Ace Attorney

Episode 13

This week, Ace Attorney showed its sweet side with a story about Phoenix, Miles, and Larry's childhood friendship. Sandwiched between the heightened drama of last week's Turnabout Goodbyes conclusion and the upcoming Kurain Village supernatural case, comes a charming (if completely inconsequential) tale about the past. This episode doesn't share any shocking revelations or can't-miss moments, but it's a cute display of character development that serves as a low-stakes intermission between Ace Attorney's adapted arcs.

Phoenix's childhood trial, in which he stands accused of stealing Miles Edgeworth's lunch money, isn't very important in the original games. However, it's such a critical piece of Phoenix's character development in this series that it's referenced nearly every episode. With that in mind, it's fitting that the show has dedicated a filler episode solely to the past. This is pure fan service, giving fans every tiny detail of how Larry, Nick, and Miles met, even if it's not important. Really, it's just cute! Some effort has been put into giving the three friends unique child character designs, each focusing on a color from their favorite show, Signal Samurai. (By the way, it still confuses me that the “green” light in a stoplight is blue in Japan. It still looks green to me.)

The adorability is hammered home after the school trial, when the trio encounters an abandoned Pomeranian. With Larry's big heart, Phoenix's powerful sense of justice, and Miles' deductive abilities beyond his years, they manage to track down the former owner who wants nothing to do with this charming pup—what a monster, right? This is really about how secretly adorable Miles is and how he hasn't changed at all since childhood; he's still stoic and uptight and quick to blush. The scene with his dad made me mourn for the Edgeworth of Turnabout Goodbyes in a way that the game never prompted. A lot of Ace Attorney can be pretty clinical—people are murdered, and it's sad, but we all have work to do about it. Here, we're shown for the first time what a great man Gregory Edgeworth was. It's a little hard to believe Edgeworth is so reserved and shy and determined to be grown up when his father is so clearly indulgent.

But we know how this story goes, even if it is sadder than usual to see it happen to Miles in real time. Von Karma may have murdered his father, but it doesn't seem like Edgey will have such a bad time under his wing, not with that tiny Franziska around! This time though, Larry, Phoenix, and Miles all have a chance to say goodbye. This is completely against canon, where it's repeated over and over that Miles disappeared after Christmas break and didn't come back. But who cares about continuity? This episode is about giving Ace Attorney viewers a cutesy chaser to a series of murder cases. With great music and ho-hum art, it's a typically average presentation, but it's nice to see our favorite characters enjoy some happiness for a change.

Rating: B

Ace Attorney is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist