WebAnimation On a scale of 1-10, it's a 46 on the awesome meter
An advertisement was what initially caught my attention. I saw it on YouTube's new suggestion feature on a video, but didn't think much of it. Then a little later I was reading the YMMV page for "Games Ponies Play" and it mentioned the same video. I finally decided I really wanted to see what it was on seeing the actual concept outside a tiny thumbnail I didn't really look at and a title. The voice acting was a surprise; I hadn't expected it to be so good, truth be told (particularly the way several voices managed to be spot-on to the show, and the perfect, deadpan delivery of Phoenix's). The writing was even more of a surprise. It kept me guessing and everyone was very in-character, something that many fics lack or flanderize (and speaking as a fanficion writer myself, I'll tell you some of them are not easy to write with). Phoenix fits right in with the world, and paralleling my favourite case with a parallel to my favourite prosecutor certainly never hurt. The writing is witty and the original characters are every bit as likeable as the canon ones in both worlds. The attention to detail and the subtle clues along the way of what really happened are as good as, if not better, than many of the cases in the actual Ace Attorney series. The art is fun, and the backgrounds feel very natural in-universe to both Friendship is Magic and Ace Attorney. I love the dialogue, the consistent characterisation of everyone, and the way the writing was true to both universes. There wasn't a time when I wasn't looking forward to what was going to happen next or a time when I wasn't making the same sort of wild guesses I do when playing Ace Attorney games for the first time. And... I loved Phoenix's pun jokes, even if they couldn't get laughs in-universe, and that very heartwarming thing at the end, when Phoenix realises he did get something after all, certainly got me mauled by warm fuzzies. All-in-all, everything was very well done.
I ended up finishing with very, very little complaints, and what complaints I have are very small and both largely unavoidable and eclipsed by everything else. The only ones that didn't fit that description were the constant jokes about Phoenix's hair, and the overuse of the "failure" sound. Even those couldn't deter me from watching Turnabout Storm again and again.
WebAnimation Sterling Work
I have been with this series from the beginning, and two years later, it's completed. It started strong, and only got stronger as it went along. I cannot recommend it highly enough. The writing and dialogue are both very solid, and the author managed to remain true to the tone of two very different franchises, complete with a Phoenix Wright style ending and a letter to Princess Celestia. There is an Archive Binge ahead for new viewers, but it is worth it. Make certain to always watch until the end of each video. The Fan Dumb seems to have kiboshed the planned sequel, but one can hope that the author will reconsider.
If anyone involved ever sees this: I want to thank you for all of your hard work. It paid off beautifully, and everyone involved should be very proud.
WebAnimation A superb crossover
Turnabout Storm manages something a lot of crossovers fail to reach: Successfully joining two different universes without sacrificing each other's integrity. The series has all the elements one would expect from an Ace Attorney case, like the colorful characters, quirky humor, and a suspenseful mystery; all while staying very close to the idealistic heart of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, despite the moving force behind the story being such a foreign concept for it, both in and out of universe.
Visual and sound quality-wise, the series is rather rough around the edges. There are some animation and writting mistakes, and the recording quality is not the best (this is especially true for the first two episodes); but it compensates from that by creating a very well thought out story that's still aware of its bizarre concept, capable of investing viewers with humor, suspense, and well made interactions between these characters from different worlds.
Character-wise, canon characters are very true to their actual personalities, many of their actions being something one would expect from them in canon; and the Original Characters are well executed, and though some could have used a little more characterization, most of them manage to fit the tone of both series involved. The voice acting helps all the characters a lot, giving them personality that would not be translated very well in non-interactive text form, even if they are not always a perfect fit to their canon voices.
Due to its format, the series is rather slow paced, but it has a lot of elements that keeps interest and keeps scenes from dragging on, easing the long runtime significantly. That still doesn't deny the fact that it is a ~9 hours ride, so new viewers should pace themselves accordingly.
In conclusion, this series is highly recomended. Friendship is Magic and Ace Attorney fans will most likely find something that will catch their interest, even if they are unaware or indifferent to the other side of the crossover; and for people who just want to see how in heck do you make lawyers plus ponies work, chances are they will be pleasantly surprised too.
WebAnimation A literal Storm of Awesome
Wow. Just wow.
Turnabout Storm is an awesome project. The series started two years ago, and it's gone so far. After all the hurdles the authors went through, from revisions of the actual medium, numerous plot and voice issues, and Fan Dumb, the authors put forth a masterwork fan crossover.
Likable, well-developed, true-to-canon characters. Incredible (and incredibly lame) jokes and Fandom Nods. Near-professional level voicework. A plot that's beautiful, dramatic and suspenseful.
And of course, a heartwarming ending. Was there any other possible way?
Ace Attorney fans, bronies and pegasisters, fans of both or even fans of neither... Please, give Neo Artimus and crew a heartfelt round of applause for their work. Thank you. Thank you.
WebAnimation A surprisingly very good cross-over
Being a huge fan of both series (Ace Attorney and My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic), I was very curious to see what this cross-over would offer. And, gosh, was it a pleasant surprise ! Both univers meld together perfectly. The characterisation is very true to the original series, with brilliant Shout Out and accurate reactions from all characters involved. The authors pay close attention to details, and it shows. Though, there is some Flanderization here and there (Applejack, I'm looking at you), but it doesn't hurt the story in the slightest.
Said story is actually quite reminiscent of Ace Attorney cases (except, you know, with ponies), and even if you don't particurarly dig My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, chances are you'll get hooked by the quality of the writing, which is very spot on. Every Ace Attorney fan will try to resolve the mystery at hand, and if you're not familiar with My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, you'll definitly empathize with poor Phoenix as he discovers the strange rules of this universe.
Voices actors are doing a great job too, though the quality of some voices can vary (like Trixie's in Part 2, though the problem isn't the voice in itself but the sound recording, affecting greatly the quality).
Part 1, 2 and 3 (Phoenix) are incredibly enjoyable, though Part 3 Phoenix tends to drag a little. I burst out in laughter very often, and I can't wait for Part 3 (Twilight) and Part 4 to be released.
WebAnimation Very well done
Ok, first off, I haven't actually watched MLP:Fi M. But I am a HUGE fan of the AA series, and I can honestly say I found this awesome anyway. The writing and sense of humour mimics the style of the AA series very well (Phoenix's internal monologues and some of the Judge's lines in particular are things I could actually imagine them saying in canon) and the mystery is pretty intriguing so far.
Again, I haven't seen the show, but I found all the MLP characters to be very well-developed and likable, and I think the writer should be commended for this, that is, managing to make the characters interesting even to a non MLP fan. I couldn't help but notice some AA comparisons though, Pinkie as an assistant is basically Maya turned Up To Eleven, while Trixie's attitude as a prosecutor could be summed up as a cross between Franziska (pre-character development) and, though this will probably go over everyone's heads Yumihiko Ichiyanagi, but competent. It's great to see these little details AA fans will pick up on, and judging by the Shout Out page, there's plenty of references for MLP fans too.
The backgrounds and sprites are great, and the voice acting is very good overall. I was a bit iffy about Phoenix's at first, but it really grew on me, and he gets better every part. My only real gripes here are Spike in Part 3 sounding a little too much like Rainbow Dash (it's the same person who voiced her in Part 1, but one's a guy and one's a girl, there should be at least a slight difference...) and Edgeworth sounding like James from Team Rocket. (thankfully it was only a minor cameo)
One other issue, plot-wise, is that nothing much happens in Part 1. So much time needs to be spent explaining the world to Phoenix (and non-Brony viewers) that you don't really learn much about the actual crime until the trial, and even then it's only about halfway into that part that stuff really gets interesting. There's a pretty shocking twist at the end of that part (though if you're here chances are you know it already) but it's not until Part 3 that the mystery starts being unravelled.
But I'll admit, I just mentioned those flaws so people wouldn't accuse me of completely gushing over this fic. Seriously, as AA fan cases in general go, this one ranks very high, even if you're not a MLP fan.
WebAnimation Very, Very Promising
The concept is nifty, the visuals are very good, and the characters feel true to themselves so far. My only two niggles are that I wish some music from MLP would be used (but this is only the first part, so hopefully we'll get some later on), and that the voice acting is a bit uneven. I am looking forward to the next three installments.
WebAnimation Surprisingly clever, but overstays its welcome
I have never owned an Ace Attorney game, but I have watched My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. But this series is made to be accessible to even complete newcomers to both.
Don't let the insane setup turn you away; this bizarre fan coupling of criminal investigation and cutesy ponies is a surprisingly compelling idea. It uses the legal defense format of Ace Attorney and the fantasy aspects of the world of My Little Pony and its charming characters to tell a unique sort of mystery with many dramatic and hilarious twists and turns. If that sounds like something worth checking out, you won't be disappointed... mostly.
For its time, the implementation of art, animation, and voice actors may have been a nice touch, but today the visuals and sound are dated. There's lots of still images and little animation of mouth movement or anything else outside of the court room, and the voice acting is often too subdued. For the most part though, it's serviceable enough.
Since the series was written before the second season of Friendship Is Magic came out, it can't fully capitalize on the varied and sumptuous Fantasy Kitchen Sink the show is known for, so much of the material it uses is somewhat basic and bare-bones (not to mention meme-reliant). For instance, the story is set in one town, and the scene of the crime is just a forest. A forest that's unique in context for not being artificially manipulated, but still just a forest. And the entire series spends 6 hours on that one case. Then it goes "Haha, not actually over, part 5 of 4, sit tight for 2.5 more hours!" The case starts to feel like it's overstaying its welcome, and for me, the biggest offender of that was the prosecutor.
Trixie is the arrogant, condescending, revenge-driven, noisily voice acted showboat of a prosecutor, and since she sticks around for the entire series, her schtick gets old fast. Her "sympathetic" traits turn out to be either shallow or unexplained. There's not much cathartic comeuppance against her till the last part, and even then she essentially gets off scot-free, still haughty and unapologetic for her attitude. This might seem petty, but I honestly can't think of a fictional character that I personally found more hateable and Unintentionally Unsympathetic.
However, if those problems don't bother you, you may be impressed by this fan creation. Just be prepared to spend a long time watching it.