Ace Attorney

Episode 12

That's more like it, Ace Attorney. See? It doesn't take very much effort to go above average, not with such a great intellectual property standing behind you. This episode was leagues more entertaining than last week's, with rapid pacing, goofy gags, and most importantly—the confidence to take ownership over its differences from the game.

First, let's address that cliffhanger. Edgeworth has confessed that he dunnit! It's going to take a village to undo that screw-up, and fortunately, that's exactly what Edgey has. It's awesome to see his childhood friends, Phoenix and Larry, team up with their present-day allies, Maya and Gumshoe, to unite and save their friend. It's a lot easier to see this plan come together in the show than in the game, when you're playing as Phoenix and really only focused on him. Everyone has a part to play in saving Edgeworth, even Edgeworth himself—and when Phoenix and Edgeworth come to the same conclusion and start talking in unison, it's genuinely exciting.

As Nick and Miles become more confident in their deductions, Prosecutor von Karma does anything but keep his cool. This is a deliberate shift from the video game, where von Karma meets Phoenix's accusations of murder against him with an impressive calm. Not so here, when the prosecutor begins crumbling almost as quickly as the objections start flying, which is perhaps why we never end up with the game's infamous von Karma head banging scene. This is only the latest in a number of transitions away from Turnabout Goodbyes's story in the original game, but it works here. Even when the topic of the day is murder, Ace Attorney is never a serious show. Threats (like the faceless man with a taser after Maya) are easily negotiated. Phoenix gets into tight spots, but not ones where his life is on the line, which is why it works for this retelling to be so goofy. Imagine if the empty evidence box had made a loud HONK in the game—it would have been totally out of place. Here, it's alright.

The silly moments are the best parts of this episode, perhaps because they are new or perhaps because they're well timed. Larry impersonating his childhood friend Miles is hilarious—at least the guy has Edgeworth's haughtiness down pat. I also chuckled at the decision to put the judge's face on the currency of the Ace Attorney universe. An irate Phoenix using a “tear his way out of a piece of paper” transition a la Loony Toons becomes a screenshot opportunity rather than an eye-rolling moment. I even laughed when Nick said, “It wasn't the bullet that pierced you, it was the truth!” though I don't remember laughing at this in the game's telling of this turn. All of this certainly sets a wackier and simpler tone than the original IP, but this episode shows how it can work for an easily digestible half-hour.

This mood falls apart with Maya's abrupt farewell. We don't receive the same information in the game about why she felt inadequate enough to leave. What did she say? If it had turned out to be funny, it would fit. If it had been serious or romantic, it would have at least given us more information about Nick and Maya's relationship. Instead we get nada. It's another example of how this show can be good when it owns its lighter mood, but woefully meh when it tries to be sentimental.

Rating: B-

Ace Attorney is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist