This review contains some spoilers from Episode 7: Turnabout Samurai Last Trial
English names will be used in this review to coincide with the familiarity of the English game text.
The Ace Attorney anime series follows the Capcom DS games closely. Phoenix and Maya are still working towards proving Will Powers’ innocence in Episode 7. In the last episode, the little Steel Samurai fan Cody revealed crucial information towards the trial. He told Phoenix that when he saw the person dressed as the Steel Samurai character from the TV program, the person used the villain’s pose for the photograph.
This causes the wheels in Phoenix’s head to turn as he figures out the real murderer. Right on schedule Miles Edgeworth does his best to corner his rival by demanding evidence several times during the Samurai Last Trial. Turnabout Samurai is an intriguing mystery within its own right. The mystery is more involved than the previous Ace Attorney ones. Plus, this time more emotions are involved.
We learn the unfortunate victim Jack Hammer was accidentally responsible for a coworker’s death five years earlier. The owner of the studio and producer of the Steel Samurai show, Dee Vasquez, was blackmailing Jack. She had him work for practically nothing in order to keep the accident from going public. And most surprising is that this was revealed by none other than Wendy Oldbag! The animators did a fitting job drawing her sorrow-filled face as she hands over the photo proving that Dee was there at the accident five years ago. Yet another character acts out of character in this episode.
Miles, who always acted stiff and distant as he works against Phoenix, actually helps his old schoolmate out. Much to the surprise of Maya, Phoenix realizes that Miles cannot ignore the truth that has been laid bare by the new evidence. There is also a wind that blows through the courtroom and naturally blows through Miles’ hair to make him look cool, although to be perfectly honest it will probably make you laugh.
Episode 7 of Ace Attorney is beginning to reveal the complexity underneath the surface of the main cast. Sadly, the subcast are given little screen time and they are remaining somewhat flat. Will Powers, as a big burly actor who only wishes to bring hope to children would have made a grand complex secondary character. Even with this disappointment, Turnabout Samurai Last Trial is making this series seem more like an anime and less like an adaptation from the games.
If you would like to follow along with this serialized review, you can watch the Ace Attorney anime at Crunchyroll. Leave your own comments and thoughts about this episode or the series below!
Ace Attorney Anime Episode 7 Review
Pros
- More emotional than previous episodes
- Humor is well placed and entertaining
- Characters are becoming more dynamic
Cons
- Will Powers barely given any screentime
