the brothers crow

And so, with the resolution of today’s closing ceremonies, the school year has finally ended. I’ll be spending the next few weeks in the office, twiddling my thumbs and trying to be productive. I’ve already started writing a list of things I can do during this time:

Finish reading a few novels (less than half of Dark Tower VII left to go!)
Finish Japanese lessons
Finish some tax forms
Prepare English conversation class plans more than a day in advance
Write more entries in this blog
Write the great American novel
Look into various graduate programs and see if anything interests me
Look into various jobs and careers, seeing if anything seems worthwhile

Of course, I doubt that I’ll be nearly as productive as I can be. But I’m not one to let logic, reason and past precedent get in the way of optimism.

—

So I’ve long since given up on fantasy basketball, as I never really had a chance of remaining informed with my much busier work schedule. However, March Madness only really requires that you fill out a bracket. I didn’t put too much thought into it, but I managed to throw one together a few hours before the deadline for my Facebook competition with friends. I’m in serious trouble though, as six of my Sweet Sixteen picks were wrong. I may yet survive though, as Duke was the only team I got wrong which I had pegged to go further.

And for you unimaginative cowards who picked UCLA to win it all, I’ll have you know that I have them losing to Texas in the final four. If I’m right, I’m a genius. If I’m wrong, I’m simply an alumnus with an indomitable school spirit. Heck, this plan alone makes me a genius!

—

One more vidja game review: Apollo Justice, Ace Attorney (DS)

This is the fourth game in the Ace Attorney series of adventure games for the DS. A hilarious, well written (and translated) script allows the player to immerse themselves in the not-so-naturally-funny world of criminal law. Gameplay is identical to past games, with courtroom chapters interspersed with investigation chapters. The methods are the same as well, with evidence collection and contradiction hunting as familiar as it is often frustrating. Trust me—you really don’t know why the dead guy was pulling a noodle stand through the park in the middle of the night.

New additions to the series include forensic mini games, which were originally introduced in the bonus chapter of the first game’s DS remake. The system is much more fleshed out in this game, though I do sometimes feel as though it’s more gimmicky than necessary. I really like the perception system, however, and found it to be an excellent successor to the previous games’ methods of interrogation. Carefully observing and catching a person’s tells is far more plausible to me than a magical rock which lets you ‘break the locks’ on a person’s secrets. Realism aside, it was a much more natural process for me to uncover those subtle tells as well.

The story remains the strength of the game. Unraveling the mysteries of how each case and character is connected is satisfying as always, and this game lays the foundation for the next generation of games in the series. However, because the game is so linear, there is little replay value—this is also the case with the previous games, and is simple the nature of the game, as is the case with countless books and movies.

Never the less, it’s an easy recommendation for me to make. If you enjoyed the previous games (David, I’m looking at you), then you will almost certainly enjoy this one. Playtime is probably ten to twelve hours, if not more. That figure is highly dependant on your reading speed, of course, and how long it takes you to determine the right course of action in the courtroom.

—

And while this post is certainly long enough, I thought I’d use this as an opportunity to comment on a related subject.

The court system portrayed in the Ace Attorney games may seem unrealistic, but it is in fact very closely based on the Japanese criminal justice system. While there are plans to reinstitute trial by jury, Japanese criminal courts have not used juries since 1943. It is, in fact, judges who determine guilt or innocence. The conviction rate is abnormally high; 99.9% is often quoted, though I have not personally confirmed it with a source.

What’s more, it’s legally permissible for suspects to be detained for up to 23 days without being charged. During this period, their freedoms are extremely limited. The wikipedia entry on Daiyo Kangoku (代用監獄) is fairly detailed on this, and it explains the legal loopholes which allow police and prosecutors to do this with ease.

Sadly, the most unrealistic aspect of the Ace Attorney games’ portrayal of the justice system is arguably the fact that the defense attorney is even attempting to prove their client is innocent. Because defense attorneys often recommend that their client confess, the most spirited arguments come during sentencing, rather than the actual trial.

It’s a disturbing situation, one which is little discussed outside of Japan and law circles. And given Japanese police’s propensity for attributing crime to foreigners, it’s one you might want to keep in mind in case I disappear without a trace for, say… 23 days. Though I’d like to believe I won’t be so unlucky…