Ace Attorney

Episode 7

Move over, Phoenix Wright. This week's Ace Attorney episode was all about Miles Edgeworth. Everyone's favorite condescending prosecutor stole the show, with all the best lines, the best moments, and the best character development. Confined to a courtroom, this episode is obviously not as well-animated or blocked-out as the previous two, but staking its fortunes on a memorably beloved video game character made it work.

It's Day Three of the trial, and Dee Vasquez is on the witness stand. Everyone has a quiet understanding that Dee committed the murder, but this cool customer appears unshakable. How can justice be served when Phoenix doesn't even have any proof? As usual, he gets by with a lot of help from his friends. First there's Cody, shy in the crowd and then rambunctious enough on the floor to create a distraction. That's when Oldbag slips Wright the photographic evidence he needs. But in the orderly fashion of the original game, every breakthrough is met with an equally tremendous setback. In the end, it's not only the defense attorney, but the prosecutor who brings the truth to light.

Edgeworth is the soul of this otherwise predictable trial. He has all the best moments. Playing the game is one thing, but seeing Edgeworth toss Phoenix that staff is a lot sillier when animated. Then there's stern, respectable Edgeworth mistaking the name of the Forest Imp, completely unaware that he's made a funny. The humor really comes from Edgeworth's serious nature contrasting with what he says and does—like when he objects to Vasquez's statement, then has to admit to the judge he was hoping he'd come up with an actual objection while he was objecting. Phoenix finally sees the light, but it's only because of Edgeworth's stalling and they both know it.

Of course, the most powerful part of the episode is the end, after the conclusion of the ho-hum trial. Edgeworth reveals his less uptight side—his fandom for the Steel Samurai kids' show—before doubling down on his severity with an order to Phoenix never to speak to him again. The Steel Samurai arc is often regarded by fans as a bit of a filler arc, except for this key piece of Edgeworth character development. In this short exchange, we instantly realize that Edgeworth and Wright have a history together, and that it's not all sunshine and childhood friendships. Though that is part of it—can you believe these nerds have matching keychains? It's a tense setup for what appears to be the final arc of the anime, Turnabout Goodbye.

Edgeworth was awesome, but that wasn't enough to blind me to the fact that this episode was lacking pretty intensely in the visuals department. When Nick is thinking, we are treated to a 30-second bird's eye view of his unmoving head. When the Not Guilty verdict is announced, the peanut gallery sprites don't change their somber expressions, even though we hear cheering. The courtroom, apart from the occasional dramatic gust of wind, is uninspired. The best scenes as usual are the new ones, like when we see all the characters sitting around watching the Pink Princess. It's a reminder that the uptick in animation quality might not last forever, but Ace Attorney's memorable characters will always there to make it worth it.

Rating: B-

Ace Attorney is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist.