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type_wildUnpopular opinion, but here goes: I honestly think both DD and SoJ suffers because of Phoenix' namestamp, mainly because that namestamp means that Phoenix has GOT to play a central role. I GET that he's like the franchise's biggest mascot and all and that he's the main reason a lot of people are playing, but honestly - I feel like his part was over with the original trilogy, and AA4 so VERY clearly put him into the part of the kooky mentor and it WORKED. I guess I'm just kinda tired of him and Edgeworth and a lot more interested in pretty much everyone else. Maya is tres adorable, as always, but dear game, can we talk about how much people grow up between seventeen and twenty-seven? I mean, I approve of her still-burning love for the maidenly sillyness, but c'mon. (not sure what I expected, though, see above point about "AA4, what AA4? What do you mean Phoenix being a jaded, morally dubious professional poker player? Apollo knowing the conveniently friendly rock star prosecutor is just as incidental as Apollo's old friend the dead astronoaut")
I'm obviously just moaning because we FINALLY GOT SOME APOLLO AND TRUCY AND ATHENA and then it's just lolnope back to stupid boring Phoenix in stupid boring Kurain Country. Ugh, I wonder if it's the SETTING that's bothering me the most here, which is fine indeed if things go as I predict and there's only going to be one more case back in Japanifornia with the finale also being set in Narnia. Gaaaaaah.
Anyway, Bitchface has gone back home and brought Ema along, and there was much rejoicing. And with Maya behind bars, they can't just have Phoenix's assistant be a boy, so guess who's coming along to keep an eye on him?
(and there was much rejoicing)
also Ahlbi sorta tagged along for bits so that was okay anyway. There's some political talk about Narnia, which I'm guessing is going to be relevant when Phoenix brings their justice system ~revolution~ later on. What even IS the government here? Their justice system is certainly a farce what with them probably only accusing those they already know will be found guilty and relying on a fourteen year old's interpretations of her spirit visions to determine that, so this sure as fuck isn't a healthy democracy. So it's an... absolutist monarchy? Theocracy? Good old-fashioned Oriental Dictatorship? A fair justice system depends on either a functional democracy or a spectacularly benevolent despot, so I'm a lot interesting to see how big governmental changes Phoenix Wright are going to bring about in order to fix this one. Are we banking on Rayfa's mum being a benign enough ruler to accept free and fair courts in the end, or will she be the final villain? I've got to hand it to the judge, though, for clearly believing in what he's doing!
Anyway dear God this trial is painfully boring at least early on. Am I tiring of the games or am I tiring of Phoenix Wright and bored by Bitchface? Ugh. Spirit Pool Stuff didn't charm me last time and doesn't charm me now :/ I like the music though.
LOL AT THIS POINT I MIGHT HAVE SPOILED MYSELF FOR SOME HUGE STUFF OVER AT TVTROPES THANKS TO MY HABIT OF HIGHLIGHTING WHEN READING ONLINE. Well. Three words, folks, but very telling ones. Let's see how that comes around, then.
...I mean, which is worse? Messing up my reading schedule so that I was delayed on the one novel on our reading list that I kind of enjoyed and subsequently had to sit through a lecture analysing the scandalous middle and violent ending when I was 1/3 into it? Or spoiling myself for huge, canon-defining developments in one of my favourite franchises? Vote below.
anyway back to the game: Seeing that both the previous cases were one-day affairs with one or two witnesses, can I take this to mean that it was the wife who did it since she's the only fuckin' one we've talked to yet?!
I just realised that Bitchface is like a stupid boring version of Yue from Cardcaptor Sakura. Wow, that nearly makes me like him. Oh holy St. Capcom, please don't let him be the Juniper of this game. While we're at it, please don't let Juniper BE in this game but lord who am I trying to kid, there's going to be an Athena case, of course they'll have to have Athena's Larry in it too. God, I bet she'll be the bleeding defendant just to keep with the tradition.
Surprise!witness! Fun guy, don't get why they're all talking as if he's somehow worse than some of the others they've had. Aaaaand... Bitchface was just drawing out the trial for shits and giggles? Seems my subconscious intuition about him was right all along then! I guess he's paid by the hour.
WHUT TWO DAY TRIAL?! On the one hand - yay they exist. On the other, boo more time spent without Apollo and Athena and Trucy and probably another bloody spirit pool seanse coming up. But at least the ~court revolution~ is underway. MAN do I love Rayfa, even if it means poor Ahlbi was locked out of the assistant role again. But it was all worth it because of how Phoenix just cajoled her into coming along because he couldn't stand to see her sad
Until someone in charge tells me otherwise, I'll remain firm in my faith that Narnia adopted its official motto from this:
Also Bitchface's motto is a Disney shoutout, right? Right??
The Plumed Punisher = win. Shah'do = win+.
Surprise!Witness is still the only thing I like about this case, aaaaaaaand there's another tally for Apollo "My Contrived Backstory Is Revealed Through Phoenix Wright Happening Upon A Photograph" Justice. Yay, I... guess? I mean, it's super ridiculous and not in the hilarious sort of ridiculousness that make this franchise what it is, but WHAT THE HELL WE'RE GETTING MORE APOLLO JUSTICE STUFF WHAT DO I CARE IF IT MAKES ZERO SENSE. Oh hell but I do care because of the shoddy way they introduced and then promptly discarded this in AA4 and then completely ignored it in AA5. Also: If this ties in with the BIG SPOILHURS like it has to, then it is not going in a very promising direction for the part of Things I Enjoy In The AA Universe.
At least Bitchface might reveal himself as less boring for this.
I love how Maya lays down the law for Rayfa no less than twice.
And happily for us, the second day of the third trial prooved to be engaging enough to keep me away from complaining here. Woohoo, spirit channeling! Things turn out to be predictable but not how they were predicted! Surprise!Witness is back for one glorious shot! The Rule of Law is explicitly discussed and status of freedom of speech within Narnia is being questioned. I expect glorious things out of Rayfa from here on out.
Speaking seriously for a moment: The last half of this case felt like Ace Attorney in a way that they games haven't in a long, long while. I'll agree with whoever said that it is up there with the first and third game in terms of patos, at least for the moment. It remains to be seen whether that carries on in the finale, but it's definitely hit its stride at this point.
I love how somewhere in Narnia, there's a revolutionary running around wearing The Steel Samurai merch.
Bitchface is still boring.
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