Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

Episode Five: Bridge to the Turnabout

A Note Before Beginning: Since I can't access my copy of the game, I'm using the Tyranee Let's Dub of this case for sinning purposes. While I usually use ZSlyzer's playthroughs when things like this happen, I wanted to have a little more fun this time, and cannot recommend the Let's Dub enough. I won't take any sins for it (since it isn't actually part of the game), but most the voices are wonderfully done and their ad-libbing (particularly Edgeworth's) is hilarious.

"This whole opening is amazing. The dramatic monologue, the simple animation, the Kurain village theme playing throughout... No seriously, I get chills every time I replay it. You... you could make an argument for this opening being the current best in the series." *starts with negative two sins

(Gameplay starts) "Oh! Cult magazine is a thing that exists in this universe." *ding

("You'd do anything for Mystic Maya, right? Even walk over burning coals, right!?") "Semi-accurate foreshadowing. He actually attempts to cross a burning bridge." *ding

"Just think: the event that sets the entire plot of this case in motion... is that Iris agreed to have her photo taken next to Bikini in an occult magazine. If that hadn't happened and Bikini was photographed alone, Pearl and Maya wouldn't have had an old enough chaperone and therefore couldn't go to Hazakura, thereby ensuring both Morgan and Godot's plans never came to fruition. That's some crazy ass coincidence right there." *ding

"Six years ago in February, Dusky Bridge had wildflowers, mist, and mild drizzle. Present case? Completely snowed over with impending thunderstorm blizzards. Talk about a climate change!" *ding

"Bikini says she doesn't want to keep talking outside in the cold... then proceeds to introduce herself and chat with Maya outside in the cold for several minutes. When little Pearl gets hypothermia, I will be blaming Bikini, goddammit." *ding

"Bikini laughs at the thought of dead customers. Some business she's running, here." *ding

"Maya predicts Phoenix will fall into Eagle River before anyone else does. Go Maya!" *still a 'foreshadowing' sin

"Phoenix has incorporated 'zvarri!' into his everyday vocabulary. It did not need to end up in his everyday vocabulary. Or in Maya's, for that matter." *ding

(Meeting "Elise Deauxnim") "Misty Fey returned from hiding not to mourn her eldest (who died in an effort to help her come home), celebrate the truth of DL-6 being revealed, or help her eighteen year old youngest and eight year old niece get along after her own sister is found to be a murder accomplice and goes to prison... but she does return to become an accomplice in an elaborate 'savior' plot to 'protect' Maya from aforementioned sister's murder plans by aiding a madman obsessed with her dead daughter and those associated with her to the point of changing his career, spying on her relatives, and- I'm getting into this way too early, aren't I? Point is, Misty may not be an outright jerk, but she does have the same schewed priorities as, say, Zak Gramarye. And that is a sin." *ding

(Crossing Dusky Bridge) "It's been eleven years and at least two incidents, and that bridge's condition continues to be outright shit. Bikini and Iris use that bridge to get to the Inner Sanctum. It's rotting/missing boards could kill them at any moment they're using it. Talk about a safety hazard! Why has no one before now put together the funds to rebuild this thing? Maybe now that it's about to get zapped by lightning and destroyed, they'll actually put a new one in?" *ding

"How closely affiliated are Kurain and Hazakura? I ask because both the statue of Ami and Misty's scroll can be found in this place despite their obvious connection to the Fey family. Did the branch family that owned the statue lend it out to these folks? Is Bikini the person who gave it to the exposition in the first place? This is never really explained." *ding

"Maya sees the master's crest and immediately assumes it's a picture of her mother, but... if she's too young to know either way, couldn't this be her grandmother, or great-grandmother, or really any of the masters of Kurain? We have no idea how old this scroll is. While Maya does end up being right, her reasoning proves nothing." *ding

"Phoenix adds evidence to the Court Record while on vacation. It's like he knew ahead of time things were all gonna go to shit and wanted to be ready with the evidence when they do. Is this genre savviness, or foreshadowing? I can never be sure on this one." *ding

(The recurrence of Larry Butz) "I was actually somewhat okay with the Laurice Deauxnim gimmick the first time the series pulled this stunt. The two times after that? Not so much. It might not quite be a sin on this case, but it's a sin nonetheless." *ding

"Larry took 'secret photos' of Maya's mother (who's also, essentially, his boss) without her permission, then made copies of said photo that he will distribute to anyone, and... no finds this weird or inappropriate." *ding

"How did he get this picture of Misty without her noticing? She's staring right into the camera." *ding

(Phoenix and Iris) "Both Iris and Phoenix insist they need to use to bathroom, but neither one actually goes. I guess Phoenix was right when he said his Dollie doesn't poop." *ding

(Hotline of Fate plays) "This song in a case that is not Farewell, My Turnabout. For a game that refuses to acknowledge the deeper implications of that case, it sure does (poorly) use a lot of music from it. I like this song, but now is not the time. Now make like AAI and get your own Fate theme!" *ding

(Phoenix tries to run across a burning bridge and falls into the river during a blizzard in late winter) "He survives this." *ding

(Case five gets Edgey) "Awwwww yeah." *removes ten sins

"Did Larry call Edgeworth instead of the police? I... can almost believe that." *ding

"Larry brags about graduating from middle school. Did he never finish high school? I... can almost believe that." *ding

(Edgeworth dismisses the premise of this game's third case as utterly ridiculous) "Why is Edgeworth the only character with any common sense regarding this matter? I mean, good on him, but sin on everyone else." *ding

(Phoenix caught a 'nasty cold') "Yeah, it's called pneumonia." *ding

"How does Edgeworth not remember Dahlia even after meeting Iris? That was his first case in court, and it ended with him nearly losing. Considering how obsessed he was with winning at the time, I can't imagine it left his mind very easily." *ding

"Psycholocks." *ding

"Edgeworth trusts 'Psycholocks' to tell him whether or not a defendant is guilty after possessing the Magatama a total of eight minutes, and doubting its powers besides. It's not we had an entire case devoted to why this is a bad idea or anything. This series wants to bake its cake and ignore it, too." *ding

"Edgeworth sees Gumshoe for the first time in eleven months, and his first instinct is to insult him." *ding

((Regarding Godot) "He's a complete rookie, but no one can say a bad word about the guy.") "...Amazing. Every word of what you just said was wrong." *ding

"Gumshoe yells both 'Hold it!' and 'Objection!' in this case, but neither phrase gets the speech bubble. Why is that?" *ding

(Bikini offers to strip down to her underwear for Edgeworth) "Scene of this happening did not make it into the final version of the game. And I cannot be more grateful." *no sin

"Madonna references." *ding

"How does Edgeworth not know who Pearl is? She was with him and Phoenix several times during the finale of the last game, and not always channeling Mia, either. Edgeworth should remember her." *ding

"Can attorneys on either side of the courtroom really just request another judge preside over their case? That could explain how Phoenix always gets the same judge every time, but it doesn't make sense otherwise." *ding

"Gumshoe the wizard did not make it into the final version of the game." *ding

"Edgeworth puts the demon warding hood on, but we never see a picture of him wearing it. And that is a sin." *ding

(Breaking Iris's Psycholocks) "How is Larry this bad at writing love letters? As far as we know, he's had at least three or four girlfriends up to this point. Sure, none of the relationships lasted very long, but the sheer fact he managed to land them in the first place proves he should be better than this. I refuse to believe this is his first time trying to woo a girl through mail, so what's up with this bullshit?" *ding

(Larry claims he chased a girl to Tibet) "Don't you mean Khura'in?" *ding

"Gumshoe's objections can be accompanied by the Pursuit theme (mid-investigation, no less), but they can't come with the actual speech bubble. Why is that?" *ding

(Larry's Psycholocks) "It is Edgeworth's second time with the Magatama, and Larry thinks he's already surpassed Phoenix at using it. I mean, Logic Chess serves basically the same function without the evidence presenting, so I guess he got in some good practice before- wait. AAI2 takes place after this game, doesn't it?" *ding

(Larry writes "Salutation Here" instead of an actual salutation) "Is this really the first time Larry's ever written a letter? I... have a hard time believing that." *ding

"After the second case, in which the game overdoses on blackmail, this case subverts the idea by turning a blackmail letter into a love letter. While funny, it requires Larry to take several levels in dumbass before becoming a witness in this case. I could actually stand him in the first game. After this one? Not as easily." *ding

(Larry gets more locks, and Edgeworth screams) "No." *ding

"Also, Edgeworth speaks for every player ever at this stage of the case. Now if only we could rage-quit on Psyche-Locks more often." *ding

(In court) "The return of Franziska Von Karma." *removes three sins. Fight me

("I have no objection to the whip") "Yeah, well I do. We were this close to having it removed from this trial day. Why would Edgeworth save it? So the animation team wouldn't have to craft any new sprites for this case?" *ding

"How does Edgeworth know Godot likes to drink coffee in court? Yesterday, he'd never even heard of the guy." *ding

(The judge says he isn't sure how he feels about people acting bizarrely in his court) "Ah, so this is why he isn't a regular judge for the series. He bullshit tolerance is too low to judge more than three cases." *ding

"Bikini's comic shortness. Most people on the stand are visible above the waist, so.. is Bikini really only about three feet tall?" *ding

("Is there some sort of 'Kick Me' sign stuck to the defense's bench?") "Yes, yes there is. Glad you noticed." *ding

("There was no complicated setup in this case.") "Hahahahahahahahaha (breathes) hahaha-" *ding

"Franziska offers to massage Bikini's back after the trial. We never see her do this." *ding

(Proving the shichishito wasn't the murder weapon) "Nothing Edgeworth is saying is wrong here, but I feel like there was a faster way to prove this. Remember back in the second case when we found out the shichishito wasn't sharp enough to stab through much of anything? Well that should still be the case, right? Did everyone really think Iris managed to stab a dull object through what looks like Misty's spine with brute force alone? I... think they actually believed that." *ding

"Bikini, the judge, and Franziska all repeat the same line of dialogue for no reason in particular. Why does this game do that?" *ding

(Towards Bikini: "Her estimation of the time seems reliable, at least.") "Well, that makes one of them at this point of the series." *ding

(Snowmobile tracks contradiction) "Lots and lots of snow puns." *ding

(Calling Larry to the witness stand) "In order to get the court to call this guy as a witness, Edgeworth... hammers in what an absolute dumbass he is? If you're so worried about whether or not the witness will be perceived as credible, maybe don't go out of your way to insult him, will you?" *ding

(In recess) "For reasons that are never explained, Iris refuses to tell anyone about Godot's plan, even when her own life and freedom are on the line. We never even find out why she agreed to be his accomplice in the first place, much less why she's willing to go to prison for this guy. She doesn't know Maya, she doesn't know Godot or Pearl... and if you think about it, if she were to confess now, this case would lose half its runtime. Iris may not be the only character to do this in this case, but that doesn't change the fact that her silence, in retrospect, is annoying as fuck. More on this later." *five sins for now

"Larry's testimony." *ding

"A slap from Naomi, a punch from Miranda... Has Larry been physically abused by all his previous girlfriends? (Laughs sarcastically) It's funny because he's a guy!" *ding

(Discussing Larry and Iris 'coming' and 'being excited') "Sexual innuendo." *ding

"Larry the alien did not make it into the final version of the game. Also, Edgeworth grills Larry about having a poor sense of time when almost everyone in this series up to this point does as well. Even the game itself. Is this really as big a contradiction as Edgeworth thinks it is?" *ding

(Larry's sketch presented to the court) "Some awkward shit." *ding

"Larry's sketch, while bizarre, proves vital to solving a complicated case cliche origin." *ding

(Larry claims the flying woman was Iris) "You've heard of flying killers, now it's time for some flying defendants. And yes, I do know this actually turns out to be a flying victim." *ding

"If Larry is so insistent the flying woman was wearing a hood, why did he draw her with flowing hair? That is never explained." *ding

("Are..." "You..." "High!") "The question every player is asking themselves at this stage of the case made it into the final version of the script. Don't ask me how. I don't know." *ding

"If the crystal sphere is detachable from the staff, how was it stuck on in the first place? It doesn't appear to insert anywhere, and it would have fallen off before now if it just balanced on it. So how was this thing constructed in the first place? With glue?" *ding

"Why is Franziska so pissed about the trial being extended to another day? She hasn't lost yet, nor is she (technically) going to. Did she somehow know ahead of time Godot was going to steal her spot on the prosecution's bench? If not, I think she'd be happy at the thought she might face off against Phoenix Wright again. If she were to win that case, she could brag about beating both Edgeworth and him. After all, isn't that what she wanted to begin with? I am so confused!" *ding

"Also, Edgeworth fully admits he never had any intention of winning this case and wanted to foist it onto Phoenix for the second day all along. So what was all that pretending he did during the investigation for? Huh, Edgey?" *ding

(Franziska whips Larry to unconsciousness, screaming about how she demands satisfaction) "Well. That was pervertedly worded." *ding

"Judge says we'll get answers to this case the next time these parties gather together in the courtroom, but when the answers are revealed, none of said people are here. Not even him." *ding

(Back to Phoenix) "Pieces of narration repeated from the previous case." *ding

"Phoenix went to go visit Dusky Bridge despite still having a 102.2 degree fever and being green in the face. Someone doesn't like healing. Why would the hospital even let him leave in these conditions?" *ding

(Edgeworth summarizes the trial for Phoenix) "Recapping shit we already know. They couldn't have done this off-screen?" *ding

(Gumshoe is setting up rigging so they get to the other side of the Bridge) "Yesterday, they couldn't rescue Maya by helicopter because of the wind. What's today's excuse? Need I remind you she's been trapped there for almost two days in the cold with no food while channeling her psycho cousin? In a cavern? With a nine year old even more vulnerable than she is outside? And her mother's murderer?" *ding

"Franziska whips Phoenix for being ill." *ding

(Larry wants Franzy to star in a book called "Franzy's Whip Lash Splash") "Well that sounds pornographic." *ding

"Phoenix thinks Franziska's hostility is cute? That... beats my fanfiction, I guess?" *ding

"Long sighs." *ding

"Phoenix blames Bikini for Maya being stuck at the Inner Temple, but if she hadn't gone back across that night, Bikini would have been stuck there, too. It's not like she can control whether or not lightning strikes. I get he's sick, but Phoenix's reasoning here makes no sense." *ding

(Bikini says Maya might be trapped with a murderer) "Foreshadowing." *ding

"Franziska as Phoenix's assistant. I like both characters, but seeing as (so far) they're the defense and prosecution of the current case, I'm gonna have to quote the judge of our previous trial." *no sin until I decide

(Pearl tears Franziska a new one for prosecuting Maya last year) "I may like Franziska, but nothing Pearl says is wrong here, so... you go, Pearl." *removes a sin

"Pearl is rescued after being alone and starving for two days, and her first instinct is to run away after a brief conversation. Because that makes sense." *ding

(Phoenix mentions there was snow on the incinerator last he saw it) "It was also an entirely different color. How did that happen?" *ding

"Godot randomly shows up at the Inner Temple after days of no one hearing from him without anyone ever seeing him cross the bridge. He also knows way too much about Hazakura for a man who just got here. And... absolutely no one finds this suspicious? Okay..." *ding

"If the bridge was inaccessible until a few minutes ago, how does Godot already know Phoenix wasn't defending in yesterday's trial? Did he see him fall off the bridge? Is there Wifi on this mountain and Godot just happened to bring his laptop with him? I have so many questions." *ding

("I guess I owe you one, then. But you can go now princess. It's time for the big boys to take the reigns." and "Hey, Filly. Know your role and shut your mouth. I can't stand women like you!") "Godot isn't whipped for this. Also... this works? This is all it takes to get Franziska to turn over a case to a (by every quantifiable measure) less competent prosecutor, even when she has a vested personal interest in seeing it through to the end? I understand the plot reasons behind it, but Franziska letting this guy take the case from under her makes absolutely no sense. They last time she wanted to face off against Phoenix, she had to be shot in the shoulder by an assassin before she stood down. Now, some guy she just met tells her to get back in the kitchen and she's fine with it? The fuck?" *the execution of this entire scene pisses me off. Five sins

(Godot claims Phoenix knows who killed Diego) "Technically, this is true. But since Phoenix doesn't know Godot is Diego (how that's possible when he watched Turnabout Beginnings like the rest of us is anyone's guess), this is just an excuse for Godot to spoonfeed some more foreshadowing to the player. Because this case isn't over-saturated with that as is." *ding

"Godot came to Hazakura two days ago for the purposes of saving Maya from a murder plot. Now he openly taunts Phoenix about how Maya is totally gonna die of hypothermia after being locked in the Sacred Cavern on a block of ice for days. Talk about a role reversal! It's almost like he never gave a shit about her as a person and just came here to- I'm sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I? This is a rant I will save for the trial." *ding

"Also, Godot blames Phoenix for sending Maya to her death when it was her and Pearl's choice to come here and they dragged Phoenix along mostly against his will. He should know it wasn't Phoenix's plan to come here because he knows what Morgan's plan was, and whose fault is it that Phoenix didn't know Morgan's plan? ...Oh, right. Projecting much?" *ding

"Why can't they use bolt-cutters to get Maya out of the cavern? Why do they have to solve the trick lock? There's space through the bars. Why can't we at least try to talk to her? Why hasn't Godot been working on it the past few days? He doesn't know Maya is channeling Dahlia, does he? Franziska solves five of these bitches in under twenty four hours. Was Godot really not able to manage even- oh, right. Moving on: why can't they open the door without getting past the lock? The chains and lock are less on the door than they are in front of it, so do they really have to do any of this bullshit anyway? For a situation that's supposedly life-threatening in Maya's case, they sure are shit at explaining any of it." *five more sins

"Recapping the events of Turnabout Sisters. Is there anyone who thought it was a good idea to not play the first game before coming here? Even I'm not that stupid." *ding

"Also, Godot seriously misunderstands the events of Turnabout Sisters. Phoenix was not with Mia at the time when she was murdered. No one was but her murderer. If you're gonna run around pointing fingers, get your facts straight." *ding

(Godot tells Phoenix he'll never accept him) "And Phoenix would care... why? Up until today, he's met you twice over a four month period. He personally has no connection to you, Godot. Do I understand Godot is coming at this from a severely warped state of mind? Yes, I do. Do I think that makes him any less of an asshole here? No, I don't." *ding

(Going outside to talk with Gumshoe) "Gumshoe tells Franziska and Phoenix not to go to the garden, but... as of now, isn't Franziska still the acting prosecutor on this case? Doesn't he answer to her still? When exactly does the case transfer over to Godot, anyway? The first time I played this case, I thought it wasn't until the morning of the trial because Franziska still wanted to break the locks open to save (who she thought was going to be) Maya, but now you're telling me it happened earlier than that? I'm so confused, here." *ding

"The words 'scientifically speaking' uttered by anyone other than E- wait, Rise from the Ashes hasn't been written yet, has it?" *ding

(Searching the stone lantern) "'I identified my attacker with my blood' cliche. This time, it isn't the killer using it, but what is it with villains using these things?" *ding

"Hey, I have a question: if a spirit medium channels someone else and touches something, do they leave their fingerprints or those of the person they're channeling? If their body morphs to suit the host, wouldn't that include forensic evidence like fingerprints? Considering how much both spirit channeling and forensics are used in this series, and how long the series has been running, you'd think someone would have answered this question by now." *ding

"Why were Iris and Edgeworth wasting time talking at the Main Gate? Did they forget Maya is trapped in an icy cavern and might die? Get a sense of urgency, here!" *ding

"...Now Phoenix is wasting time talking to these two?! What the fuck? Haul ass, assholes!" *ding

(Franziska is supportive of Bikini in spite of everyone else) "Is Franziska really the most reasonable and non-asshole (beyond the standard whipping) character in this entire investigation? That's... an odd change of pace." *gotta be honest... do I sin it? Sin on everyone else, I guess

(Regarding 'Elise's' true identity) "In some pictures and her sprites, Misty has the same hair color as Maya. In others, it's the same as Mia and Pearl. Did she dye her hair? What is this?" *ding

(Bikini's five Psyche-Locks all break at once) "Love it when this happens." *no sin

"Wow. That earthquake has great dramatic timing. Someone get it an acting job!" *ding

"An earthquake happens, potentially endangering both Edgeworth and Maya, and Phoenix and Franziska respond to this by having a conversation and bonding as individuals, instead of, you know, going to make sure everyone is alright. Why does everyone here like to loiter in times of crisis in this investigation?" *ding

"Edgeworth plays the pronoun game for the sake of being dramatic." *ding

"Who put up the extra locks on the cavern? Dahlia? During the earthquake? Where did she find them? How did she know they were there? Why does she know how to use them? How did no one see Dahlia doing this? Need I remind you there are police everywhere over here? Did they not see Iris come over here alone? Did Dahlia even have enough time for- I'm asking way too many questions when I could just as easily sin." *So I do. Three times over

"Also, we later find out Dahlia is impersonating Iris while being channeled by Maya. But if she's actually in Maya's body... why does her body show no ill effects from being trapped in a frozen cavern with no food for two days? Does being channeled change the fact that she should be weak and hungry as fuck?" *ding

(Touching scene with Edgeworth and Phoenix in the garden) "Scene of Phoenix and Edgeworth hugging it out did not make it into the final version of the game." *ding

"Edgeworth hides the fact he met Dahlia before Phoenix did for no apparent reason. Dahlia isn't Iris. All Edgeworth said is that he'd seen her face before, not met her. Did we really need more foreshadowing for the twin reveal? I don't think we needed more foreshadowing for the twin reveal." *ding

(Larry and Pearl are hanging out at Heavenly Hall together) "For a guy Pearl's only met once, she sure is comfortable going with him alone to abandoned shack so they can 'lose themselves forevermore'. Because that's not a stupid idea. Pearl may be nine, but I give her more credit than this." *ding

"If Bikini knows about DL-6 and how it wrecked the Kurain tradition, why doesn't she also know Phoenix is the one who resolved it and proved the medium did nothing wrong? Why are the Feys still suffering because Gregory Edgeworth lied? And this is more a criticism of the first game, but again: why was Misty blamed for Yogi getting off? He got off because the courts declared him insane, not because they didn't think he did it. For such a huge plot point in both this game and the first one, it sure is shit at holding up to scrutiny." *ding

(Recapping Turnabout Sisters and Reunion and Turnabout along with DL-6) "We get it. This case is supposed to be the finale of the trilogy and the game. Why else would they acknowledge all the cases leading up to it? All the cases except the one that was supposed to change how Phoenix operated as a lawyer forevermore, but go off, I guess." *ding

(Iris is Pearl's half-sister) "I feel for Phoenix and his shock, here. I too had trouble believing Morgan got two separate men to fuck her, let alone marry. Power and status only works to describe her first marriage (before Misty became master, then left Kurain disgraced), so... what was Pearl's father getting out of this union?" *ding

(Iris and Dahlia) "Evil twin cliche. Also, I have serious questions about Morgan's first divorce: to start, since when are men capable of winning a custody battle against the biological mother? What did Morgan do to lose that fight? It's harder than you'd think. And if you say she was willing to give them up because they didn't have spiritual power... need I remind you they were five? It was unusual for Pearl to show such obvious spiritual power at age eight. They shouldn't know whether Dahlia or Iris would have powers yet.

"Second of all, if he won custody of both kids (after the fight that had to have been), why would he be willing to turn around and give up one? Just because his new wife is a bitch who doesn't want two more kids? Why was she willing to marry him, then? They weren't a surprise, were they? Why keep one kid and not the other? Either keep both or get rid of both. That would make way more sense. Why didn't Iris go back to her mother at this point? Why drop her at a random temple somewhat connected to Kurain? Why wasn't she returned to Morgan after being dropped there? Does Bikini have zero contact with the rest of Kurain village? ...And why give up Iris, the one who isn't an asshole? If they gave up the sociopath, Dahlia's character motivations would actually make some sense. But much like the rest of this scenario, they don't. Not even a bit." *ding

"How does Bikini not know Dahlia's name? Iris later tells us the two of them still hung out and met with each other after separation. I find it hard to believe Iris was always willing to hide that from Bikini. This story makes for a semi-decent plot tw- oh who am I kidding? We all knew it was Dahlia from a mile away by now. The sole purpose of this was to bloat out the investigation's runtine. And considering how long this case is, that did not need to happen." *ding

(Last sin on this scene, I promise) "And how does saying Iris's twin had a jeweler for a father not immediately confirm Phoenix's suspicions? He already knows what both girls look like. He watched Turnabout Beginnings with the rest of us. So why is he acting like he knows nothing about that case? Did his fever make him forget?" *ding

"Speaking of Phoenix's cold and forgetting things... did the game just forget he had it mid-investigation? Phoenix has been acting perfectly healthy for a while now, even though he was coughing up a storm earlier. The cold should be making his fever feel worse, not better." *ding

(Gumshoe: An investigator investigates for the love of investigating! It's a passion.) "No, actually. It's your job." *ding

"Gumshoe's singing." *ding

"The metal detector from the first game makes a reappearance. This is my favorite cameo from that case by far." *no sin

"Also, I just noticed: metal detectors and bug detectors (from the last game) were given the exact same sound effect. Why?" *ding

"Gumshoe dreams of one day arresting Phoenix as a suspect, but he achieved just that within days of their first meeting. For a case so closely tied with Turnabout Sisters, you'd think they would have remembered the details better than this." *ding

"The reveal of the staff-sword is cool and all, but... if Misty was always planning to channel Dahlia and knew Dahlia wanted to kill, why would she bring a deadly weapon with her so her spirit could do just that? Is anyone actually interested in explaining shit in this case, or did Takumi just decide to write whatever sounded cool? At this point, I really have no reason to believe otherwise." *ding

"Why wouldn't there be any legal record of Iris having a twin? Even if she was given up at age five, they'd still have her birth certificate recorded, and she definitely would have been mentioned in Morgan's first divorce, alongside Dahlia. Is it because she doesn't have a last name she goes by? That would explain the process taking longer, but not eliminate the process entirely." *ding

"I'm late asking this, but how is it Iris and Dahlia were identical in everything except hair color? They're either really similar looking fraternal twins, or identical and Dahlia liked to dye her hair. We never find out which." *ding

(Phoenix identifies Dahlia as "the woman who tried to kill me") "Which one? At least two have tried. At this stage of your career and beyond, you're gonna need to be more specific." *ding

(Edgeworth explains that Dahlia was executed) "Recapping shit from the first case." *ding

"...Now I'm confused as fuck. Edgeworth says it's been six years since Dahlia was found guilty, meaning her conviction should have happened in 2013. But thanks to both the first case's opening (saying the case was five years ago) and the previous case, we concluded it must have actually happened in 2014, because 2013 was Turnabout Beginnings and there's a fourteen month gap between the cases. Now Edgeworth's saying that was all wrong? Why can this game not figure out which past case happened when? I am utterly, unforgivably lost on this point." *ding

"Phoenix asks Edgeworth if he knows anything about Kurain. He... did experience Turnabout Goodbyes before coming here, right? I know it was three years ago, but come on. How do you forget shit like this?" *ding

(Breaking "Iris's" Psyche-Locks) "We break Dahlia's Psyche-Locks... Using information that only Iris should know. Why does Dahlia know what Iris did that night? How does this make any sense? Did the game forget who we were talking to here? Much like the scene in Dual Destinies where we break Fulbright's Psyche-locks about his concern for Blackquill (only to find out he's an emotionless Phantom), this scene makes no sense in retrospect." *ding

"Also, Phoenix thinks 'Iris' is trying to help Franziska free Maya from the cavern, but he also still thinks it's a good idea to constantly bother her. He can't wait for 'Maya' to be free first? It's almost like everyone in this game knows Maya's plot armor is too strong for her to be in serious danger, and doesn't see the matter as all that urgent. Which is quite a departure from the last finale, if you think about it. Were both cases really written by the same person in the span of two years? Sure doesn't feel that way." *ding

('Iris' blames herself for Dahlia being a sociopath) "Never mind that all these heartfelt confessions are actually coming from Dahlia. Telling the story of Iris and Dahlia several times doesn't magically cause it to make sense. Your previous sins still stand, here." *ding

(Pearl's Psyche-Locks) "As much as I still hate the fact that the locks aren't laid over the chains in any logical way, I do appreciate the altered arrangement to account for Pearl's shorter height. That was nice." *no sin

(Morgan told her nine year old kid to channel her murderess of a sister in order to kill her cousin) "Some messed up shit. Hold on. I need to go cleanse my soul..." *ten sins

"Where is this guest area at the Inner Temple that Pearl speaks of? We never see it." *ding

"Is the Inner Temple area larger than I think it is? How is it that three people were all over there and never ran into each other for two days? I mean yeah, Maya was in the cavern, but still: either Pearl is a terrible finder, or Godot is awesome at hiding." *ding

(Godot shows up right as Pearl mentions the letter seal being broken when she found it) "Foreshadowing." *ding

"How did Godot beat Pearl to Morgan's letter without anyone noticing? Pearl wasn't with Phoenix and Maya in January (during the third case), so we have to assume she was living in Kurain then. We have no reason to believe she didn't go straight back home after seeing her mother. That means that Godot was eavesdropping on their visit when it happened, drove (if he passed the driver's test in his condition, otherwise he took the same train as Pearl, which makes this even worse) to Kurain, and went pilfering through a secret corner in the village without anyone (including Pearl) ever noticing a stranger in their midst. He's... not exactly inconspicuous. This whole scenario is some bullshit." *ding

"Also, let's talk about Morgan's plans for one second. Last game, she planned to get Maya imprisoned by making it look like she killed someone while channeling a spirit. This game, she wants Pearl to kill Maya... while channeling a spirit. Does she not think that will send Pearl to juvie? She can't very well be Master if she's locked up for murdering her cousin. I would question this further, but at this point, I have a bigger question for myself: why am I still trying to make sense of this case?" *sin on me

(Franziska and Bikini don't go to trial because they're trying to open the Sacred Cavern) "This is great and all, but if Maya is considered a suspect in this case, is there a reason trial can't be delayed until they confirm her condition and clear her of suspicion? You can't very well go to trial with two suspects, can you?" *ding

(In trial) "For the third time is as many games, Maya is accused of murder. Can Maya not go one game without this cliche?" *three sins

"Godot claims a private conversation between an attorney and someone else doesn't count as testimony... even though it does for several witnesses multiple times in this series. Most recently, with Edgeworth talking to Iris in detention and getting her statement there. Why does that change from the beginning of the case to now?" *ding

(Godot insists he will render final judgement in this case) "Godot clearly graduated from the Manfred Von Karma school of running your own trials. Don't ask me how. I don't know." *ding

(Godot claims "cute girls never lie. Ever.") "Ironic, coming from you." *ding

"Overuse of the Core theme. Mid-court, no less." *ding

("You're in no position to say this witness isn't telling the truth!") "Isn't he, though? 'Iris' is the defendant of this case, with an obvious reason to lie. Did the court just forget that? None of her testimonies have held up to scrutiny. There may be strange sights on the other side of the bridge, but that doesn't change what was proved in court yesterday. The person on trial here is not Maya, but Iris. The only reason she hasn't been declared guilty already is because Godot is more interested in covering his ass and torturing Phoenix than he is in doing his job. So she's allowed to keep going into her fourth testimony, because... plot." *ding

(Explaining how the body was moved) "Some wack-ass bullshit. Simply put, there's no way Misty was tied to the support rope (weak from, I don't know, being on fire) tightly enough to not fall into the river, but loose enough to come off when it reaches the other side. I would say this is the craziest murder setup in the entire series, but that simply isn't true. There is and always will be Turnabout Ablaze." *regardless, twenty sins

"How does the judge remember yesterday's witness? He wasn't even there!" *ding

(Exposing Dahlia) "This makes for a fun plot twist and all, but isn't there a faster way to prove which twin this 'Iris' really is? Just take a DNA or fingerprint sample. As I understand it, these two things should still identify her as Maya, not Iris. That would prove that Dahlia is being channeled and who is channeling her. But then we would ruin the dramatic scene later, so... fine. Take the long way." *ding

"Godot gives no shits that the woman who murdered him is standing right in front of them all. For perspective, last time he saw her, he killed her spirit medium and his ex-lover's mother with a stab in the back. This time, he's calm and coffee-sipping? The fuck?" *ding

"How does Godot know Iris was the younger twin? That was never told to us before." *ding

"And how has Phoenix's not realized Maya's true location yet? Or Dahlia, for that matter? As of Misty's death, there are two spirit mediums in this entire nation: Pearl and Maya. He saw Pearl as herself this morning before trial started. She's in the gallery right now, and is about to channel Mia. But this takes him time to figure out anyway, because... dramaticism." *ding

"Why did Bikini not think it was weird that 'Iris' had Misty's staff? You'd think she would have remembered seeing it, if it was there. But she didn't, because... plot, I guess." *ding

"Godot's ringtone is his own theme song? That's... kinda cool, actually." *no sin

(Phoenix screams when he thinks Maya is dead) "No." *ding

"Godot proves Maya didn't jump into the Eagle River from the Inner Temple side... by using the very contradiction Mia used to prove Dahlia didn't from the previous case. Nice parallel, there." *not a sin

(Phoenix and Godot both quote Sherlock Holmes (the same quote, nonetheless) within two minutes of each other) "Repeated dialogue." *ding

(Dahlia thinks Pearl is channeling her) "Either Dahlia can't see her own hair color, or she has no idea what Pearl Fey looks like. No matter which way you slice it, she's wrong for some very obvious reasons." *ding

"And while I agree this scene is dramatic... do they have to play the Pursuit theme every other minute? They wore this one out so much in this trial. I... think I know why they switched to Cornered later." *ding

(Mia returns to give Dahlia an epic smackdown) "...Oh, yeah. Go, Mia!

"...Unfortunately, I can't remove sins for this plan. While brilliant, it relies on Maya or Mia knowing that Pearl was trying to channel Dahlia at the time, and would eventually try again because her mother told her to. Now tell me: how would either of them have known that? Even if they thought Pearl had channeled Dahlia the first time, there's no way they should have known the rest. Does death bring Mia omniscience on every current case? Spirit of Justice tells us that's bullshit, but this game was written before that, and by someone else regardless. We're given no indication that Maya found the burnt instructions, so how does the game plan to- oh, who am I kidding? They're never going to explain this." *I don't add a sin, but I don't remove any, either

(Mia and Phoenix talk down to Dahlia about how she fails at everything and Mia will always defeat her) "'The Reason You Suck' speech. A particularly fine specimen." *this, I remove sins for. Ten, in fact

(The exorcism) "...This breakdown is awesome. Probably one of my favorites ever, and undoubtedly the best and most memorable at the time of release." *ten more sins off 160

(Return of Maya) "Fainting in court cliche." *ding

(When the judge is about to end the case) "Godot goes from trying to protect Maya in a murder plot... to outright trying to pin the blame of his murder on her. You can try and argue he wanted to reveal himself as the killer, but if that were the case, why not just confess? If Godot was right about everyone and Phoenix wasn't capable of figuring it out, Maya would go to jail for matricide. Even if she struck in self-defense, that's still a crime in this universe. And again, he seems to have forgotten that the defendant in this case is Iris, not Maya. If he wanted to argue that Iris may still be guilty, he would have to claim nothing at all happened on the Inner Temple side of the bridge and go back on his own choice of calling Dahlia to the stand and presenting evidence supporting her story. Most notably, how Misty's blood ended up on the lantern. After all, Iris was stuck on the other side the whole time, and it's been proved to death the murder happened after the bridge caught fire. In other words, he'd have to act like this trial day thus far never even happened.

"See, this is why I don't buy the interpretation of Godot as a tragic hero (or even a sympathetic villain) for even a second. He supposedly loved Mia (a woman he could have only dated for six months max) so much, he... hates on and constantly tries to undermine her apprentice (whom she clearly cares about) from the prosecutor's bench, puts her sister and young cousin in danger by letting her aunt's murder plan get this far, kills her mother after conspiring with her and knowing she was the one channeling Dahlia right when she comes back to help Maya and be with her family again (did he forget Mia literally gave her life attempting to track her mother down? Or does he just not care? By killing her, he's basically ensuring that Mia's life's work and chief motivation for becoming a lawyer were all for nothing), and is fine with either his accomplice (also Mia's cousin) or her little sister (whom Mia is stated several times to love more than anyone else, including him) take the fall for everything he's done. That's not love. That's a twisted obsession. The nicest thing I can say about Godot is that he's probably mentally ill after what happened to him. He went through a lot of shit and never dealt with his grief. And that turned him into... well, this.

"He didn't do this for Mia or Maya, he did it for himself. He even admits it, later. He did all this so he could make up for his own ego and atone for the fact that he was stupid enough to ingest poisoned coffee around Dahlia... six months after Dahlia coerced Terry Fawles into suicide by drinking poison out of his coffee using the same source of poison. Then when he woke up years later (which would be hard enough on anyone), he didn't care that Mia had avenged his death and moved on from him. He cared that Mia had died, and wanted to blame not her actual murderer (whom Phoenix had already caught), but Phoenix himself for it so that he could avenge Mia when really, Phoenix already had. Is he sexist? I don't know. His comments toward Franziska don't paint him a good light, exactly, but I think he was projecting his own expectations for himself onto Phoenix when he blames Phoenix for not protecting Mia, even though there's no way Phoenix or Godot could ever have. Maybe it's because Phoenix is more like the Diego he used to be than he (Godot) is now. Notice how he never blames Maya for Mia's death, even though she and Phoenix were in the same situation.

"Like this character, hate him, I don't care. But don't pretend he was a good guy. He's basically the Snape of the Ace Attorney fandom. Don't pretend like Mia and Godot could ever have a healthy romance. That died with Diego in the courthouse six years prior. Dahlia's not the only vengeful ghost in this case. The sooner people realize that, the more I'll be able to stand playing or talking about this game ever again." *too tired of ranting to sin this. What would I be sinning, anyway? Other fans' interpretations?

(Godot criticizes Phoenix for always relying on outside (mostly Mia's) help to win a case) "I write a four paragraph rant about Godot, then he invokes what I've been saying all along about these past three games. About time this series acknowledged it's mentor ex machina problem. I'm proud to say this cliche all but dies after the trilogy is over. Instead, it becomes rival ex machina!" *not a sin, though

(In recess) "What Iris's role in the kidnapping plan even supposed to be? She constantly talks about how she ran away and shit, but what she supposed to do? The plan, as we know it, had no role for her. Was she going to push Valerie off the bridge from behind? Switch places with Dahlia after the ransom and go back with their father? If her options were to either commit murder or leave her life (and Bikini) behind in favor of the life that Iris believed made Dahlia such a shitty person, I think I can understand why she wanted no part of it. Either way, the game doesn't feel like elaborating, as per usual, so I'm left to speculate. Again." *ding

"Iris calls Valerie Dahlia's half sister, but that would imply they had a common parent. But that doesn't make sense, because Valerie was significantly older than Iris and Dahlia, old enough to be a police detective when they were fourteen. Unless their father was getting it on with his second wife before he met his first, this shouldn't be a thing." *ding

(Iris explaining her role in the crime) "I admit I'm being nitpicky as fuck, but... this timeline is jacked up. Iris said she got the call from her room at 10:30 to come to the Inner Temple right away, and took the snowmobile to do so. We learned from yesterday's trial that it takes five minutes to get to the bridge that way. However, we also know that lightning didn't strike the bridge until 10:45, so Iris still should have had time to cross the bridge, she just might have been trapped on it when lightning hit. Also, it's been proven to death that the murder didn't happen until after the bridge caught on fire, so what was Godot doing calling Iris at least fifteen minutes before the murder? Did he want her help in restraining Misty-as-Dahlia? Judging by Iris's feelings toward her sister, I can't imagine she would have been that helpful. If you don't want me to be nitpicking a case down to fifteen minutes of difference, don't be so inconsistent about what happened when." *ding

"And once again, she refuses to name Godot, even though she has nothing to gain out of hiding it (or to lose from revealing it), because... reasons. I know I sinned this earlier, but it still pisses me off, goddammit." *ding

"Mia is cryptic to put pressure on the player cliche. I get why, and actually do appreciate letting Phoenix do the work this time, but either don't help him at all, or tell him everything. I never understood why this in-between stage existed." *ding

(Trial resumes) "Judge says there wasn't time to perform a decent analysis of the knife Maya used... even though it is now past three o'clock and the test was ordered a little after ten. Why did determining who the blood didn't belong to take five hours? Why couldn't they have figured out more in this time? If Godot really has a weird medical condition associated with the poisoning he went through, shouldn't they at least know the owner of the blood on the knife had this issue? Forensic tests and how long they take have always varied by plot, but this is a particularly egregious example that I feel needs attention." *three sins

("It's not good to have too much light around when someone is undergoing spiritual training") "So what was up with all the candles in the Channeling Chamber last game?" *ding

(Maya got hit on the head and was afraid of losing her memory) "Referencing The Lost Turnabout. Can we not just pretend like that case never happened? Please?" *ding

"Godot tries to discredit Maya's testimony by pointing out how unstable her mind is... when he's the one who called her up here in the first place. This guy wants to make his coffee and drink it, too." *ding

(Maya screams when Phoenix proves she saw a man) "No." *ding

(Phoenix goes after Godot as the killer) "Maya goes from 'convict the killer, Nick, or I'll never forgive you, even at the cost of my own life' in the last game to protecting the killer of this game at all costs, even though he killed someone much closer to her and (if she doesn't fess up) has a reasonable chance of getting away with everything pinned on her. She may well believe Godot saved her life. It's not like she knows at this time that if he'd acted logically, she wouldn't have been in danger at all. But that doesn't mean she'd be willing to go down for matricide to spare him the cost of his own actions. If the last game is any indication, that goes against one of Maya's core convictions as a character. And that type of OOC-ness is a sin." *a ten-ton one, at that

"Also, even if Maya says she thought the killer was male for another reason, that does nothing to spare Godot. Think of all the other male characters in this case for a minute. Does anyone believe for a second that Phoenix, Gumshoe, Edgeworth, Larry, or one of the judges was the one who did it? No? That's ridiculous, you say? Well then. My point is proven." *ding

(Proving it was Godot who didn't remove the bloody writing from the lantern) "After three cases of exposing the killer by proving they knew a detail they shouldn't have due to arriving in court later, this case reverses the trick and exposes the killer by proving they didn't know a detail they should have after being in court the whole time. It's... kind of an interesting switch." *and not quite a sin

"Why is Maya allowed to testify for Pearl? How does she know anything about Pearl did and did not do? This is speculation at best, hearsay at worst. Maya should know this. She's been a defense assistant for three years. If they have no problems putting seven-year-old Cody Hackins on the stand in the first game, why would they have a problem with nine-year-old Pearl in this one? All because Godot imposed an arbitrary rule about Maya being the last witness? Why does that hold any water? Need I remind you he's under suspicion for murder?" *ding

(Judge allows Maya's hearsay to stand) "So if both the prosecution and defense agree, then casual hearsay can be admitted as testimony? That... doesn't sound legal." *ding

"Godot cheered Pearl up by... giving a nine-year old some coffee? I remember trying coffee at age nine. Let's just say it did not cheer me up in the slightest." *ding

(Godot eavesdropped on Morgan and Pearl's visit) "This is probably the least objectionable crime that Godot commits, but it's still not legal. As a newly minted prosecutor and former defense attorney, Godot should know this." *ding

"How did he spy on the meeting anyway? Through the security camera? Posing as the guard? Bugging the visiting room? I find it hard to believe he carried out any one of these plans without other people noticing, so why did no one say anything? Were they also his accomplices for no apparent reason? Did Godot pay them off? Add this to the list of things that were never explained in this case." *ding

(Proving Godot was once Diego) "Well. I guess no one was waiting for Godot this time. We've strayed quite a bit from the source material, haven't we?" *ding 190

("The Bitter Taste of Truth") "This song." *removes a sin

(Godot was able to find Misty because the police had been watching her) "And they just tell any new prosecutor about this, no matter how mysterious their origin... why, again?" *ding

"Has Misty been keeping up her spiritual training for the past seventeen years? If not, I call bullshit on her being able to channel a spirit on her first try after not training for that long, beating an outright prodigy at doing so because 'she's the master'. Both previous games are clear that a medium has to keep up her training in order to be able to do something like this. It was even a huge plot point in Turnabout Goodbyes. But if we're willing to ignore Farewell, I guess it's not much of a stretch that we ignore Goodbyes as well. After all, who cares about inconsistency, so long as the trilogy gets a cool send-off? This was originally intended to be the end of the series." *ding

"Remixing Pursuit-Cornered. Like most Ace Attorney fans, I am a complete sucker for this song." *removes a sin

"Godot's final argument that he isn't the killer is that... if he were the killer, he totally would have forged evidence to hide the fact? Some prosecutor he is!" *ding

"Why can't they just the blood against Godot's and prove it's his? Why do we have to win this case the hard way? Just so we can have a dramatic double-point at the end? That's not a good enough reason to forgo logic." *ding

(Maya points out a contradiction in Phoenix's theory) "Why is Maya better than a prosecutor (and former lawywer) at making effective arguments against Phoenix? I mean, good on her (even if her motives are out of character), but sin on Godot. Some rival he is!" *ding

"Godot committing murder naked did not make it into the final version of the game. Because that would have been entertaining." *ding

(The final presentation of evidence) "Whether you get this present right or not, the music keeps playing and Godot will say the same thing regardless. The only thing that changes is the end, when Godot sees Mia's ghost standing beside Phoenix and realizes he was in the wrong all along. Ignore the storyline for a second. Even I have to acknowledge this is a clever trick of gameplay that's befitting a third game in the series. I'm not an asshole about everything, after all." *removes a sin

"For one scene and one scene only, we can read Godot's thoughts, even though we aren't playing as him. The last time this happened was with Maya, when we were trapped in the evidence room with her, Phoenix, and Manfred von Karma. This makes for a cool scene and all, but it's a break in gameplay format that irks me regardless." *but I choose not to sin it fully. Half-sin instead

(Godot has an epiphany about himself as a character) "And here it is. Godot's most redeeming character trait is that he eventually realizes what an asshole he is. Is it nice? Yeah, kinda. Does it mean he deserves sympathy from the very people he set out to badger and endanger to prove to himself he's still a hero? No, not really. Much like Acro, I have to ask a similar question: if Morgan's plan had gone through, and Dahlia was channeled by Pearl instead, does anyone here think Godot wouldn't have killed her? When he could have achieved the same result by hitting the staff over her head instead of through her back? Godot himself acknowledges he still would have killed the medium channeling Dahlia, even if said medium was nine. How sympathetic would this guy have been, had he killed an underage girl who simply didn't understand the magnitude of her actions? The very reason they were in this situation in both cases is because the disabled man refused to communicate with anyone about what was going on behind the scenes. If Godot had reached out to Phoenix, or even had Iris or Misty tell Pearl the truth of what she'd be doing, none of this would have happened. He can cry blood all he wants. That doesn't change the facts of what's been laid out long before now." *the second half of the sin

(Iris tells Phoenix that she's the 'Dahlia' he dated) "...Yeah, my sin from the first case stands. There is absolutely no reason Iris couldn't have simply stolen the necklace back from Phoenix. The very fact she didn't was what put Phoenix in danger in the first place, and we don't even have a clear reason for Iris not doing it, anyway. She can still date Phoenix after this, right? Why do none of this character's actions make any sense? Was she really only developed to be in relation to other characters? If so, that's some wasted potential right there. Though it does explain why we never see her in the series again, long after her prison sentence should be over. Which is odd, considering both she and Phoenix confess their love for each other as well. Can't piss off the Narumayo and Narumitsu portions of the base, I guess." *ding

(trial is over) "Mia says she and Phoenix will one day meet again. That never happens." *ding

"Oh hey, Franziska and Edgeworth are here. Not gonna lie, I kinda forgot they were in this case. Considering they were the defense and prosecution of the first day in trial, that's not a good thing." *ding

(Everyone talks Larry out of thinking he's worthless, even Franziska) "That was... actually, kind of a sweet scene. Especially after the rest of this case's atmosphere." *no sin

(Edgeworth realizes Maya is being strong for Pearl) "See, this is the Maya characterization that I'm here for. None of that 'protecting a killer' nonsense." *removes a sin

"How does Gumshoe not remember Tres Bien, where his longtime crush was framed for murder? He's already eaten there once. He knows the food was terrible, and that was only a month ago? Did Franziska's whipping cause him to lose memory? I... might actually believe that." *ding

(Maya comforts Pearl at the Training Hall) "Awwwww..." *removes a sin

(Phoenix ending monologue) "A good speech, but still ending narration. The picture of the Fey sisters is adorable, though, so I won't sin."

(The credits) "Maya says in the credits she's gonna keep working with Phoenix along side being master, but two months later in the flashback case for Turnabout Succession, she's nowhere to be seen. A-plus for consistency across games, there, Takumi." *ding

"Franziska taught Andrews how to use a whip? That's kinky. And it sure beats my fanfiction!" *no sin

"What is Oldbag doing in the credits? She wasn't even in this game!" *but the game is basically over, so I don't sin

Total Sin Tally: 197

Sentence: Hazukara Temple (the Ultra Course)

A/N's: Well, this case has done it. It has officially surpassed Turnabout Revolution (both parts) for my longest review of a single case. Now, I don't know how that's going to hold up to the AAI finales (particularly the Grand Turnabout), but if you split Revolution into two cases, than the previous record holder was Turnabout Succession. Also if you split Revolution, Succession maintains the current record for highest number of sins on a single case. To compare, this case won one less sin than Turnabout Revolution's second half, bringing T&T's total sin count to 526.5, beating out AJ, JFA and the first game, but not coming within striking distance of DD or SoJ, both of which earned almost 800 sins.

However, that may not be a fair comparison. After all, SoJ essentially had seven cases while JFA only had four. So to truly compare the games in the main series, I divided their sin counts by the number of cases in each one. The results are below:

PW:AA had 389 sins divided by five cases for an average of 77.8 sins per case.

JFA had 374 sins divided by four cases for an average of 93.5 sins per case.

T&T had 526.5 sins divided by five cases for an average of 105.3 sins per case.

AJ had 506 sins divided by (you can argue about this if you want) four cases for an average of 126.5 sins per case. If you divide by five, then 101.2 sins per case.

DD had 795 sins divided by six cases for an average of 132.5 sins per case.

SoJ had 782.5 sins divided by seven cases for an average of 111.8 (rounding up) sins per case. If you prefer to divide by six, then 130.4 sins per case.

I don't know if anyone finds this interesting but me, but there are the stats. I hope you enjoyed this review. At the very least, it finally helped me to articulate my feelings about this case. There are parts I liked no doubt, but you can also read about all the issues I had with it. If you like it still, that's fine. But don't be one of those people on the message boards who tries to argue with me that this case has no flaws. I've been dealing with that for years now. Like people in all fandoms need to realize, you can love a piece of work and still acknowledge what's wrong with it. That's why I write these fics. That's why I still like SW-TLJ and even referenced it in this work.

I expect debates to break out in the reviews (which have been oddly silent thus far), but please, keep that in mind as you plan to dispute me. I'll concede if I think you're right, and have before (I had to edit my Goodbyes review like, five, times for the people who poked holes in it), but if I agree to disagree, that's it. Please don't get offended if that happens. Once again, it has happened before.

Regardless, thanks for reading, don't forget to review, and I have RL shit to work on that I've put off in favor of writing this. Until we meet again and I'm sinning AAI... Sayonara! I will see you on the far side!