#resolving karma

[wayti-blog]

"Two souls don’t find each other by simple accident."

Jorge Luis Borges

[esotericfaery]

The Ascendant connects with the Cosmic Mind. We're re-learning other life memories through that placement; skills and talents, for resolving karmas, and for enjoying life. ° = Clues.

It's important to be aware that as an angle, the Ascendant is not the only reference placement for karma.

The entire chart is.

Karma is ruled most directly in general, by Saturn.

Life and thus the chart, begins with the Ascendant.

[yooniesim]

Worked on cc a bunch yesterday and started organizing all my screenshots to hopefully finally post gameplay for woodruff legacy and amari's old af bc. Don't wanna jinx it but so far im having fun. Might just have my groove back 🤔

[pagesofkenna]

(Love Bullet, Chapter 0)

[frickingnerd]

Ace Attorney Masterlist

➤ Phoenix Wright Trilogy

➤ Apollo Justice Trilogy

➤ Miles Edgeworth Investigations

➤ The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

[badkarma1998]

When I find myself in times of trouble

Shadow the Hedgehog comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom

Gun ~☆

[wayti-blog]

There is but one solution to the intricate riddle of life; to improve ourselves, and contribute to the happiness of others.

― Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

[comradecowplant]

Damian London as Regent Virini is definitely one of the highlight performances of Babylon 5. From his introduction to exit, just absolutely stellar 👏👏👏👏👏

[commentaryvorg]

The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 1, Part 1

Welcome to another commentary project of mine, though this one will be quite a bit shorter than my others. The Great Ace Attorney has become my favourite Ace Attorney game, but I wouldn’t have commentary-worthy thoughts about every single part of every case. The final trial (of Resolve), though, has a lot of fun stuff going on beneath the surface that’s deserving of some line-by-line analysis like I do on this blog.

Of course, this will be written from a perspective of already knowing the full truth of things, so there will be spoilers for facts that only get revealed later on in the trial. This is not a commentary to read along with one’s first playthrough!

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

Now that we’re below the readmore, I can add that this isn’t quite a commentary for everything going on in the final trial. It’s focused specifically on Kazuma and what’s going on in his head, only covering things which are relevant to him in some way (for the most part). Kazuma is my favourite character, and I already had a lot to say about him in a big analysis post over on my main blog – but there’s enough interesting blow-by-blow stuff going on with him in this trial that didn’t really fit into that more general post. I still wanted to talk about that stuff somehow, so here I am, doing a more line-by-line commentary here.

By “final” trial, I of course mean all of van Zieks’s trial that spans across cases 2-4 and 2-5, so we’ll be starting with day 1 in 2-4 here.

Ryunosuke:  “…The defence is ready, My Lord.” Kazuma:  “The prosecution… is more than ready.”

This may sound like petty one-upmanship, but of course Kazuma is more than ready. This is the trial that his entire life has been building towards, in which he avenges his father and takes down the corrupt monster who killed him – he is so ready to finally do this.

Kazuma:  “I believe it takes an outsider to see the truth sometimes.”

Kazuma believes that as someone not wrapped up in the corruption going on in the British judiciary, he’s in the perfect position to unravel it all.

And yet… he’s really not an outsider to this case at all. He’s far too caught up in the personal stakes it has for him to be able to see things in an unbiased light regarding van Zieks. Ryunosuke is the true outsider here, as the only one with no personal connection to any of this – and that’s why he’s the one who’s going to be able to see the truth.

(Fittingly, Genshin believed this too, in that he was the only one with a viewpoint unbiased by Klint’s noble status that allowed him to see the truth – even despite being Klint’s colleague and friend.)

Kazuma:  “And as I stand here in this courtroom now, I’m quite certain… this is the reason why I had to come to Britain.”

Kazuma already knew from the start that the reason he “had” to come to Britain was for the purpose of avenging this father. So what he’s saying here is more about the specific circumstances of this trial, in which van Zieks finally screwed up and got caught murdering someone (that’s totally what’s happening here, right), as if Kazuma feels like fate wanted him to be here for this perfect opportunity to take van Zieks down. All along, this specific trial was the one he was fated to stand in when he came to Britain.

Kazuma explains that the gunshot was determined to be fired point-blank because scorch marks only happen within that range. It seems that this is a fact of forensic investigation that Ryunosuke didn’t know about until he heard it here. During the investigation, both he and Susato casually assume that the candle was broken by the bullet because of the scorch marks there. But that’s not possible! Ryunosuke’s later going to revise that assumption and argue that the scorch marks prove the candle couldn’t have been broken by the bullet, thanks to the new knowledge he’s acquired just now.

But Kazuma already knew all along about how scorch marks from gunshots work… and yet he never questioned the notion that the candle was broken by the bullet. Because of course he didn’t. Van Zieks is definitely guilty; any tiny details that might have a chance of suggesting otherwise are irrelevant and got thoroughly brushed over in his head.

Susato:  “Bravo, Kazuma-sama… for not trying to use the gun as evidence when its provenance can’t be proven.”

Legit props to Kazuma for this. He probably assumes it totally is van Zieks’s gun, and given the backwards logic he’s going to use later on in this trial, I honestly wouldn’t have put it past him to insist that van Zieks having incidentally lost his gun is totally proof that this one belongs to him. But right now, at least, he’s behaving more rationally than that. I suppose he feels that van Zieks’s guilt is so obvious right now that he doesn’t even need to argue that the gun belongs to him.

Kazuma:  “The bullet passed through the victim and struck the wall behind him.”

Did it now, Kazuma. I love how he just completely fails to realise the extremely obvious contradiction in this assertion of his.

(And no, I’m not talking about just the scorch marks.)

Judge:  “Thank you for the thorough report, Counsel. The setting of the crime is clear to me.”

Very thorough, yes. He missed nothing. Nothing at all.

Kazuma:  “Naturally… the accused himself.”

Calling the accused to testify is really very unorthodox, but I enjoy the smug way Kazuma acts like naturally this is who he wants to call as his first witness. Of course he wants to show everyone what a lying liar that Barok van Zieks is.

Kazuma:  “As a prosecutor, he believes in the oath of office he’s taken and will be compelled to tell the truth.”

He makes a point of stressing this, because he’s fully intending to prove van Zieks to be a huge liar and wants the whole judiciary to see just how empty that oath of his really is.

Kazuma:  “Then I’m sure the court would like to hear you explain some things away.” […] Van Zieks:  “I intend to explain away nothing. I will simply tell the truth.”

Kazuma’s using some very leading phrasing there, making it sound like it’s already a given that van Zieks is guilty and will be lying (because it really is a given to him!) – and I love how van Zieks instantly picks up on that manipulation and pointedly defends himself against that implication. He is not having any of Kazuma’s bullshit.

---Testimony 1---

Kazuma:  “So… you heard a shot being fired in a room with no living occupants… and moments later a corpse appeared before your eyes. Is that it?” [he smirks] Kazuma:  “You’re right, you haven’t explained away anything. In fact that would barely qualify as an excuse.”

Not missing a beat, Kazuma plays right off of van Zieks’s previous defence to make him sound even more pathetic and obviously guilty. He’s well-practiced at snarking matches from his friendly banter with Ryunosuke, but this one’s a lot more barbed.

Judge:  “Hmmm… It would appear to be a singular tale indeed.” Kazuma:  “Singular isn’t the word. It’s laughable.”

Kazuma really wants to make sure everyone realises just how pathetic van Zieks’s flimsy excuse totally is.

Ryunosuke:  (What’s got into Kazuma? He’s not behaving like himself at all…)

And Ryunosuke can tell that this is not the kind of thing Kazuma would normally do! He’s being a lot more vindictive and petty, and that’s not at all the composed, level-headed person Ryunosuke knows.

(Susato’s staring at him silently too, probably thinking much the same thing.)

One thing to do in this testimony before pressing is to scroll all the way to the end to see the little testimony-recap dialogue between Ryunosuke and Susato. Since this is a testimony where all you need to do to advance is to press everything once, it’s easy to miss out on that.

Susato:  “Do you have any thoughts, Mr Naruhodo?” Ryunosuke:  “Yes… mainly that it doesn’t ring true in all sorts of ways.” […] Susato:  “So… you think Lord van Zieks is lying?” Ryunosuke:  “No, I don’t think that. I mean, if he was going to lie… I would expect him to come up with a more credible story, wouldn’t you?” Susato:  “Yes, I completely agree. I think he genuinely doesn’t know what really happened himself.”

Ryunosuke and Susato make a very good and honestly pretty obvious observation here. Of course van Zieks wouldn’t make up something so seemingly nonsensical. That’s all the more proof he’s telling the truth!

But Kazuma over there is just blithely insisting that van Zieks is obviously spouting pathetic flimsy excuses that barely hold up at all, even though that makes less sense than the alternative that he’s honest but confused. He’s incapable of letting himself acknowledge a world where maybe van Zieks didn’t kill Gregson and would actually be telling the truth here.

Kazuma:  “You illegally entered the man’s office? In Japan that alone would constitute a very serious offence.” Judge:  “As it does in Great Britain, I assure you.”

Kazuma wants to make sure people know about every little illegal thing van Zieks has done. It’s actually interesting that he specifies it would be illegal in Japan – making a point about how nobody in Japan’s judiciary would ever dream of doing something so underhanded, but look at how horrible and corrupt this British judiciary is over here.

(Even though Japan’s judiciary is definitely also pretty corrupt right now; that’s the very-much-second-priority reason Kazuma wanted to come here to study.)

It’s also amusingly hypocritical of Kazuma to be getting on van Zieks’s case for a technically-illegal thing so minor, considering the technically-illegal things he’s been up to recently.

…And actually, in his later testimony on day 3 of the trial, van Zieks mentions that he “demanded permission” to secretly search Gregson’s office. He doesn’t say from whom – I certainly doubt it was Stronghart, at least – but that does imply that he wasn’t actually doing it illegally!

Kazuma:  “So, in summary, you were investigating the victim… and yet you refuse to tell the court why.” Van Zieks:  “………” Kazuma:  “I didn’t realise British prosecutors enjoyed such freedom to choose what to divulge under oath.”

Again, Kazuma wants to make a point of look how corrupt and underhanded the British judiciary is. And again, he is being a huge hypocrite, considering that he knows exactly what van Zieks’s reason might be to have been investigating Gregson, and he is also just casually choosing not to reveal that fact to the court right now.

(Of course, since Kazuma is convinced van Zieks is the Reaper, he doesn’t really believe he was investigating Gregson in any sense at all and assumes this whole thing about investigation is just an excuse for why van Zieks was there. So he thinks that’s the reason van Zieks is being so vague about his investigation, and not because van Zieks can’t yet reveal that Gregson was working for the Reaper.)

Kazuma:  “There was no artificial light in the room, you say? You’re quite sure?”

Kazuma wants to make absolutely sure of this point in van Zieks’s testimony, so that he can then prove him to be a liar when he explains that the candles must have still been burning at the time. Even though, really, if van Zieks was there but was lying about the circumstances and Kazuma asked him this clarifying question, you’d think he’d stop and realise he ought to say that actually there were candles burning, if he indeed saw that. Again, it is very clear that van Zieks would not be lying about this, despite the strange facts of his story.

Kazuma:  “And without thought of danger, [the witnesses] ran inside to see what had happened.”

Kazuma’s spinning things to make these witnesses seem so brave and noble, running inside to confront the terrifying murderous Reaper despite the danger to themselves. …When really, the reality is more like: one of them thoroughly freaked out, and the other two were more focused on looting the place for things they could sell. Not the noble heroes Kazuma is painting them to be at all.

Kazuma:  “Objection!”

I’m sure everyone’s already aware of this, but I still just need to express my glee about how Kazuma’s Objection voice clip here is different from the one he had in the first half of the game. It sounds so much more vicious, perfect for his state of mind in this trial… and also perfect for an emotional gut-punch to the player if they happen to remember and notice that it’s different, which I indeed did.

(Revival of the Prosecutor, heard here in all its glory for the first time, is also a massive gut-punch, hearing Kazuma’s familiar leitmotif sound so twisted and almost sinister like this. Guh.)

I really love the fact that Kazuma objects to this testimony here. Not only is this him still thinking partly like a defence lawyer and using those tactics, and being viciously determined to tear van Zieks’s words apart… it also just makes the most sense this way? The prosecution should be the one to point out contradictions in testimonies that support the defence’s case, such as those from the defendant themselves! It’s always felt kind of awkward in other Ace Attorney games the few times defendants have testified, where we’ve then had to cheerfully shoot a hole in our own case by pointing out the contradictions in it.

Kazuma:  “My Lord, the cross-examination has clearly revealed… that the accused, Barok van Zieks… is lying on multiple fronts!”

Well. A whole two (2) fronts that Kazuma is planning to point out here. But sure, I guess that technically counts as “multiple”, Kazuma, if you like.

Kazuma:  “…he claims that he failed to notice the victim’s body because the room was dark.” Van Zieks:  “That’s correct.” Kazuma:  “No… that’s impossible.”

Again with that viciousness with which he shuts down van Zieks’s claims, I love it.

Kazuma doing this defence lawyer routine also really got to me on my first playthrough, because I was planning to point out the candelabrum! I’d noticed the different lengths of the candles and realised it meant they were burning at the time, and I’d assumed I’d get to point that out at some point, and Kazuma stole that from me! He’s doing the player’s job! How dare. Really great unexpected moment.

(Of course, he’s also failing to notice the really important clue on the candelabrum, which is the scorch marks that prove it can’t have been hit by the bullet from that distance.)

Kazuma:  “And now to the next lie.”

Kazuma wants to make extra sure you know that the things he’s pointing out are not just contradictions but lies, Barok van Zieks is a horrible lying liar, okay.

Kazuma:  “It goes without saying that the contents of the police documents cannot be divulged.”

Hmm, Kazuma, it’s almost like there are certain things that aren’t allowed to be divulged even in court, and maybe van Zieks’s reason for not divulging why he was investigating Gregson is along similar lines and not just him being sneaky and terrible?

Kazuma:  “They all relate to cases prosecuted in court by Barok van Zieks.” […] Kazuma:  “And furthermore… all those cases are ones in which the defendant was acquitted.” […] Kazuma:  “Interestingly, none of those defendants are alive today.”

Look at how he calls them “defendants”, which means he’s thinking about them like a defence lawyer. He believes they were genuinely innocent and van Zieks MURDERED THEM ANYWAY.

Kazuma:  “And yet the Reaper would claim never to have been to his own secret hideout? No one would believe that.”

Or maybe, just maybe, Kazuma, van Zieks isn’t actually the Reaper. His “proof” of this second “lie” is based entirely on the assumed premise that van Zieks is definitely the Reaper, which we have not established to be a fact at all!

Kazuma:  “Inspector Gregson was investigating the identity of the Reaper. When he discovered the location of the man’s secret hideout… he was killed. As I’m sure everyone can imagine… by the Reaper’s hand!”

Except that Kazuma doesn’t actually believe this is the motive for murder. He already knows full well that Gregson was working for the Reaper, not investigating him, and so he believes the motive was that Gregson failed his Reaper mission to kill Jigoku, and/or that van Zieks is the assassin exchange mastermind who wanted him silenced about the autopsy ten years ago. But Kazuma can’t yet reveal any of this without incriminating himself in the assassination mission, so… eh, coming up with a fake motive that sounds plausible, that’ll do for now, right? So long as it gets van Zieks convicted, anything is acceptable.

Ryunosuke:  (Kazuma’s done a brilliant job as ever. He’s drawing on his experience as a defence attorney to build his prosecution case… and it’s formidable.)

Kazuma’s got a legitimate point about the candlelight, but his argument about this being van Zieks’s hideout is completely flimsy… yet Ryunosuke is so in awe of his friend and of how impressive this all sounds on the surface that he’s not able to notice that.

(Also, this is a brief slip-up on the part of the localisers, in having Ryunosuke use the term “defence attorney”. In every other instance, this game uses the British English term, “defence lawyer”, and we only ever hear the word “attorney” when they’re doing a title drop.)

Kazuma:  “And now, the prosecution would like to call new witnesses to the stand. Witnesses who saw events unfold on the day in question.”

In other words, these are the witnesses we actually should have started things off with, and Kazuma only called van Zieks to the stand to begin with in order to prove to the whole court what a lying liar he totally is.

--- Testimony 2 ---

Kazuma:  “Try the man.” […] Kazuma:  “Try the woman.” […] Sandwich:  “I d-don’t actually sell anything, no… come to think of it.” Kazuma:  “Pity.” Ryunosuke:  (No more purchases today… please.)

Apparently Kazuma was enjoying teasing Ryunosuke by pushing him into parting with his money for silly, frivolous things. A little hint at their bantery friendship dynamic in the midst of all this drama!

(Being pushed by their friends into being the one to pay for all sorts of things is clearly a Naruhodo family trait.)

Kazuma:  “Not only that, but they very bravely ran inside to see what was going on and witnessed the crime.”

Yep, he’s still painting these witnesses as so brave and noble to confront the terrible killer van Zieks.

Judge:  “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how anyone other than the defendant could have committed the crime.” […] Kazuma:  [he bows] “Thank you for your candour, My Lord.”

Kazuma appreciates the judge agreeing how Very Obvious it is that van Zieks is Definitely Guilty. Prosecutors are not usually supposed to thank the judge for agreeing that their case is strong, and yet.

It’s mentioned that the first person to arrive at the scene, supposedly Gregson with a red wig, was carrying a trunk. The truth is that this was Jigoku in a red wig, carrying the large trunk with Gregson’s body in it – but once we learn about Gregson’s metal trunk having been stolen from the crime scene, it could also theoretically have been him carrying that. Conveniently the witnesses are vague enough about the size of the trunk that it can’t be confirmed either way from their testimony.

Kazuma:  “…I was informed that no trunk was found at the scene.”

I wonder if Kazuma has worried about the possibility of them finding Gregson’s trunk, given that he is probably aware that Karuma’s tip ended up stuck in it. Bet he’s relieved that it mysteriously vanished.

(It’s actually right here in this courtroom at this very moment, hidden behind Sandwich’s boards.)

Gossip:  “When the Reaper’s around, people are goin’ in the ground! I mean, that’s what he doz, in’t it?”

“Killing people is just what the Reaper does” sure is a hilariously Kazuma’s-tunnel-visioning line of thinking. It really can’t have been hard for him to latch onto that, when so many Londoners casually think that, too.

Kazuma:  “Considering the catalogue of killings the Reaper had carried out… it was a particularly inauspicious end.”

Yes, clearly, even though van Zieks has totally gotten away with so many murders for ten years, he’d suddenly be so careless as to just shoot a guy right on a populated street where people would come running immediately. Obviously this terrifying criminal mastermind is also simultaneously a bumbling fool.

Kazuma is shown being pointedly silent as Gossip reveals that he got blood on his hand. No doubt he’s already thinking there seems to be a contradiction here, but he’s holding himself back from pointing it out, because that wouldn’t help his case.

If you then press Gossip’s updated statement about wiping his bloody hand on the floor, we see Kazuma peering silently at a document.

Judge:  “Is something wrong, Counsel?” Kazuma:  “No, My Lord. I didn’t remember anything in the report about a bloody handprint on the floor, that’s all.”

Kazuma’s very careful with his wording here – saying he didn’t remember reading about it doesn’t categorically state that it wasn’t there. He still doesn’t want to explicitly bring up this contradiction that would just complicate his case. (And you’d think he could confirm it after reading the report again to check, but no, just casually gonna not mention that.)

Ryunosuke:  “Objection! So you wiped off the blood from your hand on the floor of the room… Are you quite sure about that?” Gossip:  “Well, well what else d’you expect me to have done, eh? Doz it really matter?” Kazuma:  “Objection! The police found no such handprint on the floor during their investigations. What exactly is the defence asserting?!”

And yet, despite that he carefully kept the explicit lack of a floor handprint hidden until now, as soon as Ryunosuke’s objecting in such a way that suggests that the handprint’s existence might be beneficial to his case, Kazuma is immediately pointing out that it didn’t exist and so Ryunosuke’s argument (whatever argument he’s even about to make) must be flawed, right? He’s remarkably sure that his friend is about to put forth a convincing argument that will blow a hole in his case and is trying to pre-emptively counter it before it’s even happened.

Ryunosuke:  “Objection! If you listen, you’ll find out… Prosecutor Asogi.”

I love that Ryunosuke picks up on Kazuma jumping the gun and points it out, too. That “Prosecutor Asogi” stings – it’s the first time Ryunosuke’s said it, and it has to hurt to address his best friend like he’s just an opponent, yet that’s exactly what he is right now.

Kazuma:  “Objection! The witness very clearly testified that he wiped his hand on the floor. Any handprints on the back of the board are irrelevant!”

Kazuma is still pre-emptively objecting and just trying to write off Ryunosuke’s argument as completely irrelevant before actually fully understanding what he’s getting at. Van Zieks definitely did it, right? So there’s no need to bother about trivial details like this, no need to think through to the fact that the board must have been on the floor next to the body at the time.

Kazuma:  “In other words, the defence’s assertion is contradictory!” Ryunosuke:  “Yes… it is.”

Look at Kazuma still just trying to write off Ryunosuke’s argument as contradictory and therefore irrelevant, whereas Ryunosuke is able to realise that the existence of a contradiction means something and can give them new information. Kazuma ought to understand this too – he used to be a defence lawyer! But he certainly doesn’t want to think that way right now.

If you pick one of the wrong options (‘False testimony’) during the multiple-choice question you’re presented with here, there’s some fun dialogue.

Kazuma:  “I don’t remember fostering that kind of simplistic thinking in you.” Ryunosuke:  “…Since when were you my father?”

Aww, Kazuma feeling like he played a part in teaching Ryunosuke to be a good lawyer, and having faith that he ought to be better than this. And Ryunosuke comparing him to a father! Painful for obvious reasons, but also, Kazuma really kind of is a Dad Friend.

Conveniently, van Zieks’s testimony about the room being dark and the body suddenly appearing once the door flew open is really helpful for Ryunosuke’s argument about the noticeboard here! He wouldn’t have known the significance of the noticeboard’s position at all if van Zieks hadn’t testified. Kazuma’s attempt to prove van Zieks to be a horrible lying liar just ended up helping out Ryunosuke’s case, actually.

Kazuma:  “That, that can’t…” Ryunosuke:  “The door struck the noticeboard, knocking it over and making the victim’s body visible.” […] “My client has told nothing but the truth! He has simply described what he saw.” Kazuma:  “Argh!”

Kazuma’s reaction is agitated, with his first “damage” animation, as Ryunosuke puts together this argument and he realises how much sense it makes of van Zieks’s testimony. What do you mean, van Zieks might have been telling the truth? Inconceivable.

--- Testimony 3 ---

Kazuma:  “In short, the only person who could possibly have committed this crime… is Barok van Zieks! None of this wrangling over the board changes that simple fact.”

Despite Kazuma having been shaken to realise that maybe van Zieks wasn’t lying about the thing he tried to prove him a liar about, I’m sure he’s very happy to still be able to insist that these details are irrelevant to the fact that van Zieks  did the murder.

Sandwich:  “But the Reaper’s f-fate is sealed either way, because of the gunshot w-we all heard. So your fate’s sealed, too.” Ryunosuke:  “My fate?!” Kazuma:  “That’s right. The defence is fated to lose. And the prosecution to win.”

Here’s Kazuma’s pointedly strong opinions about fate showing themselves! Okay, granted, on some level he is just translating Sandwich’s ramblings into something a little easier to understand, but still, it doesn’t feel like that’s all he’s saying this for. It feels like he truly believes this himself and is taking the opportunity to make a point of it. It has to be Kazuma’s fate to win this trial.

Kazuma:  “The truth, please.”

Kazuma deadpans this four times over at Venus as she’s testifying. I am amused by his subtle irritation at dealing with this compulsive liar of a witness.

Kazuma:  “You’re, you’re telling us… that you DID move that board?!”

Again, Kazuma gets noticeably agitated – leaning forwards over his bench for the first time in the trial – as Venus reveals that she moved the board. Even though he’s already tried to write off all this board stuff as irrelevant to the fact that van Zieks still did the deed, and even though confirming that it was indeed moved doesn’t change that, it seems he knows on some level that this proves there was more to the case than meets the eye and maybe Ryunosuke’s onto something big.

Kazuma:  “The TRUTH now!”

And then he’s a lot more forceful with Venus as she makes to lie again about whether she found anything underneath the board. He doesn’t even know for sure if anything she found would be important to the case, but he has to know every last hidden detail.

Gina:  “That was a present to Inspector Gregson from the Yard for a big case ‘e solved ten years ago!” Susato:  “The Professor case, no doubt.”

I’m sure Kazuma feels great to hear that Gregson received such accolades for illegally framing his father and getting him killed.

It really is an incredible coincidence that the watch just happened to wind down at exactly five o’ clock, thus conveniently supporting Kazuma’s argument until we look into it further.

Judge:  “Well, it would appear that the mystery of the moving noticeboard has been solved at least.” Kazuma:  “And as predicted, it had very little bearing on the case.”

Kazuma seems smug about this, in sharp contrast to how agitated he was just a few moments ago. But no, it’s fine, even if van Zieks wasn’t lying about that one thing, this still doesn’t prove anything important about him not being the killer, Kazuma’s case is fine and completely intact!

Naturally, Kazuma starts to get worked up again as Ryunosuke proposes that Gregson actually died the night before, which would mean van Zieks couldn’t possibly have done it (because Kazuma knows exactly where Gregson was that night).

Kazuma:  “You claim he was already dead the night before? Do you really think that Scotland Yard’s coroner would have overlooked something like that?”

As he’s going to admit later, Kazuma is perfectly aware of the omission of the time of death in the autopsy report. However, despite that he must be beginning to realise that maybe Ryunosuke has a point about the time of death being different, he conveniently avoids bringing the autopsy omission up here, presumably in the hope that Ryunosuke won’t have noticed it and this will stop him in his tracks.

(Based on Ryunosuke’s reaction, it actually seems like he may not have noticed, but thankfully Susato has it covered.)

Kazuma:  “Whether it was a gun or a firecracker, the only person present to cause that bang was Barok van Zieks!”

Yes, but why would he frame himself by setting off the firecracker, Kazuma, come on.

Ryunosuke points out that the scorch marks on the candle couldn’t possibly have been from the gunshot and therefore must have been from the candle being used to set off the firecrackers on a delay… and the moment he makes this argument, Kazuma no longer has a case, really. Kazuma never manages to come up with an adequate explanation for why there would be scorch marks on the candle if it wasn’t the firecracker. From here on out, Ryunosuke’s argument holds far, far more water than it turns out Kazuma’s ever did.

But Kazuma is so furiously tunnel-visioned on van Zieks’s guilt that he refuses to acknowledge this, and he’s going to continue to lead the court on a long series of what are basically complete diversion tactics so that he doesn’t have to think about the fact that the very core of his case fundamentally does not hold together.

Also, serious props to Ryunosuke. Within the space of two (proper) testimonies and just a little help from Susato, he’s managed to come up with a completely accurate theory as to how this situation at the scene was a setup to frame van Zieks, and technically, in theory, if Kazuma wasn’t so stubborn, prove his client’s innocence. He really is a great lawyer.

Kazuma:  “Pfft… Ha ha ha ha ha ha hah! Oh, very impressive, Ryunosuke Naruhodo.” Ryunosuke:  “K-Kazuma?!” Kazuma:  “I’m really quite amazed you’ve come this far. But after all, wasn’t I the one who told you… that you had all the makings of a great defence lawyer?”

Kazuma realises this too, and he’s so proud of his friend! …Even though this destroys his own case (to far more of an extent than he’s willing to accept). It still stings a little, though, that even as he’s praising him, Kazuma’s using Ryunosuke’s full name, keeping that distance between them.

Kazuma:  “I also noted the lack of a time of death in this report. A stark omission. But as far as I’m concerned… this whole country’s justice system leaves a lot to be desired!”

Indeed, Kazuma noticed it – but conveniently he did not bring that up when it hurt his case. He’s only doing so now that it’s already been established anyway, and he can use it as an opportunity to vent about how horrible and corrupt the British judicial system is, a system that killed his father and acted like that was right.

(And he especially has Opinions about dodgy autopsy reports.)

Judge:  “Prosecutor Asogi! What on earth do you mean by that statement?” Kazuma:  “I hear that many of the leading members of Britain’s judiciary are present to observe this trial today. So we cannot allow even the slightest doubt to be overlooked.”

It’s not immediately obvious, but Kazuma’s completely sidestepping the judge’s question here. He insulted this country’s justice system, and no, he’s not going to explain what he means by that, it’s just an obvious fact, and now he’s going to move right onto the next topic.

Kazuma:  “The defence’s assertion about the time of death based on the victim’s stopped watch is just conjecture. But… while the possibility exists that my learned friend may be correct… we have a duty to explore it.”

Said next topic being: making a big point of how thorough he’s being, to ensure there’s no doubt by entertaining Ryunosuke’s argument even though it’s nothing but conjecture. Kazuma’s definitely not being the slightest bit corrupt about this trial, you guys. Nothing at all like that monster van Zieks was ten years ago with his father.

And yet… Ryunosuke’s argument really is a lot more than conjecture! Granted, maybe the point about the watch in particular is a bit flimsy, but by focusing on that, Kazuma’s conveniently drawing attention away from the scorched candle. Ryunosuke has pretty much categorically proven that the bang the witnesses heard must have been from a firecracker and not a gunshot, thanks to those scorch marks on the candle, and with that fact established, Gregson cannot have died at 5 p.m. that day.

But no, it’s fine, never mind that detail, Ryunosuke’s argument is definitely still nothing but conjecture. Look at how honourable Kazuma’s being to choose to entertain it anyway.

Kazuma:  “And what immediately comes to mind is of course… what was Inspector Gregson doing and where did he go on the day before the incident?” Ryunosuke:  “Do you know?”

A very good question for Ryunosuke to ask. Because yes, Kazuma does know exactly where Gregson was and what he was doing on that day, since he was there with him.

Kazuma:  [he shakes his head] “The inspector always carried out his investigative work alone. His movements were treated as confidential within Scotland Yard.”

Despite his shake of the head, Kazuma is thoroughly dodging actually answering the question of whether he knows – very sneaky of him, so that he doesn’t have to lie. Instead he just makes a general statement about how Gregson was usually difficult to track, implying that this case is the same. Thus, Kazuma gives the impression that he doesn’t know anything about this himself, without telling any lies.

Kazuma:  “However, considering the evidence we’ve been presented with so far… I’d say it’s fairly apparent what case the man was pursuing. Wouldn’t you, my learned friend?”

Still being very careful with his wording here – saying that the evidence makes it apparent what case Gregson was on. This way, Kazuma doesn’t have to directly say that he believes it was this case (the redhead case), because he knows it wasn’t. Kazuma is so incredibly skilled at hiding the truth without lying.

Honestly, this bit where you, as Ryunosuke, have to be the one to say that it was the redhead case that Gregson was pursuing… it’s pretty silly. Ryunosuke literally just argued that the red wig was only there at the scene because it was used by the real killer as a decoy, to make the witnesses mistake them for Gregson! So from Ryunosuke’s perspective, he has no reason to believe that it should have anything to do with the actual case Gregson was working on at the time! Buuut he's awkwardly got to be the one to suggest it anyway.

That said, I do understand why this is a thing – not just to give the players something to do, but also because Kazuma is very pointedly trying to lead Ryunosuke into being the one to propose this line of questioning about the redheads, so that when it all amounts to nothing, it makes Ryunosuke’s case look weaker. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t quite add up that Ryunosuke actually would fall for Kazuma’s bait here.

(I mean, I guess in the end it turns out that Gregson did just have the red wig on him while going to Dunkirk, perhaps to give the false impression to anyone who saw him leaving that he was off to investigate the redheads, so there is some connection there. The redhead case was his cover story alibi that day, after all. But it’s kinda flimsy that Ryunosuke is so sure of it, when he already has another reason for why the red wig was there.)

Kazuma:  “So… you’d already worked it out.”

Kazuma seems pleased that Ryunosuke “figured this out”. In other words, he’s pleased that Ryunosuke took his bait and suggested exactly what he was being led into suggesting, while Kazuma completely hides the fact that he knows that Gregson’s real movements that day were something else entirely.

Ryunosuke:  “So it’s very likely that he had direct contact with these criminals. And it’s quite possible that such contact led to… more serious events.” Kazuma:  “………”

Kazuma’s silence is pointedly shown here. He’s clearly thinking about how he knows full well that Gregson was not killed by the redheads, and so pursuing this line of questioning is actually perfectly safe and is not going to damage his case at all.

Ryunosuke:  “…And Kazuma.” […] “I feel as though he knew we’d arrive at this point somehow.”

Here’s a thought that Ryunosuke expresses during the recess. On the one hand, he’s very wrong that Kazuma expected Ryunosuke to prove the alternate time of death and the setup at the scene, because he’s so very convinced that van Zieks did it. (Though still, maybe on some level he expected his friend to come up with an impressive theory, especially considering the very buried part of him that isn’t so sure van Zieks is guilty.)

But, given Ryunosuke’s alternative theory, it’s true that Kazuma did fully expect them to then arrive at the point of investigating the redheads, since he was the one who deliberately led his friend into suggesting this. Ryunosuke’s not wrong there.

[blue-thief]

in a very vulnerable state so ofc i had to read the lyrics to pomp and gallantry

[denzartriste]

I am strong i am strong i Will Not cry over Word. I will not. I am a big girl i will NOT cry over Word

[quailfence]

[Image Description: Three images. Images 1-2: Drawings of characters from Ace Attorney. They are fairly simple, with each character only being colored with one color. Kay laughs as Ema says, "…so I told the fop, 'shut up you're literally named after an inanimate object.'" Franziska overhears them talking. She thinks, "Literally named after an inanimate object" and imagines the sword Karuma.

The next drawing is more details and fully colored. It shows her doing an epic handshake with Klavier. Franziska looks resigned, and Klavier is grinning. Above them is written "Germans named after objects solidarity".

Image 3: record of a conversation between Kazuma and Ryunosuke. Kazuma: I come from a long lineage of warriors, many of whom were expert swordsmen. Ryunosuke:…Well then, you're a chip off the old block, I'd say. Kazuma: This blade - Karuma - is the symbol of the Asogi clan's honour and might. Apparently, one of my father's apprentices even took the blade's name for a surname. Ryunosuke: Really? Karuma… It does sound formidable, that's for sure. End description.]

@aa-described @aceattorney-described @dgsdescribed

based off this btw:

[moechies]

older shiu who makes you fuck yourself on a dildo in front of him becuase he can’t fuck you—can’t get hard without those stupid little pills because of his growing age. ♡

and you pout, sniffle and whine when he tells you to put a show on for him instead of taking you into his hold and fucking you senseless on the memory mattress of his penthouse overlooking the ocean view.

you’re still whining, even when tugging down your panties to reveal that pretty, fresh pussy that he’s been looking forward to all day— and he thinks it must be a curse bestowed upon him not being able to get hard at the sight before him. perhaps it’s karma for all of his previous sins— he doesn’t know.

and when you finally slip your cotton panty off your left leg, it hanging from your right angle as you shakily spread your legs, taking the pink, transparent toy to slide it up and down against your slick.

you hiss, breath hitching weakly at the lack of preparation, realizing just how tantalizing it is to press the rather small toy (in comparison to him, at least) in without the help of your lover.

“sh—shiu, please, prep me, h—help, shiu!”

you whimper, dropping the toy and tossing your arms around the thick of his neck.

“oh darling, i told you to put a show on for me, didn’t i? you can’t even finger yourself open?” he scoffs condescendingly, only shaking your head with soft sniffles against his chest.

“pleaseee, daddy!”

“how cruel. do you know how weak you make me, little lady?”

you gasp when you feel a thick finger press against your soddened slit, barely slipping inside your gooey walls before curling the joint up.

“haaah, daddy!”

“there you go.” he whispers when you fall pliant against his hold, back against his burly chest with his free hand splayed across your tummy—tracing soft circles across your hips. “my good girl.”

“you can’t even take that little cock without needin’ my help baby? what would you do without me, baby.”

you writhe when his thumb presses down on your clit, circling the sensitive nub so perfectly that you almost think he’ll let you cum. but your fantasies are resolved to nothing, “there you go baby.” shiu grunts, quickly removing his fingers from your pussy and reaching for the dildo yet again.

“here baby. utilize this. make y’r daddy proud?”

you thrash in frustration, whining out loud as you take the stupid, stupid toy into your hands.

“daddy, wan’ you to d—do it.”

“what, fuck you with it?”

you nod slowly, teary eyes so awfully big and alluring that he almost falls for your little scenic ploy.

“no, baby, do it yourself.” he knows you all too well.

and with a bit of bargaining and some more incessant whining, you find yourself splayed in front of the man once again, your calves stepping over his thighs from where he sits, the pink toy held promptly in between your thighs.

you can’t help the soft cry that leaves your lips after pushing in the tip of the toy— much harder and nonetheless, cold in comparison to your husbands cock. compared to shiu, the toy deems to be unfulfilling and fustrating to use after months of laying prettily under your husband and allowing him all the work.

“da—daddy,”

“yes, darling? do you like it? bein’ a little exhibitionist f’me, hon? i sure do.”

“a..am i doing it r—right?” you sigh, mindlessly pushing in further and helping at the unexpected pain you had never even fell close to feeling when your husband was doing the word.

“not quite. have some rhythm, baby. you’re just pushing it into my poor cunny relentlessly.”

“noo… please, don’t wa—wanna, wan’ you to do it!”

“you’re too spoiled, baby.”

nonetheless, shiu pulls you into his much bigger lap, taking the toy into his left hand and spreading the fatty lips of your pussy with his right.

“she’s all swollen, you’ve been so mean to her. treatin’ her so bad.”

all you can manage is to whimper out a sorry, thumping your leg in desperation.

“listen up now,” shiu instructs, pressing the sticky tip of the dildo to your slit at a lower angle in contrast to your previously straight one. “see how i’ve angled it? isn’t that always how i fuck you? and it never hurts, does it?”

“no, daddy.” you whimper, thighs quivering in anticipation.

“good, now,” he grunts, pressing the tip in so swiftly that it makes you wince. “hnn—“

“look, i’ll fuck you with rhythm, and you’ll feel the difference between how you and i did it. alright?” you only gasp, incapable of a word response and only nodding incessantly.

he pumps the toy into you with fervor, slowing when he presses the toy in deeper and deeper until the plastic base barely touches your soppy cunt. he pulls the toy out much faster, keeping his consistent pace with rudy pummels to your simulated cunt.

“d—daddy!”

you clasp your thighs around the toy—which was much more manageable when he had his waist in between your little thighs that make it physically impossible to avoid his fuckings.

"don't shut your legs doll. i'll stop and you won't cum at all if you do it again." the man growls, pinching at the skin of your thigh. you yelp, spreading your thighs again to avoid conflict with the man.

"you look like you're enjoying this too much, darling. are you even taking this as a learning experience?"

you nod, unsure of what he really even said but if it meant he'd keep up with his pace-you didn't care. you gasp, breath hitching when he stops adruptly. removing the slicked up toy from your clenching cunt.

"here," shiu hands you the sticky toy, feeling your eyes well with tears and bottom lip tremble when you realize,

"you know how to do it now, right? fuck yourself, then, and it better impress me.”

[the-tarot-witch22]

What's coming for you in 2025? - Pick a Pile

Pile 1/ Pile 2/ Pile 3

My Paid Readings | My insta | My year goal post

Liked my blog or readings? Tip me!

Hello everyone ! This is my another pick a pile or pac reading so please be kind and leave comment or reblog, and let me know if it resonated with you!

Note : This is a general reading or collective reading. It may or may not resonate with you. Please take what resonates and leave what doesn't. And it's totally okay if our energies aren't aligned!

How to pick : Take a deep breath and choose a pile which you feel most connected to! You can choose more than one pile, it just means both pile have messages for you!

I worked really hard on this pile please show some love by leaving comments, likes and reblogs!

Pile 1:

(The cards I got for you - The emperor, The hanged man, 6 of pentacles, 5 of pentacles, and 6 of cups)

Okay so the very first thing I feel and heard for you guy is "Organization and structure", if you have been messy like emotionally or just not cleaning your room and just being lazy, I see you getting better and do things in a better way, I am also feeling you will be taking charge in your personal and professional life, if you are in school then i am seeing you being group leader or having better grades, and if you work then i see leading your team, or even correcting your manager like damn this person doesn't hold back, I am feeling some of you may even start your own business like plenty of you wanting to do that, or had doubts, so i am seeing this year could be very fruitful to you in so many ways, I am feeling many of you are just polite in this group, even though you guys might be snarky, BUT, this year i am seeing changing that, i am feeling you will communicated yourself a lot better, if you guys had some financial issues that will be resolving too, I am also feeling you might learn from a male figure in your life, make them your role model, and learn a lot from them. Or I am also feeling in your life you guys have someone dominating your household, like a man, sometimes you do get in fights but it's not bad, this is only for some of you. I am also seeing you being not lazy as you were before, going out of comfort zone, doing things, which you have to do, i keep hearing panda for you guys, some of you could definitely be resonating with that lol. I am also feeling this year you would be helping out a lot of people, and looking back on things you did wrong and will do better this year, also do help people when you can, like feeding animals or people who are in need, it will count as a good karma, some of you could have been injured in past? definitely felt that, but don't worry this year, i am also feeling good health for you, I am also feeling some of you could reunite with people from past, but only let them in if you feel like it, for some of you its a friend, and for some its an ex, just be careful <3 I am also feeling you will get lots of nostalgic feeling and if you have moved out, i am seeing you meeting your parents this year, like getting a feeling some of you might be in abroad, so you might meet or talk with your parents and friends a lot. Earth signs are very prominent here especially virgo and taurus sun/moon/rising, and scorpio sun/ moon / rising.

Oracle cards I pulled for you :

a new start is coming (new moon) : A new beginning a new start is on its way for you, you will be more hopeful, let go of the past, things you manifest will be fruitful, things will move, you will feel more alive if you felt stuck, and YES! whatever your question could be your doubts because trust me its a yes.

be assertive - Be confident in your decisions and yourself, i am hearing "life is too short" living by other people's rules, so make your own and just do what you gotta do.

Okay pile 1, that's all i got for you guys, happy new year my pookies, may all your wishes come true cheers <3

Pile 2 :

(The cards I got for you - 8 of wands, 2 of pentacles, 5 of pentacles, 6 of swords and the lovers)

Okay so the very first thing I heard and feel is that you will or might be taking a trip, I am feeling things will move fast for you, I am also seeing you guys getting the job you want, the internship, the college you want to go into, everything working out for you, the hard struggles that you have faced in your life are just vanishing but i am also seeing a small trip or just up and down from the college/school/work to your kind of travel, I am feeling you might meet someone this year could be at work or at school if not then, some sort of daily doing activity, but anyhow i am feeling there is so much in life that will be working out for you guys. Some of you would be developing new hobbies for yourself like going to gym or yoga or art classes. You might do find to juggle with them a bit difficult like there will be so many things and you would be like we want to try it, try that etc. But all in a good way. I am also feeling that there might be a sort of loss you faced in your life in 2024 or 2023, i am seeing you will be moving away from it, and healing that part of yours, I am also feeling when you do and that's when you will meet someone in your life, and if you don't meet someone then your energy will definitely be calling your partner's energy. But for many of you I am sensing there is a beautiful reunion ahead. Plus there will be decision coming ahead, so go with your gut and choose what you have to. Self love is also a care here, where you focus on yourself. Gemini , cancer, capricorn sun/ moon/ rising are quite prominent here.

Oracles Cards I pulled for you -

Luck is on your side (new moon in Sagittarius) - Write down your wishes your gratitude in the journal, don't be judgy if sometimes you are, a thing that will help you in every way, which you wanted so much it will come to you, there might also be a trip coming.

No need to worry : Things will get better for you so leave the rest to universe and be present in the moment, I am sensing some of you are over worrier so do take it easy, because universe got your back.

Ask for help from others - If you bottle things up, then try to ask for help from others don't hesitate, and your loved ones love you, they love to listen to you talk don't get lost in your heads all the time, you got this.

Okay pile 2, that's all i got for you guys, happy new year my pookies, may all your wishes come true cheers <3

Pile 3 :

(The cards I got for you guys - 3 of wands, queen of wands, king of cups, the fool)

Okay so the very first thing i hear and feel for you guys is, manifest your dreams, just do it, don't doubt if it will be fruitful or not just do it, I am also feeling this new year will bring you a new sort of adventure, something you have never felt before, WHY AM I FEELING THE ADERALINE RUSH, SO I AM SENSING IT WILL BE SOMETHING UNIQUE AND AMAZING AND A DREAM COME TRUE! I am also feeling that some of you guys have fire sign prominent sun/moon/rising especially Sagittarius, I am feeling you guys will be going on a trip this year, which is abroad, you might also go to study in new country, it will be so sudden you will feel it's a no, but when you do it will be like, you made it, 2025 is a year of prosperity for you, and i am seeing lots of blue color, and blue skies, and I am seeing hope for you guys, new starts, adventures, I am also feeling you might adopt a dog or a animal this year, I am also feeling you will enter your divine feminine era this year, and being more confident in your body, I am also feeling the person you will attract will be head over heels for you, awwww, and I am seeing you stepping or taking risks, you might be a bit reckless but honestly seeing this will work out for you~

Oracles card I got for you -

conclusion are within reach (full moon eclipse) - Forgive yourself and others what they have hurt you, it will help you heal, the door once shut, dont go back to it, just know helping others will also be fruitful to you guys.

step out of your comfort zone (north node) - go out just do what you always want to do, say fuck it and do it don't doubt your blessing, you got this, leave the past in past, let go of people or things that doesn't serve you, just know whatever you choose you will be moving in right direction.

success! - I am seeing your professional life getting better and better and whatever door was not opened it will open now, and I am seeing you getting lots of opportunities.

romance - I am definitely seeing you meeting someone this year, if you alrwady have someone your relationship might move to next level.

compromise - The only thing I will say is just get out of your comfort zone.

Okay pile 3, that's all i got for you guys, happy new year my pookies, may all your wishes come true cheers <3

Thank you for stopping by! Take care and remember you are loved <3

[quailfence]

[Image description: Two screencaps from The Great Ace Attorney

1: Gregson says, "But unfortunately back then...we didn't have the evidence we needed to make the crime stick

2: Stronghart says, "I have no intention of entertaining some wild fantasy that can't possibly be substantiated by anyone or anything!" End description.]

@aa-described @aceattorney-described @dgsdescribed

I think it’s kinda Thematically Interesting how TGAA2 at first hyped up Prosecutor Asogi as, like, ‘ohhh watch out!! This guy was already a qualified defense attorney! He knows how to use the Defense’s tactics in favor of the Prosecution!’. And, like, yeah, that is a strength Kazuma demonstrated throughout the trial….

But he also ended up facing a lot of the challenges that an AA Defense Attorney usually has to face. 

Like, having a culprit confess to their wrongdoing to you in private

And then being unable to prove this confession ever happened in Court.

That’s what happened to Kazuma in this trial, but it also happened to Phoenix and the rest of the AA crew countless times before.

Or just generally, like, knowing that the case you’re working on now is deeply related to finally solving a previous case from X Years Ago... But to actually peruse investigating it, you need to somehow convince the rival legal counsel to somehow see that connection and trust you that there is a connection - even if you can’t prove it until further down the line. And you can't prove it unless you can get them to trust you....

That’s a pretty common trope for AA Final cases but.... one that Ace Attorney players usually experience only from their side.

But this time, it's the Prosecutor is the one faced with the challenge of proving the connection between the past and present cases. And the Defense, and the Player, are faced with the challenge that the Prosecutor usually faces - the challenge of trusting their rival and their new line of inquiry. 

Prosecutor Kazuma is not just a demonstration of how the Defense’s tactics and tricks look from the perspective of their rivals - he also demonstrates how the challenges of the Defense feel from the other side of the bench. 

[commentaryvorg]

The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 1, Part 2

This is an ongoing mini-commentary covering the final trial of The Great Ace Attorney (Resolve) in line-by-line detail. It’s written from a perspective of already knowing the full truth of things, so there will be spoilers for facts that only get revealed later on in the trial. This is not a commentary to read along with one’s first playthrough!

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

Now that we’re below the readmore, I can add that this isn’t quite a commentary for everything going on in the final trial. It’s focused specifically on Kazuma and what’s going on in his head, only covering things which are relevant to him in some way (for the most part). I already had a lot to say about him in a big analysis post over on my main blog – but I have even more to say about him during the trial in even more detail, so here we are!

We’re resuming just past the save point as we begin cross-examining the redheads whom Gregson was apparently investigating the day before his body was found – which is a line of questioning that was definitely 100% Ryunosuke’s idea and not at all something he was subtly led into proposing by a Kazuma who knows full well that it’ll result in a dead end.

--- Testimony 4 ---

This is irrelevant to anything else, but I need people to know that the university of Temsik, which the two redheads went to together, is a very clear reference to Ghost Trick. If you haven’t played Ghost Trick, please play Ghost Trick it is so good. It’s even out in HD now, so it’s readily available!

De Rousseau:  “It was a plan most elegant, non?” Kazuma:  “No, it was most dishonourable.”

Look at Kazuma making a point that underhanded deceptions like this are dishonourable. (And nobody think too hard about the fact that he’s been doing quite a few underhanded deceptive things himself lately, it’s fine.)

Kazuma:  “This confidential document was obtained directly from Scotland Yard. It records an entry from the inspector’s private diary dated the day before the incident. It reads, ‘Lime Street, Red-Headed League, Undercover’.”

Here is an actual reason, completely misleading red wig aside, to assume that Gregson would have been at Lime Park on that day. And yet, Kazuma didn’t bring that up before the recess, because he wanted to make it look like suggesting this line of enquiry was Ryunosuke’s idea and not his own.

Kazuma, of course, knows full well this diary entry is false… but he’s got to be genuinely wondering why Gregson had a diary entry claiming he would be here in particular as a cover story. He’s bound to be at least a little bit curious as to if anything’s going on there (even though he definitely does not know that Gregson outright had someone impersonate him as an alibi, based on his reactions to that reveal later).

Ryunosuke:  (There’s no question that Inspector Gregson was investigating the Red-Headed League.)

But at least Kazuma’s information has got Ryunosuke convinced that Gregson was definitely there in the park that day, and not at all anywhere else such as with Kazuma on a ship to France.

I enjoy the part where both Ryunosuke and Kazuma tag-team desk slam to intimidate the redheads into admitting what they just accidentally let slip. Both are equally exasperated by these dumbass witnesses’ shenanigans, and they’re almost working together to get the truth!

Judge:  “Counsel, no incognito inspector would offer his identification for inspection. It’s quite out of the question.” Kazuma:  “Definitely. Why would he expose his true identity?”

Kazuma looks deep in thought as he says this. On the surface, he’s happy to agree with the judge, because this supports his case that Gregson wasn’t there – but on the other hand, he’s got to be busy wondering what on earth was going on with this supposed inspector there that day.

Kazuma:  “Don’t be ridiculous. No Scotland Yard detective would allow his – or her – identification to be stolen.” Gina:  “Hold it! That… that… That IS the boss’s! …No question about it.” Kazuma:  “It can’t be!”

Kazuma seems confident as he’s trying to refute this idea, because he’s sure the truth is on his side – and then he’s very shocked to learn that the ID is the real deal. He knows that Gregson wasn’t there, but apparently his actual genuine ID was there, somehow, despite that?

Kazuma:  “Unable to… You’re, you’re not suggesting…?” Ryunosuke:  “Yes! It’s quite possible that he was killed before he had the chance to report his identification stolen!” Kazuma:  “No!”

Kazuma’s “No!” here is really intense, and there’s a lot he’s not saying behind it. He knows for a fact that Gregson could not possibly have been killed by these redheads, but right now the evidence is making it look like he was. This isn’t just a “no” of “oh no, this hurts my case”, this is a “no” of “No, that’s not what happened at all!” If things continue like this then van Zieks is going to be found innocent based on something completely false, and Kazuma is helpless to explain how wrong it is without incriminating himself.

Kazuma:  “But you will tell everything! …Or face the worst possible outcome.”

Kazuma’s getting very forceful at the redheads. He needs them to stop hiding things and tell the whole truth in their next testimony, so that it can be firmly established that Gregson did not die in their company that day like Kazuma knows for certain he didn’t but cannot say himself.

(He’s not saying it in so many words, but he is essentially threatening them with capital punishment here. This is not the only time Kazuma uses that as a threat to witnesses who are hiding the truth from him.)

--- Testimony 5 ---

Kazuma:  “It would appear then, that on the day before the incident… the man who visited the park on Lime Street posing as an incognito inspector… was not Inspector Gregson at all!” Ryunosuke:  “Objection! If that’s true, however, how do you explain the inspector’s identification?” Kazuma:  “…!” Ryunosuke:  “This is a genuine identification book, issued by Scotland Yard. It’s inconceivable that someone could have stolen such an important item from the inspector. The prosecution made that assertion itself!” Kazuma:  “…!”

Whoops. Kazuma was happy to make that assertion when it helped his case, to write off the redheads’ testimony as obviously nonsense, but it’s suddenly not so helpful now that it allows them to continue to think that maybe the man they kidnapped was really Gregson.

(Still, Kazuma is the one gaining ground here, since mislaid ID is easier to explain away than a disappearing bruise, and he’s definitely glad about that.)

Ryunosuke:  “…the person who these two red-headed men took prisoner that day cannot have been Inspector Gregson.” Kazuma:  “In other words, your whole argument up to now has been a waste of time.”

Wow, Kazuma did not remotely hesitate to point that out the moment Ryunosuke conceded this. He really was waiting for this all along, knowing that it would be proven sooner or later, so that he could make the court see just how pointless it was for him to entertain Ryunosuke’s conjecture that maybe van Zieks didn’t do it. Again: see why he wanted to lead Ryunosuke into suggesting this avenue, so that it would seem like Ryunosuke’s wasteful idea.

(And yet, who really wasted the court’s time by subtly leading us onto an entire line of enquiry he knew full well would amount to nothing, Kazuma?)

Ryunosuke:  “During his testimony earlier… I noticed something around the man’s neck: a red ring of bruising!” […] Kazuma:  “What?!”

Haha, Kazuma didn’t notice the bruise on Gossip, because Ryunosuke’s observation skills really are a lot better than his!

--- Testimony 6 ---

Ryunosuke:  (Ugh. Isn’t there anyone in this courtroom who thinks I might be onto something?) Susato:  “I stand steadfastly at your side as always, Mr Naruhodo!” Kazuma:  “………”

Aww, I enjoy the pan to Kazuma’s silence there. It’s not only Susato – Kazuma definitely also believes Ryunosuke must be onto something here, because his best friend always is.

Ryunosuke:  “The victim’s body was discovered… in your rented room!” Gossip:  “………” Kazuma:  “I suggest, sir… that you start talking!”

Kazuma’s getting worked up again here. He may be completely convinced that van Zieks did the murder, but suddenly here’s the man who’s renting the room that’s the Reaper’s hideout, so surely he’s got to know something important and be connected to all of this somehow.

Kazuma doesn’t noticeably react to hearing that Boone is in fact Daley Vigil, or even that Vigil used to work as chief warder at Barclay Prison. But…

Ryunosuke:  “Well, it’s been ten years since Mr Vigil worked at the prison.” Kazuma:  “Ten years?”

As soon as he hears it was ten years ago that his employment there ended, he takes notice. Based on his reaction here, I don’t think he knew until right now that Daley Vigil was someone connected to his father’s execution.

Vigil:  “Yes, it’s true… I am Daley Vigil.” Kazuma:  “And you were the chief warder at Barclay Prison ten years ago…? ………”

And all of a sudden, that’s the only detail about this man that Kazuma cares about. His silence there comes with a screen shake, as if everything’s shifting itself around in his head as he realises that this man isn’t just some witness, just some guy who for some reason rents the room used as the Reaper’s hideout – he might well be the one who faked his father’s execution.

I did assume at one point, while I was trying to figure out Kazuma’s approach to this trial, that he’d already been looking into his father’s execution and already knew to look for a Daley Vigil. But this reaction of his pretty much confirms that he had no idea it was this man until now. Either he tried to look into it but couldn’t get Governor Caidin to reveal much to him (no surprise when his surname is Asogi), or perhaps, Kazuma didn’t want to look too closely into the part of the case where his father might have done something underhanded himself.

Vigil:  “I was to… impersonate the inspector.” Kazuma:  “What?! Impersonate him?!”

Kazuma is also very shocked to learn that Gregson personally asked someone to impersonate him. At that one point, I was also assuming that maybe Kazuma had learned about Vigil being Gregson’s alibi man from Gregson himself… but here it’s pretty clear that that is not the case. Which is fair enough, because that’s not something Gregson would likely tell anybody else if he could help it.

Kazuma:  “Well… it would seem this confession completely destroys the defence’s case.”

Yes, Kazuma. Sure. Completely destroys it. There is definitely not a single chance that van Zieks is innocent now, never mind the still-very-convincing argument Ryunosuke made about the scene at Fresno Street being a setup.

Kazuma:  “My learned friend’s assertion was as follows: The victim was killed at another location on the day before his corpse was discovered… at the hands of these two Red-Headed League men when they imprisoned the inspector.”

That wasn’t really Ryunosuke’s assertion. Mostly he was just asserting that Gregson was killed somewhere else by somebody. He never latched that strongly onto the idea that it was the redheads in particular. But, conveniently for Kazuma, there was that one point earlier on where Ryunosuke at least suggested that might have happened, to explain why Gregson couldn’t report his ID missing once it was stolen.

So clearly, that was the argument Ryunosuke was totally making the whole time, and since it wasn’t the redheads who killed Gregson at all, that must mean it was definitely van Zieks, no other possibility. Never mind the question of where Gregson really was on the 31st, which Kazuma is fully aware of. No. If Gregson wasn’t killed in a place he wasn’t even present at on the 31st, clearly it means he wasn’t killed on that day at all and Ryunosuke proposing as such was just wasting our time.

This is exactly the outcome Kazuma was expecting when he led the court – and Ryunosuke – into pursuing this redheads dead end, and he is doing a startlingly good job of making it seem like it matters to the question of whether van Zieks killed Gregson.

Still, as Ryunosuke freaks out about this (he doesn’t realise the obvious logical fallacy in Kazuma’s carefully-worded shut-down, because he idolises Kazuma and Kazuma wouldn’t be so obviously wrong, right?) and we get a wide shot of the entire courtroom… Kazuma’s pose isn’t confident; it’s thoughtful. This was supposed to be nothing but a diversion to manipulate the court into thinking his case held more weight than Ryunosuke’s, but… it unexpectedly brought him a very important lead about his father’s case, one he can’t let go without pursuing.

So, of course, as the judge is about to call an end to Vigil’s cross-examination, Kazuma interrupts.

Kazuma:  “I want to know… exactly what your involvement was.” Vigil:  “Oh!” Kazuma:  “Answer me, man!”

And of course he’s being especially forceful here. He has to know the truth of that execution. (Never mind the part where it might reveal that even his father was involved in underhanded dealings, just don’t think about that—)

Judge:  “Is this related to the current case?” Kazuma:  “……… Naturally. It is the prosecution’s belief that this case and the events of ten years ago… are inextricably linked.”

Kazuma’s not making this up. With what he knows about Gregson helping to frame his father, and about an exchange assassin mastermind – who is also bound to be the same person as the Reaper mastermind – wanting Gregson silenced, he knows that the real motive for this murder is inextricably linked to Gregson’s role in his father’s death ten years ago. He just… hasn’t got around to revealing any of that yet, not when he’s still going with the totally false idea that van Zieks’s motive was simply Gregson discovering his hideout. But he fully intends to reveal the whole story, in time!

Ryunosuke:  (Kazuma… You’re not yourself. You’re not as calm and collected as usual.)

Aww, Ryunosuke knows his friend, and he can just tell that Kazuma’s been a lot more forceful and desperate in this trial so far than he’d ever usually be.

Susato:  “Poor Kazuma-sama. No wonder he’s acting this way. Mr Vigil’s memories of what happened ten years ago… would tell the tale of Genshin Asogi’s final moments. His own father…” Ryunosuke:  “I know. I do understand that.” (But even so…)

And aww, both Susato and also Ryunosuke can empathise with why Kazuma’s feeling this way. But even then… Ryunosuke still has a strong sense of what’s appropriate in a court of law, and dredging up your issues about your father’s death in a seemingly completely unrelated trial isn’t it.

Ryunosuke:  “Kazu— Prosecutor Asogi.” Kazuma:  “…!” Ryunosuke:  “Do you genuinely believe… that this question requires an answer in order to learn the truth behind Inspector Gregson’s death?” Kazuma:  “I need you to trust me. …Please.” Ryunosuke:  “……… Very well. Then the defence has no objection.”

Aww! Kazuma asking Ryunosuke to trust him that this is relevant, because he really does have good reason to think so but he can’t reveal any of it just yet. And Ryunosuke, despite recognising how emotional Kazuma’s getting over this, does trust that his friend has some actual reason to believe this is connected!

Also the way Ryunosuke initially goes to call him “Kazuma” as if he’s trying to talk to his friend on a close, emotional level, but then stops and corrects himself to the proper courtroom language of “Prosecutor Asogi”, because what he’s really asking is for Kazuma to put aside his personal feelings for the sake of courtroom etiquette. Aaa, my heart.

Vigil:  “The, the truth is… I remember very little of that time.” Kazuma:  “You’ve forgotten?!”

Kazuma has another strong reaction to this. On the one hand he must be frustrated that the answers he so desperately wants might not even be accessible. But on the other hand, maybe this is also making him think that, huh, forgetting important things, he has a bit of his own experience with that, doesn’t he.

Vigil:  “As I said, I resigned from my role at the prison ten years ago. But for some peculiar reason… my memory of the events leading up to that moment is extremely hazy.” Kazuma:  “………”

Kazuma’s also shown reacting silently to this. He’s bound to be thinking about what he knows it means, to have forgotten something so very important and likely painful.

Ryunosuke and Susato discuss between them that Vigil’s statement about resigning is strange, because they know that he was in fact fired. Kazuma does not have that piece of information as evidence – and yet, he’s already figured out exactly what’s going on in Vigil’s head.

Kazuma:  “The human spirit is a fragile thing. It’s broken all too easily. Which is why… we have a tendency to wrap it up for protection.” […] Kazuma:  “When we experience pain and suffering that we feel unable to bear… we block it out. Obliterate it from our memories. Seal it away. But it never truly leaves us. If the seal is broken, the memories resurface. And when they do… that fragile spirit may finally be crushed.”

Kazuma’s speech here is so heartbreakingly telling. The language he uses is so evocative, with “we” phrasings making it seem so much more personal. And the fact that he even realised, so quickly, that this trauma-driven amnesia is what Vigil’s going through also says so much. Kazuma’s amnesia was driven by trauma, too, and on some level, he’s realised that. But this is the closest he’s ever going to be able to get to admitting that. He’s talking about himself just as much as he’s talking about Vigil in these words.

Susato:  “Kazuma-sama…”

Susato is shown reacting to his speech, making me think that she’s picking up on how this is a lot more personal for Kazuma than he might want it to seem. She of all people has enough emotional intelligence and empathy for him that I can definitely buy her noticing this.

Kazuma:  “But if it must be crushed, then so be it! Because the truth will not stay buried! It’s coming out… one way or another!”

And yet, despite (or perhaps because of) his own experience with this, Kazuma is so fervently certain that revealing the truth is worth the pain it brings. He must have been in agony when he regained his own memories – but even worse would have been the realisation that he’d ever forgotten about something so very important. Nothing matters more than the truth – at least, to Kazuma, when it’s the truth about his father. No matter how much it hurts.

Susato:  “………”

Susato is still staring at Kazuma with tears in her eyes. I think she really does Get It about what he’s gone through himself. Bless Susato.

Ryunosuke:  “This is a dismissal notice ordering the immediate termination of a prison staff member’s employment.” Kazuma:  “A dismissal notice…?”

(Confirming: Kazuma indeed did not know about Vigil’s dismissal, and yet, he still figured out he had amnesia before anybody else.)

Even the way Vigil clutches his head and sways as his memories begin to come back to him is similar to what Kazuma briefly did during the cutscene when he regained his own.

Kazuma:  “Clearly… you did something.” [he slams his desk] “Mr Vigil! It’s time to break the seal and have you remember!”

Ugh, he’s still being so forceful about this, despite knowing exactly how much it’s going to hurt poor Vigil.

Kazuma:  “Seeing as you were in charge of overseeing executions at the time… you must know the truth about what really happened! It’s in your head! Somewhere deep down!”

Tragically for Kazuma, it isn’t – Vigil was not involved in the plot and knows little about how it was carried out. Kazuma’s going to cause this man so much pain in ripping the truth from his mind for almost none of the gain he’s expecting.

(Well, not completely no gain, since Vigil’s memories – particularly of a certain scarlet-penned will – do eventually come in very handy in solving the case.)

As Vigil recounts the story of what happened with the Professor’s escape and subsequent death, the camera pans around the courtroom – and Kazuma can be seen folding his arms, his eyes closed, listening quietly. I get the sense this body language is a sign of him retreating in on himself and doing his utmost to suppress any kind of emotion he might be feeling from hearing in such detail about how his father was killed.

Kazuma:  “I’ve reviewed the police records from that time extensively.”

Of course he has. He’d have been doing nothing else in the week after regaining his memories. By the sounds of this, he even did look a certain amount into his father’s faked execution, despite that this might reveal underhandedness on his father’s part. I suppose he just didn’t manage to find out about Daley Vigil in particular, one way or another.

While Kazuma was ruthlessly willing to drag the truth out of Vigil no matter the pain it caused, I suspect he wasn’t quite expecting the poor man to pass out from the sheer trauma of it. And even though he felt this was necessary, it’s not that Kazuma doesn’t care about the pain that resulted – he’s apparently very apologetic when he visits Vigil in his hospital room later, so he does feel guilty and responsible for the man’s suffering.