So moe for Makoto it's funny.
Gender: Male
Location: NC, NJ, MN
Rank: Ace Attorney
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:24 am
Posts: 2501
#1:
... and here's why.
Before I start, I’d like to say one thing:
GARGSSFDASDSTUPID FREAKIN’ FORUM
DELETING MY OLD RANT
RAWRRRRRGHHH WRYYYYYY!!!
…kay… I’m done.
SO.
Franziska / Adrian. My OTP (no, really?!)…
I’m going to preface this with something that really
should be common sense, but I should probably say anyway: this is simply my interpretation of how things are shown in the game. Obviously, this isn’t canon (though it should be dammit), and if you decide to like Franziska / Maya or Adrian / Will, I’ve obviously got no problem with that. This is simply how I see things, and why I find this coupling so compelling and intriguing. There’s also a bit of speculation, though I feel it’s supported by the games.
Right! Franziska von Karma.
Franziska became a prosecutor at the age of 13.
THIRTEEN. Not only is that absolutely unheard of (suspension of disbelief, lawl) but… it means that she’s not really had any sort of childhood. At all. Miles Edgeworth is seven years older than her (despite her seeing him as a little brother) and became a prosecutor when he was 20. So, they got into law at around the same time.
We can assume, therefore, that they started studying law at the same time. If Miles came to live with the von Karma household when he was 9, this means Franny was only 2 years old at the time. So, we can infer that Franziska started studying law by the time she was
four years old at the VERY latest.
Even just with this, it’s clear that she’s had absolutely no “childhood” to speak of. But also, when you’re raised under the cruel tutelage of Manfred von Karma? That only makes the situation worse. In many ways, Franziska is far more mature than an 18-year-old girl should be… she’s certainly intelligent, certainly clever, and despite flaws, a competent and driven prosecutor. In these respects, she’s older far beyond her years.
Emotionally, however? She’s horribly stunted. Franziska never had a chance to be a normal little girl. She never had the chance to have little grade-school crushes (even if her father would have sent her to a school, though I think it far more likely she was homeschooled), never had the chance to interact with
anyone who wasn’t Papa, Miles, a subordinate, or an “enemy” on any kind of emotional level.
I see Franziska as sorta classifying people she interacts with into two distinct categories: “subordinates,” and “enemies.” Obviously, the subordinates are the police and detectives under her command (sometimes witnesses), and she’s harsh and disciplinarian towards them. The “enemies” are the criminals, and the defense lawyers. It’s a very simple worldview, but it’s one that works—and there are only two exceptions: her father, and Miles Edgeworth.
Franziska is an emotional cripple. I don’t quite see Manfred as the “affectionate” type, and the interactions with subordinates and enemies are probably just laced with fear/anger/(and yes, some respect). The only person who’s ever shown her some sort of real affection is her “younger brother,” Miles—and while I think that the relationship between the two is by far one of the most adorable and amazing in the entire series, I can’t ever see it becoming anything more than brother and sister. Still, though, even Miles’ affection is… unique. With them, there’s undeniable love, but it’s a “tough love,” and one that forces Franziska to become better than herself.
Raised to the von Karma creed of total perfection, Franziska comes to America partially to prove herself against Phoenix Wright—the man who destroyed the perfect records of both her father and Miles… but also to find Miles. She doesn’t believe he’s dead, but believes he’s lost. He’s fallen from the true path… and like a good big sister, she’ll come and help him back to where he should be. Whipping him for his shame the entire way, of course. But she comes, certain that Miles
needs her help.After some time in America, though, things aren’t exactly going as Franziska had planned. Her own perfect record has been dashed to pieces… and what’s worse? She finds out that not only does Miles
not need her at all, but he’s found the “true” path. Franziska herself is on the road that will lead her to destruction, and she needs to be helped by Miles, instead of the other way around.
Franziska is an emotional cripple who has a strong desire to be needed, to feel important. Unfortunately for her, the person she thought needed her the most… doesn’t need her at all.
But there’s a new presence in the mix now.
Adrian Andrews is one of the most intricately developed characters that isn’t part of the “main cast,” and I love her dearly. She’s
easily one of my favorite characters, and quite interesting and fleshed out.
She’s fascinating, in part, because of her own crippling weakness—her dependency. She needs to have a source of strength in her life to function, to hold on to. I don’t quite see it as she needs to hang on them every moment of every day (and I’m fairly sure that’s not how actual dependency disorders work)… but she needs to have someone
there that she can rely on. As long as she has that source of strength, she can act mostly normally.
Two years prior to the trial of Matt Engarde, the woman who had been her strength killed herself. Adrian, in despair, unable to imagine life without Celeste, tried to follow her—and failed. So, she dedicated the next two years of her life to trying to… if not avenge Celeste per se, protect her memory, and prevent the last thing she may have left behind—her suicide note—from being used as just another piece of ammunition in the war between Matt and Juan.
It’s interesting to me that even though she needs such a person in her life so
desperately… she doesn’t just latch on to someone after Celeste is gone. Though it’s a crippling weakness of hers, she doesn’t seem to go for anybody else… until she meets Franziska. Franziska is another strong, efficient woman, whose determination and drive all but bowls Adrian over (as we get a brief glimpse of in Engarde’s hotel room during investigation).
Adrian trusts in Franziska’s words completely and utterly. Being accused of murder, having her darkest secrets revealed to the court and the public… she nevertheless clings to what Franziska had (foolishly) told her like it’s the absolute last thing she has. In some ways, it is. It isn’t until she realizes that in doing so, Matt Engarde will go free—and will not be punished for what he did to Celeste—that she finally acquiesces.
Luckily for her, Franziska saves the day—and though she’s sent to prison for tampering with the crime scene, it’s a whole lot better than being put on Death Row for the murder of Juan Corrida… especially given that Engarde finally faces justice for what he’s done.
In two whole years, Adrian hadn’t ‘latched on’ to anyone else… until Franziska. What makes Friska so special? Is it because she’s female? (‘cause Adrian is totally a lesbian what) Or does it just take a special force of character?
Meanwhile, we start to see Franziska, too, reacting to Adrian in a way that’s not very characteristic of her. Yes, she was going to use her like any other witness… but whether on her own or via talking to Miles Edgeworth, she comes to actually regret that. Before leaving to return to Germany, she tells Adrian to contact her if she needs to consult with her at all.
Now, on the surface, that seems like just a simple professional thing. Consult? She’s a lawyer. It’s part of what she does.
But this is the first time we see Franziska actually
reaching out to someone. She’s no longer treating Adrian like a subordinate, or an enemy. There are now three exceptions to the rule—Papa, Miles, and Adrian. Friska, in assuming responsibility for what she did to Adrian, interacts with her on a level that she doesn’t with anyone else.
So now, we see the two of them developing a certain “special” relationship with the other. Adrian accepts Franziska as her new source of strength, which she hasn’t done since Celeste in two years. Franziska reaches out to Adrian and
takes responsibility for what she’s done.
Even the little throwaway line in the GS3 credits hints that, at the very least, they’ve kept in touch. “Franziska came by to show me how to use her whip!” Ignoring the
blatant sexual innuendo :P … I can’t see Adrian as being all “Hey Fran, come by and teach me how to whip people?” Which to me, says that it was Franziska initiating the contact on her own—again, reaching out to Adrian in a way she doesn’t do with
anybody else.
Franziska is someone who has a strong desire to be needed. Adrian needs her—genuinely and powerfully. Adrian doesn’t need a prosecutor, like her job does. She doesn’t need a heir or another perfect von Karma, like Manfred did. It’s Franziska the
person whom she needs, and I think that this makes it all the more powerful.
Even factoring her disorder, I see Adrian as being far more experienced and mature when it comes to emotions (especially given how stunted Friska is in that regard). But what’s important…? She’s also capable of giving genuine love and affection. Which is another thing that has been sorely and painfully missing from Franziska’s life.
But, does this indicate romance?
Of course not. Up until this point, all that’s been shown is that there does exist a connection between the two of them, and there is development with both of their characters that is strongly tied into the other. But this could just be it, or it could just mean friendship. That, of course, is up to you, how you choose to see it.
I, however, choose to see it as something more. Obviously, or else I wouldn’t be writing this :P
What I find interesting in a potential romantic relationship between Franziska and Adrian… is how it doesn’t stem from their positive qualities or their strengths… but from their weaknesses. It’s Adrian’s dependency that causes her to need Franziska in the first place, and it’s Franziska’s emotional immaturity that causes her to want to be needed.
As a result? It’s a relationship that can, of course, go very,
very wrong. It’s balancing on the edge of the knife… and it’s certainly not out of the question for it to spiral out of control, and simply feed the weaknesses, ending up in a very unhealthy, unbalanced romance. That adds a certain sort of ‘danger’ to it, making it a bit exciting in a way.
But where it can go very wrong? It can also go
very right.
Because it’s a relationship that derives from their weaknesses, it says to me that they’re two unbalanced gyroscopes, spinning in opposite directions… but together, they balance each other out. From Franziska, Adrian gets a source of strength that she desperately needs in her life—but once she has it, she’s able to function like a normal human being, to have a good, happy life. From Adrian, Franziska gets deep, genuine, nigh-unconditional love and affection… which I think is something that she’s been needing most of all. I can’t ever see Franziska being “softened,” really, but I do see Adrian’s presence in her life as a potentially very helpful thing.
Franziska is immature, especially when it comes to relationships. Adrian, though, is patient, and is far more likely to actually take the time to work things out with her in the event of a fight.
I find that very compelling, because if the relationship goes right… it’s a very even emotional give and take, instead of being utterly lopsided. Both partners contribute something and get something on an emotional level… and ultimately, it benefits them both. Both of them can become happier, more balanced.
Yeah. That’s… pretty much it.
Also, it’s
ridiculously hot as hell. I mean…
DAMN!Other favorite pairings (no rants, sorry)
/ Penny
/ Neil
(Awesome sig art by Axl99!)
Last edited by CantFaketheFunk on Fri May 04, 2007 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.