#basically every character from aai2

[theggning]

The Ace Attorney Parenting Tier List

If there’s one thing our favorite anime lawyer series has a lot of, it’s murders. If there’s two things, then it’s murders and awful parents.

It’s harder to find a good, attentive, caring parent in these games than it is to find a well-adjusted prosecutor. But out of all the malicious schemers, child-abandoners, deadbeats and just plain dead people, who are the best and worst parents in the Ace Attorney series? 

I have decided to rank them into a tier list using a highly scientific rating system. 

Rampant, unmarked spoilers for the entire AA series within (including AAI1 and 2 and TGAA)

CW: child abandonment and neglect, some mentions of verbal abuse

In order to qualify for ranking on this list, characters must meet the following criteria: 

They must be a named character with actual canon information about them. Offscreen or mentioned-only characters are not allowed (eg: Mia and Maya’s father, Pearl’s father, Mr. Hawthorne, other “headcanon” characters)

They must be a parent, or have taken on the role of a foster parent. No siblings raising siblings, or I’d have half the characters in the series on here. Having “big dad energy” or informally/sporadically protecting a kid doesn’t count (Sorry, Badd and Godot.) 

They must be aware that they are a parent, have actually met their child, or have taken steps to do so. “Hypothetical” parenting assumptions are not allowed. (eg: That one character you’re thinking of from GAA is not here because he died before his child was born.) 

Characters on this list are ranked from S through F tier, best parents at the top, taking into account the following criteria: 

Absence: Is this person even available to parent their kid? Is it because they abandoned them or because they were murdered? (Being the victim of murder does not detract from parenting score, I go by what we know of them while they were alive.) Apathy: Is this person concerned for their child’s well-being? Do they take any steps to ensure their child is safe or taken care of? Do they pursue their personal goals regardless of how it affects their kids? Unpleasantness: Is this person a warm, caring, or kind parent? Or are they cold, difficult, cranky, demanding, or otherwise unpleasant to be parented by? (Parents with hard or unpleasant personalities are not necessarily mean or cruel.) Active Malice: Does this person take steps or make plans to actively harm their child? Do they knowingly partake in actions that will likely result in harm to their child? Scheming: Does this person involve their children in convoluted schemes? Are these schemes for their own personal benefit, or are they somehow meant to help the child in some way? (Almost, but not all of these schemes end up being terrible ideas.) Other Victims: Does anybody else have their lives negatively impacted by this person’s parenting choices? These actions must be related to this person’s parenting or kids, not just shitty things they do to others. This does include people who are victimized by the screwed-up kid’s later activities. Mitigating Factors: Does the parent have a good reason for their choices? Or are their decisions a result of events out of their control? Audacity Multiplier: Special consideration is given to circumstances which are over-the-top, absurd, highly unlikely in a realistic setting, or otherwise “super anime.” EG: summoning ghosts, international politics, or international politics that involve summoning ghosts. 

As much as I joke about science and math, all rankings herein are heavily influenced by my own opinions. You are free to agree or disagree with my list (and I’d love to hear why!) Here are a few other factors that swayed my thinking, mostly in ranking characters within tiers:

Canon evidence is king. We all ASSUME Manfred von Karma was a rotten, awful dad in the day-to-day, but unless there is actual evidence to prove it, I don’t take headcanons into consideration.

Child abandonment is so prevalent in this series you have to dissect it further to get anywhere. I take into account why and how the kid was abandoned, how much control the parent had over the situation, and the parent’s motivations, if applicable. When you get to the very bottom of the list, I consider abandoning a kid less bad than ongoing cruelty or abuse towards them. 

Actions speak louder than words. I judge these folks by what they do (or do not do,) not what they or the narrative says they think or feel. 

Loving your children and being a horrible parent are not mutually exclusive. Plenty of the people on this list love their kids, but do a bad job of taking care of them. 

Loving your children and being a horrible PERSON are also not mutually exclusive. Many of these characters are otherwise nice, decent people. Several are absolute bastards who do awful things. For the purposes of this list, I am only taking into account their parenting and how they treat their kids. 

Without further ado, the unofficial Ace Attorney Parenting Tier List:

S Tier: SUPER Great Parents 

The best of the best (admittedly, the bar is very low.) But these parents are not only great, they are alive and present in their children’s lives, and those kids are thriving. 

Herlock Sholmes: Here he is, the best dad in the AA series. Sholmes gets an infant dumped in his lap by his deported bestie/boyfriend and proceeds to absolutely nail the parenting thing. Iris is safe, happy, well cared-for, and has her MD at age 10. Great DADtective is more like it. 

Phoenix Wright: Our series protag also has fatherhood thrust upon him (in the middle of a massive life crisis, no less) but he takes to it with gusto. I ranked him below Sholmes both because he didn’t have to care for Trucy as an infant, and because he condones her being something of a con artist. Trucy’s doing great, though, and her New Daddy is a massive upgrade from her old one. (But Phoenix, could you please tell her about her mother and half-brother already?) 

Damian Tenma: Damian’s just a big proud dad/pro wrestler willing to fake demonic possession and eat a murder conviction for his baby girl. Jinxie is a bit skittish due to growing up in a youkai-themed village, but I don’t take quirky or unusual upbringings into account if the kid is otherwise doing well. All these high tier good parents are pretty much on the same level, so the next few rankings come down to my whims. 

Justine Courtney: Single career woman taking in her orphaned cousin and raising him right. In the tumultuous world of child acting, John will benefit from having a protective, strong-willed mother keeping an eye on him. 

Plum and Winfed Kitaki: Yes, the literal yakuza outrank many of the other parents on this list. The Kitakis may have raised their son in the middle of a crime family, but they have now abandoned the glitz of the “family business” after the lifestyle nearly ended Wocky’s life. Winfred’s determination to pay for Wocky’s surgery with clean money is a refreshing bit of self-awareness and restraint, too. Your average AA parent would be committing sixteen murders or a couple poorly planned grand larcenies to get that money. Fun fact: the Kitakis are one of only two sets of married parents on this list. 

A Tier: Good Parents with an Asterisk (Probably Dead)

The folks in this tier are also by all accounts good parents. There’s just some mitigating factor keeping them out of the S tier– mostly, that they have been murdered and are dead and no longer able to parent. 

Dead parents in this tier had to have shown some sort of valiant, selfless, or just plain involved parenting before their demise. 

Gregory Edgeworth: Would be a high rank in S tier were he not sadly deceased and unable to raise Miles. By all accounts, ol’ Greg Edgeworth was a fantastic, thoughtful, sensitive father who made his son’s well-being a priority at all times. This includes potentially lying to the cops when he was channeled after DL-6. RIP Greg, in Dad Heaven now. 

Sister Bikini: Iris considers the delightful Bikini her mother, and believes Dahlia wouldn’t have ended up such a nightmare if Bikini raised her, too. Bikini’s asterisk is only because Iris spends much of her youth running around colluding in crimes, of which Bikini seems completely oblivious. (Where did you think Iris was going every day for eight months?)

Jeffrey Master: A nice dad who will do anything to protect his beloved foster daughter, Katherine. Her devotion to him is evidence of his excellent parenting. She’s also 16 when Jeffrey goes to prison on false charges, so his “abandonment” is negligible (and also out of his control.) 

Courtney Sithe: Maria is a bit strange and has some morbid interests, but a quirky upbringing is by no means a bad thing. Courtney’s shady dealings do not extend to her daughter, who is also in possession of a medical degree at a very young age. They do, however, seriously upset and disillusion Maria onscreen, and this is what keeps Courtney out of the S tier. 

Byrne Faraday: Single dad, obviously very attentive to Kay. The father-daughter promise notebook is very sweet and shows a high level of involvement. His death comes about due to unforeseen betrayal (and because he was secretly part of a three-person spy ring) but there is family available to care for Kay in his stead, which is honestly a rarity in this series. A contingency plan for your kid’s welfare? Instant A tier. 

Inga Karkhuul Khura'in: Proving that personal character does not factor into parenting skill, awful bastard tyrant Minister Inga is actually a doting, caring father. He genuinely adores Rayfa (who he knows is not his blood daughter) and none of his schemes and power-grabs involve her in any way. Though he is a total prick to absolutely everyone else, he’s warm to Rayfa and she clearly prefers him over her mother. It’s especially fascinating to compare him to Dhurke (who, spoilers, is going to be way, way, way near the bottom of this list.) 

Jove Justice: Alas, poor Jove. He doesn’t get much time to be a dad, but he was by all accounts a good one. Splits parenting duties fairly with Thalassa so they can both pursue their careers, and dies in the middle of saving infant Apollo from a fire (though he dies from murder, not from the fire.) I also want to give him props for getting Thalassa away from her own horrible father, albeit temporarily. Pour one out for Papa Justice, he was a real one. 

Iyesa Nosa: I would normally consider a dad caring for his infant son “bare minimum” parenting and not worthy of extra praise. But given the time period and expected gender roles in Japan at the time of GAA, Iyesa taking on childcare duties when his measly salary can’t afford it otherwise is notable. Good for him. 

B Tier: Bare Minimum Decent Parents

Parents who just like, do parent stuff for their kids without any wild circumstances or bizarre plots. Parents who don’t do any spectacularly negative things or whose parenting is unremarked upon either way also end up here. 

Ernest Amano: The man himself is an obnoxious wealthy scuzzball. He does throw his money around for the sake of his equally obnoxious son, though, so I guess that makes him your basic decent parent. Eat the rich. 

Lawrence “Moe” Curls: Moe’s daughter Larina is in the custody of her mother, who left Moe due to his failed clown career. He laments this state of affairs and worries how he’ll support her if the circus ends up closed. So Moe’s marriage is on the rocks and he pays child support, at the moment. Guy just seems to be in a rough patch, and hopefully his swap to ringmaster will help work things out. 

Metis Cykes: Athena mistakes her mother’s chilly demeanor and experimental devices for a lack of caring about her, but this is a misunderstanding. Metis was trying to help her daughter and always had her best interests in mind, but was perhaps just not the warmest or most emotionally open mother to her. It happens that way sometimes. Otherwise, no reason to think Metis was anything less than decent. 

Russell Berry: Regina is not the most well-adjusted teenage girl in the world, and Russell’s avoidance of conflict ends up tormenting Acro right off the rails. But apart from the recent tragedies, everyone speaks highly of Russell’s kindness, and he adopted Acro and Bat and raised them as his own sons. Good dad, if a tragically flawed one. 

Genshin Asogi: Genshin dips off to London on a study trip for six years, but Kazuma is old enough at the time to understand this and exchange correspondence with him. Genshin then gets absolutely turbofucked by the entire British judicial system, which is in no way his fault. I also think the way he sent the liberating evidence proving his innocence back to Japan was pretty cool. Anyway, an unfortunate case of a good dad getting totally screwed over. 

Amara Sigatar Khura’in: Amara is the victim of political machinations that make her think her own husband has betrayed her, and lives imprisoned under an alias. She raises Rayfa under this alias and seems to be a good and caring mother. However, her apparent callousness re: Nahyuta and the stunning naivety that lets her and her children get manipulated by her clearly evil sister for 20 years are worth a raised eyebrow. Getting pregnant while being actively hunted down by an oppressive regime is also pretty dumb. Amara, please learn to think for yourself and stop believing whatever the last thing that Ga’ran/Dhurke/Ga’ran told you.  

C Tier: Parental Redemption Arc

These parents were not great, made some not-great choices, or were involved in not-great circumstances. They are now trying to do better. Not always successfully, but they are trying. Parents who actively take steps towards doing better are ranked higher than those who just kind of say they’re going to (or the goddamn writers haven’t let them yet.) 

Yujin Mikotoba: Deep in the throes of grief, Yujin bailed on his newborn daughter and Watsoned around London for six years before being deported back into parenthood. He feels severely guilty for not existing in Susato’s life for all that time, and is now trying to make up for it by being an indulgent, supportive, feminist dad.

He still jacks it up here or there. Lying to Susato about being on his deathbed is pretty fucked up, but it is an attempt to protect her. And if we get into Kazuma and what Yujin does or does not know about that whole situation, things get even muddier. But he’s TRYING, which is more than I can say for a lot of these jerks. (I’m not counting baby you-know-who in here, because Yujin only had custody for a very short time and did indeed see the kid into capable, loving hands.) 

“Twice-Fired” Mason: His wife left him, took the kid, and changed their surname to escape their miserable impoverished lifestyle. It seems Mason was more or less a deadbeat until Ashley re-established contact with him– albeit, so Mason could help him with a dangerous criminal conspiracy. Sensing trouble, Mason tries to intervene on his son’s behalf and ends up dead for it. Ashley’s proceeding actions (which I gotta say, are pretty metal) prove there was some fondness between father and son, but Mason’s life was cut short before they got the chance to fully reconcile. Bummer. 

Colin Devorae: Another falsely convicted dad. Colin escapes from prison, goes into hiding working for the Amanos, and conveniently reunites with his daughter Lauren when she starts dating Lance. Colin uses this situation to watch over his daughter, but for some reason chooses not to tell Lauren who he is– info then used to blackmail him into doing crimes for Lance. Halfway through crimes, after Lauren is already involved, Colin tries to murder Lance to… prevent Lauren from doing crimes? What the hell is this timing, dude? He’s like half a bead off from actually protecting Lauren at any given moment. He also gets pointlessly shot and dies for this. C for effort, I guess. 

Di-Jun Huang: Zheng-Fa President Huang was not aware he was a dad, but once he was informed about his love child he had every intention of taking responsibility. Unfortunately, he was assassinated before he ever got to do this. Huang is an edge case as far as my eligibility rules go, but his kid is actually born and he takes obvious steps showing he’s going to step up. That’s enough canon info to place him here. 

Thalassa Gramarye: Thalassa holds the dubious honor of losing not one, but TWO children in spectacularly dramatic fashion, neither of which were her fault at all. It is entirely understandable how she could lose track of Apollo, given the chaos in Khura’in after the coup. It’s also not her fault that her own shitbag father chooses to use her near-fatal accident as an opportunity to be an asshole. However, it is probably about time that Thalassa comes forward to Apollo and Trucy. It’s been like three years and I’m not sure what she’s waiting for. Even the credits of SoJ think so. C’mon girl, get to it. 

D Tier: Questionable/Criminal Parenting

Oh, now we’re getting spicy. These parents approach their duties with questionable or dysfunctional methods, up to and including using their children to do crimes. They are spared a lower tier by making an attempt to be decent, or at least not committing the spectacular fuckups of those below them. Yet.

Taifu Toneido: Maybe it was a quirk of being an old rakugo master, but being Taifu’s own kid seems like it was absolutely miserable. Geiru seems to think the only way to please him is to inherit his title, and she busts her ass to do so. The only acknowledgement she receives is worded like “you suck at this and you’ll never be my heir” when he allegedly means it more like “I can tell this isn’t where your passion lies and I want you to follow your own path.” He is so bad at relaying this idea that Geiru snaps and murders him quite brutally in a fit of pique. This is why it’s important for us to use our words, kids. Being cryptic gets you murdered by clown tits. EDIT/CORRECTION:  Okay, can you tell I only played Turnabout Storyteller one time? I completely forgot that Taifu Toneido is not Geiru’s father, her father is dead and Taifu inherited the rights to the name “Uendo Toneido” from him. Whoops. Either way, he sounds like a really obnoxious master, so he can stay here in spirit. 

Drew Misham: Drew starts off a decent dad, but chooses to use Vera’s prodigal artistic talent to create forgeries. Then he makes the quite literally fatal error of doing this for Kristoph Gavin. He is so terrified that Kristoph is going to show up and murder them that he goes full agoraphobic shut-in and cripples the already traumatized Vera’s social skills. Drew is absolutely correct to be afraid of Kristoph– but none of this would have happened if he didn’t decide to use his daughter for crimes in the first place. Womp womp. 

Ga’ran Sigatar Khura’in: Ga’ran keeps Rayfa around mostly as a bargaining chip to use against her sister and nephew– it is made very clear that she’ll destroy Rayfa’s life if either of them step a foot out of line. She’s also cold, demanding, and unpleasable to the point where Rayfa clearly prefers her father.

Ga’ran does, however, put on a motherly facade and allows Rayfa to be comfortable and well cared-for, which is the only saving grace that keeps her from E tier or lower. Her lust for power and cruel actions are separate from her actual parenting ability, though they do deprive several other characters of their good parents (still doesn’t count, though.)

Notably, apart from the Kitakis, Ga’ran and Inga are the only married parents on this list. Unlike the Kitakis, they absolutely hate each other. 

E Tier: Oh My God These Kids Need Therapy

Now we’re really in the dumpster. The people in this tier are either callous, cruel, spectacularly neglectful, or perform such outrageously fucked up actions that we can definitively say they are all awful parents. Some of these kids are so jacked up that they go on to victimize others– and the ones that don’t will definitely need the aid of a good therapist somewhere down the line. 

This is where the audacity factor comes in. Some of these characters do such wild and dramatic things that it’s very difficult to compare them to more mundane bad parenting in the examples above. 

Dane Gustavia: Gustavia’s complete and utter apathy at the disappearance of his kid is truly something to behold. Like man, this guy did not care at ALL when his son was traumatically kidnapped and vanished in the aftermath. This shocking neglect also creates one of the most fucked up monsters in the entirety of AA, who goes on to ruin the lives of multiple other people.

So why does Gustavia get to sit at the top of this tier? Because his parental carelessness is a one-time thing. He cares so little for his son that once he makes the choice to abandon him, he never gives another thought to the kid ever again. Other E tier residents screw up multiple kids, or make multiple bad decisions that I find more impressively galling. But make no mistake, the drop between Ga’ran up in D tier and Gustavia down here is MASSIVE. This guy’s an absolute prick. 

Pierre Hoquet/Isaac Dover: AAI2 may as well have the subtitle “Ballad of the Bad Dads.” Pierre also screws up his son in spectacular fashion, but easily plummets down the ranks for masterminding the child kidnapping scheme. Commanding your weeping, pleading little boy to imprison his best friend and himself in a car where the two of them nearly freeze to death is certainly one way to win an episode of Top Chef. This situation is so fucked up I’m also docking Pierre for child abandonment, when he would normally be excused for that on account of being murdered. Absolute yikesburger.

Misty Fey: Perhaps a controversial position for her, but I did write an entire post about what a garbage mom Misty is. To summarize: disappears for 17 years due to perceived wound to family pride. Zero contact with daughters, even when one of them is murdered and the other goes through numerous traumatic situations which all make the news. Comes out of hiding to plan and participate in the nutty Hazakura  murder prevention plot, which is a terrible idea on all fronts– but Misty agrees to it because it means she doesn’t have to face or talk to Maya (which she has no intention of doing. Ever.) The entire plot of Bridge to the Turnabout is just as much her fault as anyone else’s. There is also the bit where she tries to deal with a spirit trying to kill her daughter by BECOMING the spirit trying to kill her daughter.

Misty truly sucks at this, but I rank her worse than Hoquet and Gustavia because when they abandon their kids, it’s into the foster care system–  meanwhile Misty abandons her 12 and 2-year-old daughters in the custody of the sister who openly hates her and covets her legacy. Why not just leave Mia and Maya in a snakepit? The snakes might not be venomous, but Morgan Fey definitely is. 

What’s really sad is that the time and opportunity Misty had to get over herself and come back into her daughter’s lives is huge. She had 17 years and every chance in the world to do better, and she doesn’t. She never intended to. Her situation is resolvable, the tragedy is all preventable, and she lets it perpetuate for her stupid pride. 

Misty claims she “never stopped thinking” about her daughters, and god damn that picture in her talisman makes me cry every time. But my tears have not blinded me to the fact that holy shit, she’s a horrible mother. 

Dhurke Sahdmadhi: Another previous guest star on my blog. Dhurke is a noble person and a charming guy, and it honestly pains me to rank him below the likes of the AAI2 chef dads. Alas, the problem with Dhurke has to do with scale. The stakes in SoJ are ludicrously high, so when Dhurke fucks up his kids, it’s on like… an international level.

Being a wanted fugitive framed for a coup is not Dhurke’s fault, but again and again, he prioritizes his rebellion over the safety and well-being of his children. Note the plural, because Dhurke also screws up with ALL THREE of his kids. Because the revolution is “not his problem,” Dhurke abandons a 9-year-old Apollo in America (a country he has no memories nor cultural knowledge of.) He neglects to send Nahyuta along too, and he ends up right in the government meat grinder, breaking his spirit and turning him into a puppet of Ga’ran. He conceives Rayfa while on the lam, handing Ga’ran yet more collateral to hold over Nahyuta and Amara. And when he finally goes back to find Apollo, it’s to drag him kicking and screaming into the revolution, and a situation in which he will be executed if he fails. Apollo has every right to be pissed at him, and Nahyuta gets completely robbed of his own chance to be.

Dhurke is portrayed as a heroic and tragic figure who will do anything to protect his kids, but the latter claim falls apart with even the slightest bit of scrutiny. He means well and he may be trying his best, but good grief, Dhurke, your best absolutely blows. 

Shadi Enigmar/Zak Gramarye: Abandonment of your daughter is one thing. The premeditated abandonment of your daughter that you orchestrate by tricking her into thinking it’s her first magic show is quite another. Zak is ready to ditch Trucy and peace the fuck out LONG before the tide in the courtroom turns against him, and makes no attempt to ensure she’ll be taken care of once he bounces.

The apathy alone would score him low, but Zak comes back for the malice points seven years later, aiming to destroy Phoenix’s reputation. You know, Phoenix. The man who is feeding and caring for his daughter. Why? I don’t know, pure spite? God, this guy is such a dick. I kind of don’t blame Kristoph for bashing his brains out. 

Magnifi Gramarye: What the fuck is wrong with the Gramaryes? Magnifi was a world class asshole, impossible to please, and a nightmare to work for. But he wouldn’t be on this list if his shittery didn’t also include his daughter Thalassa. When she is shot in an accident during a rehearsal, Magnifi decides to take those lemons and make some lemonade– he lies about her “death” to threaten and blackmail his two apprentices, Valant and Zak (the latter of whom is also Thalassa’s husband. And also a jerk, but this is his wife, dude.) Meanwhile, he dumps his blind, amnesiac daughter off the back of the tour bus so hard she ends up a European pop star. How in the hell does that happen? Absolutely stunning.

If we counted his myriad apprentices as his kids, Magnifi would rank even lower on this list, because they’re still coming out of the woodwork pissed at him and seething for vengeance a decade after his death. 

Manfred von Karma: What really makes ol’ Manny stand out from the crowd is the time and effort that goes into his bullshit. Adopting your rival’s orphaned son so you can raise him wrong as a joke and then frame him for murder twice over fifteen years later is a plan so petty, so devious, and so prolonged in its cruelty that it’s instantly a finalist for the Worst Father in Ace Attorney.

However.

After much deliberation, I can’t actually give Von Karma that title. Why? Because his sinister parenting was only targeted at Edgeworth, and did not necessarily manifest in mundane, everyday cruelty. I have no doubt that having Manfred von Karma for a dad is an intimidating and harrowing experience. He’s absolutely strict and domineering, and Franziska certainly has an inferiority complex- but there’s no canon information that Manfred was abusive to her or the unknown other VK kid at all. (One of the anime episodes even shows him being quite indulgent, if not a bit cold and stuffy.) We don’t know that he was openly mean to Edgeworth either, for that matter.

Don’t get me wrong, this is in no way a defense of him. The fifteen-year long game to ruin Edgeworth’s life because his dad got him written up at work is truly unhinged and over-the-top evil. Only on this ranking is it “better” that you only have sinister plans for one of your three kids, and Manfred is a truly magnificent example of an awful, awful father– but there is one AA Dad who’s even worse. 

Also, please note that if this ranking was allowed to include all of the lives ruined by all of a character’s actions, Manfred von Karma easily takes the gold medal grand prize. I didn’t forget about DL-6, Manny, and neither did anyone else in this traumatized canon. 

F Tier: The Worst of the Worst

Reserved for the absolute worst father and worst mother in the series. 

Blaise Debeste: Absolute bastard, completely unpleasant in every aspect of his personality and character design. What lands Blaise down here beneath all these other atrocious dads is the explicit, onscreen verbal abuse he hurls at Sebastian at every given opportunity. Manfred von Karma makes cruel plans for his adoptive son, but we don’t see him degrading his confidence and calling him names. Other dads may abandon their kids without a thought, but at least those kids have a chance to get away from their shitty parents– Sebastian is stuck with Blaise, who is also implied to have “disappeared” his own wife, depriving him of his mother too. No other father in this series cares less and treats their kid with the same open contempt as Blaise Debeste, and that is why he gets the crown for Worst Dad. 

But there’s still one parent worse than him. 

Morgan Fey: With the given criteria, nobody else comes close. Morgan is bitter, spiteful, selfish, and cares nothing for her children beyond how they can help her reclaim the Kurain Master’s seat. When her twins Dahlia and Iris cannot, she gets rid of them (there’s some conflicting info whether Morgan gave them up or Mr. Hawthorne took them away from her– either way, Morgan doesn’t give a shit since neither of them have much spiritual power.) When Pearl turns out to have strong powers, the poor kid becomes the linchpin of all Morgan’s plans. She smothers Pearl and keeps her confined to Kurain Village, restricting who she talks to and what she learns (she can barely read and knows very little basic knowledge you would expect of a girl her age.) When Morgan’s first scheme to get rid of Maya fails and she’s arrested, she comes up with an even worse one.

The Hazakura murder plot is a grand culmination of Morgan’s spite, her selfish pride, and the way she views her daughters like tools– tricking an unwitting Pearl into summoning Dahlia to murder her cousin, then pinning all the blame on Iris. Sending Iris down for murder is pretty outrageous on its own, but turning her sweet, trusting 9-year-old into a murderer by proxy is whole new levels of twisted. (Dahlia also alludes that Morgan was planning to kill her– perhaps suggesting that if she had not been on death row, Morgan would off her for the sole purpose of this dumb plan.)

Every one of Morgan’s evil actions is directly tied to her children – and all of this is without including Mia and Maya, who were 12 and 2 when abandoned into Morgan’s custody. In case you need a refresher, she’s openly hostile to Maya, tries to frame her for murder and then tries to straight-up murder her.

As if all that wasn’t enough, Morgan’s monstrous parenting also gives rise to Dahlia, the second most prolific murderer in the trilogy, who ruins the lives of four additional people and almost takes out Phoenix Wright as well. 

So congratulations to Morgan Fey, not only the Worst Mother in the series, but the absolute nadir in this cavalcade of bad parenting. By a long shot.

Quick Edit: One small revision, swapped two people. See if you can guess who. 

[dyelwi]

If you haven’t gotten her already then maybe Kay for the meme? just cause she’s your icon and idk anything about her so I wanna hear about her lol. If you’ve gotten her then uhhh pick a character you really hoped to get but haven’t yet

I haven’t gotten any characters yet actually so thanks!!! Um spoiler warning for the investigations games lol

Favorite thing about them: I love her for so many reasons but I really like her whole yatagarasu thing, great thief stealing the truth and exposing secrets is such a fun idea, and I also adore her dynamics w other characters!! Basically any interactions she has with other characters is entertaining, she’s silly and fun and also has her strong morals and attitude that just makes her so enjoyable

Least favorite thing about them: umm. I don’t have much. I wish she was in more games I suppose.

Favorite line: I’m not the type to have specific lines memorized unless they really stand out but her whole little yatagarasu speech she gives when using little thief is silly, also every time she refers to gumshoe as Gummy hehe

brOTP: everyone god I want her to be friends w everyone. I love her familial type dynamic with edgeworth and gumshoe especially though, so sweet. Also her dynamic with franziska is fun even though there isn’t a ton of scenes with them so I like them a lot too!! Also her and Sebastian as edgeworth’s adopted kids lol I usually don’t like the ace attorney fandom’s whole “edgeworth and Phoenix adopt all these other characters as their kids” stuff but edgeworth adopts Kay and Sebastian and they get to have a silly dynamic annoying edgeworth. To me at least

OTP: I’m a big faraskye fan, she and ema have nice interactions and the whole thief x detective thing is funny. Do also like her w Regina as well, they were so fruity in that one case together lol

nOTP: I hate when ppl ship her w edgeworth shes a minor and she compares him to her dad like. I don’t subscribe to the idea of “these characters are like family kind of but a lot more so in fanon so shipping them is incest” but I feel like even in canon she and edgeworth just have such father daughter vibes that it makes me feel weird about it

Random headcanon: lesbian w adhd just like me and my gf fr. Also I like thinking that she and trucy spent a lot of time together bc like Phoenix and edgeworth connection blah blah and so Kay is where she got her mischievous streak lol

Unpopular opinion: umm can’t really think of any tbh. I don’t like when people say she’s just a copy of Maya, she’s her own character that’s extremely interesting esp in the aai flashback case and in aai2 when she loses her memory and we see how emotional and anxious she can actually be

Song that reminds me of them: I have a whole Kay playlist lol I make a lot of ace attorney playlists actually, so other than her in game theme (which is one of my favorite ace attorney songs btw) I should choose something from there. Hm maybe hand me my shovel I’m going down by will wood, or don’t stop (color on the walls) by foster the people.

Favorite image: all of them lol but these two are really really good. Also the one where she’s blowing her nose on edgeworth’s cravat lmao

[oraclememehacker]

15 and 18!

𝐚 𝐦𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤.

a collection of asks for the muns behind the muses of the rpc.

15: what is your favourite part about using this platform to roleplay on?

So for me, my favorite part of using this platform is that I can make some really long posts and be able to really flesh out my thoughts. I've said before that I treat this like making a story and in a way, I'm writing fanfiction via roleplays. I do like rping on discord and the like but there's still that character limit (Tumblr has one as well but it's so ridiculously big that you really have to make something enormous to get to it)

I also just really like being able to post my random thoughts and shitposts on here. I'll be like "heh, I'm thinking of this meme" and then post it. Or I'll have an idea of something that I want to do and I'll post it, and while not every time I do, people interact with it, sometimes people do and it creates a nice sense of community. I still can't believe this dumb blog has over 250 followers and people love my Futaba as much as they do.

18: how did you come across the roleplay community?

This is quite a story, and I guess I'll start with the backstory. So, back in 2011, yes, 2011, I was a fledgling rper. And I do mean a very fledgling rper. I was a senior in highschool and my rping was no more better than *kicks you* and *walks around for a while* and so on. I was rping with my now Significant other in an IRC chat, and it was incredibly cringy. Basically we prevented DL-6 from happening with our self inserts and went on from there.

Eventually our irc stuff was spotted by a former friend who said something about tumblr and joining an rp group, wright anything agency, cause we were doing ace attorney stuff. Well, I decided to take him on that offer and I rped as Gregory Edgeworth, Edgey's father. We knew about AAI2 at the time but we didn't know it was gonna not be released here yet. I didn't do him justice at all and was overall a horrible rper, but it was fun times before that group fell apart due to elitism issues among other things. It was what lead to me making my Twilight Sparkle blog and well...there's a lot of history with that.

[leonidskies]

I know large numbers of people in the English speaking fandom want Klavier to return in future games, think Capcom does Klavier dirty by not having him appear a lot in merch/games past AA4, and I wanna see him too!

BUT I don't personally think it's gonna happen and that ppl should temper their expectations, because Klavier is not popular in Japan (at least, by the metric most readily available to us):

Sebastian is more popular than Klavier

Godot and Barok are more popular than Klavier

When asked about their favourite prosecutor, less than 6% of respondents to the most recent AA survey in Japan picked Klavier

Klavier similarly doesn't make it into the top 10 favourite characters overall, likely securing less than 7% of votes

For whatever reason you may want to speculate about, AA4 just isn't a popular game for Capcom's main audience for Ace Attorney:

No AA4-exclusive characters appear in any form of top character ranking from the most recent poll

No AA4 cases appear in the top ten ranking of memorable cases (AAI and AA5 are also not in the top ten, but every other game is, including AAI2)

Only one mainline (ie not DGS) character introduced in AA4 or later (Apollo) makes it into the top 10 characters

Going into the sub-categories, this goes up to three (adding Athena and Trucy)

Basically, I know the English language fandom loves Klavier. He's a fun guy and I love him too. But the likelihood of him coming out of the basement is very low + it's better to accept that than to be disappointed in the future :(

[glitteringstardust]

hey everyone, welcome to our stim blog! 💖 this blog is run by starlight and ali. likes and follows will be either from ali’s main, or my main @riddlerosehearts. please try to read this post before following or requesting!

also, please note that when requests are open, we prefer/have an easier time with requests for media the mods are familiar with or non-media related things! we have a list of media below the cut and if something isn't mentioned there, you could also check my main or my anime blog (@ritsukageyamas) to see if i've posted about it--or just feel free to ask anyway and i'll see if one of us can do it, but be aware we might not be able to.

please DNI with this blog if you fit any of the following:

- blogs dedicated to dd*lg, k*nk, n/sfw, etc stuff

- (no)maps, racists, homophobes, and people who support trump or autism speaks

- pro-shippers

- terfs/truscum

also, please do not use our gifs without linking back to the post on our blog! the posts contain links to the sources we originally giffed the videos from and it’s just incredibly rude not to give credit!

we can do requests for specific kinds of gifs (for example, maybe you wanna see gifs of your favorite ride at disney world, or more gifs of lolita fashion or persian cats, things like that), specific videos if you send a link, or stimboards! under the cut are some guidelines for requests:

- if you want to send multiple requests, please send them in multiple separate asks so it’s easier for us to keep up with!

- it would be very helpful if you included certain stims/themes/colors etc you want included in your board, especially if we aren't familiar with the media being requested! if you don’t specify anything we’ll just do whatever we think fits best for your request, and sometimes that might mean we get the aesthetic/vibes wrong! however you can always let us know if you want us to change anything in your board.

- if requesting a character please specify the source name!! we don't know every media out there, after all!

- an incomplete list of things i’m really familiar with and would be happy to make boards for are:

kingdom hearts

twisted wonderland

basically anything disney/pixar

just to be clear the above includes pretty much any disney/pixar animated film like frozen, encanto, winnie the pooh, toy story, finding nemo... i’ve basically seen them all more than once because disney is my biggest special interest lol

it also includes some disney tv shows like tangled the series, ducktales, and the owl house!

a3! act addict actors

percy jackson (& rick riordan’s other series)

fullmetal alchemist

fruits basket

ace attorney (i’ve played every game including aai2)

my little pony: friendship is magic

pokemon (lots of pokemon stuff! i like the main games, anime, mystery dungeon, pokemon adventures... practically anything pokemon is fair game lol)

mario games

avatar the last airbender

steven universe

neopets

undertale/deltarune

homestuck

my hero academia

studio ghibli

or tbh pretty much anything i’ve ever posted about on my main or my anime blog! if i've posted a bit about something before then i can probably make boards for it even if it's not listed here, don't be afraid to ask.

and ali is really into the following:

demon slayer

animal crossing

detroit become human

overwatch

squishmallows

doctor who

good omens

danny phantom

sanrio

please do not request the following (we don’t really care if you like these things and interact with us, it's not about your morality or anything like that, we just don’t wanna make boards of them for various reasons):

south park

hetalia

bbc sherlock

hazbin hotel/helluva boss

name stimboards, unless you can give a lot of specifics--we just wouldn't do well with blank inspiration for these, i think.

things involving irl bugs/insects other than butterflies or moths. sorry, we just can't really include them or base boards on them because both mods have an aversion to bugs!

- but other than that feel free to request basically anything, ships, characters, series, even boards themed around a certain color or animal or anything else you can think of! if ali or i feel uncomfortable with it or would rather not do it for whatever reason we do have the right to reject your request. and keep in mind that whether we do boards based on ships or LGBT+ headcanons may depend on how we feel about the ship/headcanon ourselves, but it doesn't hurt to ask for them!

- also please please be patient!! personally i have other blogs that i try to keep at least semi-active and we also have real actual lives so don’t expect us to have your requests done immediately, but if it’s been more than a couple weeks feel free to send it in again or ask for an inbox check.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Episodyssey: The First Turnabout

So I don’t watch a lot of TV shows, which makes Episodyssey seem like a pointless waste of a review series. I thought I’d have more ideas by this point, y’know? But after the first few things I reviewed there just wasn’t anything that jumped out at me as worth talking about, and I haven’t watched more What If yet, so… yeah.

But then I had an idea. What if I talked about Ace Attorney? Each case is sort of like an episode in the wider story after all. And it’s my review show, goddamnit! I’ll do what I want! So let’s talk about the main cases of the Ace Attorney series, starting at the very start.

Since the first cases are usually pretty short (well, for the first couple games, anyway), I’ll sum up my feelings on the games as well. The first Ace Attorney is truly a classic, but much like every kickstarter of a great franchise (Crash, Spyro, Ratchet & Clank, Devil May Cry), it’s very rough around the edges. So much of what we will come to know and love the series for is here right at the start, from the quirky characters, punny names, and clever writing, but there’s only one truly amazing case in the entire game and the rest are just all over the place in terms of quality. I cut this game a lot of slack because it is the first one, and truth be told none of the cases are really bad, there was just definitely room to improve.

At any rate, they got the weakest case in the game out of the way first. “The First Turnabout” is our tutorial level, and our easing into the series. Here we are introduced to the basics of Phoenix Wright, and we get to meet series mainstays like Mia Fey, Larry Butz, Winston Payne, and the lovable old coot who presides over the trials. We’re given the world’s most simple mystery, and the absolute easiest killer in the entire series to catch. It’s simple, easy stuff that you can just slide right into.

...But it’s maybe too easy. The first game certainly has a nice difficulty slope, but the first case just feels like way too much of a softball. You can literally beat this one without pressing a single one of Frank Sahwit’s statements, he is that bad at lying. Again, though, this is the first case, the tutorial, the very first piece of Phoenix Wright material we see, so it’s hard to get really mad at this case. It’s just a really easy little trial to show you the ropes before the next two cases start to throw curveballs at you and make you put more effort into things. It’s definitely a fairly weak trial, but it’s hard to totally hate it.

And now, since every trial has a villain, it’s time for...

Psycho Analysis: Frank Sahwit

Frank here has the distinction of being one of the few killers who you actually see doing the deed in the little pre-trial cutscene, but it’s not like this is a big deal because he is one of the most blatant villains in the series. He’s honestly kind of pathetic, really.

Motivation/Goals: Frank’s just a petty criminal, really. He was out to make a quick buck, and accidentally killed Larry’s girlfriend in a panic. Not that this excuses him or makes him less pathetic, mind you, and apparently when he reappears in Ace Attorney Investigations 2 he’s an unrepentant dick so really Frank just does everything for self-serving, pathetic reasons.

Meltdown: As every villain has an epic courtroom meltdown, I’ll be detailing them here. Frank’s is rather simple: He rips off his toupee, throws it at Phoenix, froths at the mouth, and then collapses. If I were as bad at lying as Frank is, I’m pretty sure I’d react like this too.

Best Scene: His return in AAI2, where he is marginally more competent (but still a huge loser). It’s honestly amazing this dude came back at all.

Final Thoughts & Score: Look, Frank is basically just a starter villain, so I can’t judge him too hard. This is baby’s first trial,and baby needs an easy victory to feel good. That’s what Frank provides. Still… did he have to suck so hard? Did he have to take absolutely no effort? Later games would certainly rectify this, with Trials & Tribulations, Apollo Justice, and Spirit of Justice in particular featuring first cases with awesome and memorable killers who put up quite a fight and tested your knowledge. I get they were finding their footing here, but I don’t think it would have been too much to ask for a bit more of a challenge for Phoenix Wright’s first real case.

Frank’s definitely a 3/10, and I’m really being generous here. I dunno, he sucks, but in a way he’s kind of endearing with how shitty he is, you know? Just the way he moves and the way he tosses his toupee and his general faux affable demeanor, he’s kind of charming in a way. And whatever else, it’s not like he’s the worst first villain in the series.

[rivalsforlife]

I love miles w my life but I’ve been struggling forever with getting through aai 1 idk why it just makes me sleepy— but u have talked so much about aai 2 so pls tell me that one is much much better else I’ll die

aai2 is much MUCH better than aai. That seems to be the general fandom consensus too from what I can tell, that aai tends to be considered one of the worst games but aai2 is one of if not the best. I am very much an investigations enjoyer. And because I am an investigations enjoyer I can find a lot to enjoy in aai and am more generous with it than most people. even still I'd personally rank aai fairly low in terms of games that are "objectively" good and also in my own personal enjoyment, but aai2 is unquestionably at the top for me.

the overarching story of aai1 is definitely not great. It's not very personal to Miles or very compelling tbh, it's a lot of the "high stakes for the sake of having high stakes" stuff and never really gets you super invested in seeing the mystery through to the end, at least in my experience. aai2's story though is significantly better and very intensely personal to Miles and his arc and really nicely concludes everything set up in the trilogy - if you're a Miles enjoyer I think you'll enjoy it.

That being said, in all fairness, sometimes the pacing of aai2 can drag. Much like any ace attorney game it has its moments of ridiculous logic and unnecessary padding. (There's a specific part in case 5 where the plot completely stops for something ridiculous and every time I get to it I am mentally yelling at Yamazaki that he should have cut this out in editing.) The cases of aai2 are very long, and the real interesting stuff in the story doesn't really kick in until like... case 3, I'd say. Cases 3 4 and 5 of aai2 are all some of my favorites in the series, and while cases 1 and 2 aren't bad by any respect and are definitely needed for the overall story (though it won't seem that way at first), they aren't as interesting and can drag. (I think the latter part of case 2 in particular can get a bit tiresome.)

So basically if the issues you're having with aai are story-related, aai2 will be a significantly better experience for you. If the issues you're having are more gameplay-related, it might still be a drag particularly throughout the first two cases, but overall I don't find the gameplay significantly worse than any other ace attorney game. And regardless I really, really think aai2's story is worth seeing through, even if you like... have to switch to a playthrough halfway through or something if the gameplay sucks too much. aai2 is all about the bonds between people and particularly parent-child relationships (including biological and adopted and found family) which of course ends up being very interesting when the protagonist is Miles, and I think a lot of the things he learns throughout the game are critical for aa5 and 6, as well as understanding his character in general.

In summary: aai2 is widely considered much better than aai, the story improves significantly even if the gameplay doesn't so much, and I wholeheartedly believe that, especially if you love Miles, you should experience the story of aai2 however works best for you.

[greentrickster]

hey by any chancz do you happen to have any ace attorney fic rec?

I sure do!

(Also, if you want to just run through my bookmarks list on AO3, I would recommend anything on it, though mind your filters - I’m an adult, and some of the stuff I read is aimed at the 18+ crowd, so please use discretion!)

The Invisible Lawyer, by happy_mystic

Leans beautifully into the magical-realism aspect of the Ace Attorney universe, and features some high-quality Pheenie-era content! A longer one-shot, this is a great choice for some lunch break reading or a nice slice of AA content right before bed!

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Kristoph Gavin: Bastard Attorney, by Ravenoftheskyes

If you’ve seen a thread with a title like this floating around sometime over the past half a year and gone, “Gee, I wish someone would write a fic for this”... then you’re in luck, because Ravenoftheskyes did! A crack!fic in the grand old tradition of the genre, it’s five chapters and about 7k words of Kristoph Gavin and Dahlia Hawthorne being salty, terrible bros facing off against Manfred von Karma in court. A fun ride if you’re looking for some of that good AA-style dark humour!

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Texts & Turnabouts, by Yanagikana

Multiple text conversations between the various AA characters, and actually done with a text-message creation program, so don’t let it’s word count of zero fool you! It features a lot of the goofy fun you’d expect with text fics, but also goes unexpectedly serious at times in a really good way - this fic actually has my favorite Phoenix-Klavier post-AA:AJ interaction I’ve seen to date! It’s on-going, but doesn’t have any incomplete arcs as of the moment, so feel free to hop in and have a good giggle!

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Turnabout Sole, by Collaberal Damage

Narumitsu post-Dual Destinies body-swap fic, do I really need to tell you more than that? ten chapters, about 17k words, and complete, it’s the sort of fic you read over a nice lazy breakfast or for an extended mid-afternoon break, drink it on down like some drink you like to drink, I was going to use a specific drink but ‘delicious’ is a highly subjective concept that I decided not to get into.

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Fate, Choice, and Everything in Between, by The_Eccelctic_Bookworm

Narumitsu soulmates fic, and an interesting take on the soulmates premise in general. Uses the ‘words on skin’ approach, but - and this is the neat bit - the words appear only after your soulmate has said them, they have personal significance to you, and they can fade if the relationship/feelings fade. Basically it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen done with soulmate marks, a bit more than 4k, and complete, so you should probably read it. Also, why aren’t there more soulmate AUs in this fandom, I thought it would be lined with them when I first got here and it’s not????

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Fifty Flights of Stairs (Plus One), by theacegrace

Okay, time for a genfic! And hey, look, Raymond Shields! Takes place during AAI2, when Miles and Ray have to climb a lot of stairs to get to Kay. It’s a great slice of interaction between these characters, and covers some stuff that it would have been nice to see in the game. A bit under 4K words and complete, one to read with a plushie or friend on-hand, in case of feels-induced hug cravings.

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Miles Edgeworth and the No Good, Very Bad, Week of Cases from Absolute Hell, by mullhund

The events of Ace Attorney Investigations 1, as transcribed through the text conversations Edgeworth has with Phoenix during them. If you need a good laugh, give this one a read, I howled the first time I read it, and still giggle with every reread! Featuring perfect levels of snark and sass from our favorite legal duo, and a bit over 3k words, this features the parts of these two that make them a fun couple!

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Everything that I, Green Trickster/tiedyedtrickster, have written!

Because of course I’m going to recommend my own stuff! Besides Saturation, I’ve also got Teenage Rebellion (a cute one-shot involving Pearl), my Flock Together series (a small set of one-shot wing!fics set in the same universe), Fae Taken (my on-going fantasy/folklore involving Miles getting stolen by the faeries as a child and Phoenix going on a quest to get him back)! Those are all the things I’ve written in formal fic-format - I also have a bunch of stuff that are collected posts for various AUs I’ve done a lot of world-building for here on tumblr and wanted to organize better. These are easy to spot, they always have ‘AU’ in the title! ...except for The Ace Benders, because it’s sneaky like that.

Hopefully somewhere in all that you’ll find something to your taste! ^U^

Thanks for the ask!

[lordoflucky]

Y'know I really like the "Turn your thinking around" line. They say it basically every case in the 3D era and it's kinda corny, but I think the in-universe history of it is really neat.

The earliest use in-universe is actually our favorite dead dad Gregory Edgeworth. It's slightly different though, as instead he says "Turn your logic around" but it's the same sentiment so it counts. Gregory then teaches this Ray, and he is where we have some branching headcanons. Either:

A) Ray and Diego knew each other as similar age defense attorneys and Diego got the Idea from Ray.

Or

B) Diego just so happened to come up with a remarkably similar saying as Greg's with 0 influence.

Both of these work so pick the one you like best. Back to canon.

The Line then flows like this.

Diego -> Mia -> Phoenix -> Apollo, Athena, Edgeworth -> Kay, Sebastian

(Kay and Sebastian technically learn The Line before Apollo and Athena but you get the Idea)

Finally in AAI2, Edgeworth is trying to figure out a thing and goes "I just need to do that thing ~that man~ always talks about. I need to turn my thinking around" and Ray goes "Oh, your old man used to do that all the time. Did you learn it from him?"

and Edgeworth says "What"

And that is just... so good. Not only does the line basically make a full circle, but it is also a verbal line of connections between all of the protagonists. It represents how important all of these people are to each other that one specific line can be tracked through the whole thing. Mia respected Diego, so she taught it to Phoenix. Phoenix respected Mia so he taught it to Edgeworth, Apollo, and Athena. Edgeworth respected Phoenix so he taught it to Kay and Sebastian. I genuinely smile every time a character says The Line as it represents the flow of inheritance through the characters.

[4ragon]

heya, do you have any thoughts on Katherine Hall from aai2 for the aa meta thingie?

I absolutely have thoughts about Katherine Hall! Thoughts such as: I like her! and: Why is she French? What a neat lady.

[Btw one more heads up for AAI2 spoilers sorry]

Aw man, Katherine Hall is such a stellar side character though. Sometimes the side characters can be hit or miss for me, there’re so many that I despise, so many others that sort of stand in that neutral valley of “Oh yeah I remember them.” But Katie sticks out for a lot of reasons. Not every ‘morally gray’ character sticks the landing, but they spend enough time developing Katie in particular, her relationship with Jeff Masters, her pain at losing the only family she had and being unable to really do anything, the guilt of feeling like she made things worse. 

And after you’ve spent all this time coming to learn about her circumstances and why you should care about her, you find out she did something genuinely bad. Understandable, perhaps, but bad. And unlike some other ostensibly good characters who did something horrible, building her up for in-game years really helped I think sell her character as someone you do truly care about. She gets the screen time to really allow for an arc like that. Negative character arcs, if you can call this that, can be poorly handled, but they do it in such a way as to leave her sympathetic at the end, and I enjoyed it so much.

(Also this case is so cool? Basically being two cases wrapped into one? Having layers of culpability, having multiple crimes, and everything about Miles continuing Gregory’s legacy of truth and justice. Man. Hey. Play AAI2. Or watch it. Seriously.)

Anyway, she also has such a fun design, and her music is cute. I don’t know why they made her French though. She was adopted as a baby, and children’s accents come from their peers. Did they live in France before the accent cutoff at 12? I know it’s a fan translation, but it makes me curious why that decision came about. 

Also she’s a famous actress, or at least was before her arrest. I always love to speculate about the AA universe pop culture. Was she a Broadway actress? She was a singer, so it certainly would make sense. Do you think she was in movies? She of course was arrested either just before or right when the Gavinners started making it big, but was there ANY possibility of overlap? Phoenix may’ve been in art school for performing arts, according to Shu Takumi, was he a fan of Katherine’s? How many people knew who Katherine was before her arrest? John was at the museum before everything went down, did they know each other? Did they work together? Does that mean she worked with Penny or Will Powers? It’s such a silly thing to think about, but god do I love imagining stuff like that, thinking of ways to interconnect these stories and characters you wouldn’t think about at first glance.

[monday-headache]

Right back at you with the Ace Attorney ask, ;)

Favourite moments of the series and any particular ones that stand out to you?

Hell yeah, I would love to ;D

So first things first, I’ll probably gonna tell a lot of spoilers throughout the series right now, so if anyone want’s to play them beforehand, you can skip reading further and come back, once you guys are gone. So that being said, let me get right to it:

I’m an absolute stan of the Investigation games, and my favorite case of all time by far is Case 4 of the AAI2 (The Forgotten Turnabout) This case was pure perfection regarding character development for not only Miles but Also Kay, and I can’t even tell how much I love it. My favorite part of it was probably, when Edgy turned in his Prosecutors badge willingly, and without hesitation to help put his dear friend Kay in need T_T It was so emotional and sweet and fantastic, and the first time I’ve lost my shit. Like if you had told me at the beginning of AA 1 showing me this scene, I wouldn’t believe it. Also, the moment I saw Kay fell and met amnesiac Kay, with her slow theme playing in the background, was so heartbreaking. And it was probably the best depiction of memory loss I ever saw in a game. And the moment he gave her, her dad’s book back T_T had broke me in tears again. Man, this case, I swear. Such a shame that Takeshi Yamazaki left Capcom. The fandom was pretty hard on him, for merely “not being Shu Takumi”. In my opinion he was a fantastic writer and he made 3-4 brilliant games of which 2 are my absolute favorites (AAI2 and SOJ) .Besides he worked on JFA and T&T alongside with Shu, so what's the point on disliking him anyway. But I digress XD

Another Prime example for an excellent case is 3-4 (Turnabout Beginnings). I had a few times, where I couldn’t get warm with Trials & Tribulations but Turnabout Beginnings set really high stakes. It was one of the few cases, where it felt like the story had stakes and the shocking moment at the end was so beautifully dark and send shivers down my spine. Like damn, It was basically the Avengers:Endgame equivalent to Ace Attorney. Fricking brilliant. The moment Fawles eat the glass bottle and everyone screamed in panic and horror while Dahlia left with a wide smile on her face O.O The only thing that didn’t feel right but unnecessary, was the coffee mug smashing from Diego Armando at the end. Every encounter I had with him in the game, just left such a weird way of a foul taste in my mouth, but I’m probably way too harsh on Godot, I’ll give him that. For me Dahlia carried the story of T&T all the way through and she was such a brilliant and fantastic character.

(The Rite of Turnabout) Had some pretty amazing and memorable moments with the case. First of all, having Maya AND Ema not only in the same game but also in the same case, and even meet each other was such a huge deal for me. Honestly, I would love a spinoff game with just the GenZ characters interact with each other :D The subplot with Lady Khira was interesting and Datz Arebal was a fun and quirky side character, so exactly my type of favorites :D But what blew my mind and stood out to me the most was the ending of this case. Never would I’ve suspect an aided Suicide in order to safe his beloved wife T_T It was new , it was fresh and the presentation was very sweet and beautiful.

Sorry it took me so long, but I like to gosh in full length’s XD

Thank’s for the ask as well @andaxay. This was hella fun

[turnaboutimagines]

Angst Gremlin here (although this request really isn't angst) Apollo, Dick, Miles, Phoenix (and or Simon/Nahyuta's) reaction to noticing someone following/stalking (Possible yandere or serial killer) the reader? (I kinda feel like they should have stalked the reader for awhile) How would they handle the situation? Or a reaction to the reader being attacked?

Putting this one under a readmore to be safe!Characters: Apollo Justice, Dick Gumshoe, Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright, Simon Blackquill, and Nahyuta SahdmadhiContent Warning: Stalking and mentions of the reader being physically assaulted.  Stalking is usually done by someone the victim knows in some capacity, so I went more from that angle.Also a little spoiler warning for a reference to a major plot point in AAI2 for Miles’s.  It’s incredibly short, vague, and doesn’t have any specific details, but if you want to remain entirely spoiler free for the last act you may wanna pass on his.

Apollo Justice.

Apollo’s endured a great deal of loss, so this is something he takes incredibly seriously right from the get-go after you tell him.  He sensed that there was something making you tense, but this certainly isn’t what he was expecting.

Would make the most of his working relationship with Klavier to draw it to the prosecutor’s office’s attention and get some help in going through all the legal motions to get you the help you need.

While he doesn’t want to infringe upon your freedom and feels guilty, he’s going to insist he walks or bikes you wherever you need to go.  Even if he’s really busy, he’s going to take the time to make sure you are safe.

Does what he can to help improve the privacy and safety of your house, too.

He’s going to be very stubborn about making sure you have someone you trust around to keep you safe at all times.  Even if it’s not him, he wants you to have friends over or just... somebody you can trust.

He’ll send you a lot of check-in texts over the course of the day whenever he can’t be with you.

If you were attacked, he’d be beside himself and wouldn’t leave your side if he could help it.  A lot of tears are shed between the both of you.

He puts his trust in Klavier that whoever did this to you is going to get the punishment that they deserve.

It takes a while after for him to feel like everything’s fine again.

Dick Gumshoe.

Dick’s not going to be letting you out of his sight until this guy’s locked up.  He’s quick to get Mr. Edgeworth on board and get you set up for a restraining order.  

When your stalker violates it, it quickly turns into a criminal case and he’s very insistent on being on the case—he wants to make this arrest himself.

As much as he doesn’t want to use his gun, he’s sure to keep it on him.  He’s got an excellent aim and he’s not about to let any harm come your way.

Insists that he should drive you to and from places in his jalopy, it’s not like he has a personal car anyways, but he hopes that making it clear that you’re close with a member of the police will help.

Is extra cuddly with you and does everything he can to try and cheer you up and keep your spirits high while the investigation continues.

He’ll even loan you his favorite, lucky coat if it helps you feel safer or more secure whenever he’s at work.  You need it more than he does right now and he trusts you with it.

If you’re attacked, he’d be incredibly harsh on himself because he feels like he failed to protect you.  He’s a mess.

He’s not going to leave your side, either, but it takes a lot of reassurance from both you and Mr. Edgeworth to console him.

Afterward, he’s going to be very overprotective of you for a while after.  You mean the world to him.

Miles Edgeworth.

Miles is no stranger to having a stalker, but the nature of yours is highly concerning to him and he’s going to immediately launch into helping you get a restraining order.  Helping you file it, himself, and collecting any evidence of potential violations afterward.

It quickly becomes a criminal case and he handles the investigation himself.  Even if he’s not assigned to it, this may be another instance of an illegal investigation from him.

In the meantime, he’d be very supportive of you participating in some self-defense classes and will even join you (in fact, he insists that he should).

Does what he can to help you focus on other things and will invite you to spend the night more often over at his place.  Even if it’s just to cuddle.

He’s subtle about it, but all of these things ensure that you’re close at hand and in a secure location to give you both some peace of mind.

He’s working himself ragged to get this mess sorted out, but he makes sure you’re informed of all he’s doing every step of the way.

If you’re attacked, he’s going to throw everything he has into the investigation.  He will not rest until the arrest is made… the only time he rests, at all, is when he visits you.

He’s very much a mother hen toward you, doting on you in his own way.  He’s just thankful you’re alive.

Phoenix Wright.

Phoenix is highly concerned and does what he can to notify the police and help you file any necessary reports.  He does the paperwork for you and is a huge moral support, especially when the stalker continues to violate it and stay off the grid.

Despite the smile puts on, he’s incredibly worried for your safety and is ready to do anything in his power to keep you safe.

Does everything he can to keep you close and to also keep your mind off of things.  You’re more liable to end up spoiled during this time period.

He’s always got at least one arm around you and he will be very encouraging of you staying over at his place or him coming over to yours.

It’s times like these that make him wish that he had a proper car and driver’s license, his bike is hardly ideal but 

And you better believe that he is fully ready to put himself in harm’s way at any moment to buy you time to get out of there or, ideally, to harm your stalker and buy enough time for the police to arrive so they can be apprehended in the act.

If you’re attacked, he’ll feel terrible that he wasn’t there when you needed him the most.

He’s going to be even clingier than he has been lately

He has Edgeworth fill him in on what’s going on with the investigation, but unless you ask he’ll keep that to himself.  You’ve been through enough as it is.

Simon Blackquill.

He seems perfectly calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside he is seething.  And continues to the bolder and bolder your stalker grows as they continue to violate your restraining order.

He knows the particular type of stalker you have, he talked with a particularly despicable one while he was in prison.

He does what he can to engage your stalker in a rather one-sided game of psychological warfare, doing things like sharpening his swords where he knows your stalker is likely to see him.

You’re going to have a sword or two in easy to grab places around your house and he teaches you how to wield them.

Taka’s usually with you during this period of time, providing you both comfort and protection.

He’ll have it set up so you know how to care for his beloved bird and can keep him as a companion overnight when Simon isn’t able to be with you.

If you’re attacked, he’s going to be equal parts guilt and rage.  Clearly, he failed you as both a prosecutor and a partner to allow this to happen… especially if you were together before the UR-1, as he’s put you through enough suffering as it is.

He terrifies the nursing staff tending to you, but he rarely (if ever) lets go of your hand.  

And he’s going to be especially vicious during any interrogations the creep’s going to be put through.

Nahyuta Sahdmadhi.

He is incredibly alarmed by this revelation and uses his position to investigate this case himself, along with providing you with the customary legal protections in Khura’in for someone in your position.  Of course, it doesn’t deter your stalker.

His father trained him in how to detect when he’s being followed (knowledge that has served him well over the years), he passes that knowledge onto you.  

He also shows you all the Defiant Dragon hiding spots and secret passages that he knows of when he’s confident the two of you are not being followed.

And he will train you in some basic martial arts sparring techniques and, if you demonstrate adequate spiritual potential, how to wield prayer beads as he does.

For your psychological well-being, he encourages you to meditate and will treat you to some of your favorite food as often as he can.

He always lends you a sympathetic ear 

When he senses that you’re being watched, he’ll walk closer to you and place a hand on the small of your back.

If you’re attacked, he will pray to the Holy Mother for your well-being until it is confirmed that you will be okay.  He brings you flowers each day, but he is hellbent on capturing them before you are discharged from the medic’s.

He will pursue this foul foe and ensure that due justice is swiftly dealt to keep you out of harm’s way.  He will not abide by anyone harming his loved ones.

[mewtonian-physics]

well how about BOTH

BOTH HUH okay i can do that. for my serious meta type analysis thoughts i will present to you my evidence in favor of miles edgeworth: autistic attorney

the steel samurai is his special interest! it is obviously his special interest! the way he says he doesn’t know that much about it but then infodumps IMMEDIATELY afterwards. special interest

doesn't understand Social Norms, interacts with others in a semi-stilted way that often comes off as intimidating or rude

has like 2 smiling sprites and neither of them even look happy. other than that basically all he has is totally straight face and glare. flat affect go go go

'whoooooooooooop! detective gumshooooooooe!' this is evidence in and of itself. the fact that he actually tried it is evidence in and of itself. he took some frankly ridiculous advice on social interaction because he has no internal metric for it.

there's some aai2 official art where everyone is making eye contact except him. he's using the classic 'i'm going to look at your nose and pretend i'm making eye contact' trick. 

overthinks 'unimportant' things (the bit in aai2 where he gets a little lost thinking about like. if winter is sherbet then what is summer) 

the logic chess mechanic in aai2 is literally just how having a conversation is for me irl. approaching a regular conversation like a chess game is such an autistic thing to do 

he was reading law books in grade school and gave no fucks about anything else 

perfectionist tendencies (even before mvk). this is circumstantial evidence at best but i'm putting it in anyway. 

apparently people think his outfits are weird but i don't see the issue. evidently neither does he. (i have seen ‘has no sense of why something is weird’ used as evidence for characters being autistic before, and definitely exhibit that in my own life, so...)

this man has a Routine.

he talks in a ‘strange’ way, often using words that a lot of people never say

he also says the same thing over and over again... the amount of times he says 'i won't rest until i've investigated every suspicious-looking nook and cranny' in the aai games. dear lord. 

for the whatever the hell i want thoughts:

look i would LOVE to give you an in-depth analysis of why miles and franziska are sibling rights but if i tried my brain would overload instantly from all of the joy it would bring. otherwise i would do it in a heartbeat. as it is i can only talk about specific moments at a time so consider the swiss rolls. consider them.

i REALLY wanted to see the other rooms with the zodiac sculptures in the inherited turnabout but i have no rights i guess

i think phoenix needs to go and research everything about ptsd right fucking now i mean the man has been through some pretty traumatic events himself i think he should know what this is!

klavier’s name meaning piano despite the fact that he doesn’t play piano is simultaneously hilarious and infuriating

okay that’s all i have on my mind at the moment i hope you enjoy my Thoughts

[renegadewangs]

Ace Mindhunter - 3rd Interview

Characters: Simon Blackquill, Athena Cykes, Shi-Long Lang, and a rogues gallery of AA villains. Fandom: Ace Attorney. Pairings: N/A. Warnings/rating: 16+, I would say. Talk of heavy themes such as death and abuse, plus cursing. Spoilers for every AA game up to Spirit of Justice, AAI2 included. Gratuitous amounts of headcanon for antagonists. Summary: Simon Blackquill is roped into a Behavioral Analysis project along with Athena Cykes. They must sit down with convicted murderers for interviews, in hopes of finding out just what drove them to their convoluted crimes.

3rd Interview Furio

Date: June 11th 2028 Time: 4:34 PM Location: Interpol H.Q. - B.A.U. Office. “Frank Sahwit. A burglar who was caught in the act by the owner of the apartment he'd broken into. He killed her in a blind panic, then shifted the blame onto her ex-boyfriend. He gave testimony about it in court and everything.” “No.” “Hmm... Cammy Meele. She was a flight attendant, but also a member of an international smuggling ring. She helped move things across the border. When an Interpol agent showed up to check the cargo hold of a plane, she panicked and shoved him so hard that he fell off the side of a flight of stairs. She tried to hide his body and when it was uncovered by accident, she scrambled to pin the blame onto a colleague. Looks like her cover-up was blown before the police could indict the wrong person.” “... That is even worse.” “Lucky number seven, then! Richard Wellington. A small-time con artist who mistakenly thought a police officer was on to his scams. He killed the cop, framed the cop's girlfriend, then hit the girlfriend's attorney over the head with a fire extinguisher just before the trial. … There's Mr. Wright's name again. I'll have to ask him about this one.” “The subject meddled with the court process, hm? We're getting warmer. The scammer has earned himself a spot on the consideration pile.” “We don't have a consideration pile yet. Only rejections.” “Then, by all means, start one.” Athena cleared some space on the desk they were meant to share, then placed Wellington's folder in the center. The rejection pile was a substantial one, the pile of profiles yet to be assessed had dwindled so badly that they had very few options left to them. Was this the best Lang could provide? “Next we have...” Athena reached for the assessment pile and opened the top folder. “Florent L'Belle. Eww...” “Pass,” Simon said and for once, he had Athena's full agreement on the matter. One more for the rejection pile. Athena ruffled her hair in a frustrated manner and Simon leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. There were a few water stains there, perhaps even mould. Interpol would spare no expense when it came to their investigations, but they must not have thought very highly of their Behavioral Analysis Unit if it were condemned to a shoddy basement office. Athena reached for the next folder and flipped it open. “Looks like we're moving on from petty criminals to the big leagues, now. Paul Atishon. I remember that guy... He was a corrupt politician who made a deal for a national treasure with Khura'in's Minister of Justice, then panicked when an archaeologist with an actual moral compass impeded that deal. He killed the archaeologist and at first made the death look accidental, then attempted to shift the blame onto a revolutionist when he got into hot water about it.” “Was that murder premeditated?” “Sure, but there was a lot of clumsy improvisation involved. I don't think there was a single strong thought going through his head beyond wanting to win some dumb election he was in. He was trying to live up to his grandfather's name, though, so that may be... something.” “... Consideration pile.” “Then, how about Redd White? Former CEO of Bluecorp, but also a blackmailer on the side. He killed a defense attorney who had the evidence necessary to expose him and shifted the blame onto her little sister. Looks like this one was definitely premeditated. He roped his secretary into his lies, even though she knew he was the real killer.” “Hnnn...” “Simon! You have to stop being so picky! If you keep shooting every possible interview down, we might as well give up!” If he was being truly honest with himself, Simon was torn on that concept. He'd been selected for this project without his knowledge and his cooperation had, to some degree, been coerced. Spitballing with criminals who'd already been judged felt out of place for a prosecutor. A more productive way to spend his time would've been to return to his usual cases. That way, he could put more of these killers behind bars. Still, there was always that possibility that their research could bear fruit in the long run. That he could apply the insights he gleaned from it in the courtroom. Perhaps the profiles they compiled would serve to sharpen his sword, allowing him to prevent wrongful convictions, or even the crimes themselves. Aside from that, there was a very tempting reward at the end of this road. He would have to trek his way through the mud to reach the Phantom. “The next one, perhaps,” he said, tearing his gaze away from the ceiling and back to Athena. “D'accord! You'll love this one, I'm sure of it! Dahlia Hawthorne, convicted for the murder of her ex-boyfriend! There's two murders that everyone suspected she was involved in, but they couldn't prove it in court. Then a few more counts of confirmed attempted murder and-” Athena broke off quite suddenly, then groaned and tossed the papers aside. “Says there that she's already been executed. They must've given us her file by mistake.” Simon could almost feel his will to keep breathing leave his body. Almost. Distraction came in the form of Lang, who had entered the room so quietly that Simon hadn't even noticed him until he was standing right next to them. Though not exactly giving off a warm glow, he wasn't in a sour mood either. He was, if anything, pleasantly courteous. “Well well, if it isn't our part-time shrinks.” “Please refrain from using that word,” Simon said to him. “What, part-time?” “Hmph.” “Good to see you, Shifu,” Athena called cheerfully. Simon bit down on his feather, the muscles in his jaw straining. “Shifu?” “That's what everyone around here calls him! Didn't you know?” Athena chuckled, then pressed a fist against Simon's arm. “Don't worry, just because he's my shifu doesn't mean you can't be my sensei.” Simon opened his mouth, then closed it again. “How goes the hunt?” Lang asked, perhaps changing the subject on purpose. Athena propped her elbows up on the desk, one hand playing with her earring. “We're having some trouble selecting our next target. Most of the profiles we were given don't meet our criteria.” “Or they're outright deceased,” Simon snapped, waving a hand at the profile in question, which had been scattered across the floor by Athena's fling. “Let's see... Dahlia Hawthorne, huh? Sorry about that. Some people say her vengeful ghost still roams the courthouse. Maybe that's how her name got in there.” Lang gathered up the papers as he spoke, then clutched the folder under his arm and stood upright again. “What have you got from your first two subjects? Anything useful?” “Dee Vasquez and Roger Retinz are difficult to compare,” Athena mused. “Mr. Retinz's murder was carefully planned out, Ms. Vasquez's was a spur of the moment thing.” Lang shook his head. “We already knew that. I'm asking what you found out.” “The Diva Producer's murder has some stains of sexism on it, but they are just that. Irrelevant stains. She took a life because she was threatened, then covered it up because she believed she had done nothing to deserve the punishment in her future. Her remarks suggest that the target of her frame job was chosen out of convenience, not out of spite.” “Hmm.” “As for the Greasy Producer, he suffers from a very typical form of narcissism coupled with internalized insecurities and self-loathing born from childhood abuse. The most-” “Not so fast!” Lang stood up a bit straighter and for the first time since Simon had met him, he looked confused. “Don't narcissists think they're God's gift to the world? How can a guy be a narcissist and still have self-loathing?” Simon sighed and raised a hand to the bridge of his nose, pinching it. “You are not familiar with the concepts of implicit and explicit cognition?” “Uh.” “Explicit cognition,” Athena began, using a slow pace as she sorted out her words, “is something that a person does consciously. Like, say... Explicit memory is when you study for a test and try to memorize all the important things. You remember things because you make an effort to remember. Implicit cognition is a subconscious thing, like associating a certain smell or taste with a past event. Basically, implicit cognition influences a person's behavior, even when they themselves have no conscious awareness of it.” “To summarize, the Greasy Producer's explicit self-esteem is high in order to compensate for the implicit self-esteem, or lack thereof,” Simon concluded. “Though, he confessed to us as Mr. Reus that he is aware of the implicit issue. He did refer to himself as a 'fuck-up', in the end. He's simply unable to remedy the internal disorder and that leads to further chaos.” Lang leaned himself against the side of the desk and as he attempted to move his hands into his pockets, the Hawthorne folder almost slid out from under his arm. “Right. Okay, I get it. That's great stuff.” “While different in most aspects, Retinz and Vasquez did share one important similarity,” Athena pointed out. “They both believed that their victim deserved to die.” “And was that belief misguided?” Lang asked. “In Mr. Retinz's case? Definitely. But I'm not so sure when it comes to Ms. Vasquez. Did the police ever find out whether that Manuel guy was murdered or not?” “Dunno. I could ask around, but since the supposed killer is dead, opening an investigation now would be a waste of law-enforcement's time. Lang Zi says: There's no use crying over spilled milk.” Simon frowned and Athena clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. That was as far as either of them was willing to go when it came to ancient plagiarism. Spilled milk, indeed. Lang paused and glanced down at the pile of folders left on the desk. “So what's these criteria you have for interviews?” “We certainly cannot use too many of these blind panic murders,” Simon said. “If you wish to diagnose the illness which is plaguing this city, we ought to be focusing on the composed planners. The grand names who stood tall even within the prison walls. Gavin, Gant or Alba, perhaps.” “I'll let you talk to someone like Gant when I'm sure you can walk away from that with your heads held high. This unit hasn't exactly got much of a reputation for itself and the last thing we need is for the inmates to think we're weak little pups.” “Can you at least think of some inmates who went out of their way for the frame job? Like Mr. Retinz did?” Athena asked, once again playing with her earring. “... Yeah. Yeah, I got one. He should be in the archives somewhere. Poisoned a guy's coffee, then hid the body and acted out the murder all over again in disguise to fool witnesses. As soon as the blame was shifted onto some innocent waitress, he disguised himself as a defense attorney and botched up her trial on purpose.” “Warte ein moment... I think I heard about this.” “I'll bet you did.” “Mr. Wright's name sure keeps popping up in a lot of these cases...” Athena drummed her fingers along the desk, narrowed eyes directed towards the far wall. “What was that guy's name again? Umm... Cheeto...” “Furio Tigre,” said Lang. ------- Date: June 12th 2028 Time: 2:00 PM Location: Interview Room. Simon still remembered their next subject quite well. Tigre had been one of the loudest inmates in death row and that reputation was sure to continue until his execution. Any attempt at anger management had failed and so, the guards had instead allowed collateral damage. The amount of times they'd had to carry a broken desk or splintered fragments of a cot out of Tigre's cell, Simon couldn't count. It'd been once a week, perhaps. With that in mind, Simon steeled himself to protect Athena from physical harm. He also knew that he might have to lower himself down to Tigre's level in order to be heard. The door from the prison side opened and Tigre was led inside by two guards, each holding onto one enormous arm. Almost ten years in the clink and a ripe age of 51 had done nothing to break down the tough guy demeanor. He was tall and broad in every sense of the word, but not exactly untainted. His spiky black hair held streaks of white and a scar ran across his left eye. Worst of all, his skin was tinged with a spray tan so unconvincing that it would make Klavier Gavin look as if he’d genuinely spent due time in the sun. When it came to the presence of artificial tan within prison walls, Simon had stopped asking such questions long ago. That this man had ever attempted to pass for Phoenix Wright was laughable, but not as laughable as the knowledge that the entire courtroom had been fooled. “I AIN'T TALKIN' TO NO FEDS, YOUSE HEAR?!” he was shouting with such ferocity, Simon could feel the ground shudder. “GWOOOOAAAARRR! GET YOUSE HANDS OFFA ME, OR ELSE!” The therapy animal which entered behind them was so small and quiet, Simon wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't known to search for it. Once Tigre had been settled down in his chair, the two guards backed away with such apprehension, it was evident they expected he might require more restraining. Perhaps he would've, were it not for the immediate change in his attitude when his eyes landed on Simon. He smirked, fingers curling around the edge of the table and nails digging into the wood. “Well well weeell... If it ain't our old jailbird. How's life on the outside been treatin' youse?” “It has been treating me quite well. Certainly, I can get a night's sleep without being disturbed by raving fruitcakes such as yourself,” Simon responded, which was both a truthful statement and an attempt to put his foot down. “Watch yourself, Tweetie! Just 'cause youse got outta here don't mean I can't still break youse kneecaps! Where do youse get off, actin' all high and mighty?! You think youse better than us, huh?!” “As I did not truly stain my hands with blood of any kind... Yes, I believe I am.” “Feh! Youse stained your hands plenty! Just look at how many of us youse had tossed in here! We shoulda strung youse up so high not even your little bird could reach your carcass!” Simon had no immediate comeback to that. Believing he was on the same level as every single killer in the clink was the sort of weight he'd carried around plenty over the past seven years. Now that he was recovering, he couldn't very well allow Tigre to push him right back into that mindset. Even so, it was true that some of residents in death row had been moved there by his hand. “You need to stop your bellyaching!” Athena snapped at Tigre. “Who do you think you're kidding? You've got nothing else to do with your day, right? Then you might as well answer some questions for us!” Not at all fazed by her words, Tigre squinted his eyes at Athena. Then he glanced towards Simon. “What's dis, then? Youse need your girlfriend to hold your hand? I was expectin' a loser like youse to die a lonely virgin.” Simon was no stranger to the sharper sort of prison tongue. Even so, he felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation and raised a hand to his face. The last thing he needed or wanted was for anyone to believe Metis Cykes's daughter was his girlfriend. He wouldn't want the inmates to think that his partner for this project was his girlfriend, either. Such a thing could be very damaging towards the interview process. As for Athena herself, she kicked at Tigre from under the table, causing the man to yelp and jump up from his chair. The two guards were by his sides immediately. “I said cut the crap!” she yelled at him. “We're here for a serious project and if you won't participate, we'll walk right out of here! You can spend what's left of your miserable life all by yourself and nobody will be around to hear you scream!” A dreadful silence fell. Just as everyone else in the room, Simon found himself staring at Athena and never before had he seen a more formidable foe. The last thing he'd expected was for his investigative partner to lower herself to Tigre's level, certainly not in order to defend him. It hurt his pride more than the notion of 'dying a lonely virgin' ever could. Tigre seemed unnerved, this time. A single drop of sweat ran down his temple. He wrung his hands together and sat back down. “All right, all riiight... Women, right? So what's dis project?” Athena set the recorder down on the table and began the usual speech of the Behavioral Analysis Unit and their intended questions. As she did so, Simon watched Tigre go from tense to bored, then finally to lost. Perhaps the words had been too formal for his mind to comprehend. “Uhhh. So you're gonna do a pop quiz?” he ultimately asked. “Something like that. And we'll be recording it, if that's all right.” “I dunno about dis... Dat sounds like an invasion of... y'know, privacy.” “You don't need to do this if you don't want to,” Athena assured him. “Well, all right. I'll do it as long as I knows I don't gotta.” Athena frowned and sat back in her chair. If her impression of Tigre was already odd, it was nothing compared to what happened next. The man leaned down to pick something up from the ground and set it down in his lap. It was a hairless chihuahua, dressed in a pink jacket so bright that it could veer straight off the known color spectrum and phase itself out of reality. Simon knew better than to stare. Athena did not. “W-What...?” she asked. “GRAAAGH! What're'youse lookin' at?! Youse never seen a dog before?!” Tigre roared at her. The chihuahua in his lap trembled, but not because of the volume. It was simply a standard setting for the animal. “Of course I have! I just wasn't expecting...” “Youse take your eyes offa Mitzy right now, or youse can kiss your interview sayonara!” “Jeez, sorry!” Athena hastily began shuffling through her papers. “Let's just get started with some standard questions.” “And you will answer the lady with due respect, lest I slice your tongue from your filthy mouth,” Simon said, now that he'd finally found his voice again. “Yeah yeah...” Athena cleared her throat. “You're originally from New York, but you moved to Los Angeles when you were 28, is that right?” “Uhhh. I dunno. 28 sounds about right.” “You don't remember how old you were?” “Who cares how old I was?! What's dat change, huh?! If I moved, I moved!” Simon wondered whether the defensive attitude was hiding a far grander secret. If it were, they wouldn't get it out of Tigre too easily. They would need to manipulate him into it, just as they'd manipulated Retinz. Athena must've realized the same thing, for she proceeded towards a different angle. “So what made you decide to move in the first place?” “Damn, talk about nosy questions...” Tigre huffed loudly, then raised a hand to the chihuahua's head to pet it. He must've been quite gentle, as the tiny and fragile creature didn't so much as flinch at being stroked by enormous fingers. “I moved to L.A. because the people here are chumps.” “Chumps?” “Sure. Couldn't start a good loan company in a place like New York. Everyone's all wisened up to it. But here in L.A.? Hah! People are desperate to live dat big Hollywood dream!” Athena stopped to take a few notes. As she did, Simon decided to try and take some lead in the conversation, or else be completely emasculated. No other inmate would take him seriously if that were to happen. “What of the family you left behind?” he asked. Tigre frowned. “What about 'em?” “Were you still in touch with them? Would you return to New York for the holidays, perhaps? I would assume the Tigre family gathers 'round a nice, dead antelope for Thanksgiving.” “Grrrrr... I told youse to watch yourself, Tweetie,” Tigre growled at him. “What do I care about family when I've got a business to run? Holidays were a huge cash-in moment. Lotsa new loans goin' out, too. Everybody wanted to buy their missus a new sports car, see, and then another one for de mistress.” “Not even a season's greetings was sent to New York, then?” Simon asked, only to receive a deadpan in response. “You did have family, did you not? Or were you perhaps raised by a pack of tigers in some Brooklyn back alley?” “ARE YOUSE MOCKIN' ME?! WHY, I ATTA SMACK YOU SO HARD-” “Hold it, hold it!” Athena called, raising both hands to try and put a stop to further argument. “We're getting off track, here. Let's talk about something else instead, all right?” Tigre seemed content to do just that and Simon made sure to shoot a grin his way. “This whole story about how you murdered Mr. Elg and why you did it is really complicated. Do you think you could explain what happened in your own words?” Athena asked. Somehow, the question seemed to irritate Tigre. He tisked loudly and glared towards the wall. Following that, he ran his fingers along Mitzy's head, then under her chin as he spoke. “I needed money, see. On account a' Viola's operation. And it was damned idiotic. I had people all over town owin' me money, but none a' those losers could pay up. Not a dime! So I met with Elg, see. He was gonna gimme some fancy schmancy virus I coulda sold on the black market for millions. It woulda paid off my debt to Viola's family just like dat. Then as we're sittin' there, havin' our coffee, dat wise guy goes and wins the damned lottery! 500,000 big ones! He woulda paid off his measly 100,000 debt and left me in the lurch, see. It was the millions I needed. Way I figured, that was what he owed me for keepin' me waitin', too. Interest, y'know. So I killed 'im and took the virus.” Simon felt that there was quite a bit to unpack, there. Far more than they currently had time for. They'd have to pick this apart piece by piece, just as an attorney would cross-examine in court. “You killed a man because you believed he owed you more money than he truly did?” he heard himself ask, despite knowing deep down that was hardly the best approach. “What about it, huh?! You wanna go?!” Tigre grabbed at his prison uniform with both hands, looking just about ready to rip the fabric. What that would accomplish, Simon had no idea. “Stai calmo,” Athena said. “Let's take it from the beginning. You mentioned something about an operation for someone named Viola?” “Y-Yeah...” Tigre was back to absentmindedly fiddling with Mitzy now, his fingers adjusting her jacket. “Was she your girlfriend?” “No- Well- See... Viola's from a real influential family...” “The Cadaverinis, I believe,” Simon supplied, once again throwing a smirk Tigre's way. “They are the biggest mob family here in this 'chump-filled' city. Should one disrespect a Cadaverini, one will find themselves wearing concrete shoes at the bottom of Los Angeles River. If I recall correctly, this tiger sitting before us crossed Viola Cadaverini's car in the most unfortunate way possible and she did not walk away unscathed.” Tigre's eyes narrowed into a ferocious glare. “So... Wait, Mr. Tigre wanted to pay for Viola's operation because he was the one who caused the accident that hurt her in the first place?” Athena rubbed at her own chin, looking doubtful of the story. “Listen! I had to pay!” Tigre shouted at them. “Ol' man Bruto woulda had my head if I didn't! Those damned Cadaverinis! They think they can just make a guy do anythin'!” Athena raised a hand to her chest and closed her eyes. Widget was glowing a bright yellow through her fingers. “... You didn't feel bad that someone ended up in the hospital because of you?” “I had the right a' way! She was the one who didn't look before zooming into the street! And I was the one drivin' a scooter! If anyone shoulda been hospitalized, it woulda been me! But nooo, I got lucky on account a' my helmet and she has to go crack her skull on the steerin' wheel! How's that my fault, huh?!” For a split second, Simon thought that Furio made a good point. If indeed he'd had the right of way and Cadaverini hadn't been paying attention, it would've been hard to fault him for the accident. Then Simon remembered just who they were sitting across and came to the conclusion that the only victim of this story was Viola Cadaverini, who would be fooled by such a despicable man. "She wouldn't just let it go, either!" Tigre was still raving on and on. "Me bein' sentenced to death still wasn't good enough! Dat fuckin' BITCH tried to poison me while I was in here! What, just 'cause I tried to take care a' her?! Who cares if I loved her or if I didn't?! I was doin' right by her by tryin' to pay off dat hospital bill and givin' her a job and shit! Now she's snatched my damn business! Tender Lender was MINE, you hear?!" Athena drew a deep breath, Widget still emanating a yellow glow. Knowing what that color meant, Simon placed his arm on the table and leaned in towards Tigre. "If you don't cease your caterwauling this instant, I will have you muzzled!" "Up yours!" was Tigre's response, though he simmered down all the same. A nimble shake of the head, then Athena continued. “So you took Mr. Elg's virus by force, as it was the only way for you to pay off the Cadaverinis. Could you not simply have stolen it without killing him?” “What, and have him come for me with a buncha coppers? I woulda been the prime suspect once he'd figured out the virus was missin'!” Athena squinted, then turned her gaze towards Simon. He couldn't quite fight off the smile that was dawning on his face, so he allowed it to flourish there. When at last it became clear that Tigre wasn't seeing the problem with his logic, Simon took delight in sharing just that. “Forgive me, Tony Tiger, I must ask,” he prompted with mock delicacy, acting as if he were speaking to a toddler. “What sort of fool would report to the police to inform them that a powerful computer virus, crafted by his own hand, has been stolen? I would daresay that producing malware is an even worse crime than lifting the CD it is on. Had you taken it from him by force or through an underhanded ploy, such a weak man would not have been able to do a thing to prevent it.” Tigre looked dumbstruck, another pearl of sweat rolling down his face. Simon could swear that the spray tan was mingling into it. Three seconds of silence, then Tigre was roaring yet again. “GRRROOOAARRR, YOUSE MOCKIN' ME! I KNEW IT! DAT'S IT, I'M OUTTA HERE!” Sure enough, Tigre made to stand up, cradling Mitzy firmly with both hands. The two guards looked quite uncertain. Athena rose to her feet as well, darting forward to block Tigre's path. Simon was by her side immediately, ready to shield her, should there be a need. Fortunately, Tigre's hands were so full of chihuahua that he couldn't land a punch even if he wanted to. “Wait, wait, just one more question!” she insisted, spreading out her arms. “... What?” “I can understand why you might re-enact the murder to establish an alibi and shift the blame for the murder onto someone else. But why did you...” she trailed off for a second and Simon could swear she was fighting off amusement. “Why did you impersonate a defense attorney? Wasn't the phony murder already good enough to have Ms. Byrde convicted for your crime?” “Pssshh, please. Just 'cause I was a humble loan shark, you think I hadn't heard about all those miraculous turnabouts that kept happenin' in court whenever Wright was involved? I couldn't risk havin' him figure out the murder I set up was a sham.” “Hold on... Are you saying you did it because you felt threatened by Mr. Wright?” “WHO'S THREATENED?! YOU SAYIN' I'M A COWARD?! NOBODY CALLS ME CHICKEN! JUST 'CAUSE HE'S GOT A NICE, COZY BLUE SUIT AND A HALF-ASSED LAW DEGREE, YOUSE THINK HE'S BETTER THAN ME?! WRIGHT'S GOT NOTHIN' ON ME! I COULDA FLATTENED HIM LIKE A PANCAKE! I COULDA SNAPPED HIM IN HALF LIKE A TWIG! FUCK HIM AND HIS LITTLE GIRL SIDEKICKS!” “I was only-” Tigre wouldn't hear any more, instead snapping at Simon. “And YOU! Tryin' to make me out like some kinda idiot! HAH! You really do think you're better than us, movin' right from prison into some big ivory tower on your high horse! If dis is how your little science project works, good luck with the rest of the killers in here! The guards are gonna be scrapin' your guts offa dese here walls and I will fuckin' laugh and LAUGH!” Much as Simon yearned to spout a comeback, he knew that it would be a pointless battle. The only way for him to come out victorious was to be above Tigre's rage, for being dragged down by it would take him to depths he'd rather not see. He crossed his arms over his chest and met the man's gaze with fierce eyes of his own. “Mr. Tigre, please don't-” Athena attempted, but it was no good. “GOOD DAY, MADAM!” Tigre stormed from the room so fast, the two guards had to rush after him in a panic. The moment the door slammed shut behind them, silence fell. Simon stopped the recording device and began to gather up his papers, a feeling of uncertainty nagging at him. Had they just single-handedly ruined the interview? What would Lang say when he found out about this? “... As always, Tony Tiger allowed his emotions to get the best of him. Had he been able to channel his anger into something productive, he would've led quite a successful life,” he remarked, if only to lighten the mood. Athena stared at him. “Simon... Did you seriously not get it?” “Get what?” “Mr. Tigre... He was never angry. Not once during the entire conversation. He was afraid.” “Afraid?” “Afraid of the Cadaverinis, afraid of Mr. Wright, afraid of our questions... I think he was even afraid of what you think of him, now that you're acquitted.” The notion was so backwards that it took a long time to truly sink in. When at last it did, Simon found himself walking away from the prison with a smile and a light, bubbly feeling in his chest. To Be Continued

[aquilamage]

Ema Skye and Sebastian Debeste?

Ema!

First impression: (context: I read several aa fics before I actually started in on the games and only looked up appearances of some of the characters) Oh that’s what she looks like; that was not what I was picturing but cool. Took me a min to get used to her instead of Maya as the assistant.Impression now: Fucking superb you grumpy science lesbianFavorite moment: “Why can’t we have a normal, straightforward killing once in a while in this country!?” BIGGEST MOOD. Also the bit in rfta where she’s like “Hey everyone! Keep up the good work!” at the investigation team while Phoenix is trying to be inconspicuous. That was a really cute moment.Idea for a story: I don’t know if there’s anything specific for her that I’d want to write, but you know what would be cool? Her and Franziska (+ whoever else you want to add in) getting into investigation shenanigans while she’s studying in Europe before aa4.Unpopular opinion: I have. No clue if I have anything that’s unpopular so have a random one: her aai outfit is the best one!Favorite relationship: Her and Lana! I’m a big sucker for interesting family dynamics and getting to see Lana finally smile at the end of rfta and their reconciling was so touchingFavorite headcanon: I just thought of this but the idea of her as a small child doing little murder mystery stories and crime scenes with all of her toys is super adorable.

Sebastian!!

First impression: Oh no he is kind of annoying but also I already vaguely know he has shitty family I can’t hate him. Literally spent the first two cases affectionately going “oh honey. Ohh sweetheart. Oh no. My sweet precious summer child.” every time he opened his mouthImpression now: MY SON BOY! I’M SO PROUD OF HIM FOR HOW MUCH HE GREW BY THE END OF THE GAME! He’s in my top favorite aa characters for sure.Favorite moment: Honestly the entirety of him confronting his father in the courtroom ohhh that got me good. Also his logic chess sequence!! OOF but also right now that’s probably my favorite single gameplay segment out of the series it was so well-done. Idea for a story: I mean I’ve only got about three dozen. ….I’m currently trying to do something with the idea of him and Klavier bonding and eventually falling into a relationship over the course of them doing music collaboration stuff over the seven-year-gap.Unpopular opinion: So I have Very Specific Opinions on post-aai2 outfit stuff with him, which is basically that I think soon after the game he’d try to imitate Edgeworth’s style, but after that it’d be much more his own thing. (which idk if that’s unpopular, just that I’ve noticed a lot of outfit designs for him are very close to his canon outfit/take a lot from Edgeworth’s. Which is fine, any attention being given to my boy makes me happy, but it’s not my personal preference.)Favorite relationship: I think about him & Kay being unstoppable chaos bffs at least five times a day.Favorite headcanon: As long as it’s someone he trusts, he is the absolute most physically affectionate person 

[gyakutengagotoku]

If you were the an Executive, Producer or some other kind of superior that has the authority at Capcom during the making of the Ace Attorney-series, would there be cases that you would order to be rewritten or designs of characters you would order to be changed?

Yes. Loads of things, really. Because I’m more of a writer than, say, a producer, I think of the cases from the perspective of their scenarios, rather than what churns the most bucks or what would be most time-efficient. I probably wouldn’t make a very good executive in that case, but hey, that’s makes me a writer.

For the record, I don’t find any particular case in the canon “bad”. Some may be disappointing, but “disappointment” comes in so many flavors other than “bad”.

While I could discuss every single case in detail and what I would offer that may improve on them, they would make up an entire book(let) on their own. So, I’ll just drop a few pointers on the general direction of the series and the games. Hey, they can make good writing advice too.

1. Innovate for the sake of innovating, not for the sake of hype.

I feel this is something that is lacking among many amateur and professional writers, alike. Sometimes these authors just want to throw in a huge twist into the drama just for shock value. It’s fair to want to hype up your story, but if you’re able to write suspense well, you don’t need a big twist. A little one that catches the reader’s attention for a bit is enough.

Since AA has a long-running history of building upon previous surprises and twists, I notice entry after entry, the devs keep trying too hard to raise the stakes and ultimately go overboard. Yes, finale cases should be more exciting and investing than the previous cases, but that doesn’t mean they have to be much longer or more complicated than the rest. 2-4 is a good example of keeping things simple throughout, yet still very suspenseful up until the very end. But then 3-5 turned the dial up a notch and made things quite convoluted, and from there, the problem only grew worse. (I can’t vouch for DGS2, since I haven’t finished it, but so far, I’m starting to see a sort of lag by case 3 and I’m not entirely sure why, since it’s supposed to be so plot-relevant.)

2. Manage the pace of the story.

In many other games that tend to separate the main plot from sidequests and substories, it can be a little difficult keeping the player on track, since it’s entirely up to the player’s choice to continue the story whenever they want. However, the central game mechanic to AA is following its single, linear story. There is the option to wander around and poke at Charley or other inanimate objects, but they amount to some extra fluff text and don’t affect the pacing that much.

As a result, I can be more critical of pacing issues in these games. As much as games like AAI2, DD, SoJ, and DGS1-2 are lauded, and I do agree they are all great, but I always have pacing issues with them. I never did with the first three games. Now, why is that? I think it may have to do with how the cases are organized.

The original trilogy keeps pace rather well by cutting the segments rather cleanly into blocks. This is very apparent in the game script files, as you know exactly when and where makes a good breakpoint for a run. The third game has a bit more bulk to it than the first two (not counting the long and dragged-out RftA), not just because it has 5 cases, but because the 5 cases are more expansive.

From there on, the way the games and their respective scripts are organized become much more convoluted. The scripts are designed to flow just as well when playing, but I more often than not pick up on segments of dialogue that seem to reiterate too much on previously given info or are just unnecessary for gags that are jammed in, rather than subtly slipped in. This setup of reiteration is good for those fans who regularly take breaks, but many others want to keep going until the checkpoints, which do make good breakpoints. Unfortunately, those checkpoints are often unevenly placed. See, even with T&T’s supposedly convoluted cases, Takumi managed to keep the pace relatively even across the whole game. Now that’s impressive.

It’s probably this reason that I don’t find RftA as impressive as the cases in T&T. There’s such a huge dissonance in structure between the first four cases of PW:AA and RftA, and the latter really drains me after a while.

3. Encourage more realistic/human-like characteristics in gag characters.

It may confound fans who don’t like Wendy Oldbag, Lotta Hart, Larry Butz, Maggey Byrde, etc., but they’re popular for a very simple reason: Despite being comedic relief that are constantly up to no good or otherwise caught up in laughable situations, they become adored for their child-like behavior and/or satire, and occasionally when they do actual good, it’s pretty memorable. These are traits that everyone has to some extent, some more so than others, so they are relatable that way. Thanks to their popularity, they get to stay as recurring characters.

In contrast, take characters like Phineas Filch or Solomon Starbuck (sorry, man, but you do fit this) or Bucky Whet, and I think you all can see the difference. They’re not nearly as commonly lauded because they’re characters that feel less human and more like gags that fill particular roles in their respective cases. While Larry, Wendy, and Lotta have been around longer, the problem is also present for the performers of Berry Big Circus, Wesley Stickler, Spark Brushel, and plenty from AAI… The list goes on.

Obviously, there are plenty of other case-exclusive characters from those same cases that don’t have this problem, or at least don’t have as much of a problem. It just goes to show how effective a character in role can be to tell a story, and sometimes, comedy-relief characters are needed to fill the gaps, but if they’re not given anything else, they’re basically stereotypes taken physical form.

4. Give your villains’ characters at least some level of complexity.

This one’s subjective, so please bear with me. I know motives involving money or fame or power are easy to use because they’re very effective motives in real life, but villains who go through such complex and twisted murders, equating those of nigh-perfect crimes, just for something so basic as filling a debt or coming out on top, are a little disappointing.

It’s why villains like White, L’Belle, Tiala, Engarde, Alba, Phantom, Blaize Debeste, and even Kristoph Gavin come off as weak, at least to me.

Engarde is, plain and simple, an egotistic, two-faced sociopath. We aren’t given anything else but the bad to his character, thus making him quite one-sided. It works in the context of the case, especially when contrasted with the likes of de Killer, but other than that, he really isn’t much of a “character”, so to speak. He’s just there as the catalyst of the incident and someone to blame for all the evil.

Meanwhile, Blaize is much better, but he still comes off as disappointing, especially since we’ve already met with an authority figure who managed to capture our attention and humor us, but still ended up as the villain: Gant. They’re both corrupt old men in high positions, and yet I find Gant so much more fascinating than Blaize. Gant has a side to him that makes him likable, at least up to when he reveals he’s not so pure-hearted, but he did return to that likable side when he accepted defeat. Blaize, on the other hand, simply hollowed out into an empty shell, and we see no form of regret from him afterward - not even an apology to his son or any instance of acting fatherly. Granted, it was done this way to give Sebastian some much-needed development, so I’m not surprised.

Kristoph is a bit different from the rest here because it’s not necessarily the writer’s fault. He’s the only one who gets to have 5 mysterious black psyche-locks over his ultimate motive for killing Zak Gramarye. Some fans theorize that he couldn’t accept that he was simply jealous of Zak; others suggest he blotted out any feeling of inferiority; even others say he honestly didn’t know why. I can lean toward the first two, but I also say it’s just poorly executed ambiguous writing that had to have an imperfect explanation retconned in by DD. Speculation over a character’s motives is good, but when it’s then forgotten into history and never mentioned or referenced ever again, I really have to wonder if the point itself was to incite speculation? If so, that sucks; we’ll never know the truth.

In short, I’m not a fan of villains who are “evil for the sake of evil”. All these characters (and then some) fit that trope one way or another, but at least the last two are well suited in the context they play.

Sorry that this answer got so long-winded, but your question was so open that I wasn’t sure how much I should cover. I hope it isn’t too verbose.