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The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 3, Part 4

This is an mini-commentary covering the final trial of The Great Ace Attorney (Resolve) in line-by-line detail. It’s written from a perspective of already knowing the full truth of things, so there will be spoilers for facts that only get revealed later on in the trial. This is not a commentary to read along with one’s first playthrough!

(This is the final part of the commentary. Check this blog to find the rest of the parts that came before this!)

Now that we’re below the readmore, I can add that this isn’t quite a commentary for everything going on in the final trial. It’s focused specifically on Kazuma and what’s going on in his head, only covering things which are relevant to him in some way (for the most part). I already had a lot to say about him in a big analysis post over on my main blog – but I have even more to say about him during the trial in even more detail, so here we are!

Last time, with the help of his best friend, Kazuma finally, finally got his head on straight about van Zieks and stopped being driven by his emotions. His emotional arc of twisted tunnel visioning and mental gymnastics that was most of the reason I wanted to do this commentary is basically over now, but there’s still some more of the trial left to go with some tasty Kazuma moments, so it would be remiss of me not to cover the rest of it anyway.

Kazuma: “The reason you’ve been summoned here to court today… is to testify about the jailbreak of the so-called ‘Professor’ ten years ago.”

Heh. “So-called”. Of course Kazuma would phrase it like that, because his father wasn’t really the Professor at all, damn it.

Kazuma: “If it turns out that you were involved in the plot to break Mr Asogi out of your prison, then of course… the consequences will be very serious. In all likelihood, a capital punishment.” Caidin: “Gads! Hold on there, laddie! All I did was—”

Kazuma really does like to threaten witnesses with capital punishment to get them to talk, whenever he can have it make sense. It almost works here, too! Alas, Stronghart jumps in to very sternly tell Caidin to think before he speaks.

Stronghart: “And Prosecutor Asogi… if you threaten the witness again, you will be held in contempt of court.” Kazuma: “…! My apologies, My Lord.”

And then he tells Kazuma off for doing this. To be fair, Stronghart’s obvious desire to hide the truth aside, threatening witnesses with capital punishment probably isn’t considered good courtroom etiquette.

(This isn’t just a sign of Kazuma’s more ruthless and desperate prosecutor behaviour – he actually does something similar from the defence bench at one point in 1-1.)

--- Testimony 5 ---

(As a reminder, I am using different testimony-numbering to the game’s chapter select, because the chapter select bizarrely treats it as if day 2 and day 3 are one continuous day, when they are not. Add two to these numbers to match those in the chapter select.)

Susato: “I really don’t think that Kazuma-sama’s father would have engaged in such negotiations.”

Aww! Susato never knew Genshin herself, but even then, she believes that Kazuma’s father wouldn’t have been the kind of person to do something like that, just like Kazuma does!

Vigil: “In order to hide his identity, he was forced to wear an iron mask over his head.” Kazuma: “Hideous treatment.”

Aww, Kazuma. Genshin being forced to wear that mask for so long really must have been pretty horrible and uncomfortable and dehumanising, and of course Kazuma has Opinions about that that he feels the need to briefly express here.

Caidin: “The witness stand is no place for tellin’ what ya don’t know for sure. I ken that much, I do.” Kazuma: “Then I presume you also know this. Not telling what you do know is a criminal offence.”

Kazuma is, again, low-key threatening the witness, less harshly this time so that Stronghart won’t object to it.

I also can’t help but wonder: is it actually a criminal offence, to hide the truth on the witness stand without outright lying? Kazuma should know that all too well himself, since he’s so very skilled at doing that. But then, he’d say anything here to try and convince the witness to talk.

Kazuma: “So you were just following orders, is that it? I’m afraid that won’t absolve you of guilt here.”

Kazuma definitely has opinions about this, too. So many of the people involved in his father’s death did it because they were “just following orders” (hi, Gregson) – that doesn’t make them any less responsible for their part in killing an innocent man. If you’re in a position where you’re given orders to kill a man, the morally correct thing to do is refuse to follow the orders, obviously.

(Something else Kazuma also knows about all too well.)

Ryunosuke: “You may very well be found complicit in murder, Governor!” Caidin: “………” Kazuma: “So that’s what it’s to be, is it? Even with the threat of conviction, you won’t break your silence.”

Kazuma must be getting so frustrated with all these people who simply refuse to give him the truth, even under threat of death. Stronghart really does (somehow) spur that much dogged loyalty in his minions, geez.

Kazuma: “As you know, Genshin Asogi was shot dead in Lowgate Cemetery after the escape. Tell me… was that part of the plan, too?!” Caidin: […] “Personally, I believe his death was the last part of the plan.” Kazuma: “WHAT?!”

Despite having got a decent hold of himself earlier, Kazuma’s getting emotional again. He can’t stand the idea that his father being shot dead in the cemetery was something as vile as a deliberate, premeditated betrayal.

Kazuma: “Who was it? Who shot my father in the cemetery that night?!” Caidin: “…I’ve no answer to that question.” Stronghart: […] “This court will not pursue the identity of the individual who carried out the order.” Kazuma: “Grrr…”

And of course he desperately wants to know this. Now that he’s finally escaped his tunnel-visioning on van Zieks, and especially now that they’re discussing the prison break in which his father would have hypothetically survived if not for someone shooting him, of course Kazuma wants to learn just who it was who took away that chance of him seeing his father again after all.

(You get this and the previous reaction by ignoring Vigil’s interruption that you’re supposed to pursue in order to progress. Sometimes there can be fun dialogue in these bits that’s easy to miss, because most first-time players would go straight to pursuing the other witness as the obvious way forward.)

Vigil: “I was betrayed by my superiors… in the name of my country.” […] Kazuma: “Just as my father was betrayed, it seems.”

Kazuma’s still low-key having Feelings about this. I wonder if he feels a certain amount of empathy towards Vigil, because he was also just a victim in this huge conspiracy (not to mention the whole PTSD-amnesia thing).

Kazuma: “…It all happened in that vast chamber of secrets that is Barclay, behind the high prison walls. I suppose nobody knows what really went on in the execution room now… Yes, it’s an unsettling mystery, certainly.”

This little speech seems really weird for Kazuma. It’s so unlike him to just be going “welp, it’s a mystery, guess we’ll never know”, as if he’s just accepting that. (Also, there literally is somebody who knows what happened – Dr Sithe sure does, even though she’s been forbidden from testifying because Stronghart Says So.) Where’s his determination to find the truth no matter what?

So I wonder if this is instead Kazuma deliberately trying to manipulate the witnesses – probably Caidin in particular – into letting something slip by presenting it this way. I just can’t wrap my head around Kazuma inexplicably acting like this otherwise. And hey, this does spur Caidin into offering up another opinion that then gives Ryunosuke an opening in his testimony.

With that, they get talking about how Genshin’s will was apparently a “weapon” that he used to bargain for the escape plot.

Ryunosuke: “You see, there’s an undeniable inconsistency here.” Kazuma: “What?! What inconsistency?” Ryunosuke: “Mr Asogi described this document as the only weapon he had left. And yet this will contains nothing of significance at all.”

Kazuma’s getting notably worked up, apparently one step behind again. Which makes sense, since he doesn’t seem to have been privy to any of the information Ryunosuke gathered about the Asogi Papers and the will being a weapon, so he’s frantically fumbling to piece this new story together in his head.

(Also, he just hasn’t had the chance to read his father’s will, while Ryunosuke’s been carrying it around this whole time, so maybe there’s some emotions about that bubbling forth here.)

--- Testimony 6 ---

Stronghart: “We complied with Asogi’s will as far as was possible. All of his personal effects were delivered to his family home in Japan. …As a courtesy to the homeland of the most notorious killer our country has ever seen.” Kazuma: “……… And we were much obliged. I can confirm that all of my father’s belongings arrived safely.”

Oof, Kazuma’s pointed silence before speaking says a lot here. No doubt he’s masking the contempt he must be feeling at the sheer backhandedness of Stronghart’s pleasantry there, because, well, he is glad they did at least return his father’s belongings. (Imagine if they hadn’t, and he’d never been able to inherit Karuma! Unthinkable.)

Kazuma: “…Yes, there’s no mistaking that it’s my father’s brushwork.”

It’s pretty adorable that Kazuma can be so sure of this even after ten years. But of course he would have read and reread every one of the letters his father sent to him during his time in Britain, especially after he was gone and it was one of the only remnants of his “voice” Kazuma had left.

Stronghart: “And this last will and testament was the man’s last ‘weapon’, was it? I think we can safely assume that the convict was merely prattling… knowing that his end was nigh.” Kazuma: “………”

Another pointed silence from Kazuma. He’s certain that his father was not the kind of man who would “prattle” like that, claiming he had something out of empty desperation without having the substance to back it up. But that thought is based entirely in his emotions, and he knows better than to try and use those to argue with now.

Ryunosuke: “So that would mean that you conversed with Mr Asogi?” Vigil: “Yes, certainly. Though there was precious little time before his execution was due.” Kazuma: “………”

Again, the game makes a point of showing us Kazuma’s silence. No doubt he’s having some Feelings about the thought of his father having so little time left alive. I enjoy that the narrative wanted to highlight that.

Vigil: “I can still recall his reply: ‘I’m guilty of the unforgivable crime of ending another human’s life, yes.’” Kazuma: “…!”

Of course Kazuma reacts to this. This is a totally different situation than the false confession in court done on the promise of an escape plan – this is privately, in confidence, between two men as equals. And it’s clearly not a confession to the five Professor murders, either. His father wouldn’t have been lying about this. But then, that means… he really did kill someone after all…?

(Vigil already told this to Ryunosuke and Susato when they visited him in the hospital a couple of days ago, but evidently he did not mention this part to Kazuma when he also visited that day.)

Ryunosuke: “His sword?!” Kazuma: “Karuma, the famous sword of the Asogi clan. …It bears the soul of my family.” Ryunosuke: “I, I don’t doubt it, but I wasn’t really getting at that…” (Forget it being the soul of the clan! Could the man have had a more obvious ‘weapon’?) Kazuma: “Have some respect, Ryunosuke.”

Aww, Kazuma still being so stern about the importance of Karuma. And of course Ryunosuke understands that and genuinely believes it contains the Asogi clan’s soul – after all, he carried it for months while thinking of it as Kazuma’s soul! He’s just capable of taking a step back and acknowledging that it’s a still bit much that a death-row convict was allowed to carry a sword.

(This is, of course, also important setup to remind players that Genshin had Karuma on him, so that they can figure out where he hid the will.)

There’s some more fun missable bits if you ignore pursuing Vigil here like you’re supposed to…

Kazuma: “My father had a passion for calligraphy. He found the profound black colour of sumi ink to be very soothing.”

A neat little tidbit about Genshin, which also explains everything we need to know about Kazuma’s calligraphy scroll in his cabin on the Burya. Evidently he took up calligraphy himself, knowing his father was passionate about it, as a way to feel closer to him.

Stronghart: “Despite the seriousness of his crimes, he was treated in a gentlemanly fashion until the end.” Kazuma: “When he was callously betrayed and shot dead in a dark cemetery in the middle of the night. …Yes, the gentlemanliness of it is overwhelming.”

Some very understandable savagery from Kazuma! He isn’t even able to make it quite as barbed as he’d like, because in that last sentence, he turns his head away, suggesting his emotions are getting a little too much and he’s trying to make them a bit less visible.

Kazuma: “So the document had disappeared… Are you suggesting… that the document my father had in his hand that night in his cell was…?” Ryunosuke: “The same document that Lord Klint van Zieks was writing moments before his death.”

Kazuma leans over his bench for the second half of that line, meaning he’s having some amount of emotional reaction. Probably at the realisation that his father was in possession of the last thing Klint wrote before his death, meaning he was very likely present when Klint was killed, and that confession of his to having killed one person might actually mean…

Vigil: “But what’s on that paper?” Asogi: “…A last will and testament.”

Naturally, Genshin was also extremely good at concealing the truth without actually lying, implying it’s his own will without explicitly saying so in his words so that they aren’t a lie. Like father, like son.

Ryunosuke: “It was the last will and testament of Lord Klint van Zieks!” Van Zieks: “No…” Kazuma: “WHAAAT?!”

Van Zieks reacts to this, of course – but Kazuma also has a strong reaction. It must be starting to sink in just how likely it is that his father really did kill Klint after all.

Stronghart: “Pursuing this notion of a phantom will nobody can attest to having seen serves absolutely no purpose.” Kazuma: “Objection! No, My Lord, that’s unacceptable.” Stronghart: “What did you say, Counsel?” Kazuma: “The last will and testament that Genshin Asogi had in his possession was that of Lord Klint van Zieks. All the testimony and evidence presented to the court has logically led us to that as a possibility. We have a duty… to pursue the line of reasoning to its conclusion!”

Look at Kazuma having his head on straight! Stronghart is trying to shut this down, and instead of getting emotional, Kazuma’s able to calmly argue for the objective reason why they ought to continue this. I’m not sure he would have been capable of that not so long ago.

Stronghart goes on to point out that they can’t pursue anything without any knowledge of what the document contained, which makes Kazuma falter somewhat. Meanwhile, Ryunosuke has figured it out, and with some encouragement from Susato to help him overcome his nerves, begins to make a speech.

Ryunosuke: “In all probability, the details in the will were related to the Professor case.” Stronghart: “The defence’s last statement is mere conjecture.” Van Zieks: “What are you getting at, man?” Kazuma: “Ryunosuke?!”

I love Kazuma’s reaction here. He has no clue what the will contained himself, but he can see from the look in his friend’s eyes that Ryunosuke’s definitely onto something big here that’ll give them exactly what they need to keep this going.

It’s very obvious from his inner monologue that Ryunosuke’s figured out the actual answer here, but if you mess around and pick something wrong, you get more fun dialogue:

Kazuma: “Come on, Ryunosuke! I know you! You’ve seen to the heart of all of this, haven’t you?”

Kazuma believes in his best friend so much and is desperately relying on him to be able to continue the trial where he can’t, hnnnngh these friends. I love the way that really, Kazuma’s the one who idolises and depends on Ryunosuke, despite that things seem on the surface to be more the other way around.

Kazuma: “A, a confession…?” Ryunosuke: “Regarding the mass murderer known as the Professor… and his true identity!” Van Zieks: “Objection!”

This isn’t supposed to be a van Zieks commentary, but guh. Ryunosuke hasn’t even explicitly said in as many words that Klint was the Professor, but Barok knows exactly what he is getting at right away. His body language looks so hurt and defensive, protectively clutching at Klint’s badge like that.

I will restrain myself from commenting on all of van Zieks’s reaction to this – again, this commentary is here to analyse Kazuma, not him – but fff, it’s so good. One thing I want to highlight is the way that, while almost all character animations end on a still frame, most of the ones used for van Zieks’s breakdown here don’t, lingering on a constant loop of heavy breathing, which gives a real sense of extra intensity to the emotion he’s feeling. This poor man needs so many hugs (that he would never accept).

Ryunosuke: “The killer that terrorised London a decade ago and became known as the Professor… The man believed to have murdered five members of the aristocracy… wasn’t Genshin Asogi at all.” Kazuma: “…! No… you can’t be suggesting…?”

Meanwhile, Kazuma’s still one step behind his friend. His shocked reaction here is obviously not at the fact that the Professor was not his father – instead, this is him only just figuring out who it really was.

(Something relevant to note about Kazuma is that, although he’s been so fervently determined this whole time to prove that his father was not the Professor and punish those who framed him, he’s never been shown to have any particular investment in the question of who the real Professor was. That part’s basically just irrelevant to him, unrelated to the people who decided to condemn his father to death. He probably never spent much time during his investigations thinking about the real Professor and trying to figure out his identity, to the point that it comes as a complete shock to him here.)

Kazuma: “I don’t believe this…”

A little later, after Barok’s scream of agony at the explicit reveal and him reluctantly informing us that Klint did indeed own a large dog, Kazuma can still barely believe it. He’s staring down at his bench, as if half lost in his own private world. I wonder if he’s starting to see the irony of this, that van Zieks has also spent the past ten years wracked with desperate denial over the possibility of his loved one being this terrible mass murderer, and that’s why he was so viciously determined to convict Kazuma’s father rather than face the truth. You and he really aren’t so different after all, Kazuma!

Kazuma: “My father knew that, and was using it to negotiate his way out of the unjust charges brought against him. But at the very last hour, those he’d bargained with betrayed him… slaying him mercilessly on foreign soil.”

Kazuma still has some Strong Words about his father being betrayed and murdered. (I wonder if he’d word things quite this way if he realised that the person who shot Genshin was in fact not a foreigner he’d bargained with but his compatriot and friend.)

Stronghart: “It’s ironic, really – and somewhat surprising – that the truth has once again been unearthed… by a Japanese.” Kazuma: “Once again? What do you mean?!”

Kazuma’s asking a question, but based on his emotional reaction here, he seems to have already realised it was probably his father who figured Klint out. (After all, his father was the greatest detective ever, right? Of course he’d be the one to find the truth!)

Susato: “So, in actual fact… Kazuma-sama’s father did…?” Ryunosuke: “He made the late Lord van Zieks meet the same fate…”

Unsurprisingly, it is not Kazuma who voices this realisation that his father really did go and kill Klint, even though he’s no doubt also figured this out.

Stronghart: “As soon as I heard, I hurried to the mansion. When I arrived, it was easy to grasp what had happened.” Kazuma: “And? What about the will?”

And Kazuma is immediately moving on from the murder part and focusing on something else, nope no need to think too hard about the fact that his father really did kill someone, gonna file that away to deal with later

Stronghart: “I was the only person who knew the true identity of the Professor. So… I resolved to keep it a secret and guard the secret to the bitter end.” […] Kazuma: “It was you, then, who pinned the crimes on my father!”

Kazuma has finally, finally found the right person to blame! Of course, it’s been pretty clearly Stronghart and not van Zieks for a while now, but there must be some satisfaction in hearing him clearly willing to just admit it at last.

(Even then, there’s an urgency to Kazuma here but not as much of the vicious hatred that there was with van Zieks. It really does hit different when it’s not the man he’s spent the better part of ten years desperately clinging to hating in order to cope with his grief. Which is to say, he’s able to be more rational about this!)

Kazuma: “But I just don’t believe that part. As far as I knew the man, my father despised such underhand dealings.”

Of course Kazuma saw his father that way! We’ve seen just how carefully he avoids ever telling a direct lie, which I strongly believe is because his father impressed upon him that one must always tell the truth. And even then, there’s so many underhand things Kazuma himself had to agree to in order to make it to Britain – he must have been torn apart with guilt at the thought that this is exactly the kind of thing his father would have hated him doing.

Still, Kazuma is only bringing up this argument – an emotional argument – about his father’s actions now, now that there’s no more deductions to be done and Stronghart’s basically just telling them everything. Kazuma was able to keep his emotions in check in order to follow the logic and find the truth, just like Ryunosuke encouraged him to do!

Stronghart: “…It was extremely easy to make him comply. You see, he had one crippling weakness.” Kazuma: “W-What weakness?”

What is Stronghart talking about? Kazuma’s father was invincible, the greatest man ever; of course he couldn’t possibly have had any kind of weakness, that’s nonsense…! Oh, Kazuma.

Stronghart: “Isn’t it obvious? You… Kazuma Asogi.” Kazuma: “M-Me?!”

It’s so heartbreaking that this never even occurred to Kazuma. On his end, he adored his father so much that he unthinkingly chose to shape his entire life around finding justice for him, sacrificing anything and everything necessary – including his moral integrity – to achieve that. But it never once crossed his mind that his father felt just as strongly about him, and would have obviously chosen to make a similar kind of sacrifice for his sake.

(Maybe some of this comes from the fact that his father left him to go and study on the other side of the world for six years, so Kazuma has this unspoken sense that his father can’t have loved him that much, that obviously he must have cared about truth and justice and integrity more than his own son. I don’t believe Kazuma holds any conscious resentment towards his father for leaving him to study abroad, because he idolised him too much to feel like any of his decisions could have been wrong in any way. But still, it could have easily left him underestimating – and simply accepting, because he was just a kid – just how important he always was to his father.)

Stronghart: “…Perhaps you have no desire to return to your homeland, Asogi.” Asogi: “What?” Stronghart: “Though I hear you have a fourteen-year-old son.”

Stronghart’s no doubt bringing up Kazuma’s exact age in order to better emotionally manipulate Genshin here – but it is notable that he knows exactly how old Kazuma is in the first place. Evidently Genshin talked about his son a lot, to the point of mentioning things such as his exact age and when his birthday was! Gregson was abundantly aware that his colleague had a “young lad” back home in Japan, and it seems even Stronghart was able to piece this together from things Genshin had mentioned. Genshin really did love his son so much that he never stopped thinking and talking about him, even as he was living on the other side of the world! It really is possible to be so far away while still loving your son more than anything.

(Incidentally, this narrows down the possible range for Kazuma’s birthday. He was listed as twenty-three before his disappearance in January, and twenty-four since he reappeared in October. But for him to have been fourteen ten years ago before any of this stuff with Klint went down, his birthday has to be May at the latest. So it’s sometime between January and May, apparently.)

Asogi: “You… you scoundrel!”

I like that Genshin feels the need to curse at Stronghart for this. He knows that Stronghart’s bringing up his son in order to emotionally manipulate him, and he hates it. …But even as knows that, it’s still going to work on him.

Stronghart: “I only want to protect this country’s law and order, you understand.”

Very rich that Stronghart makes this Suspiciously Specific Insistence of his even to Genshin, who has read the will and is the one person who knows exactly what Stronghart is really trying to protect.

Stronghart: “So… what’s it to be, Asogi?” Asogi: “……… …Ka……… Kazuma… ………”

Hnggggh, my heart. Genshin really did want to stick to his principles and risk getting executed in order to make sure the truth came out, but as soon as Stronghart reminds him of how much he loves his son, and that he’ll in all likelihood never see him again if he goes through with this… suddenly Genshin can’t do it. He really did love his son more than anything, to be willing to sacrifice his honour and integrity, something he valued so much, for Kazuma’s sake.

(So that Kazuma wouldn’t have to grow up fatherless and grieving. Genshin was willing to make this sacrifice to save him from that… and yet, it still happened anyway.)

Kazuma: “He… he did it for me…”

Kazumaaaaa. Guhhh, his face here. He’s only just realising that, even though he was half a world away for six whole years, his father really did still love him so, so much. Just as much as Kazuma’s always loved him, to make such awful sacrifices for his sake.

So Stronghart confesses to being the Reaper as well, entreating the judiciary to keep it under wraps, and is about to end the trial when Kazuma interrupts to ask something to van Zieks.

Kazuma: “Of course, I know that you’re a highly accomplished prosecutor. So I find it hard to believe… that you didn’t have any doubts at all. That you never suspected your older brother.” Van Zieks: “…” Ryunosuke: “Yes, the same thought occurred to me.”

This had indeed occurred to Ryunosuke a little while ago – and it’s very remarkable that Kazuma has thought about it too! Look at him thoroughly being able to see van Zieks as a person, acknowledging his skill as a prosecutor and the humanity of the fact that surely, being so close to his brother, he would have noticed something off. Ryunosuke knows van Zieks well enough to see this after everything that’s happened – and, it turns out, so does Kazuma! He has spent months working as the man’s apprentice, and with the irrational hatred finally pushed aside, Kazuma is actually quite able to acknowledge van Zieks as the human person that he is.

After van Zieks and Stronghart both say some things in response to this, Stronghart is about to adjourn the trial again.

Ryunosuke: “Objection! Thank you… Kazuma.” Kazuma: “Me…?” Ryunosuke: “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have made this eleventh-hour discovery.” Kazuma: “What discovery?” […] Kazuma: “But… all I did was ask the accused one simple question!”

I love how Kazuma is totally bewildered as to how he was helpful – it really was just a coincidence that his question led to Stronghart letting slip something useful – but Ryunosuke felt the need to thank him for it anyway. Did you know, they are friends. Maybe this is a sign of Ryunosuke’s idolisation of Kazuma, in that he assumes Kazuma got this to happen on purpose, when no, he really didn’t!

And, of course, Kazuma has no idea what was said that was relevant, while Ryunosuke managed to pick up on that tiny detail (Stronghart mentioning that Genshin’s will had three pages and not two), because Ryunosuke really is a talented lawyer whose eye for detail is even sharper than Kazuma’s.

Caidin: “If I mind correctly, the third… was a message to his lad back in Japan.” Stronghart: “For legal purposes, we required only his will.” Caidin: “And we would’nae have wanted any… uncomfortable words aboot Britain to get back to Japan, eh. So it was decided that the third page ought’nae to be sent.” Kazuma: “Objection! How dare you make that decision?! I had a right to know what it said! To hear my father’s final words to me!”

Aww, Kazuma. He doesn’t even expect that third page to have contained anything important; he just feels like he deserved to hear what his father wanted to say to him before he died! (Especially after having only just realised how much his father loved him and was thinking of him even at a time like that.)

Man, if only that page had been sent, though. No doubt Kazuma would have figured out the riddle at some point, and found Klint’s will… and then this would have been a very different story indeed.

It appears that the third page not being sent was just a case of the concerns mentioned here and not any more sinister machinations trying to prevent Kazuma from learning the truth. I can only assume that the English people involved only knew the third page was a message to Kazuma and couldn’t actually read it. If Stronghart could read Japanese and read that third page himself, he would certainly have been likely to figure out where the will was hidden. So it seems that wasn’t the case.

(I was going to say here that it was presumably Genshin who told them that the final page was a message to his son, thus unintentionally causing his plan to fail, but on second thought, maybe that’s not it. Someone would have needed to translate at least the first page to the English people in order for them to comply with Genshin’s wishes to leave everything to Kazuma – and this probably happened after his death, perhaps with Mikotoba as the translator. So maybe Mikotoba was reading out the will in English, only he stopped at the third page when he saw it was a private message to Kazuma… and he mentioned that fact, and that’s why it didn’t get sent. It may not have been Genshin’s fault.)

Ryunosuke: “A haiku poem? Twist thy head…?”

Shout-outs to Mikotoba for translating Genshin’s haiku on the spot here and managing to get the syllables to match in English too.

Kazuma: “Father…”

Kazuma finally hears his father’s final words to him… and they’re not something sentimental like he might have been imagining after the recent revelation about his father’s reason for taking the deal. It’s just a few vague cryptic lines, which Kazuma must realise was his father trying to tell him something, only he can’t figure out what it is…!

(Valuing truth and integrity and never telling direct lies, and yet very cryptic and evasive. Yep, like father, like son.)

Ryunosuke: “It’s the ‘katana’ sword that was submitted as evidence earlier in these proceedings. The one worn by the prosecution counsel when he… confronted Inspector Gregson.”

I note your awkward pause there, Ryunosuke. Someone still doesn’t want to think too hard about the fact that Kazuma threatened someone at sword-point and actually swung at him.

There’s some missable dialogue if you examine the head of Karuma again after finding the will. (You even get an achievement for doing this.)

Ryunosuke: “Kazuma’s father certainly had a way with words.” Susato: “And he certainly thought up an ingenious hiding place, too. It seems almost playful at first, but I do wonder if over the years perhaps… the duties of the Asogi clan have actually called for such inventiveness.” Ryunosuke: “Protecting great secrets, you mean? Those sorts of duties?” (Well, I could believe that. Kazuma conducts himself like someone with the weight of his clan’s long and noble history on his shoulders.)

His clan’s long and noble history of hiding secrets while maintaining an outward appearance of truthfulness and integrity, indeed. It is some interesting musing that the existence of this hidden compartment inside Karuma suggests that this secretiveness might be a part of the Asogi clan’s legacy.

Ryunosuke: “What about Inspector Gregson then?” Stronghart: “…!” Kazuma: “And Dr Wilson. They were no criminals. You used them to achieve your ends… and then you had them killed!”

Interesting that Kazuma’s putting in a word in defence of Gregson and Wilson, the two men who framed his father. That was them committing a crime, and Kazuma of all people has certainly had some Opinions about that! It seems that here he’s approaching this from the perspective of: they wouldn’t ever have become criminals, if it hadn’t been for Stronghart using them as pawns.

Van Zieks: “This gentleman has an uncanny habit… of producing evidence at the final hour that had escaped everyone else’s attention!” Stronghart: “Nonsense…” Kazuma: “What is it, Ryunosuke?! What do you have?!”

Aww, Kazuma. He doesn’t even realise what the evidence could be (despite the one very obvious answer at this point), but he’s so sure that his friend has found something to miraculously turn things around!

Ryunosuke: “It was rolled up inside this.” Kazuma: “I-Inside Karuma?!”

Must be a pretty big shock for Kazuma to realise he’s been carrying the key piece of evidence that his father left for him by his side for all these years, and he had no idea.

Stronghart: “As I’ve explained countless times already, it was all done for the furtherance of law and order in London!” Kazuma: “Objection! Are you going to legitimise the murder of my father now, too?”

I’m sure Kazuma hates hearing anyone talk as if his father’s death was “for the greater good”. As if that would make it okay even if it were true and not just Stronghart bullshitting to save face.

It feels to me like Kazuma coming out with this doesn’t necessarily need to be about Genshin being shot – he ought to be just as angry at the idea of him being framed and falsely executed for these reasons. But they do go on to talk about specifically the part where Genshin should have survived but didn’t.

Stronghart: “Well, that was unfortunate. I had fully intended to send him back to Japan as we’d agreed.” Kazuma: “I don’t believe you! It was you, wasn’t it? You killed him!”

Ugh, Kazuma really wants to believe this. He finally knows who was truly behind everything, who was truly deserving of all of his hatred – he so wants it to be true that Stronghart was the one who shot his father dead on top of everything else, so that he can keep piling all of his hatred onto this one person and things don’t have to be any more complicated than that.

But in his desperation, Kazuma isn’t able to see just how unlikely that is to be the case. Stronghart has shown himself to be very notorious for never actually pulling the trigger himself. Of course he’d have got someone else to do it here, too.

Not that that makes him any less guilty of Genshin’s murder, nor any less deserving of Kazuma’s hatred for it, though. But on top of that, Kazuma’s also got to come to terms with the fact that it was his formerly-trusted family friend Jigoku who actually did the deed. Ouch.

It’s kind of a shame we don’t have Jigoku himself here for this reveal to see how he feels about it, because I imagine there’s a lot of genuine guilt and regret there. Based on the flashback, it very much comes across like Jigoku did not want to kill Genshin at all and was just pressured into it in the panic of the moment by Stronghart.

Stronghart: “He claimed to be the man’s friend, but when push came to shove, he pulled the trigger.”

Says the push who came to shove! Geez, what a hypocrite. None of this is at all Stronghart’s fault, you guys, it’s all Jigoku’s for being a backstabbing fake-friend. Totally.

Kazuma: “………”

We also don’t really see much of Kazuma’s reaction to learning this. There’s just this silence, as he leans urgently over the bench. I imagine that in true Kazuma style, he’s suppressing however he feels about this to deal with and process later, maybe, if at all. Oh, Kazuma. I wonder if he ever visits Jigoku in prison at some point in the future to confront him over this.

Kazuma: “So you coerced him, too? Using what happened in the graveyard!”

Based on this, it also seems that for now at least, he’s kind of framing Jigoku in his head as another of Stronghart’s victims, a bit like he was for Gregson and Wilson earlier. Which is not untrue.

Stronghart: “He would have lost everything. …I merely reminded him of that.” Kazuma: “How do you sleep at night…?”

Some of Kazuma’s personal feelings shining through here. Of course he finds Stronghart’s manipulative nature and skirting of his own responsibility to be completely despicable. This is the very opposite of the principles of integrity and honour that his father would have taught him to uphold! All of that got a bit, uh, skewed here and there throughout the events of this case, but here at the end we finally have Kazuma with his moral compass right back where it always should have been.

Stronghart: “I saved Klint van Zieks from dishonour in his death!” Kazuma: “Objection! Whilst behind the scenes you systematically buried anyone who stood in your way. And then you made my father take the blame!”

Damn right – it’s hardly noble of Stronghart to “save Klint from dishonour” when he did so by thoroughly dishonouring somebody else who didn’t actually deserve it.

Kazuma: “Let’s not forget the others you had killed as well. Setting the defendant up as the Reaper to cover up the truth behind the murders of countless more!”

Look at him standing up for van Zieks being unfairly persecuted! It really didn’t take him that long to change his tune there, once Ryunosuke talked some sense into him.

(It’s also interesting to note that he’s calling van Zieks the “defendant” here, not the “accused” – the defence lawyer perspective! He did actually call him the “accused” just a little earlier when asking him that question about if he suspected his brother, but perhaps that was because that was a more Formal Courtroom kind of moment, so he stuck to the Correct Prosecutor Language. Here, though, speaking less as the prosecutor and more just as himself – van Zieks is the “defendant”, because he’s innocent and Kazuma knows that!)

Kazuma: “Objection! You’ve done nothing! It’s Lord van Zieks here who worked tirelessly and justly in court, whilst enduring the disgrace of the Reaper name!” Van Zieks: “…!”

Look at Kazuma not only standing up for van Zieks but sympathising with the burden he’s been carrying! He’s seeing van Zieks as a human person who’s suffered undeservedly! Just like he was always capable of doing all this time, if only he could have put his hatred aside for long enough to see it.

I love that van Zieks reacts to this, too, realising that his erstwhile “enemy” actually understands and cares about what he’s been through, more than he was probably ever expecting Kazuma to. These two are gonna be friends one day, dammit.

Ryunosuke: (Lord Stronghart really is a master of manipulation.) Susato: “You’ve conclusively proven his guilt. Yet he still manages to evade justice. I, I just don’t know what we can do…” Kazuma: “Ryunosuke…”

As Stronghart (somehow) manipulates the judiciary into cheering his name despite his explicit and reprehensible guilt, and Ryunosuke is pretty much just standing there thinking, not showing any obvious signs of having a plan yet… Kazuma still believes, or at least hopes, that his friend might just be able to pull out some miracle to save this. Aww.

(Which, he’s about to. But that’s a lot more down to Sholmes than anything to do with Ryunosuke’s talents this time.)

Ryunosuke: “The truth can also cause great pain. Sometimes even leave people on the brink of despair.” Kazuma: “And for that reason, there are those who feel the need to hide the truth. Who do it instinctively, even.”

Here’s one more line that looks like Kazuma might be vaguely alluding to his own PTSD-amnesia again, just a tiny bit.

There’s some interesting interactions between Kazuma and van Zieks in the defendant’s antechamber scene at the end, but I’ve already covered what I’d want to say about them in my big analysis post on Kazuma’s character, so I’ll refrain from repeating myself here.

One other notable thing in this scene is that Kazuma is the one who brings up the question of Klint’s second request that he didn’t mention in the will (that turns out to be about Iris). I imagine Kazuma’s the one to ask this because he’s thinking about the fact that his father agreed to honour this request, and wondering whether or not he managed to do so before his death.

As Kazuma leaves the antechamber with van Zieks – after encouraging him to not give up prosecuting now that he’s finally rid of the burden of the Reaper name – Ryunosuke has a little musing that seems like a good note to end this commentary on.

Ryunosuke: “Kazuma Asogi… It seems as though he’s really matured suddenly.”

Aww. This might have seemed a bit much from Ryunosuke at the beginning of the game, in which Kazuma gave the impression of being by far the more mature one of the two of them. But now, having seen the irrational mess that Kazuma was in court not so long ago… yeah, he has matured quite a bit, and quite suddenly too, now that he’s cast that part of himself away! Good on him. And good on Ryunosuke for noticing that about his friend.

#ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo

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commentaryvorg · 4 months

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The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 3, Part 3

This is an ongoing mini-commentary covering the final trial of The Great Ace Attorney (Resolve) in line-by-line detail. It’s written from a perspective of already knowing the full truth of things, so there will be spoilers for facts that only get revealed later on in the trial. This is not a commentary to read along with one’s first playthrough!

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

We’re past the save point, just after Kazuma’s huge emotional breakdown and without any recess for him to have processed and collected his emotions. But of course he managed to pull himself back together in zero time at all, because Kazuma is nothing if not an expert at bottling things up and appearing Completely Fine.

Kazuma: “You were there at the time. So you must testify! You have an obligation to tell the truth about what really went on!”

Ghh, Kazuma is still so desperate here. He knows that Mikotoba’s testimony is his only remaining chance to prove that things really were fabricated and his father was innocent.

(He’s probably also feeling some kind of way about the realisation that Mikotoba, his guardian, has had an eyewitness account this whole time that could prove his father’s innocence, and he never talked about any of it to Kazuma. If only Mikotoba had told Kazuma the truth of what really happened to his father… or if only Kazuma had found the courage to confront him about it once he received that letter.)

--- Testimony 4 ---

(As a reminder, I’m using different testimony-numbering to the game’s chapter select, because the chapter select bizarrely treats it as if day 2 and day 3 are one continuous day, when they are not. Add two to these numbers to match those in the chapter select.)

Kazuma: “No indication…? NOTHING to suggest fabrication?!”

Ugh, Kazuma’s so worked up at the fact that Mikotoba didn’t immediately go “yeah it was totally sus”. Of course he wasn’t going to say that! If the fabrication was that obviously apparent, he would have said something ten years ago, Kazuma!

I’m sure nobody in the judiciary watching this is feeling at all suspicious of the fact that the judge starts chuckling evilly at this. Stronghart, please.

Stronghart: “You claim the inspector confessed just before his death. But that… THAT is the fabrication!” Kazuma: “No! He freely acknowledged it! I swear he did!” Stronghart: “Freely? With the tip of a sword at his throat? The man was clearly at his wits’ end.” Kazuma: “…!” Stronghart: “The court will give no credence to this ‘confession’ that was uttered in obvious desperation.”

Whoops. Kazuma is beginning to see just how unhelpful of a plan threatening Gregson was. Stronghart isn’t even trying to argue that Kazuma could be making up what he heard, but simply that Gregson’s confession means nothing when it was given under threat. If Kazuma hadn’t been so desperate as to resort to threats, maybe he’d have more of a leg to stand on here!

For the record, I highly doubt that Gregson only confessed because he was desperate and at his wits’ end at all. Based on his demeanour that we see in the flashback, he seemed barely bothered by Kazuma’s threats – perhaps he would have told Kazuma just as much even if a sword hadn’t been pointed at him. But of course, because the court doesn’t have an actual flashback and only has Kazuma’s word on what happened, it’s very easy for those in the courtroom to imagine that Gregson might have been only confessing out of fear and desperation, simply telling Kazuma what he clearly wanted to hear.

Ryunosuke: “I have the right to cross-examine every witness after testimony. And I fully intend to exercise that right!” Kazuma: “Ryunosuke…”

Kazuma is so glad that his friend is this determined. Stronghart was about to declare things closed without a cross-examination, but no, Ryunosuke is going to probe into this further, as much as he possibly can, and Kazuma is so, so thankful for that. He really wouldn’t be able to do any of this without Ryunosuke here.

Ryunosuke: “You, you couldn’t say?” Mikotoba: “No, sadly not.” Kazuma: “But then you couldn’t say there wasn’t any indication either, could you?” Mikotoba: “……… No, true, I couldn’t.”

Kazuma’s comment comes across as so desperate… but really, it’s exactly what Mikotoba was trying to hint at and hoping to have the opportunity to point out! Mikotoba was strictly ordered to avoid any supposition, but thanks to Kazuma’s insistence, we’re able to establish that Mikotoba wasn’t watching the entire procedure and that fabrication was possible!

Stronghart: “Genshin Asogi confessed to all of his crimes upon his arrest. He admitted to having taken the lives of all five members of the aristocracy.” Kazuma: “Argh!”

Kazuma does not enjoy being reminded that his father confessed to all the murders. Why on earth would he have done that? His father wouldn’t lie!

(I have no doubt that Kazuma’s particular insistence on never telling a direct lie comes from principles he learned from his father.)

Gorey: “…but they did find an amazing piece of evidence. Something unbelievable!” […] Kazuma: “Come on, Dr Gorey! What was it?”

It’s kind of interesting how Kazuma has to desperately demand this piece of information from Maria, because it’s not in the autopsy report. The report we read in the Court Record only states that “vital evidence” was found in the victim’s stomach, and not what it was. No doubt this vagueness was on purpose of Wilson, so that it would be impossible for anyone reading the autopsy report alone to notice what was contradictory about the evidence, if they didn’t know it was a really pointy ring that should have left abrasions on the throat.

Kazuma: “M-My father’s ring… was inside the victim’s stomach?”

Kazuma reacts in shock to this, perhaps at the fact that this really does seem to indicate the killer must have been his father. Not only does the autopsy report not state specifically what kind of object the vital evidence was, it doesn’t even explain why it implicated Genshin – that it was one of his belongings. Hearing this here, without any time to think through the details and find the contradiction, it must feel to Kazuma like maybe his father really did do it.

Or, perhaps, he’s simply having a visceral reaction to the fact that one of his father’s precious possessions that he remembers from sixteen years ago was found in such a grisly place.

Mikotoba: “It wasn’t on his hand, of course. Moreover… there were deep abrasions on his finger where it had been pulled off.” Van Zieks: ……… Mikotoba: “…They arrested the man there and then, right before my eyes.” Kazuma: “How could they?!”

Oh, Kazuma. It’s really pretty apparent why they would arrest Genshin, under those circumstances! But he’s just having an instinctive reaction to the image of his father being handcuffed and arrested that Mikotoba’s account has conjured into his head. Guhh, this poor kid who adored his father more than anything. How could they do anything bad to him, how dare they.

Van Zieks’s pointed silence here is also interesting. Perhaps it’s there to imply that he’s beginning to consider the possibility of how Genshin’s ring was really pulled off his finger, if things were in fact a fabrication.

Stronghart: “After further investigations by Scotland Yard, the man admitted to his crimes.” Kazuma: “That’s a lie! My father was no killer! Barok van Zieks! It was you! You twisted the truth to suit your purposes!”

Hhhh, Kazuma. This bit comes from pressing van Zieks’s one statement in this testimony, but even then, it comes across as pretty uncalled-for that Kazuma goes from hearing again that his father confessed, right into blaming it all on van Zieks, which is several steps away from the point right now. Kazuma just cannot remotely wrap his head around how or why his father would ever have ended up confessing (it can’t be that he actually did it – but he wouldn’t lie, either), so in his inability to resolve that, his mind just reflexively defaults to the usual no it’s all van Zieks’s fault, it has to be.

(It’s fun how Kazuma is fanatically blaming van Zieks as a deflection from the idea that his father might have been the killer. A very similar kind of deflection is also the reason that van Zieks so furiously latched onto blaming Genshin for his brother’s death, so that he didn’t have to consider the far worse alternate possibility.)

I would say it’s notable that Kazuma’s still very much thinking that it’s van Zieks even though it’s now been suggested that it might actually be Stronghart and a part of him earlier seemed to be recognising the logic of that possibility… but then, this particular thought process of his definitely has absolutely zero logic involved.

Props to Maria for insisting on bringing the ring here so that we can see just how pointy it is, despite that she apparently wasn’t supposed to! She is a good, wanting to do better than her mother did.

Ryunosuke: “That the ring was never in the victim’s stomach to begin with! It’s entirely feasible that Dr Wilson fabricated that detail about the autopsy!” Kazuma: “What are you saying?! That Dr Wilson…”

It’s remarkable that Kazuma reacts with surprise here. You’d think, being more desperate than anybody else for the autopsy to have been fabricated, that he’d have already been imagining that Dr Wilson did just that with the ring, and so Ryunosuke asserting as much shouldn’t be surprising to him. But instead, it seems like he’s somehow one step behind Ryunosuke. Perhaps he still is caught up on the notion that his father confessed for some reason and the ring was in the victim’s stomach, and these things are making him subconsciously fear that maybe it was all true, such that he isn’t thinking along the lines of how to prove the fabrication like Ryunosuke is.

Ryunosuke: “This evidence… right here.” Kazuma: “That’s the autopsy report!”

Again, Kazuma seems one step behind Ryunosuke – like it never occurred to him to think about how he could possibly prove that the ring wasn’t actually swallowed by Klint.

Mikotoba: “That’s precisely why I had my doubts about the findings myself ten years ago.” Kazuma: “Then why didn’t you say something at the time?!”

Oh, Kazuma. Why didn’t Mikotoba, his trusted guardian, stop his father being killed if he had the opportunity to do so after all? Of course he would have tried, Kazuma. Genshin was his friend.

Wilson: “Doctor Mikotoba, may I remind you… that I have vastly more experience than you.” Mikotoba: “I’m, I’m terribly sorry.” Wilson: “I can think of plenty of ways to explain why no injuries would be seen.”

Nonetheless, it’s still tragic that Mikotoba didn’t try harder to protest what he knew was suspicious. He could have challenged Wilson to explain those supposed ways it wouldn’t have left an injury! He could even have presented it not as a challenge, but just as an “I’d like to learn more from your expertise” kind of thing! But alas, that Japanese politeness, and perhaps Mikotoba just being kind of meek in personality, led to him lying down and accepting it even though he knew something was off.

(Genshin, meanwhile, was a determined and stubborn enough person that he’d absolutely have questioned this further if he’d been in Mikotoba’s shoes. But then, Genshin being someone who didn’t bow to his superior telling him “shut up, you’re wrong, I know better than you” when things were suspicious is exactly why he ended up confronting Klint himself and sealing his own fate.)

Kazuma: “So I was right! Dr Wilson deliberately fabricated the results of the autopsy to implicate my father!”

Oh, Kazuma. Despite being one step behind Ryunosuke just now, as soon as he understands what they’re getting at, of course he’s the first one to jump to insisting that this proves his father was framed.

Van Zieks: “…of Genshin Asogi saving my life.” Kazuma: “What?! My, my father… saved YOUR life?”

Aaa, of course Kazuma can’t believe the notion that his father would do that. Van Zieks is the monster who would go on to kill him! His father saving such a man is backwards!

Or perhaps, the fact that his father apparently considered van Zieks someone worth protecting suggests to Kazuma that maybe he’s not a monster after all, which goes against everything he’s trying to cling to.

Van Zieks proposes the possibility that the thugs who attacked him that night were actually out to steal Genshin’s ring in order to frame him, and…

Kazuma: “Objection!” [he slams his bench in anguish] Kazuma: “You… you pathetic coward… You expect me to believe that you weren’t involved?”

On some level here, Kazuma must be beginning to accept that van Zieks can’t have been. If this really was the one chance the conspirators had to frame Genshin by stealing his ring, and it was done through an apparent attack on van Zieks… of course van Zieks himself wouldn’t have been in on that. And it’s clear from the van Zieks here right now that he genuinely only just realised the significance himself. He’s not making this up. It’s not him, and it never was.

But… Kazuma doesn’t know how to deal with that realisation. He’s been clinging to his hatred of van Zieks for so, so long as the only thing keeping him going throughout his grief. What on earth is he supposed to do with all this pain if he can’t hate the man any more?

Kazuma: “It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who took it. You stole my father’s ring!”

He’s saying this, but there’s none of the fierce conviction and vitriol that there’s always been before now. He just looks lost and desperate, and pleading. It has to be van Zieks, doesn’t it? He needs it to still be van Zieks.

Kazuma: “You set the whole thing up so you could paint him as a mass murderer and have him arrest—”

Kazuma does a finger-point animation here, but something about the way it’s framed – perhaps something to do with the subtle screen flashes and shakes that there always are (or a lack thereof) – makes it feel like there’s absolutely no force in it this time. He’s just emptily going through the motions, not truly believing in it any more, but he doesn’t know what to do if this isn’t the truth.

Ryunosuke: “Objection! Kazuma… open your eyes.” Kazuma: “R-Ryunosuke?” Ryunosuke: “You must know deep down… The truth can be completely obscured even when your judgement is only slightly clouded. But at the moment… you seem to be floundering through a dense fog.” Kazuma: “…!”

Ryunosuke has of course known all along that Kazuma’s emotions have been clouding his judgement. (Well, to some extent, though he never quite picked up on just how twisted some of his earlier arguments were.) But it looks like he’s able to see here, based on Kazuma’s demeanour, that he might finally be receptive to being told this! Kazuma very much doesn’t seem to truly believe it’s van Zieks any more, so this is the perfect time for Ryunosuke to reach out to him and try to help him see just how misguided he’s being.

Kazuma’s reaction certainly suggests that he’s listening. From anyone else, he might not have – but this is Ryunosuke, the friend he trusts more than anyone.

Ryunosuke: “Is that why you were so insistent I should be present in this trial? To see you like this?” Kazuma: “………”

I strongly suspect that the a lot of the real reason Kazuma insisted on Ryunosuke being here was, on a very not-consciously-acknowledged level, precisely for what he’s doing right now! A part of him always knew that he might have been wrong about van Zieks, and in that event, that buried part of him trusted Ryunosuke to be able to see that and prove van Zieks’s innocence to him – to pull Kazuma off this path of vengeance before it was too late. I like to think that Kazuma’s silence here is him finally letting himself consciously acknowledge that this is what he wanted Ryunosuke here to do.

Meanwhile, Stronghart is chuckling evilly, because Kazuma’s obvious over-emotional desperation is making it very easy to argue that he just made the whole fabrication thing up and missed the obvious “contradiction” in it. Said contradiction being: that Genshin didn’t try to contest the fabrication in court and confessed to the crimes willingly.

Stronghart: “Your twisted loyalty and clouded judgement are hampering your ability for logical thought.” Kazuma: “Argh!”

Interestingly, this is the part that Kazuma reacts to most strongly – not the reminder that his father quietly accepted the verdict, but the notion that his emotions have been hindering him. Kazuma really does care in principle about being fair and diligent and logical in his approach to cases, and thanks to Ryunosuke’s words, he’s realising just how horribly far from that he’s been in this trial.

Stronghart: “There was no fabrication of evidence during the autopsy of his final victim ten years ago!” Ryunosuke: “AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

And it’s Ryunosuke, not Kazuma, who reacts violently to Stronghart shooting down their argument. He ends up with his head in his hands, despairing, but Kazuma…

Kazuma: “Objection! Thank you, Ryunosuke. If it wasn’t for your frank words just now… this trial may very well have ended prematurely.”

He’s managed to figure something out, all thanks to Ryunosuke talking him down from his emotions and making him realise he needs to look at things more objectively! They are friends.

I also love how quickly Kazuma’s able to turn himself around like this. There really was always a buried part of him that suspected he was wrong about van Zieks and wanted to do this better, and all it took was his friend talking some sense into him for him to be able to push aside his emotions and act on that more logical side of himself, like he always should have been.

Kazuma: “You claim that my father’s silence was due to the fact that there was no fabricated evidence. But there’s another possible explanation. You’ve overlooked the possibility that he had a reason for maintaining that silence!”

This is not a line of logic Kazuma would have been able to think through if he’d still been letting his emotions drive him. He truly believes in his father as a paragon of justice and integrity who would never lie, and never engage in any kind of underhanded deals. From that perspective, the question of why his father would ever confess to crimes he didn’t commit just makes his mind short circuit and think about something else.

But if Kazuma approaches this logically, unemotionally, just thinking about why somebody in that position might give a false confession… there is actually a possible reason that he can argue for here. He still doesn’t like to believe that his father would do such a thing, but he’s putting that emotional thought aside for now to focus on the facts.

Van Zieks: “If the autopsy results were an invention, there’s no conceivable reason why the man wouldn’t have protested!” Kazuma: “Objection! Oh, those results were an invention alright. There’s no question of that. Or are you forgetting that two people with a connection to that autopsy have been assassinated?”

And look at him being so confident about this! Up until just now, Kazuma was floundering every time Stronghart tried to insist that the fabrication wasn’t real – but now that he’s got his head on straight, he’s able to find the perfect argument as to why it has to have been real. Not one that’s based on his emotional belief in his father’s innocence, but one based on objective facts that he can cite. Look at him go! He’s actually good at this after all!

Kazuma: “If I force the grievances I feel from my mind… I start to see you in a very different light. I think perhaps it’s you who’s been living in delusion these ten years.”

Look at him empathising with van Zieks! He’s seeing him as a person who’s suffered and had his view of the truth twisted by grief and hatred and denial just like Kazuma has! It really is remarkable how quickly Kazuma was able to turn around and realise this – which just goes to show that there was always a part of him capable of seeing that van Zieks is in fact a human being. It’s just that he’s finally listening to that part of him now, instead of fervently shutting it away.

(Although, really, Kazuma, it’s both of you who’ve been deluded in one way or another for ten years. Acting like it’s only van Zieks and not you after all sure is some projecting.)

Van Zieks: “M… Me…?”

Oh no, van Zieks, he’s so defensive about this – but of course, there’s always been a buried part of him deep down that suspected it wasn’t actually Genshin, and if it wasn’t Genshin, then it must have been—

Ryunosuke: “…it led to his escape. An escape that was only possible because he’d been sentenced to death.” Kazuma: “Although I find it hard to believe my father would have negotiated in that way… the defence is correct.”

Aww, Kazuma. He still does believe in his father and at least wants to mention that fact… but he’s no longer letting it stop him from following the logic of what evidently happened.

Kazuma: “The prosecution wishes to summon new witnesses to the stand!” Stronghart: “Witnesses?” Kazuma: “People who can testify about the jailbreak that took place ten years ago.” Ryunosuke: “Ah!”

And look at Ryunosuke being surprised – he’s the one who’s one step behind now! Kazuma had already thought all of this through and realised that he was going to have to call these witnesses, probably as soon as he objected earlier. He really is on top of things, finally!

#ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo

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commentaryvorg · 4 months

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The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 3, Part 2

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

Last time, Jigoku confessed to killing Gregson, which proves it wasn’t van Zieks who did the deed… but Kazuma has not given up yet, because of course he hasn’t.

Kazuma: “The accused’s innocence hasn’t been fully established at all. And therefore, it would be wrong to deliver a verdict at this time. That is the prosecution’s unwavering position!”

Of course Kazuma insists that he’s unwavering on this. He really does refuse to waver on his conviction that Barok van Zieks is the guiltiest guilter to ever guilt.

Kazuma: “Nevertheless… Barok van Zieks has committed crimes for which he must be punished.”

It’s not even so much about revealing the supposed truth of van Zieks’s crimes to Kazuma – it’s about making sure he gets punished for it. Ghhhh. Prosecutors don’t usually make a point of the punishment like this, but of course Kazuma would.

Kazuma: “But it’s clear from the witness’s testimony that he was coerced into complying with this plot. Into this sick, merciless assassin exchange!”

Those sure are some choice words to describe it. But then, when it’s being masterminded by van Zieks, The Worst Person Ever, of course it’s sick and merciless and any other horrible descriptor you could think of. (And I wouldn’t be surprised if some of Kazuma’s own feelings about being coerced into co-operating with this himself are coming through here.)

Kazuma: “And furthermore… I’m going to prove his guilt beyond all reasonable doubt!”

Yes, because an argument based on something he claims Gregson told him at sword-point but cannot prove, and the assumption that it was probably the prosecutor on the case who’d have ordered fabricated evidence and would therefore want his co-conspirators silenced, definitely doesn’t involve any reasonable amount of doubt at all. Someone might be overselling himself just a bit here.

(Revival of the Prosecutor is playing now, because this more than anything else is the very thing that Kazuma’s entire life has been building towards – or at least, that’s what he’s fervently telling himself is the case.)

Van Zieks: “I must say I’m surprised… by quite how tenaciously you appear to want to besmirch my name.” Kazuma: “……… You are guilty of an unforgivable crime, Lord van Zieks. And I will bring you to justice for it… whatever it takes!”

Here, of course, Kazuma isn’t really talking about him supposedly being the Reaper. He’s saying you killed my father, the most unforgivable crime of them all.

(When really, van Zieks ought to be forgiven for his role in that, because it wasn’t his fault. But Kazuma doesn’t do forgiveness and is going to be unable to forgive him even when he learns the truth.)

Kazuma: “I thank you, My Lord, for guiding the court so wisely.”

This is as Stronghart agrees to allow Kazuma’s line of enquiry. Because of course, entertaining his argument that van Zieks is The Worstest Ever is the height of judgely wisdom.

Van Zieks: “I first had to suffer the pseudonym of the Reaper ten years ago now. And ever since that time, I’ve endured the weight of implied guilt that’s gone with it. So I welcome the chance to testify now… and crush these allegations once and for all.” Kazuma: “Good. Then let justice decide… Lord van Zieks.”

Kazuma is so convinced that justice is on his side here. Even as van Zieks is very much speaking like an innocent man who’s been viewed as a criminal for ten years! But no, obviously that’s all an act, and obviously his testimony’s only going to end up proving that, right.

(There’s been another couple of rare instances of Kazuma calling him “Lord van Zieks” just now. I’m not quite sure why, but it is interesting. Perhaps it’s because Kazuma’s addressing him very directly, and accusing him more directly than ever before of the very thing he’s always wanted to get revenge over, and something in that makes it feel more personal to him than usual…?)

Kazuma: “The prosecution seeks to begin building its case by calling the accused to the stand as the primary witness… in order that he may answer the accusation brought by the prosecution that he IS the Reaper of the Bailey!”

And once again, Kazuma is calling van Zieks to the stand when this really isn’t necessary. The entire argument we’re about to make here about how van Zieks could theoretically have been involved in the assassin exchange is something Kazuma could have argued anyway, without needing van Zieks’s testimony there to shoot down.

But that wouldn’t be satisfying enough. The last time Kazuma called van Zieks to testify, it turns out he wasn’t lying nearly as much as Kazuma was trying to prove him to be, so he’s going to try again. He will prove van Zieks to be a perjurious liar as well as a murderous monster, dammit.

Susato: “And Kazuma-sama is so emotional at the moment. He’s not thinking logically!” Ryunosuke: “You’re right that he’s not himself.”

Aww, both Susato and Ryunosuke can tell that Kazuma’s in a very volatile state right now.

Ryunosuke: “But I knew it would be like this. And I came here today determined to face him through whatever might arise. As a lawyer… and as his friend.”

Friends!!! I love how Ryunosuke’s determined to stand up against Kazuma’s fervour, not only for the sake of the truth (“as a lawyer”), but also for the sake of his friend, to help pull Kazuma out of this maelstrom of emotions and save him before he condemns an innocent man to death.

--- Testimony 3 ---

(As a reminder, I’m using different testimony-numbering to the game’s chapter select, because the chapter select bizarrely treats it as if day 2 and day 3 are one continuous day when they are not. Add two to these numbers to match those in the chapter select.)

Van Zieks: “I acknowledge that the public at large believe me to be the Reaper. However, that’s a fallacy, which I alone am in a position to foreswear.” Kazuma: “Naturally, the prosecution believes the testimony just given by the accused to be untrue.”

Really, Kazuma? You really had to butt in just to say “well, I think he’s lying, though”, as if that wasn’t obvious enough from your position. Maybe calling him to testify so that he can argue for his innocence wasn’t the best of options in some ways, huh?

Kazuma: “Ryunosuke Naruhodo…” Ryunosuke: “…Yes?” Kazuma: “Let me ask you: why are you here? What really brings you to the courtroom?”

This is the closest Kazuma’s ever got to asking Ryunosuke why he’s defending van Zieks – whether he really believes he’s innocent or not. Kazuma’s definitely been having some very heavily-suppressed thoughts about whether Ryunosuke might be right to be on van Zieks’s side over the past few days… but now that the moment of Kazuma being about to prove van Zieks’s guilt is right here, he can’t be allowing himself to think that Ryunosuke could possibly have a point. So if that’s not the case, if he’s not doing this because van Zieks is really innocent (because he can’t be), then… why is Ryunosuke here at all?

Ryunosuke: “……… A desire to uncover the truth.” Kazuma: “Even if the truth proves your client to be guilty?”

Happily for Kazuma, Ryunosuke doesn’t give him the answer he didn’t want to hear. Ryunosuke’s belief in his client isn’t quite his number one priority, not next to the truth. And Kazuma is so convinced that the truth is going to prove his client to be guilty.

Ryunosuke: “So it’s always my intention… to work with my client in pursuit of the truth.” Kazuma: “……… I want you to remember what you just said.”

While the narrative purpose of this bit is to come back to bite Ryunosuke when it turns out the truth is the absolute last thing his client wants to be true, that’s not how Kazuma’s seeing this. He’s expecting this to come back to bite Ryunosuke when it turns out that van Zieks is obviously the worst and could never have been worked together with in pursuit of the truth at all, right.

Ryunosuke: (I know exactly what you’re thinking, Kazuma. I know you’re just waiting to point it out. The contradiction you’re convinced lies somewhere within this man’s testimony…)

Of course he is, exactly like he did before. Call van Zieks to the stand so he can point out the contradiction and prove him to be a liar, because those defence lawyer habits still haven’t quite left him.

Ryunosuke: (Could it be… that Lord van Zieks has something to hide after all…?)

This is in the recap dialogue, as Ryunosuke’s musings vaguely nudge the player towards figuring out the connection with Klint’s autopsy. But it’s a bit much for him to take this as a sign that van Zieks has something to hide. That’s what Kazuma thinks is the case, but it’s also perfectly likely that van Zieks is claiming there’s no connection because it just never occurred to him! Have more faith in your client, Ryunosuke!

Ryunosuke: “So you’re not what the general public refer to as the infamous Reaper of the Bailey?” Van Zieks: “Exactly.” Kazuma: “Don’t imagine for a moment that the court will be satisfied with a one-word answer on this.”

Kazuma is wasting no time in being as savage as ever. How dare van Zieks try to establish his innocence with just a single word and think he can get away with that. Unacceptable.

Ryunosuke: (If you’re intending to comment on every sentence, this could take a while, Kazuma…)

Ryunosuke’s almost got used to Kazuma’s uncalled-for sniping at van Zieks by now, to the point that he’s mostly just exasperated by it, oof.

Van Zieks: “It felt like a betrayal, but… I demanded permission to search [Gregson’s] office at the Yard without his knowledge.”

Here we are, that bit I mentioned in the earliest post – he demanded permission. Almost like he didn’t actually enter Gregson’s office illegally after all, huh, Kazuma?

(Kazuma doesn’t comment on that part, of course.)

Van Zieks: “Jigoku had intended to implicate Hugh Boone. But unhappily for me, I arrived at the scene first.” Kazuma: “Hah! A ridiculously careless blunder!”

And here’s why it’s important that Jigoku was trying to frame Boone. There’s no way Jigoku would have ever tried to frame his superior, so if he’d been going for van Zieks all along, Kazuma wouldn’t have been able to deny that van Zieks can’t be the Reaper’s mastermind. But this way? Van Zieks totally just carelessly, foolishly stumbled into the trap set up by his underling for someone else, right, that’s definitely a mistake that a man who has orchestrated murders undetected for ten years would make.

Ryunosuke: (Moved on to just throwing insults around, I see then, Kazuma…)

Ryunosuke’s exasperated again, but he’s slightly missing the point here. This isn’t Kazuma insulting van Zieks for the heck of it – this is Kazuma insistently justifying to himself that van Zieks being the mastermind still makes sense. It’s those mental gymnastics of his in full force.

Ryunosuke: “Certainly as it stands, there’s no evidence to suggest that you concocted the scheme.” Kazuma: “Objection! But as it stands, we have only the accused’s insistence of his innocence.”

Um, Kazuma? Haven’t you heard of innocent until proven guilty? I’m pretty sure that should be the case in this British court, even if it kind of won’t be in Japanifornia in a century’s time. It’s so petty of him to butt in to insist that van Zieks claiming he’s innocent totally doesn’t prove anything at all.

Kazuma: “Perhaps there is some reason that would explain why he masterminded the assassin exchange. And if a reason could be established later in these proceedings… then the accused’s claim in this testimony that he wasn’t involved would amount to perjury.”

However, it’s not quite as petty as it sounds, because he is going somewhere with this. Obviously he intends to prove the reason that van Zieks did orchestrate the assassinations, so he’s making a point of van Zieks’s insistence of his innocence because he wants to let everyone know what lying liar that would make him. Kazuma is practically admitting here that literally his only reason for calling van Zieks to testify again is to make him guilty of perjury as well. Which… is really petty of him, in a somewhat different way.

Susato: “Clearly Kazuma-sama… intends to identify a reason and use it to make his case.” Ryunosuke: “So if we don’t identify something first…” Susato: “…He’ll gain the advantage!”

This is the game trying to justify why we have to be the one to point out the connection, even though it makes our client look worse, but it’s kind of flimsy. The facts are the facts – it shouldn’t matter which side is the one to point them out. Kazuma could perfectly well be the one to point this out himself, just like how he objected to van Zieks’s first testimony… but I guess the writers want to make the players play the game this time.

Kazuma: “………”

Still, we do get this textbox of pointed silence from Kazuma here, effectively showing him not objecting with the connection to Klint’s autopsy like we know he could. So perhaps this is him hoping – or trusting – or testing? – that Ryunosuke will point it out for him.

Kazuma: “I’m pleased to see the defence doesn’t intend to run from the undeniable truth.”

And this is his reaction as Ryunosuke presents the autopsy report, suggesting that that is indeed why he let his friend have this one. Look at him being proud of his friend for facing the truth even when it makes his client look bad.

Kazuma: “I’ve personally researched all of the court records relating to [the Professor] case.”

Of course he has. He must have been doing nothing else in the week after regaining his memories.

Kazuma: “But someone implored the powers that be to allow the autopsy to go ahead: Inspector Gregson. He declared that he was certain he would obtain conclusive proof from the procedure.”

And this is why Kazuma was so certain he’d get something out of Gregson if he threatened him on the Grouse, because this alone pretty much screams that something dodgy was going on. How could anyone be so sure that an autopsy would conclusively identify the killer?

Van Zieks: “Evidence that conclusively proved Genshin Asogi was guilty of the murders. In my brother’s dying moments, he mustered all his remaining strength to leave that vital clue behind.” Kazuma: “………”

Interesting how Kazuma doesn’t immediately butt in here to argue that this isn’t true. More than anything else, this is the moment in the trial that he’s been waiting for all along – the moment where he finally, finally gets to argue for his father’s innocence and clear his name. It seems, on this at least, he’s aware that he ought to take things slowly, and do this properly, and not seem so driven by emotion that he won’t be taken seriously.

Kazuma: “A marvellous victory, was it? I wonder if that’s really true.” Van Zieks: “What?” Kazuma: “Could the same be said if it turned out that the key piece of evidence in question was in fact fabricated? If the inspector, the coroner and the prosecutor all colluded together… to cast an innocent Japanese man as a mass murderer and send him to his death!”

He does manage to come across as fairly rational as he actually broaches the topic – although that last part there is definitely delivered with a lot of anger in it.

Kazuma: “And now, ten years later, for some reason the secret has been threatened and needs protecting. Which is why the inspector and the coroner had to be silenced… isn’t it? By someone in power in Japan and in Britain… using the two killers recruited for the assassin exchange!”

And he’s still able to seem like he brought this up purely for the purpose of supporting his actual argument at hand here, which is that van Zieks is the exchange mastermind and therefore also the Reaper. For now, Kazuma’s managing to keep a somewhat level head and not lose sight of what this trial is supposed to be for.

Kazuma: “Ten years ago, my father was convicted in this very courtroom as a mass murderer… to be sentenced to death. But it was all a sham! And I swore to myself that I’d prove it. Which is why I HAD to come to Britain… whatever the cost!”

…And yet, he’s not staying that level-headed. As soon as he’d finished with the actual rational case-relevant argument, it seems that he couldn’t help himself from exploding with the much more personal, emotional reason why this is so important to him. Oh, Kazuma.

Van Zieks: “You’ll have to forgive me if I feel compelled to toast this vengeful Nipponese’s tenacity of purpose here. However… he who fails to quash his emotions in the courtroom… has failed as a lawyer.”

I enjoy how van Zieks actually respects Kazuma’s sheer determination, even if most of it has ended up pointed at his throat. But of course he can also see that Kazuma’s beginning to get too inappropriately emotional here.

Ryunosuke: “Come on, Kazuma! You know this won’t wash! You’re claiming your father was misrepresented in a trial that took place a whole decade ago! You must see that without evidence, that’s nothing more than a wild accusation!”

And Ryunosuke’s also seeing that in his friend and trying to talk him down. He’s not expecting Kazuma to have any evidence other than his desperate earnest belief in his father’s innocence, because what evidence could Kazuma possibly have that hasn’t been uncovered in all these years?

Kazuma: “As it happens… I have evidence.”

Well. Sort of. What he has is his own word that Gregson admitted at sword-point to fabricating evidence, something Gregson is now too dead to testify about in court and confirm. So it’s not actually very good airtight evidence at all. Kazuma is definitely still leaning into the desperate-emotion side of things a bit here by trying to believe that this will work.

Gregson: “Right, I see… You’re that Asogi’s young lad, are you?”

I love what this line tells us about Genshin. The fact that Gregson’s thinking of Kazuma as “that young lad” means that Genshin must have talked about his son a lot to his colleagues, to the point that Gregson was still picturing Genshin’s son as a “young lad”. He’s only just reconciling in his mind here that, huh, said young lad is all grown up now and very angry about his father’s death.

Gregson: “And what? You’re gonna cut me down with that thing, is that it?”

Gregson’s tone here seems almost sceptical, like he doesn’t really think Kazuma would actually go through with it. Either that or he’s grown so tired from all of the crimes he’s committed for Stronghart that he’s kind of accepted the possibility of his death and doesn’t really care if Kazuma’s going to kill him here.

Kazuma: “So… you admit it then? The evidence used in my father’s trial was fabricated?!”

There’s some fun screen flashes and shakes here, which, despite this bit being from Kazuma’s POV so we can’t see his expression, does a lot to get across just how furious he must be to hear confirmation of this.

Kazuma: “Orders? What exactly did you do? …Speak!”

More fury-indicating flashes here – Kazuma is so sure that he knows exactly who gave the orders, but he desperately wants Gregson to confirm it, so that he can have proof (so he thinks, in the heat of the moment here, where he can forget that it won’t hold up in court) that everything was van Zieks’s fault.

Gregson: “I’m not sayin’ another word.” Kazuma: “Even if your life depends on it?”

And Gregson refusing to talk on this leads to Kazuma much more explicitly threatening his life. He needs to hear Gregson say this.

Gregson: “That’s right. Even then.” *Shing!*

Even then, Gregson still won’t give him what he wants. There is nothing Kazuma can do to get the confirmation he so desperately needs – and so, he finds himself suddenly, intensely wanting to kill this man. That swipe was not a warning strike.

See the gash that Karuma left behind in Gregson’s trunk? Look at the angle it’s subtly curving in. That doesn’t seem like a natural angle for a sword swipe to have happened at if the trunk were sitting upright and open on the floor, as a proxy for Kazuma’s redirected anger.

It makes much more sense if the trunk were held open and sideways at the moment of impact, as a shield used by Gregson to protect himself. Kazuma was striking directly at him.

Ryunosuke: “So that’s when the tip of the sword broke…” Susato: “Oh, Kazuma-sama…”

Susato’s got tears in her eyes, empathising with the pain Kazuma must have been feeling during that confrontation. I would say here that neither of them are imagining he had any murderous intent here – but then, their dialogue when re-examining Karuma’s tip in the trunk did suggest that their thinking was going somewhere in that direction. I’m sure they both want to believe it was intended simply as a warning, though.

Kazuma: “And then can only have been ordered to pervert the course of justice in that way by one man: The man leading the case for the prosecution, Barok van Zieks!” […] Stronghart: “In other words, the defendant DID have cause to organise this exchange of assassins!”

Oh my god, Stronghart. Look at him eagerly jumping on “hey, I can pin all of my crimes on van Zieks and get away with everything, excellent!” It wouldn’t surprise me if he handed Genshin’s trial over to van Zieks ten years ago precisely so that he could do exactly that if the corruption ever came to light.

Naturally, although Kazuma’s “proof” of the fabricated evidence is nothing but flimsy hearsay, so long as it’s being used to attack van Zieks, Stronghart is perfectly fine with not questioning it.

Van Zieks: “What you’ve just told the court… Are you absolutely certain of your facts? Did Gregson really fabricate evidence for that trial ten years ago?”

But hey, even though it’s not court-approved evidence, Kazuma’s words are also enough to sway van Zieks into realising who the real enemy is! So Kazuma’s ill-advised threatening of Gregson was actually worthwhile, despite everything.

Kazuma: “I heard it with my own ears. His shameful admission.”

Of course it was shameful. Anything that cast his father as a murderer and got him killed would be nothing less.

Van Zieks: “In that case… I know… the name of the Reaper.” Kazuma: “Wha… What?”

Kazuma’s surprised here – because van Zieks’s response is genuine, and a part of him must be able to see that. What do you mean, van Zieks is actually figuring out that the Reaper is someone who’s not him, as if he never was the Reaper at all???

Ryunosuke: “I believe I know who it is, too.” Kazuma: “You…?!”

What do you mean, Ryunosuke also knows who it is now?!?! Ryunosuke’s judgement is always right, so that must mean it actually isn’t van Zieks after all??? Inconceivable.

It’s not possible to ruin this moment with silliness by having Ryunosuke present someone random – if you choose anyone other than Stronghart, Ryunosuke just hesitates under the overwhelming pressure, and then gets penalised for wasting time. A neat way to not undermine the gravity of this!

Kazuma: “Wha…?! Lord… Stronghart…?”

Oh, Kazuma. He really had no idea that the man he’d been answering to and respecting as his superior was his true enemy all along.

Ryunosuke: “But he only took over the case after his brother, Lord Klint van Zieks, had been killed.” Kazuma: “…!”

He just didn’t know! Ugh, the pain that could have been avoided if Kazuma had only been aware of this simple fact. But of course Stronghart would have been sure to bury it so that it wouldn’t be easy to uncover, such that Ryunosuke only learned of it by talking to van Zieks (something Kazuma would never have dreamed of doing).

Van Zieks: “…Ten years ago… I was very new to my profession. But I had a burning desire to avenge my brother’s death, so I pleaded for control of the case.” Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma’s silence suggests that he’s actually listening. That some part of him is beginning to realise that this does make sense, and maybe it never was van Zieks at all. In particular, I’m sure he can understand the feeling of being desperate to avenge a loved one’s death, to the point of pleading for control of an important case despite being very new to prosecuting, hmmmm. Maybe he’s not so different from you after all, Kazuma!

Kazuma: “But I heard it from Gregson’s own lips! He admitted to it!” Stronghart: “…And where is your evidence?”

Of course, now Stronghart is quite happy to point out that Kazuma’s claim does not constitute evidence. Conveniently he just forgot to bring this up until he was the one being accused.

Ryunosuke: (Kazuma… He’s more or less waited his whole life for this moment. Is there really nothing else we can do now?)

Aww, Ryunosuke, not only caring about the truth but caring about the fact that this is so important to Kazuma! They are friends.

Kazuma: “Who, Ryunosuke, who? Tell me!” Ryunosuke: “Kazuma, I…” Kazuma: “Please! This trial can’t end! Not yet!”

Guhhh, Kazuma is so desperate and it hurts. And he believes so strongly that his best friend is awesome enough that he’ll have figured out some way to keep this trial going.

Ryunosuke: “……… I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for the truth.”

…This line really, really bugged me on my first playthrough. It reads like Ryunosuke’s basically saying he doesn’t care about how Kazuma feels about this at all, which I hated – and which is frankly just not true, since we just had a line from Ryunosuke moments ago in which he’s acknowledging how important this is to Kazuma! Ryunosuke knows full well that his best friend is in agony about this – there is absolutely no reason he shouldn’t be doing this both for the sake of the truth and to help Kazuma!

In my attempts to reconcile this line into something more acceptable, I came up with the notion that this is Ryunosuke trying to communicate to Kazuma that this can’t be about his emotions right now, because they’re in a court of law and what matters most is the truth, not what Kazuma wants to be true.

I’ve also seen another take on this line which is that it’s about Ryunosuke’s overall character arc of finding his path in life. Throughout this entire game, he’s been standing as a lawyer largely because he felt like he needed to carry on Kazuma’s path in his place. Ever since Kazuma turned out not to be dead, Ryunosuke has been conflicted over what that meant for him – what the point of him being here even was. This line could be intended to be the turning point in which Ryunosuke finally realises that he wants to be a lawyer not for the sake of Kazuma but purely for his own sake, because he’s realised that he truly cares about finding the truth.

Which I do really like! But I do also think that, if that was the intent of this line, it’s very awkwardly timed to make it seem like it’s not about that, because it really does come across as just Ryunosuke pushing aside his friend’s emotional pain and writing it off as irrelevant. Ugh.

Or, heck, the line should just have been worded ever so slightly differently. “I’m not just doing this for you. I’m doing it for the truth,” would have been so much better, because then Ryunosuke’s not diminishing the fact that he still cares about Kazuma’s feelings! He’d just be saying that the truth is also important to him, and perhaps even more so.

(We don’t even see Kazuma’s reaction to Ryunosuke’s line here… which does support the idea that the intent of the line was more about Ryunosuke’s own arc than about communicating anything to Kazuma, but, still. Mrgh.)

Stronghart: “Prosecutor Asogi, let me refresh your memory, as you seem to have forgotten the prosecution’s stance: Only minutes ago, you accused the defendant of being the Reaper and of masterminding the assassin exchange.” Kazuma: “I, I did, yes…”

Oh, Kazuma. In the desperation of the moment, he really does seem to have somewhat forgotten that he’s supposed to be backing up his argument that van Zieks’s is the Reaper, instead of focusing disproportionately on proving his father was framed for its own sake.

I also wonder if a little bit of his hesitation here is because he’s starting to be less sure that van Zieks really is the Reaper and wondering if this alternative possibility that it’s Stronghart might have some merit after all.

Kazuma: “I… I… At this time, I don’t have the requisite evidence.”

Kazuma does a remarkable job of shifting from flustered and agitated into formal courtroom demeanour in the space of one sentence here. He is, after all, very good at bottling everything up and pretending to be Fine on the surface.

Kazuma: “But that’s exactly why we need witness testimony!”

…Not that it takes long for hints of his desperation to begin shining through again.

Stronghart: “I’m afraid to say, Prosecutor Asogi… that you would appear to be possessed by the spirit of your late homicidal father.” Kazuma: “…!”

Yikes, Stronghart. Low freaking blow. He certainly knows how to emotionally manipulate people.

Stronghart: “As for you, Prosecutor Asogi… you will be remanded following these proceedings. Willingly, I trust… since you gave your word.” Kazuma: “Argh!”

And of course he’s quick to remind everyone that Kazuma is supposed to be arrested and tried for the whole assassin thing right after this. If the trial did end here just like Stronghart wants, I’m sure he’d ensure that Kazuma’s sentence for that is as severe as possible, to prevent him from continuing to try and find the truth.

I also like that he reminds Kazuma that he gave his word that he would go willingly, and that this in particular bothers Kazuma. He cares so much about being honourable and keeping to his promises! He really was willing to turn himself in and let them do whatever they wanted to him… just so long as he’d already got justice for his father first. He cannot let things end without having achieved his goal.

Stronghart: “This futile game of revenge is over… young Master Asogi.”

Kazuma’s breakdown is heartwrenching. His entire life has been leading up to this, and he’s ended up trapped in a situation where he had to finish things today or else he never would… and now that final chance has slipped out of his grasp. It’s over. He’s failed, and there’s nothing else he can do. Ghhhh, please give this poor man hugs.

I also like the wording of Stronghart’s damning line. Not only is he omitting Kazuma’s prosecutor title, but he’s not even calling him “mister” – it’s “young master”, like Kazuma’s just a child, playing a pointless game. In some ways, Kazuma really is still just a broken desperate grieving child, and in this moment, hearing these words must make Kazuma feel even more that way than usual, which Stronghart leaned into deliberately to make him give up. Damn.

Luckily, Sholmes is here to save the day!

(Sholmes’s appearance here actually hints at the fact that he has been somehow listening in on this trial. He quotes Stronghart’s line from the beginning verbatim, which he should not have been able to hear since he has not been allowed in the courtroom.)

“That’s right! We need to clear this up before that young Japanese fellow is remanded in custody!”

I adore Kazuma looking up with sudden, desperate hope as he realises that things may not be over after all. I also like that this is spurred by someone from the gallery actually mentioning him and seeming to care about the fact that he in particular deserves to see the truth of all this, even though, to them, he’s just some Japanese fellow. Shout-outs to that particular random person in the gallery. They are good.

Begrudgingly allowing the trial to continue, Stronghart first calls for a recess, but since it turns out Mikotoba is right here in the courtroom, there ends up not actually being one. Which means that Kazuma gets absolutely no time at all to properly recover from his agonising desperation and huge emotional breakdown – he just immediately has to pull himself back together and continue standing as the prosecution as if he’s perfectly fine. Guh. My Lord, I would like to request a recess anyway, because the prosecution needs a hug.

Ryunosuke: (I’m ready to head into the heart of this maelstrom and confront whatever horrors it tries to drown me under!)

There’s a fun little reference to Stronghart’s name pun here – the Maelstrom Heart. It’s fitting, with how he causes a storm of crimes and corruption all around him, but he himself, at its heart, remains seemingly clean of all wrongdoing.

#ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo

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The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 3, Part 1

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

Time for the final day of the trial!

Van Zieks: “On what grounds is Kazuma Asogi permitted to continue in his role as prosecutor? He has admitted to colluding with the victim in a plot to assassinate an innocent man. He shouldn’t be enjoying the privilege of freedom, let alone be leading the prosecution.”

Of course it’s van Zieks who points this out, when nobody else was going to bring it up.

(Kazuma should be in prison right now for a lot more than just this, but we can’t have that, grumble.)

Kazuma: “I submitted a written petition to Lord Stronghart… requesting that judgement of my transgressions be delayed by one day.” Van Zieks: “You did what?”

This is probably highly irregular and not something that someone would usually be able to get away with. But Stronghart wants van Zieks convicted and figures Kazuma’s the best person to have do that… and Kazuma is so, so desperate to get to do this.

Kazuma: “In today’s proceedings… I intend to expose everything. My whole life for the last ten years… has all been leading up to this one day!” Ryunosuke: “Kazuma…”

Hnnnngh, Kazuma. The outcome of this trial is everything to him, everything he’s been working so hard for, for so long. And now he’s trapped himself in a situation where he has to finish it all today, or else he might never get another chance.

I enjoy Ryunosuke reacting to this, at getting a sense of just how huge this is for his best friend.

Kazuma: “Whatever the outcome of this trial… I give my word that I will accept whatever punishment is deemed appropriate. However severe.”

Kazuma means this, too; I don’t think he was ever intending to escape repercussions for his actions forever. All the way back when he agreed to the assassination mission in Japan, and when he went with Gregson and threatened him – he probably did all this while fully expecting to face the consequences for it in the end. He just needs to be able to finish getting justice for his father first, before all that happens. Afterwards? It doesn’t matter what happens to him afterwards. So long as he can fulfil his mission, that’s the only thing that’s important.

The ”however severe” especially brings this home. Even if it was capital punishment, which might actually be on the table under the circumstances. He is and has always been determined to avenge his father at any cost, even if it’s literally the last thing he ever does.

Of course, it’s not like he didn’t also have other things he wanted to do with his life – he still did mean it about wanting to study in Britain to be able to improve Japan’s legal system. But all of that is minuscule next to his main goal. He would sacrifice anything for this. Anything.

(The game actually kinda drops the ball on what’s supposedly going to happen with Kazuma’s own trial after this main trial concludes. The writing sort of just forgets about it and doesn’t bring it up again? So I can only assume that the British legal system also kind of forgot about it, or at worst let Kazuma off with only a minor punishment. That certainly feels most fair to me, given that his only real crime was saying that he’d kill someone, which he was emotionally manipulated into in the first place, and that his own guilt over what he’s done is more than punishment enough already. It did rather bother me on my original playthrough, though, that there was this apparent nebulous future punishment for his transgressions hanging over Kazuma’s head, and the game acted like it kind of just didn’t care and didn’t want to push for him getting a reasonably happy ending… until suddenly his ending did come across as reasonably happy after all.)

Ryunosuke: (Kazuma is bristling with hostility today. I get the distinct impression we’re heading into very dangerous territory.)

I dunno, Ryunosuke; while Kazuma might be even more hostile than usual today out of desperation, we were already deep in quite some territory regarding Kazuma’s twisted tunnel-visioning on van Zieks’s guilt.

Susato: “Is that even really Kazuma-sama standing before us?”

Oh nooooo, Susato, my heart. Ryunosuke also said something similar during the intervening scene at Baker Street – that Kazuma’s no longer quite the friend he knew and that he’s changed. I really wish the game did more with this! Kazuma is still the person they both know and hasn’t actually changed; it’s just that he’s dealing with a hell of a lot more issues than either of them expected him to have. I wish the narrative had gone more into exploring this and having them realise in the end that he is still their friend, instead of, again, having things between them suddenly be okay again in the ending scene with no real transition.

(There would have been a perfect opportunity for such introspection and development regarding this if only Kazuma had been arrested for Gregson’s murder and Ryunosuke had had to defend him, just saying!!! Again, this is why I wrote my AU fic.)

Ryunosuke: “The defence is ready, My Lord.” Kazuma: “The prosecution is more than ready.”

Once again, Kazuma is more than ready. He didn’t say this on the second day of the trial, but today of all days, on which he plans to bring this to an end – on which he has to bring this to an end because he won’t get another chance – of course he’s more ready than he’s ever been.

Jigoku: “Haah… So it was you who issued this, was it?” Kazuma: “Your subpoena? …I did what was necessary.”

It’s interesting that the game highlights that it was Kazuma who issued Jigoku’s subpoena. Without that, Sholmes and Mikotoba wouldn’t have been able to bring Jigoku with them off the Grouse yesterday, and he’d have got away. They had the subpoena with them when they went after him, meaning Kazuma must have issued it shortly after the first trial day at the latest, just in case it became necessary.

This is in stark contrast to how Kazuma was on the second trial day, where he was absolutely convinced that Jigoku must have been killed, and it didn’t even seem to occur to him that the court could possibly want to hear testimony from Jigoku about what happened on the Grouse if he did happen to be alive. That is not a Kazuma that I would have imagined preparing a subpoena for Jigoku in advance at all.

I guess what this speaks to is partly a hint of that very small and buried part of Kazuma that isn’t actually sure if van Zieks is guilty and genuinely wants to give him a fair chance. But perhaps it’s also partly a sign of something else I’ve been meaning to bring up at some point – that Kazuma’s tunnel-visioning has been getting worse as this trial’s gone on.

See, I roasted him a lot for his terrible logic yesterday, but it actually wasn’t nearly as bad on day 1! There was that part near the beginning where Susato commended him for not trying to argue that the gun might have belonged to van Zieks – and yet, “this gun could have been van Zieks’s, and so that somehow proves it definitely was, which means he totally did it” is an argument pretty much on par with his day 2 arguments in terms of logic.

So it seems, perhaps, that Ryunosuke casting very valid doubt onto the Fresno Street crime scene on day 1 made Kazuma become more desperate. With less confidence in the actual evidence, he began pulling more and more from his own hatred and twisted justifications that van Zieks is the worst and must be the killer and the Reaper and everything bad, to the point that he ended up with logic as flawed as in yesterday’s session.

Jigoku: “…but my decision is unrelated to this case. I can’t be bound to testify.” Stronghart: “Unrelated, you say?” Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma is again pointedly shown being silent, and I imagine what he’s thinking is similar to what he was probably thinking at the end of the trial yesterday. Jigoku’s actions on the Grouse totally are unrelated to this case, because van Zieks definitely killed Gregson at Fresno Street, and so bringing Jigoku onto the stand is just a dead end that’s going to do nothing but quickly put an end to Ryunosuke’s hypothetical version of events. Right?

Susato: “It has ties to another murder. A case that was tried in Japan almost a year ago now.” Kazuma: “A year ago in Japan… The murder of Dr John H. Wilson, you mean?”

Kazuma looks to be in thought for a moment here, as if he’s only just realising the connection Gregson’s assassination has to Wilson’s death.

Kazuma: “What’s this all about? Why is my name on that list?”

Here, too, is an indication that Kazuma had no idea about this being an entire plot with multiple assassinations such that there’d need to be a list of four names and not just two.

Ryunosuke: “K. Asogi and A. Shinn… are the names of assassins.” Kazuma: “No…”

It seems like Kazuma was really hoping he could at least get through things without this assassination agreement also coming to light – but nope.

Ryunosuke: “…were masterminded by a pair of individuals from each country as a form of assassin exchange! And the telegram the defence has acquired is proof of this international ‘contract’ to kill!” Kazuma: “Wha… WHAT?!”

And again: Kazuma’s reaction to this is distinctly shocked. He did not have the slightest idea that the assassination he was involved in one of a pair – that back when he was furiously defending Ryunosuke from false charges in Japan last year, that crime was the counterpart to the very murder he’d been forced to agree to himself.

Kazuma: “Judge Jigoku…? What’s this all about?!”

Kazuma’s pretty forceful in questioning Jigoku here. Obviously he already knew Jigoku wanted him to kill Gregson in England, that’s not a surprise – so this is about the other crime. He’s probably only just realising now that for the entirety of the trial for Wilson’s murder, Jigoku – who was the judge – knew who the real killer was and yet cheerfully tried to get Ryunosuke convicted as a scapegoat. Kazuma faced a lot of roadblocks back then to even be able to defend Ryunosuke in the first place, which he must have at least partially known were thanks to Jigoku; now he understands exactly why.

Meanwhile, Ryunosuke accuses Kazuma of having lied in court yesterday, because his mark wasn’t actually Jigoku but Gregson.

Kazuma: “……… Very impressive, Ryunosuke. But actually, I didn’t lie.” Ryunosuke: “…!” Kazuma: “The name of the target I was ordered to kill never passed my lips yesterday. The idea that Seishiro Jigoku was the mark… came entirely from you!”

I like that we have this one moment of Kazuma getting to show off and draw attention to his incredible skill at hiding the truth without actually lying. He’s done it a lot more than just this once, but explicitly pointing out this one instance invites us to look for other times he’s done the same kind of thing!

He’s also smirking a little bit as he says this. Apparently he feels at least somewhat smug about his prowess in deception-without-lying, although he probably wouldn’t consciously think that.

Ryunosuke: (You… deliberately avoided saying a name?)

Oh, Ryunosuke, there are so many more things that Kazuma has deliberately avoided saying than just that.

--- Testimony 1 ---

(The game’s chapter select calls this one “Testimony 3”, because it seems to want to treat this day and the previous trial day just one long extended day. Which is pretty silly, because it isn’t. We may have had much less of a proper investigation in between than usual, but it is still day 3 of the trial now! So anyway, I’m going to ignore the game and number these testimonies based on what number they are in this trial day. Add two to these if you want to match them up with what the game calls them.)

Susato: “To use such a worthy practice as foreign study to coerce somebody to commit murder… It’s the most appalling thing I’ve ever heard!”

Usually-soft-spoken Susato is not pulling her punches! She is incredibly disgusted at her family friend for manipulating Kazuma into agreeing to be an assassin. The fact that she sees foreign study as such a “worthy practice” in itself probably stems from how Kazuma wanted so badly to study in Britain all along – and as far as Susato knew, that was entirely for its own sake and not for a specific purpose.

Jigoku: “Asogi had a reason for taking his sword to that British inspector, you know.” Ryunosuke: “What?!” Jigoku: “Which is why he accepted the mission in the first place. Isn’t that right… Counsel?” Kazuma: “………”

I’m not convinced I believe this claim of Jigoku’s. Obviously we know Kazuma does have a motive to have wanted Gregson dead, now. But I’m not sure about Jigoku’s implication that Kazuma was aware of that when he took the mission, a year ago. The only person who could have told Kazuma about Gregson’s connection to his father’s case is Jigoku. For one, I’m not entirely sure Jigoku even knew that much, since he was only involved in the prison escape half of the plot – but more pointedly, I doubt he would have wanted to tell Kazuma anything he knew, because that’d cast suspicion on his own role in Genshin’s death, something he very much would not want Kazuma figuring out.

Nonetheless, Kazuma is evasively silent in response to this, because while he may indeed not have known about Gregson’s involvement back then, it’s likely he was able to piece things together enough to suspect something. And of course, it all eventually came to a head with him actually wanting to kill Gregson in that terrible moment, which Kazuma must not enjoy thinking about.

Kazuma: “As I said yesterday, I’ve killed nobody. I freely admit that I accepted the mission, but on the night the plan was to be executed, I backed out.”

Kazuma is still wording things carefully. While talking about the night in question, he simply says that he didn’t go through with it, and not that he didn’t want to go through with it, because that would be a lie.

Kazuma: “Gregson was killed after returning to London. In the room on Fresno Street. And the perpetrator of the crime was the Reaper, Barok van Zieks! The prosecution’s accusation remains unchanged.”

Naturally, Kazuma wants to remind everyone that van Zieks, who is definitely the Reaper, definitely did the murder, and everything we’re talking about now is just an irrelevant dead end. He is still genuinely convinced of this.

Susato: “It’s unforgivable! Using Kazuma-sama’s feelings to manipulate him into agreeing to such a despicable plan…”

In the testimony’s recap dialogue, Susato has more Strong Opinions. I love that she’s thinking about Kazuma’s feelings and fully realises that he was manipulated and should barely be morally condemned for this decision at all. Honestly, I agree with her – despite all of Stronghart’s many crimes, the thing that gives me the biggest emotional reaction out of any of the villains’ actions in this game is Jigoku doing this to Kazuma. He knew that Kazuma was so desperate to get to Britain that he’d agree to absolutely anything if it was presented as his only way to do so, and ugh. To his friend’s son, and all. What a bastard.

Ryunosuke: “But I think Kazuma manipulated Judge Jigoku, too. He completely double-crossed him.” Susato: “Oh dear… It’s hard not to see that as a stroke of brilliance on Kazuma-sama’s part…”

I wouldn’t quite call it “brilliance” when it was as simple as “not keeping the promise he never wanted to be forced to make in the first place”, but I’m still with Susato here. Kazuma didn’t do anything wrong by refusing to go through with Jigoku’s expectations when Jigoku was the one who wronged him first by expecting him to do it at all.

Susato: “I know I shouldn’t let my emotions cloud my judgement… but you must destroy him, Mr Naruhodo!”

Yesss, Susato. Love her being so furious on Kazuma’s behalf, not even caring that Jigoku is a respected figure and a family friend.

Kazuma: “I thought it was a joke at first, of course. But then… it was made clear to me that if I didn’t accept, I wouldn’t be considered for the study tour.” Ryunosuke: “So, so you agreed to it… just for that?! I mean, I know how much you wanted to study in Britain, but… assassination?!”

Ugh, I get it, but it still hurts to see Ryunosuke react with horror like this. You know he wasn’t planning to go through with it, Ryunosuke! His only crime was agreeing to something shady without any intent to follow through!

But even then, it’s still not remotely something he would have expected from his best friend a year ago.

Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma’s not trying to defend himself. No doubt he always felt guilty about hiding this from his friend, and always expected it would make Ryunosuke think less of him.

Ryunosuke: “Why Kazuma? Why did you pick him as the assassin?” Jigoku: “He was the most capable of all the applicants. And in addition… I knew his desire to travel to Britain was very strong. In fact, it was almost more than a desire. It was his whole purpose in life.”

Ugh. Jigoku knew exactly how desperate Kazuma was and took advantage of that. He couldn’t risk bringing up the assassination mission to any potential candidate unless he was already sure that they would agree, lest they just turn him in to the police. But Kazuma was someone he could be certain would agree to this, so long as Jigoku threatened his chances to ever make it to Britain if he didn’t.

And conveniently, the candidate who was so utterly desperate to do this that he’d agree to an assassination for it was also the candidate who’d studied ridiculously hard to the point that he was the most capable applicant anyway and it wouldn’t look suspicious. Funny, that.

Kazuma: “There’s nothing I wouldn’t have done to get here. Be that agreeing to assume the role of an assassin… or betraying people’s trust.”

Guhhhhhh, Kazumaaaa. This line really punches me in the gut with how completely desperately determined Kazuma was and is. And it’s interesting that he’s saying this to justify his decision… but he didn’t do so just a little earlier when Ryunosuke was directly accusing him. This time it’s directed more at Jigoku, or just the court in general. Perhaps he doesn’t really feel like these words would be enough to justify his actions to his best friend.

The “betraying people’s trust” part especially hit hard on my first playthrough. What with the more distant and hostile way he’d been acting lately, it felt like Kazuma could have been talking about betraying Ryunosuke’s trust. Aaaagh.

Jigoku: “Well, you certainly did a fine job of betraying mine, Asogi.”

What Kazuma actually means, though, is this. He promised Jigoku he would carry out the assassination, Jigoku trusted him with it… and then he betrayed that.

And yet it’s so incredibly grossly entitled of Jigoku to be angry at Kazuma over this when he was the one who betrayed Kazuma’s trust in the first place by forcing him into this at all. If he had any sense, he wouldn’t have trusted Kazuma’s promise, when it was a promise made out of coercion.

(I guess this is Jigoku being mad that this then meant he had be the one to murder Gregson in the end. Oh no, you had to get your hands dirty yourself instead of coercing the son of the friend you also killed into doing it for you, how terrible.)

Ryunosuke: “But why was Inspector Gregson the target?” Jigoku: “I have no idea. Those were the orders from Britain. I was in no position to question them.” Kazuma: “You have no idea? Really? I find that hard to believe.”

Kazuma’s right to. Not only is he bound to suspect that Jigoku knew something about Gregson’s involvement in his father’s death from his time in Britain ten years ago, but also, Jigoku literally just told the court that Kazuma had a reason to kill Gregson, which definitely implies that he knows the reason too!

Ryunosuke: “Obviously, Kazuma didn’t actually die at all. But he did lose his memory. Including all details about his special mission.” Kazuma: “………”

This bit is very rude to me personally, because on my first playthrough, I thought, “Why are they making a point of Kazuma’s silence here? Surely this is meant as a hint that he didn’t really lose his memory?” Which led me to continue to entertain that fervent theory of mine just a little more, even after I’d mostly abandoned it. First-time-me had further ammo for it by this point, too, because wanting to pretend he’d forgotten about his assassination mission would have been a very plausible reason for Kazuma to have faked amnesia!!!

In reality, we can presume that the actual reason the narrative is making a point of Kazuma’s silence is that he’s thinking about how losing his memory was painful and difficult, but god forbid Kazuma ever actually talk about or openly acknowledge the suffering he’s been through.

Kazuma: “But I’d never intended to go through with the assassination mission anyway.”

Again, some very careful phrasing. He had never intended. Meaning he’s referring to a period of time in the past, around when he accepted the mission, at which point he did not intend to go through with it. A certain point in time much closer to the present day? He’s not talking about that point in this sentence. That would be a lie.

Jigoku: “So you were playing me right from the outset, were you? Is that it?” Kazuma: “I’d sooner be guilty of that crime than of taking someone else’s life. I was prepared to do whatever I had to in order to get myself here to Britain.”

Yes, Jigoku, and you should have realised from the start that he was planning to repay you in kind.

It is something that Kazuma still considers this – simply double-crossing Jigoku and making a false promise he intended to break – to be a “crime”. Kazuma cares a lot about honour and integrity, and it really hurt him to have to tarnish that in order to make it to Britain! Even though he was only doing this to somebody who’d already done much worse to him. Really, Kazuma, don’t beat yourself up over this – Jigoku deserved it.

Ryunosuke: “I suppose Inspector Gregson was there in his capacity as the Reaper… He was intending to take the witness’s life.” Kazuma: “Exactly. As I’ve said numerous times now, I had no intention of killing anyone.”

Once again, Kazuma is referring to a specific time period here – the point at which he and Gregson entered Jigoku’s cabin. At that point, he had no intention of killing anyone. Later than that? He’s not talking about that. Because he doesn’t lie.

It’s also starting to seem just a little suspiciously specific that Kazuma keeps repeating that he had no intention of doing any murders. Overcompensating for that guilt much, Kazuma?

Kazuma: “I stayed to talk with Inspector Gregson for a short while… and then I left him there and made my way off the ship alone.” Ryunosuke: “Was the guard still at the door when you went?” Kazuma: “Yes. He glared at me as I walked past.”

Yes, just a short, casual conversation in which nothing at all serious happened, don’t worry about the blade tip in Gregson’s trunk, it’s totally irrelevant to the case.

Given that Kazuma must have been in rather a panicked state of mind after finding himself wanting to kill Gregson and very nearly doing it, it sure is something that he then immediately passed by the guard glaring at him. He must have managed to put up one hell of a poker face.

It’s surprising that the crewman didn’t hear the sound of Karuma hitting Gregson’s trunk, honestly, but then that could easily have led to Kazuma being arrested, and we can’t have that, apparently

(…Actually, scratch that – there’s a specific reason he wouldn’t have heard it. Someone had muffled the speaking tube in the cabin with a piece of cloth, which likely wouldn’t have drowned out a gunshot, but I could buy it muffling less loud sounds. It’s never revealed who did that, but it could very easily have been Kazuma, given that he wouldn’t have wanted anybody to overhear him threatening Gregson.)

Ryunosuke: “But a hole like that made by a bullet was found in your cabin, Judge Jigoku! That’s compelling evidence that a gun was fired in there!” Kazuma: “What’s that? A bullet hole…?”

Yes, Kazuma, speaking of bullet holes—

…That aside, Kazuma’s reacting to this in surprise because he’s only just realising that Ryunosuke has actual evidence that the murder might have occurred there. What do you mean it could have actually been Jigoku who did it, and not van Zieks.

(Jigoku goes on to write off the bullet hole as totally just woodworm or something, and Kazuma probably justifies it that way in his head, too.)

Kazuma: “All crewmen were… away from their posts?!”

Kazuma also reacts to this. He’d been seeing Jigoku’s testimony as open and shut, he obviously couldn’t have done it because the guard would have heard the gunshot – what do you mean it actually was possible after all?!

Kazuma: “A twenty-minute window of opportunity… That’s an excellent find, Ryunosuke. But it amounts to nothing!”

Even though he’s proud of his friend for figuring something out, Kazuma is still quick to brush this off as definitely irrelevant, because a mere possibility isn’t proof that anything actually happened.

(Funny how he’s able to acknowledge that proving something is possible is not the same as proving that it definitely happened that way, now that we’re talking about it being someone other than van Zieks who maybe did the murder.)

Kazuma: “Unless you have some decisive evidence […]… your accusation is nothing more than conjecture!”

So is yours, Kazuma! Someone is still managing to forget this.

Ryunosuke: “Judge Jigoku! This was found in your cabin yesterday.” Stronghart: “What is that? The crown of a pocket watch?”

Interestingly, it seems Sholmes missed out a few details when he passed the evidence from his investigation of the cabin onto Ryunosuke. The crown of the watch was actually found in Jigoku’s trunk, which is distinctly not the same thing as his cabin. It could have been in the trunk without ever actually being in the cabin itself, so this technically doesn’t prove Gregson was attacked in the cabin… but on the other hand, it being in the trunk pretty much already proves that Gregson was inside there at some point. That’s not something the game wants us to get to just yet, so instead we have this little discrepancy that’s honestly very easy to not even notice (and makes sense to have happened, since Sholmes could have just not mentioned it).

Ryunosuke: “Moreover, this crown is a perfect fit on the spindle protruding from the victim’s watch.” Kazuma: “…!”

Kazuma’s shown being alarmed as he realises that Ryunosuke has some actual compelling evidence here. But barely a minute later…

Kazuma: “Expertly manoeuvred, Ryunosuke.” Ryunosuke: “…!” Kazuma: “And your argument sounds entirely plausible… at first. But rather like this pocket watch, it’s full of cracks.”

…even despite praising his friend (I love how Kazuma’s always proud of Ryunosuke for coming up with his arguments even as he’s shooting them down, they are friends), he’s already figured out a way out of it. It’s probably easier than it would otherwise be to come up with ways in which this still doesn’t prove Jigoku’s guilt when you’re utterly convinced that van Zieks must have done it.

--- Testimony 2 ---

Jigoku: “When I walked through the door, a mustachioed Englishman was there, foolishly waving a gun at me.”

Here’s an interesting point: I don’t think Gregson actually did point a gun at Jigoku. Sure, he was technically supposed to kill him since Kazuma had walked out, but I don’t believe he actually wanted to, given that Jigoku isn’t the kind of irredeemable criminal that the Reaper usually kills. He was probably feeling pretty conflicted about this whole mission, especially with his imminent transfer to France in which he was going to finally be done with all this murdering.

That and, if Gregson had had his gun out during their struggle, it rather begs the question… why didn’t Jigoku do the murder with Gregson’s gun? That would have been much easier to pin on somebody else, because anyone could theoretically have turned Gregson’s gun on him. As it is, by using his own gun, Jigoku limited the possible suspects to other judiciary members who carry the same model of gun (and coincidentally happen to have misplaced theirs). Framing Hugh Boone, like he'd originally intended to, wouldn’t actually have worked, because where would that guy have obtained such a weapon?

Ryunosuke: “Far from being impossible for you to do… the transporting of Inspector Gregson’s body back to Britain is something ONLY you could do!” Kazuma: “What are you talking about, Ryunosuke?”

Kazuma’s leaning forward and seeming quite urgent with this. What do you mean, it was possible, and maybe Jigoku did do it, and not van Zieks.

Ryunosuke: “The actual scene of the crime…” Kazuma: “The prosecution’s stance is unaltered. The killing took place on Fresno Street when the gunshot was heard… as the accused, Barok van Zieks, shot the victim at point blank range!”

Kazuma’s still insisting on this, again. He has to be starting to think by this point that maybe Ryunosuke’s onto something, but no, it was definitely van Zieks, it has to be.

Stronghart: “Since no tangible evidence exists to disprove the prosecution’s claim at this time…”

No tangible evidence has existed to prove it for quite some time now!!!

The part where you have to prove Gregson couldn’t have been shot at Fresno Street because he died instantly and couldn’t have curled up like that is a bit silly and unintuitive. This is something Ryunosuke could have pointed out at any point earlier in the trial, to support his argument that the murder took place elsewhere! I suppose it makes some sense that it’s coming up now, because now that we know Gregson’s body was in a trunk, we have an explanation for why he was curled up, but still.

(But then if Ryunosuke had brought it up earlier, that might have been seen as actual proof that Kazuma’s argument is all wrong, because apparently the scorch marks on the candle were not already enough proof of that, even though they were and just got conveniently brushed aside and forgotten.)

Also, we could have just skipped this awkward unintuitive bit by simply forcing Jigoku to present his trunk for inspection, which would prove it anyway.

Ryunosuke: “…before it was coldly turned out on the floor… from the inside of a large travel trunk!” Kazuma: “No!”

Anyway, here’s Kazuma with a powerfully shocked reaction as he realises how much sense Ryunosuke’s argument makes and that Gregson couldn’t have been killed at Fresno Street at all.

Jigoku: “Present my trunk? I refuse!” Kazuma: “What?!”

What do you mean Jigoku’s being suspicious in a way that implies he obviously did it?!

Stronghart: “Well, Mr Jigoku… what’s it to be?” Jigoku: “………” Kazuma: “You can’t be serious! You did it?!”

What do you mean, Jigoku did it, and it really wasn’t van Zieks at all???

Kazuma’s reaction here goes to show that he had still genuinely managed to keep convincing himself it was van Zieks until only just now, when the truth becomes completely impossible to deny.

And then Jigoku admits to moving the body but accuses Kazuma of the actual murder in a last-ditch effort to defend himself, which is far too little too late, grumble grumble. There’s no interesting narrative tension surrounding the question of whether Kazuma really might have done it when it’s already so obviously Jigoku at this point!

Jigoku: “As you know, there was one other person in my cabin that night. He had the opportunity.”

We’ve known that Kazuma theoretically had the opportunity to do the murder for a while now, which is such a juicy point, but the narrative’s done nothing with it until just now! Like, I get why Ryunosuke and Susato wouldn’t want to think about it, but why has nobody else even pointed out this possibility until it already became clear the killer was someone else anyway???? Bah.

Stronghart: “Well… the prosecution counsel has already admitted to visiting the witness’s cabin on the night in question.”

And this is all we get from Stronghart on the matter – the vaguest indication that he’d be more okay with throwing Kazuma under the bus for this than Jigoku. Because somehow he was not more okay with sacrificing Kazuma rather than van Zieks, even after Kazuma had repeatedly shown himself to be impossible to keep in line.

There’s not even that much narrative weight behind Ryunosuke being the one to prove Kazuma’s innocence in this one brief moment here, because Kazuma could perfectly well have done it himself anyway!

The “Overture to Pursuit” music kicks in about here as Ryunosuke begins to do so, which is a track that I love and that usually gets me really hyped. But no matter how much the music wants me to be, I can’t get hyped here over the fact that it was always literally impossible for Kazuma to have done this murder. He just had a freaking alibi the entire time, removing any potential for tension over whether or not it could have been him!!! Why.

And the thing is, Kazuma’s alibi is a really incidental, offhand sort of thing. Him staying at that boarding house in Dunkirk is only mentioned one other time and isn’t connected to any other part of the plot – it could have been completely removed while keeping everything else intact! This is particularly notable when almost every other plot point in this narrative serves multiple purposes for the story one way or another. Kazuma’s Dunkirk stay is one of the only things that doesn’t! It’s just… there, purely to give him an alibi and nothing else.

This means that it would have been so, so easily possible to write a story in which Kazuma theoretically could have done the deed and we’d actually had something come of this! If he’d just been on the ship the whole time – perhaps because the cabin’s guard had actually done his job and refused them entry due to Kazuma’s two fricking swords, meaning they had to wait until that window when all the crewmen left – then Kazuma would have been a perfectly viable suspect!

But nope, he just gets an alibi, making it that easy to prove his innocence when things actually come to this. Grumble grumble grumble.

(I think I am probably done complaining about this, finally, now that we’ve got past this point. Please read my fic in which Kazuma does get arrested if this idea seems enticing to you too.)

Jigoku: “To lure the man in, he was given a sham mission by the Reaper.” Ryunosuke: “W-What?!” (The Reaper…?) Kazuma: “But there’s only one person who could have done that! The mastermind of the entire operation: the Reaper himself!” Ryunosuke: “Ah!” Susato: “So… that means the assassin exchange was… It was all planned by the Reaper!”

Kazuma is the first person to jump on this and point out that Jigoku has just effectively told the court that the Reaper mastermind and the exchange mastermind are the same person. As I touched on earlier, Kazuma would already have been pretty sure of that himself due to the circumstances of him getting the mission to supposedly kill Gregson, and he’d have been itching for an opportunity to prove as much in court, so that he can use his father’s case as evidence that van Zieks is the Reaper.

Jigoku: “I decided that man [Hugh Boone] would be the perfect person to set up as the culprit.”

Framing van Zieks was actually an unexpected accident! While it’s a little frustrating that this means that Stronghart’s insistence on using this trial to get rid of van Zieks (and not Kazuma for some reason) wasn’t even planned, it does actually matter that Jigoku’s intended scapegoat was not van Zieks, as we’ll see later.

Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma’s shown silently uncomplaining as Stronghart accepts Jigoku’s confession. No doubt he’s just waiting until he can get to the part where he accuses van Zieks of being the Reaper and the man who ordered Jigoku to kill Gregson.

Ryunosuke: “Mr Jigoku! One last detail! Who was your counterpart in Britain? Who was the mastermind behind the assassin exchange?” Jigoku: “………” Ryunosuke: “Nothing you say now can make matters any worse for you! Just tell us!”

Ryunosuke’s got a point here – Jigoku’s apparently going to go down for murder, so he really shouldn’t have anything to lose. Even the fact that Stronghart’s holding him shooting Genshin over his head shouldn’t really matter any more, because one murder or two doesn’t make a difference to the death penalty. (Although I do suspect that Jigoku might feel a certain amount of personal guilt over shooting his friend dead, to the point that he just doesn’t want anyone to know about that, regardless of the consequences.)

But mostly, I think the reason Jigoku insists he can’t say anyway is that, despite what he keeps saying, it’s not actually over for him. Not as long as Stronghart’s still able to pull some strings behind the scenes to get him out of this.

Stronghart: “Seishiro Jigoku, it is the opinion of this court that you should be found… Guilty. And may I remind all those present of the strict confidentiality demanded by this closed court!”

Stronghart’s approach here certainly implies he’s planning as much. Look, everyone, he’s unofficially declared him guilty here, so that totally counts right? And nobody’s allowed to tell anybody that this happened – which means nobody can complain if Jigoku conveniently gets let off the hook in his actual trial later.

(It is a bit silly that it does the whole flames-in-the-scales thing for the Guilty, but not only is that setup for Stronghart’s breakdown later, declaring an unofficial verdict here actually does make some sense with the manipulation Stronghart’s trying to pull for Jigoku. See – most things in this story serve multiple purposes!)

Anyway, that was a point I found interesting and non-obvious enough that I wanted to talk about it even though it has nothing much to do with Kazuma, but let’s get back to Kazuma.

Stronghart: “In short, the defendant’s innocence has therefore been established beyond doubt.” Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma’s still biding his time, just waiting for the perfect moment to object and argue that no, it hasn’t.

Ryunosuke: “I’m just a little troubled… by his silence.”

Ryunosuke notices it too! He knows his friend – which in this instance means he knows Kazuma’s fervent determination to convict van Zieks well enough to be sure he’s not just going to give up and accept defeat like this.

Stronghart: “I hereby declare the defendant, Barok van Zieks………” Kazuma: “Objection!”

Seriously, Kazuma, you really were just waiting for the most dramatic possible moment, weren’t you? Dork.

#ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo

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commentaryvorg · 4 months

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The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 2, Part 2

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

We left off after Gina had delivered her second testimony but before starting the cross-examination part of it.

--- Testimony 2 – [Cross-Examination] ---

If you want to see every possible bit of dialogue from this testimony, you need to press statement 5 first, because it gets replaced with something else once you press statements 1 through 4.

Van Zieks: “Every single person killed by the Reaper was a criminal of the first order. Lowlifes like that have no compunction about robbing hundreds of others of their futures.” […] Van Zieks: “Their ludicrous acquittals in court give them the freedom to make hundreds more suffer.” […] Kazuma: “So what? You justified your actions because you were protecting innocent people’s futures?” Van Zieks: “…I’m not suggesting that the Reaper’s methods are justified at all. But life isn’t black and white. That’s all I’m saying.”

Van Zieks speaks up to try and console Gina in some small way, with a lovely nuanced view of how what the Reaper does is understandable even though it’s still wrong. And Kazuma is having none of this nuanced view that implies maybe van Zieks (who is totally the Reaper, he’s clearly talking about himself, right) isn’t 100% a monster and his actions might be justified. There was nothing justified, no protecting innocent people involved in murdering his father, must be what Kazuma’s thinking.

It’s interesting how Kazuma’s even temporarily able to entertain this idea that the Reaper acts to protect innocent people, when, as will be illustrated extremely clearly in just a little bit, he’s convinced himself that there is no sense or rationality at all behind any of van Zieks’s (the Reaper’s) actions. Seems this is one of those things that he brushes aside almost immediately because it doesn’t fit his very firmly-held view of how van Zieks definitely is.

(I’m skipping over Gina’s parts in this because she’s not directly relevant to Kazuma, but it needs to be said: she deserves hugs, I love her.)

The recap dialogue as the testimony loops back to the beginning is also something that’s easy to miss out on.

Susato: “…Did you notice how Kazuma-sama reacted to Lord van Zieks’s words?” Ryunosuke: “When he called him an even more sinister Reaper, you mean?”

I like how Susato, probably the most emotionally intelligent person here, picked up on Kazuma’s reaction to being accused of corruption. She cares about how her friend/brother is feeling about all this!

Ryunosuke: “Well, I’m sure Kazuma intends to eliminate any shred of doubt that the man is guilty. He’s looking for revenge against the person he considers to be his father’s killer, after all.”

In theory, Kazuma’s certainly intending to eliminate all shreds of doubt about van Zieks’s guilt. But in practice, he’s doing a terrible job of it, since he seems to genuinely believe that his ridiculously flawed argument here is going to do just that.

Van Zieks: “The ‘Reaper’… is an organisation.” Kazuma: “With you at its head?” Van Zieks: “………”

I love how much van Zieks is just not having any of Kazuma’s nonsense. Just a pointed silence and then continuing on with what he was talking about, not even bothering to acknowledge Kazuma’s completely unfounded accusation.

Kazuma: “As shown by the passport found in the victim’s metal trunk.” Ryunosuke: “…!” […] Susato: “Is something wrong, Mr Naruhodo? You seemed a little shocked by something a moment ago.” Ryunosuke: “Oh… No, it’s… it’s alright.” (I’m overthinking this, aren’t I?)

Oh, Ryunosuke. He’s very much sharp and observant enough to notice when Kazuma’s being subtly suspicious, but he doesn’t want to suspect his friend of wrongdoing, so he pushes it out of his mind and tries not to think about it – even though that means running away from the truth! It seems like his go-to method of dealing with something painful – as we also see with his grief over Kazuma’s death – is largely to Not Think About It. I had a lot of fun playing with Ryunosuke’s mental avoidance of his nagging suspicions about Kazuma in my fic.

It's also interesting to think about why Kazuma made such a slip-up. He didn’t need to go and mention that the passport was found in the metal trunk! If he was focused on revealing as little as possible, you’d think he’d have avoided saying that. But perhaps, the knowledge that the passport was in the trunk and if Ryunosuke somehow got hold of the former then he must also have seen the latter, with all that entails, has been bothering Kazuma to the point that it slips out.

Ryunosuke: “Ah! Then perhaps what it said on the passport document… ‘Permission for the applicant and one additional person to travel’. Could that additional person have been…?” Kazuma: “Clearly the assassin, who was meant to take Seishiro Jigoku’s life.”

It’s remarkably bold of Kazuma to just offer that up, considering that he was said assassin! I suppose he’s calculated that simply suggesting this fact can’t reflect badly on him, since it’s easy enough to figure out – perhaps he even thinks that by volunteering this idea, it’ll subtly make everyone less inclined to think that he could ever be the assassin himself.

Ryunosuke: “Gina! Can you confirm that?! Against the final entry that listed ‘Grouse’ and ‘Seishiro Jigoku’… what name was written?”

Ryunosuke seems particularly urgent about learning this, given that this is preceded by a frantic desk-slap as opposed to one of his more confident desk-slams. I wonder if some part of him is beginning to put two and two together about who this assassin might have been, given other facts he’s noticed, and he’s desperate for confirmation or denial.

Gina: “It, it just ‘ad like a question mark or summat there, I think.” Stronghart: “In other words, Gregson himself didn’t know the identity of the assassin in that case.” Van Zieks: “But Gregson was the one making the plans, was he not?”

Presumably what this is implying is that Kazuma was officially designated as the assassin for this job before he regained his memories, and therefore when Gregson didn’t know what his name was, rather than that the assassin hadn’t been determined when he wrote that entry.

(Really, though, Stronghart, what the hell were you expecting to do if Kazuma didn’t regain his memories before the mission? Did you actually seriously think he’d just agree to kill a guy for you out of absolutely nowhere?)

Ryunosuke: (A nameless assassin…?)

Since Ryunosuke lingers on this for a moment, I wonder if a part of him is thinking about a certain someone in this room who was apparently “nameless” until a not so long ago.

Ryunosuke: “What do you mean, a criminal?! Judge Jigoku is no criminal!”

Oh, Ryunosuke, if only you knew. (And if only Kazuma knew.)

But in this case, they’re talking about his petty crime of breaking a witness stand and saying some rude things about the British Empire during Genshin’s trial – which I assume was in fact genuine! There’s no evidence that Jigoku was involved in the half of the plot that framed Genshin, only the later half about the prison escape.

Kazuma: “And there you have it.” Van Zieks: “Have what?” Kazuma: “Surely the accused hasn’t forgotten his own rule? That there’s no saving anyone who faces the Reaper in court… guilty or innocent alike.”

Yes, Kazuma, that’s definitely van Zieks’s own rule, obviously. It couldn’t possibly be that the idea that anyone would decide to kill Jigoku over such a petty indictment is so irrational that it didn’t even cross his mind, because he’s not actually the Reaper.

Kazuma: “But then – ten years later – the mark returns to Britain once more.” [he smirks] “Perhaps now you start to see… just how vindictive the Reaper is.”

Kazuma really is so heartbreakingly convinced that van Zieks is just that petty and vindictive.

(When really, the pettily vindictive one here is looking a lot more like you, Kazuma.)

Ryunosuke: “Come on, that’s absurd! To take someone’s life for that?”

The whole time he’s been engaging with the concept of the Reaper, Ryunosuke has been perfectly aware that there’s a point to it, that the idea is to stop actual criminals from getting away with their crimes through corruption and going on to hurt more innocents. So of course this is absurd to him. Even the Reaper – whoever he actually is – wouldn’t wait ten whole years just to murder someone over something as petty and minuscule as this.

Kazuma: “Isn’t the whole premise of the Reaper absurd, killing those who have been found innocent? Clearly the rules by which the man operates… are beyond a sane person’s comprehension!”

But to Kazuma, the Reaper is supposed to be absurd. He has never engaged in this concept while imagining that there must be an understandable motive behind it, because he first heard about it from the angle of “the Reaper is Barok van Zieks, the monster who murdered my father even though he was innocent”. So there doesn’t need to be any rationality behind it for him. Killing innocent people for no reason is just what van Zieks does, in Kazuma’s mind.

This is such a heartbreakingly telling line which made it so clear to me that Kazuma has to have hated van Zieks for the better part of those ten years, ever since he read the newspaper clipping that came with the letter. His hatred is too irrational to not have festered within him for all that time.

Ryunosuke: “But…”

Ryunosuke is bewildered by this, clearly sensing something off here but unable to find the words to articulate just how irrational his friend is being.

Not that he’d get to say much even if he knew how to, because he’s promptly interrupted by Gina objecting.

Gina: “All this nonsense about the boss plannin’ to kill people… It’s cobblers! Come on, ‘Oddo!” […] Gina: “You’ve gotta find a flaw! You do usually! Someone’s lyin’ ‘ere, no question! You’ve gotta work out who it is!”

Gina’s desperately begging for Ryunosuke to figure out some way to prove that Gregson wasn’t really part of the Reaper. But unfortunately for Gina, he can’t do that, because… Gregson was, and that’s just the truth.

Gina: “I’ve ‘ad it wiv the lot o’ ya! It’s lies every bleedin’ place ya look in this world, innit? Well I’ve ‘ad enough!” […] Ryunosuke: “So have I. After that little speech of Gina’s, I’ve made up my mind.”

Yet it’s interesting how Gina’s outburst (and Stronghart’s callous cruelty in firing her from the police force in front of the whole courtroom) nonetheless sparks something in Ryunosuke and spurs him to finally face the truth he’s been running away from for most of this testimony. Even though said truth is absolutely nothing to do with what Gina was begging him to prove. (And it also doesn’t involve anybody lying, just a certain someone knowing more than he ought to.)

Ryunosuke: (I’m not going to let Gina’s plea for help fall on deaf ears.)

…Except this really isn’t so much about helping Gina as it is Ryunosuke helping himself and facing up to the truth at last.

Ryunosuke: “I want to thank you, Gina. You helped me find my resolve.”

The resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo to not run away from the truth! …Even if it means his best friend has been up to some very shady things.

Kazuma: “What do you mean?”

I like that Kazuma responds to this, taking an interest in his friend suddenly being more resolved than before. He may or may not yet have any inkling that this involves Ryunosuke zeroing in on him.

Ryunosuke: (I don’t quite know what it means yet, but…)

Don’t you, Ryunosuke? Even though you examined the trunk as well? I have a feeling he may still be lying to himself just a little about exactly how much he’s able to piece together right now regarding Kazuma’s actions.

If you present either Gina or van Zieks as the person who said something inconsistent, the game will entertain the idea and allow you to attempt to present evidence to prove how, since they are testifying right now and I suppose the game thinks a player might assume it was one of them. If you present anyone else other than Kazuma, the game just tells you that no, they aren’t testifying and so can’t have said something inconsistent – even if it’s Stronghart, who perfectly well has also been speaking enough to have potentially said something suspicious, just like Kazuma! Alas.

Ryunosuke: “By you… Kazuma Asogi.” Kazuma: “Me?” Stronghart: “Is this some attempt at filibustering, Counsel? Prosecutor Asogi has given no testimony.” Kazuma: “What are you suggesting I said that was inconsistent?”

I enjoy how Kazuma isn’t trying to use the technicality Stronghart brings up, that he hasn’t been officially “testifying”, to get out of this. He knows he’s been saying things and that his words deserve just as much scrutiny as anyone else in the courtroom, and he has confidence in his ability to have not let anything slip or said anything incorrect. He’s very aware of how good he is at hiding things without lying, after all!

Ryunosuke: “Which means that nobody should have known anything about the trunk. Unless of course… we’re talking about somebody who was present when the victim was killed.”

Kazuma was not, in fact, present when Gregson was killed. But by saying this, you sure are making it sound like he must have been, Ryunosuke! Ouch.

(Which, of course, would mean a lot more if Kazuma was actually going to be arrest—)

Kazuma: “………”

Props to Kazuma for being able to remain silent and unresponsive even as he is likely beginning to realise exactly how he messed up. Perhaps because he’s already planning to brush it off as proving nothing, as he goes on to try and do, since he could totally have guessed or assumed about the trunk without having been there, right.

Ryunosuke: “Answer me honestly, Kazuma!”

Ugh, it stings that Ryunosuke makes a point to demand Kazuma to be honest with him. He’s realising now just how much Kazuma’s been hiding and being evasive about lately and he just wants his friend to tell him the truth already.

Ryunosuke: “On 31st October… where exactly were you?!” Kazuma: “……… At the Port of Dunkirk, on board the SS Grouse…” [he smirks] Kazuma: “Is that the answer you’re looking for, Ryunosuke?”

And Kazuma responds in what has to be the most infuriating way, seeming for a moment like he’s giving a straight honest answer, and then immediately deflecting into a “well that’s hypothetically what you want me to say, isn’t it?” Goddammit Kazuma just talk to your friend and tell him the truth, you know he’s going to drag it out of you anyway if you don’t.

Ryunosuke: “Kazuma! What did you…?!”

Even though Kazuma phrased his words in such a way that they were an admission to precisely nothing, hearing him say this apparently shocked Ryunosuke into properly facing the fact that yes, he really was there.

Ryunosuke: (I hadn’t considered the possibility before, but… if Kazuma was there on the ship, it can only have been for one purpose…)

And here Ryunosuke is only just beginning to consciously entertain the idea that Kazuma must have been acting as the assassin, even though that’s something easy to piece together from the moment it became apparent why Gregson was on that ship and that Kazuma was most likely with him. I really do enjoy the way Ryunosuke is so incredibly hesitant to accept each tiny step of the picture of what Kazuma was up to that day, even as he’s mentally resolved to face the truth now. He really doesn’t want to think any of this about his best friend!

Susato: “Oh no, Mr Naruhodo! Surely… surely you don’t think…?”

And apparently Susato, too, didn’t want to think about this until now, until she sees some hint of it in Ryunosuke’s expression and realises just what he’s thinking.

Kazuma: “Ha ha ha ha hah! Come on, Ryunosuke, you know the rules. The only thing that really talks in the courtroom is hard evidence.”

It’s pretty impressive of Kazuma (and also painfully jarring) that he’s able to break into one of his big hearty laughs over this, despite that he knows just how cornered he is. He must surely expect Ryunosuke to be perfectly capable of proving he did indeed do something very shady and illegal that day.

Kazuma: “As I understand it, Gregson always took that case with him when he travelled. So as it stands… you’ve proved nothing.” Ryunosuke: “Kazuma… are you challenging me to prove it, beyond all reasonable doubt? That you were there that day… in the same place as the inspector!”

I love how Ryunosuke can read his friend well enough to know that, despite Kazuma’s evasive phrasing, he is in fact challenging Ryunosuke to prove this. On some level Kazuma must know Ryunosuke can prove this and just wants to see his friend show off his awesome lawyer skills that he’s so proud of, even if they’re being used against him.

Van Zieks: “He, he was there? With Gregson?”

Meanwhile, as Ryunosuke implies that he has strong proof of this fact, van Zieks has a notable reaction. What with his own grudge against Kazuma and the Asogi clan, I strongly suspect van Zieks is beginning to think that this may well mean Kazuma’s the real killer.

Ryunosuke: “There’s a clue that you’ve overlooked! A secret this trunk can tell us.”

“Overlooked” is a bit much, since I highly doubt that Kazuma is unaware of his precious sword having been broken. And it’s not like he could have checked to see whether the tip ended up embedded in the trunk or not, as he hasn’t been able to examine it himself.

Ryunosuke: (I can’t be sure at this point. I’ll need to verify it. But I have a nasty feeling… that I’m going to be right.)

It’s very notable that Ryunosuke’s thoughts here are not at all phrased like he is only just realising the significance of the blade tip in the trunk. It reads very much like he was already aware that this was a potential clue to Kazuma’s involvement and just thoroughly Did Not Want To Think About It until he had no choice right here.

Ryunosuke: “And when it says ‘permission for the applicant and one additional person to travel’…” (…I can’t believe it was you, Kazuma…)

When you’re looking at the trunk in order to present the sword tip, you can examine the passport instead and get this new dialogue. Kazuma has not yet explicitly confirmed that he was the one on the passport, but of course Ryunosuke knows it anyway.

I also suspect Ryunosuke may be somewhat lying to himself about the extent to which this surprises him (or that his “I can’t believe it” statement isn’t precisely one of surprise but rather of hating to believe this about his friend). After all, his approach to cornering Kazuma here in general rather suggests that he already had a inkling things would be going in this direction and just really did not want to confront it until now.

Ryunosuke: “Won’t you draw [Karuma]? Here in this courtroom… for all to see.” Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma hesitates for a moment, despite that he must know how refusing would look. On some level he must just not want to reveal it – not only the conclusive proof of his crime (and not just that he was with Gregson, but that he attacked him because he wanted to kill him), but also simply the fact that he desecrated his clan’s esteemed blade.

Van Zieks: “Exercise caution, my learned friend. That man is the son of London’s most notorious killer.”

Yikes, van Zieks! He is definitely low-key thinking that Kazuma might have killed Gregson, what with implying here that Kazuma might take the chance to attack someone with his sword just because he’s the Professor’s son.

Stronghart: “Bailiff! Watch Prosecutor Asogi like a hawk!” Kazuma: “…That won’t be necessary.”

And it’s that – and Stronghart going along with van Zieks’s implication that he’s dangerous – that compels Kazuma to stop hesitating and obediently draw his sword. The last thing he wants to do is make anybody think that he (and the Asogi clan in general) is some kind of vicious killer hiding his true nature. No doubt van Zieks’s words made his skin crawl.

There is an ever-so-slight quiver in the sword at the very end of the animation of Kazuma drawing it, just before it becomes a still frame like most AA animations end on. The animators did not have to include that tiny quiver, but they did. I enjoy this.

Susato: “Oh no!” Ryunosuke: “The tip… is broken…”

Susato is shocked to see it, but based on Ryunosuke’s body language, he isn’t, and is simply stating this as fact. He already knew, didn’t he – since probably long before he asked Kazuma to show them.

Van Zieks: “…!”

(Van Zieks is also shocked to see this confirmation that Kazuma did indeed show aggression towards Gregson that day.)

Ryunosuke: “If the fragment of metal from the trunk fits together with the end of the sword… the question of who was there with Inspector Gregson will be answered. Agreed… Kazuma Asogi?!”

Guh, Kazuma’s usually the one doing it to him, but here Ryunosuke’s using Kazuma’s full name. It’s like he’s trying to make this accusation and proof of Kazuma’s crime more formal and distanced, so he doesn’t have to think so hard about the fact that this is his best friend.

(He could have said “Prosecutor Asogi”, which would be even more formal and distanced – but no, Ryunosuke uses an exact mirror of the way Kazuma keeps addressing him.)

Kazuma: “Expertly done, Ryunosuke! That’s a point to you, and well deserved.”

It’s also just really disorienting how Kazuma responds to this. Rather than showing any kind of agitation about what this means for him, he’s just… praising Ryunosuke’s lawyering skills? Kazuma is, after all, frustratingly good at bottling up any kind of distress he might be feeling, and in this case it seems he’s doing that by choosing to focus on just how proud he is of his friend’s abilities.

Stronghart: “And the mission was…?” Kazuma: “…The assassination of the mark.”

Kazuma is deliberately not naming the mark here, so as to hide the truth without having to lie. On the one hand, the mark technically was still Jigoku for the purposes of the Reaper mission they were supposedly on (which Kazuma definitely believes was genuine, because as we’ve seen he very much believes van Zieks would have wanted Jigoku dead for petty reasons) – but on the other hand, he’d have been able to figure out that this mission was also due to the exchange mastermind, who has to be the same person as the Reaper, expecting him to use this as his chance to kill Gregson.

Ryunosuke: “Wha… WHAAAAAAT?!”

Ryunosuke, did you not basically figure out that Kazuma must have been the assassin just a little while ago? It seems that even then, he still didn’t want to properly face that fact, to the point that hearing it confirmed still elicits a shocked reaction from him. He is so hesitant to accept his best friend being an assassin, aaa.

Ryunosuke: “You mean… you’re the killer whose name was omitted from this notebook?! You were following the Reaper’s orders… to dispatch Judge Jigoku…?” Kazuma: “……… Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I have killed no one.”

Kazuma is somewhat dodging Ryunosuke’s question here, in order to avoid mentioning that the assassination mission he was on that day was in fact not quite the same one that Ryunosuke’s referring to.

But yes – he really hasn’t killed anyone. That’s the truth. I distinctly remember on my first playthrough, what with all of my own doubts and worries about what Kazuma had got up to, feeling relieved when he said this. Even though I actually (wrongly) thought Kazuma must have been lying about several things to do with the case, something in me knew he wouldn’t lie about this. I wish Ryunosuke was shown having some kind of a reaction to this line, too.

(But then, it doesn’t really matter, does it, because Kazuma never bloody gets arreste—)

Stronghart: “Explain.”

Stronghart responds to this assertion of Kazuma’s with a curt demand and a very displeased expression, with the implication of “are you sure you didn’t kill anyone, you’d better be able to prove it.” Except no, he’s not thinking that, apparently, because he doesn’t do anything about Kazuma’s very likely-looking guilt, does he, grrrr.

(Maybe instead his irritation is more along the lines of “okay but you should have killed someone, that was the point.”)

Kazuma: “But I never had any intention of carrying out the plan.” Ryunosuke: “You were never going to do it…?”

Guh, Ryunosuke echoing that as soon as he hears it. He so desperately wants to believe that yes of course Kazuma was never intending to kill anyone, that makes sense, that’s the Kazuma he knows, unlike everything else he’s learning right now…!

Also, note Kazuma’s phrasing. He never intended to carry out the plan, which is the truth. He does not say that he never intended to kill anyone, because, um. About that. Saying that would be a lie.

Susato: “…We can believe Kazuma-sama, I’m sure. After all, Judge Jigoku arrived safely in London the following day.”

Yes, Susato, because the fact that his target did not end up dead is definitely 100% ironclad proof that he had zero intention of ever killing him. That is definitely logic with no holes in it. (Oh, Susato, also just wanting to believe in him.)

Kazuma: “Then we boarded the SS Grouse and made for the cabin deck – as indicated in the plan.”

Huh. So I talked earlier about how Gregson being here surely meant this was an information-gathering mission, but the way Kazuma mentions a “plan” here implies this was at the stage where Gregson had already gathered his information and finalised the plan to kill the target. In which case, I still can’t help but question why Gregson even needed to be there at all for the actual killing! (You know, in theory, if this were hypothetically a real Reaper mission and not a get-Gregson-killed mission.)

Kazuma: “He wasn’t there, though. We decided to wait, but…” Ryunosuke: “But you’ve already told us you had no intention of going through with it anyway.”

And again Ryunosuke butts in to remind the court that it’s fine, because Kazuma never meant to kill anyone, right? okay? Definitely nobody he needs to reassure of this, he’s just, you know, mentioning it. Again.

Kazuma: “I didn’t come to Great Britain to take anyone’s life.”

Guhhhh. Knowing that Kazuma came to Britain with an assassination mission already weighing on his shoulders makes this line hurt a lot more. He really didn’t come here to kill anyone at all, despite the promise he was forced to make!

And yet. Again, this is very specific phrasing. He had no intention of killing anyone when he came to Britain. But after that, during one very specific moment in that cabin…? He’s not talking about that. To include that as part of his statement here would be a lie.

Stronghart: “Then what became of Jigoku?” Kazuma: “Gregson was no assassin. So the mark was spared.”

Given the ambiguity of Kazuma using the word “mark” here, what he’s really saying is something to the effect of “Gregson wasn’t exactly going to assassinate himself.”

Kazuma: “I’m sure it’s easy enough to imagine what happened after that.”

On some level, his belief that van Zieks killed Gregson is bound to also be down to the idea that van Zieks is the exchange mastermind who wanted Gregson dead and had to do it himself when Kazuma refused to do so. But he can’t argue that in court without incriminating himself in another assassination mission, so, never mind, arguing that van Zieks killed Gregson for the failure to assassinate Jigoku it is, an argument he goes on to outline once again for the court as if it makes perfect sense. That still does make twisted irrational sense in Kazuma’s head as half of the reason why he would have done it, anyway.

Van Zieks: “Objection! But if you did nothing as you claim… how did the tip of your sword come to be lodged in the inspector’s trunk?”

I like how van Zieks is the one to try and force Kazuma to answer this. Ryunosuke certainly doesn’t want to think about it, but van Zieks would very much like to know. And the timing of this, just after Kazuma’s yet again argued that van Zieks totally killed Gregson, feels almost like some kind of attempt to counter him and get back at him, just a little.

Kazuma: “……… I don’t need to answer that.” Ryunosuke: “…!”

I enjoy Ryunosuke’s little reaction there. Why doesn’t Kazuma want to answer that? If he really did nothing wrong, what would be so bad about saying what happened…?

Kazuma: “The victim was killed by a gunshot. A small fragment of a Japanese blade isn’t relevant to the case. And accordingly… I choose to exercise my right to silence on the matter.”

Frankly I find this argument pretty bullshit! Just because it was a different weapon doesn’t change the fact that the blade tip very strongly indicates that Kazuma showed aggression towards the victim during a period in which the murder could have taken place. That’s pretty relevant to the case, I think! He could easily have switched to a gun after having his sword strike blocked! Stronghart should totally have been able to shut him down and insist that actually he does have to testify about this. But noooo, because apparently Stronghart cares more about convicting van Zieks than convicting Kazuma for some reason, grumble grumble.

As it is, this part’s only actual purpose in the narrative is to give an excuse for Karuma to be added to the Court Record, and not any actual kind of fun hinting at Kazuma’s potential guilt. Bah.

The great sword ‘Karuma’ has been entered into the Court Record.

I like how even the Court Record text wants to show the proper respect to Karuma by referring to it like this. Aww.

Ryunosuke: “The tip of the great sword… broken… It’s such a shame. It’s been so meticulously cared for over the years. I can almost hear Karuma’s sobs…”

I love Ryunosuke personifying Karuma, imagining it sobbing at having been damaged. He really does care about the sword and see it as having a soul!

Ryunosuke: (Kazuma must have really taken a swing for that to happen…)

He sure did. I wonder how hard Ryunosuke is letting him think about exactly what Kazuma was aiming at, or how he would have been feeling at the time.

Along with being able to examine Karuma’s broken tip, you can also get some new dialogue if you re-examine the blade tip itself in the trunk, now that Ryunosuke and Susato know where it’s from. This bit was updated as soon as Kazuma admitted to having been there with Gregson.

Ryunosuke: “The tip of Karuma… So this is how it was broken. Kazuma’s swordsmanship is second to none. I can’t believe he’d misjudge it like that.” Susato: “Clearly he wasn’t in his right mind. He didn’t have full control of the power in his stroke. Too distracted by malicious thoughts, perhaps…” Ryunosuke: “Well, that wouldn’t be surprising. After all… he was on an assassination mission.” Susato: “…!”

It is heartbreaking that both of them seem to be getting rather close to the thought that maybe Kazuma acted out of anger and malice and genuine murderous intent, ouch. And all because of their belief that he would never usually be this careless with his swordsmanship!

Kazuma: “When a foreign dignitary invited to Great Britain goes missing for twenty-four hours… it’s only natural that the question of his safety should arise.”

This statement implies that any reason for Jigoku having potentially been murdered would most likely be some kind of international political plot, what with him being an influential foreign politician. This is actually what I believed was the real reason behind the obviously-bullshit Reaper mission on my first playthrough!

Kazuma: “The Reaper has more than one assassin at his disposal. And he has the power and influence to give orders from the inside of a prison cell.”

Kazuma, do you have any evidence whatsoever to back this up? A list of the people who’ve been visiting van Zieks in prison so that you can point to potential conspirators, perhaps? Because I imagine you’ll find that Ryunosuke and Susato are in fact the only visitors he’s had. You can’t just make a wild claim like “this guy is capable of orchestrating a murder from in prison” without backing it up in some way!

(Except, apparently, you can, if the judge is Stronghart and he wants you to win the trial.)

This is, again, such ridiculous nonsense, but of course it makes sense in Kazuma’s head, because van Zieks is The Worst, don’t you know.

Kazuma: “Isn’t that right… Lord van Zieks?” Van Zieks: [swirling a chalice of wine] “…If I were truly the Reaper, I’d be able to tell you.”

Again, I love van Zieks’s thoroughly dry response to this. He is so done with Kazuma’s bullshit unfounded accusations.

(Another rare instance of Kazuma calling him “Lord van Zieks”, but in this case it could certainly be read as being delivered with heavy sarcasm.)

Stronghart: “Guests of the symposium have been told to maintain regular contact with the organisers’ office. If the man can’t be located within half an hour… we will have to assume the worst.”

Really? We will have to assume that he’s freaking dead, and not simply that he decided to go against the instruction to stay in contact for one of a myriad of possible reasons? Mikotoba is also a symposium guest and has also not been in contact with the organisers since last night; does that mean we’d better assume that he’s dead too, rather than that he had some other reason for running off? This is bonkers.

Kazuma: “No one would want to kill a harmless Japanese man who’d only just arrived in the country. Except, that is… for the Reaper, wanting to finish off a mark that slipped through the net ten years ago.”

Yes, Kazuma, there’s no other possible reason for anyone to want to kill an important foreign politician. Certainly nothing at all that you implied yourself just a minute ago by pointing out that foreign dignitaries going missing leads to worries about their safety. Nah, the only reason anyone could want him dead is if they’re a petty monster like van Zieks totally is. Kazuma’s mental gymnastics really are incredibly impressive.

Stronghart: “I would have to agree.”

And of course, conveniently Stronghart is here to agree that Kazuma’s terrible logic makes perfect sense.

Stronghart: “If we’re unable to confirm Mr Jigoku’s healthy existence in the next thirty minutes, you will face grave difficulties.” Ryunosuke: “Ah!”

So here we have the situation: if Jigoku is missing, then he’s definitely dead, and if he’s dead, then it must be because van Zieks had him murdered, which is totally something he can do even from within prison and we don’t need to show any proof of that. So if Jigoku isn’t found then it means that van Zieks absolutely must have killed Jigoku, which also somehow proves he killed Gregson I guess because Jigoku’s murder isn’t even the one this trial is about.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

At this point, I really am stretching my suspension of disbelief as to how Ryunosuke accepts this. Idolising Kazuma to the point of not expecting to see flaws in his reasoning is one thing, but come on. Ryunosuke’s determined to defend van Zieks, so you’d think he’d be able to find the words to argue that there’s still no actual proof that van Zieks killed anyone.

The court empties for the recess, but Ryunosuke and Susato stay behind.

Susato: “Kazuma-sama, the Reaper’s assassin… I feel as though I’m in a nightmare.” Ryunosuke: “I can hardly believe it either.”

A brief interlude of Ryunosuke and Susato freaking out over something they actually ought to be freaking out over! It cannot be easy to learn this about their friend. (And they don’t even realise yet just how deep Kazuma’s involvement in assassination plots goes.)

Ryunosuke: “But on the other hand… Kazuma isn’t in the habit of making up stories.”

I also enjoy Ryunosuke feeling like it must be true, even though he hates it, because of this. He knows his friend. Kazuma doesn’t lie, so he certainly wouldn’t claim something as outlandish as this unless it was the truth.

Susato: “……… I have such a terrible sense of foreboding.”

It would be nice if this line of Susato’s were referring to the Kazuma-being-an-assassin situation in some way. But…

Susato: “If something awful has happened to Judge Jigoku… then I feel as though things will only spiral further and further out of control.”

…never mind, this isn’t about Kazuma at all, it’s about the Jigoku situation. It’s valid for her to be legitimately worried about Jigoku’s safety right now, but even if he is dead, that should not have to have any bearing on how this trial for Gregson’s murder will go. Not you too, Susato.

Ryunosuke: (I felt it from the moment I stepped into the courthouse this morning. That strange sensation that we were careering towards a foregone conclusion…)

This, too, is a line that would work so well if it were referring to Kazuma being an assassin! Given that he’d examined the trunk and other related evidence, Ryunosuke had plenty of reason to already have a subtle inkling in his head this morning that he was going to reveal something Very Bad about Kazuma’s actions that could lead to big trouble.

But somehow, this is actually about Jigoku’s situation as well, which… how on earth was Ryunosuke supposed to have had any sense this morning that things would turn out like this? He had been vaguely told that Jigoku was missing during the pre-trial antechamber scene, sure (though that’s after he stepped into the courthouse…!), but for him to link that to the idea that he’s been assassinated, and that this somehow totally proves van Zieks’s guilt is way too much of a stretch.

Really, it’s truly boggling to me that these lines, which would be so perfect for a narrative in which Kazuma is about to get arrested because of all his suspicious actions, somehow exist here in this narrative where that’s not remotely what happens. That and the sheer flimsiness of the insistence that Jigoku’s disappearance is extremely dire for Ryunosuke’s case make me seriously wonder whether Kazuma being arrested was the original plan by the writers, but for some reason it had to be cut. Like these lines are the remnants of it being written that way to begin with, but then this different turn of events was shoehorned in somewhat hurriedly, without the writers actually removing all of the build-up and foreshadowing that originally pointed towards Kazuma’s now non-existent arrest.

So anyway, it’s bunny time, something Ryunosuke was told to use only if they were “out of options”. Because pointing out that there has been precisely zero actual proof of van Zieks’s guilt presented in this entire trial day does not occur to him as an option, somehow.

Conveniently, not only is the court recess half an hour, but the SS Grouse is also going to leave Dunkirk for good in half an hour. So, if the writers wanted this part to be a race against time, they didn’t even need to have the pressure of “we must find Jigoku before the end of the recess” going on. We could just be worried about losing access to the evidence at the real crime scene if Sholmes doesn’t investigate it quickly! Jigoku doesn’t even necessarily need to be fleeing the country for this bit to still have narrative urgency!

Ryunosuke: “We’ve just entered a recess. The trial resumes in thirty minutes from now.” Susato: “And if we’re unable to present any new leads then, I’m afraid to say…”

Ryunosuke and Susato don’t even tell Sholmes that their current burning problem is that Jigoku is missing and might be dead! All they’re asking him to find is new leads, aka evidence from the actual crime scene that the actual crime took place there. That would work perfectly well on its own!

And even if Jigoku was still fleeing, the tension could be over the fact that Ryunosuke needs to summon him as a key witness to his version of events, and that he’ll have nothing to back up his argument if Jigoku isn’t found. We still don’t actually need the “if he’s missing he’s definitely dead and that definitely means van Zieks did it somehow” in order to create tension here.

Back in the courtroom after the interlude…

Ryunosuke: (Kazuma Asogi… I know you, and I know you wouldn’t lie. But still, there’s no doubt… that you’re holding something back. You know more than you’re saying!)

Oh, he knows a lot more than he’s saying, Ryunosuke, especially since he managed to get out of having to tell anyone why he attacked Gregson’s trunk.

This is adorable, though. Ryunosuke understands his friend! He knows that Kazuma doesn’t lie (which is very correct) and can tell when he’s hiding things anyway!

So of course, Stronghart and Kazuma didn’t find Jigoku.

Kazuma: “We must accept the unfortunate conclusion that the Reaper has already done the deed.”

No? There are a million other possible reasons as to why you couldn’t find him?

Kazuma: “There’s no sense in wasting any more of the court’s time. The prosecution calls for an immediate verdict.”

No????? Even if Jigoku had been killed by the Reaper, that still provides absolutely zero proof that van Zieks is the one responsible, let alone responsible for killing Gregson?

Kazuma’s logic is so, so incredibly flawed here. Jigoku’s disappearance could theoretically be explained by van Zieks being the Reaper – thus, in his head, it’s been twisted around into proof that van Zieks is definitely the Reaper. This is some seriously heavy tunnel-visioning going on in Kazuma’s mind.

Ryunosuke: “No. The trial cannot end now.” Kazuma: “You’re a Japanese man, Ryunosuke. You should know when to lay down your sword.”

Even then, that time would not remotely be now! Even if Jigoku was indeed missing! Kazuma really is so impressively convinced that his terrible argument is in fact flawless.

It’s also interesting to see this little nod to it being a Japanese cultural thing – I think particularly a thing from the samurai culture which Kazuma was raised with – that one should know when he’s beaten and accept his fate with dignity. It’s ironic to hear this from Kazuma, of all people, who is so fervently determined to never give up on his mission to avenge his father. Really, he’s the one who’s having trouble seeing when he’s… well, not quite beaten, but certainly losing the battle a lot more than he’d ever be able to admit right now.

Ryunosuke: “And you should know never to presume when the battle is won.”

At least Ryunosuke does throw this idea right back at Kazuma and somewhat point this out to him. (Though he’s only saying this because they located Jigoku, and apparently he would be giving up if they hadn’t managed to find him???)

Kazuma: “The court has already been presented with all the evidence and heard all relevant testimony. And there can only be one conclusion: that the accused is guilty!”

No! It really, really hasn’t, and there really, really isn’t! Kazuma is so zeroed in on “van Zieks definitely did it” that it somehow fails to occur to him that whether Gregson could have been killed while he was on the Grouse is in fact a very relevant thing to discuss. The previous court day’s “let’s discuss whether Gregson was killed somewhere else on the day before he was found” really was just a deliberate diversion, because he’s not remotely considering doing so today, now that it might actually go somewhere.

Kazuma: “Who on earth is this crucial witness?” Ryunosuke: “…Seishiro Jigoku. The very man allegedly murdered by the Reaper!” Kazuma: “J-Judge Jigoku?! You’ve found him?!”

Kazuma flinches back in shock at this revelation. He really was completely convinced that van Zieks had definitely murdered him. What do you mean that’s not actually the case.

Stronghart: “But the investigations of every policing resource in the capital suggest that Jigoku is already dead.”

Really, Stronghart. “They looked for thirty minutes and couldn’t find him, boo hoo” totally suggests he’s definitely dead, right. Usually it’d at least take finding a body for someone to be so insistently presumed dead that quickly. Dude’s been missing for barely over a day, come on.

But no, because Stronghart really wanted to just convict van Zieks (for some reason) based on Kazuma’s horrendously flawed reasoning, and to let Jigoku safely flee the country and get away with murder. How dare Ryunosuke drag him here to testify after all.

Ryunosuke: “Inspector Gregson almost certainly met with Mr Jigoku on the night of his death.”

Finally! Finally we have Ryunosuke arguing something to the effect of how Gregson was probably killed on the Grouse, actually. Why has he not been making more of a point of this before now.

Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma remains silent and inscrutable. It may well be occurring to him that, huh, this sure is a relevant period of time that hasn’t been examined by the court and his case isn’t yet as airtight as he’d somehow convinced himself it was. But he’s not going to let slip any sign that he’s kicking himself over this, of course.

Ryunosuke: “Which means that Seishiro Jigoku is the sole witness… who can clarify exactly what happened aboard the SS Grouse on 31st October!”

I mean. He’s not the sole witness. There’s one other very pertinent witness standing right there opposite you, Ryunosuke. But I guess in AA verse where it’s allowed for the lawyers standing in court to also be directly involved with the case, they just get to not officially testify because you can’t have a lawyer also be a witness.

(Again, Kazuma really should have been forced to talk about why his sword tip ended up in Gregson’s trunk, because that seems quite potentially relevant to the murder, actually.)

Kazuma: “The prosecution concurs. The court must hear Mr Jigoku’s testimony. No judgement should be passed until all testimony has been considered.”

See, look, everyone, Kazuma’s still being very pointedly non-corrupt, making a big deal about how they must consider every angle and it would be unfair to hand down a verdict without doing that. He definitely wasn’t wilfully forgetting about any other possible remaining angles until just now when Ryunosuke pointed one out. The most fair and just and above-board prosecutor here, unlike that van Zieks.

Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma has a lot of pointedly-shown silences in this bit, inviting us to consider what he might be thinking. No doubt he’s still managing to convince himself that Jigoku’s testimony will amount to nothing, because obviously van Zieks killed Gregson at Fresno Street and so he has nothing to worry about. His case is fine and correct and just. Van Zieks is a monster, and Kazuma is fated to win this trial and bring him to justice, so it's fine.

#ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo

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The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 2, Part 1

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

We’re starting day 2 here, aka the first trial day of case 2-5.

Writing the commentary for this day of the trial is going to feel a little odd for me, because I’ve essentially already done it before – just in character as Ryunosuke, instead of as myself. This was a chapter in my AU fic in which this trial day goes off the rails towards the end and Kazuma gets arrested for Gregson’s murder, because he should have been and I am forever salty that it didn’t happen in canon. The purpose of the chapter in the fic, even though it was 90% retreading canon events, was to utilise all the existing buildup the game had that made it seem like things were headed in that direction, so that my AU could actually deliver the payoff it deserved to have. There are so many really good bits that would be so delightful if they were foreshadowing what was going to happen to Kazuma, except for the fact that they aren’t. I am going to be compelled to point all of these out and grumble about them here.

Here's one to get us started, just as Ryunosuke heads into the courtroom.

Ryunosuke: (Today I battle with another in pursuit of the truth. My best friend, Kazuma Asogi, who I trust more than anyone else in the world.)

Like, yes, this is adorable in and of itself, that Ryunosuke still trusts Kazuma that much even after the way he’s been acting since he came back. But! Imagine how much juicier this line would be if it was followed by Ryunosuke getting Kazuma arrested for murder! That is absolutely what I thought it existed to foreshadow on my first playthrough and asghjkghjdghjdfs.

Stronghart: “Yesterday’s proceedings brought to light a shocking and disturbing fact: There was a side to the victim, Inspector Tobias Gregson, that was unknown to his superiors at Scotland Yard.” Kazuma: “Yes, he was carrying out operations in secret, which Scotland Yard knew nothing about.” Stronghart: “And in those clandestine operations, he had an accomplice.” Kazuma: “Mr Daley Vigil, who would be given the inspector’s identification…”

During what is supposed to be Kazuma’s opening statement, Stronghart is having just as much if not more of a part in it, and they’re both practically finishing each other’s sentences. (Here is just one example of their tandem speech extremely coming across this way.) Clearly Stronghart, who is determined to keep Kazuma in line after his shenanigans with Vigil yesterday, firmly instructed him on what he was supposed to talk about, and apparently they may have even spent a while rehearsing this speech together. No wonder Kazuma wasn’t surprised to see Stronghart here at the judge’s bench today.

Stronghart: “Which brings us to the crucial issue of the victim’s time of death. The defence yesterday proposed a suggestion that the victim may have been killed one day earlier. This was based largely on the discovery that the victim’s pocket watch had not been wound.”

Not really! It was also based equally if not more so on the scorch marks on the candle, which have still not been explained as anything other than evidence that a gun was never fired there at all. But nah, Stronghart is just as happy to draw attention away from that as Kazuma is.

(Since he knows the full truth of the murder, Stronghart is also the only person who may be aware of the even more damning evidence that proves a gun could not possibly have been fired in the Fresno Street room. But he’s especially not going to draw any attention to that.)

Kazuma: “The prosecution has something to report on that subject, My Lord.” Stronghart: “Really? Go ahead, Prosecutor Asogi.”

Geez, look at him acting like he wasn’t expecting Kazuma to bring this (the autopsy report) up at all and this definitely wasn’t all rehearsed and planned out.

Stronghart: “But the official opinion of the investigation team was made clear yesterday. That the time of death was 5 p.m. on 1st November.” Kazuma: “There are indications of an attempt to disguise the real time of death, however. It seems that the natural decaying process of the victim’s body may have been slowed by keeping it chilled.” Stronghart: “That’s out of the question.”

Stronghart apparently also elected to put himself on the “nope it’s definitely impossible” side of this little scripted exchange. In reality, the entire first testimony we’re about to have is to examine the possibility that Gregson was killed the day before, and that testimony was very obviously Stronghart’s idea, so he was perfectly okay with this avenue being explored! (because he intends it to end either with nothing substantial or with apparent proof that van Zieks did it anyway.)

Kazuma: “It’s conceivable that he was killed in the course of his secret activities.” Stronghart: “Do I sense that the prosecution has some information regarding those activities?”

Gasp, look at Stronghart’s amazing sixth sense to pick up on this, and not at all that he blatantly knew Kazuma was about to bring this up because he told him to, nope, nothing suspicious here.

Honestly, this is all remarkably brazen, but I guess since Stronghart has a licence to do whatever the heck he wants, he doesn’t care how obvious it looks because nobody’s going to call him out for it anyway.

(Also, look at Kazuma acting like he’s entertaining the idea that Gregson was killed during his secret outing on the 31st, when really he hasn’t entertained that at all because it was definitely van Zieks, okay.)

Kazuma: “Scotland Yard put an enormous effort into investigating that precise matter yesterday. I think we should begin by presenting the results of that investigation work.”

Once again, note Kazuma’s avoidance of giving a direct answer to Stronghart’s question. He sure does have some first-hand information about Gregson’s real secret activities that day, but he phrases his response in a way that shifts the focus onto something he knows full well is a red herring. Again, he is so good at doing this without actively lying.

--- Testimony 1 ---

Ryunosuke: “Smuggled goods?!”

Ryunosuke is quite surprised to hear this brought up out of nowhere – as he should be. It seems he can already tell on some level that this is a complete wild goose chase that has nothing to do with the actual case.

Spare a thought for Kazuma, who gives us a summary of the smuggling case and must have spent some time researching this information to recite it in court, while knowing this is irrelevant and fully intending to throw it all out the first chance he gets.

Kazuma: “There’s no question: the accused, Barok van Zieks, was present.” […] Kazuma: “In short, Lord van Zieks had ample opportunity to murder the victim.”

Kazuma looks very smug about suggesting that van Zieks could easily have murdered Gregson at the gentleman’s club… even though he knows for a fact that couldn’t have happened. Granted, he’s intending to throw all this out by revealing what Gregson was really doing that day, but the fact that he’s looking so smug about the idea that this irrelevant point throws even more suspicion onto van Zieks is a bit much. Kazuma, please.

(This is one of the very rare instances of Kazuma referring to him as “Lord van Zieks”, incidentally! I… can’t think of any specific reason why this one might be an exception, alas. Guess he just ever-so-occasionally slips up and falls back into habits from his amnesiac days.)

Ryunosuke: “But I was hoping to find out the name of the club.” Kazuma: “That won’t be necessary.” Ryunosuke: “What?” Kazuma: “It’s conceivable that the club might be used again by the smugglers in future. Therefore… the prosecution has been asked not to reveal the name in these proceedings.”

Note Kazuma’s wording here – he has been asked not to reveal the name of the club. It’s not actually his decision, and he doesn’t actually want to hide that information. He’s just putting up a token amount of resistance here, presumably because Stronghart instructed him to, but he’s bound to be trusting that Ryunosuke will keep pushing. And when he does…

Stronghart: “The prosecution is rightfully exercising caution, I imagine.” Kazuma: “……… No, My Lord. The prosecution has no objection.” Stronghart: “…!” Ryunosuke: “Kazuma?”

Too bad, Stronghart – turns out, as the lead prosecutor on the case, Kazuma gets the final say whether you like it or not.

Ryunosuke also has an interesting little reaction there, like he’s surprised at Kazuma suddenly changing his tune, or perhaps relieved to see an indication of his friend acting on his own terms and not what he’s been ordered to do.

Kazuma: “There’s no question that Inspector Gregson was looking into these black market dealings. However… it’s not yet been established that he was on that particular trail on the day in question.”

And here he goes, opening up the possibility that Gregson wasn’t there that day at all, to allow Ryunosuke room to prove it, despite what Stronghart wants.

One incidental thing to note here is that Ryunosuke is now addressing Kazuma with his given name in court, and will continue to do so for the rest of the trial, even though he was calling him “Prosecutor Asogi” in the trial yesterday. Perhaps it’s got something to do with the conversation they had in Kazuma’s office yesterday afternoon, the first thing even vaguely close to a proper conversation between friends that they’ve had since Kazuma’s return. It seems like that closed the distance between them just slightly, enough for Ryunosuke to internalise that this is still Kazuma, albeit a Kazuma with a lot of unexpected emotional baggage, and start instinctively defaulting to calling him by the more familiar name again even in court. (Although this must be on a pretty subconscious level, since we still had Ryunosuke in that scene outwardly telling Kazuma that he’s changed.)

Ryunosuke: “The Grouse? What sort of a club is that?” […] Kazuma: “They’re not places where a foreign student like you would be readily admitted.” Ryunosuke: “Have you looked into the mirror recently?”

I love the way Kazuma tries to project his foreign student status onto Ryunosuke alone. Kazuma is above that, right? He’ll definitely be taken more seriously by the British judiciary and not be written off because he’s “just a foreign student”, won’t he…?

Ryunosuke: “As I understand it, they’re places where well-to-do gentlemen socialise with friends and colleagues.” Kazuma: “Don’t imagine for a second that a foreign student like you would be admitted.” Ryunosuke: (Seriously, is your mirror cracked or something?)

And he does it again, just a few lines later. His particular hypocritical insistence on this just really delights me, which led to me figuring out what it’s implying about his feelings on his own foreign-student status.

Stronghart: “If it wasn’t a gentleman’s club… then what was it?” Ryunosuke: “…A steamship.” Kazuma: “You think… it’s a ship…?”

There’s a subtle screen-shake on Kazuma’s line there, which I like, as it implies an undercurrent of something more going on in his head. He knows it was a ship, and on the one hand he must be glad and proud that Ryunosuke’s zeroing in on the real truth… and yet also perhaps a little worried what that might end up revealing about him.

(After all, Kazuma may well not have been expecting Ryunosuke to prove this much, since this isn’t just proving it wasn’t at the club, but also proving where it really was. He can’t have imagined Ryunosuke would randomly have Mikotoba’s steamship ticket on him in order to cross-reference the ship’s name.)

Kazuma goes on to argue that it couldn’t have been the SS Grouse because it hadn’t docked in Britain yet on the day in question. He has to feel kind of torn about putting up resistance to this, too – on the one hand he wants Ryunosuke to prove the smuggling irrelevant so that he can reveal what Gregson was really up to and is just saying this to make Ryunosuke’s argument stronger, but on the other hand, perhaps a part of him doesn’t want Ryunosuke to prove how Gregson got onto that ship in Dunkirk (and that he brought someone else with him…)

Kazuma: “Then show your evidence for that assertion!” Ryunosuke: “…Very well.” Kazuma: “…!”

Kazuma has an interesting little reaction here as Ryunosuke unflinchingly announces he’ll present his evidence. He’s got to have been expecting Ryunosuke to have something and not just be making things up, but perhaps he’s a little worried about exactly what he has and how damning for him it might end up being.

If you’re playing this part of the trial from chapter-select mode (like I’m doing right now for this commentary), the Court Record will assume you haven’t yet examined Gregson’s trunk to find the passport inside it. Which then makes the fact that I have to do so right now to be able to present the passport kind of awkward, because it will be a vital plot point very soon that Kazuma shouldn’t know that the passport was inside the trunk. So uh. Let’s just have Ryunosuke hide behind his bench to sneakily look at the trunk and take the passport out, Kazuma totally won’t see that, it’s fine.

(Of course, we can assume that canonically Ryunosuke took the passport out of the trunk at some point yesterday so that this isn’t an issue.)

Stronghart: “What’s this? A passport for travel issued to the victim?” Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma keeps himself poker-faced as the passport is presented. But as Ryunosuke shows that he’s very much figured out what it means…

Ryunosuke: “…there’s a distinct possibility he wasn’t even in the country!” Kazuma: “…!”

…he flinches back in shock. It’s a little bit of an odd delayed reaction, but I do think he’s realising here that Ryunosuke having seen that passport is a Bad Sign for him being able to keep his own dodgy actions hidden.

(And maybe he also remembers where Gregson was keeping the passport, so the fact that Ryunosuke has seen it means he’s also found a certain metal trunk that a very damning piece of evidence was left in…)

Kazuma: “……… Ha ha ha ha ha hah! I’m impressed, Ryunosuke Naruhodo! I certainly didn’t expect you to get your hands on that passport.”

But Kazuma regains his composure pretty quickly, of course. He’s fine! He’s definitely fine and proud of his friend for figuring things out and just wasn’t expecting him to have seen the passport, hmmmm, nope, nothing suspicious about that specific point.

Ryunosuke: “What? You mean… you knew about this?”

Meanwhile Ryunosuke is several steps behind those of us in the commentary who know everything Kazuma knows, and is only just catching onto the fact that Kazuma was aware of at least some of this all along. He seems pretty shocked here, presumably at realising that his friend was hiding information from him. He never openly picked up on any of the earlier hints at this – of which there were a lot – perhaps because he doesn’t want to think about how underhanded Kazuma’s capable of being.

Kazuma: “The prosecution’s strategy for this trial has been laid down by the Crown prosecution office:”

Instead of directly answering this question, and also diverting the conversation entirely away from the matter of the passport before he gives too much away, Kazuma goes on to explain that this whole angle about smuggling was something he was ordered to do. He says it was from the Prosecutor’s Office, and I guess on a technical level it was, but let’s be real – it was Stronghart. Kazuma probably even knows this, given their blatantly rehearsed opening statement… but it seems like directly calling out Stronghart for this is not a risk he’s willing to take when there isn’t much reward for it.

Kazuma: “I think the Prosecutor’s Office is trying to hide something.” Ryunosuke: “What?!” Kazuma: “And now that you’ve expertly disproven their assertion… I intend to reveal what I believe that something to be.” Stronghart: “What are you playing at, Prosecutor Asogi?”

Stronghart is glaring at Kazuma, clearly Not Happy at him going against orders like this. Again: those orders were so obviously from him, especially since it was all to hide Gregson’s role as the Reaper’s tactician, which Stronghart in particular would quite like to keep hidden, thanks.

Kazuma: “A courtroom is a forum for the truth, My Lord. Which is why it’s my duty to present all the facts, without exception.”

Kazuma’s entire speech here, and particularly these lines, really give the sense that he cares a lot about doing things honourably and without corruption in order to uncover the whole truth. Which, in principle, he does!

And yet. All the facts, without exception? He hasn’t exactly been keeping to the word of that, now, has he – and he still isn’t planning to.

Stronghart: “Let me guess… This was your intention from the outset, wasn’t it?”

Of course it was; of course Kazuma wanted to reveal Gregson working for the Reaper, just to paint an even bigger picture of how completely terrible van Zieks is. It doesn’t take much for Stronghart to figure that Kazuma planned this all along, either. There was a bit in Stronghart’s office during yesterday’s investigation, in which Kazuma was being told off for going off the rails with Vigil in that day’s trial. Stronghart ordered him to stay in line next time, and he mentioned to Ryunosuke that if Kazuma continued not to, “I will be forced to take steps”. Apparently those steps amounted to “script his approach to the trial and oversee it as the judge to make sure he stays in line”. And of course he still didn’t, because Kazuma is stubborn and doesn’t bow to authority for the heck of it.

But like… surely Stronghart would have known there’d be a good chance Kazuma wasn’t going to behave, even being directly overseen like this? What further steps was he planning to take if (when) Kazuma inevitably didn’t?

…Apparently, the answer to this is “nothing at all (other than some displeased glares)”. So that whole mini plotline about this amounted to barely anything. I guess it gives Stronghart an excuse to be the judge for the final trial days, but honestly I wouldn’t have batted an eye at him doing that anyway, minor powerplay with Kazuma or no.

I’d thought, on my first playthrough, that Kazuma’s defiance here was going to lead to Stronghart realising he can’t control Kazuma and that he needs to get rid of him, therefore causing Stronghart to deliberately nudge things towards getting Kazuma arrested once the assassin thing is revealed a little later in the trial. It would have made perfect sense! Kazuma ought to be just as much if not more of a threat that Stronghart would want to get rid of than van Zieks is, given that he’s just proven himself uncontrollable and has a lot more reason to seek the truth about the Professor case than van Zieks does. But somehow, canonically, Stronghart just shrugs and decides, nah, getting rid of van Zieks is totally still the greater priority, for some reason, let’s just let things continue like this.

Grumble grumble Kazuma should have been arrested, look at how much sense it would have made.

(It isn’t even made at all clear why Stronghart is so determined to get rid of van Zieks in the first place. I’ve seen it suggested elsewhere that it’s because, what with him vying for promotion, he wants to put an end to the Reaper at last and pin it all on the poor convenient scapegoat so that none of it can be traced back to him. I guess that’s the most reasonable explanation, but it'd be nice if there was some proper indication of it somewhere in-story.)

Anyway yes, Kazuma dramatically announces that Gregson was on a mission for the Reaper that day.

Kazuma: “The prosecution made an assertion in court yesterday:” Kazuma: [yesterday] “Inspector Gregson was investigating the identity of the Reaper. When he discovered the location of the man’s secret hideout… he was killed. As I’m sure everyone can imagine… by the Reaper’s hand!” Kazuma: “But in reality… the truth is the opposite of that.”

He makes sure to clear up any confusion caused by his previous argument by citing it and pointing out it was incorrect. But conveniently, he doesn’t mention the fact that he already knew it was incorrect when he made it yesterday, because unlike the rest of the police force, he did not learn about Gregson working for the Reaper only yesterday afternoon.

Kazuma: “Barok van Zieks never carried out any of the actual killings. Whenever the Reaper’s victims lost their lives, he always had a cast-iron alibi. Which tells us… that he must have had an accomplice.”

Sure, Kazuma, it definitely tells us that, because Barok van Zieks must definitely be the Reaper, no other possibility. This couldn’t possibly tell us that maybe van Zieks just isn’t actually the Reaper at all.

(Granted, he is thinking along the right lines, since the real Reaper mastermind also does not carry out the killings himself. He also just knows that to be a fact, since he’s had Gregson approach him as merely the Reaper’s tactician. But his logic for arguing this here is based entirely on his tunnel-visioned “van Zieks is definitely the Reaper” premise and not anything rational.)

Susato: “We also arrived at the same conclusion, didn’t we? That Inspector Gregson was operating as the Reaper.”

You and Ryunosuke didn’t exactly “arrive at that conclusion”, though, Susato. Van Zieks told you that he’d figured it out during his investigations, and you believed his judgement, that’s all.

Ryunosuke: “Barok van Zieks is not the Reaper!” Kazuma: “A predictable response… from someone who’s advocating for the man.”

Nice mental deflection there, Kazuma. Ryunosuke’s totally only insisting this because it’s his job to as a lawyer, definitely not at all because he genuinely believes in van Zieks and he might be right to or anything, nope, no need to think about that possibility.

Ryunosuke argues that Gregson couldn’t have been acting as the Reaper on the Grouse because nobody was killed there.

Kazuma: “…Pfft!” Ryunosuke: “What’s so funny?” Kazuma: “You’re right, of course. No suspicious deaths were reported on board that ship. But I think perhaps you’ve missed the point. That’s precisely why Inspector Gregson lost his life!”

It’s kind of painful how Kazuma seems to think this is amusing. Van Zieks murdering Gregson for the oh-so-terrible slight of not killing his target this one time is so obvious in Kazuma’s head that he snickers at the thought that Ryunosuke stumbled into helping him argue that.

Ryunosuke: “What?!”

Understandably, Ryunosuke has no idea why Kazuma seems to think that makes sense, because it doesn’t.

Kazuma: “There’s no question that Tobias Gregson was heavily involved in the Reaper’s activities. You may just be an apprentice, but if you’ve spent any time at Scotland Yard, you must have heard rumours…”

Rumours aren’t evidence, Kazuma! Granted, he also cited just a moment ago that Gregson’s secret notebook contains details of the assassination plots, which is actually evidence, but it is something that he tries to bring the rumours into it too. Perhaps it’s that he knows for a fact Gregson was part of the Reaper for reasons he can’t reveal without incriminating himself, so it’s frustrating him that he still can’t quite treat it as fact in court, leading to him trying to back it up in flimsy ways as well as solid ones. Alas, how much easier Kazuma’s job in this trial would be if he was just willing to incriminate himself.

--- Testimony 2 ---

Ryunosuke: “I know Judge Jigoku! And I saw him the day before yesterday! Here in London! So I know for a fact that the man hasn’t been assassinated!” Kazuma: “As I said… the Reaper failed.” Ryunosuke: “Oh…” Kazuma: “Gregson missed his chance to kill his mark and returned to British shores.”

One thing the narrative never properly discusses about Gregson’s mission here is… was he even supposed to kill his mark in the first place? Gregson was the tactician, not the actual assassin. It’s his job to investigate the marks and figure out the best opportunities to kill them, and then to pass that information onto the assassin who will do the actual deed. If Gregson goes on a trip to investigate a mark with an assassin in tow, surely that’s just an information-gathering mission? Surely Gregson himself would usually try not to be present during the actual killings?

Granted, that’s all moot in this instance since this was never a real Reaper mission, and actually Kazuma was sent along so that he would, in theory, kill Gregson, but still. I guess the narrative just never discusses this because it would unnecessarily complicate things. And clearly we cannot be bringing up any possible flaws in Kazuma’s very sensible logic here, right.

Kazuma: “But the Reaper wouldn’t tolerate the mistake. So he killed the inspector… personally. The Reaper of course being the accused… Barok van Zieks!” Stronghart: “It’s… an undeniably logical argument.”

It really isn’t!!!!! There are so many things wrong with this argument that it’s honestly kind of hilarious.

It’s ridiculous that the Reaper would get so mad at Gregson failing to kill the mark when he’s not even supposed to be the assassin – as I said, this was surely just an information-gathering mission if Gregson was there. Even if it wasn’t, the killing itself is still not Gregson’s job. The Reaper should be getting mad at Kazuma for failing, if anyone.

It’s also just ridiculous that the Reaper would go so far as to kill any henchman of his for one small mistake that didn’t actually have any negative consequences. Gregson can still try again, surely? Sometimes unexpected things come up that make assassinations not safe to go for without getting caught! If he killed his men for every tiny thing like this, he’d run out of men very quickly.

It's also ridiculous that the Reaper, a very careful serial killer who has kept himself hidden for ten whole years, would apparently carry out this retribution by shooting Gregson in a house in a populated street, thus immediately getting himself caught red-handed like the most bumbling criminal imaginable.

And of course, this entire argument hinges on the assumed premise that Barok van Zieks is the Reaper, something Kazuma has still not shown any proof for whatsoever.

And, even if we somehow take everything about this argument as solid, it still only “proves” a potential motive for van Zieks committing the crime! It does not prove that he did it!

But Kazuma realises none of this ridiculousness. No, of course van Zieks is so petty and vindictive as to murder his henchmen for one tiny mistake that isn’t really even part of their job, and of course he’s stupid and bumbling enough to get himself caught for it, and of course he is definitely the Reaper, because he is The Worst Person Ever.

Stronghart agreeing that this argument is logical is laughable – but then, Stronghart is apparently (for some unclear reason) still on the Let’s Get Van Zieks Convicted train, so he’s happy to agree with anything that’ll let him do that so long as nobody questions it.

Ryunosuke: (Kazuma… You planned for the trial to go this way all along, didn’t you?)

Which even Ryunosuke isn’t doing! He’s only marvelling at Kazuma having planned this – if anything, the way he’s thinking this reads as if he feels cornered. He’s not at all considering that this is a terrible argument actually. I would side-eye his response to this the most, since he doesn’t have such a good excuse for being wrong as Kazuma or Stronghart, but… I suppose this just speaks to how much Ryunosuke idolises his best friend. It doesn’t occur to him to ever expect Kazuma’s arguments to be flawed, because Kazuma’s the best at what he does, right?

I love the sheer audacity of van Zieks striding up to the witness stand during his own trial and slamming his leg on it to express his displeasure at the bullshit going on. It’s so very him. And I really can’t blame him right now.

Kazuma: “The accused has no right to speak uninvited in court. You will return to the dock.”

Kazuma is Not Happy. He may have been fine with calling van Zieks to testify unnecessarily yesterday, but in that instance, he was in control and was doing so to prove van Zieks to be a terrible liar. Can’t have van Zieks speaking out of turn and saying things that might make people think he’s not a horrible person.

Also, one little detail I enjoy during this bit is that the angle of Kazuma’s eyeline in his poses while he’s addressing van Zieks is just slightly lower than normal. It gives the subtle sense that he’s not looking van Zieks in the eye. Of course he wouldn’t want to do that.

Van Zieks: “That girl is no detective.” […] Van Zieks: “Repeating rumours heard around the Yard… Reading entries from a notebook of unconfirmed origin… That’s not testimony. It’s practically a script. No doubt the rest of this trial will go exactly as you’ve clearly planned.”

Van Zieks is essentially accusing Kazuma of being corrupt, of having rigged the entire trial to get him convicted unfairly. And it’s not that Kazuma isn’t being kind of corrupt right now, what with his very terrible argument that Stronghart is conveniently choosing to agree with… but it’s not really in the way that van Zieks is suggesting here.

The first testimony we had today, about the smuggling, really was practically a script. That whole line of argument was bullshitted by the Prosecutor’s Office (aka: Stronghart) to come up with something to hide the truth about Gregson acting for the Reaper. And Gina, a very inexperienced detective who doesn’t know much of what’s going on and is the most willing to accept anything that doesn’t involve Gregson working for the Reaper, was called to give the testimony, even though all she was really doing was reciting what she’d been told to say about the smuggling. And Kazuma didn’t like that he had to script that part of the trial, and was happy when Ryunosuke managed to disprove it for him!

This second testimony of Gina’s is a lot less scripted, though. She’s stating actual facts about what’s written in Gregson’s secret notebook (the notebook she found, so she’s a relevant person to testify about it), and the purpose of the testimony is to prove that Gregson was indeed working for the Reaper. This is something that van Zieks knows to be true thanks to his own investigations, some of which involved that very notebook! And Gina is the one person who’s actually trying to argue against this angle on Gregson in her testimony, by adding an unwarranted personal-opinion line at the end about how surely he was really just investigating the Reaper. So she’s hardly a witness who’s biased towards Kazuma’s case.

The actual problem here is that Kazuma is taking the true and backed-up facts that Gregson was working for the Reaper and went on a Reaper mission that day, and using those to spin a thoroughly flawed argument about how this means that van Zieks, who is totally the Reaper, totally killed him. Van Zieks… doesn’t quite seem able to see that. His own hatred of Kazuma is twisting his judgement just a little out of whack on this matter, too.

(It’s pretty amusing that van Zieks’s mistake here is that he’s assuming Kazuma is being corrupt in a more competent way than how he is actually being corrupt. Everybody is overestimating Kazuma’s ability to form a coherent argument here. Which is fair, because Kazuma really is so much better than this the rest of the time!)

Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma’s response to van Zieks insinuating that he’s rigged this testimony is nothing but a silent glare. Maybe he feels somewhat secure here, because at least he knows that he hasn’t really rigged the testimony at all.

(He was trying to bring the rumours into it, though. Van Zieks isn’t wrong to call him out on that bit.)

Van Zieks: “In your mind, I’m sure I am the Reaper… who sent your father to the gallows all those years ago.” Kazuma: “…!”

Kazuma remains in the same pose, but his text box implies a slightly more intense reaction to van Zieks bringing up his father, because of course. I really like how van Zieks is able to empathise with Kazuma to some extent and understand how he must feel about the death of his father, even though van Zieks believes that Genshin deserved it!

Van Zieks: “But you’re in danger of becoming a far more sinister Reaper yourself… by attempting to have me condemned with this feeble excuse for testimony.” Kazuma: “What did you say?”

This is the only part of van Zieks’s words that gets a verbal rise out of Kazuma. Of course he’s especially not pleased that the insinuation that he’s being worse than van Zieks himself in the way he’s approaching this. And, hey, while van Zieks is off about the precise ways in which Kazuma’s being corrupt right now, he’s not wrong to suggest that at all! Kazuma, please take a step back and look at yourself before you become the very kind of demon that you’re trying to fight.

This delightful little exchange gets interrupted by Susato and Ryunosuke, as the latter appeals for van Zieks to remain in the stand for the cross-examination, since he might know important information. It’s almost like he’s the one who actually has proper information on the testimony’s topic of Gregson being part of the Reaper, because he literally agrees with what the testimony’s arguing! Not such a corrupt testimony, really, is it, van Zieks?

(This trial day is short enough that it isn’t split apart with a save point, but I have so much to say about it that I’m splitting it into two anyway! So I’m stopping here, just before we start the actual cross-examination.)

#ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo

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commentaryvorg · 5 months

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The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 1, Part 2

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

We’re resuming just past the save point as we begin cross-examining the redheads whom Gregson was apparently investigating the day before his body was found – which is a line of questioning that was definitely 100% Ryunosuke’s idea and not at all something he was subtly led into proposing by a Kazuma who knows full well that it’ll result in a dead end.

--- Testimony 4 ---

This is irrelevant to anything else, but I need people to know that the university of Temsik, which the two redheads went to together, is a very clear reference to Ghost Trick. If you haven’t played Ghost Trick, please play Ghost Trick it is so good. It’s even out in HD now, so it’s readily available!

De Rousseau: “It was a plan most elegant, non?” Kazuma: “No, it was most dishonourable.”

Look at Kazuma making a point that underhanded deceptions like this are dishonourable. (And nobody think too hard about the fact that he’s been doing quite a few underhanded deceptive things himself lately, it’s fine.)

Kazuma: “This confidential document was obtained directly from Scotland Yard. It records an entry from the inspector’s private diary dated the day before the incident. It reads, ‘Lime Street, Red-Headed League, Undercover’.”

Here is an actual reason, completely misleading red wig aside, to assume that Gregson would have been at Lime Park on that day. And yet, Kazuma didn’t bring that up before the recess, because he wanted to make it look like suggesting this line of enquiry was Ryunosuke’s idea and not his own.

Kazuma, of course, knows full well this diary entry is false… but he’s got to be genuinely wondering why Gregson had a diary entry claiming he would be here in particular as a cover story. He’s bound to be at least a little bit curious as to if anything’s going on there (even though he definitely does not know that Gregson outright had someone impersonate him as an alibi, based on his reactions to that reveal later).

Ryunosuke: (There’s no question that Inspector Gregson was investigating the Red-Headed League.)

But at least Kazuma’s information has got Ryunosuke convinced that Gregson was definitely there in the park that day, and not at all anywhere else such as with Kazuma on a ship to France.

I enjoy the part where both Ryunosuke and Kazuma tag-team desk slam to intimidate the redheads into admitting what they just accidentally let slip. Both are equally exasperated by these dumbass witnesses’ shenanigans, and they’re almost working together to get the truth!

Judge: “Counsel, no incognito inspector would offer his identification for inspection. It’s quite out of the question.” Kazuma: “Definitely. Why would he expose his true identity?”

Kazuma looks deep in thought as he says this. On the surface, he’s happy to agree with the judge, because this supports his case that Gregson wasn’t there – but on the other hand, he’s got to be busy wondering what on earth was going on with this supposed inspector there that day.

Kazuma: “Don’t be ridiculous. No Scotland Yard detective would allow his – or her – identification to be stolen.” Gina: “Hold it! That… that… That IS the boss’s! …No question about it.” Kazuma: “It can’t be!”

Kazuma seems confident as he’s trying to refute this idea, because he’s sure the truth is on his side – and then he’s very shocked to learn that the ID is the real deal. He knows that Gregson wasn’t there, but apparently his actual genuine ID was there, somehow, despite that?

Kazuma: “Unable to… You’re, you’re not suggesting…?” Ryunosuke: “Yes! It’s quite possible that he was killed before he had the chance to report his identification stolen!” Kazuma: “No!”

Kazuma’s “No!” here is really intense, and there’s a lot he’s not saying behind it. He knows for a fact that Gregson could not possibly have been killed by these redheads, but right now the evidence is making it look like he was. This isn’t just a “no” of “oh no, this hurts my case”, this is a “no” of “No, that’s not what happened at all!” If things continue like this then van Zieks is going to be found innocent based on something completely false, and Kazuma is helpless to explain how wrong it is without incriminating himself.

Kazuma: “But you will tell everything! …Or face the worst possible outcome.”

Kazuma’s getting very forceful at the redheads. He needs them to stop hiding things and tell the whole truth in their next testimony, so that it can be firmly established that Gregson did not die in their company that day like Kazuma knows for certain he didn’t but cannot say himself.

(He’s not saying it in so many words, but he is essentially threatening them with capital punishment here. This is not the only time Kazuma uses that as a threat to witnesses who are hiding the truth from him.)

--- Testimony 5 ---

Kazuma: “It would appear then, that on the day before the incident… the man who visited the park on Lime Street posing as an incognito inspector… was not Inspector Gregson at all!” Ryunosuke: “Objection! If that’s true, however, how do you explain the inspector’s identification?” Kazuma: “…!” Ryunosuke: “This is a genuine identification book, issued by Scotland Yard. It’s inconceivable that someone could have stolen such an important item from the inspector. The prosecution made that assertion itself!” Kazuma: “…!”

Whoops. Kazuma was happy to make that assertion when it helped his case, to write off the redheads’ testimony as obviously nonsense, but it’s suddenly not so helpful now that it allows them to continue to think that maybe the man they kidnapped was really Gregson.

(Still, Kazuma is the one gaining ground here, since mislaid ID is easier to explain away than a disappearing bruise, and he’s definitely glad about that.)

Ryunosuke: “…the person who these two red-headed men took prisoner that day cannot have been Inspector Gregson.” Kazuma: “In other words, your whole argument up to now has been a waste of time.”

Wow, Kazuma did not remotely hesitate to point that out the moment Ryunosuke conceded this. He really was waiting for this all along, knowing that it would be proven sooner or later, so that he could make the court see just how pointless it was for him to entertain Ryunosuke’s conjecture that maybe van Zieks didn’t do it. Again: see why he wanted to lead Ryunosuke into suggesting this avenue, so that it would seem like Ryunosuke’s wasteful idea.

(And yet, who really wasted the court’s time by subtly leading us onto an entire line of enquiry he knew full well would amount to nothing, Kazuma?)

Ryunosuke: “During his testimony earlier… I noticed something around the man’s neck: a red ring of bruising!” […] Kazuma: “What?!”

Haha, Kazuma didn’t notice the bruise on Gossip, because Ryunosuke’s observation skills really are a lot better than his!

--- Testimony 6 ---

Ryunosuke: (Ugh. Isn’t there anyone in this courtroom who thinks I might be onto something?) Susato: “I stand steadfastly at your side as always, Mr Naruhodo!” Kazuma: “………”

Aww, I enjoy the pan to Kazuma’s silence there. It’s not only Susato – Kazuma definitely also believes Ryunosuke must be onto something here, because his best friend always is.

Ryunosuke: “The victim’s body was discovered… in your rented room!” Gossip: “………” Kazuma: “I suggest, sir… that you start talking!”

Kazuma’s getting worked up again here. He may be completely convinced that van Zieks did the murder, but suddenly here’s the man who’s renting the room that’s the Reaper’s hideout, so surely he’s got to know something important and be connected to all of this somehow.

Kazuma doesn’t noticeably react to hearing that Boone is in fact Daley Vigil, or even that Vigil used to work as chief warder at Barclay Prison. But…

Ryunosuke: “Well, it’s been ten years since Mr Vigil worked at the prison.” Kazuma: “Ten years?”

As soon as he hears it was ten years ago that his employment there ended, he takes notice. Based on his reaction here, I don’t think he knew until right now that Daley Vigil was someone connected to his father’s execution.

Vigil: “Yes, it’s true… I am Daley Vigil.” Kazuma: “And you were the chief warder at Barclay Prison ten years ago…? ………”

And all of a sudden, that’s the only detail about this man that Kazuma cares about. His silence there comes with a screen shake, as if everything’s shifting itself around in his head as he realises that this man isn’t just some witness, just some guy who for some reason rents the room used as the Reaper’s hideout – he might well be the one who faked his father’s execution.

I did assume at one point, while I was trying to figure out Kazuma’s approach to this trial, that he’d already been looking into his father’s execution and already knew to look for a Daley Vigil. But this reaction of his pretty much confirms that he had no idea it was this man until now. Either he tried to look into it but couldn’t get Governor Caidin to reveal much to him (no surprise when his surname is Asogi), or perhaps, Kazuma didn’t want to look too closely into the part of the case where his father might have done something underhanded himself.

Vigil: “I was to… impersonate the inspector.” Kazuma: “What?! Impersonate him?!”

Kazuma is also very shocked to learn that Gregson personally asked someone to impersonate him. At that one point, I was also assuming that maybe Kazuma had learned about Vigil being Gregson’s alibi man from Gregson himself… but here it’s pretty clear that that is not the case. Which is fair enough, because that’s not something Gregson would likely tell anybody else if he could help it.

Kazuma: “Well… it would seem this confession completely destroys the defence’s case.”

Yes, Kazuma. Sure. Completely destroys it. There is definitely not a single chance that van Zieks is innocent now, never mind the still-very-convincing argument Ryunosuke made about the scene at Fresno Street being a setup.

Kazuma: “My learned friend’s assertion was as follows: The victim was killed at another location on the day before his corpse was discovered… at the hands of these two Red-Headed League men when they imprisoned the inspector.”

That wasn’t really Ryunosuke’s assertion. Mostly he was just asserting that Gregson was killed somewhere else by somebody. He never latched that strongly onto the idea that it was the redheads in particular. But, conveniently for Kazuma, there was that one point earlier on where Ryunosuke at least suggested that might have happened, to explain why Gregson couldn’t report his ID missing once it was stolen.

So clearly, that was the argument Ryunosuke was totally making the whole time, and since it wasn’t the redheads who killed Gregson at all, that must mean it was definitely van Zieks, no other possibility. Never mind the question of where Gregson really was on the 31st, which Kazuma is fully aware of. No. If Gregson wasn’t killed in a place he wasn’t even present at on the 31st, clearly it means he wasn’t killed on that day at all and Ryunosuke proposing as such was just wasting our time.

This is exactly the outcome Kazuma was expecting when he led the court – and Ryunosuke – into pursuing this redheads dead end, and he is doing a startlingly good job of making it seem like it matters to the question of whether van Zieks killed Gregson.

Still, as Ryunosuke freaks out about this (he doesn’t realise the obvious logical fallacy in Kazuma’s carefully-worded shut-down, because he idolises Kazuma and Kazuma wouldn’t be so obviously wrong, right?) and we get a wide shot of the entire courtroom… Kazuma’s pose isn’t confident; it’s thoughtful. This was supposed to be nothing but a diversion to manipulate the court into thinking his case held more weight than Ryunosuke’s, but… it unexpectedly brought him a very important lead about his father’s case, one he can’t let go without pursuing.

So, of course, as the judge is about to call an end to Vigil’s cross-examination, Kazuma interrupts.

Kazuma: “I want to know… exactly what your involvement was.” Vigil: “Oh!” Kazuma: “Answer me, man!”

And of course he’s being especially forceful here. He has to know the truth of that execution. (Never mind the part where it might reveal that even his father was involved in underhanded dealings, just don’t think about that—)

Judge: “Is this related to the current case?” Kazuma: “……… Naturally. It is the prosecution’s belief that this case and the events of ten years ago… are inextricably linked.”

Kazuma’s not making this up. With what he knows about Gregson helping to frame his father, and about an exchange assassin mastermind – who is also bound to be the same person as the Reaper mastermind – wanting Gregson silenced, he knows that the real motive for this murder is inextricably linked to Gregson’s role in his father’s death ten years ago. He just… hasn’t got around to revealing any of that yet, not when he’s still going with the totally false idea that van Zieks’s motive was simply Gregson discovering his hideout. But he fully intends to reveal the whole story, in time!

Ryunosuke: (Kazuma… You’re not yourself. You’re not as calm and collected as usual.)

Aww, Ryunosuke knows his friend, and he can just tell that Kazuma’s been a lot more forceful and desperate in this trial so far than he’d ever usually be.

Susato: “Poor Kazuma-sama. No wonder he’s acting this way. Mr Vigil’s memories of what happened ten years ago… would tell the tale of Genshin Asogi’s final moments. His own father…” Ryunosuke: “I know. I do understand that.” (But even so…)

And aww, both Susato and also Ryunosuke can empathise with why Kazuma’s feeling this way. But even then… Ryunosuke still has a strong sense of what’s appropriate in a court of law, and dredging up your issues about your father’s death in a seemingly completely unrelated trial isn’t it.

Ryunosuke: “Kazu— Prosecutor Asogi.” Kazuma: “…!” Ryunosuke: “Do you genuinely believe… that this question requires an answer in order to learn the truth behind Inspector Gregson’s death?” Kazuma: “I need you to trust me. …Please.” Ryunosuke: “……… Very well. Then the defence has no objection.”

Aww! Kazuma asking Ryunosuke to trust him that this is relevant, because he really does have good reason to think so but he can’t reveal any of it just yet. And Ryunosuke, despite recognising how emotional Kazuma’s getting over this, does trust that his friend has some actual reason to believe this is connected!

Also the way Ryunosuke initially goes to call him “Kazuma” as if he’s trying to talk to his friend on a close, emotional level, but then stops and corrects himself to the proper courtroom language of “Prosecutor Asogi”, because what he’s really asking is for Kazuma to put aside his personal feelings for the sake of courtroom etiquette. Aaa, my heart.

Vigil: “The, the truth is… I remember very little of that time.” Kazuma: “You’ve forgotten?!”

Kazuma has another strong reaction to this. On the one hand he must be frustrated that the answers he so desperately wants might not even be accessible. But on the other hand, maybe this is also making him think that, huh, forgetting important things, he has a bit of his own experience with that, doesn’t he.

Vigil: “As I said, I resigned from my role at the prison ten years ago. But for some peculiar reason… my memory of the events leading up to that moment is extremely hazy.” Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma’s also shown reacting silently to this. He’s bound to be thinking about what he knows it means, to have forgotten something so very important and likely painful.

Ryunosuke and Susato discuss between them that Vigil’s statement about resigning is strange, because they know that he was in fact fired. Kazuma does not have that piece of information as evidence – and yet, he’s already figured out exactly what’s going on in Vigil’s head.

Kazuma: “The human spirit is a fragile thing. It’s broken all too easily. Which is why… we have a tendency to wrap it up for protection.” […] Kazuma: “When we experience pain and suffering that we feel unable to bear… we block it out. Obliterate it from our memories. Seal it away. But it never truly leaves us. If the seal is broken, the memories resurface. And when they do… that fragile spirit may finally be crushed.”

Kazuma’s speech here is so heartbreakingly telling. The language he uses is so evocative, with “we” phrasings making it seem so much more personal. And the fact that he even realised, so quickly, that this trauma-driven amnesia is what Vigil’s going through also says so much. Kazuma’s amnesia was driven by trauma, too, and on some level, he’s realised that. But this is the closest he’s ever going to be able to get to admitting that. He’s talking about himself just as much as he’s talking about Vigil in these words.

Susato: “Kazuma-sama…”

Susato is shown reacting to his speech, making me think that she’s picking up on how this is a lot more personal for Kazuma than he might want it to seem. She of all people has enough emotional intelligence and empathy for him that I can definitely buy her noticing this.

Kazuma: “But if it must be crushed, then so be it! Because the truth will not stay buried! It’s coming out… one way or another!”

And yet, despite (or perhaps because of) his own experience with this, Kazuma is so fervently certain that revealing the truth is worth the pain it brings. He must have been in agony when he regained his own memories – but even worse would have been the realisation that he’d ever forgotten about something so very important. Nothing matters more than the truth – at least, to Kazuma, when it’s the truth about his father. No matter how much it hurts.

Susato: “………”

Susato is still staring at Kazuma with tears in her eyes. I think she really does Get It about what he’s gone through himself. Bless Susato.

Ryunosuke: “This is a dismissal notice ordering the immediate termination of a prison staff member’s employment.” Kazuma: “A dismissal notice…?”

(Confirming: Kazuma indeed did not know about Vigil’s dismissal, and yet, he still figured out he had amnesia before anybody else.)

Even the way Vigil clutches his head and sways as his memories begin to come back to him is similar to what Kazuma briefly did during the cutscene when he regained his own.

Kazuma: “Clearly… you did something.” [he slams his desk] “Mr Vigil! It’s time to break the seal and have you remember!”

Ugh, he’s still being so forceful about this, despite knowing exactly how much it’s going to hurt poor Vigil.

Kazuma: “Seeing as you were in charge of overseeing executions at the time… you must know the truth about what really happened! It’s in your head! Somewhere deep down!”

Tragically for Kazuma, it isn’t – Vigil was not involved in the plot and knows little about how it was carried out. Kazuma’s going to cause this man so much pain in ripping the truth from his mind for almost none of the gain he’s expecting.

(Well, not completely no gain, since Vigil’s memories – particularly of a certain scarlet-penned will – do eventually come in very handy in solving the case.)

As Vigil recounts the story of what happened with the Professor’s escape and subsequent death, the camera pans around the courtroom – and Kazuma can be seen folding his arms, his eyes closed, listening quietly. I get the sense this body language is a sign of him retreating in on himself and doing his utmost to suppress any kind of emotion he might be feeling from hearing in such detail about how his father was killed.

Kazuma: “I’ve reviewed the police records from that time extensively.”

Of course he has. He’d have been doing nothing else in the week after regaining his memories. By the sounds of this, he even did look a certain amount into his father’s faked execution, despite that this might reveal underhandedness on his father’s part. I suppose he just didn’t manage to find out about Daley Vigil in particular, one way or another.

While Kazuma was ruthlessly willing to drag the truth out of Vigil no matter the pain it caused, I suspect he wasn’t quite expecting the poor man to pass out from the sheer trauma of it. And even though he felt this was necessary, it’s not that Kazuma doesn’t care about the pain that resulted – he’s apparently very apologetic when he visits Vigil in his hospital room later, so he does feel guilty and responsible for the man’s suffering.

#ace attorney #the great ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #twisted karma and his last bow

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commentaryvorg · 5 months

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The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 1, Part 1

Welcome to another commentary project of mine, though this one will be quite a bit shorter than my others. The Great Ace Attorney has become my favourite Ace Attorney game, but I wouldn’t have commentary-worthy thoughts about every single part of every case. The final trial (of Resolve), though, has a lot of fun stuff going on beneath the surface that’s deserving of some line-by-line analysis like I do on this blog.

Of course, this will be written from a perspective of already knowing the full truth of things, so there will be spoilers for facts that only get revealed later on in the trial. This is not a commentary to read along with one’s first playthrough!

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

Now that we’re below the readmore, I can add that this isn’t quite a commentary for everything going on in the final trial. It’s focused specifically on Kazuma and what’s going on in his head, only covering things which are relevant to him in some way (for the most part). Kazuma is my favourite character, and I already had a lot to say about him in a big analysis post over on my main blog – but there’s enough interesting blow-by-blow stuff going on with him in this trial that didn’t really fit into that more general post. I still wanted to talk about that stuff somehow, so here I am, doing a more line-by-line commentary here.

By “final” trial, I of course mean all of van Zieks’s trial that spans across cases 2-4 and 2-5, so we’ll be starting with day 1 in 2-4 here.

Ryunosuke: “…The defence is ready, My Lord.” Kazuma: “The prosecution… is more than ready.”

This may sound like petty one-upmanship, but of course Kazuma is more than ready. This is the trial that his entire life has been building towards, in which he avenges his father and takes down the corrupt monster who killed him – he is so ready to finally do this.

Kazuma: “I believe it takes an outsider to see the truth sometimes.”

Kazuma believes that as someone not wrapped up in the corruption going on in the British judiciary, he’s in the perfect position to unravel it all.

And yet… he’s really not an outsider to this case at all. He’s far too caught up in the personal stakes it has for him to be able to see things in an unbiased light regarding van Zieks. Ryunosuke is the true outsider here, as the only one with no personal connection to any of this – and that’s why he’s the one who’s going to be able to see the truth.

(Fittingly, Genshin believed this too, in that he was the only one with a viewpoint unbiased by Klint’s noble status that allowed him to see the truth – even despite being Klint’s colleague and friend.)

Kazuma: “And as I stand here in this courtroom now, I’m quite certain… this is the reason why I had to come to Britain.”

Kazuma already knew from the start that the reason he “had” to come to Britain was for the purpose of avenging this father. So what he’s saying here is more about the specific circumstances of this trial, in which van Zieks finally screwed up and got caught murdering someone (that’s totally what’s happening here, right), as if Kazuma feels like fate wanted him to be here for this perfect opportunity to take van Zieks down. All along, this specific trial was the one he was fated to stand in when he came to Britain.

Kazuma explains that the gunshot was determined to be fired point-blank because scorch marks only happen within that range. It seems that this is a fact of forensic investigation that Ryunosuke didn’t know about until he heard it here. During the investigation, both he and Susato casually assume that the candle was broken by the bullet because of the scorch marks there. But that’s not possible! Ryunosuke’s later going to revise that assumption and argue that the scorch marks prove the candle couldn’t have been broken by the bullet, thanks to the new knowledge he’s acquired just now.

But Kazuma already knew all along about how scorch marks from gunshots work… and yet he never questioned the notion that the candle was broken by the bullet. Because of course he didn’t. Van Zieks is definitely guilty; any tiny details that might have a chance of suggesting otherwise are irrelevant and got thoroughly brushed over in his head.

Susato: “Bravo, Kazuma-sama… for not trying to use the gun as evidence when its provenance can’t be proven.”

Legit props to Kazuma for this. He probably assumes it totally is van Zieks’s gun, and given the backwards logic he’s going to use later on in this trial, I honestly wouldn’t have put it past him to insist that van Zieks having incidentally lost his gun is totally proof that this one belongs to him. But right now, at least, he’s behaving more rationally than that. I suppose he feels that van Zieks’s guilt is so obvious right now that he doesn’t even need to argue that the gun belongs to him.

Kazuma: “The bullet passed through the victim and struck the wall behind him.”

Did it now, Kazuma. I love how he just completely fails to realise the extremely obvious contradiction in this assertion of his.

(And no, I’m not talking about just the scorch marks.)

Judge: “Thank you for the thorough report, Counsel. The setting of the crime is clear to me.”

Very thorough, yes. He missed nothing. Nothing at all.

Kazuma: “Naturally… the accused himself.”

Calling the accused to testify is really very unorthodox, but I enjoy the smug way Kazuma acts like naturally this is who he wants to call as his first witness. Of course he wants to show everyone what a lying liar that Barok van Zieks is.

Kazuma: “As a prosecutor, he believes in the oath of office he’s taken and will be compelled to tell the truth.”

He makes a point of stressing this, because he’s fully intending to prove van Zieks to be a huge liar and wants the whole judiciary to see just how empty that oath of his really is.

Kazuma: “Then I’m sure the court would like to hear you explain some things away.” […] Van Zieks: “I intend to explain away nothing. I will simply tell the truth.”

Kazuma’s using some very leading phrasing there, making it sound like it’s already a given that van Zieks is guilty and will be lying (because it really is a given to him!) – and I love how van Zieks instantly picks up on that manipulation and pointedly defends himself against that implication. He is not having any of Kazuma’s bullshit.

---Testimony 1---

Kazuma: “So… you heard a shot being fired in a room with no living occupants… and moments later a corpse appeared before your eyes. Is that it?” [he smirks] Kazuma: “You’re right, you haven’t explained away anything. In fact that would barely qualify as an excuse.”

Not missing a beat, Kazuma plays right off of van Zieks’s previous defence to make him sound even more pathetic and obviously guilty. He’s well-practiced at snarking matches from his friendly banter with Ryunosuke, but this one’s a lot more barbed.

Judge: “Hmmm… It would appear to be a singular tale indeed.” Kazuma: “Singular isn’t the word. It’s laughable.”

Kazuma really wants to make sure everyone realises just how pathetic van Zieks’s flimsy excuse totally is.

Ryunosuke: (What’s got into Kazuma? He’s not behaving like himself at all…)

And Ryunosuke can tell that this is not the kind of thing Kazuma would normally do! He’s being a lot more vindictive and petty, and that’s not at all the composed, level-headed person Ryunosuke knows.

(Susato’s staring at him silently too, probably thinking much the same thing.)

One thing to do in this testimony before pressing is to scroll all the way to the end to see the little testimony-recap dialogue between Ryunosuke and Susato. Since this is a testimony where all you need to do to advance is to press everything once, it’s easy to miss out on that.

Susato: “Do you have any thoughts, Mr Naruhodo?” Ryunosuke: “Yes… mainly that it doesn’t ring true in all sorts of ways.” […] Susato: “So… you think Lord van Zieks is lying?” Ryunosuke: “No, I don’t think that. I mean, if he was going to lie… I would expect him to come up with a more credible story, wouldn’t you?” Susato: “Yes, I completely agree. I think he genuinely doesn’t know what really happened himself.”

Ryunosuke and Susato make a very good and honestly pretty obvious observation here. Of course van Zieks wouldn’t make up something so seemingly nonsensical. That’s all the more proof he’s telling the truth!

But Kazuma over there is just blithely insisting that van Zieks is obviously spouting pathetic flimsy excuses that barely hold up at all, even though that makes less sense than the alternative that he’s honest but confused. He’s incapable of letting himself acknowledge a world where maybe van Zieks didn’t kill Gregson and would actually be telling the truth here.

Kazuma: “You illegally entered the man’s office? In Japan that alone would constitute a very serious offence.” Judge: “As it does in Great Britain, I assure you.”

Kazuma wants to make sure people know about every little illegal thing van Zieks has done. It’s actually interesting that he specifies it would be illegal in Japan – making a point about how nobody in Japan’s judiciary would ever dream of doing something so underhanded, but look at how horrible and corrupt this British judiciary is over here.

(Even though Japan’s judiciary is definitely also pretty corrupt right now; that’s the very-much-second-priority reason Kazuma wanted to come here to study.)

It’s also amusingly hypocritical of Kazuma to be getting on van Zieks’s case for a technically-illegal thing so minor, considering the technically-illegal things he’s been up to recently.

…And actually, in his later testimony on day 3 of the trial, van Zieks mentions that he “demanded permission” to secretly search Gregson’s office. He doesn’t say from whom – I certainly doubt it was Stronghart, at least – but that does imply that he wasn’t actually doing it illegally!

Kazuma: “So, in summary, you were investigating the victim… and yet you refuse to tell the court why.” Van Zieks: “………” Kazuma: “I didn’t realise British prosecutors enjoyed such freedom to choose what to divulge under oath.”

Again, Kazuma wants to make a point of look how corrupt and underhanded the British judiciary is. And again, he is being a huge hypocrite, considering that he knows exactly what van Zieks’s reason might be to have been investigating Gregson, and he is also just casually choosing not to reveal that fact to the court right now.

(Of course, since Kazuma is convinced van Zieks is the Reaper, he doesn’t really believe he was investigating Gregson in any sense at all and assumes this whole thing about investigation is just an excuse for why van Zieks was there. So he thinks that’s the reason van Zieks is being so vague about his investigation, and not because van Zieks can’t yet reveal that Gregson was working for the Reaper.)

Kazuma: “There was no artificial light in the room, you say? You’re quite sure?”

Kazuma wants to make absolutely sure of this point in van Zieks’s testimony, so that he can then prove him to be a liar when he explains that the candles must have still been burning at the time. Even though, really, if van Zieks was there but was lying about the circumstances and Kazuma asked him this clarifying question, you’d think he’d stop and realise he ought to say that actually there were candles burning, if he indeed saw that. Again, it is very clear that van Zieks would not be lying about this, despite the strange facts of his story.

Kazuma: “And without thought of danger, [the witnesses] ran inside to see what had happened.”

Kazuma’s spinning things to make these witnesses seem so brave and noble, running inside to confront the terrifying murderous Reaper despite the danger to themselves. …When really, the reality is more like: one of them thoroughly freaked out, and the other two were more focused on looting the place for things they could sell. Not the noble heroes Kazuma is painting them to be at all.

Kazuma: “Objection!”

I’m sure everyone’s already aware of this, but I still just need to express my glee about how Kazuma’s Objection voice clip here is different from the one he had in the first half of the game. It sounds so much more vicious, perfect for his state of mind in this trial… and also perfect for an emotional gut-punch to the player if they happen to remember and notice that it’s different, which I indeed did.

(Revival of the Prosecutor, heard here in all its glory for the first time, is also a massive gut-punch, hearing Kazuma’s familiar leitmotif sound so twisted and almost sinister like this. Guh.)

I really love the fact that Kazuma objects to this testimony here. Not only is this him still thinking partly like a defence lawyer and using those tactics, and being viciously determined to tear van Zieks’s words apart… it also just makes the most sense this way? The prosecution should be the one to point out contradictions in testimonies that support the defence’s case, such as those from the defendant themselves! It’s always felt kind of awkward in other Ace Attorney games the few times defendants have testified, where we’ve then had to cheerfully shoot a hole in our own case by pointing out the contradictions in it.

Kazuma: “My Lord, the cross-examination has clearly revealed… that the accused, Barok van Zieks… is lying on multiple fronts!”

Well. A whole two (2) fronts that Kazuma is planning to point out here. But sure, I guess that technically counts as “multiple”, Kazuma, if you like.

Kazuma: “…he claims that he failed to notice the victim’s body because the room was dark.” Van Zieks: “That’s correct.” Kazuma: “No… that’s impossible.”

Again with that viciousness with which he shuts down van Zieks’s claims, I love it.

Kazuma doing this defence lawyer routine also really got to me on my first playthrough, because I was planning to point out the candelabrum! I’d noticed the different lengths of the candles and realised it meant they were burning at the time, and I’d assumed I’d get to point that out at some point, and Kazuma stole that from me! He’s doing the player’s job! How dare. Really great unexpected moment.

(Of course, he’s also failing to notice the really important clue on the candelabrum, which is the scorch marks that prove it can’t have been hit by the bullet from that distance.)

Kazuma: “And now to the next lie.”

Kazuma wants to make extra sure you know that the things he’s pointing out are not just contradictions but lies, Barok van Zieks is a horrible lying liar, okay.

Kazuma: “It goes without saying that the contents of the police documents cannot be divulged.”

Hmm, Kazuma, it’s almost like there are certain things that aren’t allowed to be divulged even in court, and maybe van Zieks’s reason for not divulging why he was investigating Gregson is along similar lines and not just him being sneaky and terrible?

Kazuma: “They all relate to cases prosecuted in court by Barok van Zieks.” […] Kazuma: “And furthermore… all those cases are ones in which the defendant was acquitted.” […] Kazuma: “Interestingly, none of those defendants are alive today.”

Look a how he calls them “defendants”, which means he’s thinking about them like a defence lawyer. He believes they were genuinely innocent and van Zieks MURDERED THEM ANYWAY.

Kazuma: “And yet the Reaper would claim never to have been to his own secret hideout? No one would believe that.”

Or maybe, just maybe, Kazuma, van Zieks isn’t actually the Reaper. His “proof” of this second “lie” is based entirely on the assumed premise that van Zieks is definitely the Reaper, which we have not established to be a fact at all!

Kazuma: “Inspector Gregson was investigating the identity of the Reaper. When he discovered the location of the man’s secret hideout… he was killed. As I’m sure everyone can imagine… by the Reaper’s hand!”

Except that Kazuma doesn’t actually believe this is the motive for murder. He already knows full well that Gregson was working for the Reaper, not investigating him, and so he believes the motive was that Gregson failed his Reaper mission to kill Jigoku, and/or that van Zieks is the assassin exchange mastermind who wanted him silenced about the autopsy ten years ago. But Kazuma can’t yet reveal any of this without incriminating himself in the assassination mission, so… eh, coming up with a fake motive that sounds plausible, that’ll do for now, right? So long as it gets van Zieks convicted, anything is acceptable.

Ryunosuke: (Kazuma’s done a brilliant job as ever. He’s drawing on his experience as a defence attorney to build his prosecution case… and it’s formidable.)

Kazuma’s got a legitimate point about the candlelight, but his argument about this being van Zieks’s hideout is completely flimsy… yet Ryunosuke is so in awe of his friend and of how impressive this all sounds on the surface that he’s not able to notice that.

(Also, this is a brief slip-up on the part of the localisers, in having Ryunosuke use the term “defence attorney”. In every other instance, this game uses the British English term, “defence lawyer”, and we only ever hear the word “attorney” when they’re doing a title drop.)

Kazuma: “And now, the prosecution would like to call new witnesses to the stand. Witnesses who saw events unfold on the day in question.”

In other words, these are the witnesses we actually should have started things off with, and Kazuma only called van Zieks to the stand to begin with in order to prove to the whole court what a lying liar he totally is.

--- Testimony 2 ---

Kazuma: “Try the man.” […] Kazuma: “Try the woman.” […] Sandwich: “I d-don’t actually sell anything, no… come to think of it.” Kazuma: “Pity.” Ryunosuke: (No more purchases today… please.)

Apparently Kazuma was enjoying teasing Ryunosuke by pushing him into parting with his money for silly, frivolous things. A little hint at their bantery friendship dynamic in the midst of all this drama!

(Being pushed by their friends into being the one to pay for all sorts of things is clearly a Naruhodo family trait.)

Kazuma: “Not only that, but they very bravely ran inside to see what was going on and witnessed the crime.”

Yep, he’s still painting these witnesses as so brave and noble to confront the terrible killer van Zieks.

Judge: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how anyone other than the defendant could have committed the crime.” […] Kazuma: [he bows] “Thank you for your candour, My Lord.”

Kazuma appreciates the judge agreeing how Very Obvious it is that van Zieks is Definitely Guilty. Prosecutors are not usually supposed to thank the judge for agreeing that their case is strong, and yet.

It’s mentioned that the first person to arrive at the scene, supposedly Gregson with a red wig, was carrying a trunk. The truth is that this was Jigoku in a red wig, carrying the large trunk with Gregson’s body in it – but once we learn about Gregson’s metal trunk having been stolen from the crime scene, it could also theoretically have been him carrying that. Conveniently the witnesses are vague enough about the size of the trunk that it can’t be confirmed either way from their testimony.

Kazuma: “…I was informed that no trunk was found at the scene.”

I wonder if Kazuma has worried about the possibility of them finding Gregson’s trunk, given that he is probably aware that Karuma’s tip ended up stuck in it. Bet he’s relieved that it mysteriously vanished.

(It’s actually right here in this courtroom at this very moment, hidden behind Sandwich’s boards.)

Gossip: “When the Reaper’s around, people are goin’ in the ground! I mean, that’s what he doz, in’t it?”

“Killing people is just what the Reaper does” sure is a hilariously Kazuma’s-tunnel-visioning line of thinking. It really can’t have been hard for him to latch onto that, when so many Londoners casually think that, too.

Kazuma: “Considering the catalogue of killings the Reaper had carried out… it was a particularly inauspicious end.”

Yes, clearly, even though van Zieks has totally gotten away with so many murders for ten years, he’d suddenly be so careless as to just shoot a guy right on a populated street where people would come running immediately. Obviously this terrifying criminal mastermind is also simultaneously a bumbling fool.

Kazuma is shown being pointedly silent as Gossip reveals that he got blood on his hand. No doubt he’s already thinking there seems to be a contradiction here, but he’s holding himself back from pointing it out, because that wouldn’t help his case.

If you then press Gossip’s updated statement about wiping his bloody hand on the floor, we see Kazuma peering silently at a document.

Judge: “Is something wrong, Counsel?” Kazuma: “No, My Lord. I didn’t remember anything in the report about a bloody handprint on the floor, that’s all.”

Kazuma’s very careful with his wording here – saying he didn’t remember reading about it doesn’t categorically state that it wasn’t there. He still doesn’t want to explicitly bring up this contradiction that would just complicate his case. (And you’d think he could confirm it after reading the report again to check, but no, just casually gonna not mention that.)

Ryunosuke: “Objection! So you wiped off the blood from your hand on the floor of the room… Are you quite sure about that?” Gossip: “Well, well what else d’you expect me to have done, eh? Doz it really matter?” Kazuma: “Objection! The police found no such handprint on the floor during their investigations. What exactly is the defence asserting?!”

And yet, despite that he carefully kept the explicit lack of a floor handprint hidden until now, as soon as Ryunosuke’s objecting in such a way that suggests that the handprint’s existence might be beneficial to his case, Kazuma is immediately pointing out that it didn’t exist and so Ryunosuke’s argument (whatever argument he’s even about to make) must be flawed, right? He’s remarkably sure that his friend is about to put forth a convincing argument that will blow a hole in his case and is trying to pre-emptively counter it before it’s even happened.

Ryunosuke: “Objection! If you listen, you’ll find out… Prosecutor Asogi.”

I love that Ryunosuke picks up on Kazuma jumping the gun and points it out, too. That “Prosecutor Asogi” stings – it’s the first time Ryunosuke’s said it, and it has to hurt to address his best friend like he’s just an opponent, yet that’s exactly what he is right now.

Kazuma: “Objection! The witness very clearly testified that he wiped his hand on the floor. Any handprints on the back of the board are irrelevant!”

Kazuma is still pre-emptively objecting and just trying to write off Ryunosuke’s argument as completely irrelevant before actually fully understanding what he’s getting at. Van Zieks definitely did it, right? So there’s no need to bother about trivial details like this, no need to think through to the fact that the board must have been on the floor next to the body at the time.

Kazuma: “In other words, the defence’s assertion is contradictory!” Ryunosuke: “Yes… it is.”

Look at Kazuma still just trying to write off Ryunosuke’s argument as contradictory and therefore irrelevant, whereas Ryunosuke is able to realise that the existence of a contradiction means something and can give them new information. Kazuma ought to understand this too – he used to be a defence lawyer! But he certainly doesn’t want to think that way right now.

If you pick one of the wrong options (‘False testimony’) during the multiple-choice question you’re presented with here, there’s some fun dialogue.

Kazuma: “I don’t remember fostering that kind of simplistic thinking in you.” Ryunosuke: “…Since when were you my father?”

Aww, Kazuma feeling like he played a part in teaching Ryunosuke to be a good lawyer, and having faith that he ought to be better than this. And Ryunosuke comparing him to a father! Painful for obvious reasons, but also, Kazuma really kind of is a Dad Friend.

Conveniently, van Zieks’s testimony about the room being dark and the body suddenly appearing once the door flew open is really helpful for Ryunosuke’s argument about the noticeboard here! He wouldn’t have known the significance of the noticeboard’s position at all if van Zieks hadn’t testified. Kazuma’s attempt to prove van Zieks to be a horrible lying liar just ended up helping out Ryunosuke’s case, actually.

Kazuma: “That, that can’t…” Ryunosuke: “The door struck the noticeboard, knocking it over and making the victim’s body visible.” […] “My client has told nothing but the truth! He has simply described what he saw.” Kazuma: “Argh!”

Kazuma’s reaction is agitated, with his first “damage” animation, as Ryunosuke puts together this argument and he realises how much sense it makes of van Zieks’s testimony. What do you mean, van Zieks might have been telling the truth? Inconceivable.

--- Testimony 3 ---

Kazuma: “In short, the only person who could possibly have committed this crime… is Barok van Zieks! None of this wrangling over the board changes that simple fact.”

Despite Kazuma having been shaken to realise that maybe van Zieks wasn’t lying about the thing he tried to prove him a liar about, I’m sure he’s very happy to still be able to insist that these details are irrelevant to the fact that van Zieks did the murder.

Sandwich: “But the Reaper’s f-fate is sealed either way, because of the gunshot w-we all heard. So your fate’s sealed, too.” Ryunosuke: “My fate?!” Kazuma: “That’s right. The defence is fated to lose. And the prosecution to win.”

Here’s Kazuma’s pointedly strong opinions about fate showing themselves! Okay, granted, on some level he is just translating Sandwich’s ramblings into something a little easier to understand, but still, it doesn’t feel like that’s all he’s saying this for. It feels like he truly believes this himself and is taking the opportunity to make a point of it. It has to be Kazuma’s fate to win this trial.

Kazuma: “The truth, please.”

Kazuma deadpans this four times over at Venus as she’s testifying. I am amused by his subtle irritation at dealing with this compulsive liar of a witness.

Kazuma: “You’re, you’re telling us… that you DID move that board?!”

Again, Kazuma gets noticeably agitated – leaning forwards over his bench for the first time in the trial – as Venus reveals that she moved the board. Even though he’s already tried to write off all this board stuff as irrelevant to the fact that van Zieks still did the deed, and even though confirming that it was indeed moved doesn’t change that, it seems he knows on some level that this proves there was more to the case than meets the eye and maybe Ryunosuke’s onto something big.

Kazuma: “The TRUTH now!”

And then he’s a lot more forceful with Venus as she makes to lie again about whether she found anything underneath the board. He doesn’t even know for sure if anything she found would be important to the case, but he has to know every last hidden detail.

Gina: “That was a present to Inspector Gregson from the Yard for a big case ‘e solved ten years ago!” Susato: “The Professor case, no doubt.”

I’m sure Kazuma feels great to hear that Gregson received such accolades for illegally framing his father and getting him killed.

It really is an incredible coincidence that the watch just happened to wind down at exactly five o’ clock, thus conveniently supporting Kazuma’s argument until we look into it further.

Judge: “Well, it would appear that the mystery of the moving noticeboard has been solved at least.” Kazuma: “And as predicted, it had very little bearing on the case.”

Kazuma seems smug about this, in sharp contrast to how agitated he was just a few moments ago. But no, it’s fine, even if van Zieks wasn’t lying about that one thing, this still doesn’t prove anything important about him not being the killer, Kazuma’s case is fine and completely intact!

Naturally, Kazuma starts to get worked up again as Ryunosuke proposes that Gregson actually died the night before, which would mean van Zieks couldn’t possibly have done it (because Kazuma knows exactly where Gregson was that night).

Kazuma: “You claim he was already dead the night before? Do you really think that Scotland Yard’s coroner would have overlooked something like that?”

As he’s going to admit later, Kazuma is perfectly aware of the omission of the time of death in the autopsy report. However, despite that he must be beginning to realise that maybe Ryunosuke has a point about the time of death being different, he conveniently avoids bringing the autopsy omission up here, presumably in the hope that Ryunosuke won’t have noticed it and this will stop him in his tracks.

(Based on Ryunosuke’s reaction, it actually seems like he may not have noticed, but thankfully Susato has it covered.)

Kazuma: “Whether it was a gun or a firecracker, the only person present to cause that bang was Barok van Zieks!”

Yes, but why would he frame himself by setting off the firecracker, Kazuma, come on.

Ryunosuke points out that the scorch marks on the candle couldn’t possibly have been from the gunshot and therefore must have been from the candle being used to set off the firecrackers on a delay… and the moment he makes this argument, Kazuma no longer has a case, really. Kazuma never manages to come up with an adequate explanation for why there would be scorch marks on the candle if it wasn’t the firecracker. From here on out, Ryunosuke’s argument holds far, far more water than it turns out Kazuma’s ever did.

But Kazuma is so furiously tunnel-visioned on van Zieks’s guilt that he refuses to acknowledge this, and he’s going to continue to lead the court on a long series of what are basically complete diversion tactics so that he doesn’t have to think about the fact that the very core of his case fundamentally does not hold together.

Also, serious props to Ryunosuke. Within the space of two (proper) testimonies and just a little help from Susato, he’s managed to come up with a completely accurate theory as to how this situation at the scene was a setup to frame van Zieks, and technically, in theory, if Kazuma wasn’t so stubborn, prove his client’s innocence. He really is a great lawyer.

Kazuma: “Pfft… Ha ha ha ha ha ha hah! Oh, very impressive, Ryunosuke Naruhodo.” Ryunosuke: “K-Kazuma?!” Kazuma: “I’m really quite amazed you’ve come this far. But after all, wasn’t I the one who told you… that you had all the makings of a great defence lawyer?”

Kazuma realises this too, and he’s so proud of his friend! …Even though this destroys his own case (to far more of an extent than he’s willing to accept). It still stings a little, though, that even as he’s praising him, Kazuma’s using Ryunosuke’s full name, keeping that distance between them.

Kazuma: “I also noted the lack of a time of death in this report. A stark omission. But as far as I’m concerned… this whole country’s justice system leaves a lot to be desired!”

Indeed, Kazuma noticed it – but conveniently he did not bring that up when it hurt his case. He’s only doing so now that it’s already been established anyway, and he can use it as an opportunity to vent about how horrible and corrupt the British judicial system is, a system that killed his father and acted like that was right.

(And he especially has Opinions about dodgy autopsy reports.)

Judge: “Prosecutor Asogi! What on earth do you mean by that statement?” Kazuma: “I hear that many of the leading members of Britain’s judiciary are present to observe this trial today. So we cannot allow even the slightest doubt to be overlooked.”

It’s not immediately obvious, but Kazuma’s completely sidestepping the judge’s question here. He insulted this country’s justice system, and no, he’s not going to explain what he means by that, it’s just an obvious fact, and now he’s going to move right onto the next topic.

Kazuma: “The defence’s assertion about the time of death based on the victim’s stopped watch is just conjecture. But… while the possibility exists that my learned friend may be correct… we have a duty to explore it.”

Said next topic being: making a big point of how thorough he’s being, to ensure there’s no doubt by entertaining Ryunosuke’s argument even though it’s nothing but conjecture. Kazuma’s definitely not being the slightest bit corrupt about this trial, you guys. Nothing at all like that monster van Zieks was ten years ago with his father.

And yet… Ryunosuke’s argument really is a lot more than conjecture! Granted, maybe the point about the watch in particular is a bit flimsy, but by focusing on that, Kazuma’s conveniently drawing attention away from the scorched candle. Ryunosuke has pretty much categorically proven that the bang the witnesses heard must have been from a firecracker and not a gunshot, thanks to those scorch marks on the candle, and with that fact established, Gregson cannot have died at 5 p.m. that day.

But no, it’s fine, never mind that detail, Ryunosuke’s argument is definitely still nothing but conjecture. Look at how honourable Kazuma’s being to choose to entertain it anyway.

Kazuma: “And what immediately comes to mind is of course… what was Inspector Gregson doing and where did he go on the day before the incident?” Ryunosuke: “Do you know?”

A very good question for Ryunosuke to ask. Because yes, Kazuma does know exactly where Gregson was and what he was doing on that day, since he was there with him.

Kazuma: [he shakes his head] “The inspector always carried out his investigative work alone. His movements were treated as confidential within Scotland Yard.”

Despite his shake of the head, Kazuma is thoroughly dodging actually answering the question of whether he knows – very sneaky of him, so that he doesn’t have to lie. Instead he just makes a general statement about how Gregson was usually difficult to track, implying that this case is the same. Thus, Kazuma gives the impression that he doesn’t know anything about this himself, without telling any lies.

Kazuma: “However, considering the evidence we’ve been presented with so far… I’d say it’s fairly apparent what case the man was pursuing. Wouldn’t you, my learned friend?”

Still being very careful with his wording here – saying that the evidence makes it apparent what case Gregson was on. This way, Kazuma doesn’t have to directly say that he believes it was this case (the redhead case), because he knows it wasn’t. Kazuma is so incredibly skilled at hiding the truth without lying.

Honestly, this bit where you, as Ryunosuke, have to be the one to say that it was the redhead case that Gregson was pursuing… it’s pretty silly. Ryunosuke literally just argued that the red wig was only there at the scene because it was used by the real killer as a decoy, to make the witnesses mistake them for Gregson! So from Ryunosuke’s perspective, he has no reason to believe that it should have anything to do with the actual case Gregson was working on at the time! Buuut he's awkwardly got to be the one to suggest it anyway.

That said, I do understand why this is a thing – not just to give the players something to do, but also because Kazuma is very pointedly trying to lead Ryunosuke into being the one to propose this line of questioning about the redheads, so that when it all amounts to nothing, it makes Ryunosuke’s case look weaker. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t quite add up that Ryunosuke actually would fall for Kazuma’s bait here.

(I mean, I guess in the end it turns out that Gregson did just have the red wig on him while going to Dunkirk, perhaps to give the false impression to anyone who saw him leaving that he was off to investigate the redheads, so there is some connection there. The redhead case was his cover story alibi that day, after all. But it’s kinda flimsy that Ryunosuke is so sure of it, when he already has another reason for why the red wig was there.)

Kazuma: “So… you’d already worked it out.”

Kazuma seems pleased that Ryunosuke “figured this out”. In other words, he’s pleased that Ryunosuke took his bait and suggested exactly what he was being led into suggesting, while Kazuma completely hides the fact that he knows that Gregson’s real movements that day were something else entirely.

Ryunosuke: “So it’s very likely that he had direct contact with these criminals. And it’s quite possible that such contact led to… more serious events.” Kazuma: “………”

Kazuma’s silence is pointedly shown here. He’s clearly thinking about how he knows full well that Gregson was not killed by the redheads, and so pursuing this line of questioning is actually perfectly safe and is not going to damage his case at all.

Ryunosuke: “…And Kazuma.” […] “I feel as though he knew we’d arrive at this point somehow.”

Here’s a thought that Ryunosuke expresses during the recess. On the one hand, he’s very wrong that Kazuma expected Ryunosuke to prove the alternate time of death and the setup at the scene, because he’s so very convinced that van Zieks did it. (Though still, maybe on some level he expected his friend to come up with an impressive theory, especially considering the very buried part of him that isn’t so sure van Zieks is guilty.)

But, given Ryunosuke’s alternative theory, it’s true that Kazuma did fully expect them to then arrive at the point of investigating the redheads, since he was the one who deliberately led his friend into suggesting this. Ryunosuke’s not wrong there.

#ace attorney #the great ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #twisted karma and his last bow

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

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Digimon Data Squad Dub Comparison Episode 48 - The Ultimate Farewell

This is a companion to my commentary on the original Japanese Digimon Savers! Reading my commentary on the original version of this episode (which you can find here) is recommended before reading this dub comparison.

Original name ~ Dubbed name

Masaru Daimon ~ Marcus Damon

Yoshino Fujieda ~ Yoshino “Yoshi” Fujieda

Tohma H. Norstein ~ Thomas H. Norstein

Ikuto Noguchi ~ Keenan Crier

Professor Suguru Daimon ~ Doctor Spencer Damon

Sayuri Daimon ~ Sarah Damon

Chika Daimon ~ Kristy Damon

Kenji Noguchi ~ Kevin Crier

Captain Rentarou Satsuma ~ Commander Richard Sampson

Yggdrasil ~ King Drasil

Craniummon ~ Craniamon

Dukemon ~ Gallantmon

Piyomon ~ Biyomon

Mercurimon ~ Merukimon

[Since several characters share the same name between the original and the dub, quotes from the dub will always be in italics, while quotes from the original will not, in order to distinguish them.]

Marcus’s voice sounds kind of wistful as he reads out the title card for this episode, which, aww.

Masaru: “The power of humans…”

Agumon: “And the power of Digimon…”

Masaru & Agumon: “We’ll show him what we’re both made of!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “You know what time it is?”

Agumon: “My watch says it’s fightin’ time!”

Marcus & Agumon: “For humans, and for Digimon!”

This is almost exactly the same lines they said at the end of episode 47, but not quite, because Agumon didn’t mention his watch back then. (I will let him off for the usage of human terms, because he’s been in the human world long enough to know what a watch is by now.) But then, though the original lines I quoted here were word-for-word the same as the end of 47, there’s a few other brief words before it that also aren’t quite exactly the same, so, hey.

Probably Marcus’s Theme comes in (for what I assume is the last time) and takes its usual place as the dub equivalent of Provocation Infinity, yes, I approve.

The evolutions don’t happen with a fancy animation, so for the only time ever, the dub doesn’t use the evolution BGM for them. Funny, that.

King Drasil: “If you could not defeat me while engaged in Burst Mode, then why do you continue to fight in Champion mode?”

Slightly awkward that King Drasil refers to their current Champion levels as a mode. Regular evolution levels are not the same thing as Burst Mode’s “mode-change” and shouldn’t use that word.

Alas, it seems Probably Marcus’s Theme isn’t actually long enough to get through all of this fight scene, so it ended and switched to a different piece of action music, before we even reach the climactic part where Marcus tries to punch King Drasil and gets caught. The new piece of BGM is more ominous and shifts the mood away from a triumphant one, even as they’re still pressing their attack. The music doesn’t even cut out and switch to anything else until after that moment when they get caught and electrocuted by King Drasil’s vines. It’s like the BGM just put the mood-shift of this scene a minute or so earlier than it should have come; it’s weird.

Yushima: “Look! The Digimon are using all of their efforts to support the Digital World in our place!”

~~~~~

Yushima: “Look there. The Royal Knights have joined our side, trying to stop the Digital World from crashing down on top of us.”

Dub-Yushima may be correct, but I’m not sure how he knows this. From where he is, the Royal Knights aren’t visible, only the other Digimon who are helping to hold the worlds apart through beams of light. I’ve no idea how he could have got the memo that the Royal Knights are also helping now.

Yushima: “So that none of their fights are in vain… we must never give up hope!”

~~~~~

Yushima: “And I know Thomas isn’t giving up any time soon. We must all have faith in our friends and family.”

Yushima mentioning specifically Thomas – since he’s talking to Relena – gives this a more personal note in the dub, which I like.

Relena: “The Digimon are protecting us. They’re fighting for us. […] You can do it, Digimon!”

~~~~~

Relena: “Father, the Digimon. They’re getting stronger. They are! I can feel it! I can feel it! […] Father… I feel it!”

I have absolutely no idea how Relena can feel the Digimon’s strength in the dub. That’s not how it works? It’s kind of literally backwards to how it’s supposed to work, in which Digimon can feel the emotions of humans (whether they’re feeding off them or being influenced by them)?

Which really begs the question of why Relena flares up with DNA Charge here, because her simply feeling the Digimon’s power is not actually anything to do with what triggers a DNA Charge – aka, emotions. There’s no sense here that she’s consciously doing anything herself to try and will the Digimon on and give them the power of her emotions. It's a very weird way to present this.

Rosemon: “I can hear their voices rooting us on to victory!”

Except for Relena, who’s just feeling your power, somehow, without actually rooting you on. At least the rest of this moment gets across the correct impression that it’s humanity consciously willing the Digimon on, but, what the heck was up with Relena’s line, seriously.

So… I guess all of the Digimon are going to consciously feed off humanity’s desire to not die in order to have the power to fight back against King Drasil. Which I guess isn’t too terrible of a way for it to work in this context, but it does put the emphasis a bit less on humanity’s strength and a bit more on the Digimon for making the choice to use their power and do this.

Tohma: “But the power of cherishing our friends and our comrades… is infinite!”

~~~~~

Thomas: “But together, the combined power of all our friends and family is huge!”

It’s kind of cute that Thomas specifically mentions family here, given we’ve just seem glimpses of most of their families. (That might have been the dub’s interpretation of what was subbed as “comrades”, which was the word nakama, which can mean something like a found family but usually isn’t so literal about it.)

Slightly different emphasis in that he’s saying it’s the power of the friends and family themselves, rather than the power of the emotions from caring about them. Which on the one hand is perhaps more correct, in that it is all those other people’s own DNA Charges that are going to be helping here. But then that also reads a bit weirdly as if it’s only the people who are their friends and family who are contributing to this, as if every other human not in that category isn’t also helping.

Yoshino: “We want to stay with each other… Forever!”

Piyomon: “I want to live with Chika… and the humans, too!”

Gotsumon: “So do… So do I!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “We have the will to survive. We want to stay with our loved ones!”

Biyomon: “I wanna stay here in the human world with my friend Kristy!”

Gotsumon: “Me too! I wanna stay here!”

Yoshi’s line is slightly less ambiguously readable as if she’s also talking about humans and Digimon living together, like Yoshino could have been. Especially with Thomas’s line also being more specifically about friends and family, which is less possible to read that way. So it’s a little bit less linked to the lines the Digimon go on to have a moment later.

(Gotsumon’s “me too” is awkwardly timed as if he’s agreeing that Kristy is also his friend, which, bro, you haven’t even met her.)

Dukemon: “By staking the name of the honourable Royal Knights on the line!”

~~~~~

Gallantmon: “Our honour gives us strength, not the word of a King!”

I appreciate that Gallantmon’s line is a bit less generic and more specifically stressing the part where he’s rejected King Drasil’s authority. I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the idea that he ever had any honour while he was murdering humans on his king’s orders, though.

Yggdrasil: “Unable to compute! Unable to compute!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Cannot compute. Cannot compute.”

These bits have been almost exactly the same, but one thing I miss is the change in tone as things escalate – note the exclamation marks or lack thereof. Yggdrasil was starting to sound almost emotional, frustrated and desperate at the thought that it might be wrong about this. But King Drasil sounds equally as monotone here as its earlier uses of this line.

Masaru: “You’ll… never understand!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “You can’t, huh? Then I guess you’ll never understand!”

This might seem the same, but there’s actually a difference in emphasis. Marcus is arguing that King Drasil will never understand simply because it can’t understand right now. Which is a bit of a close-minded thing to assume. Masaru wasn’t making any specific reference to that and was therefore assuming this more generally, because of the kind of selfish callous asshole he already knows Yggdrasil to be.

Masaru: “It’s true that we fight a lot over stupid things, and sometimes we even hate each other. From your point of view, we might have evolved in the wrong direction. But…!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “It’s true that best friends fight each other sometimes, even over little stupid things! But if you think that just because humans and Digimon fight means everything has to be destroyed, you’re wrong!”

In the original, it was possible that by “we fight”, Masaru simply meant humans fighting each other. It’s not inappropriate for Marcus to make it specifically about humans and Digimon, given that at this point King Drasil is trying to erase both of them. Him citing best friend fights specifically is cute, in that them fighting doesn’t mean they don’t belong together as best friends, though his wording doesn’t quite emphasise that point as much as it could.

Masaru: “And the Digimon… give us both dreams and courage!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “And Digimon give human beings hope… that anything is possible!”

Marcus’s line here is a little less generic! Believing that anything is possible is a somewhat more Marcus/Masaru-y sentiment, and it is true that he’s been especially a believer of that since he met Agumon.

Masaru & Agumon: “There’s no limit to how far we can evolve!”

~~~~~

Marcus & Agumon: “Ha! We’re friends, and together we make the ultimate team!”

As much as I agree that they’re Friends, it feels a bit weird to be emphasising that in this moment? It feels like it’s putting the focus entirely on just these two and their individual friendship, like it’s solely their power that’s able to trigger Agumon Burst Mode and defeat King Drasil, when it really shouldn’t be. I suppose it could be read like they’re talking about Digimon and humans in general being friends and the ultimate team, but it’s easy to miss that, if that was the intent.

I do in theory like the idea of them bringing their dorky phrase of “ultimate team” and using it to refer to humans and Digimon in general, though! Perhaps if this had been worded as more like “humans and Digimon make the ultimate team!”, it’d be more unambiguously read that way.

King Drasil: “Cannot compute! Cannot compute!”

Okay, now, King Drasil sounds more emotional in this line. Took it a bit longer to reach that point, though.

Oh, poor dubbers. Because Agumon Burst Mode does not have a conventional evolution animation, I guess they’re not allowed to use the evolution music to give it the appropriate feeling of triumph? We’ve just got one of their generic action pieces. Which is a shame, when this had Believer in the original, and the evolution BGM is the best equivalent of that.

Yggdrasil: “I-Impossible!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Cannot compute! Cannot compute!”

In this moment, as Agumon Burst Mode smashed through its body and it realised just how destructible it actually was, Yggdrasil dropped the computer thing and went back to being openly emotional about things in its wording (if not in the voice it was using), which was kind of neat. King Drasil is still being a computer, meanwhile, albeit still in an emotional tone.

Yggdrasil: “This is inconceivable! The probability of you defeating me is…”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Fatal error! The probability of you beating me was zero percent! Fatal error!”

Japanese is vague enough that the tense in which Yggdrasil said that second sentence is ambiguous without it actually finishing the sentence, so I suppose it could have meant to say it in past tense like King Drasil does. But I did kind of like the way it could potentially be saying it in present tense, and it doesn’t finish the sentence because it doesn’t want to admit that suddenly the probability of it being defeated has become quite high, actually.

(It also hasn’t actually fully been defeated, as King Drasil’s past tense implies, given that it’s about to bail the heck out of its destroyed outer body and try to escape.)

The shot of Masaru’s fist cracking the surface of Yggdrasil’s crystalline but humanoid face is cut. I guess that’s a little more reasonable as something that might have seemed too violent, compared to most punching shots they cut out.

Agumon: “What is this place?”

Masaru: “Heaven? No, of course not…”

~~~~~

Agumon: “What is… this place…?”

Marcus: “I don’t know… The Digital World…?”

Obviously we can’t have a reference to something like heaven in our kids’ anime, and certainly not the notion that they might have died, either, gasp, so instead Marcus just somehow thinks this glowing white void could be the Digital World. Uh, sure.

King Drasil’s voice in this scene, while not computery, is still androgynous, like it was while it was being computery. I’m not sure if it’s the same voice actor, but it might be. It certainly is distinctly different from the voice it had the last time it wasn’t talking like a computer, which was that deep masculine voice that just screamed EVIL. Hmm, it’s almost like King Drasil was always more than just Unambiguously Evil Villain Dude and never should have had that voice in the first place, huh?

Luckily, King Drasil is the one character in this series that the dubbers can plausibly give multiple different voices to, thus covering their screwup when they realise they made a terrible voice casting choice in the first place due to not watching ahead. Alas, poor Falcomon.

Yggdrasil: “Why do you wish to live together in one world?”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Why do Digimon and humans wish to live together in one world?”

Very slight difference here, in that Yggdrasil was only asking about Masaru and Agumon’s personal desire for this, whereas King Drasil is more asking Marcus and Agumon for an explanation as to why all humans and Digimon want to live together. On the one hand, it’s not exactly true that all of them actually want that just yet, but on the other hand it’s kind of neat that King Drasil has been convinced enough to believe that might be the case, even if it doesn’t understand why!

Agumon: “We can’t learn to appreciate each other if we’re scared of getting hurt.”

Masaru: “Agumon…” [to Yggdrasil] “You know, ever since I met this guy, I realised that by talking with these fists of mine, I could come to understand the other person no matter who they were.”

~~~~~

Agumon: “That may be true, but the Boss and I are still friends even though we fight sometimes!”

Marcus: “That’s right. You know… even humans don’t always see eye to eye, but… they can still wind up being friends. You just have to be willing to work for it!”

Agumon’s original point about forging friendships being worth it even though they inherently come with potential conflict is still here in the dub. But, of course, we can’t possibly keep Masaru’s distinctive point about communicating with and understanding people using his fists, they’ve removed that from (almost) every other moment it came up. Turns out that point’s pretty relevant to the overall theme of the series as well as to Masaru’s character! Buuuut, not in the dub.

(King Drasil actually knows full well that humans don’t always see eye to eye with each other; one dub-specific thing it complained about regarding humans in an earlier episode was all the wars they have.)

Yggdrasil: “I see. Then I shall lay myself to rest once more and watch over you.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Very well, then. I shall lay myself to rest and protect you from afar without any further meddling.”

Huh, King Drasil’s giving them a slightly better deal here, saying it’s going to protect them. Yggdrasil only said it would watch over them, which doesn’t necessarily constitute doing anything to protect them. Seemed like complete 100% non-interference from Yggdrasil.

Also kinda surprised that King Drasil is willing to admit that it was doing a lot of “meddling”. I guess protecting them from afar, even though that still involves interference with the world in some way, doesn’t count as that…?

Yggdrasil: “Whether or not a world shared among humans and Digimon becomes a reality… will depend on your abilities.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “I don’t know if a world can exist where humans and Digimon live together in harmony, but if it is to become a reality, then it will be completely up to you.”

King Drasil kind of makes a point of sounding more doubtful here. Yggdrasil only really said the thing about “it’s all up to you” as a way of stressing that it’s personally going to stay the hell out of this.

Marcus still protests like Masaru did as King Drasil up and leaves, but he has slightly less reason to, since it did at least say it would protect them.

There appears to be a commercial break at the end of this King Drasil scene, which means that Yoshi’s voice calling for Marcus to wake up doesn’t actually overlap with the end of the scene like Yoshino’s did, because that’d probably be weird just before a commercial break.

Agumon: “You guys…”

Gaomon: “You’re awake!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “Nnngh… is it time to eat?”

Gaomon: “…He’s fine.”

A bit more flavour to Agumon’s waking up in the dub, which I like. I am amused by Gaomon’s teasingly-affectionate logic of “he’s thinking about food, he must be okay.”

Ikuto: “The dimensional barrier is restored!”

Falcomon: “It looks like they were able to safely isolate it from the human world!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “The digital barrier has been completely restored!”

Falcomon: “We were successfully able to separate the two worlds!”

“We” did that? As in, just the DATS group themselves? …How, exactly? I’m pretty sure the only way this makes any kind of sense is if King Drasil did it, which isn’t precisely we. I guess this might be the dubbers not quite piecing together how this could be possible, and so they just kinda shrugged when it came to adding a subject to this line.

Dukemon: “Your Digisouls… have awoken a miracle!”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “Your powerful DNA Charge helped create a miracle.”

Hm, this pinged me as off in the dub even though it turns out it’s basically the same in the original. Maybe it was the fact that it was subbed as Digisouls, plural, that made it easier for me to read the subbed line as being about humanity’s Digisouls in general, whereas it sounds like the dub’s talking about just Marcus’s DNA Charge, which was not all there was to it.

Craniummon: “You were magnificent, Daimon Masaru. You are without a doubt our true saviour!”

~~~~~

Gallantmon: “You were magnificent, Marcus Damon. You are without a doubt, a true legend of the Digital World.”

(For some reason, the dub swapped around which Royal Knight got these lines, not that it matters.)

That word “saviour” in the original line is the same word that the Holy Capital’s citizens used for Suguru, which was translated as “legend” in the dub. The dub actually remembered this and kept the same translation here, drawing the same connection as in the original!

Masaru: “Thank you, Royal Knights.”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Thanks so much. You guys rocked, too!”

Heh, I enjoy Marcus being more gung-ho about thanking them.

Ikuto: “Dad… Mom…”

~~~~~

Keenan: “Mama… Dad…”

Ah, lip-flap meant that they had to find something two syllables long for Keenan to call whichever parent he addressed first. He did also call Frigimon “Mama” when she died, so maybe this is a reference to that?

Ikuto: “I’m home!”

Kenji: “Welcome home, Ikuto.”

~~~~~

Keenan: “I’m home!”

Kevin: “That’s right. You are.”

This seems similar but hits different in each version because of the difference in the episode 27 scene it’s calling back to. In the original, Kenji was teaching Ikuto the stock Japanese family phrases used for this sort of occasion, and now he’s actually using them. In the dub, they couldn’t really do that because English doesn’t quite have that sort of thing, so instead Keenan said “Me home” (even though he kind of wasn’t yet in that episode) – and now he really can feel like he's properly at home with his parents, now that it’s all over. It still works in the dub’s version! I like it.

Tohma: “Relena…”

Relena: “Thank goodness, Brother… I’m so glad you’re all right!”

~~~~~

Thomas: “I missed you.”

Relena: “You’re safe! I was so scared… I didn’t know what to think!”

Relena continues to sound more grown-up in the dub, in that she’s articulating her feelings better. Thomas saying he missed her is very cute! I bet he misses her all the time when he’s not able to be with her because all of the other stuff he’s busy with, aww.

Tohma: “Father…”

Franz: “Thank you, Tohma.”

Tohma: “Yes, Dad.”

~~~~~

Thomas: “Father…”

Franz: “I want to… thank you.”

Thomas: “Well… you’re welcome!”

The dub missed the opportunity to have Thomas call him “Dad” for the first time here! That’s a shame. It’s not even lip-flap’s fault; there’d totally have been a way to fit it in there.

Gotsumon: “It sure is great that everything worked out!”

Yoshino: “What are you doing here?”

Gotsumon: “Hey! Hey, don’t say that! I did my best, too!”

~~~~~

Gotsumon: “We did it… we saved everyone!”

Yoshi: “And just what did you do, exactly?”

Gotsumon: “What, are you kidding? I was the back-up plan in case something went wrong! It’s not my fault I wasn’t needed!”

As much as flailing around making excuses like he totally helped when he actually did nothing at all is very in-character for Gotsumon… give him credit, he did help a little? He was one of the many Digimon helping to hold the worlds apart through the power of humanity’s DNA Charge near the end, so he was contributing.

Satsuma: “You’re safe, Kudamon.”

Kudamon: “Yes. It’s all thanks to Masaru and the others.”

~~~~~

Sampson: “Welcome back… my old friend.”

Kudamon: “I guess recruiting Marcus Damon worked out after all.”

Apparently Kudamon’s still thinking about how he wasn’t so on-board with Sampson recruiting Marcus in the beginning? I am surprised the dub remembered enough to call back to that, but I guess that’s neat! Sampson calling Kudamon his old friend is also cute.

(Though he is putting it all down to Marcus, rather than mentioning the others as well.)

Chika: “Mom!”

~~~~~

Kristy: “Mommy!”

This one is actually not caused by lip-flap, because we don’t see Chika’s mouth move for this line, so this is just the dubbers making the free choice to have her call her mom that in this moment. It does work reasonably well, since they’ve just been in so much danger.

Sayuri: “I believed that Masaru and Agu-chan would protect you.”

~~~~~

Sarah: “I never stopped believing that Marcus would be able to make everything turn out all right.”

This is a little more broad – believing that Marcus would fix everything, not just protect Chika from harm – but it’s still very cute and appropriate that Sarah would have believed that, aww.

Masaru: “I couldn’t bring Dad back with me…”

~~~~~

Marcus: “I’m sorry, I tried, but I couldn’t bring Dad back…”

It’s basically down to having some spare lip-flap, but I do like Marcus mentioning that he tried, even though he couldn’t manage it. Of course he tried.

Sayuri: “I was prepared for that.”

~~~~~

Sarah: “I had a feeling you’d say that… but I’m prepared.”

The way Sarah says this is ever so slightly backhanded, making it sound a bit more like she just expected her son to fail. I hope Marcus doesn’t read that into it.

Sayuri: “That man… Suguru-san has become the wind blowing through the Digital World.”

~~~~~

Sarah: “I still feel that one day he will return to us.”

…Uhh, okay, so I guess this isn’t nearly such a big deal for Sarah, because apparently she didn’t read Marcus’s bad news as implicitly telling her that Spencer died. Whoops, you might want to clarify that, Marcus. (Except of course he won’t, because this is the dub. And also because Spencer’s about to show up alive anyway, but shush.)

Sayuri: “Even if we can’t see him, I’m sure he’ll always be watching over us from the other world.”

~~~~~

Sarah: “I’m just sad that he wasn’t able to watch you grow up. He loved you so much, and he would be very proud of you, just like I am.”

This is a really freaking cute sentiment, though! Aww, of course his dad would be proud of him. The dub really can do these cute heartfelt moments quite well when it wants to.

Masaru: “Dad… Dad!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “It’s Dad… It’s Dad!”

More lip-flap cleverness with the “Dad” syllable discrepancy!

The whole dad-reunion scene gets Probably Marcus’s Theme: Heartwarming Piano Edition as BGM, I approve.

Masaru: “You’re really… You’re really my dad, right?”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Don’t mess with me… Is it really you this time?”

The dub line makes it even clearer that this isn’t just about his disbelief at his dad being alive, but that, after King Drasil, he doesn’t want to get it wrong again.

Suguru: “Yeah. The one and only yours truly.”

~~~~~

Spencer: “It’s me. The one and only Spencer Damon.”

For once, the dub keeps Suguru’s dorkily over-the-top dramatic phrasing of things. Spencer’s delivery is a bit more subdued than Suguru’s was, though.

Suguru: “Yggdrasil restored me to life.”

~~~~~

Spencer: “As a gift to you, King Drasil brought me back to life.”

Specifically for Marcus? Did it not occur to King Drasil that maybe it ought to do this as a favour to Spencer himself, who’s the person it had really screwed over the most?

Suguru: “Chika! You’ve sure grown big.”

~~~~~

Spencer: “Kristy! You’re taller than a tree!”

I mean, she’s literally not, Spencer, that’s overselling it. Slightly odd way to comment on how much she’s grown. His delivery is adorably proud, though.

Chika: “Dad… Dad! Dad!”

~~~~~

Kristy: “Oh, Dad… Daddy… I missed you!”

Aww! She did, didn’t she, even though she never truly knew him in the first place.

Sayuri: “Dearest…”

~~~~~

Sarah: “So did I.”

And it’s cute that Sarah then also gets to agree with this sentiment instead of just addressing him!

Suguru: “Sayuri… I’ve caused you to worry.”

Sayuri: “Don’t leave us any more, okay?”

~~~~~

Spencer: “Sarah… I’m sorry… So sorry.”

Sarah: “Just… don’t ever leave without us again, okay?”

It’s a little weird that she’s specifically not asking him to leave without us. That makes me feel like she’s imagining him taking another trip to the Digital World, but only if the whole family comes with him? I mean, that would be adorable, but also I think it’s a bit beyond Sarah to really think of that yet, given how the Digital World is still so strongly associated with the fear of losing her family, to her.

Sampson: “The missing… have returned after ten years.”

Thanks to lip-flap, Sampson has a weird awkward pause here in his line, which hilariously sounds like he’s realising exactly as he says it that this makes no sense at all. (Which is a goof from the original, of course, I’m just amused at how the dub line makes it come across.)

Kudamon: “We were able to defeat Yggdrasil. However…”

Gotsumon: “For us, we’ve just lost our God. Everyone is upset and confused.”

~~~~~

Kudamon: “Because we defeated King Drasil, more problems have come up.”

Gotsumon: “The Digital World is in chaos now that they’ve lost their leader. The Digimon are confused.”

I complained about this a little in the original, that it shouldn’t really be the loss of Yggdrasil that causes problems in the Digital World when most Digimon didn’t even know it existed. But at least Kudamon wasn’t necessarily saying that there are only problems because of this, even though Gotsumon apparently thought so.

The BGM score for this scene where the Digimon announce they’re going back is weirdly ominous, whereas in the original it had a more reflective, sad vibe.

There’s another commercial break between this and the next scene, so we sadly don’t get the immediate cut from Marcus being angry to him punching Agumon at the park.

Masaru: “What’s this crap about leaving? You traitor!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “You’re staying right here! No more talk of leaving!”

I don’t like how Marcus is framing this like he has the right to order Agumon around and decide this for him. Masaru was angry and lashing out, but he wasn’t actually trying to tell Agumon he’s not allowed to leave.

Aaaand suddenly the BGM has become… a comedic one? Turning this heartwrenching scene about best friends expressing their pain at being forced to part ways into a silly haha comic relief thing, because there’s punching involved, I guess, so we’ve got to make it seem slapstick? No! Bad! I do not approve!

Marcus: “You’re more than my best friend, you’re like a brother to me, so why would you wanna leave?!”

This line is basically the same, but it hits different in the dub, where Agumon never actually called him anything that meant “brother” in the first place. It means more for Marcus to say this in that context, where them being like brothers wasn’t already kind of an established thing!

…But it also unavoidably hits completely different when it’s happening over this silly comedic music, making this sound like we’re supposed to see it as some kind of joke, what even, who decided the BGM for this scene, this was the worst choice. (The original BGM was actually just silent at this point! The dub had no reason to put anything here!)

Agumon punching Marcus in the face is flash-cut, because of course. One last hurrah for Team We Can’t Have Punching In This Anime About Punching.

Agumon: “Even I want to stay with you forever, Aniki!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “You’re like a brother to me, too! I never wanna leave your side!”

Because Agumon has not called Marcus anything meaning “brother” before in the dub, he gets to add this here, which is also cute!

The comedic BGM cuts off around here, at least, thank god, but my god it should never have been there at all.

Masaru: “Then…! Then why don’t you just stay here?!”

Agumon: “I *can’t*!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Then why go? Just stay here with me!”

Agumon: “They’re closing the Gate!”

I really like how in the original Agumon responds to this question by desperately blurting out the root of this – that he feels like he can’t stay in the human world. Agumon in the dub instead just begins with part 1 of his explanation, instead of getting right to the heart of his feelings on this, which gives it less impact, and also less reason why Marcus shifts to a more shocked expression upon hearing this one sentence.

Agumon: “I’ll just be one big *nuisance* who spends his entire time sleeping and getting fat on Sayuri’s fried eggs!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “I’ll just be a waste of space! Splitting my time between sleeping and eating your mother’s fried eggs!”

This is almost the same, but Agumon in the original had this bitter emphasis on the word nuisance that isn’t there in the dub. (Part of that’s thanks to the Japanese word order, though – that word is actually at the end of the sentence the way it’s structured in Japanese, which helps.)

Marcus: “A… Agumon!”

Marcus somehow still sounds kind of angry here? Why would you sound angry at hearing your best friend and near-enough-brother talk about how he feels like he’ll be nothing but a waste of space in your own home, what even.

Agumon: “I want to keep having adventures with you, Aniki!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “I wish we could go on forever having adventures, but I just have to go!”

The way Agumon phrases this in the dub, he’s making it sound like he would keep having adventures if only he stayed with Marcus, but he has to go for… some other reason. Whereas in the original, the point was that he wants to keep having adventures but he can’t have that in the human world, and therefore with Masaru, any more.

(Oh, finally, some appropriately sad BGM, thank you. Matches with when sad BGM kicked in in the original. Still mad about the comedic music earlier, though.)

Masaru: “Well… Even I… Even I want to be with you! I want to keep running wild with you everywhere until I die!!!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Fine, then go! Who needs ya! You don’t even belong in this world anyway! Go back to the Digital World where you belong! …”

Marcus’s tone is very different here! He’s angry and lashing out and pushing Agumon away instead of desperately blurting out just how badly he doesn’t want to say goodbye either. It’s clear enough that he’s doing it out of anger to cover up how he really feels – and his voice begins to break into tears towards the end, which is pretty painful, but it sure hits different.

The dubbers even edited the shots a bit to work better with this changed mood. The last sentence of this line in the original is over a shot of Masaru on all fours, hanging his head with emotion, but that wouldn’t work so well with Marcus’s anger, so instead the dub cuts that out and just has a shot of the dark clouds overhead.

Masaru: “Go to the Digital World. This world is too small for you. Go back to the world you belong in.”

~~~~~

Marcus: “I only wish… I was going with you. I can’t even imagine this world without you. The Earth is gonna seem like a really cold place when you leave.”

The moods have kind of swapped around now! Masaru was, while not nearly as overtly angry as Marcus in the previous line, being rather bitter in tone. But now Marcus is showing his sadness and pain, sounding like he’s crying or at least on the verge of it.

(I can’t help but think that Marcus outright saying he wishes he was going with Agumon ought to make him realise, sooner than he’s actually going to, that… hey, nothing’s stopping him doing that?)

Agumon: “Aniki…”

~~~~~

Agumon: “Aww, Boss…”

Agumon in the original sounded sad, but potentially not for Masaru and more at the fact that Masaru was pushing him away like this. Agumon in the dub is clearly feeling sad for Marcus, who’s literally crying right now. Which makes it work a little less well that he then turns and walks away from this instead of trying to say anything else to comfort him. That made more sense when the scene ended on Masaru putting up an emotional barrier and pushing him away – Agumon was the one who ended the scene crying in the original, not Masaru.

Marcus’s voice actor was really on-point in this scene, for the somewhat different emotional direction he was given with it. Agumon’s dub VA, meanwhile, was fine I guess, but didn’t tug at my heartstrings nearly as much as his original VA’s performance.

Gaomon: “My Master…! Is no-one else but you.”

Tohma: “Gaomon…”

~~~~~

Gaomon: “We will [meet again], sir, I promise. …You’re my best friend, Thomas.”

Thomas: “…Same here.”

Gaomon’s a bit less adorably loyally Dog about this, but this is still extremely cute! Look at them calling each other their best friends, aww.

Lalamon: “But… it made me feel a bit relieved. Because you’ve become stronger.”

Yoshino: “That’s not true, Lalamon.”

~~~~~

Lalamon: “I’m actually kind of relieved. To see how strong you’ve become.”

Yoshi: “Yeah, I’m strong – when *you’re* here.”

Yoshino denied being strong at all, but Yoshi’s willing to admit that she is strong if only thanks to Lalamon’s presence (and still implicitly thinks she isn’t on her own).

Yoshino: “Lalamon!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “Oh, Lalamon! I’m gonna miss you so much!”

Lalamon: [half-muffled from the hug] “I’m gonna miss you too!”

Aww, they are, aren’t they! (They’ve been together for over ten years, gaaah.) More good friendship additions.

The BGM’s shifted away from the sad one and into something which isn’t nearly as bad as the comedic one or anything, but it’s like… homely and cosy and doesn’t give the bittersweet vibe that these scenes ought to have.

Kudamon: “This place relaxes me the most.”

~~~~~

Kudamon: “I like coming to this shoulder when I wanna be alone.”

Heh. “Alone”, he says. Little liar of a weaselscarf. It’s cute.

Satsuma: “Me too.” [he chuckles]

Kudamon: “So even you can laugh.”

~~~~~

Sampson: “Heh. ‘Wanna be alone’.”

Kudamon: “I’m glad to see you still have your sense of humour, Sampson. I’ll miss that laugh.”

Apparently in the dub, Sampson does have a sense of humour, whereas in the dub, Kudamon’s teasing him about the fact that he usually doesn’t. If Sampson does, it must be something he only ever showed in private with Kudamon, since the DATS members sure never saw it. Which is pretty cute, actually!

Yushima: “Kamemon, drink your milk.”

Yep, this stuff they’re drinking which is making Kamemon’s face red is definitely just milk, no alcohol here, kids.

I forgot how adorably derpy Kamemon’s dub voice is, since we hear it so little.

Yushima: “Kamemon. Sometimes the moon looks as if it’s changed shape, but it really stays circular all the time. Come back any time. I’ll always be waiting.”

~~~~~

Yushima: “Kamemon. Though we may be as far apart as the moon and Earth, the connection between us will always be strong. One day the Gate may be reopened, and I’ll be right there waiting for you.”

Yushima’s metaphor was apparently too metaphorical for the dub, so they changed it into something a bit more straightforward in meaning (while still being about the moon).

Oh god, Falcomon’s voice. This isn’t a scene about two adorable kids who are best friends having to say goodbye, it’s this old, posh butler saying goodbye to the kid he looks after. It can never read the same way, purely because of that voice. Gah.

Keenan: “Me thinking, and I decide…”

Why is Keenan still sometimes using an incorrect “me” and a correct “I” in the same sentence, nobody would mess up their grammar like this.

Also, he shouldn’t really be framing this like he’s made a calculated decision to go to the Digital World with Falcomon, because he ought to already know he needs to stay with his family and just be wistfully voicing the fact that part of him wishes he could go with Falcomon anyway.

Falcomon: “No, Keenan, you can’t. You have to stay here and get to know your family.”

This is basically the same line, but it hits different because Falcomon’s voice makes him sound like someone who’d naturally be wise enough to decide something like this selflessly for the sake of Keenan’s family. It hits a lot harder when it’s coming from someone who sounds like a kid, and so he’s being surprisingly thoughtful and selfless about this!

Falcomon still ends up crying too, but, again, it unavoidably hits different because he sounds like an adult ghhhhhhh

Tohma: “He must not want to say goodbye.”

Sayuri: “Masaru…”

~~~~~

Thomas: “I guess he doesn’t want to say goodbye…”

Sarah: “It’s hard for him…”

Aww. I like the sense that Sarah gets it, that Marcus is bad at Painful Emotions, and especially bad at saying goodbye to family members indefinitely.

Agumon: “Stupid Aniki…”

~~~~~

Agumon: “Fine! Forget him, then.”

Ouch, Agumon’s tone and wording are being a fair bit harsher and more lashing out than he was in the original!

Miki and Megumi’s Digital Gate-opening spiel doesn’t have any noticeable emotion in it, like it did in the original.

Agumon: “Aniki! … Aniki!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “Hey, you’re here! … Bye, Boss.”

Agumon’s feelings here in the original were technically ambiguous, but given the excitement in his voice – and the fact that, by the second “Aniki”, Masaru had leapt into the Dive chamber wearing a huge backpack – he was clearly realising this meant that his Aniki was coming with him after all. But apparently in the dub, Agumon somehow hasn’t figured that out yet from the context clues, and is simply happy that he’s going to get to say a proper goodbye?

Masaru: “Like hell I’ll ever say goodbye!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Stuff your goodbyes in a sock!”

I approve of the dub translating the spirit of Masaru being so gleefully gung-ho about not saying goodbye.

I enjoy the upbeat adventurous tone of the BGM here in the original a lot, but the dub’s BGM here is… kind of nondescript by comparison.

Yoshino: “Who knows when you can come back if you go now!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “What happens if they decide to never open up the Digital Gate again?”

Really, Yoshi? You’re really willing to accept the possibility that they might never open it, and you’ll never see Lalamon again? Come on. Yoshino was never saying anything to suggest it’d never be opened again, just that Masaru didn’t know how long it’d be.

Masaru: “Who cares! I’m gonna enjoy travelling through the Digital World no matter how long it takes!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “I have to go! With Merukimon gone, who’s gonna keep an eye on the Digital World?”

Um, what? Why is this of all things Marcus’s apparent biggest reason for wanting to go? Not because he can’t bear to be apart from Agumon and wants to keep having fighty adventures with his best friend, but just because he thinks he of all people needs to be a replacement for Merukimon??? There are plenty of other powerful Digimon who could fill Merukimon’s shoes – the Royal Knights, anyone? And it’s not like Merukimon was that important of a global figure in the Digital World anyway. Is the dub still clinging to their ridiculous nonsense fact that Merukimon was supposedly the ruler of the entire Digital World, even though that’s been explicitly contradicted by King Drasil’s existence for ages now? What the heck even.

The only way this makes any kind of sense is if Marcus is just saying this as an excuse because he doesn’t want to mention his real reason that he just wants to keep being with Agumon, but, like, why wouldn’t he say that, come on.

Also, he just completely nopes on acknowledging Yoshi’s comment that he might never be able to come back. But then, that is a pretty Marcus thing to do, so.

Suguru: “Go there and polish up your manliness!”

~~~~~

Spencer: “You go back and keep the peace.”

Of course we can’t have the manliness, so we get this instead. I guess it’s fine and fair enough for him to want Marcus to keep the peace, but it is different and less dorky compared to Suguru wanting him to grow as a person and just keep having adventures and manly fights, like he did when he was stuck there for years.

Marcus: “Let’s go, Agumon! Now we can always fight together, side by side!”

Yes, Marcus, it’s almost as if this is the real reason you want to go with him and it doesn’t need to have anything to do with Merukimon, what even was that.

Agumon: “Aniki!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “Yippee!”

While original-Agumon gave the most adorably delighted exclamation of his aniki’s name ever, dub-Agumon… kinda sounds a bit silly with this here. It just comes across like “oh, yay, fun,” and not “oh my god I’m so glad I don’t have to say goodbye to my best friend indefinitely after all.”

The dub’s opening wouldn’t really work as music to play over the epilogue, so instead, we get the Next Time On music, which I guess is probably the best thing they had for this purpose?

Oh my god, puberty-Keenan’s voice sure is a thing.

Thomas has just won some unspecified “Medical Prize”, rather than specifically the Nobel Prize for Medicine. Him being nineteen is still mentioned by the TV announcer. Does this mean it’s been five years since the events of the series, or just three? Who knows! Take your pick.

The news articles Miki and Megumi are looking at list his name as “Thomas H. Nordstein”. …That’s. That’s not how you spell Norstein, guys. It has literally never been pronounced with an audible “d” in there. How do you get this wrong. And deliberately, at that! It’s on three separate bits of edited text – in Relena’s name, too! That’s not a typo; someone legitimately thought that was how you spell their surname! Oh my god, dubbers, please try caring just a tiny bit.

Either that, or his name canonically is spelled Nordstein in the dub, with a silent D for no reason, and I’ve technically been spelling it wrong every time I’ve written “Norstein” in a dub commentary. But also no, shut up, I haven’t.

Yushima: “Well, well. It’s still noisy here as always.”

~~~~~

Yushima: “That’s our Yoshi. Always scaring the fish away.”

Not only did Yoshi’s police car zooming past scare Yushima’s fish away, apparently she... makes a habit of doing this to him, somehow? Ooookay then.

The bit at the very end with Marcus and Agumon in the Digital World uses the evolution BGM (the Ultimate-level one), which… I guess kinda works for it? They didn’t get a chance to use that BGM anywhere else in this episode because there were no regular evolution animations, but looks like they found somewhere to squeeze it in anyway.

Masaru: “Those who disturb the peace in the Digital World… this street fighter, Daimon Masaru-sama, won’t forgive you!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Anyone caught fightin’ in the Digital World has to deal with me, Marcus Damon, the ultimate justice of the peace.”

Marcus apparently isn’t calling himself an ultimate fighter any more, even though this’d be a good time to have that in place of “street fighter”? I guess he really is leaning into that “keep the peace” thing to the point that he’s even made that part of his self-proclaimed title. I do like that they somewhat managed to keep the spirit of the self-sama in how bombastic he sounds about it.

However, I am rather iffy about the fact that he apparently does this to anybody caught fighting, full stop. Not people who are disturbing the peace in particular, like these two gangs of Digimon are doing, but just… literally any fight ever? Nobody’s even allowed to fight for friendly sport and competition, like Marcus himself so enjoys doing? Or for self-defence, if someone’s threatening them? Seems a bit hypocritical that he’s going around stopping any Digimon from simply fighting… by fighting them.

Overall differences

There’s a lot of subtle changes here, but nothing too dramatically different, for the most part.

It’s only very slightly so, but the climax of the fight is a little bit more focused on just Marcus and Agumon’s friendship than on the bond between Digimon and humans in general, which, though I love their friendship, isn’t quite the real point here. There was also that one weird line from Relena about her feeling the Digimon’s power (how), instead of showing that she’s willing the Digimon on with her Digisoul.

A lot of the lines in the cute family and friends bits are made even cuter! The dub’s often pretty good at that sort of thing. Though they did miss the opportunity to have Thomas call his father “Dad” for the first time, which the original did.

Why was there the comedic music there for the first half of Marcus and Agumon’s heartbreaking goodbye scene, that was the worst scoring choice ever, I am Mad about it. You do not take a scene like that and try to present it as a joke! No! (There’s also a bunch of other BGM choices that make some other scenes hit a little bit different, but none of them nearly as bad as this one.)

Once the BGM has stopped being terrible, the emotions in Marcus and Agumon’s goodbye scene are also switched around a bit compared to the original. While Masaru started out anguished and heartfelt and then degenerated into bitterly pushing Agumon away, Marcus begins with angry lashing out but then degenerates into open anguish and actual crying. In the original, Agumon ended the scene crying, while in the dub, Marcus is the one in tears at the end. It mostly works fine either way, but it does kind of beg the question of why Agumon just up and leaves Marcus like that – it makes more sense why he left in the original when Masaru was bitterly telling him to go.

And then, what even was that bit about how Marcus has to go to the Digital World because he needs to replace Merukimon. Not only does it not make sense that he of all people would need to do that, but why on earth would that be his primary reason for going there instead of the part where he wants to keep being with Agumon forever.

The only reason I can think of for why the dub did this is that they really felt like they had to shoehorn in some reason that Marcus needed to go to the Digital World, in order to justify his choice. They didn’t want to let him do it simply because he wanted to, simply because it’s the most Marcus choice to make in this situation and so what other reason does he even need? Because the dub’s narrative has never been okay with letting Marcus just be himself.

See, this isn’t really about this specific episode’s changes so much as it’s an overarching dub thing, but – that bit in my summary for the original episode’s post where I gushed about how much I love the way the narrative never tells Masaru not to be himself? Yeah, Data Squad has tried its best to be the complete opposite of that. It’s constantly presented Marcus as wrong and bad for being the way he is, and that’s one of the things I hate the most about how they treat him. I honestly think that if the Data Squad writers had had control over how the ending actually went, there’s a high chance they’d have written it differently so that Marcus stayed in the human world, just so he could learn to be a Normal Person like is obviously supposed to be better for him, right.

#digimon #digimon savers #digimon data squad

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

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Digimon Savers Commentary Episode 48 - The Perfect Conclusion! Goodbye, Street Fighter

In this final episode of the series, Yggdrasil finally gets the message about humanity with the help of a very big punch, family reunions are had, and heartbreaking farewells are made as the two worlds are separated for now.

No recap here – this episode’s so jam-packed that there’s absolutely no time for one. Instead, we open on the last handful of lines from the previous episode, but animated freshly in this episode’s much better art style. (Episode 47 was one of those with that annoyingly noticeably-weaker art style, but at least the final episode’s art style is a good one!)

Anyway, Masaru and Agumon have got their second wind and are rushing straight at Yggdrasil to prove just how strong humans and Digimon can be when they work together. Provocation Infinity kicks in as BGM as soon as they do so! Love the sense that evokes of the early days of the series, just these fighty dorks being fighty dorks, even as both worlds hang in the balance.

Masaru and Agumon dodge some crystal missiles and keep running. The other three partners leap into the fray to help out, and destroy some more – still at Child-level, mind you. I guess those crystals aren’t actually very strong? Yggdrasil lashes out with vines as Masaru and Agumon get close, but they leap over the intended strikes and climb onto them. Given that the vines are significantly thicker than Masaru’s entire body, they make workable platforms; good job giving them a way to get close to you, Yggdrasil!

Agumon gets knocked into the air by another vine, but Masaru (somehow) manages to reach out and swing his own vine around to grab his partner’s hand before he can fall. Friends helping each other out and working together!

Yggdrasil goes for dirty tactics and fires more crystals at the defenceless Tohma, Yoshino and Ikuto. Their partners desperately leap in there to protect them – and they emerge from the ensuing smoke cloud in their Adult forms, carrying their humans.

Yggdrasil: “Unable to compute. Unable to compute.”

Yggdrasil’s still very much in computer-mode, and it does not understand how they could possibly have evolved like this when this isn’t how things are meant to work. I’m not sure either, to be entirely fair, but I appreciate that it annoys Yggdrasil.

Tohma: “We didn’t even charge our Digisouls! How…?”

Gaogamon: “I don’t know either.”

Peckmon: “I just wanted to protect Ikuto.”

Sunflowmon: “I wished for the strength to protect everyone.”

Apparently Digimon can evolve on their own, without Digisoul, if they’re desperate enough to protect their partners! It’s still a little questionable that this is only an eleventh-hour superpower they’re getting right now and they were never able to do this any of the other times their partners were in severe danger throughout the series. That does seem to have been firmly established as not how it works in this Digimon canon, even though it works that way in most. (Though I suppose Piyomon did kinda do this in episode 43?)

But still, it's neat to see them doing something new in the final battle as the two worlds are at stake. Maybe it’s the direness of the entire situation, or perhaps the sheer amount of human emotion that’s powering all of the Digimon right now, as seen last episode. Or maybe it’s just that, hey, screw rules and expectations and calculations, they’re gonna do it anyway. How Masaru of them.

And if nothing else, I appreciate having this send-off for each of the partners’ (except Agumon’s) other forms! I like their designs the most at these lower levels, so it’s nice to see them again, if briefly.

Yggdrasil: “You couldn’t defeat me with your Burst Modes, so why do you still fight against me? The probability of you winning is exceedingly close to 0%.”

Yggdrasil is being me whenever I see a Digimon fighting something at a higher evolution level than itself and acting like it stands a remote chance of winning. Which, thankfully, is not a thing that’s happened very often in Savers. Usually when it has it’s been Masaru’s doing, of course, because Masaru’s never given a damn about calculations and logic.

Masaru and Agumon keep climbing the vines, while the other three partners fire attacks at Yggdrasil’s body to distract it, spontaneously evolving into their Perfect forms as they do. The pair make it onto Yggdrasil’s body itself, which is slanted enough that they can keep running up it, dodging crystal lasers along the way.

Yggdrasil: “Unable to compute. Unable to compute.”

It’s a small thing, but there’s something I really like about the way Yggdrasil keeps insistently repeating this among the action and fighting. It cannot comprehend why these stubborn humans are even still trying. Clearly it has not been properly introduced to Masaru yet.

The other three partners evolve again into their Ultimate-levels to protect themselves as they’re hit by attacks. There’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it neat shot as Rosemon and Ravemon slice apart Yggdrasil’s vines, in which you can see the insides of them – they’re some kind of fancy optical cables, just like the vines at its tree.

Some more attacks give Masaru and Agumon a smoke cloud as cover, and just as Provocation Infinity reaches its climax, the pair leap in towards Yggdrasil’s face, ready to pu—

…Only it’s not time for that just yet. Yggdrasil catches them in its vines before they can get close enough, inflicting horrible pain on them with red lightning. As far as Yggdrasil saw all this, it really was a pointless endeavour. Masaru was never going to stand a chance.

Masaru’s teammates call out in worry at seeing him and Agumon helplessly in pain. So does Chika, who’s holding Kudamon in her arms. Further out from the fight, the Norsteins and Yushima, Miki and Megumi, and Sayuri, all watch on, not even able to see anything that’s going on except for the huge shape of Yggdrasil hanging over Mount Fuji and the columns of light from the Digimon who are still trying to hold the worlds apart. All of them can’t do anything but hope.

Masaru: “Damn it!”

I appreciate this little outburst from Masaru as he and Agumon endure the red lightning; he must hate that the pain he’s in is making him so powerless to do anything right now.

Chika calls out again to her brothers, and then flares up in Digisoul from the sheer force of her desperation to see everything turn out all right.

Relena: “The Digimon are protecting us. They’re fighting for us. […] You can do it, Digimon!”

Then, among the Norsteins’ group, Relena’s Digisoul activates, even though she doesn’t have a Digimon partner, as her emotions will the Digimon on. With the Noguchis and Satsuma, baby Yuka’s Digisoul makes an appearance, too. I like that it’s the children who manifest their Digisouls first here, since children do tend to be a lot more openly in touch with their emotions than adults. (Though Yuka is a bit much, because she ought to be too young to understand what’s happening, but shush.)

Also, a neat thing we can see here is that Digisoul colours run in families! We already saw that for the Daimons, but it’s true for everyone else; Relena’s is her brother’s cool blue, and Yuka’s is her brother’s purple.

After Miki and Megumi, Sayuri flares up with her Digisoul for the first time ever. It’s orange too, like that of Suguru and his kids, so evidently Digisouls run in families in a non-genetic way, because she’s not blood-related to Suguru. That makes sense, since it’s about emotion, not biology.

All over the world, every human is beginning to glow with Digisoul from the sheer strength of their will to not die. This emotion was already powering the Digimon last episode, but now it’s become strong enough and desperate enough to be visible, tangible Digisoul. We see the Hayase family from episode 9, the Shiratori family from episode 11, Neon from episode 8, to give us some characters we have vague reason to care about instead of random nobodies.

There’s Ivan too, with all of his siblings, and Nanami, who despite her nature has become desperate enough to be praying along with a group of other people. (This is how I knew the Bio-Hybrids weren’t actually dead when they were ambiguously defeated in their episodes.)

…Apparently the default Digisoul colour for unimportant characters is a sickly yellow, because there’s no variety in the hues for anybody else. Shame; I guess the animation budget only stretched so far.

From their place atop Mount Fuji, the DATS group can see the columns of Digisoul shooting up from all over the world, and the Digimon partners can feel it.

Yggdrasil: “Why do you interfere with me? The probability of your survival is equal to 0%.”

Are you still sure about that, Yggdrasil? There’s an awful lot of Digisoul floating around right now. It doesn’t seem like it’s factoring that into its calculations.

But hey, Masaru’s here – and since when did he ever care about something like calculations?

Ikuto: “That’s wrong! The power of each person on its own might be small…”

Tohma: “But the power of cherishing our friends and comrades… is infinite!”

Yoshino: “We want to stay with each other… Forever!”

The DATS crew aren’t even making it about the Digisoul of every single human on Earth, but instead about the sheer power of even a few people’s Digisoul. Because friends! Of course they want to stay with their Digimon partners forever! Digimon and humans deserve a world where they can live together!

Piyomon: “I want to live with Chika… and the humans, too!”

Gotsumon: “So do… So do I!”

Even the Digimon who’ve only recently met and got to know humans think so too, when they haven’t had their views affected by Kurata’s atrocities! It’s neat that even Gotsumon’s saying this – look how much a reboot to remove all that bigotry has done for him.

The Royal Knights are still there too, fighting to physically hold the worlds apart. Rather than have their own bodies give out under the strain, the ground beneath them crumbles from the sheer weight they’re holding up, because Ultimate-levels are just that strong I guess.

Yggdrasil: “Unable to compute! Unable to compute!”

Though it’s still acting like a computer, Yggdrasil’s voice is beginning to sound a lot more emotional and insistent. No, this doesn’t make sense, it shouldn’t be possible, Yggdrasil’s not supposed to be wrong about anything. What do you mean this many humans and Digimon actually want to live together, and they might actually have the power to make that a reality. That’s not how Yggdrasil’s neat and tidy little Digimon experiment was supposed to go.

Masaru: “You’ll… never understand!”

Yggdrasil: “Unable to compute!”

Masaru: “It’s true that we fight a lot over stupid things, and sometimes we even hate each other. From your point of view, we might have evolved in the wrong direction. But…!”

Not sure if Masaru’s talking about only humans, or both humans and Digimon here. It’d work either way, since at this point Yggdrasil’s trying to reboot both worlds.

Freed from the red lightning by now, Masaru and Agumon manage to reach out to each other and join hands as they give the climax of their speech. Friends doing this together!

Agumon: “Human emotions… make us Digimon stronger!”

Masaru: “And the Digimon… give us both dreams and courage!”

Masaru & Agumon: “There’s no limit to how far we can evolve!”

Masaru’s side of this is… frankly a bit generic; I wish he’d said something more distinctly Masaru than just talking about dreams and courage. But Agumon’s got the real point here, and it’s something Yggdrasil can’t possibly deny. Digimon and humans are intrinsically connected. They have a symbiotic relationship where they can make each other stronger. Given that inherent law of the universe, how can there be anything wrong with them wanting to create a world where both species can live together, even if it might take some fighting and strife to get there?

As the lyrics of Believer kick in, a huge column of Digisoul erupts from their linked hands, vaporising the vines they’re trapped in, and Agumon evolves into…

…Agumon Burst Mode! Which might seem a bit silly, but I actually love this. Digimon series like to end on the main protagonist gaining some kind of eleventh-hour final super ultra strong extra special evolution, which tends to be your usual armoured humanoid dude – so I really like that, in this case, it’s still Agumon. He’s grown big enough for Masaru to suddenly be able to ride him, but it still very much seems like that character we know and love as Masaru’s dork of a best friend and partner. It makes their triumph hit harder when it still feels like him.

Masaru: “Learn your lesson, Yggdrasil! This is the humans’…”

Agumon: “And the Digimon’s…”

Masaru & Agumon: “Power!”

They mean this, too, because I don’t think this is just Masaru’s power manifesting here. This isn’t Masaru turning out to be extra super sparkly-special in the final moments for no particular reason. This is the power of every single human on Earth’s desire to not freaking die, and all of that Digisoul latching onto and happening to use Agumon as an avatar for it, simply because he and Masaru are at the centre of things and happen to be the most personally determined to prove this point to Yggdrasil right now.

This might be the most justified eleventh-hour superpower in any Digimon series, because of just how great a length this whole series has gone to establish Digisoul and the power of human emotion as a tangible force that can influence Digimon and make them stronger. Of course that much Digisoul would have one hell of an effect.

Agumon and Masaru fly at Yggdrasil, who erects a shield of energy in front of itself. They keep pushing, shattering not only the shield but also blowing a huge gaping hole through Yggdrasil’s body.

Yggdrasil: “This is inconceivable! The probability of you defeating me is…”

Yggdrasil doesn’t finish that sentence. Maybe it’s beginning to realise that the probability isn’t as low as it’d previously thought and doesn’t want to admit that. Or maybe it’s just that the “eye” in its body here explodes before it can finish saying that.

Out of the explosion flies a crystalline humanoid figure – apparently, Yggdrasil’s real true physical form, which it was keeping hidden safely inside its much larger body. It’s not actually as strong as it was trying to make itself look with all that godly posturing.

Masaru: “YOU CAN’T ESCAPE!”

Masaru clearly realises this is Yggdrasil trying to bail out of here before it can be forced to admit defeat, and he refuses to let that happen. He swerves Agumon’s path back around – Agumon’s claw-strap thingies have grown long enough that Masaru’s holding onto them like reins – and then leaps off Agumon’s back to punch the god right in the face.

…Or, perhaps, he’s punching the computer’s relatively fragile interface. And hasn’t Masaru always been one for, uh, “fixing” computer problems by hitting them as hard as he can?

That’s one way you could sum up the climax of Savers. Masaru fixes a very serious computer problem by hitting it really hard.

They’re still really good at timing these climactic fight scenes with Believer, by the way. The final line of the chorus plays over the punch and Yggdrasil’s face shattering, and it hits just right.

Yggdrasil’s body erupts into a blinding explosion, Agumon urgently swoops in there to try and catch his aniki, and everything turns white.

And with that, it’s the opening! There’s something really neat, and really final, about how the opening in this last episode happens right after the climax of the big world-saving fight.

Something else I also like about the finality of this opening is that the fansubbers I’ve been watching, for the only episode in the series, added subs crediting themselves during the opening. Again, it helps drive home that it really is the end, and, hey, they deserve it. Shout-outs to the fansub group who called themselves Ryuu-Rogue way back when for allowing me and many other non-Japanese-speakers to experience Digimon Savers in its original intended form.

Anyway, the opening itself has this shot at the end where the main and supporting cast line up (except Yushima apparently? Sorry, dude), so that seems like a perfect shot to highlight in this final episode as we give a send-off to everyone.

Also, the final final shot of the opening has Masaru and Agumon leap towards the screen like the dorky friends they are, which is adorable.

After the opening, Masaru and Agumon wake up floating in a white void.

Agumon: “What is this place?”

Masaru: “Heaven? No, of course not…”

Apparently it briefly crosses Masaru’s mind that they might have died, but then he brushes it off. No, of course not, there’s no way Masaru would have just lost like that.

Yggdrasil’s there, not even in its humanoid form that we just saw, but simply as a floating crystal. Perhaps in some ways, it doesn’t really have a true form, because its essence is simply a computer consciousness.

It’s not dead, of course. No matter how hard Masaru punched its fragile physical form, that wasn’t ever going to happen. I think Yggdrasil literally meant it last episode when it said that death doesn’t exist for a God. It’s the overarching consciousness that runs the entire Digital World; I doubt it’s even possible to destroy that.

Yggdrasil could never have been defeated or destroyed. What Masaru and his friends always needed to do was change its mind – and here it is, talking to Masaru and Agumon, because they’ve managed to achieve that.

Yggdrasil: “You two have shown me your abilities. It was indeed an enormous power, far beyond what I anticipated.”

Just like Masaru did when he managed to break Craniummon’s shield and prove humanity’s potential to him – he’s managed to prove it to Yggdrasil now, too! By punching it! Masaru always has been about communicating his feelings with his fists, hasn’t he? That’s why it took Masaru of all people to do this: not because he’s the strongest, but because of his very distinctive way of getting through to people. He’s so good at that that he’s even managed to get through to a god that was hellbent on rebooting two entire worlds.

(And it needed to be someone like Masaru, rather than someone like Tohma, to pierce through Yggdrasil’s hyper-logical worldview and teach it that things don’t always go according to calculations.)

An interesting thing to note here is that Yggdrasil’s no longer speaking like a computer and is back to using its more human-sounding androgynous voice. It dropped any pretence of not being a computer last episode when it stopped even bothering to try and sound like it cared about anybody’s interests but its own. But now that it’s accepted Masaru’s point of view and is willing to hear him out, it seems it wants to go back to pretending to be something more of a person than it really is, perhaps for the sake of making him see it in a better light. Yggdrasil’s definitely a benevolent god and not a tantrum-throwing computer, right, everyone can just forget that whole episode happened.

Yggdrasil: “But I still don’t understand. Why do you wish to live together in one world? If the two worlds between humans and Digimon combine, more conflict may arise.”

Hyper-logical as it is, Yggdrasil still can’t quite grasp why they’re not going for the simplest, most minimally dangerous option. At its core, to begin with, it wanted to wipe out humans because they caused conflict and problems with its nice neat isolated Digital World. Even though it hypocritically allowed the conflict to escalate in order to serve its own end goal, it still can’t see why anybody would want that in and of itself.

Agumon: “We can’t learn to appreciate each other if we’re scared of getting hurt.”

Good old Masaru! This is getting nicely into some of the overall themes of the series, about Digimon and humans learning to get along and live in harmony despite all the strife and pain that can come from their interactions. And it fits neatly with Masaru’s philosophy of communication through fighting in general. He really did only develop that philosophy throughout this series, thanks to how he befriended Agumon at the beginning! It’s that which we have to thank for him being able to get through to Yggdrasil and solve all this in the end.

Agumon’s line also reminds me of what Masaru said to Kurata in episode 25 when decrying his cowardice – that when you fight someone, you acknowledge that doing so is going to cause pain both for them and for yourself, and you need to accept that pain instead of running away from it. Being too afraid to even get at all hurt in the first place when interacting with others is only going to lead down Kurata’s path.

It’s like Masaru was saying to Yggdrasil before punching it out, too – sometimes people hate each other and fight over stupid things, but that’s just an unavoidable part of how people work! That doesn’t mean you go erasing them all; it just means you have to learn to work with it and find a way to get along anyway.

Yggdrasil: “I see. Then I shall lay myself to rest once more and watch over you. Whether or not a world shared among humans and Digimon becomes a reality… will depend on your abilities.”

Having been convinced that humans have enough potential to deserve a chance for harmony between them and Digimon, Yggdrasil… promptly decides it’s going to have nothing to do with actually creating that harmony itself and retreats back to its original position of noninterfering observer. Thanks, Yggdrasil. Very helpful. After all the effort Suguru went to get its help on forging this harmony between the species, it turns out Yggdrasil’s best possible stance on the subject is, “eh, don’t look at me, do it yourselves?”

Maybe it just realises that figuring out the complexities of how to resolve interpersonal conflicts is really not its wheelhouse and it wouldn’t have the first clue how to help. But of course it doesn’t want to admit that.

As to whether or not Masaru and co. actually will create that world themselves? …Well, it’s literally the final episode of the series, so it’s not like they’ve got time to do it now. It’s almost like there ought to have been a sequel series following up on this or something. If only.

Masaru: “Hey! Wait a second!”

I like how Masaru seems indignant as Yggdrasil just up and leaves. Looks like he also feels like Yggdrasil ought to be taking more responsibility onto itself in actually helping them create this harmony and not just peacing out and leaving them to it. Of course he would.

As Yggdrasil floats away, Masaru hears Yoshino’s voice calling for him to wake up, and then suddenly he’s regaining consciousness, lying on the ground at Mount Fuji’s summit. Seems like he and Agumon were unconscious in reality while Yggdrasil was communicating with them, because it can just do that, I guess.

Tohma: “Geez, you’re such a character.”

Yoshino: “Don’t worry us any more, okay?”

Aww, it’s cute that they were worried. Seeing Masaru and Agumon be so close to the blinding explosion from Yggdrasil and then take longer than the rest of them to wake up certainly must have given them a fright for a minute. It doesn’t seem like they had any idea he was talking to Yggdrasil, so we can assume they weren’t doing so themselves.

Masaru: “What happened to Yggdrasil? And the Digital World?”

Ikuto: “It’s alright now! […] The dimensional barrier is restored!”

Falcomon: “It looks like they were able to safely isolate it from the human world!”

Indeed, as they look up into the sky – which is now a usual Earth sunset or sunrise – they see nothing but an ordinary-sized Digital Gate, slowly closing. The barrier’s been fixed. Because Yggdrasil can just do that. It could always have done that, right from the start. This conflict was always about finding a way to change Yggdrasil’s mind so that it actually wanted to.

(No, the barrier has not been fixed due to the efforts of Ikuto’s parents; if that were the case, it would have been mentioned. Falcomon says “they”, but the Japanese sentence does not actually have a subject there. It has to be Yggdrasil who fixed it. That’s the only thing that makes any kind of sense.)

Dukemon: “This is thanks to all of you. […] Your Digisouls… have awoken a miracle!”

I’m going to assume that by “miracle”, Dukemon means changing Yggdrasil’s mind, which does indeed seem pretty miraculous to me. It makes less sense that the power of humanity’s Digisouls would just somehow magically have fixed the barrier on its own.

Craniummon: “You were magnificent, Daimon Masaru. You are without a doubt our true saviour!”

That’s a little bit overplaying it, Craniummon. Yeah, it all centred on Masaru in the end, but it was really just him happening to be the right kind of guy in the right place at the right time to communicate all of humanity’s emotions and power to Yggdrasil.

The Royal Knights zoom away into the Digital Gate before it closes, back to their own world. Hopefully they’re going to start thinking for themselves more when it comes to protecting it, now that their god’s gone back into a dormant state.

A helicopter arrives at the top of Mount Fuji. Satsuma, Miki and Megumi have gone and rounded up the loved ones of everyone who was just here fighting, so that they can all have a big reunion now that everything’s over.

Ikuto’s parents are the first to leave the helicopter. Ikuto stares at them with tears in his eyes – this is the first time he’s seen them since he left for the Digital World to fight Kurata, back in episode 27. He rushes into his dad’s arms (because his mom’s got her hands full with his baby sister).

Ikuto: “Dad… Mom… I’m home!”

Kenji: “Welcome home, Ikuto.”

These are those Japanese family phrases that Kenji taught him just before he left in episode 27! Ikuto’s finally getting to use them! Aww.

Relena’s the next out; she manages a few steps out of her wheelchair to hug her big brother.

Tohma: “Relena…”

Relena: “Thank goodness, Brother… I’m so glad you’re all right!”

Tohma: “I’m sorry for worrying you, Relena.”

Aww, Relena must have been so worried about her brother, out there fighting to save the world, especially because she hasn’t even met all of the friends he has to fight alongside, other than Gaomon.

Also, this is the first time there’s been a Norstein family moment with any of the rest of the DATS crew around. Though it’s not focused on, Masaru must be watching this and seeing for the first time that Tohma has a little sister, just like him! It’s almost a shame that we never got to have any of Masaru’s thoughts on Tohma’s family situation, given how delightfully parallel their families are. But then, I suppose that might be because the Norsteins are probably all actually speaking to each other in German, so Masaru wouldn’t be able to interact with that. Still, even if he doesn’t understand their words, I’m sure he can see that this is Tohma’s little sister all right.

Tohma: “Father…”

Franz: “Thank you, Tohma.”

Tohma: “Yes, Dad.”

This is Tohma calling his father Dad for the first time! Or, the first time since he tried to as a little kid the day they left Japan and his father brushed him off. After their reconciliation in episode 42, and then this dangerous situation in which they must both have been afraid they’d never see each other again, it seems that was just enough to break down the barrier between them and make Tohma finally feel comfortable calling him that.

Yushima, Miki and Megumi also reunite with their Digimon partners, who were up here trying to help hold the worlds apart.

Gotsumon: “It sure is great that everything worked out!”

Yoshino: “What are you doing here?”

Gotsumon: “Hey! Hey, don’t say that! I did my best, too!”

Yes, Gotsumon, you definitely helped out loads. To be fair to him, he did contribute as much as any of the non-main Digimon, but it is very him to flail in indignation when he’s treated like he wasn’t actually that important. I do kinda get the sense that this reborn Gotsumon awkwardly wishes he was more of a part of this group’s camaraderie than he knows he actually is. Which, hey, progress? I think?

Chika’s had Kudamon in her arms since Dukemon brought him up here, and now she hands him back to Satsuma so that he can take his rightful place around his partner’s neck. Satsuma has his weaselscarf back!

Sayuri’s the last person to leave the helicopter. Chika rushes to hug her.

Chika: “I’m sorry for making you worry!”

Sayuri: “It’s all right. I believed that Masaru and Agu-chan would protect you.”

Aww, at least Chika knows how much her mom worries about her being in danger and knew that going off to fight with Piyomon would definitely make her do that. And of course Sayuri coped by holding onto the belief that Masaru and Agumon would be able to keep them safe. She’s so good and brave.

Masaru doesn’t approach his mom, looking hesitant. There’s some bad news he needs to give her, and it’s not easy for him to bring it up.

Masaru: “Mom… I…”

Sayuri: “Masaru?”

Masaru: “I’m sorry. I couldn’t keep my promise. I couldn’t bring Dad back with me.”

Aaa, Masaruuu. It’s heartbreaking how he can only bring himself to phrase this as not keeping his promise and not bringing his dad back. That way it’s more like that same old status quo of his dad simply Not Being There, and he doesn’t have to think about the fact that his dad died protecting both worlds (let alone the fact that it was Masaru himself who killed him).

Sayuri: “I was prepared for that. That man… Suguru-san has become the wind blowing through the Digital World. Even if we can’t see him, I’m sure he’ll always be watching over us from the other world.”

Even without Masaru saying it, Sayuri knows what he means – that her husband didn’t make it. Despite what she’d said in previous episodes that she believed Masaru would bring Suguru back, it seems she also remained realistic about his chances of doing so and prepared herself for the worst as well. She’s able to frame it in this lovely way immediately, as a comfort to herself but even more importantly as a comfort to her kids, because she knows they must need it. Man, she’s so good, I love her.

Sayuri and Chika step forward and hug Masaru. He stands there and accepts it, but doesn’t hug back, not admitting that he needs it. Come on, Masaru, you stubborn idiot, hug your mom, it’s okay, you’ve been through so much.

Except, never mind all that, as a voice suddenly calls out to them – and it’s Suguru, alive and well and back in his own body, striding towards them. Masaru’s eyes widen in amazed disbelief as he realises who it is.

I love the desperate, stumbling way Masaru rushes towards him here, like he’s so overcome with relief he can barely contain himself.

Masaru: “You’re really… You’re really my dad, right?”

Aaaaa, after having been wrong about it before and had to suffer the horrible pain that brought, Masaru wants to make absolutely sure he’s not getting it wrong again and this really isn’t too good to be true.

Suguru: “Yeah. The one and only yours truly.”

Man, look at Suguru’s big dorky smile and over-the-top phrasing about simply being himself. Again, can you see where Masaru gets it from.

Masaru: “But… how…?”

Suguru: “Yggdrasil restored me to life.”

Because Yggdrasil’s a god, so it can just do that! But really, though. I’m sure some people might find Suguru’s sudden revival to be cheap, but I personally don’t mind it at all. Aside from anything else, I think it makes decent sense in-universe as something Yggdrasil might do. Now that it’s become less up itself and has acknowledged humanity’s worth, it’s probably done some reflection and realised that it really, really screwed over Suguru in particular throughout all of this. Suguru wouldn’t have died if not for all of Yggdrasil’s actions – and also, Suguru’s one of the best people to keep around if we want to try and forge that world of harmony between humans and Digimon. Yggdrasil must have figured that the least it can do is make up for one of its biggest mistakes and give Suguru his life back.

Anyway, Chika also approaches her dad and stares up at him in utter wonder. This is the first time in her life that she’s ever seen him, as himself, here and real and alive rather than as some legendary fantasy in her head.

Suguru: “Chika! You’ve sure grown big.”

Suguru kneels down and ruffles her hair while saying this, the same thing he also said to Masaru two episodes ago when he was still a lion. He hasn’t seen his kids in ten years; he must be bursting with pride and emotion to get to see them having grown so much bigger and stronger without him.

Chika: “Dad… Dad! Dad!”

Chika breaks into happy tears at this simple gesture alone. She finally has a dad now, like she’s been missing and desperately waiting for all this time. Aaaa.

Suguru: “Sayuri… I’ve caused you to worry.”

Sayuri: “Don’t leave us any more, okay?”

Suguru: “Yeah, I promise.”

Sayuriii. It’s so understated, but she’s on the verge of tears here, too, finally letting herself express how she feels about her husband’s disappearance – and she just doesn’t want him to disappear on her ever again.

I love the Daimon family so much and it warms my heart to get to see them happy and reunited like this. They deserve it, dammit, sanctity of narrative consequences be damned.

But, see, I also don’t personally feel that Suguru coming back here particularly cheapens the moment of his death in any way. Back when that happened in episode 46, both Suguru and Masaru absolutely believed it would be permanent, so all of the emotions they felt at the time were still just as raw and real. That doesn’t change just because he comes back here. I still enjoy that part of episode 46 just as much, even knowing Suguru’s not actually going to stay dead.

And while this might seem a little unnecessary in that it’s not like the writers had to bring Suguru back because there’s hardly any series left for him to do anything in anyway (alas, that hypothetical sequel, of which we can only dream), I do think there is actually a very specific reason why they needed to have Suguru back in the Daimon family in order for the rest of this episode to work as they’d intended it. More on that later on.

Suguru: “We’ll always be together from now on.”

Well, I say they’re happily reunited, but, uhhhh, about that.

As the Digital Gate in the sky closes up, we cut to some time later. Probably quite a while later, based on the fact that the DATS HQ is in the process of being rebuilt and is functioning again on the lower levels, including the main control room. Everything seems to be gradually getting back to normal, with all the destruction slowly being repaired. (I gather that Japan in particular is good at rebuilding things quickly, thanks to all the earthquakes they get.)

Masaru: “What? You’re closing the Digital Gate?”

Specifically, everyone’s gathered for this announcement. It’s a bit of a weird way for Masaru to phrase it, since it’s not like there’s any Digital Gates open right now that need to be closed, but what it really means is that very soon they’re not going to be opening any more Digital Gates for travel between the two worlds at all.

Satsuma: “The dimensional barrier has been restored, and all of the people who had disappeared have returned.”

Remember those missing people other than Ikuto who were part of the reason the expedition happened ten years ago? Because I would not remotely blame you if you didn’t. Apparently they… somehow…? came back home??? It’s honestly rather silly that the writers felt the need to clean up that loose end that never mattered and that nobody would even remember or care about if not reminded of it here, in a way that’s just never explained. It’d be better to just not mention it and have us passively assume that all the other missing people must have died in the Digital World.

Satsuma: “But that does not change the fact that its condition is still unstable. That’s why we’ve decided to close the Gate for some time.”

This seems fair as a reason to not have any inter-world contact for a while. The barrier needs time to heal itself, and while the Digital Dive machine is a cleaner way to open Gates than the space-time bombs, it’s probably still not a great idea to go opening Gates everywhere while the barrier’s still fragile. Don’t want another repeat of the dimensional collision that we nearly had.

Tohma: “For how long?”

Yushima: “We don’t know. Maybe for a year or ten years… Perhaps it’ll stay closed forever.”

NO, it will not!!! There are plenty of people here who will make absolutely sure that it does not stay this way forever and gets opened again sometime in the future, thank you very much!!!!! Yushima, why are you being so chill about maybe never seeing your turtle friend ever again, come on.

Masaru: “Then, what’s gonna happen? What about our promise to create a world that humans and Digimon can share together?”

Exactly! It’s such unfortunate timing that, right after this fight with Yggdrasil in which Masaru and friends fervently insisted that Digimon and humans can and should live together, they now have to go and separate the two worlds for a long while for the sake of dimensional safety.

As this discussion has been going on, the camera’s been panning out to show us that the humans and the Digimon partners are standing in two separate groups on either side of the room.

Agumon: “Um… Actually, there’s something we’d like to discuss with you about that.”

It seems like the Digimon must have been told about this earlier by themselves, if they’ve already come to a decision on what to do about it. They’re here, awkwardly separate from their partners, to break the news to them - the news that they want to return to the Digital World.

Gotsumon: “For us, we’ve just lost our God. Everyone’s upset and confused.”

Falcomon: “That’s why we’d like to help rebuild the Digital World!”

Gotsumon’s statement that this is about them having lost their God is a bit silly, because most Digimon didn’t even seem to know that Yggdrasil existed, and it’s not like Yggdrasil ever actually did anything helpful for Digimon-kind in general, did it. But it’s true that all of the Digimon must be upset and confused right now, not because of Yggdrasil, but because of having recently endured a genocide followed by an apocalypse, the reasons for which most of them wouldn’t even understand.

The Digimon partners need to go to the Digital World to explain what happened and act as spokespeople on behalf of humanity. There’s probably still an awful lot of hatred and prejudice about humans floating around in the Digital World right now, thanks to Kurata’s awfulness, so someone needs to spread the word among Digimon that that was only one human and most humans are much better than that.

…Much like the human members of DATS are also going to need to be doing in their world on behalf of the Digimon, since most humans probably still think Digimon are horrible vicious invaders like Kurata insisted they were.

Lalamon: “We believe that in the near future, there will truly be a time when humans and Digimon can live together. That’s why…”

That’s why Savers deserved to have a sequel! Everyone keeps stressing their desire to create this world where the two species can live in harmony, but it’s not happening yet! Everything’s still a mess of confusion and pain and prejudice after all that’s happened, and it’d be so good to be able to actually see all of our friends here try and rebuild things from the ashes and eventually reach a point where the worlds can be together again. All of this talk is quite possibly the biggest most obvious sequel hook any end to a Digimon series has given, and it makes me so sad that we’ll never have that.

Masaru: “That’s why what?!”

Agumon: “A-Aniki…”

Masaru in particular is not happy to hear that his best friend and partner’s planning to just up and leave like that. Never mind that he’s got a good reason for it; Masaru doesn’t want this!

We cut straight to Harbour View Park, where Masaru punches Agumon to the ground. He brought him right to this special place where they first met each other, and he’s going to communicate to Agumon exactly how much pain he’s feeling about this decision, through his fists!

Masaru: “What’s this crap about leaving? You traitor!”

Aaaaa, Masaruuu, it’s heartbreaking that he feels that Agumon leaving like this is a betrayal. Wasn’t Agumon supposed to be his follower, who’d go anywhere with him and always fight by his side?

Agumon: “You can punch me all you want… But I’ve already made up my mind!”

Masaru: “And I’m saying that’s too selfish of you! I thought of you as if you were my little brother… So why…?!”

Masaru! He really is Agumon’s aniki – which, remember, can mean big brother – and that means Agumon really has always been like a little brother to him! Masaru’s assuming here that Agumon must not have any particular feelings about leaving him for the Digital World – but, still, he feels it’s selfish of Agumon to not be considering how he feels about having to say goodbye to his best friend and brother possibly forever! Aaaaaa.

Agumon: “Even I…!”

[he gets to his feet and punches Masaru in the face]

Agumon: “Even I want to stay with you forever, Aniki!”

But of course Agumon has painful feelings about this, too! Of course he doesn’t want to have to leave his aniki any more than Masaru wants him to leave! Masaru must have not realised this until now due to the way Agumon was trying to hide it, because he’s made up his mind anyway and so it’s hard to think about that part – but of course he’s hurting just as much. He delivers a punch of his own to Masaru here to communicate that pain of his right back. They’re both hurting, equally, over this.

Masaru: “Then…! Then why don’t you just stay here?!”

Agumon: “I *can’t*!”

Masaru stares at Agumon in surprise at that, having not realised this could be a matter of Agumon not feeling like he really has a choice in this.

Agumon: “The Gate is going to close. There won’t be any more Digimon incidents. So what’ll that make me? I’ll just be one big *nuisance* who spends his entire time sleeping and getting fat on Sayuri’s fried eggs!”

AGUMON. Aaaaaa. You were never a nuisance in the Daimon family! It’s so heartbreaking that he feels like he doesn’t properly belong in the human world, and in a human family, if there aren’t any more Digimon for him to fight.

But as heartbreaking as that is, it is understandable. This whole time he’s been here, there has kind of been this DATS-centric framing of “he’s here to help Masaru fight Digimon”, so Agumon may have internalised that more than he should have. And even if he looks beyond that… it’s still going to feel really weird and alienating for him, being stuck as the only Digimon in a human world that he doesn’t understand that well. He must have given it a lot of thought and realised that… he really couldn’t do that. Even if it means having to say goodbye to Aniki.

Masaru: “Agumon…”

Masaru seems taken aback. I don’t think he ever realised that his follower had been feeling that way about this, either. Aaaa.

Agumon: “I can’t forget the days I fought together with you. I…! I want to keep having adventures with you, Aniki!”

Look at poor Agumon in tears over this. Of course he wants to be able to keep having fun fighty times together with his aniki! But… you just can’t get those in a human world where no more Digimon are going to show up.

Masaru: “Well…! Even I…! Even I want to be with you! I want to keep running wild with you everywhere until I die!!!”

Masaruuu! He lurches forward with desperate emotion as he says this, a glint of tears visible in his eyes too, just for a split-second. Of course both of these fighty dorks just want to keep fighting things and having adventures together forever. It’s not fair on them that they seem to be getting forced into a situation where that’s not going to be possible any more.

The sky, which has been gloomily overcast all day to match the mood, breaks out into some Anime Sads Rain for the last time, to punctuate the moment. Something about that seems to make Masaru stop protesting and miserably accept it, as much as he hates it.

Masaru: “Go to the Digital World. This world is too small for you. Go back to the world you belong in.”

Masaru’s voice sounds bitter and angry here – and it is, because he’s in so much pain over this and he doesn’t know how to express that properly – but this is also said out of kindness and consideration to Agumon. He must realise that Agumon would be better off in the Digital World, where there’s fights and adventures, and then at least one of them will be happier. Part of that bitterness in his tone must be out of jealousy at the fact that Agumon has this world he belongs in, while Masaru doesn’t.

(And yet, as he says this, perhaps it’s starting to cross his mind that… maybe the human world’s too small for him, too.)

Agumon: “Aniki…”

Agumon must be upset that his aniki can’t bring himself to accept this and say any kind of goodbye in a less painful and bitter way than this. After a long pause, he turns and walks away, sobbing quietly to himself, leaving Masaru there alone on his hands and knees in anguish.

Aaaaaaa, these friends, this scene breaks my heart every time, I love it.

Elsewhere, Tohma’s watching the Anime Sads Rain outside his mansion window, also sharing that same mood, when Gaomon brings him a cup of tea. He takes a sip, and…

Tohma: “This is…”

Gaomon: “It’s an original blend. I call it ‘Our Vow to Meet Again’.”

GAOMON, what an absolute sweetheart, I love him. Look at his shy little blush and tail wag as he says it, too! I assume he also left the recipe for this new blend with Tohma so that his master can keep drinking it in his absence and thinking of the day they’ll meet again, aww.

Gaomon: “My Master…! Is no-one else but you.”

Gaaah, the way Gaomon blurts that out, out of nowhere, and then just stands there staring up at him for a long moment. He’s such a good loyal dog. He says he’s not a dog, but he is. Best dog.

In an arcade out in town, Yoshino and Lalamon are having one last night out, like the regular friends and sisters they are. Lalamon fiercely bashes one of those arcade machines that test your punching strength. Now that Digimon are a known thing, she can actually be out of her Digivice and joining in! There’s a bunch of other people there watching, but none of them are batting an eye at the presence of a Digimon here. Good signs for the future!

Lalamon then insists Yoshino has a go too, and she punches her palm as she prepares. She’s clearly taking a leaf out of Masaru’s book; embrace your inner banchou, Yoshino!

…In fact, she gets so into it that she accidentally summons her Digisoul, and we know how much that can power up a punch. She ends up breaking the machine. Oops. The furious arcade owner kicks her and Lalamon out into the Anime Sads Rain that’s still going on.

Yoshino: “That sure surprised me! I’ll have to apologise to them later.”

Lalamon: “But… it made me feel a bit relieved. Because you’ve become stronger.”

Yoshino: “That’s not true, Lalamon.”

Aww, come on, Yoshino, of course it is. Though it hurts that Yoshino’s still being too hard on herself, I love that Lalamon can see this, and that she’s thinking about Yoshino’s growth, on this final day before they have to part ways. (Guhhh, they’ve known each other and been together every day for over a decade.)

Lalamon: “You’re not the Yoshino who couldn’t play piano by herself any more. Even if I go back to the Digital World, I can keep singing the song you gave me.”

Lalamon still really cares about that song that brought them together, and is thinking of what it means for Yoshino that she’s so much stronger now than she was on that day they met! Lalamon really has been the catalyst for all of Yoshino’s growth. Aww.

Out of nowhere, upon hearing this, Yoshino pulls Lalamon into a big hug, to her yelp of surprise. Aaa, they are FRIENDS.

Miki and Megumi are still at the DATS HQ, polishing their PawnChessmon’s armour and thanking them for everything.

Miki: “I wish we had more time to hang out… Then we could’ve gone to the hot springs, or karaoke…”

Megumi: “How about we do that now?”

Miki: “Seriously?”

Megumi: “Yeah! The night is young!”

Aww, they’re also gonna go have one last night out with their partners, now that they can actually hang out of their Digivices and join in! I’d sure love to see the PawnChessmon do karaoke. (…The joke is that they’re mute.)

Satsuma crosses paths with Miki and Megumi as they leave the control room and he enters. He sits down in his command seat, perhaps just for old times’ sake, and Kudamon settles around his neck.

Satsuma: “You’re here.”

Kudamon: “This place relaxes me the most.”

Satsuma: “Me too.”

Aww, Kudamon. He likes being a scarf! Satsuma likes him being a scarf! They are good scarf friends.

[Satsuma chuckles]

Kudamon: “So even you can laugh.”

Also look at Kudamon affectionately ribbing Satsuma for being so serious all the time. The same could be said for you, too, Kudamon, you super-serious Royal Knight, you.

Somewhere outside, the full moon overhead, Yushima’s sharing some kind of alcohol with Kamemon, and also Gotsumon. I guess nobody else wanted to awkwardly include Gotsumon in their heartfelt goodbye moments, but Yushima’s got him covered. He’s chill enough for that.

Yushima: “What a beautiful moon.”

Kamemon: “It is. But tonight is the last time we can see the moon like this.”

Kamemon’s being more talkative than usual! Perhaps it’s because he’s (almost) alone with Yushima – or perhaps it’s just that Yushima’s getting him drunk, which might make him a bit less shy.

Yushima: “Kamemon. Sometimes the moon looks as if it’s changed shape, but it really stays circular all the time. Come back any time. I’ll always be waiting.”

In true Yushima fashion, he gets across his feelings in a metaphor. Something something things may seem different on the surface but they actually don’t fundamentally change underneath, so their bond will always be the same even if they’re far apart? Something like that.

Out on a pylon overlooking the city, Ikuto and Falcomon are sitting up there like the birds they are. (Most of the city is covered in scaffolding, as one would expect; there’s a lot of rebuilding to be done.)

Falcomon: “A lot of things have happened to us.”

Ikuto: “Too many things.”

They sure have, for these two in particular. It’s nice that they’ve finally got this quiet moment together to reflect and process it all.

Ikuto: “Falcomon. I’ll go back to the Digital World, too. I’ll make a new Digital World together with everyone else!”

Oh, Ikuto. Of course he’d want to do that and go and help with the restoration over there; it’s his home, much more than the human world is. But even as he says this, he’s kind of subdued about it – I think he realises on some level that, as much as he wants to, he can’t actually do this.

Falcomon: “You can’t, Ikuto. What about your mom and dad? Your family was finally able to welcome you back home.”

Falcomon gets it, even though it’s not his family. Poor Misuzu would not be able to deal with Ikuto disappearing on her again, and none of them want to put her through that. It’s heartbreaking that Falcomon has to be the one to voice it, even though Ikuto knows that just as well and has much more of an actual connection to the Noguchis than Falcomon does.

Ikuto: “But I… I’m family with Falcomon, too! I don’t want to say goodbye!”

But of course he is, and of course he doesn’t, and aaaa. Ikuto breaks into tears as he says this, which sets Falcomon off too, and the two of them just lean against each other and sob. Gahhhh, they’re just kids, and they’ve been together their whole lives, and now they have no choice but to say goodbye for who knows how long and this is heartbreaking.

The next morning, it’s time for the final Digital Dive for the Digimon, and (almost) everyone has gathered in the DATS control room. Chika is hugging Piyomon with one last tearful goodbye. (Piyomon seems kind of low-key about returning the gesture, which makes me suspect that he still didn’t consciously remember everything and is only going off his affection for her in this one most recent life.) Even Sayuri and Suguru came to see the Digimon off. But Masaru’s not there.

Tohma: “He must not want to say goodbye.”

Oh, Masaru. That would indeed be a very plausible reason as to why he’s not here. He is not good at big displays of heartfelt emotion, at least not when those emotions are painful and negative, and it would be very him to not want to do that in front of everyone else. Even while alone with Agumon, he could still only manage to express those emotions through punching him.

Agumon: “Stupid Aniki.”

Poor Agumon, knowing that his aniki’s stubbornness and difficulty with this sort of thing means they won’t even get a proper goodbye, aaa. He’s acting bitter and annoyed about it on the surface, but you know he must really be hurting a lot.

Megumi: “Co-ordinate axes are set!”

Miki: “Cooling of transmission equipment on! Bionic Condenser functioning!”

Megumi: “Digital Harmoniser aligning! Security open!”

Miki and Megumi have given this whole Digital Gate opening spiel a bunch of times in the earlier episodes. But this time, it hits different, because you can hear the pain in their voices as they’re doing this, knowing that they’re sending their friends away for who knows how long.

But just as the swirling energy begins to descend through the Dive chamber, before it can warp anyone away—

Masaru: “WAIT JUST A MINUTE!”

Masaru shows up at the door with a massive backpack on his back. I love how this instantly makes it clear exactly what he is planning to do. This is why he was missing, not because he didn’t want to say goodbye. Or, well, effectively yes – precisely because he didn’t want to have to say goodbye, so he’s not going to!

Agumon: “Aniki!”

Agumon sounds thrilled to see him; he must also have immediately realised exactly what this means, as Masaru excitedly bounds right up to him in the Dive chamber.

Masaru: “Like hell I’ll ever say goodbye! I’m going to the Digital World with you!”

Oh, Masaru. He must have spent a horrible sleepless night last night agonising over the fact he’ll have to say goodbye to Agumon for an unknown amount of time. Of course he eventually found himself landing on the simplest, most straightforward, most Masaru solution to that problem. No, actually. Screw that goodbye. Screw the normal thing that’s expected of him in this situation. He doesn’t have to do that at all.

This human world is too small for Agumon, with his boisterous fighty ways – and hey, doesn’t that also mean it’s too small for Masaru, too? Way back in episode 2, Yushima cryptically told Masaru pretty much exactly that, and that in “the Digimon’s world” he’d find plenty of opponents to fight to his heart’s content. At the time, by “the Digimon’s world”, he meant DATS, but that was also very definitely foreshadowing this outcome in the ending!

The BGM that kicks in around here is also one I like a lot for this moment; it’s upbeat and kinda gives this sense of “yeah, we’re going on an adventure!”

Tohma: “Hold it!”

Yoshino: “Who knows when you can come back if you go now!”

Masaru: “Who cares! I’m gonna enjoy travelling through the Digital World no matter how long it takes!”

Of course Masaru refuses to let himself care about a little thing like never seeing the human world (or his family) again for who knows how long if he does this. He’s focusing on the good things about this – that he gets to stay with Agumon, and keep having fun fighty adventures! No need to worry about any of the downsides when there’s that!

Suguru: “Masaru! Go!”

Sayuri: “Dear!”

Suguru: “Go there and polish up your manliness!”

Of course Suguru – also known as the man who willingly chose to stay in the Digital World indefinitely when he could have gone home, because he knew that going home meant he might never be allowed back there – would be on board with this choice. This is pretty much exactly the same kind of thing that he did; in some ways he must be thrilled to see Masaru making a similar choice and following in his footsteps. And of course he’d see it as a way for Masaru to hone his manliness, what a dork.

(And yet, Masaru’s not even really doing this for dad-complex reasons at all – if this were more about his dad, he’d be wanting to stay at home with him and actually get to be a family again! But never having to say goodbye to Agumon is even more important to him than that, aaa. Or maybe it’s not quite that Agumon is even more important to him than his dad, but just that he’s used to his dad not being there, and so continuing to not be around him doesn’t feel like a bad thing, whereas not being with Agumon is.)

(And consider that Masaru’s going to the Digital World, where his dad’s built up this impossibly-awesome legacy of great feats, so in a way Masaru’s just going to keep on chasing after his dad’s unreachable, eternally-absent back. That’s not why he did this, but that sure is a position he’s put himself in again, hee.)

But, ouch, looks like the Daimon family is not going to be properly reunited for a while after all, despite what they said in that earlier scene. Masaru clearly did not take any time to inform his family of this choice of his and has just suddenly dropped this bombshell on them right now. Still, his dad’s back at home, so they’ll be fine without him, right? They don’t need Masaru to be the replacement father figure any more.

…This is why I think Suguru needed to come back to life. The writers were obviously planning this ending with Masaru leaving for the Digital World right from the beginning of the series – see it being foreshadowed in episode 2 – so they needed it to be possible for Masaru to choose this. And if his dad had actually remained dead, and the family had been left fatherless for good, I don’t think Masaru would have been able to cause his mom and sister the additional heartbreak of losing him on top of that. Not when he feels like he needs to be the protector of the family in his dad’s absence.

But this? It’s still going to hurt them to lose Masaru, but at least with Suguru back, it won’t be quite so unbearable, and so Masaru’s just about able to make that sacrifice, for Agumon’s sake. It’s not that he doesn’t realise this is going to make his mom and sister sad – of course he does. But… Agumon.

Of course, it’s not like it’s not going to hurt Masaru to be apart from his family for ages, either! But in true eternally-optimistic Masaru fashion, he’s not gonna let himself think about that, now that he’s made up his mind to make that sacrifice anyway. He absolutely didn’t gloss over that when making his decision; I’m sure he must have known and thought about exactly what he was giving up. I drew a post-ending comic exploring this idea once.

And really… just like Agumon, Masaru also doesn’t belong in an ordinary human world with no Digimon incidents. He never truly did. He’s found his calling in life, and like hell he’s gonna let that go and go back to a boring normal human life just because the main adventure’s over and everything’s telling him he’s supposed to. Since when did Masaru ever listen to what the world tells him he’s supposed to do?

I love Masaru. He’s always so gloriously himself at all times, and this final choice of his exemplifies that wonderfully.

Masaru: “Let’s go, Agumon! You and I will always be together!”

Agumon: “Aniki!”

Agumon is so thrilled. The happiest Agumon ever! He’s never ever going to have to say goodbye to his Aniki!!! They are FRIENDS I love them so much.

Because it’ll take me far away!

And then, instead of the usual uninteresting ending song, we get an actual epilogue of content over a different insert song, which is in fact the first opening! Isn’t this first lyric just perfect? Masaru’s being taken away by his fighting spirit, all the way into the Digital World. That’s always what the first opening song was foreshadowing, too. I love it.

The song’s upbeat gung-ho mood also just gives a great uplifting feeling throughout the whole epilogue, which I enjoy.

It's several years later, and Ikuto, in middle school uniform, is meeting Chika at her door in the morning to go to school with her. They’re the same age, so they’d be in the same school year! Seems like the Noguchis moved to someplace in the city, so that Ikuto could be around Chika and get used to human life and school stuff in the presence of somebody he knows. That must have been helpful for him; I can’t imagine a wild, feisty kid like him would have adjusted well to being at school without at least someone there on his side.

Inside the house, Suguru’s just there on the sofa, reading a newspaper and watching the news, being a normal dad! I’m sure he must have still been working as a Digimon scientist all this time, though, publishing his research and generally spreading the word among humans as to what Digimon are really like, to prepare for whenever the Gate will be opened again. The Daimons are definitely not going to let it stay closed forever, not when that means they’d never see Masaru ever again, never mind the Digimon.

Tohma is on the news, having just won the Nobel Prize in Medicine. The text on the news screen mentions that he’s nineteen years old – oh my god it’s been five years, Masaru’s been off in the Digital World for that long. (Hah, he skipped the rest of school. Sneaky of him.)

Tohma: “May it restore hope to many people who shared the same illness as my sister.”

Based on this, we can assume that Tohma did manage to cure his sister’s illness! Look at him go! An older Relena is there at the awards ceremony next to him, looking much healthier, beaming with pride at her brother’s achievements.

Also Tohma wears glasses now, which only serves to make him look like even more of a dork.

At a police station, Yoshino’s working there as an officer along with Miki and Megumi, discussing the news about Tohma with them. Satsuma, their boss, coughs pointedly at their distraction, so Yoshino heads out on patrol. Satsuma’s gone back to his old job! And it seems like he put in a good word for Miki, Megumi and Yoshino, so that they could get themselves a job in this Digimon-free world. Yoshino was always pretty good at all the logistical investigation stuff that DATS required; she’d make a good police officer.

She drives past Ikuto and Chika on their way to school, and then finds herself chasing after Kouki – the only one of the Bio-Hybrids we didn’t see praying for the world’s survival earlier in the episode – for his crime of not wearing a helmet on a motorbike. Hey, if Kouki wants to go and recklessly endanger his own life like that, I say let him, no big loss.

Chika and Ikuto pass by Yushima, doing some fishing on a bridge. I guess he’s old enough that he simply retired, and has become a mysterious fisherman full time? Perhaps.

And then. And then.

As the music dies down, we cut to the Digital World, to a gang fight between two different groups of Digimon, squabbling over turf. Just as the fight’s about to break out…

Masaru: “Wait wait wait! Those who disturb the peace in the Digital World… this street fighter, Daimon Masaru-sama, won’t forgive you!”

…the music kicks back in, and we see Masaru and Agumon up on a cliff, ready to step in and keep the peace – by fighting, of course! These two dorks have clearly settled firmly into their role as protectors and peacekeepers of the Digital World, fighting anyone who’s looking for trouble and getting through to them with their fists.

(Also, a neat detail – Masaru’s still in the same clothes he came here in, but they’re all ragged around the edges, as you’d expect when he’s been wearing them out in the wilderness for five years now.)

Masaru: “Let’s go, Agumon!”

Agumon: “Yeah!”

With this declaration, and with one last line of Because it’ll take me far away! from the song, the two best fighty dorks leap into the fray, and the series ends right there. I love them. I love it. Best, most uplifting ending. Look at them go.

Overall thoughts

Have you noticed how in these summary bits, as positive as I’ve usually been, I’ve never called any episode my absolute favourite one? That’s because this episode is my absolute favourite single episode in Savers! A lot of others have individual scenes I like more, but this is my favourite episode overall, because all of it is just so good. There’s barely a dull moment, Feelings abound everywhere, and I always come out of it feeling just so delightfully happy. I love Savers.

While the fighting in the previous episode I was kind of eh about, I really enjoy this as a final fight scene! It’s fun and upbeat and gives a neat send-off to most of the lower evolution stages and really exemplifies Masaru’s Masaru-ness one last time. It actually makes sense that all of humanity’s Digisoul would spur an eleventh-hour superpower, I love that said power is still Agumon, and it’s so fitting that it takes all of those emotions and Masaru’s very distinct brand of communication-through-fists to finally get through to Yggdrasil and change its mind.

Then we can spend the bulk of this episode on giving a send-off to the characters and their relationships with each other, and all of it is lovely. Seeing everyone be so happy to see each other safe again after the danger is so sweet, especially the Daimons, god they deserve to finally have Suguru back and get to be a family again, I love the Daimons so much.

And then the goodbyes tug at my heartstrings in the most wonderful way. All of them (Gaomon’s tea!!!), but of course especially Masaru and Agumon’s – the heartbreaking fact that Agumon feels he’s a nuisance in the Daimon family, and the extremely Masaru way that they can’t express their pain at saying goodbye through anything other than punching each other, aaaaa.

The epilogue is great, too! Tohma curing his sister, Suguru being a dad, Chika and Ikuto being schoolmates, Yoshino being a police officer. There’s all sorts of stuff that could be done with them from these new lives they’re leading after the five-year gap, if only there’d been a sequel like the writers were obviously trying to hook us into. Gahhh, there needs to be a sequel. Savers deserved a sequel. Literally the only thing wrong with this ending is that there will never be one.

But the absolute best thing is MASARU GOING WITH AGUMON TO THE DIGITAL WORLD, I love him so much. It’s the best subversion of all the usual obligatory heartbreaking Digimon endings where the humans and Digimon have to part ways Just Because and nobody gets to say otherwise. It’s so delightfully Masaru for him to just decide, screw that. He never really belonged in the human world either, and he doesn’t have to stay there. And I love that the narrative lets him! It lets him go off and live the life of fighty adventures he’s most suited for, instead of forcing him to go back to his normal boring human life and learn to be the Normal Person that he never was in the first place. It really epitomises the great way in which Savers has handled Masaru’s entire character.

See, I think a lot of fictional narratives – especially shows aimed at children – would take a boisterous, fighty kid like Masaru and put him through a character arc that pushes him to be less like that and more like a normal person, presenting that change as if it were a good thing. But Savers does none of that. It never once tries to tell Masaru that he’s wrong for being the way he is, just because it happens to not fit the world he lives in. All his arc does is refine that nature of his to make it less aimless and more focused on communication and emotions and having a meaningful impact on people. Maybe it’s my neurodivergence speaking, but I really really love the way that Savers’ narrative allows Masaru to keep being unabashedly himself, no matter what, right up until the very end.

---

[Dub comparison]

#digimon #digimon savers #masaru daimon #agumon #tohma h norstein #gaomon #yoshino fujieda #lalamon #ikuto noguchi #falcomon #sayuri daimon #chika daimon #suguru daimon #miki & megumi #rentarou satsuma #kudamon #the digivice old man #yggdrasil

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

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Another episode 45-related ask, putting it under a cut just in case, even though I'm past that by now in the commentary.

Anonymous asked:

(warning: not really spoilers, just a very silly ask using the commentary on episode 45)

Ok but now that it's confirmed(ish) that Yggdrasil has at least some remnant feelings from Suguru, I can only imagine Mr. Computer God confusing Suguru's feelings of "this guy is ACTUALLY TERRIBLE, wtf?" while watching what Kurata was doing with "surely this must mean all of humanity has to be eliminated". Which would sort of (not really) explain why he was that fixated on the idea of humanity being irredeemable over Literally Just One Guy.

Okay, so I know you seemed to mean this largely as a joke, but I do want to talk about why this doesn't track as an explanation to me, because I think it's interesting. There's a reason I waited to answer this ask until after episode 47's commentary had gone up.

Suguru may have been horrified at learning just how terrible Kurata was, but he did also spend all of his imprisonment staking his life on the belief that the rest of humanity could be better than that. So if Yggdrasil was actually learning anything from Suguru's residual thoughts, it surely would have noticed that part too, more so than the Kurata part.

But mostly, Yggdrasil blaming everything on Kurata doesn't need to be explained by it having “learned” mistakenly from Suguru, because it already makes sense for it to do that! Yggdrasil's nature as a computer seems to make it really bad at seeing humanity as more than just a homogeneous mass of viruses in its code, so it's already predisposed to judging an entire species based on Just One Guy. And, even more to the point, Yggdrasil wanted humanity gone anyway for interfering with its Digimon experiments, long before Kurata was a thing. Blaming it all on Kurata was really only ever an excuse to get its Royal Knights on board with helping the genocide along.

While I'm here and under a spoiler-cut, another ask I got from @amethyst-geek about a related topic:

I think Yggdrasil seeing Suguru's memories can be chalked up to him having access to Suguru's physical brain, including the hippocampus

I guesssss that might make sense? I suppose that didn't even occur to me because, when you've got a fictional narrative where it's possible to separate a person's entire consciousness from their physical brain, thinking about which parts of the physical brain produce which bits of consciousness suddenly doesn't seem like it's nearly as relevant, because apparently that's not entirely how it works in this world.

#digimon #digimon savers #reply: savers #yggdrasil

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

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Digimon Data Squad Dub Comparison Episode 47 - The Data Squad’s Final Battle!

Original name ~ Dubbed name

Masaru Daimon ~ Marcus Damon

Yoshino Fujieda ~ Yoshino “Yoshi” Fujieda

Tohma H. Norstein ~ Thomas H. Norstein

Ikuto Noguchi ~ Keenan Crier

Yggdrasil ~ King Drasil

Professor Suguru Daimon ~ Doctor Spencer Damon

Craniummon ~ Craniamon

Chika Daimon ~ Kristy Damon

Kenji Noguchi ~ Kevin Crier

Omegamon ~ Omnimon

Dukemon ~ Gallantmon

Sleipmon ~ Kentaurosmon

[Since several characters share the same name between the original and the dub, quotes from the dub will always be in italics, while quotes from the original will not, in order to distinguish them.]

Wow, the very first thing I get to remind you of in this episode is Falcomon’s voice being the worst, because he has one of the earliest lines.

They cut some shots of city-destruction in the human world. They were fairly intense even by Savers’ usual standards of city-destruction, so I guess I can see why. Instead, the crystal missiles just hover ominously over the city, and then we cut away.

Yggdrasil: “I’ve told you. This is divine punishment. […] This is the sentence you deserve for challenging God. Now… atone for your sins with your deaths!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “I told you. Your punishment is permanent deletion. […] This is what you get for trying to challenge a King. Now you shall pay for your arrogance!”

King Drasil’s threats are basically the same, but they do hit a little different when it doesn’t have that god-related angle to it. It feels slightly more just angry and less high-and-mighty.

Lalamon: “We’ll fight you, even if it means burning out our lives!”

~~~~~

Lalamon: “We’ll never give up! When we join together, we’re more powerful than you think!”

Lalamon in the dub is being a bit more generic shounen power-of-teamwork, instead of saying that she’s willing to die for this.

Rosemon’s neckline has been edited again, even though this decidedly isn’t one of the episodes in That art style.

Yggdrasil: “Fools.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Traitors.”

Yggdrasil presumably called them fools for thinking they could win. King Drasil seems to think they’re traitors, even though they were never on its side to begin with. I guess it just feels they’re traitors to Digimon?

As much as I like the evolution music, we again have the problem of it creating an upbeat and triumphant mood when they spend basically this entire fight losing.

Oh hey, it’s the Geo GreySword, for the final time.

Masaru: “You bastard… Stop looking down on us from up there! I’m… We’re still alive! As long as we’re clinging to life, we’ll keep striking you until you fall!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Some king! You’re the one who better realise the extent of *our* power! We’re not done! And we’re gonna keep comin’ at you! Do you hear me?! No matter how many times you knock us down, we’re never gonna quit!”

Eh, this Masaru speech is pretty similar because it was fairly non-nuanced never-say-die stuff in the first place. Some loss of Masaru disliking the way Yggdrasil’s looking down on them, and a bit less of the idea that he’s insisting they still have a chance as long as they’re even so much as still alive, but the general spirit of it is hard to mess up.

Yggdrasil: “Just try it.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Whether you quit or not, you will be destroyed.”

Less amusingly trash-talky from King Drasil here. Possibly because this line and Marcus’s speech just before it have been separated by a commercial break, so it wouldn’t have been so clear what the original line was responding to.

Gotsumon: “D-Don’t! If you get hit with that again, everyone will absolutely, positively die!”

~~~~~

Gotsumon: “Please, no more! You can’t keep egging him on! If we get hit again, we’re done for!”

I don’t know why he’s warning Marcus not to egg King Drasil on when the implication is that King Drasil is about to kill them all anyway, but I suppose that was also the general sentiment behind Gotsumon’s warning in the original too, if not in so many words.

(Of course he can’t say “die”, but “done for” is decent enough.)

Masaru: “When you’re in a man’s fight, you’re already risking your life! The moment you get scared of dying…”

~~~~~

Marcus: “If you’re afraid, then go hide. I’m staying right here! We have to be willing to risk our li—”

So, in the original, this was Masaru quoting something he said back in episode 1. That line in episode 1 was different in the dub, so they can’t call back to it here. I also just don’t think the dub even realised that this was a callback nor understood what this philosophy of Masaru’s actually meant – on the surface, this seems like the dubbers might consider it a fairly direct translation of the intent. But it’s not.

Masaru’s speech was about how you’re always at risk in a fight, but you have to choose to push that risk aside and ignore it in order to stand the best chance of winning. It was him essentially not wanting to think about the risk to his life, at least at first, until he remembered his dad’s sacrifice. In the dub, because he is instead being fully willing to risk his life already, remembering his dad’s sacrifice doesn’t actually change anything about how he feels about this.

[flashback; last episode]

Suguru: “There will come a time in a man’s life when he must accomplish something at the risk of his life. Now is that time.”

~~~~~

Spencer: “Comes a time… when a man must risk his life to keep a promise he made to his friends. Now’s that time.”

Spencer’s added bit about keeping a promise to his friends didn’t make sense in its original episode 46 context, and it still doesn’t particularly make sense in this context here, either.

Marcus: “This isn’t a schoolyard fight any more! This is a fight to protect everyone! That’s what you taught… right, Dad?”

This line’s mostly the same as the original, but it implies, like the original did, that Marcus is having a sudden change in perspective thanks to remembering his dad’s sacrifice. Only I already talked about how he kind of isn’t, based on his previous line.

The only new part to this line in the dub is “that’s what you taught”, which is a little odd, because I don’t think Spencer was specifically thinking about teaching his son to see things as more serious than just schoolyard fights while he was busy sacrificing his life.

Yoshino: “That’s right! We won’t lose!”

Ikuto: “We have to win this fight no matter what! That’s why…!”

Tohma: “We can’t die!”

Masaru: “Yeah! We’ll definitely win!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “That’s right. Marcus… we’ve got your back.”

Keenan: “Yes, me too! We with you all the way, to the end!”

Thomas: “If we go down, we go down together as a team!”

Marcus: “Hear that?! We’re fighting as one!”

Aww, I like the dub lines more here; less individual generic fighting talk and more supportive friendship!

With the much more lukewarm opinion on humans that reborn-Gotsumon has generally had in the dub, it’s a little more surprising that he’s so desperate not to be left behind than it is in the original.

Garudamon, naturally, also has a Stock Growly Evolved Digimon Voice that makes him sound like significantly less of a character in that form.

Yggdrasil: “But your life will not be in vain. Stand there and watch as I erase the human world.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Your efforts will have been in vain. Stand there and watch, as I now destroy the human world.”

King Drasil’s flipped-around version of this sentiment seems to make more sense on an obvious surface level – Craniamon’s efforts to protect the worlds will be in vain if the human world is destroyed anyway. But I liked what framing things the opposite way told us about Yggdrasil: that it’s so self-centred it literally can’t see Craniamon’s betrayal and sacrifice as anything but an inconvenience for itself and its own goals, and so it’s telling itself that miscalculation won’t make its own plans in vain.

Some more city destruction gets cut here, too.

Chika: “How could you do that?!”

Yggdrasil: “Can’t you tell? This is purification!”

~~~~~

Kristy: “How could you do that?”

King Drasil: “All Digimon who attack their King are traitors! If the Digimon had an ounce of loyalty in them, they would be helping me instead of fighting me!”

Though Chika was asking why Yggdrasil attacked Garudamon/Piyomon, Yggdrasil’s answer seems to completely sidestep that topic and talk about “purification” of humans from the world in general – as if that’s obvious and it can’t get why Chika couldn’t understand that. King Drasil, on the other hand, responds a bit more normally about considering rogue Digimon to be traitors. It still has that huge sense of entitlement to loyalty from every single Digimon just because it’s King, even though most Digimon don’t even know for sure it exists, which is fitting for it.

Yggdrasil: “Therefore, I shall reduce everything in this world to ashes. To save the Digital World!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “My duty is to protect the Digimon, so in order to save the Digital World, I must destroy the human world.”

The rest of King Drasil’s speech here, once it’s done talking about Digimon disloyalty, gets back to the same point Yggdrasil was making in the original about how this disaster is all the evil humans’ fault, yada yada, therefore. The only difference to that part is that King Drasil mentions it has a duty to protect Digimon, which I can buy as in-character for it only if it doesn’t really mean it and is using that as an excuse.

Masaru: “I won’t let you hurt anyone else! We will protect this world!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Thought you could just run off, huh? I told you, we’re not goin’ away!”

Marcus’s lines make sense given that they just chased King Drasil here, but I do like his protective angle in the original, having just barely stopped Yggdrasil from killing his sister.

Wow, you can really tell they cut a bunch of fanservice shots out of Rosemon Burst Mode’s evolution animation when it’s inexplicably by far the shortest and least-flashy out of any of them.

Yggdrasil: “The degree of your power was impressive. But even that is impotent against a God!”

Tohma: “He can self-regenerate?!”

Yggdrasil: “Certainly. Death does not exist for a God. Not only do I have everlasting life, but I can be resurrected at any time.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “I’m quite impressed by the level of power you possess. But it’s no match for the King of the Digital World.”

Thomas: “He can regenerate!”

King Drasil: “Of course. I am eternal. The thought of you or anyone else destroying me is preposterous.”

Yggdrasil having regenerating powers and being literally impossible to kill makes plenty of sense when it’s a god. It’s a lot more of a stretch to buy that King Drasil being simply a king makes it somehow able to do that. It comes across more like its insistence that nobody else could possibly destroy it is just posturing, and it might actually be possible if they manage to overwhelm its regeneration powers.

Man, they really do have a lot of city-destruction to cut in this episode. I wonder where they’re editing stuff in to fill out episode time in its place. Probably just by making a few lines over relatively still shots last longer here and there; that seems to be one of their go-to tricks for that.

Masaru: “You bastard… You hurt my follower! I won’t forgive you! I’m bringing you down!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “That’s it…! You… You can try doin’ anything you want to me… But when you mess with my friends… it’s fightin’ time!”

So, the “you hurt my follower” here – or, more specifically phrased in Japanese, “how dare you hurt my follower” – was a callback to what Masaru said to the Cockatrimon in episode 1, spurring his first Digisoul punch. That line in episode 1 was changed in the dub, and instead it was his very first “it’s fightin’ time!”. Fitting, I suppose, that he’s also saying that here, but it’s never going to feel like a specific callback when he says that all the time.

It's also a little odd that he’s implying it’s only fightin’ time when someone messes with his friends. Come on, Marcus, you know full well it’s been fightin’ time for plenty more reasons than just that.

Yggdrasil: “Anger… Hatred… Don’t forget that countless Digimon harbour those same feelings.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “I understand what you’re feeling. Anger… Hatred… Now you know the emotions that many Digimon feel towards humans.”

Does King Drasil really understand those emotions itself? I highly doubt it, and I hope the intent here is that it’s just saying that to be manipulative. There’s also something about the way it seems to think that only now would Marcus know how plenty of Digimon feel towards humans, now that he’s feeling similar emotions himself, as if he couldn’t just understand and empathise anyway. Maybe that says something kinda neat about King Drasil’s difficulty with empathising? Not convinced it’s deliberate, but.

Masaru: “What?”

~~~~~

Marcus: “They what?!”

Meanwhile, the dub totally screwed it up with Marcus’s reaction, what the heck. Masaru’s was just a caught-off-guard “wait, what, you’re suddenly making it about this now, okay then???” But Marcus is protesting, like he thinks that Digimon feeling anger and hatred towards humans after everything that happened is nonsense. What the hell, Marcus, come on, of course that’s understandable, you of all people should know that!

Yggdrasil: “My judgement is the will of the Digimon.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “With this decision, I am avenging our lost Digimon!”

Slightly different angle here; King Drasil’s saying its taken things upon itself to avenge the fallen Digimon, whether the other Digimon actually want it to or not. Yggdrasil, meanwhile, was insisting that all of the Digimon definitely want it to do this, right.

Ikuto: “That’s not true… There are Digimon… who understand the humans… Just like us… There are those who will fight with us!”

~~~~~

Keenan: “That’s not how it is! Many humons… love Digimon like their own family! Just like some Digimon… love humons like they were one of them!”

Because King Drasil’s point was different and wasn’t insisting that Digimon want this, Keenan’s line had to be shifted a bit – but he does still end up on the argument that there’s Digimon who care about humans as well as vice versa. Which I assumed was for the sake of getting King Drasil’s response back on track with the original, but…

Yggdrasil: “Where are they then? Where are these Digimon who will disobey their God and aid the humans?”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Oh, really? Then where were these so-called ‘loving’ Digimon and humans when the Digital World was being ruthlessly attacked?”

…never mind, actually, King Drasil’s still going for a different angle here. Yggdrasil was asking where any human-supporting Digimon (more than the tiny group here) are now, which seemed like a fairly valid argument based on the evidence in front of them. But King Drasil’s asking where they were during Kurata’s massacres, and, uh… the DATS human-Digimon teams were there doing their best to stop it, my dude! All King Drasil’s doing with that argument is shooting itself in the foot by drawing attention to the fact that its own Royal Knights did diddly-squat to stop Kurata.

Craniummon: “This is… as much as I can take…”

Masaru: “It’s still too early to give up!”

Craniummon: “Daimon Masaru…”

Masaru: “Just as you say, it might only be Agumon and the others who support us now. But… We’ll create it with our own hands! We’ll create a world where humans and Digimon can live together!”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “I can’t hold it up much longerrr!”

Marcus: “No! Dig down deeper if you have to!”

Craniamon: “I’ll try, Marcus…!”

Marcus: “Don’t try! Do it! Dig down as far as you possibly can! Dig deep! Because even if our Digimon are out of energy, we can’t give up the fight! We can never quit until we stop King Drasil once and for all!”

Because of King Drasil’s different point just now, this bit here is a lot less cohesive with it.

Drawing attention to Craniummon’s efforts to protect the worlds helped support the argument against Yggdrasil’s point of “where are all the Digimon who’d disobey their god to help humans?” because, hey, there’s one big example of that right back there! And then Masaru goes on to make a big speech about creating a world where humans and Digimon can live together – the big theme of the series! – to shoot down Yggdrasil’s argument that no such Digimon exist anywhere.

But instead, this bit in the dub just… has no connection whatsoever to what King Drasil was just arguing. Craniamon is not an example that proves King Drasil’s different argument wrong, and Marcus’s words are just a bunch of stuff about digging deep and refusing to give up fighting King Drasil, with no attempt to contest its point – even though its point in the dub really was pretty flimsy and easily shot down!

Also I’m not the hugest fan of the way Marcus yells “Don’t try! Do it!” at someone who’s clearly giving every last ounce of his strength. I know he’s supposed to mean that in an encouraging way, reframing it to be more positive, but with his tone of voice he comes across more like he’s berating Craniamon for not being good enough.

Masaru: “That’s why… I can’t let either of them be destroyed! The human world… and the Digital World… I’ll show you I can protect both of them!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “King Drasil… you’re wrong! Humans and Digimon *can* live together peacefully! And I’m gonna prove it by saving both worlds! And then I’m gonna take care of *you*!”

I guess Marcus eventually somewhat gets to the point of humans and Digimon being able to live together, but he doesn’t say that they’re going to create that world themselves despite the prejudices, which was very relevant to the overall theme. Instead he’s simply going to prove it’s possible by saving both worlds? I mean, yeah, that’s the necessary Step 1 because both species still need to exist for it to be possible, but the more meaningful part of proving that it's possible is about a lot more than that.

Yggdrasil: “The power of one person alone can’t save the world.”

Tohma: “Masaru is not alone!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “The power of one lone human will not make a bit of difference against me.”

Thomas: “No? Then what if the rest of us join him?”

I much prefer the immediate heartfelt-ness of Tohma’s response there. Masaru is not alone, aww. That doesn’t hit nearly as hard with his dub line.

King Drasil’s also making this about them fighting it, rather than saving the world. Which I suppose makes some kind of sense given that Marcus had an added threat at the end about that in particular – but what they’re doing right now with the pillars of DNA Charge is very much about saving the world and not fighting King Drasil.

Yoshino: “He has us!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “You’ll have to beat us all!”

Yoshi’s line also still makes this about King Drasil beating them, when that’s not what they’re doing? They’re trying to hold the worlds apart right now, not fight King Drasil! Do the dubbers not realise that’s what the pillars of Digisoul all the way up to the Digital World in the sky were for? What the heck else did they think doing that was going to achieve?

Gotsumon: “I feel… someone calling me. Like they’re asking for my help.”

Oh, do you now? Like you’re being influenced by human emotions? Not choosing to feed off them?

Here is Yet Another Goddamn Reason – man, I haven’t been keeping count, maybe I should have, a bit late for that now – why the dub changing this vital piece of worldbuilding about how human emotions influence Digimon was a terrible, terrible decision. According to the dub worldbuilding, what ought to be happening right now is a bunch of Digimon deciding to eat some of those tasty human emotions about not wanting to die, and then… that wouldn’t even necessarily lead to the Digimon making any effort to save them, if they didn’t want to. I guess it’d power them up more to make them more capable of it? But that’s it.

King Drasil: “What’s going on here? Are they trying to help Craniamon prop up the Digital World?”

Yes, and that’s also what the humans were doing, even though the dub barely seemed to grasp that part.

Kevin: “I think… they could be various Digimon reacting to a very strong human emotion…”

Yeah, sure. “Reacting” to it. Let’s yet again pretend we never said they “feed off” human emotions, now that that wouldn’t make any sense.

Kevin: “…and by the sheer numbers of them, I’d guess it’s the most powerful emotion we have: our will to survive.”

I don’t know if the sheer number of Digimon needs to be because of the sheer power of the emotion, so much as it could be about simply the sheer number of humans feeling that emotion right now as the world’s about to end.

Yushima: “The power of that emotion is pure and unbeatable!”

~~~~~

Yushima: “It’s an emotion more powerful than all of the others… combined.”

It’s a bit weirdly technobabbley that Yushima is trying to insist that a will to survive is so powerful it’s better than all the other emotions put together, as if these things can even be properly measured. You don’t need some kind of quantification like that to be able to understand that humanity’s will to live is obviously going to be pretty freaking strong.

Relena: “So the Digimon are answering our will to live?”

~~~~~

Relena: “We’re asking for help… and the Digimon are coming to our rescue!”

Om nom nom, what tasty emotions about not wanting to die! This emotion-feeding thing was presented in the beginning as more like a troublesome thing that some Digimon happen to do when human emotions are around. It’s quite the out-of-nowhere turnaround, in the dub’s worldbuilding, for this to suddenly be about Digimon existing to help humans when they ask for it.

Craniummon: “I can feel them… The power of the Digimon… The feelings to protect both worlds!”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “I can feel it, too… The Digimon are coming… to save both worlds!”

In the original, Craniummon seems to be mostly talking about feeling the human emotions about not wanting to die, and the extent to which that’s powering up all the various Digimon. It tracks that he’d be able to sense that in some way, because he’s a Digimon too and he’s also affected by that. But in the dub, he doesn’t mention anything about feelings or emotions – he can just… somehow sense all of the Digimon coming?

(Actually wait, no, there was always that thing of how some Digimon could sense other Digimon signals at a distance, so I guess that does still make sense.)

Yggdrasil: “Emotions? Those human desires of yours are what first caused the Digimon to run wild!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “I’ve seen the power of human emotions before. It was those very emotions that led to your vicious attack against the Digital World!”

Here’s another bit that wouldn’t have worked with the dub’s worldbuilding. In the original, where human emotions influence Digimon and cause them to rampage against their will, that’s always been massive inconvenience from Yggdrasil’s point of view – one of its first reasons for wanting humanity gone, no doubt.

That argument cannot work in the dub, in which Digimon rampages were the Digimon’s fault. And hey, props at least to the dubbers for realising that instead of trying to twist this into acting like it makes sense for their worldbuilding. (Last time Yggdrasil complained about this in episode 39, the dub did try to do that, but at least not here.) Instead they give King Drasil a totally different argument about how one human having some emotions led to all the massacres, which I guess is the best way they could salvage this.

King Drasil: “Ah. My brave and loyal Royal Knight brigade.”

This line is added in in the dub. I am amused by the implication that King Drasil’s already trying to keep them on its side through flattery and reminding them of how very loyal they’re supposed to be, right.

Omnimon: “What is a king?”

Good freaking question, honestly, considering that King Drasil’s been capable of a bunch of things that you wouldn’t really expect a king to be able to do and are really more in line with a god. Funny, that.

Omegamon: “Our comrades are desperately trying to save the two worlds right now. And yet, you are willing to abandon them?”

~~~~~

Omnimon: “What goes into a king’s decision-making? Why are you attempting to destroy something that our friends are risking their lives to protect?”

Getting a bit more philosophical here with the whole question about a king’s decision-making, perhaps a little unnecessarily so when the point is just that a king/god shouldn’t be someone who’d do this.

I’m surprised at how much of a person Omnimon’s voice sounds like, for a Royal Knight who only gets literally three lines in the series. He’s, like, actually wise and thoughtful, not just cartoonishly pompous. Should have let his voice actor do Gallantmon instead.

Yggdrasil: “You must not question a God’s orders! I shall never excuse you if you disobey me!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “You dare question me?! Since the beginning of time, my word has been absolute!”

King Drasil is slightly less devolving into uncalled-for threats than Yggdrasil was here. It’s still really mad and insisting that it’s in the right just because, though.

Mmmm, Gallantmon’s voice is still pretty cartoonishly pompous, but now that he’s had a change of heart that the voice actor’s got to try and sell, he’s doing a little bit of a better job at sounding like an actual person.

Gallantmon: “As we sunk into the depths of the ocean together, Kentaurosmon convinced me that humans and Digimon can live together peacefully.”

This bit’s an addition unique to the dub, and I appreciate it. From the original, it can kind of come across like Dukemon’s mind was changed purely from the way they felt Yggdrasil “die” at the end of episode 46, which seems a bit much, especially as it wasn’t even dead at all. It makes more sense to imagine that they spent their whole icy underwater trip having a chat in which Sleipmon kept trying to persuade Dukemon to change his mind. That’s kind of what I headcanon being the case in the original anyway; it’s nice that the dub explicitly mentions that this happened!

Dukemon: “He burned up all of the Digisoul he had left within his body, and saved me from the dark depths of the ocean.”

~~~~~

Gallantmon: “At that point, he used his life force energy to melt away our icy prison.”

Gallantmon’s “at that point” is a little awkward with this new narrative about Kentaurosmon having purely convinced him through words, though. We did still see their reaction at the end of episode 46 to King Drasil’s “death”, and it must only have been after that that Gallantmon finally relented and changed his mind and Kentaurosmon released them. But Gallantmon’s phrasing here makes it sound like it’s entirely about Kentaurosmon’s earlier persuasion.

Also, what is with the dub and deciding that every single kind of energy a Digimon uses must be life force energy? This one was DNA Charge, actually! We can quite clearly see the DNA Charge pattern in the flashback of it happening! Life force energy isn’t the same thing and looks completely different! If he’d burned up all of his life force energy then I’m pretty sure he’d be dead.

(Or, if he could burn up some life force energy to escape the ice while remaining alive, that’s also something Gallantmon could have done himself at any time without having to wait and listen to any of Kentaurosmon’s persuasion. It’s a key point that it was Digisoul, which only Sleipmon had through his partnership with a human, because that meant that only Sleipmon could free them from the ice, and he was only going to do that once Dukemon was convinced.)

Masaru: “Then, where’s Sleipmon?! Is Kudamon dead?!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Hold it! I thought… you two… were frozen forever!”

I mean, clearly they aren’t any more, Marcus, given that one of them is right here in front of you! It made sense in the original for him to ask after Kudamon, but this, less so.

Gallantmon: “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Marcus: “Kudamon!”

Gallantmon is right to tell Marcus not to be ridiculous for a very different reason in the dub’s context, but him holding out Kudamon in his hand is kind of irrelevant to that point.

Dukemon: “Both humans and Digimon share the desire to live. Yggdrasil… If you call yourself a god, then grant us our wish!”

~~~~~

Gallantmon: “Both humans and Digimon possess the desire to survive, King Drasil. If you call yourself a king, then you will grant us the opportunity to live together in peace!”

Gallantmon doesn’t just want King Drasil to grant both species their wish to survive, but also to live together in peace. I guess Kentaurosmon really did do a heck of a lot of persuading to shift him into a mindset of wanting that, huh.

Dukemon: “Yggdrasil! Have you lost your mind?!”

Yggdrasil: “It is all of *you* who have lost your minds!”

~~~~~

Gallantmon: “King Drasil has turned against us!”

King Drasil: “No. It is you who has turned against me.”

This exchange is flipped around a bit. Yggdrasil very clearly was on the verge of losing its mind, while the Royal Knights were finally seeing sense. But in the dub’s version, well… the Royal Knights did turn against their King first, and it’s only because of that betrayal that it’s now turned against them. So in the dub, King Drasil’s kind of the correct one here.

Yggdrasil: “I… am the God of the Digital World!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “You will now see why I am the ruler of the Digital World above all others!”

This is the last thing Yggdrasil/King Drasil says before revealing its true nature as a computer, and it gives quite a different reason for why it drops the façade.

Yggdrasil really is basically losing its mind and throwing a tantrum, making one last furious insistence about its godlike status that’s always been able to let it get its way up until now. This is a last-ditch hopeless effort before it finally accepts that that’s not going to work any more and just stops bothering to pretend to be anything it’s not, because it only ever kept up that façade to manipulate the Royal Knights.

King Drasil, meanwhile, seems to choose to reveal its computer nature as part of a threat, in a continued attempt to try and prove to them just how all-powerful it is and therefore why they should obviously do exactly what it says. So there’s less sense that it having chosen to present itself as a King rather than a cold and logical computer up to this point was an attempt at manipulation, because it’s apparently still trying to coerce them into obeying it by showing them its true self.

Yggdrasil: “My name is Yggdrasil. I am the WIZ9000 computer model built to observe the evolution of Digimon.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “My name is King Drasil. Also known as the 2900WZ. A personal computer built to observe the evolution of Digimon.”

Okay, I’m not a computer expert, but I’m pretty sure that a personal computer should not be the sort of computer that runs an entire world parallel to Earth and full of sapient species.

At least King Drasil’s fully-computer voice in the dub is finally an androgynous one, like it really always should have been.

This, of course, is at last the upside to King Drasil’s Spencer voice having had that computery filter on it – foreshadowing that it really is a computer! It does give a neat effect, in and of itself, when you know that. It’s just kiiiiind of hugely inconvenient that this comes as part of an arc in which it is vitally important for Marcus to believe that this really is his dad and not a computer possessing his dad’s body.

Marcus: “Wait a second, King Drasil is a PC?!”

Apparently??? But I’m pretty sure that doesn’t make any sense???

Yggdrasil: “My experiments on evolution have resulted in failure due to the humans’ intervention. The program acting on Error Code 401 will be initiated, and all systems will be switched over to a new world.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Due to an error code, my experiments on Digimon and human interaction have failed. The software will be reinstalled, and after rebooting the system, the program will restart in a new, virtual universe.”

This is a really, really big change in King Drasil’s motives here.

Yggdrasil’s experiments were meant to be purely on Digimon. It didn’t want humans getting in the way of that at all. So when humans did get in its way, due to the way their emotions influenced Digimon, and then the expedition and everything else, it wanted them gone, purely so that it could continue to do what it was built to do in peace. All of its actions have been with the goal of convincing its Royal Knights that getting rid of humans is totally necessary for reasons other than simply “I’m a computer, and they’re unwanted viruses in my code”. The Error Code it talks about is presumably something like “Error: human intervention has affected Digimon behaviour beyond salvageable levels; the Digital World must now be rebooted as well.”

But King Drasil… apparently it was already experimenting on the interactions between humans and Digimon? In which case, it’s been getting plenty of fascinating data about that very question, even if a lot of it might not have been what it expected! There’s no need to shut down that experiment; it was working! So instead, that experiment has apparently failed anyway “due to an error code”, whatever the hell that is. King Drasil wants to get rid of humans and now reboot the universe purely because of a random glitch in its own system, not because of the presence and interference of humans at all. That’s way, way less interesting.

Yoshino: “The Digimon!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “Reconfiguration!”

It’s a bit weird how Yoshi immediately knows the exact word to use for what King Drasil believes it’s doing to the gathered Digimon by turning them into eggs.

The bit about a probability too tiny for King Drasil to compute being irrelevant next to everyone’s feelings is the same. But it sure would hit harder if literally any of the parts about how Masaru’s tactics defy logical calculations had been kept in the dub, huh.

Marcus: “Just ‘cause things didn’t go your way, you wanna wipe out everything and start from scratch?!”

That’s not even it here, Marcus! It’s not because things didn’t go the way King Drasil should have been expecting them to – it’s because King Drasil itself had a random out-of-nowhere glitch, apparently!

Masaru: “All those lives who spread their roots as they persevered… All of your comrades… Is that all you thought about them?!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “You said you were trying to save the Digital World! And the Digimon! What happened? You don’t care about saving them any more?”

Marcus gets a bit less poetic and a bit more to the point than Masaru here, which I kinda like.

Though in terms of what he’s saying about King Drasil, it’s a bit less clear why King Drasil stopped pretending to care about Digimon, given that it appeared to reveal its true nature as more of a threat than a “screw it, I can’t be bothered to pretend any more”. It’s also less clear why King Drasil wanted just humans and not Digimon gone up until before this point, because apparently it was supposed to be experimenting on the interactions between both of them! That should lead to it wanting to save the humans, too, no?

Masaru: “For someone who never considered the weight of life beyond that, you’re not qualified to call yourself a god!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Despite knowing the truth, you’d still rather destroy everything than admit you’re wrong! You have no right to call yourself a king!”

I guess by “knowing the truth”, Marcus is talking about the truth that Digimon and humans deserve and are able to live together. Which is a fair point about the tantrum King Drasil’s throwing, and I do like Marcus highlighting its inability to admit it’s wrong (hi, Kurata). But again, it’s weird that King Drasil’s so completely refusing to admit that when its experiments were supposed to be about the interactions between humans and Digimon in the first place. Coming to the conclusion that they can live together ought to be a successful experimental result! There’s no need to refuse to admit that to such an extent that you’d rather end both worlds!

So, this Masaru speech: actually has a pretty good Marcus version in and of itself, but makes much less sense when applied to the motives of the villain he’s decrying, because of how the villain was changed.

Also Probably Marcus’s Theme is kicking in here and I can’t be mad about that.

Masaru: “Yeah, let’s go! The power of humans…”

Agumon: “And the power of Digimon…”

Masaru & Agumon: “We’ll show him what we’re both made of!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “All right, then! Agumon…!”

Agumon: “It’s fightin’ time!”

Marcus & Agumon: “For humans, and for Digimon!”

Aww, that’s a cute way to get across the dramatic ending lines about humans and Digimon fighting together while also working in their catchphrase.

Overall differences

A lot of this episode is fighting, and there were never going to be huge changes to that part, so it’s mostly smaller losses of nuance as usual.

The part where Marcus remembers his dad’s sacrifice doesn’t hit as well, because of the change to his line beforehand about risking your life (it’s not calling back to anything he’d said at the beginning of the series like it was for Masaru). Marcus isn’t actually learning anything new from his dad’s sacrifice, whereas Masaru was.

There’s a little bit less of an emphasis on creating a world of harmony between humans and Digimon during all the talk about that. King Drasil also weirdly undermines its own argument by asking where Digimon who cared about humans were during Kurata’s attacks, which should only serve to draw attention to how the Royal Knights weren’t there to help.

Yet again, the dub’s change to the human emotions thing is something they just awkwardly try and pretend they didn’t do. The thing is, if they did actually present this in the dub-specific way of having the Digimon feeding off humanity’s desire to live to power them up, and therefore making this entirely the Digimon’s choice to fight to save both worlds, that’d… actually work fine and be just as impactful? But instead they’re backpedalling on their change, awkwardly trying to pretend it’s worked the same way as the original the whole time and hoping nobody notices. (Or they’ve just forgotten they changed it at all.)

And then, boy do they mess up Yggdrasil’s motives for destroying humanity, changing them into something totally different that doesn’t really make sense. Rather than the humans’ existence interfering with Yggdrasil’s experiments on Digimon, we have King Drasil’s experiments on Digimon interaction with humans – which should therefore have been working fine! – being messed up by what apparently boils down to a completely random glitch in its code. I don’t know if the dub writers even realised they were changing its motives this significantly with that one line, but they were.

King Drasil’s line just before revealing its true nature also presented it as a threat. That has less of that fun angle of Yggdrasil deciding to give up on its godly manipulation thing now that the Royal Knights are no longer buying into it, and therefore makes it a little less clear why it bothered to manipulate them in the first place.

#digimon #digimon savers #digimon data squad

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

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Digimon Savers Commentary Episode 47 - Protect the Future! DATS’s Final Battle

In this episode, the DATS team fight their hardest against Yggdrasil but are no match for it. Digimon and humans alike unite in their shared desire to save both worlds from destruction, causing Yggdrasil to snap and reveal its true nature.

There’s no recap this time! I doubt it’s even because of time constraints in this episode, given how much fighting there is that could easily have half a minute of it cut; I guess they just didn’t want to break immersion with a recap now that we’re onto the final battle. Instead, we open with Yggdrasil looming threateningly over the group as it did at the end of last episode (but animated with new footage).

Yggdrasil’s true form – or, at least, what it’s choosing to use as its physical form now that Suguru’s body is gone – is an alien inorganic crystalline thing. Nothing like a Digimon (especially since higher-levelled Digimon tend to be humanoid), because it isn’t a Digimon.

Yggdrasil still also has smaller crystals at its command, like it did in its tree (which is now in flaming ruins). It fires some of those at the group like missiles, but ShineGreymon – still evolved after the end of last episode, thankfully, now is not the time for random devolving – shields them. Yggdrasil then sends a bunch more crystal missiles up and into the human world, finally deciding to get its hands dirty itself in terms of doing some of that destroying-humanity work.

Masaru: “What are you doing?”

Yggdrasil: “I’ve told you. This is divine punishment. […] This is the sentence you deserve for challenging God. Now… atone for your sins with your deaths!”

Wow, Yggdrasil. This small group of humans comes and challenges your authority, so you punish them by attacking… completely unrelated humans in the human world. And you’re now using this as a justification for eradicating the entire species? Someone seems completely incapable of seeing humans as anything but one homogeneous mass.

Once everyone else is done evolving (go and grab a snack while that happens), ShineGreymon and MirageGaogamon use ranged attacks to fend off the crystal missiles, while Rosemon and Ravemon try to get in close with melee attacks. Yggdrasil extends a bunch of vines from its body that slap them away, and more vines do the same to ShineGreymon and MirageGaogamon when they come within range.

Tohma comments that the combination of crystals for ranged attacks and vines for melee attacks means Yggdrasil has no openings, which feels to me like a bit of an overstatement, but, sure, Tohma.

Masaru: “If he doesn’t have any, we’ll just have to make them!”

I appreciate Masaru’s Masaru-ness about this nonetheless. What do you mean there’s no way to win, they’ll just have to make one themselves.

His way of doing this right now is the GeoGrey Sword, which… ha. Yeah, uh, about that. The writing doesn’t even bother trying to build it up like it stands a chance this time – the sword just immediately shatters when ShineGreymon tries to drive it into Yggdrasil’s crystalline body. Yggdrasil retaliates by grabbing ShineGreymon with its vines and flinging him helplessly to the ground.

Anyway, that was the GeoGrey Sword’s last hurrah in the series, and what a spectacular failure in a long line of spectacular failures it was. GeoGrey Sword being overhyped and not actually that useful count total: 4! (Though this time there was barely even any overhyping, really.) Naturally, the count for it actually being helpful is still at just the one, and will be forevermore.

Yggdrasil charges and fires an extra large crystal missile at the group, and the Digimon partners struggle to their feet to intercept it with their own bodies before it can reach the humans. They come out of the resulting explosion decidedly worse for wear – not devolved, but not doing great.

Yggdrasil: “Now do you realise the immensity of my power?”

Masaru: “You bastard… Stop looking down on us from up there! I’m… We’re still alive! As long as we’re clinging to life, we’ll keep striking you until you fall!”

Oh, Masaru. I love how he calls Yggdrasil out for looking down on them just because it happens to have greater strength on the face of it. Obviously that’s meaningless next to the fact that Masaru’s never going to give up so long as he’s even remotely still alive to be able to keep trying!

Yggdrasil: “Just try it.”

Yggdrasil definitely doesn’t mean to come across this way, but there’s something amusingly almost street-fighter-esque in the way it taunts Masaru here. It prepares another huge crystal missile, the last one of which the Digimon barely managed to block. A panicking Gotsumon warns Masaru not to be defiant, because this thing will very definitely kill them all this time if it hits. Masaru just clenches his fist and takes a step forward.

Masaru: “When you’re in a man’s fight, you’re already risking your life! The moment you get scared of dying…”

…is the moment you’ve lost the fight. That’s what he said right back in the very first episode in his first fight against a rampaging Digimon. I’ve made a point of bringing that line up here and there throughout the series because it comes up again here, and because Masaru really does seem to have lived by that. Sure, you’re always risking your life in a fight, but there’s no need to think about that and let it get to you and freak you out, because that’ll just get in the way and make you less able to win.

But now, at the end, Masaru doesn’t quite feel the same way. He stops and takes hold of his pendant, remembering his dad’s sacrifice.

[flashback; last episode]

Suguru: “There will come a time in a man’s life when he must accomplish something at the risk of his life. Now is that time.”

Suguru knew he was putting his life at risk and didn’t just push that thought aside in order to keep going. Sometimes, when the cause is great enough, you ought to acknowledge that your life is on the line, and be ready to die, if it has to come to that.

Masaru: “No, this isn’t a regular school fight! It’s a battle to protect everyone! Right, Dad?!”

It always has been, since way longer ago than just now! Throughout all his fights in the series, despite knowing the risk on some background level, Masaru has never been consciously choosing to put his life on the line – but now, thanks to his dad, he’s willing to do so.

(Also it’s kind of adorable the way he’s talking to his dad, whom he knows is dead, because he just wants to feel like his dad is there and still with him in some way through this.)

Spurred by Masaru’s spirit, the other humans stand back up and declare their determination to keep fighting no matter what. And interestingly, though Yggdrasil seemed pretty ready to kill them, and totally could still fire that crystal missile that would apparently definitely finish them off, it doesn’t.

Yggdrasil: “In that case, I shall get rid of the very reason you are fighting for.”

Instead, it seems to want to make them give up first. Something about that sheer unstoppable tenacity in the face of hopeless odds bothers it, and it wants to make that go away. Surely these humans won’t want to keep fighting if they no longer have anything to be fighting for, right.

With that, it lifts off into the sky and towards the human world, to take a much more direct and personal role in the destruction there. The Digimon partners fight back to their feet to be transport for their partners in chasing after Yggdrasil.

Gotsumon also doesn’t want to be left behind, and he grabs hold of ShineGreymon’s tail to hitch a ride. That’s surprisingly brave of him! It would be a lot less scary and dangerous for him to just stay behind in the Digital World and be nowhere near any of the fighting, but apparently he’s found that he wants to be part of this in some small way, despite the danger. Looks like he really has grown kind of fond of these humans and their ridiculous stubbornness in the face of impossible odds, even as he’s continued to play his role of “person who constantly points out just how impossible the odds are”.

And it’s opening time. Here is a big smile on Masaru’s face, which comes right after the shot I highlighted last episode with BanchouLeomon and Suguru, in which Masaru was walking rather moodily against the backdrop of his pendant. No matter what painful things this kid goes through – he literally had to sacrifice his own dad’s life last episode after having only just reunited with him again for the first time in ten years – Masaru’s always able to bounce back and manage to find a way to stay positive. He’s so damn resilient. It’s neat that there’s a small sequence in the opening that highlights this.

(More than one, actually – that other shot of Masaru Being Not Okay near the beginning of the opening, which I highlighted for episode 35, also ends on him managing to smile.)

Up at the top of Mount Fuji, Craniummon’s still busy pulling replacement Atlas duty. Because he has no Digisoul and therefore no solidifying into an amber-like foundation, he’s just constantly grunting and groaning from the immense strain of it all.

Garudamon: “Chika. It’s dangerous here. Let’s get out of here.”

Chika: “We can’t! Craniummon is holding up the Digital World in my dad’s place! We can’t leave him!”

Aww, Chika. It’s sweet that she feels this loyalty to Craniummon because he’s doing this as a sacrifice for her dad’s sake.

Of all the spots in the human world that Yggdrasil could have arrived at, it chooses here, so that it can express its displeasure at Craniummon’s betrayal.

Yggdrasil: “But your life will not be in vain. Stand there and watch as I erase the human world.”

It’s interestingly backwards how Yggdrasil seems to think that it destroying the human world will mean Craniummon’s life wasn’t in vain. Surely Craniummon sacrificing himself to protect humans would be in vain if they all died anyway? But Yggdrasil doesn’t see it that way. It just sees Craniummon’s betrayal as a waste of a perfectly good Royal Knight minion, and it’s saying that that loss – on Yggdrasil’s part – won’t be in vain because it’s going to complete its goal regardless.

Yggdrasil really is exceedingly self-centred. Like, I legitimately don’t think it’s capable of truly seeing things from any point of view other than its own. (See also: its complete inability to even try to understand why Masaru kept calling it “Dad”.)

More crystal missiles lay waste to some cities, which then get swallowed up by gaping holes of Digital Gate. But the laying waste comes first, so I don’t think that the Digital Gates are what the missiles are intending to create. The Royal Knights’ destruction also left behind huge Digital Gates in its wake, but with that too, it wouldn’t have made sense for their attacks to just naturally have Digital Gate properties. All this must be is that the instability of the dimensional barrier means that particularly damaged areas of Earth get engulfed by interdimensional void. But Yggdrasil’s not actually erasing Earth from existence. You know, like it would need to do if the only thing it cared about was stopping the collision.

Chika momentarily goes faint with shock at seeing so much destruction, and Garudamon lowers her to the ground. This conveniently then allows him to charge at Yggdrasil without putting Chika in danger, but he’s quickly devolved to Piyomon by a crystal missile.

Chika: “How could you do that?!”

Yggdrasil: “Can’t you tell? This is purification!”

That sure is a very high and mighty way for Yggdrasil to be thinking of all its destruction. But, hold this thought, because there may be an interesting reason for this.

And again here’s Yggdrasil continuing to not understand others’ points of view, because it seems to think it should be obvious to Chika that this is what it’s doing.

Yggdrasil: “Look! Do you know why the worlds are crumbling?”

Because of you, Yggdrasil. Because you’ve had countless opportunities to stop it reaching this point, or to fix it from where it is right now, and you repeatedly chose not to do so to give yourself an excuse to annihilate humanity.

Yggdrasil: “What caused this situation is none other than the evil hearts you humans have!”

One single human, whom Yggdrasil did nothing to stop when it easily could have, all so that it could pontificate about how terrible humans are like this and justify its own genocide.

Yggdrasil: “Therefore, I shall reduce everything in this world to ashes. To save the Digital World!”

Yeah, this is not about saving the Digital World at all. If it truly cared about that, then it would have made an effort to stop Kurata, and none of this would be happening.

Yggdrasil fires a crystal at the helpless Chika, who clings to Piyomon in fear – but ShineGreymon makes it there just in time to destroy it before it hits.

Piyomon: “ShineGreymon!”

Some fridge logic – how does Piyomon know who ShineGreymon is? He should have never seen him before, even if he does remember his past lives. I guess we can imagine that Chika told Piyomon about her awesome big brother and his partner’s evolved form…?

The others make it here too, and then all four of them go Burst Mode, spurred by their determination to protect this world. Go have some more of that snack from earlier, because that’s another four evolution animations to sit through.

Credit to them, they jump right into the whole combining-attacks strategy, which we haven’t really seem them do since they were Perfect-level. All four Burst Mode attacks fused together hit Yggdrasil with a giant explosion, but before we can even see the damage, vines shoot out of the flames to grab ShineGreymon.

The smoke clears to reveal a huge shattered hole through Yggdrasil’s body. But then Yggdrasil immediately proceeds to heal itself of that damage – because it’s a god, so it can just do that.

(So many times this series we’ve had that exact same stock moment of “did we get him?” *smoke clears* NOPE, so I actually appreciate that this moment shook things up a bit and did it a little differently, even though the overall effect was the same kind of idea.)

Yggdrasil: “Death does not exist for a God. Not only do I have everlasting life, but I can be resurrected at any time.”

This… literally might be true. I don’t think this body it’s fighting with right now is even really Yggdrasil itself so much as it’s just an avatar that Yggdrasil’s using to fight with. Damage to that? Irrelevant. Doesn’t actually affect Yggdrasil itself in any way; just as easy to repair it as making another transient physical avatar would be.

Yggdrasil inflicts horrible pain upon ShineGreymon with dark red lightning through its vines. Meanwhile it uses more vines to… literally just smack the other three out of Burst Mode and back to their Child forms. That’s rather unimpressive of them. I guess we can pretend this might be a similar deal to the crystals we saw defending Yggdrasil’s tree, and it has some kind of inherent ability to match the power levels of whatever it’s fighting? I dunno.

Yggdrasil: “Disappear along with this world!”

It says this, and then again, fires missiles at the human world, but not at these humans right in front of it. I can only assume from this that it really is trying to make them despair and give up before killing them off. (And definitely not just because whoops things would end a bit too quickly if Yggdrasil decided to do the smart thing and straight-up kill the protagonists, shush.)

The missiles hit not just nearby in Japan but literally all over the world. We see some shots of the Noguchis and the Norsteins being alarmed by the tremors, wondering what’s going on outside the building or shelter they’re in. They can’t be the only ones; practically every human on Earth has got to be freaking out over this.

Up at Mount Fuji, the DATS team and their devolved partners lie in an injured heap on the ground. Somehow there is a bandage on Falcomon’s arm; how. It’s magically not there in a closer-up shot as all of the humans weakly call out to their partners in worry, so at least one of the animators was feeling more sensible.

Masaru nudges Agumon’s shoulder, trying to get him to stand up, but he’s too injured to even respond.

Masaru: “You bastard… You hurt my follower!”

Subbing nitpick here: Masaru’s phrasing is more like “how dare you hurt my follower!” I’m noting this because this exact phrase in Japanese is the same as what Masaru said to the Cockatrimon back in episode 1 after it hurt Agumon, which spurred his very first Digisoul punch. Now he’s getting angry in the same exact way, right at the end of the series, at a world-ending god. Some neat bookending!

Yggdrasil: “Anger… Hatred… Don’t forget that countless Digimon harbour those same feelings.”

Yggdrasil goes on for a bit about how awful all the Digimon feel because of the lives lost thanks to humans, about how its judgement is the will of the Digimon. Which is all bullshit, because if it really cared about protecting Digimon from having to feel all of that sadness and pain, it would have tried to stop Kurata. But apparently it must really want everyone else to think that it’s doing this for Digimon’s sake, or it wouldn’t be insisting on this over and over.

Ikuto argues that there are Digimon who understand humans and will fight with them.

Yggdrasil: “Where are they then? Where are these Digimon who will disobey their God and aid the humans?!”

Yggdrasil sure likes to convince itself that so long as it doesn’t see any such Digimon around, they must definitely not exist, and it’s definitely right in thinking that all Digimon would be happy with its decision to annihilate humanity. Well, all Digimon except for the few partners here and also Craniummon who’s busy holding up the world behind them, but they don’t count, they’re just outliers, right. Every sensible Digimon would definitely agree with their God (their God that most of them literally aren’t even sure really exists, let alone have ever seen or spoken to).

Craniummon: “This is… as much as I can take…”

Masaru: “It’s still too early to give up!”

I love Masaru continuing to be so very Masaru – and also the way he’s absolutely treating Craniummon as an ally now and using his stubborn determination to encourage him rather than defy him!

Still very Masaru about this! If the thing they want and need doesn’t exist, instead of accepting that and living without it, they’ll just have to make it themselves! Creating a world where humans and Digimon can live together, despite all the obstacles and prejudices, has always been a big overarching theme of this series. It’s what his dad was trying to do; it’s what his sister first asked for near the beginning when nobody else in DATS was even considering it. Everybody here wants this, but of course Masaru would be the first one to stubbornly suggest, despite the way things look right now, that they can just make it possible anyway.

Masaru flares up with Digisoul as he says this (without punching, again! He’s getting really good at this!), which tells us something about just how strongly he feels about this wish.

Masaru: “That’s why… I can’t let either of them be destroyed! The human world… and the Digital World… I’ll show you I can protect both of them!”

Masaru raises his hands and forms his Digisoul into a huge pillar shape, spanning all the way from one world to another, to help hold them apart. We know that Digisouls are a physically tangible enough force that this will actually go some way towards helping Craniummon carry the load. His dad did it first, as BanchouLeomon; perhaps that’s what inspires Masaru to think to do the same thing here.

Yggdrasil: “It’s useless. The power of one person alone can’t save the world.”

Tohma: “Masaru is not alone!”

Yoshino: “He has us!”

Friends! Tohma and Yoshino, and Ikuto as well, immediately jump in to support Masaru, manifesting their own Digisoul pillars to help him in holding the worlds apart.

In the shelter where Yushima is, Kamemon suddenly stands up and walks out, ignoring Yushima’s protests. Elsewhere in a destroyed city, in which Miki and Megumi have apparently been valiantly fighting the whole time and are currently weak and exhausted, their PawnChessmon walk and then fly away in a glowing light that definitely isn’t part of their own powers. At the Daimons’ house, all of the baby Digimon still being looked after by Sayuri float out of a window in that same glowing light, despite her warnings of how dangerous it is outside.

Gotsumon: “I feel like… I feel like someone is calling for me.”

Piyomon: “Me, too.”

Gotsumon and Piyomon glow with that light as well and float upwards to join the other Digimon who’ve flown all the way here, gathering to help try and force the two worlds apart.

Based on the number of glowing lights we see here, this is a lot more Digimon than just the ones we know. Perhaps there are a bunch of other Digimon scattered around in the human world, flung there by the interdimensional storms, who’ve also been affected? Or perhaps this is reaching into the Digital World and also calling some of the Digimon from there.

And what is it that’s calling them? Human emotions, of course! Digimon are influenced by human emotions and desires, and right now, every single human being on the planet desperately wants to not die. Of course the Digimon would respond to that, whether they consciously wanted to or not (but I imagine most of them would want to, because they also want to not die!), and of course that emotion would be strong enough to give the Digimon the power to keep holding the worlds apart.

Yggdrasil: “Emotions? Those human desires of yours are what first caused the Digimon to run wild!”

Too bad, Yggdrasil, that’s a law of the universe, and there’s nothing you can do about it, short of literally getting rid of every single human (hmm, how about that). And sometimes, it can be really extremely useful, actually.

To further rub it in to Yggdrasil, the rest of the Royal Knights who haven’t been defeated show up here.

Yggdrasil: “Royal Knights! Kill these fools!”

Interesting, again, how Yggdrasil orders its Knights to kill the DATS group even though it could perfectly well have done so itself at any time. Again I am choosing to interpret this as something other than just plot-armour convenience. It could instead be Yggdrasil already starting to fear that it’s lost control of its most loyal servants (having already lost “control” of many Digimon) and immediately wanting to find proof that it hasn’t by ordering them to do its bidding.

They don’t.

Omegamon: “I’d like to ask one thing of you, Yggdrasil. What is a god?”

Yggdrasil: “What?”

Omegamon: “Our comrades are desperately trying to save the two worlds right now. And yet, you are willing to abandon them?”

The writers have apparently decided they ought to give Omegamon, the leader of the Royal Knights, some actual lines in this series, because he’s the one to act as their spokesperson to question Yggdrasil. Finally, someone other than Masaru, someone nominally on Yggdrasil’s side, is making the point that Yggdrasil doesn’t really deserve to call itself the God of Digimon if it’s not actually following their wishes and doing everything it can to help them.

The Royal Knights have been (with a couple of exceptions) pretty mindlessly loyal to Yggdrasil up to this point, but it seems like, at the end of the day, they’re not completely stupid. They would have been following Yggdrasil’s orders because they genuinely believed it was acting in the best interests of Digimon-kind, even if that means humanity has to die. Yggdrasil worked very hard to make sure they kept seeing things that way. But, whoops, looks like that illusion is beginning to shatter, now that so many Digimon are uniting with human desires to try and protect both worlds.

Yggdrasil: “You must not question a God’s orders! I shall never excuse you if you disobey me!”

Yggdrasil, that’s not even an argument, that’s just you throwing a tantrum about not getting your way and literally threatening your subordinates. I guess it no longer has any seemingly-reasonable arguments to even make, with the way things are right now. Oh dear, how terrible for it.

Dukemon, last seen frozen together with Sleipmon at the bottom of the ocean, shows up as well to firmly disagree with this.

Dukemon: “Sleipmon taught me the truth. God is not absolute! Even a god may make mistakes.”

This is referencing the exchange between Dukemon and Sleipmon at the end of last episode as they both felt Yggdrasil “die” when Suguru’s body was destroyed. Considering Yggdrasil turned out to be not even remotely dead from that, I’m not entirely sure why Dukemon was so convinced. Maybe Sleipmon just also had a very long chat with him about “hey maybe our god’s actually kind of an asshole who’s not always right” as they sank to the bottom of the ocean together, and Dukemon’s finally starting to see Sleipmon’s point. But, still. I appreciate Sleipmon and Dukemon’s little skirmish from episode 41 coming back and having some more relevance, if nothing else.

As for how Dukemon’s here: after he finally decided to agree with Sleipmon’s point, Sleipmon burned up all the Digisoul in his body to melt the ice and free them both. Since Sleipmon has Digisoul from Satsuma, and Dukemon doesn’t, it seems like this is a thing that only he could have done, at any time. What a sneaky little weasel – his actions in episode 41 weren’t a self-sacrifice so much as trapping both himself and Dukemon in a prison that only he had the key to. He was only willing to let them both out if and when Dukemon decided to stop being an ass about this.

Burning up all that Digisoul of course meant that Sleipmon had to devolve, so Dukemon carried him all the way here, as Kudamon. Look at him he is the TINIEST.

Dukemon: “Both humans and Digimon share the desire to live. Yggdrasil… If you call yourself a god, then grant us our wish!”

Yes, Yggdrasil, do a god’s job for once! It’s very satisfying that others are finally holding it responsible like this.

Yggdrasil: “So even you are going against me… Very well. Die along with the humans!”

Yggdrasil, of course, is still doing nothing but throwing a tantrum. It never actually cared about its responsibility as a God to Digimon; it just wanted to get its own way.

It fires a bunch more crystal missiles at the group, but the Royal Knights are strong enough to jump in and shield the defenceless humans without much damage to themselves.

Dukemon: “Yggdrasil! Have you lost your mind?!”

Yggdrasil: “It is all of *you* who have lost your minds!”

Mmm, nope, definitely sounds like you’re the one losing it here, Yggdrasil. Oh no, your Knights don’t want to obey you any more, they must have gone mad, clearly.

(Also note how Dukemon has thoroughly taken up the narrative role of spokesperson of the Royal Knights now. Omegamon’s time to shine lasted all of like ten seconds, and that was only because Dukemon hadn’t shown up yet. Honestly, I appreciate the writers putting the focus on a character we’ve gotten to know a little bit, rather than expecting us to be that invested in the opinions of a character who’s literally never spoken before this episode, just because he’s the leader in wider lore.)

Yggdrasil: “I… am the God of the Digital World!”

Okay, Yggdrasil, but are you really? In some senses, yes, but I’m not sure that’s really what you’ve always seen yourself as.

This alien angel-like sort of silhouette appears behind Yggdrasil as it yells this in fury. I’m not actually sure what this is supposed to be about, because it never gets explained in the series. I guess it’s a wider Digimon-lore thing about Yggdrasil, maybe?

Anyway, more importantly than whatever that is – a moment later, patterns of Digicode begin to scroll through Yggdrasil’s eye like it’s a screen, and its voice abruptly becomes a lot more mechanical and robotic. Yggdrasil losing its marbles over this betrayal from its most faithful servants has caused it to stop even bothering to pretend to be something it’s not. Perhaps it was only ever presenting itself as a god and speaking in a more organic voice, like a person, in order to manipulate the Royal Knights into following its will. But now there’s no point in it doing that any more.

Yggdrasil: “My name is Yggdrasil. I am the WIZ9000 computer model built to observe the evolution of Digimon.”

It’s a computer. That’s what it’s always been. The Digital World is, in some sense, literally digital - which means that a being that can be considered such a world’s god, and has complete omniscience and near-omnipotence within it, naturally would be some kind of computer mainframe.

(This is why I’ve always insistently used it/its pronouns for Yggdrasil in this commentary, because I don’t think it has enough of a real sense of self to be anything other than an “it”. The subs have had characters refer to it as a “he”, even outside of the part where they thought it was Suguru, but I’m pretty sure that’s just the subs. Nobody in Japanese has actually used male pronouns for it at any point; gendered pronouns in Japanese exist but are conveniently rather opt-in like that.)

Remember when Tohma commented in episode 45, after they realised Yggdrasil’s tree was made out of literal cables, that Yggdrasil must see humans as a virus? Yeah, turns out he was completely on the money there.

Yggdrasil is, as much as a computer can be, apparently some kind of scientist who existed to carry out experiments on Digimon and their evolution, within the Digital World. But those experiments are going to get skewed and unreliable results if any outside factors, such as humans, got in the way. Those pesky humans with their emotions influencing Digimon, and some of them wandering into the Digital World themselves, messed everything up. Yggdrasil would have wanted them gone purely for that reason alone, regardless of any of the atrocities or massacres, let alone the broken barrier. Everything has always been Yggdrasil inventing an excuse to get rid of humanity simply because it didn’t want them here at all.

(Yggdrasil insisted earlier that it annihilating humanity was “purification”. In this sense, it actually kind of is! It was purifying its experimental system so that the experiments on Digimon could continue unhindered!)

And though it was trying to get rid of just the humans so that they wouldn’t get in the way of its experiments on Digimon, Yggdrasil has apparently realised that Digimon have been too messed up by the presence of humans for its experiment to ever work any more, even if it managed to eradicate all the humans right here. So, welp, nothing else for it but to restart the entire experiment and reboot the whole universe, Digimon and all.

(This is actually completely accurate to how some scientific experiments are carried out! Take it from me, Actual Scientist who used to do experiments on cell cultures: if the culture of mammalian cells I was experimenting on got contaminated by bacteria, that’d mess up the entire experiment. I’d have no choice but to throw out the entire culture – the bacteria, but possibly also the cells I was actually studying if things had gotten too bad to salvage, and start again from scratch. That’s just how science goes sometimes! So, Yggdrasil, I kinda relate… but also, no. The thing you’re experimenting on is an entire world of sapient beings – maybe give up on the experiment and just let them exist?)

It seems that one way or another, Yggdrasil is still a being with enough physical presence that it can’t just literally magic the world into nonexistence immediately. Instead, it has to physically carry out the “rebooting” process itself, targeting some baby Digimon who’ve gathered here in that glowing light of human emotions and zapping them one by one back into egg form. Digimon come with convenient self-rebooting properties like that! Reverting a Digimon into an egg is the only way we’ve ever seen to remove the influence of human emotions from them once they’ve lost control! This is totally the same thing, right. (It is not, Yggdrasil.)

It also zaps Craniummon with the same dark red lightning, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to reboot him, even as he groans and falls to his knees in pain. The other Royal Knights rush in to help their comrade hold apart the worlds.

Yggdrasil: “The probability of preventing the human world and Digital World from colliding is 0.00001%. Unable to compute.”

Yggdrasil, being a hyper-logical computer, cannot possibly understand why anybody would even bother trying to achieve something so vanishingly unlikely that the chances of it are completely negligible.

Omegamon: “This isn’t based on numbers! This is about our feelings!”

Craniummon: “Humans and Digimon both want to live… That is *everyone’s* wish!”

It’s not about calculations! Sometimes there are things in this world that don’t go by logical calculations! Who does this remind us of, hmmmm.

But of course Yggdrasil doesn’t understand the idea of “emotions” or “wishes”. Human emotions have been nothing but a bother, influencing its Digimon and causing them to act unexpectedly. And Digimon emotions only matter to it on the level of it using them to manipulate its Royal Knights into being convinced that humans need to be eliminated. I don’t think Yggdrasil’s ever really had much in the way of its own emotions, aside from “anger at not getting its way”.

Masaru: “You bastard… Just because things didn’t go your way, you’re willing to let them die? All those lives who spread their roots as they persevered… All of your comrades… Is that all you thought about them?! For someone who never considered the weight of life beyond that, you’re not qualified to call yourself a god!”

Masaruuu! I love how he’s being so straightforward that he’s not even engaging with the way the computer reveal explains an awful lot about Yggdrasil’s callously pragmatic nature. He’s still engaging with Yggdrasil as if it’s a person, one who made this selfish choice to present itself as the god of this world’s people and then throw all of their lives away when things didn’t go its way. Yeah, damn right someone like that shouldn’t call themselves a god!

Yggdrasil may literally have what could be considered godlike powers, but it seems that it never really was a god in a meaningful sense, not even from its own point of view, now that it’s stopped pretending.

(Yggdrasil hasn’t called itself a god once since it dropped the façade and switched to the mechanical voice. There’s no point to that pretence any more.)

Spurred by his aniki’s fervent speech, Agumon forces himself to his feet, ready to beat Yggdrasil together with his partner.

Masaru: “Yeah, let’s go! The power of humans…”

Agumon: “And the power of Digimon…”

Masaru & Agumon: “We’ll show him what we’re both made of!”

And that’s the ending line of the series’ penultimate episode – Yggdrasil’s callousness spurring these fighty dorks into their final stand as they get ready to take down a false god!

Overall thoughts

Out of all the episodes in this great final arc, this is another one that I’m pretty lukewarm on. Half of it’s just a big fight, which isn’t even that well-choreographed or gripping as final fights go. But aside from the fighting, there are some neat narrative bits!

I do enjoy that human emotions come back into it and matter on such a huge scale. There’s a reason we spent such a long time in the early episodes establishing this concept! It’s a great way to throw Yggdrasil’s words in its face and begin to prove it wrong – humans and Digimon are intrinsically connected, actually. The Royal Knights’ defection is less impactful for the others that we’ve barely met, but at least it was kickstarted by Sleipmon and Craniummon whom we know and who are good. And if nothing else, it’s another satisfying slap in the face for Yggdrasil, causing it to drop the act.

I think it’s really neat that Yggdrasil’s actually just a computer! It makes a lot of sense in terms of its powers over the Digital World, its motives for doing all of this, and its hyper-logical, callously pragmatic nature. It’s pretty interesting how it was only ever pretending to be an actual God and more of a person than it really is in order to gain the Royal Knights’ loyalty and manipulate them into following its will by claiming it was doing this for the sake of all Digimon. Once it loses that control over its minions, it seems it doesn’t actually care about acting like a God in and of itself.

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[Dub comparison]

#digimon #digimon savers #yggdrasil #masaru daimon #craniummon #dukemon

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

Note

Maybe Suguru had some photos of his kids on his person and during his 5 years of imprisonment, Suguru passed the time by going all Maes Hughes on the royal knights (including Craniumon) and when Craniumon saw Chika, he thought to himself "hey this human child looks a bigger version of 1 of the tiny humans in those photos Suguru showed me."

Haha! Unfortunately, if I wanted to be canon-pedantic, I'd have to say that couldn't be possible, because if Suguru had photos of his kids on him then we'd certainly have already seen him show them to Mercurimon. But nonetheless I am very tickled at the idea of Suguru being all Maes Hughes about his family, that is a cute image.

(Context for others: Maes Hughes is a Fullmetal Alchemist character whose most memorable trait is enthusiastically showing off photos of his wife and daughter and being all "LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL/CUTE THEY ARE :D" to literally everyone ever, all the time.)

#digimon #digimon savers #reply: savers

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

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Hi, I've been binging Digimon Savers on and off around the time when you started your blog, and reading your analysis after each episode I watch has given me a new found respect for the writing and how strong it can be.

A little something interesting in the second opening that I don't think you've brought up yet is when the part where we see the Royal Knights in shadows is the figure on the left. We see Omegamon, Dynasmon, Rhodoknightmon, Magnamon, and Dukemon in full and the other shadows can easily be seen as UlforceVeedramon, Craniummon, and Sleipmon, however the figure on the left is too large and bulky to be Duftmon in any capacity. The only one who fits the silhouette is Alphamon, the only Royal Knight who was made at the time who doesn't show up. This makes me wonder if a plot involving him was scrapped because of time constraints, or maybe he was originally supposed to fill out the role Duftmon did (at least the bit where Duftmon only helps when he feels like it which corresponds to Alphamon more in that one of his titles is that of the Aloof Hermit) and he was replaced solely to promote Duftmon more. But that's all speculation I guess. Maybe someday we can get our hands on some drafts but who knows.

Yeah, you're right, that's definitely Alphamon's silhouette there in the opening, and not Duftmon's. I never really thought too much about why he wasn't in Savers; I guess I passively assumed it might be because the previous piece of Digimon animated media heavily centred on Alphamon, so they didn't feel the need to give him any more spotlight here? But that doesn't explain why he's there in the opening, so your theory that there was a last-minute change from Alphamon to Duftmon would make sense. Duftmon's appearance being so last-minute would also explain why he's by far the least developed of the three Royal Knights debuting in Savers.

(I didn't bring this up in the commentary despite having noticed that about the opening, because I'm not interested enough in the Royal Knights to have considered it worthy of mention. It is interesting trivia for Royal Knights enthusiasts, though, I guess!)

Thanks for reading the commentary; I'm thrilled it's been letting you appreciate even more of how good the series' writing is!

#digimon #digimon savers #reply: savers

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

Text

Digimon Data Squad Dub Comparison Episode 46 - The Truth About BanchoLeomon

Original name ~ Dubbed name

Masaru Daimon ~ Marcus Damon

Yoshino Fujieda ~ Yoshino “Yoshi” Fujieda

Tohma H. Norstein ~ Thomas H. Norstein

Ikuto Noguchi ~ Keenan Crier

Yggdrasil ~ King Drasil

Professor Suguru Daimon ~ Doctor Spencer Damon

BanchouLeomon ~ BanchoLeomon

Craniummon ~ Craniamon

Chika Daimon ~ Kristy Damon

Yukidarumon ~ Frigimon

Mercurimon ~ Merukimon

Dukemon ~ Gallantmon

[Since several characters share the same name between the original and the dub, quotes from the dub will always be in italics, while quotes from the original will not, in order to distinguish them.]

Here’s another time where I’m briefly mentioning the preview of this episode that played at the end of episode 45: it showed nothing of the flashback parts and instead had a whole chunk from right near the end of this episode? Weird choice. Do they not think people would be interested to see that they’re going to learn more about Spencer and BanchoLeomon, having just had that bombshell dropped?

Craniummon: “I… have always been troubled. I incessantly pondered over whether Yggdrasil’s way of justice was true or not.”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “I’ve always debated in my heart over King Drasil’s decisions… But in the end, I’ve always sided with the King, and kept my pledge of loyalty to him intact.”

Except for the part where, in the dub, it didn’t seem quite so much like Craniamon was siding with King Drasil simply out of loyalty, but rather because he’d actually been persuaded that humans suck and deserve to be annihilated.

Craniummon: “But… You must have wanted to tell me such thoughts were wrong.”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “You must have wanted to tell me that you thought the King’s way of justice wasn’t justice at all.”

In the original, it could almost be interpreted here like Craniummon thinks Suguru was trying to tell him he shouldn’t have been deliberating about Yggdrasil at all and should have just mindlessly gone along with it, which definitely wasn’t right. I appreciate the dub being clearer about it.

Craniamon: “Isn’t that right… Spencer Damon?!”

Craniamon sounds almost angry here, which… he really shouldn’t, at all? What is with his voice acting giving completely the wrong impression in some of his lines in these last couple of episodes and making him sound like he’s still an antagonist, come on.

Garudamon: “Spencer… Damon…?!”

Craniamon: “Your daughter should be able to tell that this is he.”

This is phrased oddly like he’s saying Kristy is Garudamon’s daughter, since he refers to Spencer as “he” at the end of the sentence, making him sound like a different person to the “you”.

BanchoLeomon: “Craniamon, why? Tell me!”

The “tell me!” is weirdly demanding of him considering that he’s asking for the why of something Craniamon literally only just started doing.

Craniummon: “I wanted to try believing once more… in the infinite possibilities that humans and Digimon can create together!”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “I wanted to try believing once more… in the potential that humans and Digimon can live together.”

Craniamon’s “potential” here is only talking about the possibility of them living together in future. It’s got nothing to do with that idea of “unlimited potential” power that human and Digimon partnerships can bring out, even though… that was the entire point of Craniamon’s episode with the shield. The dub literally made it the title of that episode… but suddenly they’ve forgotten about it, apparently.

Cutting right from BanchoLeomon watching Craniamon hold up the worlds (which is technically a flashback) straight to BanchoLeomon standing in front of Marcus in the present is a little bit awkward when there’s not an opening in between to split them up. Alas.

BanchouLeomon: “When you were a little boy… you fell off the monkey bars and hit your head.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “Remember falling off the monkey bars on your sixth birthday?”

Marcus’s… sixth birthday? Which was at least ten years ago, for Spencer to have been there? Uhhhhh.

Was anyone still waiting for the punchline to this joke I set up wayyy back at the beginning of the dub commentary? Because here it is, at last. Remember how I went out of my way to establish that Marcus’s age had to be fourteen, because he’s in eighth grade and hasn’t been held back a grade based on the exams episode? And how Thomas’s age is also fourteen, because the only information we have on his age is that it’s the same as Marcus’s?

EXCEPT… apparently Marcus is sixteen, according to this episode. So I guess he’s just magically simultaneously either fourteen or sixteen, depending on which episode you’re watching! And therefore so is Thomas, who is the same age as Marcus, whatever age that is! Good job, dubbers, a round of applause for how much of a damn you give about keeping details straight.

(And no, one can’t argue that they could both be correct if we imagine the events of the series took two whole years, because his dad was established to have been missing for ten years at the very beginning; this line here means that Marcus has to have been sixteen at the beginning of the series. In which he was also fourteen. Magically.)

Also, in the original, this is Suguru referring to an event that Masaru actually mentioned back in episode 20! But in the dub, he didn’t, because the dubbers were too busy making a reference to one of Marcus’s VA’s other roles, so we miss out on that fun little connection there.

Suguru: “If you’re a man, then bear with it!”

~~~~~

Spencer: “Everybody falls down, son. What’s important is to get back up!”

Since we couldn’t keep the manliness, this is a decent equivalent! It also gets across a sense that this might have been very instrumental into shaping Marcus into the unendingly determined person he is today.

BanchouLeomon: “A BANCHOU NEVER LIES!”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “BANCHOLEOMON NEVER LIES!”

This was Suguru was unknowingly quoting something Masaru said in episode 30. In the dub, this was indeed the exact dub version of that same line from episode 30. It’s a little odder that Spencer happens to unknowingly quote it, though. A general sense of “a banchou is the kind of person who wouldn’t lie” is plausible for both father and son to believe, but it’s a bit more out of nowhere for them both to insist that this specific person never lies, completely separately. It almost reads like Spencer is knowingly quoting that line of Marcus’s, but he can’t be, because he wasn’t there for it.

Gaomon: “He’s alive?”

BanchouLeomon: “I won’t die that easily. That’s because this body has two lives dwelling within it.”

~~~~~

Gaomon: “You’re still alive?”

BanchoLeomon: “I would hope you’d have more faith in me than that. Inside my heart… my body is supported by two life force energies.”

It perhaps makes more sense that having twice as much life force energy makes him harder to kill, rather than simply having two consciousnesses inside him. Though, I guess this has just casually established that, hey, that sparkly yellow life force energy stuff that Kurata was harvesting from all the Digimon he killed? Humans have it too, apparently…? I’m not sure that’s the case in the original.

It's kind of odd, though, that BanchoLeomon expected Gaomon to have “more faith” in his survivability, because he has two life force energies inside him… when Gaomon didn’t know that.

Suguru: “But I have an important mission to meet Yggdrasil, the God of the Digital World!”

~~~~~

Spencer: “I am only passing through your territory on my way to find King Drasil, the ruler of the Digital World.”

While Suguru was being pretty polite about this in the original, there was still a certain determination in his tone, which matched his facial expression for this line here. Spencer’s delivery, meanwhile, is so calmly polite that it doesn’t match the expression at all and seems kinda off.

BanchouLeomon: “What?”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “King Drasil?”

BanchouLeomon narrows his eyes as he questions this. In the original, it just reads like he doesn’t see that as enough of an excuse for Suguru to pass through his turf without a fight. In the dub, because he specifically mentions King Drasil, it sounds like he has some kind of personal investment in the King that makes him more interested in Spencer because of it – which I’m pretty sure isn’t meant to be it. Most Digimon aren’t even supposed to be sure it exists.

BanchouLeomon: “A banchou or a god… Who is greater?”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “I’m afraid not. Not without a fight.”

Because the dub made zero attempt to localise the concept of a banchou, they couldn’t keep BanchouLeomon’s ridiculously manly-dork line, and instead had to have him ask for a fight in a much more normal way.

BanchouLeomon: [narrating] “A battle between men has no need for a reason. We simply fire up our fighting spirits as we mutually display our fierce pride.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: [narrating] “When two immovable forces meet, sooner or later, something is going to have to give.”

Because there’s no manliness in the dub either, this line also had to change. It doesn’t really work as well, because it makes it sound like Spencer only got into the fight with BanchoLeomon because he was physically forced to in order to get past? Except, he wasn’t; he could literally have kept walking and left. It fails to properly get across the idea that he simply shared BanchouLeomon’s worldview about fighting and decided it’d be a fun challenge to test their strength against each other – that he did it because he wanted to.

Suguru: “Well fought…”

BanchouLeomon: “You threw some pretty good punches yourself…”

~~~~~

Spencer: “Well done…”

BanchoLeomon: “Thanks. You got a few good licks in yourself.”

This is a fairly direct translation of the original here, but what it isn’t in the dub is a delightful callback to what Agumon and Marcus said to each other after their very first fight, because those lines were completely different in the dub of episode 1. Naturally, the dubbers did not watch ahead when they were dubbing episode 1 to realise those lines would get a callback. (Agumon’s line was “You’re pretty good… for a human”, which wouldn’t work here at all considering that the human and Digimon roles are swapped in this callback.)

What this does at least have going for it in the dub is that both Damon-Digimon bonding moments have the same BGM of Probably Marcus’s Theme: Heartwarming Acoustic Guitar Edition, whereas they had different BGM pieces in the original. So there’s that!

BanchouLeomon: “I’m a banchou. BanchouLeomon.”

Suguru: “A banchou, huh? No wonder you’re so strong.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “Around here they call me… BanchoLeomon.”

Spencer: “Nice meeting you, friend. Better your friend than your foe.”

Oh hey, remember how when we first met BanchoLeomon in episode 28, he wouldn’t stop yammering about his friends? He hasn’t been doing that at all here, in this scene where it’s definitely him and not Spencer, in which he’s about to make a friend. Spencer is the only one who brings up this notion of friendship in a vaguely similar way, and only briefly. Yep, they totally dropped that out-of-nowhere character trait when they realised it didn’t fit his character, didn’t they.

(Given episode 28’s form, this bit here still kinda smacks of that “oops we need to replace the banchou stuff with something else, ummm, FRIENDSHIP”, but at least it’s not overdone and feels natural here.)

BanchouLeomon: [narrating] “And that’s how we completely hit it off with each other.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: [narrating] “And that’s how we became friends.”

Bah, far more boringly low-key about it here, like normal people. They only “became friends”, rather than completely hit it off with each other like ridiculous manly dorks.

BanchouLeomon: “MASARU! LISTEN UNTIL SOMEONE FINISHES TALKING!”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “Marcus! I wasn’t done talking!!!”

This isn’t phrased like stern fatherly advice, but it does at least still have the sternness in the tone, so I guess it’s similar enough.

Spencer: “We’re not laughing at you. We’re just glad!”

Really? Because the way Spencer’s laugh was voice acted, it really sounded like he found something absolutely hilarious, rather than that he was just happy and relieved to hear proof that King Drasil exists.

I’m still not a great fan of Spencer’s raspy voice, by the way. I didn’t notice it as much in King Drasil’s lines because the computery filter helps cover that up, but now that the VA’s actually being Spencer again, I’m just, eh. He doesn’t have nearly as much of that sense of presence and determination that Masaru’s dad ought to have.

BanchouLeomon: “Don’t sneer at the humans!”

Craniummon: “What?”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “Why do you insult humans?”

Craniamon: “Why not?”

Okay, so Craniummon was being a dick either way (he called Suguru a “lowly human” in both versions), but here in the dub he’s just being extra dickish about it, like he thinks insulting humans is fun or something.

BanchoLeomon: “Humans have the power of emotions inside them, something we Digimon lack.”

And then we Digimon feed off those emotions deliberately to power ourselves up, so it’s really not that much about the humans’ input anyway! No, I’m still not going to stop ragging on this change, ever.

BanchoLeomon: “When a Digimon combines itself with a human’s emotions, unlimited potential is born.”

Combines itself? That doesn’t sound too objectionable at a glance, but that’s really not quite the same idea as feeding off them, is it. This is one of those times the dubbers are just keeping the explanation the same as in the original and awkwardly hoping you don’t notice this isn’t actually how they established this to work in the dub.

BanchoLeomon: “BanchoLeomon Burst Mode engaging!”

Whoops, they had too much lip-flap for BanchoLeomon calling out his Burst Mode, so he had to awkwardly add in that extra word that’s not usually there.

Burst Mode music even for this short bit, by the way, wooo! Not that it lasts long.

King Drasil’s natural, non-Spencer voice is decidedly deep and masculine, as opposed to the androgynous one it had in the original. It has some kind of filter over it, which may or may not be the same filter that’s been over Spencer’s voice. Hard to tell. I do not know much about sound design.

BanchouLeomon: “But…! A disaster occurred at the worst timing!”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “I still remember the day Kurata attacked the Digital World! Sad…”

That “Sad…” at the end does not hit right and just comes off as kind of silly. Plus, this makes it sound like Spencer actually witnessed that massacre himself, but he shouldn’t have done; he should only be frustrated that it happened at the most inconvenient time. (This is actually the commercial break’s fault; the dub put one in between the end of the flashback of meeting Yggdrasil, and here, and so they put the line about the bad timing before the commercial break and added in this new one afterwards.)

Huh, they completely cut the brief recap clip of Frigimon being shot. Did they just not want to bother to go back and find their edit of the laser or something? Come on, guys, this is not the first time you’ve had to (attempt to) keep edits consistent in flashbacks of reused footage, it’s just lazy to remove it entirely.

Craniummon: “Yggdrasil has commanded us to wreak vengeance against the human world.”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “King Drasil has ordered your imprisonment while we retaliate against the humans for their unprovoked malicious attack.”

Craniamon mentions Spencer’s imprisonment, which the original didn’t feel the need to do, because one could already figure that out from watching him be thrown into what looks like a giant-tree version of a prison. Based on Craniamon’s phrasing, it also sounds a little bit more like they could be retaliating against just the humans who actually did the attack, and not disproportionately against every human in the human world?

Suguru: “Please! Stop your attack! Humans and Digimon can appreciate one another! They can cultivate friendships!”

~~~~~

Spencer: “Please, don’t! It was one human acting alone! You can’t punish a whole race because of one madman! Humans and Digimon can live together in peace!”

You know, Spencer makes a good point that Suguru didn’t! But also, that does beg the question… how did he know that it was only Kurata, when he shouldn’t have been there to witness it? (Plus, Kurata wasn’t completely alone; it was all his plan and his idea, but he did have a lot of lackeys helping him.)

(I guess Craniamon’s line is still very much supposed to be implying they’re going for vengeance against the entire human race then, fair enough.)

Unfortunately, though changing Spencer’s line to include the part where it’s only one human is neat, the dub doesn’t follow up on it, and Craniamon’s response – that there could never be peace after how much the Digimon have been hurt by humans – is the same as in the original. He appears to be completely glossing over Spencer’s really very persuasive argument and focusing entirely on his last point about them living in peace. He even uses “they” to refer to the humans who did this, despite Spencer having told him it was just a single one.

Craniummon: “What?”

Suguru: “BanchoLeomon!”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “Whose side are you on, BanchoLeomon?”

This is the response to BanchoLeomon’s (identical) line about hatred only breeding more hatred. Suguru’s reaction in the original implied he was kind of surprised and moved to hear his Digimon friend backing him up on this. Here, more emphasis is put on Craniamon feeling like he’s siding against Digimon.

Craniamon: “Your life?”

In the original, Craniummon’s delivery of this is surprised, taken aback that Suguru’s willing to put such big stakes on this. But in the dub, he sounds condescending about it. What is it with the dub voice acting of Craniamon just making him sound significantly more villainous in several of his lines.

Craniummon: “But…”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “It’s not up to me.”

Craniummon’s brief line here in the original almost implies that he doesn’t like the idea of Suguru – whom he must know is innocent in all this – putting his life on the line for something like this. In the dub, that’s not there, and instead he’s passing the buck of responsibility for this onto his King (which, to be fair, is also an in-character thing for Craniamon to do).

Yggdrasil: “I shall trust your word.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “I will hold you to your promise, human.”

Not only is King Drasil being more implicitly threatening about this with that added “human”, this actually has a different meaning. Yggdrasil’s saying that it trusts Suguru’s insistence that this won’t happen again (though whether it actually trusts that is another matter). But what King Drasil’s saying is not that it necessarily believes that part, but rather, that it’s going to hold Spencer to his promise to be killed if he’s wrong. Like it’s expecting him to be proven wrong sooner or later.

That’s… you know, actually, I think I rather like that? That’s some on-point Yggdrasil characterisation the dub’s managed there, whether by luck or judgement (probably luck).

There really is a noticeable difference in the voices, though. Yggdrasil’s calm, androgynous voice makes it come across, at least on the surface, like a seemingly-benevolent, rational force that’s theoretically trustworthy. King Drasil’s deeper voice just… sounds evil. Which kind of defeats the purpose of having it be subtly manipulative about this, when every time it speaks it’s like there’s a neon sign pointing at it saying THIS IS A VILLAIN.

Spencer: “What? Merukimon?!”

Craniamon: “He’s gone.”

Not killed, though, of course not, can’t have that!

BanchouLeomon: “It’s true that I was the one, at that time, who put in a good word for you to Yggdrasil. But… A man must keep his promises!”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “Even though I vouched for you to King Drasil, you know deep down in your heart… that you must keep your word, as a man.”

BanchouLeomon’s “but” in the original line could read as a little weird, because his good word to Yggdrasil was specifically about the part where Suguru would keep his promise, so the two halves of his line aren’t actually contradictory enough to require a “but” between them. I think what he’s trying to say here, though, is “it’s true that it’s largely my fault that you’re in this position where you absolutely have to keep that promise, but, hey, you would absolutely have to keep that promise even if I hadn’t said anything, you know that, you’re a man.”

The dub version reads somewhat different, because there’s no “I was the one” in there, so it feels less about BanchoLeomon feeling somewhat guilty for putting his friend in this position. Instead, the only way to read it is that somewhat contradictory “even though I told King Drasil you’d keep your word, you must keep your word”, which… why is there an “even though” there.

It also just strikes me as weird that he’s only saying Spencer knows this “deep down in his heart”. Surely his manly principles would be closer to the surface than that?

But wait, oh no, no they aren’t, because this is the dub, and there’s no manliness in the dub. Except for suddenly right now, apparently! The Manliness Police were sleeping on the job again, it seems. Sure lessens the impact of Spencer’s manly promise to stake his life on this when he’s never showed any kind of investment in what a Man does for the entire rest of the time we’ve known him.

Suguru: “A man doesn’t… go back on his word…”

~~~~~

Spencer: “I know you’re right… But…”

And here, they go right back to watering down the manliness, because they don’t even have Spencer cite that concept while agonising about how he knows he should do this but doesn’t actually want to. I suppose the end result is that it comes across in the dub like BanchoLeomon is the one imposing this idea of manliness onto Spencer, who only sort of buys into it and not quite in those exact words.

Spencer: “Marcus… Marcus…! MARCUS!”

Okay, so I’ve moaned about Spencer’s voice actor a lot, but I did enjoy his delivery of this part, yes good.

Gallantmon: “It is time to begin Spencer Damon’s execution.”

Wow, they actually called it an execution, I’m amazed the dub was willing to use that word. They didn’t in episode 30.

(I’m not… actually sure this is Gallantmon speaking based on my vague recollection of his voice in the two episodes he’s been in, but it’s Dukemon’s line in the original. If it isn’t Gallantmon’s voice here then it’s some other Royal Knight whom I can’t hope to recognise from one line, so whatever.)

Suguru: “I don’t want to die.”

~~~~~

Spencer: “Please don’t.”

Because the dub isn’t allowed to use the word “die”, instead, Spencer is actively asking them not to do this. That’s not necessarily what Suguru was doing, even as he was spending his final moments admitting that this isn’t what he wanted.

Suguru: “I want to make my son into a fine young man…”

~~~~~

Spencer: “I wanna be able to mould my son into a fine young man…”

“Mould” is a slightly sinister way of phrasing it there, Spencer. Feels a bit… controlling, which should very much not be his intent.

Suguru: “…so I can’t die until then.”

~~~~~

Spencer: “I can’t leave this world until then!”

Again with the not being allowed to say “die”. This’d usually be an acceptable substitute, I guess, but it is a little awkward in the context of this story in which people have been hopping between two different “worlds” all the time. He means it in a rather different way to usual.

Craniummon: “You dare to make those words your last at your dying hour? If you’re a man, then don’t make such unsightly utterances!”

~~~~~

Craniamon: “You dare to use your last words for the purposes of begging? How can you call yourself a man?!”

He literally didn’t, though! It was only BanchoLeomon who ever did, in this version! Manliness Police, what are you doing.

They do keep this line consistent with the fact that Spencer was outright begging in the dub when he wasn’t in the original. Craniummon in the original nonetheless thought that Suguru spending his final moments openly full of fear and regret wasn’t very manly of him.

Dukemon: “Do it!”

~~~~~

Gallantmon: “Execute him…”

Whichever Royal Knight said that in the dub had a really dark and vicious tone to his voice, wow. I am, again, gobsmacked that the dub is letting itself use this word and be this direct. (But, of course, Spencer’s still not allowed to say the word “die”, that’d be too much, right.)

(I am still not convinced that’s the Gallantmon voice from his previous two episodes. Then again, his voice was extremely generic back then, and it’s been like five episodes since he’s had lines, so perhaps his voice actor just completely forgot what voice he gave him.)

BanchouLeomon: “I would merely like to, as his friend, send him personally to the other world.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “My deep friendship with this man prevents me from allowing him to suffer his fate at the hands of the Royal Knights.”

That’s a really weird way of putting it? He’s making it sound like he’s physically incapable of letting the Royal Knights kill Spencer, rather than that he just wants to be the one to do it himself, as a friend.

(Okay, in defence of that earlier line about “leaving this world”, it seems the original did also use “other world” language to refer to dying here, too.)

The burst of energy out the other side of Spencer’s body as BanchoLeomon punches him is not edited out; I’m kind of surprised. What they do edit out is a sort of scorch mark on his front where the punch connected, and on his back once he’s collapsed. So the energy still went all the way through his body, but… it didn’t leave a mark, somehow.

Suguru was silent in the original, but Spencer is still groaning quietly as BanchoLeomon appeals to King Drasil to stop the attack again. Which is actually appropriate, since he’s dying but not quite dead yet!

King Drasil: “To honour your friendship with the human, I will grant your request, BanchoLeomon.”

Yggdrasil didn’t say a word here, other than to glow in acknowledgement; this line is added in. I’m not sure how much we should be believing King Drasil’s claim that it was inspired by BanchoLeomon’s friendship with Spencer. I’m also not entirely sure whether or not the dubbers realise that King Drasil probably shouldn’t truly mean this. I think I prefer how Yggdrasil just left things at an ambiguous silence here.

BanchouLeomon: “That’s the only way to fool Yggdrasil’s eyes.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “It’s the only way we’ll be able to fool King Drasil.”

By not phrasing this as King Drasil’s “eyes”, aka those things it doesn’t have, there’s a bit less of an obvious problem here that he’s overlooking, heh.

BanchouLeomon: “By uniting with me, you can also watch over your son, Masaru, in the shadows.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “If you unite with me, you’ll be able to watch over Marcus as he grows, although you’ll only be watching from inside my heart.”

Uhh. Is the “from inside my heart” implying that Spencer was never in control of BanchoLeomon’s body this entire time? Because that sure sounds like what it’s implying. Except that’s literally contradicted by this very episode, in which BanchoLeomon in the present has had plenty of lines that are very clearly Spencer speaking. What the hell. That’s not what he meant by “in the shadows” in the original; presumably he just meant that it wouldn’t be obvious that it was Suguru.

The part about Marcus “growing” makes this sound more long-term, like BanchoLeomon’s hoping to let Spencer continue to participate in the Damons’ normal family life this way, rather than just help out with the Kurata stuff. The Damon family, now with a lion dad.

Marcus: “Then you… really are…? My dad…”

That last little “my dad” is so quiet and soft and awestruck and it’s pretty adorable, aaa.

Masaru: “Why?! Why did you keep quiet about such an important thing until now? Dad!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Hey! Why’d ya keep it a secret? Don’tcha think you shoulda told me about this sooner? I mean, really! Come on!”

Marcus sounds a lot more just annoyed about this, like his dad’s simply been kinda stupid, rather than feeling desperate and confused and hurt like Masaru was. Marcus, now is not the time for your more-of-a-jerk side to come through.

BanchouLeomon: “Yggdrasil always kept us under watch.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “I had to hide it. If King Drasil found out I told you, I could never have returned to you again.”

This added line in the dub potentially goes some way towards presenting this situation more like the bribe it should have been, by stressing that it was about Spencer wanting to return to Marcus and get to be a family with him again. …Though, on the other hand, since the dub also just had that bonus implication that BanchoLeomon was willing to use his body to let Spencer be Lion Dad for the Damon family if it had to come to that, the fact that it was Spencer’s body on offer here shouldn’t matter so much.

My god, every single line of King Drasil’s in this voice just screams VILLAIN, I cannot get over this.

Yggdrasil: “You are both fools for thinking you could deceive a god.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Fools! Did you really think you could deceive an all-knowing being like myself?”

Ah yes, kings, those beings well-known to be omniscient. This is one of those instances in which King Drasil being referred to as a king rather than a god doesn’t quite work as well.

Yggdrasil: “I have now taken this body hostage.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “As your punishment, I will now take this body as hostage.”

Okay, so, despite that earlier line that slightly helped to get across the idea that Spencer hid his identity because he wanted to be able to live a normal family life again, the dubbers evidently didn’t quite grasp that this should mean this was effectively a bribe on King Drasil’s part. Not only did they keep it calling the body a “hostage”, they laid it on even thicker by also calling this a “punishment”.

Yggdrasil: “If you ever tell anyone about your true identities, or directly involve yourselves in battle, I shall destroy this body at once.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “If you ever tell anyone that you have Spencer Damon’s life force energy inside of you, then I will destroy this body forever.”

It’s pretty weird that they’re talking about “life force energy” in this context! In that earlier context, about how he wasn’t going to die so easily, it made some amount of sense that having twice as much of that would help. But here, we’re talking about Spencer’s consciousness. That’s… not the same thing as life force energy, surely? It’s not like Kurata was harvesting all of those murdered Digimon’s consciousnesses when he sucked up that yellow sparkly energy. They were already dead by then!

Also, quite an important oversight by the dub: King Drasil never orders them to not involve themselves directly in battle. Which means that, though Spencer was hiding his identity because of this threat/bribe, there’s absolutely no justification for why he wasn’t helping them fight in the dub. He was standing around on that building doing nothing when he could have been helping for literally no reason. Good job, dubbers!

King Drasil: “Until then, I will enjoy it for my own purposes.”

This is an entirely new sentiment to the dub, and we’re just about to get into what it apparently means by this. “Enjoy” is a very weird way for it to phrase this, though, given what this is actually about.

Gotsumon: “Why… Why would Yggdrasil do that?”

Tohma: “It’s a trial from God. Yggdrasil wanted to test them! It was all to determine whether or not we humans were a positive existence to the Digimon!”

~~~~~

Gotsumon: “But why? What need does King Drasil have for that body?”

Thomas: “It was a test. He wanted to know if humans were worth saving. If King Drasil could see life through human eyes, then maybe he would change his mind. I guess he didn’t see enough.”

So this is not remotely what’s going on here in the original. Gotsumon’s “why” in the original was never even about why did it take this body, but rather why did it force BanchoLeomon and Suguru to not help. However, it seems the dubbers (potentially?) misinterpreted this completely and thought Gotsumon was asking about why the human body, and so they took a completely different angle on Thomas’s line.

Yoshino: “That’s too selfish of him!”

Lalamon: “That’s right! Does that mean he doesn’t care if masses of humans and Digimon get hurt in the process?!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “I think… his eyes are closed!”

Lalamon: “Yeah! He’s not living life as a human – he’s just living as a Digimon in a human body!”

Okay but King Drasil literally isn’t even supposed to be a Digimon in the first place, screeeeeee

Cough, ahem, that aside. Lalamon’s original line here made it clear that Gotsumon’s question was never about why the human body. Tohma was really talking about the “test” being whether humans except for Suguru were good enough to defend Digimon from Kurata, even though forcing Suguru to stay out of the fight would get more Digimon killed.

Lalamon’s line in the dub takes this in a completely different direction, significantly enough so that this might not even be the dub misinterpreting the original conversation? It’s possible that this was a conscious change, and somehow they decided that King Drasil needed more reason to take on a human body other than just to hold it hostage.

Except, as Lalamon points out here, it was a pretty pointless reason, given that it didn’t actually do anything human with that body to try and understand a human’s point of view. You’d think, if we’re really supposed to believe that it did this to give humanity a chance and try to understand them, it would have actually, you know, tried to understand them.

I suppose one could argue that this is that manipulativeness I’ve been talking about – that this is King Drasil going “look, see, I’m giving the humans a chance, I’m trying to see things through their eyes, and I still see that they’re not worth saving!” while not actually having really tried at all. But I’m not convinced that’s meant to be it, because I don’t trust the dub.

It’s also just weird that this pretty out-there approach of King Drasil’s is entirely explained by other characters, who are really just making a huge wild guess out of absolutely nowhere, yet we’re clearly supposed to think that they’ve got it right and this was indeed what it was doing. Based on that, I can’t help but think the dubbers also want us to assume they’re right about King Drasil having actually been serious about trying, rather than that we ought to be reading between the lines and taking Thomas’s assumption with a grain of salt.

Yggdrasil: “Exactly.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “I *have* seen enough!”

And yes, King Drasil certainly seems to be corroborating Thomas’s assumption that this was about it genuinely trying to see things through human eyes.

Yggdrasil: “You worthless humans… Even when you are confronted with this unprecedented crisis, not once have you reflected on the error of your ways. All you do is run around fretfully. Your actions are truly the height of stupidity.”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “You worthless humans. You’ve created chaos and violence throughout your history, never stopping to realise that you’re the very cause of your own troubles! I don’t need to live in a human’s body to realise that. That’s why… you must go.”

Yggdrasil’s angle here was still about the idea that it’s all of humanity who are totally responsible for the Digimon massacres, and so they’re all stupid and bad for not realising how terrible they are and that this current crisis is totally their fault. King Drasil, meanwhile, has suddenly started going on about how humans are violent and warlike in general, within their own world. While that may be slightly more of a valid point, it’s like, none of the Digital World’s business? It’s kind of weird that King Drasil has taken it upon itself to get rid of a species from a totally different world just because of that.

(At least the dub’s still very much leaning into the fact that King Drasil wanted humans gone anyway, destroyed barrier or no.)

Ikuto: “There are plenty of people who are working hard to protect the worlds from this disaster!”

~~~~~

Keenan: “You wrong! There are many people working hard to end violence forever!”

Because King Drasil’s complaint about humans got completely changed, Keenan’s line defending them also has to be changed to something very silly. We get a brief shot of his parents working hard to fix the barrier here, but… that’s not “working to end violence forever”? What even? How would Keenan even know whether there’s any humans doing that, with his limited knowledge of the human world? And if there are, it sure isn’t his parents.

Oh hey, did you want to know that Falcomon has That Voice? Because he just said Keenan’s name in worry, almost his only line in the episode, and I was suddenly reminded that he has That Voice.

King Drasil: “Humans are unnecessary.”

This line is the same as in the original, but it feels different considering the difference to the big contemptuous speech about humans just now. Yggdrasil was going on about how they don’t understand anything, they just run around in a panic, they’re so stupid, which fits well with it thinking they’re pointless. You’d have thought, with King Drasil’s more vicious point about how humans are violent, it’d have something a bit more to say about why it wants them gone than just them being “unnecessary”.

Masaru: “Like hell we’d accept that self-centred decision of yours!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “You’re only the ruler of the Digital World! We don’t follow your laws!”

Marcus kinda has a point here, that, violent or not, humans don’t deserve to be punished for that by the go – uh, ruler – of a completely different world!

I suppose that’s vaguely along the lines of Masaru’s original point of calling Yggdrasil self-centred, but I did like the particular Masaru-ness of that comment.

Agumon: “You don’t know anything!”

Yggdrasil: “What?”

Agumon: “I have fun being with Aniki! I like fighting strong guys and getting stronger myself! It’s exciting!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “Y’know… You’re not a King!”

King Drasil: “What did you say?!”

Agumon: “The King of Digimon would know what the other Digimon want! And I want Boss to live! I like humans! You’re not my King!”

I kinda like Agumon’s point here! It’s similar to that “shouldn’t get to call himself a god!” speech of Masaru’s from episode 40 (which the dub actually kept intact). King or god, they don’t necessarily have to understand what their subjects want – but still, to be a good one, they should.

I am a little sad that because of that we lose Agumon being a fighty dork and talking about how he enjoys fighting and getting stronger with his Aniki, which gets shortened to a much less distinctive “I like humans”.

Gaomon: “Me, too! I am proud to be fighting alongside my master!”

~~~~~

Gaomon: “The King of Digimon should know that humans and Digimon fight best when they’re side by side!”

Gaomon in the dub makes this less personal to himself, not citing that he loves fighting with his mas – uhh, just Thomas I guess – which is less Dog of him.

Lalamon: “Me too! I love my human partner Yoshi!”

Lalamon’s platonic I-love-you is kept, though! Aww.

Falcomon: “I agree! Keenan is my closest friend!”

Oh wow, Falcomon’s voice was especially yikes in his line here. Apparently indignant insistence is not a tone that works well in that accent. He somehow managed to make this sound obnoxious.

King Drasil: “You speak treason!”

Uhh. I mean, I guess disagreeing with the King of Digimon might count as Digimon treason, if King Drasil decides it does?

Masaru: “What should we do? What should we do to stop Yggdrasil? Dad!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “He’s too strong! Whadda we do now?!”

Though Marcus still looks to his dad, I miss the fact that Masaru actively called out to him to solve this situation like his bestest strongest dad obviously could.

BanchouLeomon/Suguru: “There will come a time in a man’s life when he must accomplish something at the risk of his life. Now is that time.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon/Spencer: “Comes a time… when a man must risk his life to keep a promise he made to his friends. Now’s that time.”

This… isn’t keeping a promise he made to his friends, though? What promise? When? What friends, even? His only friend he’s been with for the past ten years has been BanchoLeomon, mostly. And the only promise he might have made would have been to do with harmony between humans and Digimon, which is not what this sacrifice is about so much as just saving the human world. That whole part’s out of nowhere. In the original, this was just about how sometimes there are things that are important enough to risk dying for – it didn’t need to be more specific than that.

I guess we finally have Spencer himself citing manliness. Doesn’t really hit much when this is literally the first time he’s done so.

Masaru: “Dad…!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Dad, no…!”

Just pointing out some more lip-flap stuff, thanks to “Dad” being two syllables in Japanese.

BanchouLeomon: “You’re coming with me to the bottom of Hell.”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “Consider your rule… overthrown!”

Yeah, I didn’t expect the dub to be willing to talk about Hell. I suppose this works fine as an alternate badass one-liner, though it’s a bit of a shame that it doesn’t contain Spencer implicitly admitting that he’s also going to die with this.

BanchouLeomon: “Now, Masaru! Destroy my body along with Yggdrasil!”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “Now, Marcus! Use your DNA Charge! Destroy the two of us, now!”

It’s not really going to be Marcus’s DNA Charge doing this? I mean, technically, indirectly, but. Bit of a weird way to phrase it.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain about the “destroy” this time because the original also used that word, but to be fair, it flowed a little better in the original, since Suguru was talking about destroying his body, aka the vessel that Yggdrasil’s inhabiting. Here in the dub it’s just yet another find-and-replace for “kill”.

The BGM here is just some general tense dramatic music, nothing like Believer, and there’s no particular musical cue on the moment where Marcus has that shocked, negative-colours face in response to this, so that doesn’t have as much impact.

BanchouLeomon: “Do it! You’re a man!”

Masaru: “But…!”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon: “Do it! It’s the only way! You have to!”

Marcus: “But…!”

BanchoLeomon: “No buts! DO IT!”

We can’t have the manliness here, so this loses a bit of nuance – Suguru invokes Masaru’s manliness because that ought to make him strong enough to do this, and should mean that he knows that sometimes you have to make awful sacrifices like this for the greater good. Instead we get Spencer kinda just… yelling at him a lot.

Masaru: “Dad…!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “But, Dad…!”

More “Dad” lip-flap, I don’t know why I feel the need to highlight every single one of these, but I do.

YO, they’re actually using the Burst Mode music for this, even though it’s not literally Burst Mode? I appreciate that! It makes it feel extra-momentous, as it ought to.

Marcus’s delivery of his more subdued “DNA Charge… Overdrive!” is pretty good, too. There’s a kind of desperation in that last word that I enjoy a lot.

Yggdrasil: “Let go! You’ll die, too, if you stay like this!”

~~~~~

King Drasil: “Let go! Why would you possibly want to sacrifice yourself for a human?!”

Uhh, King Drasil? He literally is a human, half of him – the half that’s clearly in control right now. Get with the program, come on.

BanchouLeomon/Suguru: “When we revealed to them who we really were… We were already prepared for death!”

~~~~~

BanchoLeomon/Spencer: “You said if I ever told this secret, you would destroy Spencer’s body. We’re gonna make sure you keep your word.”

Kind of a badass way to frame that – like, maybe all of a sudden King Drasil might want to conveniently back out of that threat, now that it’s in danger. Whoops, too bad, they’re making it happen anyway.

Okay, I was going to comment on how the evolution BGM inevitably gives a completely different tone to this compared to the haunting Burst Mode piece in the original. But the dubbers clearly knew that, because it cuts out completely to silence and then a much sadder piece as Marcus has flashbacks to his time with his dad. It’s a bit weirdly abrupt, but then, that’s what you get when you insist on using the evolution BGM literally every single time somebody evolves, and it’s probably better than having the painful flashbacks over amped-up battle hype music.

The flashbacks also have the actual voiced lines, while they were silent in the original. Oh no, can’t have anybody moving their mouth but not speaking, not ever.

Masaru: “Dad… Dad…!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Oh, Dad… Please, no…”

More “Dad” lip-flap creativity, I enjoy this, Marcus’s voice acting is a good.

The evolution BGM fades back in as he finds the strength to have ShineGreymon attack, huh. There’s a part of the Burst Mode version that has a bunch of rising notes to increase tension which actually works quite well in conjunction with Spencer and BanchoLeomon’s final thanks and Marcus’s desperate scream.

Chika: “Dad…”

~~~~~

Kristy: “Daddy…?”

Speaking of “Dad” lip-flap, I guess the simpler option works for Kristy, because she’s younger. It’s actually kinda cute that she’d think of him by that name in this moment when she’s somehow sensing him probably dying.

Hmm, okay, that Royal Knight who had some lines earlier in the episode definitely was Gallantmon, because his voice is similarly deep here. I’m not sure I remember it being quite that deep in his previous episodes, but I don’t know if that’s my memory being off or his voice actor forgetting how he voiced him before.

Falcomon: “We defeated Yggdrasil…”

~~~~~

Falcomon: “I don’t believe it… King Drasil has been… defeated…”

In the original, Falcomon was amazed and relieved, but in the dub, Falcomon somehow sounds like he’s devastated about this. As if he cared at all in any way about King Drasil, just because it’s the King of his world? Most Digimon weren’t even sure if it existed!

Overall differences

Overall the episode’s reasonably similar, but there’s a few things that stick out.

This episode casually establishes that Marcus’s age is sixteen, except that earlier episodes in the series already established that he was fourteen if you pieced things together. Meaning that Marcus is just simultaneously fourteen and sixteen throughout the series depending on which episode you use for reference. And so is Thomas, because all we hear about his age is that it’s the same as Marcus’s. Welp.

Spencer and BanchoLeomon’s meeting has a bit less of that bombastic over-the-top banchou dorkiness to it, because the dub is terrible at localising both manliness and the concept of a banchou. Manly principles are a pretty important notion in the original episode in general, with how Suguru stakes his life based on them and is conflicted at wanting to go against them for Masaru’s sake – meanwhile, most of the framing of this being about being a Man is lost in the dub. …Except for in a few lines where it suddenly randomly isn’t? Only, because there’s been almost no manliness anywhere else, for the entire series, those lines are just kind of out of nowhere and don’t hit as well.

The part near the end where they discuss Yggdrasil’s motives was changed (probably on purpose because it’s such a huge difference?) into this whole thing where King Drasil apparently took on Suguru’s body because it wanted to see things through human eyes. Based on the way it’s presented, it seems like we’re supposed to believe that King Drasil was serious and genuine about attempting this, which makes very little sense, because it did literally nothing while in that body that would actually help it to understand humans. It’s just bizarre and out of nowhere and did not need to be added.

King Drasil also goes on about how humans are violent and warlike within their own world, which should really be none of its business and have nothing to do with its reasons for wanting them gone. This leads to an utterly ridiculous line from Keenan about how some humans – implicitly, his parents – are working to “end violence forever”. What even.

For that matter, King Drasil’s own voice sounding different in the dub qualifies as a significant change. In the original, Yggdrasil’s voice was androgynous and sounded calm and theoretically reasonable, but King Drasil’s deeper masculine one just blatantly screams VILLAIN, which inescapably changes the effect of every line it has in that voice.

#digimon #digimon savers #digimon data squad

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commentaryvorg · 2 years

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Digimon Savers Commentary Episode 46 - Bombshell! The Truth About BanchouLeomon

In this episode, we hear Suguru’s story: how he befriended BanchouLeomon, and how he staked his life to protect humanity from Yggdrasil’s wrath. In the present, Suguru – and Masaru – make a huge sacrifice to try and stop Yggdrasil.

No recap this episode! I guess they’ve got a lot to get through here. Though, again, I am a little sad that we don’t get to hear what the recap narrator makes of last episode’s dad complex extravaganza.

Instead, we open on Mt Fuji, in a scene that happened chronologically a little bit before the end of last episode where BanchouLeomon showed up at Yggdrasil’s tree. Here he’s still holding the worlds apart. Craniummon’s there, along with Chika and Garudamon.

Craniummon: “I… have always been troubled. I incessantly pondered over whether Yggdrasil’s way of justice was true or not.”

Craniummon has indeed been thinking for himself this whole time beneath the surface! It just took Masaru breaking his shield, apparently, for him to accept that he ought to do that and finally start acting of his own free will.

Craniummon: “But… You must have wanted to tell me such thoughts were wrong, Daimon Suguru.”

I would hope that what he means by this is that Suguru wanted to tell him that there’s no point pondering over it because it should be obvious that Yggdrasil’s way was never “justice”. Otherwise, trying to tell Craniummon that he was wrong to have second thoughts about his god’s orders feels… kinda counter-productive.

Garudamon and Chika stare in surprise upon hearing that this lion man is actually Chika’s dad.

Craniummon: “Your daughter should be able to tell… by looking at this man who loved the Digital World and wished for peace between the Digimon and humans more than anyone else…”

Chika’s staring with this look of sort of shocked longing, as she processes the fact that the father she’s been waiting for for so long is right there in front of her, but sacrificing himself. It is appropriate that Craniummon brings up Suguru wishing for peace between the two worlds, because Chika was the first person other than him to argue that the two species shouldn’t be fighting!

(Question, though – how on earth does Craniummon know that Chika is Suguru’s daughter? As far as he knows, she’s just some random human partnered with some random Digimon who got the wrong end of the stick and tried to fight him. I don’t think there’s any possible way he should be able to know who this is from his position. …But, shush, it took me a very long time to even notice this plot hole, it’s not a huge deal.)

Craniummon punches the solidified Digisoul to shatter it and moves in to catch the falling mountain as BanchouLeomon collapses in exhaustion.

BanchouLeomon: “Craniummon! You… Why?!”

Craniummon: “I wanted to try believing once more… in the infinite possibilities that humans and Digimon can create together!”

This is very reminiscent of Mercurimon! He’d also forged a bond with Suguru once upon a time, forgot about that bond after the atrocities of the humans (read: Kurata), and then was inspired to try believing in it again thanks to the actions of Masaru and his friends. Seems like Craniummon also believed in Suguru quite strongly once upon a time, and now does again. He called BanchouLeomon his friend last episode, but maybe he was actually referring to Suguru, or, indeed, both of them.

Craniummon tells Suguru to hurry to Yggdrasil, evidently figuring he’ll have more chance of getting through to the god than Craniummon himself would.

And with that, it’s a pretty early opening. I showed this shot once before when this opening first started, just to explain why it had to be held off until so late into the series (spoiling some kind of link between Suguru and BanchouLeomon). Now that we’ve fully uncovered that link and are spending an episode on it, time to talk about this shot in more detail.

Turns out this may not just be showing Suguru and BanchouLeomon. It might be more like Suguru himself (as BanchouLeomon) on the left, and “Suguru”, meaning Yggdrasil in his body, on the right. Then of course there’s Masaru in the middle, caught between these two versions of his dad, not looking in the greatest mood about it, with his pendant rotating around behind him. It’s a great shot. My one nitpick about it is that it does not accompany either of the “I believed in it! It’s my soul” lines in the song that are obviously also about Masaru’s dad complex, which, like, why would you not take that opportunity, opening animators, come on.

Anyway, back to Yggdrasil’s tree, where we left off at the end of last episode as BanchouLeomon – or rather, Suguru – just dropped the bombshell on Masaru.

Masaru: “Don’t give me that crap! Who the hell will believe that?!”

Masaru, despite having been given a much better answer for his dad’s identity than that he’s a genocidal god, is still being the most straightforward about it. No, BanchouLeomon doesn’t look like his dad, so obviously he can’t be his dad, what kind of nonsense would that be?!

BanchouLeomon: “When you were a little boy, you fell off the monkey bars and hit your head.”

Remember how Masaru mentioned this incident in episode 20, in order to argue that he could remember something that happened to him ten years ago? Yep, it’s because his dad was involved all right.

Masaru puts a hand to his head where his scar must be, almost defensively, upon hearing this, like he’s hurt and shocked to realise that this banchou lion Digimon he only met recently somehow knows about a memory so personal and important to him.

Masaru: “How do you know…?”

BanchouLeomon: “Have you forgotten? I was the one who carried you all the way to the hospital.”

Of course Masaru hasn’t forgotten that. He continues to stare at BanchouLeomon, realising that the only way he could know that is if this really is his dad. He flashes back to himself as a little kid, whimpering from the pain of his head injury, as his dad carries him along. No wonder that memory stuck with Masaru; he was hurting and vulnerable, but his dad was there, big and warm and strong, protecting him and keeping him safe. And…

Suguru: “It’s all right! It’s not a deep cut! If you’re a man, then bear with it!”

Little Masaru looks up at his dad in surprise at these words, and then continues grimacing, with just slightly less whimpering. He wants to make his dad proud and be a Man, so badly, so he’s going to try his absolute best.

“If you’re a man, then bear with it.” Masaru remembered those words of his dad – probably one of the few things he remembers about the concept of manliness that’s actually from his dad and not just made up from what he thinks his dad might say. He must have clung to that like nothing else, once his dad disappeared and he had to deal with the pain and grief of his absence. He might not have known how to cope at first, but one way or another, he had to bear with it, by becoming the Masaru we know and love today. This is a very important line.

(And, okay, it might be just little bit toxic masculinity. But I like to think Suguru didn’t quite mean it that way – that it’s not that men shouldn’t show or feel pain at all, but that they should bear with the pain. It doesn’t seem like Masaru internalised it in as toxic a way as he could have done, either, because he’s not completely averse to showing weakness or pain, and he doesn’t ever seem to think that doing so makes him less of a Man. But this probably does have a lot to do with Masaru’s stubbornly optimistic defence mechanism of never properly acknowledging the possibility of bad things ever.)

Masaru: “You’re lying… That can’t…”

Masaru still isn’t quite able to accept it, despite having been given proof, and still despite how this is so much better than the alternative! I guess his straightforwardness is still in play, or perhaps it’s the shock of having had such a deeply personal dad-related memory brought up by someone his mind is still instinctively registering in the Not His Dad category. Perhaps he’s just having trouble reconciling every encounter he’s had with BanchouLeomon up until now with the fact that it was actually his dad all along and he never knew. That’s a lot to re-process.

(Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that, if BanchouLeomon was his dad, why on earth did he hide it from him for so long? Something sneaky and underhanded like that isn’t what a man would do, is it…?)

BanchouLeomon: “A BANCHOU NEVER LIES!”

Masaru flinches in shock at the booming dad sternness. Perhaps something about this is familiar to him, from long ago.

BanchouLeomon: “Am I wrong, Masaru?”

Suguru drops the sternness and shifts into the fond dad smile. He must know his son would feel the same way about this idea. And, of course, though Suguru wasn’t there to hear it, Masaru did insist that a banchou never lies back in episode 30, when they’d only recently met BanchouLeomon! These two manly dorks both think alike, as you’d expect.

(Does Suguru really never lie, though? He’s had to be pretty deceptive towards them quite a few times while hiding his identity as BanchouLeomon, hasn’t he. It certainly makes sense that he’d be someone who’d want to never lie, in theory, so he can’t have been a huge fan of that at all.)

They’re interrupted by the rest of the DATS crew having made it to the top of the tree. I wonder if they got up here so relatively quickly because they used their partners for transport, but if they did, they all devolved as soon as they finished doing that. Regardless, it’s a good thing they’re also all here to hear the upcoming exposition about what’s been going on with Suguru.

Lalamon: “BanchouLeomon?!”

Gaomon: “He’s alive?”

BanchouLeomon: “I won’t die that easily. That’s because this body has two lives dwelling within it.”

It’s a little odd that having two consciousnesses in the same body would apparently make it harder to kill, but I suppose we might be able to connect this to the tangible power of human emotions and human-Digimon connections in some way.

Suguru starts telling his story, and here’s where we get the subbers’ note that explains that he uses watashi while BanchouLeomon uses ore for their “I” pronouns in Japanese, making it sometimes possible to distinguish which one’s talking.

BanchouLeomon: [narrating] “Along the way, we came across each other, as though we were destined to meet.”

He’s talking about how he met with BanchouLeomon on his journey to find Yggdrasil, but it’s interesting that he seems to think there was some kind of destiny at play here. Maybe this was in the sense that he and BanchouLeomon were always sort of connected and destined to be each other’s partners, just like what seems to have happened with the others whose partners arrived in the human world as eggs? Or perhaps Suguru’s just being manly and dramatic about it; that’s also very possible.

(This line is bound to be Suguru speaking. I’m going to continue to tag everything said in BanchouLeomon’s voice as BanchouLeomon like I’ve been doing this whole time, but unless it’s actually said within a flashback, it’s probably Suguru, just bear with me here. Consistency, dammit. Why does this series have so many characters hanging out in other characters’ bodies to make this difficult for me.)

(…You know what, I’m going to include those tags whenever he’s narrating, that’ll help. There.)

BanchouLeomon: “You’ve got guts stepping into my territory without notice.”

BanchouLeomon is such a banchou. This human’s on his turf, how dare he, that demands a fight, obviously! I’m sure Masaru can relate.

Suguru: “I apologise for my rudeness.”

Suguru, meanwhile, is a lot less of a banchou on the surface. He’s being so polite about it! He explains that he’s looking for Yggdrasil and tries to walk past BanchouLeomon, but…

BanchouLeomon: “A banchou or a god… Who is greater?”

Oh my god, this ridiculous banchou dork. (And yet, I can still imagine this as being the kind of attitude Masaru might also take.)

Suguru doesn’t even answer the question. BanchouLeomon just grins at him, evidently itching for a fight, and Suguru seems to pick up on that same spirit.

BanchouLeomon: [narrating] “A battle between men has no need for a reason. We simply fire up our fighting spirits as we mutually display our fierce pride.”

Suguru may have been more polite on the surface, but he’s also an equally manly dork, as we know, and he is also very down to just have a good fight to test their strength against each other. Just like another pair of dorks we know!

As they throw a punch at each other and their fists meet, the volcano in the background dramatically erupts, just to punctuate it. I cannot help but wonder if this is truly how it happened – or maybe we’re seeing this scene as it’s being built up in Masaru’s imagination, and he imagined the eruption happening just because listen you guys my dad fought BanchouLeomon that’s so COOL and then a VOLCANO erupted just as they PUNCHED to show how AWESOME they are!!!! Because I kinda low-key headcanon that that’s why that’s there.

Later, as the volcano smokes and the sun sets, Suguru and BanchouLeomon are lying side by side, worn out from their fight, neither of them the victor nor the loser.

Suguru: “Well fought…”

BanchouLeomon: “You threw some pretty good punches yourself…”

This is exactly word-for-word the exchange that Masaru and Agumon had after their fight back in episode 1! I told you to take note of that way back when for a reason. The only difference here is that the lines have been switched between the human and the Digimon – which is perhaps fitting, since this time it’s the human who was intruding on the Digimon’s turf, and not the other way around. This is an adorable parallel and I love it. Of course Masaru’s dad would have met and befriended his Digimon partner in the same way that Masaru did.

The setting sun is also the same as that scene in episode 1 with Masaru and Agumon, for that matter! And they follow up those lines by introducing themselves to each other, just like Agumon did (men don’t need to know each other’s names during their fight, after all!).

BanchouLeomon: “I’m a banchou. BanchouLeomon.”

Suguru: “A banchou, huh? No wonder you’re so strong.”

As if you didn’t already know he was a banchou before the fight, given the way he led into it, Suguru, come on. Also, just look at him. Perhaps this is Suguru snarking at the obviousness of it in a low-key way that goes over BanchouLeomon’s head. Still, he does genuinely believe that that’s a reason for him to be strong, because we know he’s just as much of a dork about this sort of thing as Masaru is.

They shake hands, even though BanchouLeomon’s hand is at least twice as big as Suguru’s.

BanchouLeomon: [narrating] “And that’s how we completely hit it off with each other.”

I love the enthusiastic way he phrases this. They didn’t just meet, or become friends, they completely hit it off. Damn right they did, those dorks.

Masaru’s got this adorable excited smile as he listens to the story of his dad befriending his Digimon partner. No doubt he’s thinking about himself and Agumon and how similar their friendship is.

Masaru: “Wait a second! What does that have to do with…?”

BanchouLeomon: “MASARU! LISTEN UNTIL SOMEONE FINISHES TALKING!”

Suguru breaks out the booming dad sternness again as Masaru continues to try and be straightforward about this. Some instinct in Masaru’s head clearly finds this familiar enough for him to behave himself and continue to listen. (His dad is the most important person after all; of course he’s got to behave when he gets told off by him.)

Suguru goes on to narrate about how he continued searching for Yggdrasil, now with BanchouLeomon as his travelling companion, but that it seemed almost impossible. Yggdrasil was so elusive and only spoken of in rumours and maybe didn’t even exist, as far as they knew.

Suguru doesn’t mention it, but during this time, a lot of stuff must have happened that we already know about. For one thing, this has to be when Suguru invented Digivices, now that he had his own partnership with a Digimon that he could use, to experiment with that bond and with Digisoul and start developing the technology.

This also means that he must have popped back to visit Mercurimon, if nothing else but to give him a Digivice for Ikuto, like we saw him do. Like I said back in episode 24/25, that one part of the flashback must have happened later than the parts where Mercurimon first told him to go and search for Yggdrasil. Perhaps there were a number of visits he made to Mercurimon to catch up and try and ask for more info on Yggdrasil. Maybe BanchouLeomon was also there and also got to know Mercurimon? We never see any indication that the two knew each other, but then Mercurimon was dead by the time BanchouLeomon first showed up in the series, so.

Presumably, DATS was also founded sometime around this time! At the very least, the part where DATS received blueprints for Digivices has to have happened after Suguru met BanchouLeomon, though it’s possible that Satsuma and Yushima were fighting with Kudamon and Kamemon without Digivices for a little while before then, perhaps.

(It’s still pretty fun how Kudamon must have come to Suguru to offer to go to the Digital World as an ambassador while secretly being a spy for Yggdrasil. And all the while Suguru was searching for Yggdrasil and had no idea he’d just made an agreement with one of the god’s very servants.)

So anyway, eventually, what must have been quite a few years later, Suguru and BanchouLeomon were wandering aimlessly through a desert (you know, that thing you do in the Digital World when you don’t have a plot to guide you) when Craniummon appeared before them, in a whirlwind, for drama points. The Royal Knights are all so extra.

Craniummon: “Are you the ones searching for Yggdrasil?”

Evidently – as Kudamon’s sneakery proves – Yggdrasil knew that this human was searching for it long before it decided to make itself known. Though Craniummon doesn’t quite say as much here, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was also sent to meet Suguru as a kind of test, to see if this human was worth granting an audience with in the first place. Surely it wouldn’t have taken so long for one of the Royal Knights to seek out this human who’s apparently been all over the place looking for their god, unless they were deliberately avoiding him until Yggdrasil gave Craniummon orders to approach.

Craniummon: “I am the most faithful of the Royal Knights who serve under Yggdrasil, Craniummon!”

I’m sure all the Royal Knights say that about themselves, Craniummon. Also, fun irony, considering that Craniummon’s going to end up being only the second Royal Knight to think for himself and turn against Yggdrasil.

Upon hearing that this is a Royal Knight, one of Yggdrasil’s servants, Suguru and BanchouLeomon look at each other and burst out laughing. Not because they’re mocking him, but because they’re relieved and happy to hear evidence that this thing they’ve been fruitlessly searching for for years actually exists. Man, that must have been a stressful, exhausting search. (And it certainly proves that, Kudamon aside, the other Royal Knights kept well away from them the entire time.)

Suguru: “Please! Take us to Yggdrasil!”

Craniummon: “Absurd! You believe Yggdrasil will allow an audience with a lowly human like you?!”

Well, apparently Yggdrasil must have been at least considering it on some level, or it wouldn’t have even asked Craniummon to show himself to them. But of course Craniummon’s got to approach this with the usual Royal Knight pompousness.

It’s telling, too, that Yggdrasil apparently considers humans lowly – and, keep in mind, this is before any of Kurata’s atrocities happened, so its prejudice isn’t even coming from that. Though it’s apparently willing to give them at least a bit of a chance, perhaps after hearing how persistent Suguru has been in his search, it seems it just… doesn’t like humans, in general.

Suguru bristles at the insult, but then BanchouLeomon steps forward to vouch for his friend, perhaps knowing that Craniummon will be more likely to listen to a Digimon’s view on this.

BanchouLeomon: “Humans have the power of emotions within them which we Digimon do not have!”

Which presumably isn’t to say that Digimon don’t have emotions – of course they do – but just that their emotions don’t carry the power of Digisoul like human emotions do.

BanchouLeomon: “When a Digimon becomes united with a human’s emotions, unlimited potential can be born!”

There it is again: that idea of infinite potential. Craniummon challenged Masaru to prove it to him by breaking his shield, but it turns out it wasn’t Masaru who first put that idea in his head – it was Suguru and his partner!

BanchouLeomon and Suguru both stare determinedly at Craniummon, and he relents enough to summon his spear and challenge them to prove their potential to him. Much like he did with Masaru!

Suguru responds by pulling out his Digivice and making BanchouLeomon go Burst Mode. It’s a little awkward that Suguru’s partner already being Ultimate-level when they met means that there’s relatively little Suguru’s Digisoul can do to power him up further. Sure, Burst Mode is impressive and apparently quite rare – perhaps it never usually happens without human input at all – but it’d be even more impressive if Craniummon saw Suguru evolve a Digimon all the way from Child level up to Ultimate level first. That’s showing potential.

(Given the natural evolution level of his partner, all of Suguru’s experiments on Digisoul and how it causes Digimon evolution… must have only been done at Burst Mode level…? It feels like that would give him incomplete data on exactly how it works, since Burst Mode’s a bit different anyway. I wonder if he somehow found a way to experiment with lower-level evolutions, too. Perhaps through being sent data by Satsuma and Yushima at DATS.)

(Also, time to talk about why I could be sure back in the previous arc that whatever reason BanchouLeomon – and Suguru – knew that Burst Mode misuse causes self-destruction couldn’t possibly be because it’d happened to them. If it had, BanchouLeomon would have turned into an egg, and then he’d have remembered Suguru when he hatched because of their friendship – which would mean that he would have known it’d be possible for Agumon to remember Masaru, too.)

Anyway, without a fancy evolution animation because he’s not important enough for one, BanchouLeomon goes Burst Mode, which is really more like BanchouLeomon ON FIRE MODE. He delivers one fierce burning punch to Craniummon’s spear and knocks it out of his hands… and that’s it. That doesn’t actually seem as impressive as it’s supposed to be. I like to imagine that maybe their fight was really more drawn-out than this, to give BanchouLeomon and Suguru a chance to really meaningfully impress Craniummon the way Masaru did, and we just don’t see it happen that way because this episode’s got too much other stuff to fit into it.

Still, this apparently-impressive feat surprised not only Craniummon, but also Yggdrasil, who was paying attention to all this. (Again with how I’m pretty sure Yggdrasil put Craniummon up to this.) The ground begins to shake.

Yggdrasil: “That was splendid, human.”

Suguru: “It’s inside my head…”

Yggdrasil’s natural voice, when it’s not speaking through Suguru’s body, is an androgynous kind of voice that doesn’t have a physical sound so much as it just echoes through everyone’s minds, apparently. And it hasn’t shown any signs of a physical form, yet it was able to watch this encounter. Mercurimon’s words about how Yggdrasil is “everywhere and yet nowhere” may not have been so inaccurate. It is a god, after all.

Yggdrasil: “I never imagined that human emotions could boost the power of a Digimon to this extent. This has far surpassed my expectations.”

…So long as we imagine that “to this extent” was a little more impressive than just “a little bit more powerful than the already ridiculously powerful Ultimate-level, to the point of being able to punch a weapon out of another Ultimate-level’s hands”. But perhaps Yggdrasil’s godlike powers allow it to measure and sense just exactly how much more powerful BanchouLeomon’s Burst Mode was. At the very least, I doubt it expected anything of the sort from a “lowly human”.

As Yggdrasil speaks, a sapling sprouts from the ground, quickly growing into a massive tree. This is the same World Tree that they’re at in the present day; it didn’t exist until this point! Locating Yggdrasil in the present is a lot easier, because all you need is someone who can tell you to go find the giant tree, but Suguru didn’t have any kind of pointer like that at all. It really was everywhere and yet nowhere, until just now.

Craniummon: “This is the first time Yggdrasil has presented himself publicly!”

The tree isn’t precisely Yggdrasil itself, I don’t think, but it’s something like an extension of it and its powers. It is pretty impressive that Suguru’s display of strength caused Yggdrasil to decide to give itself more of a physical anchor in the Digital World, when it felt quite content to be an incorporeal non-interfering consciousness until then.

In the present, Suguru narrates that things should have gone well from there, leading to the forging of harmony between Digimon and humans like he wanted… except that right then, with the worst possible timing, Kurata happened.

We get a couple of very brief flashback shots to the first massacre, proving exactly how you should do recaps: only brief shots are needed to remind us of the thing that happened! We don’t need to practically watch it happen again!

As soon as this happened, Suguru was seized and thrown into some sort of makeshift prison cell inside Yggdrasil’s tree. Even though the god must know full well that Suguru himself had nothing to do with Kurata’s attack, the attack was carried out by humans, and Suguru’s a human, so how dare he come here waxing lyrical about harmony between humans and Digimon.

(Hmm, you know, I’ve never really thought about this until now, but I wonder… was this timing truly just a coincidence? Yggdrasil apparently sent Craniummon to approach Suguru in order to test him and give humans a chance, and it says it was deeply impressed by the power of Digisoul. But I wonder – with its omniscience about everything in the Digital World, did it know that Kurata’s massacre was just about to start? Could it have timed it this way on purpose, to use Kurata’s actions against Suguru, and silence any sense of advocacy for humans he might have otherwise seemed to have?)

Craniummon: “Yggdrasil has commanded us to wreak vengeance against the human world.”

See – right after Kurata’s first massacre, Yggdrasil already wanted to do this, just like it’s doing in the present. Things never needed to get to the point of the two worlds colliding and this apparently being the only way to save the Digital World for Yggdrasil to want humanity gone.

Suguru pleads with him to stop the attack, and insists that humans and Digimon can still become friends. Craniummon counters that that’s not possible now, because of the hatred that Digimon have for humans after what’s just happened.

BanchouLeomon: “Answering hatred with hatred only creates more hatred. Why can’t you realise that? […] If we don’t break the chain of hatred at some point, there will be no future for both humans and Digimon!”

Wise words from BanchouLeomon! He’s here to vouch for his friend, but he’s taking a somewhat more pragmatic approach than Suguru’s fervent insistence on human and Digimon friendship, which is perhaps slightly more likely to work on Craniummon, given his current mood.

Craniummon: “Then… That means we Digimon are the only ones who must endure the anguish! Can you dare repeat those words to the ones who have lost their beloved companions forever?!”

It is unfair for the Digimon, but also, revenge is bad and won’t actually bring those lost Digimon back. And it’s especially bad to wreak “vengeance” upon a human race who were 99.9999999% completely uninvolved with Kurata’s massacre anyway, come on. I wonder if Yggdrasil’s account of the attack twisted the facts slightly to give Craniummon the impression that it was most of humanity who want Digimon dead, and not just one single human with a few lackeys.

Suguru: “Please! Have faith in humanity just one more time! I promise that this tragedy will never happen again! I bet my life on it!”

Aww, Suguru. I wonder if they told him that the attack was carried out by Kurata, his old assistant? Even if they didn’t, perhaps he can figure out as much. But even then, he has faith that his other comrades from the expedition, like Yushima and Satsuma, would have picked up on this happening and be able to take measures to stop it ever happening again. Kurata was a cowardly exception, but Suguru truly believes that most humans are so much better than this, to the point that he’s willing to stake his life on that belief.

And of course, this is also him staking his life simply to protect humanity, as this is the only way he can think of to get Yggdrasil to call off its attack.

Craniummon: “Your life?”

BanchouLeomon: “Believe him.”

Suguru: “BanchouLeomon!”

BanchouLeomon: “This man will never lie.”

BanchouLeomon’s putting in a good word for his friend, which Suguru even seems somewhat surprised by. Of course he would, Suguru; he doesn’t trust you any less just because Kurata’s decided to be an asshole!

And yes: a Man such as Suguru would never lie, never make a promise he doesn’t intend to follow through on. If he says he bets his life, that means he is 100% willing to give up his life should he turn out to be wrong. (Right?)

Yggdrasil, still just a disembodied voice around some floating crystals, decides to trust Suguru’s word, and holds off on its attack.

So, when Yggdrasil claimed back in episode 39 that, after Kurata’s first massacre, it continued to watch over the humans to be certain they were truly despicable? It was glossing over a pretty big piece of the picture there! It only decided to do that at all because of Suguru, because Suguru begged it to reconsider and swore on his life that humans could be better, and that made it willing to give them one more chance.

(Or maybe, Yggdrasil isn’t actually reconsidering at all, but it realises that with Suguru’s vow, most of its Royal Knights would likely feel more hesitant to attack the human world now. So it’s playing the long game and waiting for things to escalate more, so that it can manipulate them into thoroughly agreeing.)

In order to make sure he’s keeping his word and is willing to die if he should be wrong, Suguru was kept in that prison in Yggdrasil’s tree for the entire time since then. So, from that point on at least, he genuinely couldn’t return to the human world or contact DATS or his family in any way, for a very important reason. Masaru’s not entirely wrong to have believed that his dad would only not have come home for all that time because he was unable to.

This also means that Mercurimon never saw Suguru again after the day of Kurata’s first massacre and never knew why, which would not have helped with his belief that this was Suguru betraying him, as I talked about back then.

Several years would have passed between this and the next part we’re about to be shown, throughout which Suguru would have just been stuck in prison without much to do. I imagine that BanchouLeomon came to visit him a lot to keep him company, and also that Craniummon was the primary Royal Knight responsible for guarding him. Craniummon did call BanchouLeomon and/or Suguru his friend, which is likely to have developed over years of hanging out at Suguru’s prison cell and coming to respect them both.

But then, of course, despite Suguru’s fervent promise, Kurata struck again and murdered Mercurimon. (We get another satisfyingly brief recap clip to remind us of that.) Now we’ve caught up to stuff that was happening concurrently with the series, behind the scenes.

Suguru: “Damn it! What are Chief Yushima and Satsuma-kun doing?!”

Suguru really must have been counting on them to keep Kurata in line. Alas, stuck in his cell in the Digital World without any understanding of the situation back in the human world (even if you knew, there’d be nothing you could do), he’d have no idea of all the political powerplays that were going on over there that prevented Satsuma and Yushima from doing anything to stop it. Heck, they weren’t even aware of Kurata’s first massacre until way too late.

(Also, a brief little insight that it seems like Satsuma must be younger than Suguru, considering the lower-status honorific Suguru uses for him. Satsuma did always seem to have a lot of respect for Suguru.)

Craniummon: “I’ve heard another disturbing rumour. Your son, Daimon Masaru, is here in the Digital World.”

Suguru: “What?”

Craniummon: “It appears he came chasing after a man named Kurata…”

This puts these events we’re watching right now between the end of episode 27, in which the DATS team made it to the Digital World again to chase Kurata, and the beginning of episode 28, in which BanchouLeomon showed up in front of them, at which point Suguru would have been inside his head. I said there must have been a lot of offscreen wandering in between those two episodes; this is why.

Craniummon: “…but he is utterly powerless against him.”

Suguru: “Let me out of here right now!”

Hearing that Masaru’s here in the Digital World, in danger, fighting an enemy too strong for him to manage, Suguru forgets about everything else and grabs hold of the twisted branches that he has for cell bars in desperation. He has to go and protect his son. What a good dad.

And, though Masaru’s grown pretty strong and capable of protecting himself by now and has a Digimon partner by his side, remember that Suguru wouldn’t realise that! He last saw Masaru when he was only a four year old boy, and he must still instinctively think of his son as that little kid who needs protecting.

BanchouLeomon, however, reminds Suguru that he can’t leave. He placed his life on his promise that this wouldn’t happen again, and he was wrong – which means he has to die.

BanchouLeomon: “A man must keep his promises!”

And Suguru should know that, right? These are his manly principles, just as much as or even more than they’re BanchouLeomon’s.

Suguru: “A man doesn’t… go back on his word…”

At any other time, Suguru would no doubt be more willing to do this – to keep his man’s promise, even though that means forfeiting his life. If he didn’t, that’d be like proving himself to be some sneaky underhanded coward who never actually meant what he said when he made that promise years ago. That’s Not What A Man Does. But…

Suguru falls to his knees, pounding the ground with his fists in anguish.

Suguru: “Masaru… Masaru! Masaru!!!”

…if he does the manly thing and keeps his word, he’s never going to see his son again. His son, who might be in danger, who might need his protection, whom Suguru just wants to get to be a dad to after all this time, and raise him, and watch him grow up…!

If Craniummon hadn’t reminded him of his son by telling him Masaru’s here in the Digital World, maybe Suguru would have been able to push that aside and do the Manly Thing without hesitating. But now that he knows, all he can think about as he’s going to die is Masaru.

(What a good dad!!! Look at how Masaru’s just as important to him as he is to Masaru, and even more important than his principles of manliness. Aaaaa. I have a lot of Feelings about this moment.)

We cut to Suguru’s execution. He stands, blindfolded, hands tied behind his back, a tiny figure on that giant podium in the chamber at the top of the tree as all of the Royal Knights tower around him. (Well, all of them that we’ve seen in Savers except obviously Sleipmon, and also Duftmon, who I guess really does like to work alone.)

Dukemon: “Do you have any last words?”

Suguru: “I don’t want to die.”

Aaaa, Suguru. All of the Royal Knights react with shock as they hear him come out with this. He’s about to be killed because he promised he’d do this; they were no doubt expecting his last words to be some kind of honourable final statement of his convictions. Suguru himself must know that’s the kind of thing he ought to be saying. But he can’t think about anything except the fact that he doesn’t want this.

Suguru: “I want to make Masaru… I want to make my son into a fine young man, so I can’t die until then.”

It’s not even necessarily about protecting Masaru – it’s even more about Suguru wanting to raise him and finally be a dad to him and watch him grow up into a full-fledged Man! By “fine young man”, he’s using that same Japanese phrase that was subbed as “grown man” in the flashback where he gave his pendant to Masaru, and as “full-fledged individual” when Masaru met Agumon. He just desperately wants to get to be part of making Masaru into the person he is.

(Oh, Suguru. You already are, so much more than you know.)

Craniummon: “You dare to make those words your last at your dying hour? If you’re a man, then don’t make such unsightly utterances!”

Suguru grimaces at this, at the thought that he’s failing to be a Man in his final moments. All of his principles still matter to him an awful lot, enough that he hates to be breaking them, but… Masaru matters to him even more.

(Really, though, Craniummon, I think it’s plenty manly of him to care about raising his son! Perhaps it’s because Digimon don’t do the parents thing that Craniummon doesn’t quite get this and thinks this is just cowardly unmanly nonsense. …Though I’m sure Suguru must have talked about his son plenty during their prison visit chats. We know he talked about Masaru to Mercurimon in their very first conversation.)

Before the Royal Knights can execute Suguru, BanchouLeomon leaps onto the podium to stand beside his friend and block their path.

Craniummon: “Does this mean you are betraying the Digimon and siding with the humans?!”

BanchouLeomon totally is, as it happens, but he doesn’t want to let on about that.

BanchouLeomon: “I would merely like to, as his friend, send him personally to the other world.”

This is a believable excuse for why he’s doing this, even as it’s kind of heartbreaking – the idea that, if Suguru’s going to die no matter what, he’d prefer to be killed by the hand of someone he trusts. Aww, but also ouch. That’s some friendship.

BanchouLeomon: “Forgive me.”

With this – I love that he feels the need to say this, they are friends – BanchouLeomon punches Suguru in the stomach, powerfully enough that energy erupts out through his body from the force of it. As an Ultimate-level Digimon, of course he can kill a human in a single attack.

(Which goes to show that he must have been not drawing on his Digimon powers when he and Suguru befriended each other in that fight, in order to make it fair and even and not literally kill him with a single punch. Just like how Agumon didn’t use his fire breath against Masaru!)

As Suguru’s body collapses to the ground, BanchouLeomon fiercely addresses the god he knows is watching.

BanchouLeomon: “This man believed in the future of humans and Digimon, and gave us his life! In honour of this man’s passion, desist from your attack on the human world!”

It seems like BanchouLeomon had got wind that Yggdrasil was, again, planning to wreak vengeance on the human world in retribution for Kurata’s crimes. Not even to stop Kurata, apparently, who is currently murdering his way through countless Digimon villages, but just to kill all of the other humans back in their own world who evidently don’t have anything to do with this. Yeah, those, uh, sure are some priorities Yggdrasil has.

Yggdrasil doesn’t say a word, but the crystals above the group glow and then fade, as if in acknowledgement. Once again, Suguru’s sheer manly passion and willingness to give his life was enough to give Yggdrasil second thoughts and allow it to give humanity another chance. Or so it would seem on the surface, at least – again, I suspect that Yggdrasil may be thinking more about how its Royal Knights would feel if it attacked the human world now despite Suguru’s sacrifice and has decided once more to wait for things to escalate just a little further.

Later, the Royal Knights have left the chamber, and BanchouLeomon kneels by Suguru’s side.

BanchouLeomon: “Forgive me, Suguru. This was the only thing I could do to save you.”

Suguru’s mortally wounded, dying, but not quite dead yet. This is why BanchouLeomon stepped in to kill his friend himself – because he knew that he could make sure to do so in a way that gave him just enough time for this last resort.

BanchouLeomon: “Entrust your life to me.”

Suguru: “My… life…?”

BanchouLeomon: “Become one with me. That’s the only way to fool Yggdrasil’s eyes.”

That’s why Suguru’s been in BanchouLeomon’s head this whole time – because it was the only way BanchouLeomon could think of to keep his friend alive and safe when he was supposed to be dead. What a good friend, to be willing to share his body with his buddy just like that, in order to protect him.

(There’s a little problem here that he’s overlooked, though. Yggdrasil doesn’t exactly have eyes to fool, does it?)

BanchouLeomon: “By uniting with me, you can also watch over your son, Masaru, in the shadows.”

Perhaps, under other circumstances, BanchouLeomon wouldn’t have done this. He understood how important it was for Suguru to keep his man’s promise and submit to this execution honourably. But then he saw his friend’s anguish at not being able to see his son again, and he must have figured… that is even more important, actually.

Suguru agrees to this offer without any hesitation. It may not be the honourable manly thing to fake one’s execution, or to hide one’s identity, but at this point, he doesn’t even care next to his overwhelming desperation to keep being Masaru’s dad in at least some small way.

They clasp hands around Suguru’s Digivice, which glows with energy, and I guess somehow that transfers Suguru’s soul into BanchouLeomon’s body. This is not entirely unlike what Kurata did with Belphemon, I guess, just with actual consent on the Digimon’s part this time.

(I suppose this does beg the question of how BanchouLeomon knew such a thing was possible. Maybe it’s something Suguru discovered and studied the theory of during all of his time studying Digisoul and human-Digimon bonds?)

Masaru: “Then… You’re really… You’re really my dad?!”

Back in the present, having reached the part of the story that explains how Suguru’s soul ended up in BanchouLeomon’s body, Masaru is staring at him in renewed shock. Finally, straightforward as he is, he can properly accept it, now that he’s been told how.

Suguru breaks into the fond dad smile again with his friend’s lion face.

BanchouLeomon: “You’ve sure grown big, Masaru.”

He steps forward and ruffles Masaru’s hair, and just for a moment Masaru’s a little kid again, feeling the physical affection from his dad that he’s missed for so long, and it’s adorable. How desperately must Suguru have wanted to do this, to just get to actually treat Masaru like his son for the entire time he’s been around him as BanchouLeomon, aaaa.

But it only lasts a moment before Masaru pushes his hand away.

Masaru: “Why?! Why did you keep quiet about such an important thing until now? Dad!”

This is not the first time Masaru’s tried to ask his dad something to the effect of “why didn’t you tell me you were safe?”, oh man. It must be especially hard to know that throughout all his encounters with BanchouLeomon, his dad was right there, but he was hiding, lying to Masaru about his identity. That kind of underhanded thing isn’t what a man does! It doesn’t make sense that his dad would do that, does it?

Suguru replies that he couldn’t tell Masaru his identity, and he goes back into narrating the rest of what happened after he merged with BanchouLeomon, in order to explain why.

BanchouLeomon: “Now you are inside of me.”

Suguru: (Let’s go. We have to stop Kurata.)

BanchouLeomon: “Yeah.”

Here’s a brief little illustration of the fact that whoever’s not in control can still communicate telepathically with the other, as you’d expect when they’re hanging out in the same head.

Yggdrasil: “I won’t let that happen.”

BanchouLeomon: “Yggdrasil!”

Yggdrasil: “You are both fools for thinking you could deceive a god.”

They… kind of are? BanchouLeomon talked about fooling Yggdrasil’s “eyes”, but… Yggdrasil’s pretty much omniscient, actually. It’s just a floating omnipresent consciousness; of course it’s going to notice if they do a body-swap.

It doesn’t seem like Yggdrasil is willing to also kill BanchouLeomon in order to get rid of Suguru properly – perhaps it’s worried the Royal Knights might take issue with that. Instead, to deal with them a different way, it takes control of Suguru’s body.

Yggdrasil: “I have now taken this body hostage.”

BanchouLeomon: “What?!”

Yggdrasil: “If you ever tell anyone about your true identities, or directly involve yourselves in battle, I shall destroy this body at once.”

That’s why BanchouLeomon always stood around without actually helping, and why Suguru kept his presence a secret.

And, so, listen. This does in theory make perfectly good sense as a reason for it, but that reason is presented wrong in these lines. It doesn’t fit for Suguru’s body to be held hostage when Suguru had already been executed. He knew his human body was dead anyway! He’d accepted that when he merged with BanchouLeomon! You can’t exactly threaten somebody with losing something they’d already gone and lost.

What this actually is, which I wish had been presented this way better, is not a threat, but a bribe. Yggdrasil has restored Suguru’s body to normal working order, because it’s a god and it can do that. What it’s really saying by inhabiting the body and waving its functionalness in front of their faces like this is, “if you behave and do as I say, I might let you have this body back once this is all over”. Suguru might just be able to get to live with his son and wife and daughter again and return to his normal family life, which he thought he’d sacrificed for good, if only he complies.

Yggdrasil already knows that Suguru’s willing to betray his manly principles, the principles that were supposed to be so important to him, for the sake of his son. Or, well, maybe it doesn’t quite understand the family part of that, because that’s a weird human thing, but at least it realises on some level that Suguru doesn’t want to die for some particular reason, so it’s hoping that giving him a chance at his life back will be enough to make him comply and stay out of things.

And so, of course he did. Of course Suguru hid his identity, and refused to directly help fight Kurata and save Digimon lives, even though that’s very decidedly Not What A Man Does… all for the chance of just maybe getting to live with his family again, in his own human body, once this is all over. Even though he believed he was willing to make that sacrifice for the sake of protecting harmony between humans and Digimon, when it comes right down to it… of course he doesn’t want to lose that, not if he can avoid it.

Gotsumon: “Why… Why would Yggdrasil do that?”

Tohma: “It’s a trial from God. Yggdrasil wanted to test them! It was all to determine whether or not we humans were a positive existence to the Digimon!”

Yoshino: “That’s too selfish of him!”

Lalamon: “That’s right! Does that mean he doesn’t care if masses of humans and Digimon get hurt in the process?!”

Yggdrasil: “Exactly.”

So this exchange is interesting. It doesn’t appear that Gotsumon’s “why” is referring to “why did Yggdrasil take Suguru’s body”, because then Lalamon’s comment doesn’t make any sense. So what’s actually being discussed here is, “why did Yggdrasil tell BanchouLeomon and Suguru to stay out of the fight, even though they could have helped save lives?”

Tohma’s answer may be somewhat close to the truth – this idea that it wanted to test to see if other humans were worthwhile allies to Digimon, while removing from the equation the one human it saw as a potential outlier.

But I also suspect that Lalamon’s comment, and Yggdrasil’s agreement with it, really gets to the heart of this. That Yggdrasil didn’t care how many humans and Digimon got hurt as a result of it choosing to let Kurata’s attempted genocide play out. That, really, it was just waiting for an inevitable disaster like the dimensional catastrophe we’re in right now, to give it the ultimate excuse to destroy all of humanity that no Royal Knight would ever question. Can’t have Suguru and BanchouLeomon helping fight Kurata when they might do such a good job of it that they stop things escalating this far.

This was Yggdrasil speaking again, for the first time in the present this episode. Either it took that long for it to regain the strength of its borrowed human body, or perhaps it was willing to let the others indulge in some backstory exposition? Not sure. But now, it blasts its way out of the rubble it was buried under and stands up.

We get some shots of the chaos in the human world as it says this, making it clear that it’s talking about humanity in general. And, Yggdrasil, what the heck else did you expect them to do? How can the vast, vast majority of humans reflect on “errors” that they didn’t even know existed? It’s still weaving a narrative to make humans sound bad that does not actually hold up to logical scrutiny.

But also note how it’s not even really bothering to argue that humans are a threat to Digimon any more. It just thinks they’re… stupid? As if that’s why they should all die?

Ikuto: “There are plenty of people who are working hard to protect the worlds from this disaster!”

By “plenty of people”, he’s referring to his human parents and Satsuma, who are still working on trying to fix the barrier. Which is a whole, uh, three people. Still, to be fair, that is a pretty big proportion of the humans who actually even understand what’s happening, so!

Yggdrasil, still insistent on getting its way, shoots a blast of energy out of Suguru’s hand at the group, who all dive out of the way.

Yggdrasil: “Humans are unnecessary. That is what I, Yggdrasil, the God of the Digital World, have concluded!”

Yep; it wants humanity gone simply because they’re unnecessary to it. Like Tohma mused last episode – since humans don’t belong in the Digital World, it’s like Yggdrasil sees them as a virus. This has nothing to do with getting rid of them because it’s the only way to stop the collision. It’s not even bothering to try and make it about that any more. (Perhaps because there are no Royal Knights in earshot.)

Masaru: “Like hell we’d accept that self-centred decision of yours!”

Hah, you tell it, Masaru. Now that he knows this thing isn’t and never was his dad, he’s right back to being delightfully Masaru at it – of course Yggdrasil deciding the fate of an entire species just based on its own whims is ridiculously self-centred of it.

Yoshino: “He’s right! You can’t get away with everything just because you’re a god!”

Yggdrasil: “Silence! All who defy me deserve to die!”

Yggdrasil seems quite pissed off at having people actually talk back to it! It’s really not used to that, is it, being usually surrounded by nothing but yes-men in the form of the Royal Knights.

Agumon: “You don’t know anything!”

Yggdrasil: “What?”

Agumon: “I have fun being with Aniki! I like fighting strong guys and getting stronger myself! It’s exciting!”

Aww, Agumon, look at him standing up for his human friend! I like that this seems to be a rebuttal to Yggdrasil’s silent assumption that, as the God of the Digital World, what it’s decided must obviously be best for Digimon – but no, of course it isn’t! Of course the Digimon themselves have something to say about that!

The intro to Believer starts up here, incidentally, giving this bit a nice triumphant sort of mood even though it’s not a fight yet.

Gaomon: “Me, too! I am proud to be fighting alongside my master!”

Aww, Gaomon, what a good dog, of course he’s proud of that.

Lalamon: “Me, too! I love Yoshino!”

Lalamon giving a platonic I-love-you towards Yoshino! That’s always adorable.

Falcomon: “Me, too! Ikuto is precious to me!”

And Falcomon, of course, best birb friend. All of the Digimon’s human partners all seem touched by their friends’ words. Did you know that FRIENDS, because clearly Yggdrasil didn’t.

Agumon: “Digimon and humans can appreciate each other!”

With this firm insistence, Agumon shoots a Baby Flame at one of Yggdrasil’s energy blasts, which dissipates pathetically against it, but it’s an adorably Masaru-like sentiment for him to have tried anyway. The blast sends the group diving to the ground again (Masaru lands with an arm protectively around Ikuto, which is cute). Only BanchouLeomon is still standing.

Masaru: “What should we do? What should we do to stop Yggdrasil? Dad!”

I love how Masaru instinctively turns to his dad for the solution to this situation. His dad’s the bestest strongest ever, after all – Masaru’s never stopped feeling that way. If anyone knows how to get them through this, it must be him.

His dad gives him a pained smile.

BanchouLeomon/Suguru: “There will come a time in a man’s life when he must accomplish something at the risk of his life. Now is that time.”

BanchouLeomon’s image is overlaid with one of Suguru, and Suguru’s voice, as he says this, reflecting the fact that Masaru knows full well it’s his dad speaking here. Suguru must have previously felt that the time to risk his life for something important enough had come, back when he vowed the massacre would never happen again – but this time, it really is it.

Masaru: “Dad?”

Masaru just reacts with confusion, not at all wanting to properly process what those words must mean, as his dad turns his back to him to face Yggdrasil.

BanchouLeomon: “Masaru! Take care of Mom and Chika.”

Oh boy. Now that’s a goodbye if Masaru ever heard one. (It’s very fitting that that’s the goodbye Suguru would give him, trusting Masaru to look after the family and be the dad to them in his place – just like he’s always been trying to do this whole time!) This moment’s also neatly underlined by Believer shifting from its intro section into its main riff.

Masaru stares in shock, still not quite willing to process what’s about to happen, as his dad strides towards Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil fires blasts of energy at him, but Suguru’s simply grimaces slightly with his lion face, refusing to let the pain stop him, and keeps approaching. Yggdrasil shifts to firing blasts with both hands, seemingly putting as much force into it as it can; Suguru roars in exertion and makes it close enough to trap his own possessed body in a huge bear hug. (Lion hug?)

BanchouLeomon: “You’re coming with me to the bottom of Hell.”

Damn, Suguru. Sounds like he’s been pretty low-key pissed off at Yggdrasil and waiting to be able to get one over on it for quite a while now.

BanchouLeomon: “Now, Masaru! Destroy my body along with Yggdrasil!”

Yeahhh, Masaru’s not stoked about that plan! Not only is this the first moment he’s unable to run away from the fact that this is very definitely his dad sacrificing himself, it also turns out that he’s got to be the one to pull the metaphorical trigger. I love this shot of his shocked expression, in negative colours to really sell the impact of it, and exquisitely punctuated by the… orchestral hits? Is that the right musical term? that form Believer’s dramatic lead-in to the chorus.

Masaru: “No way! I can’t do that!”

BanchouLeomon: “Do it! You’re a man!”

Masaru: “But…!”

Aaaaa, Masaru. Of course he doesn’t want to do that to his dad! But… it is what needs to be done here, to defeat Yggdrasil. It is the sort of thing a Man needs to do at a time like this, to make such a huge sacrifice for the sake of the greater good. Masaru knows that, but… still…!

(Technically Masaru doesn’t have to be the one to kill his dad and Yggdrasil here. It could really be any of the team’s evolved partners to do it. But in this situation, since the sacrifice being made is Masaru’s dad, it’s only fair that Masaru needs to be able to make himself okay with this happening. If someone else just went and killed his dad against his will, that’d be horribly cruel, more so than pushing him into being able to accept this himself. That’s what Suguru wants, and why he’s asking his own son to kill him.)

Masaru and Suguru look at each other for a lingering moment, Masaru anguished and hesitant, Suguru unwavering and determined.

BanchouLeomon: “Please. Masaru! NOW!”

Masaru: “Dad…”

Masaru grimaces, trying so hard to force himself into being able to do this for his dad’s sake, and then roars in anguish and flares up with a blazing Digisoul, right in time with the Believer! at the end of the song’s chorus. Yet another instance in which he’s managed it without needing a punch first – if ever he’d be able to fire up those emotions without that psychological trigger, it’d be now.

Masaru: “Digisoul Charge… Overdrive!”

A detail I extremely enjoy here is that, for the only time ever, we do not get the stock footage for the Digisoul Charge. It’s animated uniquely here in a rather more subdued way, without the dramatic spin-around they all usually do, and also voiced differently – note the lack of exclamation mark after the Charge. Masaru is forcing himself to find the strength to do this, but he cannot get eager and excited about it like he usually does. Of course he can’t.

(Agumon’s evolution animation into ShineGreymon is still the same, though.)

The BGM switches from Believer to Burst Mode, that momentous, haunting choral piece, which is very fitting for this moment (even though there’s no actual Burst Mode involved at all).

Yggdrasil is still trapped in BanchouLeomon’s arms, unable to get free.

Yggdrasil: “You’ll die too, if you stay like this!”

BanchouLeomon/Suguru: “When we revealed to them who we really were… We were already prepared for death!”

Indeed, Yggdrasil essentially threatened them with the death of Suguru’s human body – for real this time – if they ever revealed their identities. They must have already known that doing this would be a last resort, only if they were willing to make that sacrifice.

Perhaps Suguru’s more ready to die this time than he was last time, now that he’s actually gotten to see his son again, see how much stronger he’s grown and be able to help him along that path. And perhaps it also feels a lot more right to be dying for a purpose, helping to save the world from the worst possible crisis, rather than simply because he promised he would for no actual gain.

BanchouLeomon/Suguru: “Now, shoot! Masaru!”

Masaru’s still staring in anguish, fighting to make himself able to do this. He flashes back to the day his father left, when he played catch and gave him the pendant; then to BanchouLeomon smiling at him after their training to reach Ultimate-level, which Masaru now realises was his dad being so proud of him. It’s almost unbearable to think that his dad’s going to be gone, for good this time, after all the effort Masaru went through to find him again…!

Masaru: “Dad… Dad…! DAD!!!”

With yet another delightfully agonised series of expressions, Masaru finally manages to work up the courage to do this, screaming his dad’s name. Of course, he’s not even the one doing the deed – but ShineGreymon glances at him just briefly, at that last desperate scream, before firing the attack. I think ShineGreymon was able to sense that his aniki had finally completely found the mental resolve to do this, and only fired once that was the case.

BanchouLeomon/Suguru: “Thank you… Masaru…”

Suguru (and BanchouLeomon) takes the attack with a serene smile on his face, so proud of his son for having found the strength to do this.

Masaru: “DAD!!!”

Masaru… is very far from serene about any of this. He’s just screaming in emotional agony, tears in his eyes, barely able to take it. I want to give this kid a hug, he is so strong and brave. Masaruuuuuu.

The force of the blast shakes the entire tree they’re inside. Back in the human world, Chika seems to somehow be able to sense what just happened to her father. The rest of the Royal Knights, too, can somehow feel that their god has just been dealt a very devastating blow.

This includes Dukemon and Sleipmon, who it turns out aren’t actually dead after all. Sleipmon froze them together in a block of ice at the end of episode 41, but they’re still alive, slowly sinking towards the bottom of the ocean.

Sleipmon: “Did you feel that?”

Dukemon: “Yes. Yggdrasil has fallen.”

Sleipmon: “Now you understand. God is not absolute.”

Dukemon: “Yes… But… it appears I’ve realised that too late.”

Saying that Yggdrasil has fallen is a bit of an overstatement, because, ha ha, about that. But at the very least, this has apparently proven that it’s not invincible. Good on Sleipmon for trying to use this moment to persuade Dukemon towards his point of view, like he was always wanting to do in the first place. Maybe the Royal Knights shouldn’t just be mindlessly following their god, huh? Though it’s a bit much that it takes their god being physically vulnerable, rather than morally reprehensible, for Dukemon to start considering that.

In the Digital World, the entire giant tree is in flames and falling apart. It seems like ShineGreymon must have grabbed everyone and flown them out of there to safety before the fire took hold.

Masaru: “Dad…”

Masaru, of course, is still shaken by this. Of course he is.

Ikuto: “Let’s go home… To the human world.”

Ikuto says this with a sad, sympathetic look towards Masaru. If anyone does, he understands how Masaru’s feeling right now. He’s also lost his father and yet had to move on and keep fighting with barely any time to grieve.

Tohma, too, gently reminds Masaru that their fight isn’t over yet.

Masaru: “Yeah. Let’s go, ShineGre—!”

In Masaru’s expression, you can see the exact moment he manages to push his grief aside and focus on what needs to be done, forcing some of that usual upbeat determination back into himself. This kid is so damn resilient.

But before they can do that, a huge shape emerges from the burning wreckage as Yggdrasil threatens them, now with its own androgynous voice. Whoops, Suguru’s body wasn’t Yggdrasil’s real body. Of course it wasn’t.

Suguru and BanchouLeomon should have thought about that before pulling their sacrifice, because, ouch. I imagine they assumed that by putting itself into a human body, Yggdrasil had made itself vulnerable – but they were wrong. Turns out you can’t kill a god that easily, actually.

Overall thoughts

Another really long commentary as a sign of a good episode! Apparently big flashback backstory episodes do that to me.

Oh my god, look at Suguru and BanchouLeomon being such ridiculous banchou dorks in their friendship, as Suguru and his Digimon partner were always going to be, I love them. And I especially love the deliberate parallels drawn with Masaru and Agumon, of course they did that, it’s great. Plus some very adorable father-son moments between Masaru and Suguru, finally, now that Suguru’s not hiding his identity and Masaru actually knows this is his dad. Even if he’s a lion.

I really love that, in this most Suguru-focused episode, we get to see plenty of him not only being a manly dork but also being human and fallible and conflicted, in stark contrast to Masaru’s idealised perfect image of him we’ve had in mind for most of the series. In particular, I love he wanted to do the Honourable Manly Thing and keep his promise to stake his life on his word, but when it came right down to it, he couldn’t – because of Masaru. It’s not that his principles aren’t important to him; of course they are, we see that. It’s that Masaru is even more important to him than any of that. What a good dad. And that’s why he’s been hiding himself as BanchouLeomon all this time, even though such deception is an underhanded thing that Isn’t What A Man Does – for the chance of being able to get his family life back at the end of it all. Of course he would.

Then of course I cannot help but be fond of the incredible Masaru Being Not Okay-ness of the climax in which he has to be the one to kill his dad in order to (supposedly) defeat Yggdrasil, aaa. Masaruuuuu.

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[Dub comparison]

#digimon #digimon savers #suguru daimon #banchouleomon #yggdrasil #craniummon #masaru daimon #masaru's dad complex

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