#judge jigoku | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

commentaryvorg · 5 months

Text

The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 3, Part 2

This is an ongoing mini-commentary covering the final trial of The Great Ace Attorney (Resolve) in line-by-line detail. It’s written from a perspective of already knowing the full truth of things, so there will be spoilers for facts that only get revealed later on in the trial. This is not a commentary to read along with one’s first playthrough!

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

Now that we’re below the readmore, I can add that this isn’t quite a commentary for everything going on in the final trial. It’s focused specifically on Kazuma and what’s going on in his head, only covering things which are relevant to him in some way (for the most part). I already had a lot to say about him in a big analysis post over on my main blog – but I have even more to say about him during the trial in even more detail, so here we are!

Last time, Jigoku confessed to killing Gregson, which proves it wasn’t van Zieks who did the deed… but Kazuma has not given up yet, because of course he hasn’t.

Kazuma: “The accused’s innocence hasn’t been fully established at all. And therefore, it would be wrong to deliver a verdict at this time. That is the prosecution’s unwavering position!”

Of course Kazuma insists that he’s unwavering on this. He really does refuse to waver on his conviction that Barok van Zieks is the guiltiest guilter to ever guilt.

Kazuma: “Nevertheless… Barok van Zieks has committed crimes for which he must be punished.”

It’s not even so much about revealing the supposed truth of van Zieks’s crimes to Kazuma – it’s about making sure he gets punished for it. Ghhhh. Prosecutors don’t usually make a point of the punishment like this, but of course Kazuma would.

Kazuma: “But it’s clear from the witness’s testimony that he was coerced into complying with this plot. Into this sick, merciless assassin exchange!”

Those sure are some choice words to describe it. But then, when it’s being masterminded by van Zieks, The Worst Person Ever, of course it’s sick and merciless and any other horrible descriptor you could think of. (And I wouldn’t be surprised if some of Kazuma’s own feelings about being coerced into co-operating with this himself are coming through here.)

Kazuma: “And furthermore… I’m going to prove his guilt beyond all reasonable doubt!”

Yes, because an argument based on something he claims Gregson told him at sword-point but cannot prove, and the assumption that it was probably the prosecutor on the case who’d have ordered fabricated evidence and would therefore want his co-conspirators silenced, definitely doesn’t involve any reasonable amount of doubt at all. Someone might be overselling himself just a bit here.

(Revival of the Prosecutor is playing now, because this more than anything else is the very thing that Kazuma’s entire life has been building towards – or at least, that’s what he’s fervently telling himself is the case.)

Van Zieks: “I must say I’m surprised… by quite how tenaciously you appear to want to besmirch my name.” Kazuma: “……… You are guilty of an unforgivable crime, Lord van Zieks. And I will bring you to justice for it… whatever it takes!”

Here, of course, Kazuma isn’t really talking about him supposedly being the Reaper. He’s saying you killed my father, the most unforgivable crime of them all.

(When really, van Zieks ought to be forgiven for his role in that, because it wasn’t his fault. But Kazuma doesn’t do forgiveness and is going to be unable to forgive him even when he learns the truth.)

Kazuma: “I thank you, My Lord, for guiding the court so wisely.”

This is as Stronghart agrees to allow Kazuma’s line of enquiry. Because of course, entertaining his argument that van Zieks is The Worstest Ever is the height of judgely wisdom.

Van Zieks: “I first had to suffer the pseudonym of the Reaper ten years ago now. And ever since that time, I’ve endured the weight of implied guilt that’s gone with it. So I welcome the chance to testify now… and crush these allegations once and for all.” Kazuma: “Good. Then let justice decide… Lord van Zieks.”

Kazuma is so convinced that justice is on his side here. Even as van Zieks is very much speaking like an innocent man who’s been viewed as a criminal for ten years! But no, obviously that’s all an act, and obviously his testimony’s only going to end up proving that, right.

(There’s been another couple of rare instances of Kazuma calling him “Lord van Zieks” just now. I’m not quite sure why, but it is interesting. Perhaps it’s because Kazuma’s addressing him very directly, and accusing him more directly than ever before of the very thing he’s always wanted to get revenge over, and something in that makes it feel more personal to him than usual…?)

Kazuma: “The prosecution seeks to begin building its case by calling the accused to the stand as the primary witness… in order that he may answer the accusation brought by the prosecution that he IS the Reaper of the Bailey!”

And once again, Kazuma is calling van Zieks to the stand when this really isn’t necessary. The entire argument we’re about to make here about how van Zieks could theoretically have been involved in the assassin exchange is something Kazuma could have argued anyway, without needing van Zieks’s testimony there to shoot down.

But that wouldn’t be satisfying enough. The last time Kazuma called van Zieks to testify, it turns out he wasn’t lying nearly as much as Kazuma was trying to prove him to be, so he’s going to try again. He will prove van Zieks to be a perjurious liar as well as a murderous monster, dammit.

Susato: “And Kazuma-sama is so emotional at the moment. He’s not thinking logically!” Ryunosuke: “You’re right that he’s not himself.”

Aww, both Susato and Ryunosuke can tell that Kazuma’s in a very volatile state right now.

Ryunosuke: “But I knew it would be like this. And I came here today determined to face him through whatever might arise. As a lawyer… and as his friend.”

Friends!!! I love how Ryunosuke’s determined to stand up against Kazuma’s fervour, not only for the sake of the truth (“as a lawyer”), but also for the sake of his friend, to help pull Kazuma out of this maelstrom of emotions and save him before he condemns an innocent man to death.

--- Testimony 3 ---

(As a reminder, I’m using different testimony-numbering to the game’s chapter select, because the chapter select bizarrely treats it as if day 2 and day 3 are one continuous day when they are not. Add two to these numbers to match those in the chapter select.)

Van Zieks: “I acknowledge that the public at large believe me to be the Reaper. However, that’s a fallacy, which I alone am in a position to foreswear.” Kazuma: “Naturally, the prosecution believes the testimony just given by the accused to be untrue.”

Really, Kazuma? You really had to butt in just to say “well, I think he’s lying, though”, as if that wasn’t obvious enough from your position. Maybe calling him to testify so that he can argue for his innocence wasn’t the best of options in some ways, huh?

Kazuma: “Ryunosuke Naruhodo…” Ryunosuke: “…Yes?” Kazuma: “Let me ask you: why are you here? What really brings you to the courtroom?”

This is the closest Kazuma’s ever got to asking Ryunosuke why he’s defending van Zieks – whether he really believes he’s innocent or not. Kazuma’s definitely been having some very heavily-suppressed thoughts about whether Ryunosuke might be right to be on van Zieks’s side over the past few days… but now that the moment of Kazuma being about to prove van Zieks’s guilt is right here, he can’t be allowing himself to think that Ryunosuke could possibly have a point. So if that’s not the case, if he’s not doing this because van Zieks is really innocent (because he can’t be), then… why is Ryunosuke here at all?

Ryunosuke: “……… A desire to uncover the truth.” Kazuma: “Even if the truth proves your client to be guilty?”

Happily for Kazuma, Ryunosuke doesn’t give him the answer he didn’t want to hear. Ryunosuke’s belief in his client isn’t quite his number one priority, not next to the truth. And Kazuma is so convinced that the truth is going to prove his client to be guilty.

Ryunosuke: “So it’s always my intention… to work with my client in pursuit of the truth.” Kazuma: “……… I want you to remember what you just said.”

While the narrative purpose of this bit is to come back to bite Ryunosuke when it turns out the truth is the absolute last thing his client wants to be true, that’s not how Kazuma’s seeing this. He’s expecting this to come back to bite Ryunosuke when it turns out that van Zieks is obviously the worst and could never have been worked together with in pursuit of the truth at all, right.

Ryunosuke: (I know exactly what you’re thinking, Kazuma. I know you’re just waiting to point it out. The contradiction you’re convinced lies somewhere within this man’s testimony…)

Of course he is, exactly like he did before. Call van Zieks to the stand so he can point out the contradiction and prove him to be a liar, because those defence lawyer habits still haven’t quite left him.

Ryunosuke: (Could it be… that Lord van Zieks has something to hide after all…?)

This is in the recap dialogue, as Ryunosuke’s musings vaguely nudge the player towards figuring out the connection with Klint’s autopsy. But it’s a bit much for him to take this as a sign that van Zieks has something to hide. That’s what Kazuma thinks is the case, but it’s also perfectly likely that van Zieks is claiming there’s no connection because it just never occurred to him! Have more faith in your client, Ryunosuke!

Ryunosuke: “So you’re not what the general public refer to as the infamous Reaper of the Bailey?” Van Zieks: “Exactly.” Kazuma: “Don’t imagine for a moment that the court will be satisfied with a one-word answer on this.”

Kazuma is wasting no time in being as savage as ever. How dare van Zieks try to establish his innocence with just a single word and think he can get away with that. Unacceptable.

Ryunosuke: (If you’re intending to comment on every sentence, this could take a while, Kazuma…)

Ryunosuke’s almost got used to Kazuma’s uncalled-for sniping at van Zieks by now, to the point that he’s mostly just exasperated by it, oof.

Van Zieks: “It felt like a betrayal, but… I demanded permission to search [Gregson’s] office at the Yard without his knowledge.”

Here we are, that bit I mentioned in the earliest post – he demanded permission. Almost like he didn’t actually enter Gregson’s office illegally after all, huh, Kazuma?

(Kazuma doesn’t comment on that part, of course.)

Van Zieks: “Jigoku had intended to implicate Hugh Boone. But unhappily for me, I arrived at the scene first.” Kazuma: “Hah! A ridiculously careless blunder!”

And here’s why it’s important that Jigoku was trying to frame Boone. There’s no way Jigoku would have ever tried to frame his superior, so if he’d been going for van Zieks all along, Kazuma wouldn’t have been able to deny that van Zieks can’t be the Reaper’s mastermind. But this way? Van Zieks totally just carelessly, foolishly stumbled into the trap set up by his underling for someone else, right, that’s definitely a mistake that a man who has orchestrated murders undetected for ten years would make.

Ryunosuke: (Moved on to just throwing insults around, I see then, Kazuma…)

Ryunosuke’s exasperated again, but he’s slightly missing the point here. This isn’t Kazuma insulting van Zieks for the heck of it – this is Kazuma insistently justifying to himself that van Zieks being the mastermind still makes sense. It’s those mental gymnastics of his in full force.

Ryunosuke: “Certainly as it stands, there’s no evidence to suggest that you concocted the scheme.” Kazuma: “Objection! But as it stands, we have only the accused’s insistence of his innocence.”

Um, Kazuma? Haven’t you heard of innocent until proven guilty? I’m pretty sure that should be the case in this British court, even if it kind of won’t be in Japanifornia in a century’s time. It’s so petty of him to butt in to insist that van Zieks claiming he’s innocent totally doesn’t prove anything at all.

Kazuma: “Perhaps there is some reason that would explain why he masterminded the assassin exchange. And if a reason could be established later in these proceedings… then the accused’s claim in this testimony that he wasn’t involved would amount to perjury.”

However, it’s not quite as petty as it sounds, because he is going somewhere with this. Obviously he intends to prove the reason that van Zieks did orchestrate the assassinations, so he’s making a point of van Zieks’s insistence of his innocence because he wants to let everyone know what lying liar that would make him. Kazuma is practically admitting here that literally his only reason for calling van Zieks to testify again is to make him guilty of perjury as well. Which… is really petty of him, in a somewhat different way.

Susato: “Clearly Kazuma-sama… intends to identify a reason and use it to make his case.” Ryunosuke: “So if we don’t identify something first…” Susato: “…He’ll gain the advantage!”

This is the game trying to justify why we have to be the one to point out the connection, even though it makes our client look worse, but it’s kind of flimsy. The facts are the facts – it shouldn’t matter which side is the one to point them out. Kazuma could perfectly well be the one to point this out himself, just like how he objected to van Zieks’s first testimony… but I guess the writers want to make the players play the game this time.

Kazuma: “………”

Still, we do get this textbox of pointed silence from Kazuma here, effectively showing him not objecting with the connection to Klint’s autopsy like we know he could. So perhaps this is him hoping – or trusting – or testing? – that Ryunosuke will point it out for him.

Kazuma: “I’m pleased to see the defence doesn’t intend to run from the undeniable truth.”

And this is his reaction as Ryunosuke presents the autopsy report, suggesting that that is indeed why he let his friend have this one. Look at him being proud of his friend for facing the truth even when it makes his client look bad.

Kazuma: “I’ve personally researched all of the court records relating to [the Professor] case.”

Of course he has. He must have been doing nothing else in the week after regaining his memories.

Kazuma: “But someone implored the powers that be to allow the autopsy to go ahead: Inspector Gregson. He declared that he was certain he would obtain conclusive proof from the procedure.”

And this is why Kazuma was so certain he’d get something out of Gregson if he threatened him on the Grouse, because this alone pretty much screams that something dodgy was going on. How could anyone be so sure that an autopsy would conclusively identify the killer?

Van Zieks: “Evidence that conclusively proved Genshin Asogi was guilty of the murders. In my brother’s dying moments, he mustered all his remaining strength to leave that vital clue behind.” Kazuma: “………”

Interesting how Kazuma doesn’t immediately butt in here to argue that this isn’t true. More than anything else, this is the moment in the trial that he’s been waiting for all along – the moment where he finally, finally gets to argue for his father’s innocence and clear his name. It seems, on this at least, he’s aware that he ought to take things slowly, and do this properly, and not seem so driven by emotion that he won’t be taken seriously.

Kazuma: “A marvellous victory, was it? I wonder if that’s really true.” Van Zieks: “What?” Kazuma: “Could the same be said if it turned out that the key piece of evidence in question was in fact fabricated? If the inspector, the coroner and the prosecutor all colluded together… to cast an innocent Japanese man as a mass murderer and send him to his death!”

He does manage to come across as fairly rational as he actually broaches the topic – although that last part there is definitely delivered with a lot of anger in it.

Kazuma: “And now, ten years later, for some reason the secret has been threatened and needs protecting. Which is why the inspector and the coroner had to be silenced… isn’t it? By someone in power in Japan and in Britain… using the two killers recruited for the assassin exchange!”

And he’s still able to seem like he brought this up purely for the purpose of supporting his actual argument at hand here, which is that van Zieks is the exchange mastermind and therefore also the Reaper. For now, Kazuma’s managing to keep a somewhat level head and not lose sight of what this trial is supposed to be for.

Kazuma: “Ten years ago, my father was convicted in this very courtroom as a mass murderer… to be sentenced to death. But it was all a sham! And I swore to myself that I’d prove it. Which is why I HAD to come to Britain… whatever the cost!”

…And yet, he’s not staying that level-headed. As soon as he’d finished with the actual rational case-relevant argument, it seems that he couldn’t help himself from exploding with the much more personal, emotional reason why this is so important to him. Oh, Kazuma.

Van Zieks: “You’ll have to forgive me if I feel compelled to toast this vengeful Nipponese’s tenacity of purpose here. However… he who fails to quash his emotions in the courtroom… has failed as a lawyer.”

I enjoy how van Zieks actually respects Kazuma’s sheer determination, even if most of it has ended up pointed at his throat. But of course he can also see that Kazuma’s beginning to get too inappropriately emotional here.

Ryunosuke: “Come on, Kazuma! You know this won’t wash! You’re claiming your father was misrepresented in a trial that took place a whole decade ago! You must see that without evidence, that’s nothing more than a wild accusation!”

And Ryunosuke’s also seeing that in his friend and trying to talk him down. He’s not expecting Kazuma to have any evidence other than his desperate earnest belief in his father’s innocence, because what evidence could Kazuma possibly have that hasn’t been uncovered in all these years?

Kazuma: “As it happens… I have evidence.”

Well. Sort of. What he has is his own word that Gregson admitted at sword-point to fabricating evidence, something Gregson is now too dead to testify about in court and confirm. So it’s not actually very good airtight evidence at all. Kazuma is definitely still leaning into the desperate-emotion side of things a bit here by trying to believe that this will work.

Gregson: “Right, I see… You’re that Asogi’s young lad, are you?”

I love what this line tells us about Genshin. The fact that Gregson’s thinking of Kazuma as “that young lad” means that Genshin must have talked about his son a lot to his colleagues, to the point that Gregson was still picturing Genshin’s son as a “young lad”. He’s only just reconciling in his mind here that, huh, said young lad is all grown up now and very angry about his father’s death.

Gregson: “And what? You’re gonna cut me down with that thing, is that it?”

Gregson’s tone here seems almost sceptical, like he doesn’t really think Kazuma would actually go through with it. Either that or he’s grown so tired from all of the crimes he’s committed for Stronghart that he’s kind of accepted the possibility of his death and doesn’t really care if Kazuma’s going to kill him here.

Kazuma: “So… you admit it then? The evidence used in my father’s trial was fabricated?!”

There’s some fun screen flashes and shakes here, which, despite this bit being from Kazuma’s POV so we can’t see his expression, does a lot to get across just how furious he must be to hear confirmation of this.

Kazuma: “Orders? What exactly did you do? …Speak!”

More fury-indicating flashes here – Kazuma is so sure that he knows exactly who gave the orders, but he desperately wants Gregson to confirm it, so that he can have proof (so he thinks, in the heat of the moment here, where he can forget that it won’t hold up in court) that everything was van Zieks’s fault.

Gregson: “I’m not sayin’ another word.” Kazuma: “Even if your life depends on it?”

And Gregson refusing to talk on this leads to Kazuma much more explicitly threatening his life. He needs to hear Gregson say this.

Gregson: “That’s right. Even then.” *Shing!*

Even then, Gregson still won’t give him what he wants. There is nothing Kazuma can do to get the confirmation he so desperately needs – and so, he finds himself suddenly, intensely wanting to kill this man. That swipe was not a warning strike.

See the gash that Karuma left behind in Gregson’s trunk? Look at the angle it’s subtly curving in. That doesn’t seem like a natural angle for a sword swipe to have happened at if the trunk were sitting upright and open on the floor, as a proxy for Kazuma’s redirected anger.

It makes much more sense if the trunk were held open and sideways at the moment of impact, as a shield used by Gregson to protect himself. Kazuma was striking directly at him.

Ryunosuke: “So that’s when the tip of the sword broke…” Susato: “Oh, Kazuma-sama…”

Susato’s got tears in her eyes, empathising with the pain Kazuma must have been feeling during that confrontation. I would say here that neither of them are imagining he had any murderous intent here – but then, their dialogue when re-examining Karuma’s tip in the trunk did suggest that their thinking was going somewhere in that direction. I’m sure they both want to believe it was intended simply as a warning, though.

Kazuma: “And then can only have been ordered to pervert the course of justice in that way by one man: The man leading the case for the prosecution, Barok van Zieks!” […] Stronghart: “In other words, the defendant DID have cause to organise this exchange of assassins!”

Oh my god, Stronghart. Look at him eagerly jumping on “hey, I can pin all of my crimes on van Zieks and get away with everything, excellent!” It wouldn’t surprise me if he handed Genshin’s trial over to van Zieks ten years ago precisely so that he could do exactly that if the corruption ever came to light.

Naturally, although Kazuma’s “proof” of the fabricated evidence is nothing but flimsy hearsay, so long as it’s being used to attack van Zieks, Stronghart is perfectly fine with not questioning it.

Van Zieks: “What you’ve just told the court… Are you absolutely certain of your facts? Did Gregson really fabricate evidence for that trial ten years ago?”

But hey, even though it’s not court-approved evidence, Kazuma’s words are also enough to sway van Zieks into realising who the real enemy is! So Kazuma’s ill-advised threatening of Gregson was actually worthwhile, despite everything.

Kazuma: “I heard it with my own ears. His shameful admission.”

Of course it was shameful. Anything that cast his father as a murderer and got him killed would be nothing less.

Van Zieks: “In that case… I know… the name of the Reaper.” Kazuma: “Wha… What?”

Kazuma’s surprised here – because van Zieks’s response is genuine, and a part of him must be able to see that. What do you mean, van Zieks is actually figuring out that the Reaper is someone who’s not him, as if he never was the Reaper at all???

Ryunosuke: “I believe I know who it is, too.” Kazuma: “You…?!”

What do you mean, Ryunosuke also knows who it is now?!?! Ryunosuke’s judgement is always right, so that must mean it actually isn’t van Zieks after all??? Inconceivable.

It’s not possible to ruin this moment with silliness by having Ryunosuke present someone random – if you choose anyone other than Stronghart, Ryunosuke just hesitates under the overwhelming pressure, and then gets penalised for wasting time. A neat way to not undermine the gravity of this!

Kazuma: “Wha…?! Lord… Stronghart…?”

Oh, Kazuma. He really had no idea that the man he’d been answering to and respecting as his superior was his true enemy all along.

Ryunosuke: “But he only took over the case after his brother, Lord Klint van Zieks, had been killed.” Kazuma: “…!”

He just didn’t know! Ugh, the pain that could have been avoided if Kazuma had only been aware of this simple fact. But of course Stronghart would have been sure to bury it so that it wouldn’t be easy to uncover, such that Ryunosuke only learned of it by talking to van Zieks (something Kazuma would never have dreamed of doing).

Van Zieks: “…Ten years ago… I was very new to my profession. But I had a burning desire to avenge my brother’s death, so I pleaded for control of the case.” Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma’s silence suggests that he’s actually listening. That some part of him is beginning to realise that this does make sense, and maybe it never was van Zieks at all. In particular, I’m sure he can understand the feeling of being desperate to avenge a loved one’s death, to the point of pleading for control of an important case despite being very new to prosecuting, hmmmm. Maybe he’s not so different from you after all, Kazuma!

Kazuma: “But I heard it from Gregson’s own lips! He admitted to it!” Stronghart: “…And where is your evidence?”

Of course, now Stronghart is quite happy to point out that Kazuma’s claim does not constitute evidence. Conveniently he just forgot to bring this up until he was the one being accused.

Ryunosuke: (Kazuma… He’s more or less waited his whole life for this moment. Is there really nothing else we can do now?)

Aww, Ryunosuke, not only caring about the truth but caring about the fact that this is so important to Kazuma! They are friends.

Kazuma: “Who, Ryunosuke, who? Tell me!” Ryunosuke: “Kazuma, I…” Kazuma: “Please! This trial can’t end! Not yet!”

Guhhh, Kazuma is so desperate and it hurts. And he believes so strongly that his best friend is awesome enough that he’ll have figured out some way to keep this trial going.

Ryunosuke: “……… I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for the truth.”

…This line really, really bugged me on my first playthrough. It reads like Ryunosuke’s basically saying he doesn’t care about how Kazuma feels about this at all, which I hated – and which is frankly just not true, since we just had a line from Ryunosuke moments ago in which he’s acknowledging how important this is to Kazuma! Ryunosuke knows full well that his best friend is in agony about this – there is absolutely no reason he shouldn’t be doing this both for the sake of the truth and to help Kazuma!

In my attempts to reconcile this line into something more acceptable, I came up with the notion that this is Ryunosuke trying to communicate to Kazuma that this can’t be about his emotions right now, because they’re in a court of law and what matters most is the truth, not what Kazuma wants to be true.

I’ve also seen another take on this line which is that it’s about Ryunosuke’s overall character arc of finding his path in life. Throughout this entire game, he’s been standing as a lawyer largely because he felt like he needed to carry on Kazuma’s path in his place. Ever since Kazuma turned out not to be dead, Ryunosuke has been conflicted over what that meant for him – what the point of him being here even was. This line could be intended to be the turning point in which Ryunosuke finally realises that he wants to be a lawyer not for the sake of Kazuma but purely for his own sake, because he’s realised that he truly cares about finding the truth.

Which I do really like! But I do also think that, if that was the intent of this line, it’s very awkwardly timed to make it seem like it’s not about that, because it really does come across as just Ryunosuke pushing aside his friend’s emotional pain and writing it off as irrelevant. Ugh.

Or, heck, the line should just have been worded ever so slightly differently. “I’m not just doing this for you. I’m doing it for the truth,” would have been so much better, because then Ryunosuke’s not diminishing the fact that he still cares about Kazuma’s feelings! He’d just be saying that the truth is also important to him, and perhaps even more so.

(We don’t even see Kazuma’s reaction to Ryunosuke’s line here… which does support the idea that the intent of the line was more about Ryunosuke’s own arc than about communicating anything to Kazuma, but, still. Mrgh.)

Stronghart: “Prosecutor Asogi, let me refresh your memory, as you seem to have forgotten the prosecution’s stance: Only minutes ago, you accused the defendant of being the Reaper and of masterminding the assassin exchange.” Kazuma: “I, I did, yes…”

Oh, Kazuma. In the desperation of the moment, he really does seem to have somewhat forgotten that he’s supposed to be backing up his argument that van Zieks’s is the Reaper, instead of focusing disproportionately on proving his father was framed for its own sake.

I also wonder if a little bit of his hesitation here is because he’s starting to be less sure that van Zieks really is the Reaper and wondering if this alternative possibility that it’s Stronghart might have some merit after all.

Kazuma: “I… I… At this time, I don’t have the requisite evidence.”

Kazuma does a remarkable job of shifting from flustered and agitated into formal courtroom demeanour in the space of one sentence here. He is, after all, very good at bottling everything up and pretending to be Fine on the surface.

Kazuma: “But that’s exactly why we need witness testimony!”

…Not that it takes long for hints of his desperation to begin shining through again.

Stronghart: “I’m afraid to say, Prosecutor Asogi… that you would appear to be possessed by the spirit of your late homicidal father.” Kazuma: “…!”

Yikes, Stronghart. Low freaking blow. He certainly knows how to emotionally manipulate people.

Stronghart: “As for you, Prosecutor Asogi… you will be remanded following these proceedings. Willingly, I trust… since you gave your word.” Kazuma: “Argh!”

And of course he’s quick to remind everyone that Kazuma is supposed to be arrested and tried for the whole assassin thing right after this. If the trial did end here just like Stronghart wants, I’m sure he’d ensure that Kazuma’s sentence for that is as severe as possible, to prevent him from continuing to try and find the truth.

I also like that he reminds Kazuma that he gave his word that he would go willingly, and that this in particular bothers Kazuma. He cares so much about being honourable and keeping to his promises! He really was willing to turn himself in and let them do whatever they wanted to him… just so long as he’d already got justice for his father first. He cannot let things end without having achieved his goal.

Stronghart: “This futile game of revenge is over… young Master Asogi.”

Kazuma’s breakdown is heartwrenching. His entire life has been leading up to this, and he’s ended up trapped in a situation where he had to finish things today or else he never would… and now that final chance has slipped out of his grasp. It’s over. He’s failed, and there’s nothing else he can do. Ghhhh, please give this poor man hugs.

I also like the wording of Stronghart’s damning line. Not only is he omitting Kazuma’s prosecutor title, but he’s not even calling him “mister” – it’s “young master”, like Kazuma’s just a child, playing a pointless game. In some ways, Kazuma really is still just a broken desperate grieving child, and in this moment, hearing these words must make Kazuma feel even more that way than usual, which Stronghart leaned into deliberately to make him give up. Damn.

Luckily, Sholmes is here to save the day!

(Sholmes’s appearance here actually hints at the fact that he has been somehow listening in on this trial. He quotes Stronghart’s line from the beginning verbatim, which he should not have been able to hear since he has not been allowed in the courtroom.)

“That’s right! We need to clear this up before that young Japanese fellow is remanded in custody!”

I adore Kazuma looking up with sudden, desperate hope as he realises that things may not be over after all. I also like that this is spurred by someone from the gallery actually mentioning him and seeming to care about the fact that he in particular deserves to see the truth of all this, even though, to them, he’s just some Japanese fellow. Shout-outs to that particular random person in the gallery. They are good.

Begrudgingly allowing the trial to continue, Stronghart first calls for a recess, but since it turns out Mikotoba is right here in the courtroom, there ends up not actually being one. Which means that Kazuma gets absolutely no time at all to properly recover from his agonising desperation and huge emotional breakdown – he just immediately has to pull himself back together and continue standing as the prosecution as if he’s perfectly fine. Guh. My Lord, I would like to request a recess anyway, because the prosecution needs a hug.

Ryunosuke: (I’m ready to head into the heart of this maelstrom and confront whatever horrors it tries to drown me under!)

There’s a fun little reference to Stronghart’s name pun here – the Maelstrom Heart. It’s fitting, with how he causes a storm of crimes and corruption all around him, but he himself, at its heart, remains seemingly clean of all wrongdoing.

#ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo

13 notes · View notes