Gyakuten Saiban: Sono "Shinjitsu", Igi Ari!

The courtroom is a wonderful place full of controversy and despair. Both the prosecution and defense have their own reasonings for choosing their sides, and the verdict in the end is never the most desired outcome. But we're not here to talk about everyone's right to a fair trial, we're here to talk about everyone's right to a fun trial with A-1's adaptation of the first two games of Ace Attorney. Put on your attorney's badge and get on your tiny bike. It's time for objections and nonsensical court cases! Story: Naruhodo Ryuuichi is a new defense attorney who just got hislicense. Upon entering the courtroom to deal with his first case, he finds himself defending his friend, Yahari in a court case against him on the accusation of MURDER!!! Against prosecutor Mitsurugi Eiji, the two fight for Yahari's verdict and in spark a court rivalry over the two over the rest of the series. Taking the two first two games of the Phoenix Wright series, this adaptation...basically does what you would think it does, which is fully adapt all of the cases from the first two games of the series. (Big shocker, I know.) Because of this...there's not really much to say for the actual story of the series. The main plotline is basically: Get involved with a case usually involving murder, have Naruhodo defend the accused while Mitsurugi does his best to prove someone guilty and ultimately figure out through a long hair-brained stream of hairbrained and highly improbable events, what happened with each case and who truly is the person who is guilty. Admittedly, the story for this series isn't really all that good. The show's pretty stagnant as to what'll happen and since it's basically an animated walkthrough of the games, you can guess what the end result for all of these cases are. Doesn't mean that they're not fun to watch, but don't expect things are pretty predictable. Apart from that, there's really not much to actually talk about. The problem is because the series is so focused on the gameplay aspect of the series that there's not really much left for anything else aside from the cases, even if they're all really fun to watch. Overview: + Stays true to the Capcom game series - Doesn't really show anything besides the court cases Characters: The characters for this series features a large and colorful cast of nutjobs and basket cases that come in only during the case in which they're important or needed in, as well as the more ordinary but still somewhat crazy main recurring characters that you'll probably never actually bore seeing. Probably. First we have Naruhodo Ryuuichi, or in the localization, Phoenix Wright. Believing to stand up for the innocence as a defense attorney, Naruhodo doesn't really have much of a character beyond feeling a bit sick and tired of all of the crazy people he has to deal with from his hard to deal with clients and witnesses who bring their own brand of insanity into this joke of a courtroom, which is to be expected of a player character since it's easier to project onto them when they don't really have many character traits to them. Then you have Mitsurugi Eiji, the prosecutor and rival of our main protagonist. Devoted to proving the accused as guilty, Mitsurugi plays as the 'villain' of the series and continuously spends his screentime to win against Naruhodo. His motives are pretty basic and the development that he gets later in the series is pretty paper thin, so similar to Naruhodo, there's not really much to say. The dynamic between the characters is pretty cool, but on their own, they don't work out all too well. Aside from them, we have recurring characters like Mayoi (or Maya), Itonokogiri (or Gumshoe), and the nameless judge who apparently doesn't know a single thing that goes on in his courtroom despite being the person who puts down the final ruling. All of whom are on the same level as the rivaling characters in terms of development and actual character traits and really don't differ much from when they're introduced to when the series ends. Side characters on the other hand, aka the characters that pertain to one or two cases out of the entire series are amongst the reasons why this series is so entertaining. Every side character is so wacky, out there, and downright strange that it's extremely awkward to watch them, yet you can't look away. Sure they're one time characters, but making a really good and memorable impression of them far exceeds any other kind of impact that they would've had otherwise. Overview: + Strange yet memorable side characters - Main and recurring characters are pretty paper thin Art: Produced by A-1 pictures, the style and quality of the series is...standard fare at best. It doesn't really good nor does it look average or mediocre, so the only explanation for the way this series looks is...average. They do keep the funny looping idle animation and the character freakouts when you finally find the real culprit, so...good on you, A-1. One problem that did arise upon watching this show was that the background characters, especially those who're in the seats in the courtroom were completely made in unnatural and lazy CGI, completely clashing with the rest of the series and the overall look when the entire court was panned out and shown. They don't do this too often, but shame on you, A-1 for that. Shame on you! Overview: + Standard art for this day and age - Blatant and lazy usage of CGI Sound: The sound both in the voice acting and the soundtrack of the series are average at best. There's not really much of anything to note when it comes to either of those, so...moving on. Personal Enjoyment: Ace Attorney...really isn't all that good. It's not bad, it's not amazing, it just has something about it that doesn't really do well quality-wise. That being said, this show is a TON of fun to watch. Without thinking too hard and just following along with the completely out there cases, this adaptation is by far one of the most enjoyable watches that I've had in a while. Sure it's not the best thing, but quality and enjoyment are two completely separate ratings here. And if you have any objections, I'll be sure to give you a good cross-examination. Did I like this series? Oh, far too much. What didn't I like about this series? Some characters were a bit irritating, but aside from that, there's not really much to complain here. Would I recommend this series? Want a bit of fun? Want a couple of funny memes? Want to get through the first 2 Ace Attorney games without a real walkthrough on Youtube? Than this is the show for you.

Personally, I found Ace Attorney very enjoyable to watch; it’s a good example of what an anime adaptation of a game should be like. We follow our protagonists in a fairly faithful (albeit, heavily condensed) retelling of what takes place in the games. The tone is more comic than that of the games, with the show being heavily embedded with puns as well as general sarcasm and wit from several characters (particularly Phoenix Wright himself, in response to the simple-mindedness of those around him), however this is not uncommon with other media related to the franchise, such as the film or stage plays. The comedythat encompasses this show, combined by the nostalgia evoked by it and the fast pace which retains viewer attention, make for an amusing legal drama that is certainly worth the watch. The animation isn’t the best, but you can still feel the intensity of every “Objection!”, “Hold it!” and “Take that!”, which is all that really matters. The soundtrack is perfect, of course due to the incorporation of music from the original game which was intended to draw players in, maintaining their focus and attention (an effect which is preserved in the anime). The opening songs are genuinely brilliant and really amplify the positive spirit of the show. Both our honourable protagonists and the several antagonists they face, although much less fleshed-out than in the source material, retain their singularity and memorability. Phoenix Wright is, as per usual, an admirable main character who retains his ingenuity and perseveres in the face of injustice. It remains obvious that his opponent, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, is the same austere yet honourable character he was in the games. Maya endures as innocent, charming, and devoted to helping Phoenix, regardless of whether it’s to his benefit or detriment! Others are similarly characterised as they were in the games. To conclude, I enjoyed every second of this anime and I’m looking forward to watching Season 2, which covers T&T. It not only kept me interested, but also thoroughly entertained. Thank you for reading <3

To quote Franziska Von Karma, this anime is "A foolishly foolish idea born from the foolish mind of a foolhardy foolish fool". Being a large fan of the games, I was highly enthused to hear of an anime adaptation coming, however upon its release I was only met with a painful and bland imitation of the original games, and even separately so, this anime is still rather one-note and drab. To the Anime's credit, I was rather pleased to see a good chunk of the anime's script was directly adapted from the games, this atleast lead to a coherent and unique narrative; and the sounddesign was even better, being quite possibly being the best thing in the series, and feels like a very pleasing overhaul of the original game soundtrack. However this is where my compliments to the series end. Moving onto the art design, everything seems somewhat... wrong... A friend of mine says that A-1 has "SAO-ified" all of the character designs, which I'm unsure of how true that is, but everything looks stilted and off regardless. It would probably also be prudent to mention Phoenix's stilted running animation in the intro for a majority of the episodes before it was fixed in the latter half. On top of this, the delivery and general scene direction is probably the worst thing this anime has to offer, and moved this anime from "Boring" to "Awful" in my eyes, as everything is done without heart or feeling. This is a hard point to describe without spoilers but I''ll try my upmost; in the original games where there were scenes of high-tension and desperate action, with races against time and scurrying to find the right answer, there were instead.. not... Characters that were supposed to look and sound devastated at something, instead sounded just slightly annoyed, moreso like the local takeout got their order wrong, and not the levels of upset that were supposed to be shown. One scene in particular where a character was supposed to rush in just in time, with the loud and epic soundtrack making the viewer pumped, was instead replaced by a fairly quiet scene, and the character just walking in, without so-much a hint of tension. Furthermore, I dislike how character relationships are handled. Characters whose relationships were supposed to feel slightly off and people were maybe untrustworthy, were over-clarified so there was no longer the tension of "Should we trust them?" or "Is this person trying to deceive us?" This anime disappointed me. In my original list of things that upset me, I was also displeased that they had only adapted 2 of the original trilogy of games, however with the announcement of the second season of the anime just a few days before the writing of this review, I am hopeful that A-1 will infact have fixed the blatant errors in the anime and not ruin mine, and many others, favourite game in the franchise.

Game design and animated series are two very completely different things. It may seem like a really absurd statement, but since Ace Attorney is an adaptation of a game, you need a good understanding of its game design, as to understand what would work on screen, since video games are executed in ways fitting to their gameplay. Sometimes, to make a game more engaging, you have to remove some realistic elements. Knowing this, I have decided to play the game myself, to understand why Ace Attorney is presented the way it is, some time during the time I was watching the anime. So I'd liketo explain how the hook, the trials, work in the game, and why on screen the trials are really ridiculous. You see, in the game, you are handling the trials. What you say, what arguments you refute and how you refute them. The more you refute the arguments of the opposing party, the more flustered they become and eventually, they burst out and that is used as a sign that you are winning. Their reactions are over the top but that is done with the purpose of showing you that you are clearly on the right track. In the games, you are also tasked with gathering evidence, in order for you learn more about the case and piece everything together as to have an idea of what to do in court and have an idea of what the case will be, but also to have more involvement in the investigation process, rather than await evidence and use what the cops find to your advantage, like a normal lawyer would. You will also discuss with the witnesses about the case and learn more about the story that way. The game will make you handle cases that you personally figure out with the evidence you have gathered, by paying attention to the information that mismatches your evidence. In this game, you figure it out. As a result of such the game needs a balancing scale, where it teaches you the basics. You see, both Ace Attorney's start with a fairly ridiculous trial, where you know for certain who the culprit is, because the game states it from the very start. Your defendant is also a childhood friend which is explained as getting fairly often into trouble that usualy isn't caused by him. Now as an introduction to the game, it isn't a particularly stellar introduction, considering you're gonna defend someone to whom you have social ties with, (that has a high frequency by the way for I assume dramatic effect) but it's a better than an UI prompt that says "This is your goal in the game. Go from x to y. That is the defendant. Your friend. That is the actual culprit. The culprit." The game actually gives you context and lets you learn by going along the way, in a manner that I'd say is competent. In a series, however, you don't want to start off easy, but rather to impress the viewer since first glance. So since the same trial is presented here in the same manner, you will leave with a pisspoor first impression. You already know the culprit, the defendant has constant outbursts since his dialogue outside the court was mixed in, and the first episode is a gibberish mess. You have a culprit you already know, a defendant that makes no sense as to why he's acting in a manner that is incriminating, or as to why he wasn't instructed at least slightly to not have any sort of outbursts such as: flailing your arms wildly, screaming and hitting your head against a solid surface repeatedly. As I watched this, I immediately thought this is very stupid and since I've seen the game, I am sure that whoever adapted this series doesn't understand the purpose of that trial. In the game, the trial is the starting point that familiarizes you with the game and its mechanics. You won't have too many complaints about how the trial emerges because YOU'RE AN ACTIVE PART OF IT, and these things help you. In the game you have the choice to tell the defendant during the trial to asbtain from saying things and making them say the truth, and so on and so forth. You have control over him. His stupidity isn't an important factor. And the fact you already know the truth helps you plan out the case. But here, it makes everything seem really dull and ridiculous But perhaps this means that they're just trying to stay faithful to the adaptation and they're not exactly incompetent in this adaptation. In that case, let me move over to the next trial. In this trial there is an autopsy report. The situation is as follows. You present a discrepancy in a testimony that says that a victim that has died immediately after a sudden blow to the head, had enough time to write the name of their killer after the attack, at a time they were most certainly dead. However, turns out that another autopsy report was released the next day, that says that the victim didn't die immediately after the blow. This is the line delivery in the game "A second autopsy was performed yesterday, at my request, that says: Death was almost immediate due to a blow from a blunt object. The victim might've lived for several minutes afterwards." Eloquent, to the point and most important, not ridiculous. This is the line delivery in the anime. "Yesterday, another autopsy was performed, that changed the report from died instantly... to died PRETTY MUCH instantly." That's the wording. Pretty much instantly. So I reacted by walking around in the room a bunch with my hand behind my head, thinking "This is so bad. It's terrible. I love this. This is incredible." I expected at least some minimal level of professionalism and well defined thinking and reasoning, even if with any sort of logic gaps, but that, caught me completely offguard. I never expected quite what I got in Ace Attorney. I mean, you have cases where attorneys don't even talk to their defendants, like the first one. You have cases where the judge is bossed around by a guy and told to finish the trial, in front of everyone else, by the prosecutor. You have cases where the defendant, judge, defense attorney, and the witnesses, get repeatedly whipped. There's no professionalism in the trials. Okay then, perhaps it is because the series is quite lighthearted. Maybe it is not because the crimes themselves and the mystery aren't orchestrated well. Well, how does this sound? How about we frame the defense attorney that was defending the victim, as the murderer? Because that's the most logical way to go about things. Oh, okay, that sounds believable, right? How about keeping a bullet inside your shoulder after being shot for 15 years inside your body, a bullet that links you to an infamous incident, while also, somehow, avoiding lead poisoning and being able to function as healthy as a spring for said 15 years? Doesn't sound that good, does it? I think should be convincing enough, but lets ruin all credibility. How about shapeshifting your body in a trial, from a 8 year old little girl to a 27 year old woman with huge tits sticking out of her dress? Why do they shapeshift you ask? Oh, because of spirit summoning. They summon a spirit inside their body. Yes, this is an anime about handling trials in the courtroom. Yes, this is a recurring thing. Yes, it also is a recurring gag that nobody really questions this. These things are factors from the games too, but I have not crossreferenced everything I said to see if everything is the same in the game and the anime. And yes, these criticisms are fair for the game as well, if they are indeed there. But one thing that is clearly there is the spirit summoning, and in both cases, they take away from the trial, as Phoenix Wright couldn't have had solved the case, without outside intervention from an element that realistically wouldn't be able to be a factor. In the game itself, the literal second case, you can't solve this, without the intervention of the spirit. In other words, you, the player, can't solve your first case after the tutorial, on your own. But that is a flaw of the game, that I've decided to state to say that the source material is far from perfect itself. Well, the next thing that you might think that, this was intended strictly for the fans of the game. Even then, I'd say this is a pisspoor attempt that deserved no recognition, if you are to compare the animation quality, not to other anime, but rather to the game itself. The spritework animation in the game of Ace Attorney is absolutely gorgeous. It is incredible to see how much detail they have managed to add in spriteart, which is done by drawing everything pixel by pixel. Am I supposed to believe this is meant to be an omage to the fans of the game, when they couldn't even do proper shading on the characters in the anime's animation? Am I supposed to believe that when there's just the bare minimum of details in the animation, while the simple spritework of the game did so much work to convey as much detail as possible, am I supposed to think this is meant to be made for the fans? No, this is just someone exploiting the intelectual property for money. If this was meant for the fans, they would've gotten far better animation, as I can't see how this anime could enrich the experience of the games, when they just have rushed in trials with pisspoor animations What is left to say about Ace Attorney? It is a mess. It is terrible. But it was really fun to watch. It is flawed in so many ways and on so many levels, that I've enjoyed it a lot. Seeing the constant flow of flaws that it threw my way truly entertained me, because I really enjoy when a series is so flawed, that I have to praise them for it. This series did nothing right, except for a single episode, where they've shown the childhood of Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright and Larry Butz, strictly because it is unexpected and has nothing to do with the cases. I found it endearing because there wasn't really any of the elements that made me rant what I've ranted in the review. But the trials, have so many obstacles to be properly consumed, so many discrepancies, be it logic gaps, be it unprofessional behavior that leads nowhere, be it blownout overreactions, be it supernatural elements that shouldn't be a factor in court, be it etc, that I couldn't just manage not to enjoy the obstacles themselves. The reason I have not stated as many of the flaws I've seen in this series because the flaws of the series were quite honestly the sole enjoyment factor I've got out of it. I think anyone that watches stuff and can enjoy a series for how bad they can be, would have a great time watching Ace Attorney. It is truly bad. Hence it is truly great. It is a great mess that should be watched solely for that reason. Because quite frankly, that is the only way not to be dissapointed with what you get.

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