#WHEN IT COMES TO FRANZISKA'S CHARACTERIZATION AND HER ARC

[spite-of-the-grifter]

Every time I see people reduce Franziska von Karma to "haha bitchy immature lady with a whip" I get viscerally angry.

[ask-the-reaper-conspiracy]

Ooh idk if you've said before, but who are your favorite TGAA and mainline AA characters? What would you most like to see in a new game? And any hot takes?

This got long so putting it under a cut--

1

I've been asked who's my favorite of the reapers iirc (it was Stronghart of course) but not my favorite characters overall. That could be a big list dfgkdfksgks. So let's see, these are the characters who made me Happiest to see them onscreen...

Ryunosuke

Barok van Zieks

Herlock Sholmes (though it took a hot minute)

Mael Stronghart

Enoch Drebber

Susato

Maria Gorey

Auchi

Listing the AA characters is gonna be a bit harder that's a big list of people fdgkdskgfkdsg uhhh

Inga my beloved

Roger Retinz

Damon Gant

Maya

Athena Cykes

Dhurke

Dick Gumshoe

Nahyuta

Simon Blackquill

Bobby Fulbright

Winston Payne

Lotta Hart

Dahlia

Jinxie Tenma

Uendo Toneido (and alters)

Vera Misham

Guy Eldoon

Phoenix Wright

Trucy Wright

Special mention to Apollo. He may not get my brain firing the same way as someone like Inga, but I think in terms of his characterization he's got a well-done, understated progression across 4-6 that I love analyzing (yes, even with the backstory stuff.)

2

I feel like the most logical thing to do for AA7 is giving Athena more development and a chance to come into her own as a lawyer, so if there is ever an AA7, I would like for them to do that.

But in all honesty I desperately want GAA content more. I very specifically want an Investigations-esque story that follows Kazuma and Barok's relationship as prosecutors. It could be sequel where they're dealing with the blowback of the Reaper conspiracy, with a prequel case set when Kazuma is still an amnesiac and a short flashback case following Klint before the Professor Killings (T&T had two flashback cases why not dfgksfdk.)

Maybe they would finally have the London Underground as a location ;- ;

3

Judging by the Ace Attorney subreddit I'd say my putting Nahyuta as one of my favorite characters is a major hot take

Spirit of Justice is a good, if flawed, game, and a very good attempt at a sequel to Apollo Justice under the circumstances of its creation. More on that in a later ask...

Nahyuta has weak points in his writing, but he is not nearly as terrible as people keep insisting he is.

Turnabout Storyteller is overhated.

Franziska's von Karma's character arc is overrated.

The 3D modeling in Dual Destinies is fine for most of the characters (in fact, Juniper's school model looks wonderful.)

Many of the side characters of the sequel trilogy are more memorable to me than the ones in the original trilogy.

[neutrallyobsessed]

What's your opinion of Blackquill/Kay? I recently discovered esdithequeen's artwork and stories about the couple, and I love the dynamic the two have. (Samurai and Ninja, surly and optimistic)

YES YES WEON YOU HAVE ASKED ME THIS AND IT'S COMPLICATED

on one hand, i respect esdi's dedication, much like me she's carrying the ship by herself and afaik she really is alone on this one, tiping my hat from underrated ship artist to another

on the other hand, how can you make a ship that sounds so cool and sharp and dynamic and wild and epic into something so dull so overdone so muted so tumblr(derogatory) and flatlined

believe it or not, Simon is optimistic, funny even. For obvious reasons he has a very serious/blunt and depressing demeanor but this man is not serious AT ALLLL!!! this is the guy that requested to prosecute the orca case if i recall correctly THIS MAN IS FRIENDS WITH LITERAL CLOWNS AND COMEDIANS ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? AND YOUR BEST SHOT AT COMEDY IS mommy step on me WHATTT

and yeah, Kay doesnt have a lot of characterization so its free real state when it comes to 7yg BUT PLEASEEEE UNDERSTAND THAT SHE IS FUNNY!! SHE IS VERY FUNNY like imagine

Kay: imma do a crime :3 Simon: no Kay, crime is bad Kay: but... what if its funny? Simon: alright im listening

like- unlike Edgeworth, Simon is very easy to convince him to do shenanigans and tomfloolery and YOURE NOT EXPLOITING THAT?? WHY????

imma tell you why, cause her works reek of the fucking ooze, the NRMT shipper* ooze, which in my opinion is bitter, snarky and you dont end up understanding why the characters got togheter in the first place if they're going to be so unpleasent to each other. and it can get very angsty. and i dont like angst. like at all....... and that shit is very abundant on those places yknow?

*the NRMY shipper ooze also exists i just dont know how unpleasent it could taste to those who dont enjoy it cause yeah i do enjoy it xd (sometimes Kay is like written as Franziska but with Kay traits and less violent, is the vibe that i got from one of the fics lel)

i will say that the wings au fic is looking pretty interesting and i wanna see what happens next. And i hope that includes a faryan arc lolol, yess kay x daryan thatd be so fucking funny like ya feel me??

All in all, i dont think im her target audience and thats ok, not a big fan of girlboss/malewife dynamic either, pls enjoy that very away from me thx

THE DRAWINGS ARE PRETTY THO, NOTHING TO COMPLAIN IN THE TECHNICAL DEPT BUT THE CONTENT CAN GET VERY UNDERWHELMING♥

tl;dr: i like it in theory, not very much in esdi's practice in particular. i wish to see faraquill interpreted by other creators but i cant be that change i want to see in this world. i dont know if shes carrying other ships by herself but i certainly am and even then i got v a r i e t y

ok ill stop the bragging heh-

[definitelypreventable]

So I’ve been watching playthroughs of the Ace Attorney games (currently watching Farewell, My Turnabout, Justice for All so no spoilers please :) thanks!)

Edgeworth is my personal fave so far. I’m sucker for the broody ones smh. He seems like someone with like Wisdom 10, Intellect 100, and like. Smarticle Particles 0. If that makes sense. He’s got a lot of things figured out, but it’s not incredibly difficult to knock him off balance or catch things that he’s missed. And it’s super cute funny when it happens to him. Like when Oldbag compliments him. Or when Oldbag is being a complete b^tch hassle :)

I like where his character arc seems to be going. I want him to be a good guy and for him and Phoenix to be able to cooperate to get good outcomes like when they brought down Di Vasquez or worked together in From The Ashes. Of course I can’t help but feel uneasy about getting my hopes up because I can never have nice things in these stories :,) lmao.

Speaking of character arcs, I’m also interested in Franziska’s character. I doubt she’s ever going to stop clawing and scratching for those amoral victories and her ‘perfect record’ but she really piqued my interest in Turnabout Big Top when she said Edgeworth is like a little brother to her and that she was seeking vengeance not for her father, but for Edgeworth. Granted, she probably meant it in like a “you are my inferior and you should take me as the perfect example of perfection and do everything I say” sort of way but I feel like there’s potential for affection in there. It gives me the impession that she’s not just a 1-dimensional enemy out for spite, glory, and vengeance. Honestly, I doubt she’s going to get a whole lot of characterization, but one can dream, no? :,)

More thoughts to come as I continue watching the playthroughs (if I remember this post exists and if I feel like updating it, that is...)

[browniesnivy]

hiii brownie idk enough abt yugioh but *insert one of ur yugioh faves* and umm maybe franziska for that character ask game :]

Franziska Von Karma 

How I feel about this character- FRANZISKA LITERALLY SO AMAZING...I love how she’s introduced as just as terrifying and cruel as her father, but then you see that she really does care about helping other people throughout her determination to avenge Edgeworth and to help Phoenix save Maya in Farewell My Turnabout despite taking a bullet to the shoulder (such a good parallel with her father on its own!)... and then with the scene at the airport she’s is allowed to be emotionally vulnerable without being any less of a competent prodigy of law! She’s just... so fucking cool I LOVE HER!

All the people I ship romantically with this character- Maya Fey! I love the contrast between both of their personalities making them seem like total opposites, but when you look at their connection to a family legacy it becomes obvious they have a lot in common. I wish the games had expanded on their dynamic more, but unfortunately lesbians are oppressed :( 

My non-romantic OTP for this character- VON KARMA SIBLINGS... Mieke I know you agree with me on this! They grew up with the same terrible expectation that come with being a prodigy, and so they’re really the only ones who’s can comfort and understand each other... they obviously both feel such an obligation to protect each other and it makes me so CRAZY UGH. BROTHER AND SISTER! 

My unpopular opinion about this character- I don’t think this is an unpopular opinion but I wish she’d kept the shorter hair design from the concept art where her hair is slicked forward to contrast with her father’s slicked back hair, not only because I’m a lesbian and that hairstyle was SO GAY but because I think it could have highlighted or even foreshadowed how she differs from Manfred. Maybe since she hasn’t been able to abandon his influences by Justice for All it wouldn’t make since for her to have such a “wild” hairstyle, but I think that if she returns it would be amazing to see her with that hairstyle to represent how she’s moved on after a decade.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon- SHOW HER DENOUNCING MANFRED VON KARMA FOR REAL. I can understand that it would take time for her to fully accept that her father was not as admirable as she’d been least to believe, but by this point in the timeline I think it’s time for that aspect of her character arc to be resolved. The natural conclusion of her development requires her experiencing the same acceptance of defeat as her brother, so I really hope that if they bring Franziska back at some point she’ll be allowed to admit that her father was awful and that victory isn’t an indication of worth.

Rex Raptor

How I feel about this character- HE IS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN ANY PIECE OF MEDIA EVER. I know that he isn’t meant to be a deep character at all and he isn’t given much narrative focus at all but he is just SO DAMN ENDEARING TO ME OKAY. I have an unhealthy obsession with how he is initially introduced as being crass and inconsiderate while Weevil is more polite and strategic, but then it turns out Weevil is a total asshole while Rex is just... a kid who likes dinosaurs and duels for fun? Like even though he’s a total dumbass (the best character trait) who can be a bit rude (not even mean-spirited if we’re being totally honest, like most of his remarks are just him being snarky), the manga describes him as “having to the spirit of a true duelist” and he never really seems as bitter about losing as his counterpart Weevil (except in the Season 4 filler arc, which although I adore for giving me so much more Rex content, makes a lot mistakes by characterizing him as basically interchangeable with Weevil... BUT that’s ANOTHER STORY for ANOTHER DAY). I mean he has more justifiable reasons to be upset than Weevil given how he was LITERALLY cheated out of the Battle City tournaments by Espa (which Mokuba the official rule enforcer LETS THEM GET AWAY WITH and then doesn’t do ANYTHING to compensate Rex), and he STILL tries to warn Joey to stay away from trouble despite him being the guy he supposedly dislikes because he took his best card, totally disgracing him and ruining his entire career. I could keep going but this paragraph isn’t probably already sickeningly long and I still need to be able to make posts about him in the future, so in a nutshell... he seems like a funny and good kid. OH AND WHEN MAI ASKED HIM THE “what can you see but cannot see” RIDDLE AND HE ANSWERED TAKOYAKI BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE DOUGH ON THE OUTSIDE BUT NOT THE OCTOPUS ON THE INSIDE? LITERAL CUTEST SHIT EVER KING OF COMEDY I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU. Ahem. Sorry.  

All the people I ship romantically with this character- Weevil Underwood. They’re both teenagers who got famous, let it get to their heads, and then lost everything... considering that they seem like the types of kids who would be bullied relentlessly (they're already constantly being made fun of by mostly of the character anyway), I think the fact that they end up befriending each other is a good sign that they can find some comfort in each other and discover other things to be fulfilled by beside card games. I love how even though this friendship is framed as a begrudging alliance between two self-servings jerks half of the time, the other half of the time it’s about best friends starting a shit together for petty reasons and always being by each other’s side no matter what. The way that they tease each other constantly but then always stand up for one another when others pick on them... it’s so obvious that they actually really care about one another! I just love their dynamic so much it’s unreal, hence the blog.

My non-romantic OTP for this character- Although I primarily think about his relationship with Weevil, there is still a lot of potential to be explored with other characters! Mako is another minor character obsessed with a type of animal, but where’s he differs from Rex and ESPECIALLY Weevil is his sportsmanship, being able to become friends with Yugi and Joey even after being defeated by them. I think that difference mostly comes down to Mako being significantly older than Red and Weevil and therefore having more perspective on gaming fame, so I feel like he would be a great influence on them. On Rex specifically, I think Season 4 missed a big opportunity to expand on Rex and Mai’s relationship. Mai had been a major contributor to Rex losing in Duelist Kingdom, but now they both feel like washed-up failures. I think given the circumstances they could have comeback to an understanding, maybe even have Mai apologize for throwing him under the bus to screw with Joey? I think showing Rex that not everyone who has wronged him in the past had/still has bad intentions would be really good addition to his character arc in Season 4. Then of course there is Joey... to me, the main difference between Rex and Joey is that Joey is stupidly lucky while Rex never seems to catch a break. Otherwise they’re both recklessness dumbasses who prioritize brawn over brain, but Joey is nevertheless able to triumph through sheer dumb luck while Rex gets anihilated over and over with basically the same strategy (minus the RNG cards, Joey’s strategy is just big monsters after all). While the previously mentions she relationships were hypothetical, this dynamic between Joey and Rex is actually given some focus in canon, and I found it very compelling! I only wish this difference between them hadn't only been used to increase Joey’s confidence in his skills as a duelist (which I will remind you is mostly LUCK, no offense to Joey because I do love him BUT I MEAN... only being able to beat Rex because of a lucky Time Wizard isn’t peak strategy ), but to develop Rex’s character somehow as well. 

My unpopular opinion about this character- JUST LIKING THIS CHARACTER IS AN UNPOPULAR OPINION MAN... tons of people hate him so much! I know he isn’t an important character at all but he isn’t nearly as much of a jerk as people make him out to be, and I mean even if he was he’s just a kid! I won’t pretend that he is always portrayed favorably by the narrative, but the fact that some people feel nothing but disdain for a child whose accomplishments were robbed from him by forces outside of his control and who received no sympathy for it, causing his self-worth to deteriorate... it’s a bit concerning to me that so many adults in particular are so disgusted by that. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon- I’ve talked QUITE a lot already about things that I wish had happened to develop his character more, but above all else I wish his character arc in Season 4 had been given a proper conclusion. The writers set up this interesting conflict where the insignificant minor characters are upset that they aren’t allowed to be successful when the more important characters aren’t involved and shows the consequences that their defeat had on their lives and self-image... BUT THEN AFTER THEY’RE DEFEATED THEY ARE FORGOTTEN ABOUT FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON UNTIL THEY WAKE UP IN THE HOSPITAL AND INSTANTLY REVERT BACK TO BEING COMIC RELIEF GRRR GRRRRRRRR! There wasn’t no resolution to this arc AT ALL and it drives me UP THE GODDAMN WALL because it absolutely captivated me in concept... but like with many things in Yu-Gi-Oh! the execution was totally ruined :(