When I Saw Him I Immediately Know What I Needed To Draw

I can't even properly explain how much I love Farewell, my Turnabout. It's a fucking MASTERPIECE of a case!! The characters are especially a big part of why I adore it. I WAS GENUINELY SO STRESSED OUT AND THE BAD ENDING FUCKING BROKE ME.

The interactions in this case are so fun and engaging. Idk how to express my love for it in text. (Also Adrian Andrews is the best side character I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL.)

Playing AA2 is so much fun for me HEHEHEHEH

catch the latest issue of your fave 2000s magazine

An essay about Iris Hawthorne

So I will preface this by saying that I am not an Iris hater but she never sat right with me after Bridge to the Turnabout. I'm a biased Narumitsu shipper but I do entertain other ships (helllllloooooo Langworth) but I couldn't get behind Feenris for a few reasons.

She's a victim, yes, but she's complicit as an accessory to crimes. We last see her serving time for covering up the murder of Misty Fey but this is just the one that caught up with her. There's been at least two times she was at least privy to Dahlia's crimes (the fake kidnapping plot, Valerie's murder, Diego's poisoning) but the real issue in my mind is that she did nothing after the fact.

Firstly, she could have spoken up after the kidnapping plot but did not. We could give her the benefit of the doubt and say that she didn't know that Dahlia was even alive, or that she could plead ignorance to what actually happened, but this is only the first incidence in a damning thread. Also, she still could have at least passed information along that suggested the kidnapping was not all that it seemed, given that Dahlia had tried to recruit her. And, if she believed Dahlia to be dead, what was stopping her from speaking out?

Secondly, and I'm putting her deception during her relationship with Phoenix to the side here for a second, why didn't she do anything when he was arrested for a murder he didn't commit? It's hard to be generous here because Iris was privy to all of Dahlia's plans (Violet, Fawles, Diego Armando) except the one involving Phoenix, but that's only because Dahlia kept her in the dark intentionally because Iris would have sabotaged it. However, she had to have been aware of what happened in the aftermath. Doug Swallows was murdered and Dahlia was, once again, at the center of it all. It was Mia, not Iris, who saved Phoenix. There's no evidence to suggest Iris was somehow unable to take action because she just went back to Hazakura afterwards. She never provides any excuse as to why she failed Phoenix when he needed her the most.

Now, back to Phoenix, here's where it gets fun. I am going to posit that her falling in love with Phoenix and wanting to protect him from Dahlia is for her benefit, not his. This is also, ironically, the first time Iris does something selfish. She fell in love with him and wouldn't let Dahlia kill him, but that's because for the first time in her life she wanted something. But I can't accept this protectiveness as romance. If she wanted what was best for him, she would have done something, anything either before this point or at the time of his arrest even if it meant getting into trouble. She, once again, chose to obscure the truth and instead did nothing.

Further to that, I can't accept her actions at Bridge to the Turnabout as anything but self-serving. She continued to hide the truth until it was presented to her. It was only at the eleventh hour that she confessed she loved Phoenix all along. It doesn't exactly inspire much confidence in her motives.

Now, all of this actually makes her a more interesting character in my eyes, so again, this isn't an Iris hate essay. She's tricky to get right in a Narumitsu context but here's a shameless plug to my story if you want to see my take on it: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63292576/chapters/162138757

Sorry Lotta but if you talk shit, you get hit.

I think kind of an underrated element of gumshoe and Edgeworth’s dynamic is that gumshoe didn’t really like him at first

And in general, that gumshoe isn’t blind to Edgeworth’s flaws. We all joke about about gumshoe worshipping the ground edgeworth walks on (for good reason not denying that) but he’s perfectly aware edgeworth isn’t perfect. Which I think makes his devotion realer and sweeter

And he definitely pokes fun at him too

SPOILERS FOR AA: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS 3-5

I am almost done with the 3rd game, just one more Turnabout to go.

I can see why people love Bridge to the Turnabout so much I'm literally OBSESSED with the interactions and the story.

Pearls admiring a picture book illustrator and writer? That was adorable!! I am worried about what happened to her though...

I'm glad I finally met Iris!! The way she and Nick interact breaks me. Pheonix has so many angsty love stories that makes me want to wheep. LET MY BOI MARRY HIS CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND AND BE WITH IRIS ASWELL PLEAAASEEE!!!

The fact that Pheonix walked across a BURNING BRIDGE TO SAVE MAYA means so much to me, he just wants to be there for everyone no matter what. His friendship with Maya is so adorable. Poor guy has so many issues but he just brushes them off to focus on others. His character arc is so intriguing.

Miles coming back with a private jet because Larry told him that Pheonix was in major trouble, he cares so much about him. And I squealed when he hoped Maya was okay I NEED MORE OF MAYA AND EDGEWORTH JUST BEING PALS.

Speaking of pals, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE GUMSHOE AND EDGEWORTHS DYNAMIC!! Especially when they talk to Larry!! I'm gonna draw a Lil comic based on when they arrive at the heavenly hall, but for now have this little doodle!

I'm saying all of this AND IM NOT EVEN HALFWAY DONE!! I wish I could talk more about the dialogue in this case but my brain is too weak to come up with stuff and there's so much that I'd get SO exhausted 😓

Two days into Farewell, my Turnabout:

The only things that kept me going were Maya, Gumshoe and the Steel Samurai ringtone (I swear I wanted that prick of a star DEAD)

Abba in a saw trap made a bit ago

These specific advertisement illustrations scratch my brain in the best way possible

I can't wait to explore Edgeworth's, Kay's and Gumshoe's dynamic. I feel like imma like her alot HELL IM EXITED TO PLAY INVESTIGATIONS IN GENERAL

Look at mah bois 😭 THEY ARE SO PRECIOUS TO ME LOOK AT THEM!!!

Art was taken from the AA Wiki