History YMMV / PhoenixWrightAceAttorney

* IdiotPlot: "Turnabout Sisters" sees both Phoenix and the culprit make rather boneheaded decisions. The former confronts the culprit, a powerful blackmailer, about his own guilt, resulting in the culprit pulling strings and getting him arrested, and doesn't notice the significance of a decisive piece of evidence(the receipt) until Mia herself points it out to him. The culprit isn't any better. Despite supposedly being cunning enough to get blackmail information on powerful people, he barely even tries to hide how suspicious he is and can't convincingly lie, resulting in his story unraveling due in large part to his accomplice's testimony (if he'd checked with her, he might not have run into this problem).

'''''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney''''' | [[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll Justice for All]] | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations Trials and Tribulations]]'' | ''YMMV/{{Apollo Justice|AceAttorney}}'' | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' | [[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]\\

[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney2012 The 2012 film]] | [[YMMV/AceAttorneyAnime The anime]]]]-]]]

This page covers the first game.

Mainline entries\\

Spin-offs\\

Non-game media\\

''''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'''' | [[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll Justice for All]] | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations Trials and Tribulations]]'' | ''YMMV/{{Apollo Justice|AceAttorney}}'' | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' | [[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]\\

'''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney''' | [[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll Justice for All]] | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations Trials and Tribulations]]'' | ''YMMV/{{Apollo Justice|AceAttorney}}'' | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' | [[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]\\

[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney2012 the 2012 film]] | [[YMMV/AceAttorneyAnime The anime]]]]-]]]

This page covers the first game and the 2012 film adaptation.

[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:2012 Film]]
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3adosUH-26s film's take on Turnabout Sisters' Ballad]] is a slowed down chorous version that sounds beautiful, yet very haunting.
** The film's version of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYbg8m7LIcc Objection!]] is an suitably intense take that stays faithful to the original 2001 theme, while going for a more serious and cinematic vibe fitting for the film. It also adds in an beautiful version of the objection theme from ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' at the end to top it all off.
** The film's take on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfbPKwz4rC4 Pursuit ~ Corner the Culprit]] is far more dramatic and suspenseful compared to the energetic and fast-paced original theme, but it is still incredibly tense and epic in its own way and fits well with the film's more serious tone.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gah_KTP_7oA Cross Examination~ Allegro 2001]] is an epic orchestrated rearrangement that stays very true to the dramatic and tense theme from the original game, while also expanding upon it.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: The film's depiction of Maya Fey is divisive amongst fans, largely due to the movie depicting her as being a [[AdaptationalAngstUpgrade serious, mature and hurt person]] as opposed to the upbeat and slightly ditzy GenkiGirl she was in the games. Some find the changes to work well for the more serious tone of the film and feel it is more appropriate for someone who had just lost her sister to murder, while others [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks dislike the changes to her personality]], feeling the film strips away much of what made her a memorable and likable character in the games.
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The Blue Badger stops the Judge from delivering a verdict by shoving his hand under the gavel. Then he falls to the floor and the head rolls off the suit, revealing... ''nobody.'' No one seems to notice or care, and the mystery of the haunted mascot suit is never touched upon for the rest of the movie.
* CompleteMonster: Manfred von Karma, [[FauxAffablyEvil while hiding under a polite exterior]], proves to be just as vile as his [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney game counterpart.]] To maintain a perfect win streak, Manfred has falsified and concealed evidence for years, [[HeKnowsTooMuch murdering Gregory Edgeworth]] when he attempts to find proof of this. When Mia Fey is on the verge of solving said murder, known as the DL-6 Incident, Manfred hires the reporter, Redd White, to murder her. Later on, he sends a letter to Yanni Yogi, the suspect of the DL-6 Incident, detailing a plan to murder Robert Hammond and how to {{frame|Up}} Manfred's adoptive son, Miles Edgeworth for it. When Phoenix finds out there's a connection between the DL-6 incident and the Robert Hammond murder, Manfred has Redd White poisoned to death to ensure Phoenix can't get information from him. He then intends to have Miles be declared guilty for the murder of Gregory. While he claims that his actions are for the sake of ensuring criminals are punished, von Karma proves himself to simply be an arrogant hypocrite willing to commit any atrocity for [[ItsAllAboutMe the sake of his reputation]].
* MemeticMutation: '''[[http://muffinthief.tumblr.com/post/123016403262/joyseeker56-newyorksjojo-i-havent-seen-this PHOENIX SCREAMS OFF CAMERA]]'''
* {{Narm}}: A good amount of the movie qualifies due to the fact that most of the characters[[labelnote: *]] [[FreezeFrameBonus even the courtroom spectators]][[/labelnote]] look like cosplayers (albeit, fairly good ones), not to mention how they [[LargeHam overact]], oftentimes making hilarious faces and noises at the most inappropriate times. On a few occasions, Phoenix literally ''throws'' holographic images containing evidence at his opponents, and one particularly memorable scene involves him making the rather innocuous observation that "a little after midnight on Christmas Eve" is the start of Christmas day, which inexplicably causes everyone in the court (including ''[[TheStoic Edgeworth]]'') to fall to the ground in a collective dead faint. Naturally, all of this leads to a lot of NarmCharm.
* TheScrappy: The InNameOnly version of Redd White here, courtesy of AdaptationDistillation.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Although the film is well regarded by fans for being a good PragmaticAdaptation that is true to the spirit of the first game, some of the more drastic changes, such as the more serious depictions of Gumshoe and Maya Fey, as well as Redd White's completely different occupation and appearance, have received this response by fans.
[[/folder]]

For other such moments in the series, see the appropriate subpages:

* ''[[YMMV/AceAttorney Ace Attorney (series)]]''
* ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll Justice for All]]''
* ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations Trials and Tribulations]]''
* ''[[YMMV/AceAttorneyAnime Ace Attorney (anime)]]''
* ''YMMV/{{Apollo Justice|AceAttorney}}''
* ''YMMV/{{Ace Attorney Investigations|MilesEdgeworth}}''
* ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]''
* ''YMMV/TheGreatAceAttorney''
* ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]''

* CatharsisFactor: Manfred spends much of the fourth case practically running the courtroom, [[spoiler;and at one point even has a NearVillinVictory as the Judge hands down a Guilty verdict until [[FissionMailed Larry shows up last-minute]] to [[BigDamnHeroes save the day]]]]. Thus it's immensely satisfying to [[spoiler:watch his composure crumble as Phoenix picks him apart to resolve DL-6, watching as he runs out of avenues on which to defend himself, before finally screaming in defeat and having a head-banging breakdown as he's proven beyond reasonable doubt that he killed Gregory 15 years ago.]]

* EvilIsSexy: Admit it. [[spoiler:von Karma]] is quite the silver fox, no matter how utterly unlikeable he is. [[spoiler:Damon Gant]] arguably falls into this as well, especially because while he's still a monster, he has a much more pleasant personality.

* CompleteMonster: [[[AmoralAttorney Manfred von Karma]] is an amoral prosecutor who [[ThePerfectionist uses underhanded tactics to maintain his perfect win streak]]. When defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth gets him penalized in a trial by exposing his illegal tactics, Manfred [[DisproportionateRetribution becomes enraged despite still winning said trial]], taking the chance given by an earthquake striking the courtroom to catch up with Gregory and his son in an elevator and murdering Gregory. Taking Gregory's son, Miles, under his wing, Manfred raises him to become a cold, ruthless prosecutor who cares for nothing but always winning a guilty verdict. Setting up a second murder, Manfred plans to [[FrameUp frame Miles]] for both it and his own father's death, intending to see his adoptive son convicted for murder as the [[RevengeByProxy final act of his revenge]] against Gregory.

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:[[AmoralAttorney Manfred von Karma]] is an amoral prosecutor who [[ThePerfectionist uses underhanded tactics to maintain his perfect win streak]]. One such tactic was subjecting Jeffrey Master, the accused man in the IS-7 incident, to torturous interrogations just to get him to confess to being an accomplice to the murder Master was framed for.]] When defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth gets him penalized in a trial by exposing his illegal tactics, Manfred [[DisproportionateRetribution becomes enraged despite still winning said trial]], taking the chance given by an earthquake striking the courtroom to catch up with Gregory and his son in an elevator and murdering Gregory. Taking Gregory's son, Miles, under his wing, Manfred raises him to become a cold, ruthless prosecutor who cares for nothing but always winning a guilty verdict. Setting up a second murder, Manfred plans to [[FrameUp frame Miles]] for both it and his own father's death, intending to see his adoptive son convicted for murder as the [[RevengeByProxy final act of his revenge]] against Gregory.

** The supernatural elements of the series also begins here, but are more understated, being limited to Maya's channeling of Mia, which is mostly a plot device to give Phoenix hints than anything. Even then, the fantasy stuff is a case of MaybeMagicMaybeMundane, as the game doesn't even clarify whether characters other than Phoenix recognize Mia when she's being channeled. From the second game onward, fantasy elements start becoming more frequent, cases start revolving around them, and they unambiguously exist in-universe.

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:[[AmoralAttorney Manfred von Karma]] is an amoral prosecutor who [[ThePerfectionist uses underhanded tactics to maintain his perfect win streak]]. One such tactic was subjecting Jeffrey Master, the accused man in the IS-7 incident, to torturous interrogations just to get him to confess to being an accomplice to the murder Master was framed for.]] When defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth gets him penalized in a trial by exposing his illegal tactics, Manfred [[DisproportionateRetribution becomes enraged despite still winning said trial]], taking the chance given by an earthquake striking the courtroom to catch up with Gregory and his son in an elevator and murdering Gregory. Taking Gregory's son, Miles, under his wing, Manfred raises him to become a cold, ruthless prosecutor who cares for nothing but always winning a guilty verdict. Setting up a second murder, Manfred plans to [[FrameUp frame Miles]] for both it and his own father's death, intending to see his adoptive son convicted for murder as the [[RevengeByProxy final act of his revenge]] against Gregory.]]

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:[[AmoralAttorney Manfred von Karma]] is an amoral prosecutor who [[ThePerfectionist uses underhanded tactics to maintain his perfect win streak]]. One such tactic was [[spoiler:subjecting Jeffrey Master, the accused man in the IS-7 incident, to torturous interrogations just to get him to confess to being an accomplice to the murder Master was framed for.]]When defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth gets him penalized in a trial by exposing his illegal tactics, Manfred [[DisproportionateRetribution becomes enraged despite still winning said trial]], taking the chance given by an earthquake striking the courtroom to catch up with Gregory and his son in an elevator and murdering Gregory. Taking Gregory's son, Miles, under his wing, Manfred raises him to become a cold, ruthless prosecutor who cares for nothing but always winning a guilty verdict. Setting up a second murder, Manfred plans to [[FrameUp frame Miles]] for both it and his own father's death, intending to see his adoptive son convicted for murder as the [[RevengeByProxy final act of his revenge]] against Gregory.]]

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:[[AmoralAttorney Manfred von Karma]] is an amoral prosecutor who [[ThePerfectionist uses underhanded tactics to maintain his perfect win streak]]. When defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth gets him penalized in a trial by exposing his illegal tactics, Manfred [[DisproportionateRetribution becomes enraged despite still winning said trial]], taking the chance given by an earthquake striking the courtroom to catch up with Gregory and his son in an elevator and murdering Gregory. Taking Gregory's son, Miles, under his wing, Manfred raises him to become a cold, ruthless prosecutor who cares for nothing but always winning a guilty verdict. Setting up a second murder, Manfred plans to [[FrameUp frame Miles]] for both it and his own father's death, intending to see his adoptive son convicted for murder as the [[RevengeByProxy final act of his revenge]] against Gregory.]]

* TheScrappy: The InNameOnly version of Redd White here, courtesy of UpToEleven AdaptationDistillation.

** The western releases of the game changing the setting from Japan to California is often held up as an example of Capcom USA's executives believing that gamers are too stupid and/or prejudicial to want to play a game set entirely in Japan. In actual fact, the decision to change the setting was taken by the first game's translator, Alexander O. Smith -- and his main reason for doing so was related to the puzzle from the game's first case where you have to work out that the Thinker clock was nine hours fast/fourteen hours slow instead of three/two hours slow, as he felt that the time difference between Los Angeles and Paris was more likely to be known than the corresponding time difference between Japan and New York, as was the case in the original game. Back then, the change was mostly harmless, as the only really Japanese themes in the game were the mystical Fey family (semi-convincingly reframed as traditionalists) and the Steel Samurai franchise (and even then, it could be chalked up as a show inspired by anime or something akin to ''Franchise/PowerRangers''), but in each following game it became increasingly harder to believe the game's set in the United States.

** The western releases of the game changing the setting from Japan to California is often held up as an example of Capcom USA's executives believing that gamers are too stupid and/or prejudicial to want to play a game set entirely in Japan. In actual fact, the decision to change the setting was taken by the first game's translator, Alexander O. Smith -- and his main reason for doing so was related to the puzzle from the game's first case where you have to work out that the Thinker clock was nine hours fast/fourteen hours slow instead of three/two hours slow, as he felt that the time difference between Los Angeles and Paris was more likely to be known than the corresponding time difference between Japan and New York, as was the case in the original game. Back then, the change was mostly harmless, as the only really Japanese theme in the game was the Steel Samurai (and even then, it could be chalked up as a show inspired by anime or something akin to ''Franchise/PowerRangers''), but in each following game it became increasingly harder to believe the game's set in the United States.

** The western releases of the game changing the setting from Japan to California is often held up as an example of Capcom USA's executives believing that gamers are too stupid and/or prejudicial to want to play a game set entirely in Japan. In actual fact, the decision to change the setting was taken by the first game's translator, Alexander O. Smith -- and his main reason for doing so was related to the puzzle from the game's first case where you have to work out that the Thinker clock was nine hours fast/fourteen hours slow instead of three/two hours slow, as he felt that the time difference between Los Angeles and Paris was more likely to be known than the corresponding time difference between Japan and New York, as was the case in the original game. Back then, the change was mostly harmless, as the only really Japanese theme in the game was the Steel Samurai (and even then, it could be chalked up as a show inspired by anime), but in each following game it became increasingly harder to believe the game's set in the United States.
** Relatedly, some fans have accused Smith's changing the game's setting for the sake of a single puzzle of being a short-sighted decision which forced future games to jump through hoops to explain away the copious amounts of Japanese iconography. While debates can be had about the wisdom of the decision, Smith actually made it having been told that the next game in the series to be localized would be ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', which dialled back on the Japanese influence in the artwork partly because of DependingOnTheArtist, and partly to appeal more to western gamers. The second and third games (where the Japanese iconography really became prevalent) originally weren't planned to be localized, but the stronger than expected sales of the first resulted in them getting western releases to fill the gap until ''Apollo Justice'' was ready.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: When Dee Vasquez admits that Phoenix's theory about the true cause of Hammer's death "made for good writing".

** “Rise From the Ashes” is either an extraordinarily tedious and drawn-out case with forced gimmicks attached to it, or one of the best cases in the franchise due to its complex mystery, interesting side characters, its deeper look at the police force and its amazing villain. It doesn’t help that it wasn’t part of the game originally due to it being made after the original GBA games, which, combined with its standalone nature, causes it to feel disconnected from the events of the trilogy, on top of causing continuity issues with the sequels due to making Phoenix overly competent (which makes it awkward when Phoenix goes back to needing Mia's help in the sequels), on top of changing Edgeworth's characterization and motivations for [[spoiler:leaving his position as a prosecutor]] (which ironically, this case was intended to help mend and flesh out).

** “Rise From the Ashes” is either an extraordinarily drawn-out case or an amazing standalone case with one of the best villains of the franchise. It doesn’t help that it wasn’t part of the game originally, and as a result causing continuity issues with the sequel. Speaking of which, Edgeworth’s role in the case is in contention as well, as further described under FanonDiscontinuity.

* ArcFatigue: "Turnabout Samurai" is sometimes accused of this. Phoenix definitively proves his client's innocence on the second day of the case, but the trial stretches on for a third day as Phoenix is tasked with uncovering the real culprit, something that isn't supposed to be a defence attorney's job. This is compounded further by the fact that the second investigation has very little story development, and a large chunk of it is taken up by the player having to navigate between two points at the ends of a map multiple times in what amounts to a FetchQuest. Lots of fans suspect this case was a major reason later games stick almost entirely with two-day cases.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: The tendency for the third case(or fourth case in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'') to be largely irrelevant to the main storyline began with this game, but ''Turnabout Samurai'' isn't nearly as unpopular as cases like ''Turnabout Big Top'', ''Recipe for Turnabout'' and ''[[VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney Turnabout Serenade]]''. Not only was it a BreatherEpisode between the two cases directly tied to DL-6, but it also helped Edgeworth undergo CharacterDevelopment after his first loss in court and established the Phoenix-Maya dynamic. Subsequent third cases didn't add nearly as much to the story or characters, leading many to see them as filler episodes.

* AntiClimaxBoss: Redd White. He's established over the course of "Turnabout Sisters" as an extremely powerful and dangerous CEO capable of blackmailing anyone, even ''punching'' Phoenix while openly proclaiming the police can't touch him, as well as the guy who killed Phoenix's mentor Mia. Despite all this tension, however, when he comes onto the stand, he buckles near ''instantly'', making comically obvious blunders to where he at one point admits to the murder he committed ''by accident'', and spends almost the entire trial a pathetic wreck. To add insult to injury, [[spoiler:the player doesn't even get the satisfaction of proving White's guilt, as Mia successfully pressures him into giving up.]]

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:[[AmoralAttorney Manfred von Karma]] is an amoral prosecutor who [[ThePerfectionist uses underhanded tactics to maintain his perfect win streak]]. When defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth beats him by exposing his illegal tactics, Manfred [[DisproportionateRetribution becomes enraged]], taking the chance given by an earthquake striking the courtroom to catch up with Gregory and his son in an elevator and murdering Gregory. Taking Gregory's son, Miles, under his wing, Manfred raises him to become a cold, ruthless prosecutor who cares for nothing but always winning a guilty verdict. Setting up a second murder, Manfred plans to [[FrameUp frame Miles]] for both it and his own father's death, intending to see his adoptive son convicted for murder as the [[RevengeByProxy final act of his revenge]] against Gregory.]]