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• 1 2017-11-14T18:11:32-08:00 Turnabout Narrative 33 By Harrison Bloom plain 2017-11-19T10:20:10-08:00 Phoenix Wright's elements of heroism and political reform are best brought out by the power of its narrative. And the first way the visual novel builds its narrative is by crafting its main characters and placing them in the context of their fictional universe.
  
  As mentioned before, the world of Phoenix Wright is not dystopian, but is troubled by injustice. Each chapter involves a homicide and features violent imagery, and the individual cases expose the reader to a multitude of atrocities, including: suicide, lives ruined by unfair trial verdicts, corruption in and outside the law, and the illegal activities of business leaders such as the immensely powerful and wicked Redd White. But outside of the presence of crime itself, the courts prove to be plagued by apathy and pessimism. Characters such as the judge allow prosecutors to manipulate their decisions as well as evidence and witness testimonies, the police department is incompetent, murder cases are written off as decided before the evidence is discussed in court, and defense attorneys such as Phoenix are actually discouraged from speaking up. The majority of figures seem to accept that the system is broken, and that the resolution of a crime is less important than reaching a final verdict in court.
  
  However, the universe is not completely dark. Reflecting how the guilty and the innocent battle each other in the court room, dark and light tones are juxtaposed throughout the whole game. The plot of the game itself is best described as "tragicomic." While it does have dark, even tragic elements, these bleak moments do not stop the story from maintaining an upbeat, positive tone. Moments of triumph, felicity, and over-the-top comedy fill up the game, aided by its fun manga-inspired art style, and its tightly written, witty dialogue. Though this upbeat and cheery tone may seem paradoxical or bizarre, it helps the reader realize that, while society has crumbled, there is a chance that it may rebuild itself. And this, dear readers, is where our hero comes in.
   
  Phoenix Wright as a character in many ways has a simple heroic personality, and this is essential to understand his value as a hero. He is compassionate, brave, uncompromisingly loyal and, and he consistently puts his reputation, career, and life on the line for the because he wants to defend those who others have abandoned. Furthermore, he is likable! The comedy sections highlight how relatable the character is, and the player is routinely treated to moments of insecurity, clumsiness, confusion, and irritation that bring out the character's simple humanity. Many colleagues remark how stubborn and naïve he seems, and many of his clients are shocked by his willingness to stand by them, showing how determined he is in his convictions. While this type of hero is far from realistic, he proves to be the hero that his world needs. A good, noble person untainted by corruption who does what is right, because it is right.
  
  Phoenix's supporting characters also serve important roles in the narrative, and in particular his primary antagonist, Miles Edgeworth. Mia and Maya Fey countless times prove invaluable as guides, allies, and friends of Phoenix, and as the game progresses Phoenix gains the support of friends such as lovable idiots Detective Dick Gumshoe and Larry Butz  - illustrating that even a downtrodden underdog attorney has people to stand by him in a cruel world. Miles Edgeworth, however, has a story of his own. He is in many ways a character foil of Phoenix himself. Edgeworth is the one who inspired Phoenix to become a lawyer. He originally wanted to be a defense attorney, but his father was murdered in a tragic incident, leaving the supposed killer walking away free and the true murderer unknown for fifteen years, and this sent Edgeworth's life in a different direction.
  
  The two journeys that Phoenix and Edgeworth go through during the game, both as friends and as rivals, make up the very core of the story. But they also represent something more than that. One aspect of Phoenix Wright that is important to understand is that while it is science fiction, the issues surrounding its fictional legal system are meant to reflect real life controversies, and that this aspect of the Ace Attorney series as a whole, is somewhat lost in translation from the original Japanese to English. Phoenix Wright is not a translation of Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten, but rather a localization, meaning that the story has been slightly altered to reflect the culture of the language it is translated into. While the original takes place in its native Japan, the English version is set in the United States, and because of this, the Americanized version of the story becomes less grounded in reality. Pop culture critic William "Suede" DuFresne, in his comedic review of the film Ace Attorney, explores this aspect of franchise's mythos, (DuFresne, "Animenia - Ace Attorney").
  
  The court system of the game may be fictional, but it is grounded in the struggles that real people face. Phoenix's quest for the truth, for justice, is real. This makes his mission not only captivating, but important.
  
  When viewing the narrative as a whole, one can see an intense focus on maturity, victory over incredible odds, and redemption. As the game goes on, it raises the stakes of Phoenix's ordeals with each trial, and each time the hero comes closer and closer to reaching his breaking point. Remembering how likable and purely heroic Phoenix is, in some moments it becomes heartbreaking and nerve-racking to think that one wrong statement by the prosecution could end with the guilty verdict. At the end of the "Turnabout Sisters" chapter, he even faces the challenge of defending himself in court, against Edgeworth and corrupt businessman Redd White, showing the extent of his cleverness and power to overcome adversity. Because of his likability and simple character, the reader wants Phoenix to win, and it becomes all the more satisfying every time he does succeed. Meanwhile, with every case, Edgeworth finds himself coming closer and closer to redemption. In one chapter, he subtly helps Phoenix break a confession out of a guilty witness (Takumi, "Turnabout Samurai"), and eventually he is able to confront his tragic past and find peace within himself (Takumi, "Turnabout Goodbyes"). The once "demon attorney" starts to realize that he and his talents could be used for greater purposes, and starts to see people's capacity for good, and the possibility to change the legal system for the better.
  
  The narrative of Phoenix Wright, with its lovable and fascinating characters, and uplifting message that individuals can accomplish change by standing up for what's right, shows the value of heroism in the real world, as harsh as it can be.
• 1 2017-11-13T14:24:26-08:00 Turnabout Visuals 25 By Harrison Bloom plain 2017-11-19T12:00:31-08:00 Fitting its medium, Phoenix Wright uses visual storytelling to craft an emotionally rich universe, and enhance its heroic narrative. In particular, varying tones and clashing colors are used to underline an ongoing battle between good and evil that parallels the literal trials taking place throughout the game, and complicate the hero's perception of the truth.
  
  For example, one noteworthy aspect of the game's artistic style is how it balances conflicting notions of realism and optimistic idealism. Much how the guilty and the innocent battle each other in the court room, dark and light tones are juxtaposed throughout the game. Darkness and despair are countered by moments of triumph, felicity, and over-the-top comedy, which are aided by the game's energetic manga-inspired art style, and tightly written, witty dialogue. This careful mix of serious drama and innocent comedy reflects the bright outlook of Phoenix and his friends. It helps the reader realize that, while the law has crumbled, there is a chance that it may rebuild itself.
  
  Colors in particular are also used to convey moral judgments upon characters and their actions. The colors in the game are notable for their vibrancy. Lights and darks are both present in the extremes, clashing and very rarely forming grays. Sometimes, colors are used to create direct character foils, such as using shades of blue and red in clothing to contrast the compassionate and honest Phoenix against remorseless and unethical figures. As a whole, the use of color here would seem to suggest a view of morality which is very black and white, where good and evil are clearly defined.
  
  However, while good and evil may be simple in the eyes of the hero, truth is not so clear cut, and as a lawyer one of Phoenix's main conflicts is to reconcile his faith in his clients with the need to prove their innocence with tangible proof. Phoenix has to protect clients under charges of serious crimes, and the evidence is stacked against them in most cases. The need for Phoenix to believe in his clients' innocence, and the question of whether or not he should believe in them, is a key aspect of his struggle. 
  
  In this case, selection of detail in the visuals of the story, as well as color, play an essential role in resolving this question. For instance, the color schemes of morally ambiguous characters such as Edgeworth and the judge show how they act as counterpoints to the idealistic Phoenix. Furthermore, the beginning of each chapter in the game features a short animation showing the crime which the protagonist then investigates. This is one of the few moments where the player is able to access knowledge of the case that the hero cannot, but only sometimes does this clarify the truth of the case. Compare and contrast the openings of two chapters, and notice how the color schemes differ. Both cases involve a figure who is framed and then becomes the defendant. In the first case, the truth is made clear to the player, allowing him or her to place greater trust in the victimized defendant. In the second, where Edgeworth himself is the one being framed, key details are removed, obscuring the truth of the situation. When Edgeworth's backstory is shown later in flashback, it is also fittingly shown in gray, once again signaling the uncertainty of the truth in the incident, and how the conflicting facts of the story helped shape the morally ambiguous man Edgeworth is.
  
  All over, the game uses visuals to shape the characters and the conflicts that the hero faces in his quest for the truth.