Turnabout Narrative
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'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.
