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frogs-in3-hills · 1 year

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clawing my way into the asks again like a little parasite ahem. Thoughts on susato 👁👁

oh my god susato... *breaks down into sobbing* i actually finished the game an hour or two after i saw this ask and wanted to give it a little bit of time to sit in my head before i started trying to analyze things ^_^; but now i think i'm emotionally ready to think about her without destroying my own psyche. readmore cause this kind of turned into an analysis, albeit a very disorganized one

anyways SUSATO GOOD. i love her dynamic with ryuu so much, she's so competent but does still genuinely feel like a teenage girl at the same time. i think she's really the heart of the duology, especially dgs1, i mean she is literally the central piece of the emotional resolutions for each game and also the reason for 90% of the times i cried while playing. which, btw, was significantly more often than any of the other AA games ^_^; i was pretty much in tears from the moment the final trial ended to like, an hour after the credits stopped rolling. the idea of ryuunosuke going to japan without her absolutely destroyed me because he was so depressed during that six month gap :( and i was so relieved that they would continue to change the world together

also can i just say her design and sprites are incredible?? not only is she just. the fucking cutest. her animations and poses are so sweet, oh my god her expressions are amazing, they perfectly encapsulate her yamato nadeshiko elegance, her deep strength & tenacity & curiosity, and even hints at her deeper feelings of inadequacy. i mean god i am thinking about her teary-eyed smile that rips my heart to pieces every time and her stunned expression when she sees the masked assistant. screaming sobbing wailing banging my fists on the table. the same goes for her theme but like times a hundred, like, i don't really know anything about music so i can't explain why but it's so unbelievably perfect for both her and the overall tone of the game. honestly it might beat out turnabout sisters for my favorite track in the series

which by the way, it's so cool how she immediately breaks from the mold of typical AA assistants with her demeanor. she's the picture of temperance and humility, and despite her age she is the heart of the story and a guiding light in ryuunosuke's journey. this stands in huge contrast to characters like maya, who has an incredibly strong heart but really feels like a child lost in a world of suddenly inherited responsibilities and murderous family conflicts that she's 100% not equipped to handle. none of that is to say that i think all the AA assistants are the same because they are absolutely not, but they do have similar ~vibes~ so it's really refreshing to have a protagonist-assistant dynamic that feels so different from the outset.

but then 1-2 kind of destroys whatever initial perception you had of her right? because now susato's out here being actively hostile to you in spite of the slow trickle of evidence exonerating ryuunosuke. she literally attacks you like five times and hardly ever smiles. because just like ryuunosuke, asougi's boundless determination bled into her, to the point that she p much dedicated her life to studying so she could go to london in order to help him. and now that he's gone, she's left completely lost at sea. literally :(

personally i think her attitude after ryuu provides some reasonable doubt is very telling. first, it shows that she's extremely levelheaded in the face of a crisis, because even though it would be so so so easy and even cathartic to blame ryuunosuke, she realizes that it would be unfair and resolves to help him prove his innocence. however, even though it's clear she does believe in ryuu, we still get a bunch of moments where she makes digs at him and acts randomly suspicious again before moving on. these are probably just little jokes not meant to be taken seriously by the writers, but like i can't help but look into them more and wonder if susato is projecting onto ryuunosuke, due to their aforementioned similar situations. i think she's very frustrated with herself for being so helpless. she clearly bases her self worth on her use as a judicial assistant (which is not so healthy but we're getting there), but without kazuma, what does her help and expertise even matter? and she sees that resemblance between herself and ryuunosuke and takes her frustration out on him, even if she doesn't think he actually killed asougi. she reminds me a lot of godot in this case tbh.

speaking of susato having unreasonably high expectations for herself and other people, HEY THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTER TROPES

*gets emotionally ripped to shreds by the narrative*

it's quite clear that the high expectations she has of her loved ones-- mainly ryuu, kazuma, sholmes, and gina-- is her version of unflinching belief. every time she encourages ryuunosuke, she's saying things like "i know you can handle this" and "you have everything you need to take this on, so don't give up now" and she is certainly not lying or exaggerating. susato is the one who decided that ryuunosuke deserves to carry on with asougi's legacy, and therefore there's kind of an implicit don't disappoint me in there. nothing demonstrates this more than what she says to gina in the prison:

Susato: I'm sorry to say...that I must reluctantly bid you farewell. Gina: Eh? Farewell? Susato: Tomorrow, I must begin my journey back home. To Japan. ...I fear we may never meet again. Gina: ...! Oh...right... Susato: I've had the pleasure of meeting so many lovely people here in London. I have so many wonderful memories. And yet...as things stand now... ...it will be a glum parting indeed. Poor Iris is so miserable. Iris: Susie... Gina: Well...well...that ain't my business! Susato: Both Iris and Mr Naruhodo believe you to be innocent, Gina. They've put their faith in you. But somehow...you can't find it in your heart to put your faith in them. Gina: Yeah! That's right, I can't! ...Wot of it? Susato: It grieves me greatly to have to say goodbye to my friends when they are so clearly unhappy... ...because of you. Gina: ...! Wot, it's MY fault?! Susato: Yes. So I have one final request, Gina, before our paths never cross again. Right here and now... ...I want you to show both of them that you don't deserve the faith they've invested in you. Gina: Eh?! Susato: Only by doing that... ...will you truly be as alone as you claim to be.

this was like The Moment where i did kind of a double take and went, holy shit, susato is the best character in this game, i get it now. because we're seeing what it looks like when susato is disappointed in you. this the final chance she's extending to gina and she just gets right to business with "i'm tired of wondering if you're going to trust me, so if you're so determined to push away the people who care about you then i expect you to be straight with me. you need to decide right now if you are truly committed to destroying this chance at happiness because i can no longer accept the way you're treating my friends. and if you can prove to me that you're not worth it then i will give up on you." and not only is this fucking perfect because it's exactly the push that gina needs, it shows the epitome of what makes susato so great: her balance! she knows when to hold back and be patient and she knows when to assert herself. she really makes me think of the temperance card in tarot in that way. gina was never going to take to iris' puppydog eyes or ryuunosuke's insistence that he believes in her; she needed somebody to take her anxieties seriously and then say "oh yeah? prove it." and it is so terribly Lawyer of her to pull the evidence card like that, it makes me absolutely insane. i'm going to think about this forever

it's pretty explicit in dgs1 that she expects the most out of herself though with her thinking that she's a failure of a judicial assistant for losing faith, which is something she shares with asougi. asougi is carrying the weight of his family's legacy on his back and the responsibility of changing the world. i don't know a lot about meiji era japan but i know it would have been extremely challenging to become a defense attorney. there is no room for error with him. they also both try to punish themselves when they don't meet those expectations-- susato trying to throw her legal book into the ocean and asougi doing, uh, literally everything he does in dgs2, but specifically giving karuma to ryuunosuke. i wonder if he learned it from her >_>

i will be honest i'm not 100% sure how i feel abt the way she was handled in dgs2, i don't think she was poorly written or anything! just kind of lacking the bite she had in dgs1. it's hard to compare the way she reacts to gina disappointing her vs the way she reacts to kazuma disappointing her, because gina is her cool friend while kazuma is literally her dead adopted brother who came back to life and is kind of being a legendary asshole about it. so like, i'm not gonna say it's definitely inconsistent or out of character for her to react to asougi's Whole Deal by just kind of frowning in the background, but idk i wish she'd had a more active role in that conflict or been allowed to do something. like, they only exchange a couple of lines throughout the whole game and i think that was a huge waste. i would have at least liked to see a follow up of her and ryuunosuke's conversation about his body going missing, now that they know he's alive, because i find myself being unable to parse how she feels about the whole thing. i really expected her to be angrier or to show something bigger than "wow :( this fucking sucks :(" like SHE'S NOT WRONG! but there was so much opportunity to take it in a different direction.

anyways i think the ending of dgs2 is perfect because she's actively rejecting that path that's been expected of her, she was always supposed to stand by asougi's side and yet she allows herself to be selfish and follow ryuunosuke instead. yes, she knows when to be assertive, but she only ever does it for the benefit of other people. here she knows what she wants and is determined to pursue it-- i think it's absolutely wonderful and i am so proud of her ;-; in the first game she would have had to go back home alone, afraid for her father and for gina and for everyone else that she loves, believing that she had failed ryuunosuke and by extension, kazuma and his legacy. but here she gets to go back home of her own volition and continue to follow the path she believes in, assured in her worth and knowing that she has a true friend by her side and all that is to say i fucking love susato so much and i am losing my entire mind over her and i expect to be doing so for the rest of my days

#thank you for the ask i love an excuse to ramble incoherently about the blorbos <3 #prringlecan #dgs #tgaa #susato mikotoba #meta #dgs spoilers #dgs2 spoilers #tgaa spoilers #tgaa2 spoilers #inbox

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characteroulette · 3 years

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well all rightie then, it’s time to analyse how DGS1 handles grief really well in my opinion

(once again, spoilers for all of DGS1)

(also some spoilers for the original trilogy games) (and a little of DGS2)

okay So my thesis statement here is that Asougi’s character in DGS1 is the vessel through which Ryuunosuke and Susato’s grief is explained. Everything about how they relate to Asougi is their dealing with their grief in a simple message: Loss hits hard, but you have to continue to live and love. Life Goes On, shaping that grief into yourself if you allow it.

We start off with Case 1 as our baseline. The set-up. It’s a routine to show what life is like for Ryuunosuke before tragedy. (Fitting for an AA protagonist to have their baseline of normal being accused of murder.) This case does a really, really good job of setting up Asougi as our friend, our partner, whom we might spend the rest of the game with.

(I mean, the death flag’s kinda obvious if you’re genre-savvy; the mentor must die so that the student may grow into their own. But Asougi’s so likeable! He’s confident, genuine with Ryuunosuke, comfortably teasing, and looks at you with the same eyes as Klavier. What’s not to love? Also that small hint of something deeper is so tantalising that for it to go unresolved is pretty unthinkable.)

It’s important for us to see how much Asougi means to Ryuunosuke, how much the two really are best friends. This set-up is pivotal to what happens next in Case 2: the drop.

The way Ryuunosuke reacts to learning about Asougi’s death is real. He tries to deny it at first, can’t bring himself to believe it. Especially since he’s been accused of the crime! But the moment he sees that photo of Asougi that Sherlock took, that’s where the truth of it hits and he can’t run from it anymore. All he can do is try to push past that biting grief to at least solve his friend’s murder and set things right.

Susato’s own grief is portrayed really well here, too. She’s so angered and clouded by it that she totally ignores the fact that Asougi and Ryuunosuke are best friends and believes Ryuunosuke to be the murderer. Really, she just blames Ryuunosuke because it’s easier that way, since the wound cuts just as deep for her.

What really strikes me, though, is how the whole case isn’t just a one-note misery. Like real life, the two slip into sadness when they remember their dear friend, but they’re still able to joke around. They still get upset or sarcastic or excited. Because, though their grief affects them immensely, the message is that life continues. It can’t just stop for them like it did for their friend; life goes on. Not out of malice, but out of necessity.

Also, the way Sherlock acknowledges their grief is pretty great. That felt hugely validating to me, how he tells them that their mourning is important and how his jovial, joking tone was never properly taking that into account. The way he continues breaking in at the end to lighten the mood, too, is his own genuine way of trying to help, exhausting though he may be. It’s appreciated, at the least, to keep us the players from breaking down into tears as the conclusion rolls with no real satisfaction at the mystery being solved.

That final conversation between Susato and Ryuunosuke, at least, is hugely cathartic to make up for that. It sounds like it should feel rushed, honestly, dealing with the majority of the grieving process in just Case 2, but it doesn’t at all. It seems properly healthy, like the two are doing their best by confiding and taking comfort in one another in order to celebrate Asougi’s goals, to keep going where he can’t. Ryuunosuke and Susato both form their resolve here to continue to live, not just for Asougi, but for themselves as well. For life’s sake.

Because, again, life goes on.

(A brief tangent: Seeing the contrast of this story versus the original trilogy is also a really neat sort of view into Shu Takumi’s growth as a writer. Or the AA series’ growth as a whole. How Edgeworth handled his grief by never really acknowledging it in AA1, how he basically ran away from it by refusing to live as a sort of punishment against himself, is really sad. Then Phoenix handling his grief in JFA by turning to anger and resentment is just as heartbreaking. Phoenix disavows himself from it, trying to spare himself the pain by denying it, which only hurt him more and he had to have everyone around him break him out of that awful mindset. Then in T&T it’s Godot’s grief which drives the plot, as he turns his anger on Phoenix unjustly. He blames Phoenix for Mia’s death and lashes out at everyone instead of allowing himself the time to properly grieve.

And then DGS1 comes along to say that maybe the answer is just that life goes on and we have healthier ways to reconcile with our grief and it’s just real neat to see!)

In Case 3 and 4, we can see through Ryuunosuke’s discussion with Lord Vortex (/Stronghart) the continuation of his handling this grief. It’s a burden, one Ryuunosuke doesn’t fully understand, but he fervently takes upon himself because we want to live for those we’ve lost. (It is the Wright way, the Naruhodou way, to take on the aspirations of the friends you’ve lost. To mimic their mannerisms, their ambitions, in order to keep them close to your heart.)

(That’s a whole other can of worms I could dive into, honestly, how their decision to give Ryuunosuke all of Phoenix’s poses for the whole ancestor vibe while ALSO making it clear that Ryuunosuke took them from Asougi to begin with, it’s just. It’s good, it’s perfect, it’s the same brand of gay the series is known for and I’m love it.)

You also see, as the trial of Case 3 progresses, how Ryuunosuke is basically just living off of ‘what would Asougi do?’ as Susato coaches him along and it’s fun and bittersweet all the way through. Case 4 is where he gains more confidence in himself, but he still defaults to thinking of Asougi’s unwavering trust in him to help him and every time it’s handled with tenderness and shows just how much Ryuunosuke loved his friend.

And, if you’re like me and take every opportunity to examine Asougi’s badge and present it to Susato (/others), you see how they continue to grow with their grief. It starts off with both of them being unable to say much, still weighed down heavily by Asougi’s loss. Though they are continuing and life goes on, it’s still a wound too fresh to approach and hard for them to properly explain.

By Case 5, though, the two of them are more conversational. They’ve found their words, they’ve mended that wound as much as possible so that life won’t leave without them. It still hurts, of course, but it’s easier to think about. It’s easier to reconcile when they’ve been working hard and making friends and continuing to live. It’s small, but the progression is there and I really appreciate it.

Speaking of Case 5, though, everything about this one, in regards to Asougi, is pure catharsis. It really is like they’re looking their grief right in the face and accepting it as a part of themselves. Ryuunosuke looks back on his friend not just with fondness, but with gratefulness that Asougi could make such a big impact on his life.

(This is similar to the whole Phoenix and Mia thing, I feel, since Phoenix often thought of his mentor with the same sort of tone. At least, I think so. Remarkable how Phoenix’s grief can mirror the finalised version of Ryuunosuke’s with the help of spirit channeling! /joke)

Ryuunosuke and Susato have etched Asougi into their hearts and their persons and it’s just really, very good I like it a lot.

(okay time for a few paragraphs on DGS2 and Asougi)

Case 1 one DGS2 is a neat look into Susato’s mind and thought process. You can definitely tell she’s still just a 16-year-old with the mistakes she makes and how she tries to handle her own arguments, which is very cute. We also get to see her actually talking to Asougi’s grave and then see how her own relationship with Asougi has influenced her style (/poses) and aspirations. (Ryuunosuke, too. It’s cute to see how she’s ended up a mixture of both of them.) And it’s a great rug pull moment for the player, since the way that the grief is handled in DGS1 is so good and (almost) final that hearing Asougi might not actually be dead is a bit like digging up old wounds. I mean, we went the entirety of the first game coming to terms with his death, what do you mean his body went missing??

(Case 2 serves as a reminder. Like haha remember how Susato and Ryuunosuke both love Asougi and are sad about his death? Here’s the baseline again, get ready to have it wrecked!)

And Case 3 is phenomenal, too. The way Van Zieks is so understanding in his response to showing him Asougi’s badge is just. It’s perfect, he’s so gentle and empathetic that it shocks Ryuunosuke (even though Ryuunosuke did the same understanding and concern for Van Ziek’s situation Ryuunosuke please). Then the way that Ryuunosuke sees Asougi, disguised in a cloak and mask, and immediately recognises him. To me, that really shows how much he loved his friend. He knew Asougi for about a year and it’s been about nine months since Asougi’s death, yet Ryuunosuke recognises him just by the way he carries himself.

But, to him, Asougi is dead. He’s made peace with that. So, even if it plays on his mind, he can’t allow himself to think that. He puts it out of his mind completely and doesn’t think on it again.

At least, until Susato (who reacted very realistically by shutting down the possibility that Asougi might still be alive because that means Sherlock lied and she couldn’t take having that hope break her worse than before) sees the exact same thing just as immediately and shouts after him. The fact that they both see this disguised man and know it can be no one besides Asougi is insane. It’s love. It makes me cry, I wish they could’ve hugged him during the big reveal (though I know Japanese culture’s just not like that).

Anyway, DGS2 diatribe over. Back to the conclusion.

The whole of DGS1 is just a masterful example of how grief doesn’t have to destroy you, of how life can go on and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, and how channeling that grief into motivation to keep their memories alive can be powerful. That it’s okay to still feel grief even as you heal, that it’s okay to have fun and keep living even as you mourn. Life is a mixture of levity and tragedy and, to me, DGS1 nails that mixture with perfection.

Absolutely legendary. Join me next time when I dive into the main theme of DGS2, which is literally ‘the dead will come back to life to haunt you’ thanks for coming to my essay talk

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dazais-guardian-angel · 3 years

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Tell me about your egg man :D

Just for you K, just for you and for the 10 people who actually know egg man. You tempt me to spoil but I shall try to be as vague as possible, for I insist on letting you have a semi-fresh experience with his case.... DGS is just so incredible, it deserves to be gone into as blind as possible.

I just love love LOVE “Egg Benedict”, and how he perfectly encapsulates the themes of the first DGS, how London of that time was such a miserable place for the unluckiest of people, of which he is one of the absolute unluckiest. Of course, like all of us lmao, I’m a sucker for pretty boys with tragic backstories that wear a confident facade to hide how truly broken they are inside, and though we don’t get to see much of Egg’s true self, it’s so evident that all of his over-the-top, ridiculously exaggerated mannerisms and poses and name choices and clothing choices are him overcompensating to look and act the way he believes he needs to in order to get attention and fit in. It’s all a role he’s playing, a coping mechanism, to hide his true self, that he considers inferior.... but it makes him colder, and standoffish, and cocky, and a lot of this is headcanon territory but in reality I just know that is so far from his true self: the him that is caring and empathetic but so broken and scared and alone. Desperate people make mistake after mistake after mistake, even if they started out with good intentions and just wanted to protect themselves and the people they love, and that’s what happens with Egg, and it’s so heartbreakingly relatable. So many people in this game just want to find homes, and families, and be loved (at least that’s what I took away from it), but if you give in to your madness and turn to the dark side, there may be no one there to save you, in the end, and you may accidentally do things you can never, ever take back. The game even parallels him with someone else, to make a point that he might have been saved before it was too late, if he’d only had people to help him. But after it all, I still think there’s a chance for him to be redeemed, because he does care and he does have regrets and I just.... want to see him happy 😭🥺 happy and loved and safe with the people he has left to care for (despite how tsundere he is in the game lmaooo). Just.... his real self. He’s such a compelling character to me, so tragic and impactful and passionate and dumb with his stupid poses and antics smh, and provides such a touching story for the first game... He captured my heart and I can never go back. I love watching him in the game, and I love imagining all the potential for him after the game even more. He’s just fantastic, one of my top AA characters now, and I dearly hope he will get more fans if and when DGS1 is localized 💙🥚✨ his real name is not Ashley though I REFUSE to use capcom’s stupid localization changes

#ask meme #ace attorney #dai gyakuten saiban #dai gyakuten saiban spoilers #sorta #.....I ended up giving a lot away anyway sigh #it was pretty much impossible not to #but you still don’t have any context so I guessssss that’s good enough #and yes he IS a lot like Clive and I DID try to describe him like Clive cause I mean It Ain’t Wrong #forever love my dumb sad egg man :’)

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gyakutengagotoku · 6 years

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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.

#character analysis #case analysis #ask the mod

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airisuwatoson · 7 years

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so. that’s a wrap

maybe i’ll be repeating things i’ve said before? but i love dgs2 so much. much more than dgs1, which is the general consensus with most people i know, but honestly i really. REALLY liked dgs1 already. the criticisms i had with that game were overshadowed by the fun i had with that game.

this game though. what a solid game all around. it felt a lot like this was meant to be a trilogy, which is why the information you’re made to take in with this single game is… a lot. but i never felt like they were too much. heck, honestly, i think they did well building from the previous game’s set-up and mysteries to deliver a refreshing experience and a satisfying ending. i haven’t had such a fun ace attorney final villain takedown in years; and the ending cinematic at the port wasn’t just a farewell / “see you later” for our beloved characters, it was a farewell from the production team to us too

this game threw me in for a loop since the get-go. it threw surprise after surprise and gut punch after gut punch at me, but at the same time it was genuine. i cried for asougi, felt for barok, cheered for everyone because their character writing endeared them all to me. man. shout out to barok van zieks. you went from “interesting prosecutor antagonist whose racism is representative of london at that time” to “OH MY GOD LET HIM REST ALREADY”. just kidding. i mean i love him to bits

i’m so glad i managed to finish my liveblog of dgs2 despite my frantic schedule. last time when i finished dgs1, i said it was my first liveblog i completely documented on tumblr from start to finish. that’s why i was adamant to only play when i had internet connection this time, so that i can do the same again. and i’m so, so glad i managed to do it. it was a blast seeing people react to my pain and suffering /bricked

this is probably the last liveblog i’ll be doing on dgs. saying that is… strange. there’s a lot of emotions when you’re aware that a series you love a lot is over. i’m happy to have completed the story and seen all the characters i love complete their story arcs, and i also feel… melancholic. it’s most likely the end. i don’t want another game at all, but it’s hard letting a beloved series go.

i’m sure i’ll move on, though. as a writer and artist myself, i’ll take this wonderful story to heart when i make my own. and, i’ll tell people about the story that pulled me into a wonderful journey filled with life, filled with darkness, and filled with hope and resolve.

thank you, dai gyakuten saiban. it was a wonderful two years.

#azumi plays dgs2 #i am a human-shaped cheese ball

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akahachimaki · 7 years

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DGS2 afterthoughts

I posted this on twitter already, but I’ll post it here too. Huge spoilers ahead, obviously.

→ Plot I think most of the big reveals were either really predictable or really unexpected. But even the predictable things came as a surprise because they were revealed in quite shocking ways. Things I expected: - Jigoku and Hart Vortex were suspicious as fuck - Gregson was gonna die - Masked man was so obviously Asougi - The case from 10 years ago was connected to Asougi somehow - Asougi Genshin was actually a good guy - Barok will be the defendant so Asougi has to be prosecutor (after the reveal in case 3, I was expecting this to happen for case 5. I didn’t think it’d happen right after) Things I did not expect and hit me in the face: - Jezail was A. Sasha - I… really liked Dr. Shisu and didn’t expect her to be a murderer… I was really sad when I had to accuse her - I never would’ve thought that Gregson was working under shinigami and was in denial even after it was revealed - Mikotoba Yuujin was the real aibou - Iris Watson was Barok’s brother’s secret child. What the fuck. I don’t think ANYONE could’ve seen this coming. - This is a smaller thing but Petencci was actually alive and when he stood up and started moving it spooked the shit out of me Things I predicted very wrong: - Jezail was murdered and silenced - Gregson is actually Everyday Mitelmon (I was about 15% because Mitelmon was disguising as Gregson in secret) - “Maybe the K. Asougi on the disc was referring to Asougi’s dad and not Asougi Kazuma?” this quickly got debunked when I found out Asougi’s dad’s name was Genshin - The game kind of led you on to think this, but for a while I thought Iris was half Japanese and Yuujin and a love affair. I started suspecting things when Susato mentioned that her family went through problems when she was first born and also when Yuujin said something about “Watson” being a common last name. But I’m glad that Iris turned out to be who she is. - Maybe Asougi Genshin is still alive somewhere!!! Thanks to Level-5 I don’t believe in dead dads but this theory got debunked pretty quickly too. A couple small things I’m curious about… - How did Barok get his scar? I guess it’s not that important though. Maybe during that encounter when Genshin got attacked? - Why did Susato hide Asougi’s diary from Ryuu? I initially thought it was important for plot but it’s not an important detail. I can headcanon this a lot anyway so I don’t really care. I think they did a really good job of solving all the mysteries leftover from DGS1… I can’t think of anything big that was left unsolved. When I was in the middle of case 5, I was a little worried that they would rush explanations since a lot of huge mysteries were still unclear… but they revealed everything at the right time. I was worried the game would be rushed but it was surprisingly well paced for a game with that much content… It was just surprise after surprise after every case. They tied all the cases together so well too, it was amazing. Unfortunately, you can tell that they crammed two games worth of content into one because this entire game was so plot-heavy. I’m actually really sad that DGS didn’t end up being a trilogy… I think I would’ve liked DGS to be spread out among 3 games because we would’ve gotten more character development, but I’m satisfied with what we got. I am a little sad that Shisu and Guroine didn’t get as much screen time as they could have if there was a 3rd game… I really liked their characters, but they. Because we had DGS1, we got tons of character development for the old characters, but the new characters in DGS2 didn’t. Asougi isn’t really a “new” character, but he has I would’ve been willing to wait another two years for a trilogy, honestly. ...Maybe it’s just my bias and I’m only saying this because Asougi is alive and I want to see more Asougi development. A DGS3 is... possible, I guess, but it would be more like an omake to the first two games rather than interlocked stories. Same characters, same settings, just different mysteries to solve. → Other things Okay I know I talked about this before already, but I really love the little details they put in the game. You can tell how much effort and love went into its development. Things like… all the English newspapers and a completely random nonsensical German song that plays for just 5 minutes of the game. I asked a German friend and she told me the lyrics are well-written (grammatically). All of the English newspapers . There were many side articles in them as well, and you can tell some thought was given into writing them. They could’ve easily cropped the newspapers to not show that many side articles, but they didn’t. I also appreciated other little historical things like… using feet/inches as height measurement. And all the little cultural things in London... The OST was amazing. A lot of tracks were reused, but the new ones were all REALLY GOOD. In particular, I really love pre-pursuit theme, new objection theme, and all the Asougi ones (さすがに). But honestly, DGS has the best game OST, hands down. → Things I didn’t like My only complaints are… - Breakdowns for case 2-4 were a little lacking, but the case 1 and case 5 ones were great - How the fuck did they make a hologram device and how was everyone so calm about it → Asougi Okay, let’s talk about my favorite character Asougi. First of all, I just want to say prosecutor Asougi is the best thing this game has given me. I think he originally wanted to go to London to find out the truth behind his father. He lost his father when he was 14 and then his mom a year later… He probably went through a lot of trauma, and dedicated his life to going to London so he can find out the truth. Going to London was his dream for 10 years, so he reluctantly agreed to the assassination mission (although with no intention of actually carrying it out). He has a strong sense of justice and also loved his father very much. What originally was his desire to seek the truth got turned into a desire for revenge after his encounter with Gregson. As soon as he found out forged evidence was used against his father, he became enraged, which is understandable. From that point, his hatred just… took over. He was always portrayed as this cool, flawless, honors student, but in the end he’s still a human with emotions. Before the trial even began, he already knew about the darkness in his heart. He pleaded Ryuunosuke to be the defense lawyer for this case. He wanted Ryuunosuke to be the defense attorney for that case no matter what because he knew he could count on Ryuunosuke to bring him back to his senses. He had a strong sense of justice, but he also knew he had his demons. He wanted to fight them off, and I really love that about him… After Ryuunosuke slapped him awake, he fixes his behavior and acknowledges his mistakes. I’m really proud that he knows exactly what he’s done wrong and apologizes for it!!! He’s still the same Asougi I know and love and I couldn’t be more proud of him… Not gonna lie, for a second, I almost doubted Asougi when I found out that he was involved in this assassination plan. But then I thought to myself “No. Asougi would never do that. I have faith in him.” and kept playing. He feels so much guilt from what happened that he gives Karma to Ryuunosuke to keep and stays in London to make up for everything???? Since he finally accomplished his mission at London, I’m really happy that he found a new path to start walking down too. This game just made me fall in love with Asougi all over again. Looking back, Asougi cut the wax figure of his dad because he thought it was disgraceful, huh. → The verdict DGS2 gets a 10/10 from me. I loved it. Other than the little things I pointed out, I can’t think of anything I was unsatisfied with about this game. ...I have a lot of things to say regarding ships as well, but that can come in a separate post.

#snu rambling

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characteroulette · 3 years

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okay okay okay okay

now that I’ve finished DGS1 and can think of nothing else, let me elabourate on what I’ve been ranting about to Verse and my sister (thanks for putting up with me hahaha)

(spoilers for all of DGS1 by the by we going HARD)

So the overarching theme of DGS1 is Trust. How it’s built up, who deserves it, how to extend your hand to those who may not deserve it, and how to build it back up when it’s been broken. Each case builds on this as Ryuunosuke goes on his journey and I think it’s handled really, really well

Case 1, Asougi teaches you the basics of Trust. He tells you that he will trust you and follow you until the end. Twice, right at the beginning of the trial, he tells you that your actions are betraying his trust, even though Ryuunosuke thinks he’s doing it to spare his friend the pain.

(like, seriously, Asougi pretty much says “How sad. You don’t trust that I actually believe in you.” and then “You would throw that trust right back in my face by just accepting a Guilty verdict, huh?” it’s really explicit) (which is probs the only reason why I noticed it hahaha)

But as the trial goes on, Asougi’s unwavering belief in Ryuunosuke helps our protag boy believe in himself. And he trusts Asougi easily due to their close friendship, but you see the shift from “there’s no way I’m gonna be able to prove my innocence” to “I can’t do anything except prove my innocence” as the trial goes on, just because Asougi never stops believing in Ryuunosuke.

And then Case 2 hits and you have to learn to trust others who might seem like enemies at first. This chapter’s mostly for Susato’s growth, because she starts off absolutely not trusting you, but as you hang out and investigate together she just naturally slots into your little sister role and, before she even realises it, she’s trusting Ryuunosuke and working hard to help him prove his innocence. She admits in the end that she should never have doubted you, but you can tell this experience made a deep impression on her, as her trust in Ryuunosuke never wavers and I think that’s beautiful. ;w;

Next is Hosonaga! An odd addition, but he places his trust in Ryuunosuke pretty immediately and easily, showing just how much of an impact Asougi and Ryuunosuke’s relationship made on him during Case 1. The fact that he places any trust in Ryuunosuke at all is enough to bolster Ryuunosuke’s resolve, since Ryuunosuke needed to not be so alone while grieving for his best friend’s death on top of having to prove his innocence. (The whole of DGS1 handles grief really well, I think also, but that’s another essay I’ll have to write.)

And then the disaster man himself, Sherlock. (/Herlock) He’s the reason why Ryuunosuke’s been arrested again and it’s very, very hard to trust this man. I think they did a really good job of making his personality abrasive enough to be just exasperating enough that you can’t take him seriously, but also for you to feel fondness towards his dumb ass. (The perfect AA balance, honestly.) Sherlock is a hard nut to crack, appearing as if he never truly suspected you of any wrongdoing to begin with (it’s his whimsical nature that does it), but you really get a sense of how easily he builds up a rapport with Ryuunosuke from their first whole conversation.

Once you engage in your first Dance of Deduction with Sherlock, that’s it. You’re his friend now. And he basically is just treating you as such from then on, no hesitations on letting you out of your shackles and mischievously putting you right back in them once you’ve finished. Sherlock has seen your character and trusts you, even if he won’t say so outright.

(That one line really hits me, where he basically admits that he was treating this as a game and not fully realising how deeply the whole event has hit Ryuunosuke and Susato. Asougi was their friend, and his admitting that all of his mischief and jokes weren’t ever quite appropriate, given the circumstances, is touching and the actual moment, I think, where Ryuunosuke starts placing his trust in Sherlock in return.)

Case 3 is the big one. Ryuunosuke is sent to defend a man whom he’s not even sure is innocent. The trial goes along and you, the player, can do nothing even if you know what’s really happening. All you can do is trust that Ryuunosuke can handle things and it’s a huge, HUGE step for them to take to have your client mislead you like this. And so successfully!

But the damage is done and Ryuunosuke’s trust in his resolve, his friend’s belief, is broken. Not shattered, thankfully, but broken enough to make Ryuunosuke hesitant to place his trust in anyone again.

Unfortunately, Case 4 comes barrelling out the gate and you’re called upon to place your trust in someone yet again. Ryuunosuke is clearly not ready for it, his narration makes it clear, but you as the player ask Ryuunosuke to trust in you. He goes along and investigates despite being unsure, which as Susato points out (I think it was Susato), he’d made his mind up long before actually taking on the case.

This is also! Where we get to see that, despite all the airs and pretences Barok van Zieks puts on, he’s willing to place more trust in Ryuunosuke than he rightly should. Once Ryuunosuke has the truth in his sights, Van Zieks allows him to continue on his fancies. Van Zieks willingly engages him in discussions and helps iron out all the logic along the way. And though Ryuunosuke doesn’t realise it fully himself, he also starts to trust Van Zieks in return, thinking of him not as an opponent so much as a colleague. Maybe even a friend.

(All I can say is that it’s 1-3 Edgeworth all over again and I LIVE for this shit owo)

Since the truth is secured, along with your client’s innocence, Ryuunosuke’s willingness to trust has been mended somewhat. So we next turn to our client of Case 5, who needs to learn the same lesson after similar events have broken her ability to trust. Gina makes for an interesting parallel to Ryuunosuke in this regard, since they experience a whole slew of terrible events that test their ability to trust. The difference is simply that Ryuunosuke was willing to have friends, to keep trusting others, whereas Gina refused to have friends or place any trust in others even though she desperately wanted to.

That conversation she, Susato, and Ryuunosuke have about it at her cell is really good. The one they have during their night together at Sherlock’s attic is great, too! Iris admitting that she does have her own doubts and Gina, through no benefit of her own, going to confirm on Iris’ behalf because maybe this Sherlock person could be trustworthy after all. Ryuunosuke admitting that he had doubts about Asougi’s trust in him, but as the trial progressed, finding that it was an unwavering belief that Asougi placed in him and how it stopped even being a question in his mind.

Because, to place your trust in someone else, you must first trust yourself.

(shit I forgot to mention) This is a big breaking point for Susato, too! Because she loses her trust in the Law after both Case 3 and Case 4. She’s seen what the London courts will do and realises that, if others are going to play dirty, then it might be better to engage right back. But her unwavering faith in Ryuunosuke helps her realise that what she’s done is wrong and, though her faith in the legal system has taken a big hit, she knows that Ryuunosuke won’t give up the fight. Ryuunosuke will do everything he can to help his clients and she believes in him whole-heartedly.

And Van Zieks sees this, too! He sees this fierce dragon before him, fighting even the government of Britain to protect his client, and thinks to himself, “This is exactly what our system has been needing.” And he joins in the fight! The police hold no authority in the courts; to Van Zieks, it is just him and Ryuunosuke, figuring out the whole truth, no matter how painful it may be.

And Ryuunosuke takes this trust with him all the way through, even getting his permission to participate in trials revoked in order to save Gina.

And that’s why Ryuunosuke is probably the greatest lawyer next to Apollo in the whole series thanks for coming to my essay talk

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