We all know the fact that Naruhodou (Wright) passed the bar exam to get the opportunity to face Mitsurugi (Edgeworth) in court.
This is all, as it seems at first glance, naive, a little retrospective, selfish, romantic, and so on. However, no matter how clinging to the past Naruhodou may seem, is he really that loyal and forgiving to his old childhood friend?
Nothing like that. Nah. Not a chance.
When Mitsurugi is first mentioned by Detective Itonoko in an office conversation in the Turnabout Sisters (jp. 逆転姉妹), we are given two answer options - first: Of course i don't know him, second: Of course, I know him.
If we choose the first option, the detective will tell us a little backstory about the prodigy prosecutor and express the opinion that it is strange that Naruhodou hasn't heard about him. To which Naruhodou will answer that he simply feigned ignorance and will express his opinion about the prosecutor in an internal monologue.
If we choose the second option, Naruhodou will loudly share his immodest conclusions about Mitsurugi, which will displease the detective.
Even the beginning of the meeting is accompanied by Naruhodou’s thoughts that he must not relax and show weakness, otherwise Mitsurugi will swallow him alive.
From the very beginning, Naruhodou isn't in the mood to play on emotions and press on pity, instead preparing himself for the worst.
He understands that time spent together in childhood is not an argument or a reason to start a conversation.
The entire court hearing is accompanied by Naruhodou's evaluative comments about Mitsurugi - he curses him, out loud questions some of the actions of the prosecutor (updated autopsy report), calls and interrogates inconvenient witnesses for the prosecution (Mitsurugi doesn't want me to question the witness, but I don't care), answers him with the same barbs (Wasn't it you who told me "proof is everything"? Well, I was listening.), denounces the collusion of the prosecution with the witnesses, protests against the postponement of the hearings in order to prevent manipulation of the evidence, in general, by any means, unbalances Mitsurugi.
He is literally: Is there something you don’t like? I don't care.
In the next case - Turnabout Samurai (jp. 逆転のトノサマン), Detective Itonoko is angry at Naruhodou for upsetting the prosecutor, but his response is not remorseful: "Umm... so?"
During the first day of the hearing, Naruhodou literally laughs at the confrontation between the prosecution and his own witness ("Wow, old windbag has left even Mitsurugi speechless. She's good!" or "Mitsurugi found himself a worthy opponent"). He also sincerely doesn't understand why Mitsurugi’s behavior has changed, and he seems out of place, but he doesn't stop creating problems for the prosecution.
He doesn't soften towards him until the Turnabout Goodbyes (jp. 逆転、そしてサヨナラ), in which Mitsurugi becomes his client, and even later, when they begin to build a trusting relationship, Naruhodou does not make concessions for Mitsurugi and does not bend under his pressure.
So, Naruhodou did pass a very difficult exam to gain access to the courtroom, but he essentially created a hopeless situation for Mitsurugi. In the conditions of the court hearing, the prosecutor had no other chance than to listen to the arguments of the defense. Naruhodou may not have addressed Mitsurugi directly at first, saying that his ideology was terrible, but he did, proving with his words and actions right in the halls of the law that this is not how things are done and there is a limit to cruelty. He calmly used the letter of the law and jurisprudence - the language that Mitsurugi respects and lives by.
Defeat your opponent with his own weapon when you think he is wrong.
Naruhodou is a stubborn, purposeful, and quite strict person of character who lives without regrets, takes big risks, and doesn't allow himself to relax in any difficult situation.
He is gorgeous.
P.S. I don’t have some screenshots from the court and from the office because I don’t have the English version of the game, and in the video the author did not check all the options (I don’t blame the author, thank her for screenrecord)
this fic has my brain in a chokehold, save me.
an incomplete list of death note things i thought were just jokes until i found out they were canon:
the potato chip scene. how is that real.
apples
the whole “this is something only kira would do, on the other hand, if i don’t do it, he’ll definitely think i’m kira, but …” and “kira would never do that, unless he is kira, in which case he would do the opposite of what i know he would do, so that actually increases his likelihood …” dynamic that light and L have is not an exaggeration. they really do overthink everything to that degree
the thing that looks like a monster is more mentally stable than the normal human boy
light isn’t attracted to misa
jesse don't touch that that's the growth potion i've been synthesi-no jesse DON'T
221b dinner / An audience with you-know-who / Gregson's happy days / Sherlock's birthday
I love these two sm, I think they should kiss or something...
I for one think the symbiotic relationship between Tumblr and AO3 is beautiful
One of my favorite things in media is when writers give otherwise stoic, logical characters "silly" interests and hobbies.
Literally, Shu Takumi COOKED when he gave Miles Edgeworth his Steel Samurai hyperfixation.