Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Part #86 - Episode 4, Day 2, Trial: Karma

Part 86: Episode 4, Day 2, Trial: Karma

Part 86: Episode 4, Day 2, Trial: Karma

We're back at court, the day after Christmas.

Music: Courtroom Lobby ~ Beginning Overture

Time for a pre-game pep talk with Edgeworth.

Karma...?

Looks like we're in line for a new prosecutor.

He hasn't lost a case in his 40-year career.

No losses in 40 years? Yikes. Maybe he'll have gotten slow in his old age...

Not a single case?
^{Sound: Realization}

Coming from Edgeworth, that statement has me concerned.

Hmm. Sounds like someone else I know, Edgeworth.

Hmph.

You don't understand.

We have a prosecutor named Karma in a case involving an unsolved murder from 15 years ago. I'm sure that won't be a hint of things to come.

(That's quite a claim coming from someone who forges evidence...)

Wh-what!?
^{Sound: Whack}

I'm starting to get concerned...

Ugh...

Something like that...

Oh, wait...
^{Sound: Light Bulb}

Not if he's really Edgeworth times ten. God, I'm trying to imagine our first encounter with Edgeworth back in the second episode, ramped up by an order of magnitude, and completely failing.

Not a chance...

He hasn't lost once in 40 years. 40 years!

Shit, I've got a really bad feeling about this.

That's pretty ruthless...

(I guess that's something like Mia was to me.)

(Speaking of Mia...)

Uh huh?

We could really be using Mia's help right now... don't you think?

Oh...

I can't.

We're going to have to be in extra super duper trouble first, huh?

You couldn't "reach"?

Guess we should have found her that waterfall after all.

My powers are weak again...

Oh man, what bad timing!

I'm really sorry.

I'll try my best!

I hope so!

I like that the entire previous conversation was in hushed whispers. I guess we don't want Edgeworth to think we're too crazy yet.

O-oh, it's nothing.

Well, it's time. Let's head in...

Music: Silence

We haven't been in this courtroom before. I'm not expecting it to look any different.

^{Sound: Gallery}

Our opposing prosecutor is apparently the Joker.

^{Sound: Gavel}

Music: Trial

The defense is ready, Your Honor.

"..." indeed. That sure does look like Edgeworth times ten right there. Shit I have to go make more talking head images.

...

Fool...
^{Sound: Realization}

I know this guy's old, but he seriously looks like a zombie or a lich or something. And is he really yelling at the judge? I guess you win all your cases in 40 years you expect the judge to know that you know what you're doing...

R-right, my apologies!

^{Sound: Whoops}

We are in for a long trial, aren't we?

Very well, your opening statement, please.

...

A decisive witness...

It's like you combined Vasquez's short sentences with Edgeworth's dickishness. And that outfit, my god. Is that an earring in this guy's left ear?

Ah... er, nothing of course. That should be fine.
^{Sound: Light Bulb}

The prosecution may call its first witness.

How am I supposed to fight against this!?

I'll give the writers credit here - I am suitably intimidated right now.

(Okay, Gumshoe's first... Let's see how this goes.)

Describe the incident. Now!

Y-yessir!

Caught between Karma and Edgeworth, Gumshoe has a fine line to walk here.

Er, please take a look at the map.

Music: Logic and Trick

For some reason I imagined the boat house and the woods to be on opposite sides from the beach. But it seems they're both different destinations along the same path. I wonder how this map is going to be relevant later. It doesn't look like Lotta Hart could have seen the boat house itself from her campsite.

There were two men on the boat.

At 12:10 AM, she heard two pistol shots.

Then the boat started to move.

It went towards the boat rental shop.

Music: Trial

Hmm.

^{Sound: Select Jingle}

Well, we now have the map. In fact, we have a lot of evidence now but still no idea how it all fits together.

Edgeworth this is your future in forty years if you don't shape up. What a douche.

Just me refreshing myself on our evidence list. In addition to our badge, we have Lotta's camera, the autopsy report, the supposed photo of the murder, a photo of Maya's mom from the DL-6 Incident, a newspaper artical about Gourdy, and now an overhead map of the lake area.

I really went looking for new profiles, now that we have this fancy new prosecutor. Edgeworth has received an update reflecting his new status.

We also have a new profile for Edgeworth the Elder. Our buddy Edgeworth the Younger is clearly modeling himself after a certain flamboyant older prosecutor instead of his father.

Finally we have our new opponent, the dread lich Karma.

^{Sound: Light Bulb}

Right, we have a trial going on.

Yes?

You'd think these two would have some kind of rhythm with each other after so many years working together.

Oh good, new guy has some ridiculous animations, too. That finger wag is almost as bad as Edgeworth's bow.

Wrong. There is only one thing you need to do here.

Y-yes, of course. You're quite right.

(No, he's not!!!)
^{Sound: Whack}

No one treats our judge like that!

Music: Silence

^{Sound: Testimony 2}

Music: Questioning - Moderato

We headed to the scene of the crime as fast as we could.

That's where we found Mr. Edgeworth.

But... the next morning, a body was found in the lake.

So we had to arrest Mr. Edgeworth.

Not really expecting much from that one, so I guess we'll just press on everything and try to get some more information out of him.

Music: Silence

Hmm... I see. Very well...

I'm surprised he even allows us to have a cross-examination, really.

...

^{Sound: Testimony 2}

Music: Questioning - Moderato

But first, our post-cross pep-talk moved to pre-cross.

Nick.

I bet von Karma is feeding him lines!

His testimony's probably filled with landmines just waiting for me to press.

Grit our teeth and press, I guess. What else can we do?

All right, let's get pressing.

A man called into the station around 30 minutes after midnight.

You received a call from a "man"?

Er... yup.

But you said there was a woman camping there?

Trying to establish that there were two witnesses, to later ask why we're only hearing from one of them?

Karma isn't about to let us deviate from his script, though. Give that oddly deep objection voice a listen at least once.

Different people?

There were two witnesses!
^{Sound: Realization}

Or he can just make our point for us.

Well we're not off to a great start. Apparently Phoenix reverts to a blithering idiot at the start of each trial.

Their testimonies were quite similar however.

(The woman who was camping... Lotta Hart.)

What happened next, Detective?

We headed to the scene of the crime as fast as we could.

How long was it between receiving the report and your arrival at the lake?

That's pretty fast!

Our motto for the month

is "get there quick."
^{Sound: Light Bulb}

Wasn't that the same motto during the second episode? (I looked it up; it was "quick response," basically the same thing!)

^{Sound: Fwa-Shing 2}

What the hell was that animation. First he finger-wags at us, now he's snapping at Gumshoe? Combine that with the flamboyant outfit and the earring... draw your own conclusions.

...The department motto for the month is a secret?

Y-yessir! Sorry, sir!
^{Sound: Stab}

He's even got the same scummy threats as Edgeworth.

So much to look forward to, these days...
^{Sound: Realization}

This is no time for dejected daydreaming! Continue!

Y-yessir!

That's where we found Mr. Edgeworth.

What was Mr. Edgeworth like when you saw him then?

Well...

No way Karma lets that amazing line stand.

How many years have you been on the force!?

^{Sound: Fwa-Shing 2}

Facts only, Detective! Hard, cold, objective facts!

Y-y-yessir!

(Man, he's got his share of objections...)

This entire sequence appears to be establishing Karma as being able and willing to fight us for every inch. We'll see how well he holds up once we're able to throw a few surprises at him...

Now, I didn't suspect him of anything at all.

Why didn't you think he was suspicious?

You should know!
^{Sound: Light Bulb}