Written and Illustrated by Sylvain Chan
“If nobody got me, I know Ace Attorney got me” is quite literally the discipline that got me through the ‘Trials and Tribulations’ of teenagehood. What first began as an innocuous binge-watching of anime bloopers after school has since erupted into a six year long adoration for a franchise that, though has not seen a new video game entry in eight years, nonetheless only seems to burn brighter with time.
Perhaps you’ve seen it – ‘Objection’ flashing into the centre of the screen in bold, red calligraphic strokes, as a spiky-haired lawyer points indignantly and exclaims from the stand. Or, perhaps you’ve heard it – the intense rhythmic keys like the palpitating heartbeat of a cornered, lying witness in ‘Pressing Pursuit’. Keen-eyed viewers may be quick to pick up on Ace Attorney easter eggs sprinkled throughout mainstream pop culture; a testament to its iconic legacy. But for those out of the loop, Ace Attorney is a murder mystery-esque visual novel franchise produced by Capcom. The player uniquely assumes the role of a defense attorney attempting to clear their defendant of charges while investigating the real culprit in the process.
It’s difficult to reinvent the murder mystery genre: doom and gloom looms over an archetypal cast of characters as a quirky detective steps in to crack the tension and close a seemingly unsolvable case. When done poorly, it can risk being a stale song and dance. And yet, Ace Attorney ‘Resolves’ this by being unafraid of the absurd. The courtroom is both an intellectual and physical battle as rival prosecutors fling their glasses of wine in frustration, or berate your statements through incessant whipping. The cross-examination of a parrot is both one of the most chilling narrative beats, and somehow not the most outlandish animal you face in your journey; the normalcy of the supernatural. The games bring an air of whimsy that, at times, may seem unbefitting as the literal dead guy somehow becomes the least relevant part of the story. Yet as the camera pans upon the blondie with the sun-kissed skin triumphantly air-guitaring at the prosecutor’s desk, you simply accept this ‘Gambit’ as integral to the franchise’s charm.
Even still, the story remains compelling: humour interwoven into the larger tapestry of thrill, heartbreak, and betrayal that spans across games. A rigged competition between rivals that spirals into two characters losing their fathers and thus faith in the justice system, yet the circumstances of their upbringing diverge them on different paths that culminate in a showdown of ideology. One takes revenge into his own hands, endlessly digging into emotional scabs by devouring those that bit him in his youth. The other ruthlessly criminalises all that go on trial regardless of innocence, until the perseverance of an old friend disrupts his ‘means to an end’ outlook, reinvigorating what it truly means to be a prosecutor. All the while, perhaps one of the best video game soundtracks accompany these stories in a harmonious cadence. From a smooth jazz track seemingly befitting a self-assured attorney, yet as truths begin filtering out, you begin tasting its raw, bitter undertones; to a dance of deduction between reunited partners that bridges their respective instruments and motifs, creating a heartfelt semblance of nostalgia as you watch both bask in their element…
Where words fail to sufficiently convey my love for a game of infinite wonder, I turn to artwork. Ace Attorney has been my muse since high school: from clumsy portraits of my favourite characters conveniently all turning to the side at a three-quarters angle, to reimagining them in alternate universes. While uncovering old artwork can occasionally feel embarrassing, witnessing the evolution of my grasp on anatomy, eye for colour, and understanding of composition through the same characters is thoroughly rewarding. Cheesily enough, it was as though they were growing up alongside me.
Admittedly, I had taken a hiatus from drawing Ace Attorney fanart as I felt it was the only content that generated the most social media engagement. Though I sought validation from my craft, I wanted praise for my technique, recognition for the hours I spent painstakingly rendering each detail, and not for drawing a popular character that another artist would gain more traction for. Comparison really was the ‘phantom thief’ of joy – a philosophy that was continuously undermined by my teenage insecurity until late 2024 with the release of the Ace Attorney Investigations remastered collection. With the influx of new fans approaching the franchise and the creation of awe-inspiring fanart, energy and excitement coursed through to my fingertips, reigniting my desire to express passion for the games that were foundational to my creative identity.
Ace Attorney is not perfect. There are jokes and moments that have not aged well, and god forbid Capcom say the series can be played in any order. But as some people on the internet correctly stipulate, the media you fixate on as a thirteen year-old comes to define your interests for the rest of your life. If I could, I would love to endlessly re-experience my first cross-examination, my first spritz of luminol, my first divination séance. Only time and conspiracy-induced delusion will tell whether a new installment to the series will come to fruition, but until then, I will nonetheless be content with dedicating my time and artistry to give back to a franchise that has done so much for me.
