. Unfortunately, they are wrong.

The fact remains that Miles Edgeworth is ace/aro, and belongs in that community.

And no, I will not be taking questions at this time.

We have one more chance to conduct our investigation before the final trial for the murder of Jack Hammer. Unless we can deduce who the true killer is, we’ll be in deep trouble.

Time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Again, I want to shout out Detective Dick Gumshoe for showing no fear whatsoever in taking on a group of mafia men by himself and being threatening enough to get them to step down. Sure, partially it’s because once the police are aware there’s no point in trying to hide anything, but it’s still something.

As for us, we’ll need to be equally impressive in the trial, or else Will Powers is going to spend the rest of his days in prison. Tune in next time for the excitement.

We just need one more day to investigate the crime. One more day, and we can finger the true culprit. Can we buy that time at trial?

I sure hope so.

I’m genuinely happy that it’s been long enough that I didn’t wholly remember the big twist with the Steel Samurai outfit being worn by the victim, and outside Studio Two. When I said before the monkey head not blocking off the path was a minor blemish, this is why.

Though we don’t have the crucial information from Cody’s photo until the last minute, every single detail aside from that is established well ahead of time. We know that Studio Two was blocked off, and we had the bottle of sleeping pills from our investigation. I hesitate to say it was possible to figure it out ahead of time, but the big twist that our victim was in the suit doesn’t come out of thin air. Rather, it’s the logical consequence of the chain of facts build-up until that point.

It’s a masterpiece of murder mystery writing, and you’ll find as we progress that artistry is maintained across the entire series. Next week, we should wrap up Turnabout Samurai and get to my favorite case from the first game.

Another day of trial awaits us, and our client is still the prime suspect in a murder he didn’t commit. Perhaps it’s time for a Turnabout Samurai.

By sheer coincidence, my copy of A Profound Waste of Time: Volume 3 arrived over the holidays and one of the pieces, written by Gita Jackson from Aftermath, was about Shu Takemi, the creator of the Ace Attorney games.

According to her article, he has written almost 30 mysteries across all of the cases in the Ace Attorney franchise, which makes him one of the most prolific murder mystery writers of our age. I said he wrote about as many stories as Christie in the recording, but that’s a lie. Still, he does come closer to the greats of the genre than most others.

And when I think about that, it makes me wonder if his work will get the same level of prestige years down the line. He certainly deserves it. Few games ever make me laugh on replay as much as I’ve found myself laughing while streaming this one.

Congrats to you, Mr. Takemi-san. I hope you’re doing well.

In this episode, I lose my mind over seemingly trivial details, but I promise that there’s a method to my madness in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.

I absolutely refuse to believe that the road was “blocked off” simply because there was a giant head in the middle of it. It should be entirely possible to walk around it to get to Studio One. Heck, it should be easy.

It’s hardly a major failing or even a plot hole. It’s just one of those contrivances in fiction that gets to me in a way it probably won’t get to most other people. Still, as hyperbolic as I am, this is not CinemaSins, and I won’t pretend it’s anything but a minor concern.

This is still one of the best murder mystery franchises in all of video games, if not the best.

Turnabout Samurai continues, and when we last left off we were in the middle of a murder trial. All we need to do is buy time for another day of investigations. Hopefully, our opening is somewhere in Oldbag’s testimony.

I remember the days of l33t sp3ak, and I wish I didn’t. Thankfully, in fiction, anyone who talks like that is definitely “sucksores”, so I can treat them like garbage.

Doubly so for the ones creeping on a 17-year-old girl! Let’s just say that I can’t wait to pick him apart at the next trial. And hopefully, you’ll be just as excited to join me for it.