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[convene]

Character Base

• Character Name: Ryunosuke Naruhodo
• Age: 23
• Canon (Date/Year Released)/Canon Point: Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (July 27, 2021) | Post Great Ace Attorney 2
• Items Coming Along: Katana (Karuma), arm band (designates status as lawyer), small felt rabbit dressed like Herlock Sholmes, archery arm brace, student uniform
• Content Warnings for Character: Themes of Death, Murder, Violence, Judicial Corruption, Racism

Character Background

• History: link
• Core Relationships: • Kazuma Asogi: Of Ryunosuke's core relationships, the one he has with Kazuma is potentially the most pivotal. Not only is he a close friend, but following Ryunosuke's first trial wherein he defends himself, he pushes Ryunosuke to realize the potential he has for law. It is that belief Kazuma has in him that causes Ryunosuke to take up Kazuma's "mission" to study law in London with the hopes of revolutionizing the system in Japan. For much of his time in London, Ryunosuke attributes his success to what Kazuma has taught him and for the steadfast support his friend had given before his "death". Ultimately, it is his desire to help Kazuma realize his goal of changing the justice system, and the unyielding pursuit of truth in the face of justice, that allows them to reveal the corruption at the core of that very system and sees him looking to return to Japan in order to "pave the way" for their dreamt revolution.

• Susato Mikotoba: Second to Kazuma is Susato Mikotoba. Serving as his judicial assistant, Susato helped guide much of Ryunosuke's earliest cases in London. It is her tutoring for the remaining 40 days of travel to London that allowed him to take on a case at all--and it is her exceptional memory and study of law theory that helped him call for a procedural review, one that helped him continually move cases in his favor. Her continued support helped Ryunosuke develop his own process as a lawyer and build confidence in his own abilities and knowledge in court. Her support was something he came to value both as a lawyer and as her friend, and it almost tempted Ryunosuke to selfishly ask her to join him on the return to Japan--until she herself made to choice to go on her own in order to continue working by his side.

• Barok van Zieks: As one of London's more renowned and infamous prosecutors, Barok Van Zeiks, the Reaper of the Bailey, was often Ryunosuke's match in the courtroom. Due to his own personal history and prejudices, Barok's disdain for the Japanese people runs deep and colors many of his early interactions with Ryunosuke. He's harsh and critical of the rookie lawyer's performance and apparent ignorance of court proceedings and norms. However, despite these hostilities, he comes to respect Ryunosuke and his passion to prove the truth behind cases rather than simply trying for an easy win. This respect ultimately comes into play when he comes to allow Ryunosuke to defend him in court, trusting him to pursue that same truth as he's seen him capable of in the past.

• Herlock Shlomes: Not to be confused with another infamous detective in English history, Herlock's eccentricities immediately caused Ryunosuke to have doubts about him. Their first encounter did not necessarily leave the best first impression, as Herlocks's initial deductions are not always on point--and this leads to Ryunosuke in handcuffs and once again accused of a murder he had no hand in. Despite his sometimes (read: often) outlandish deductions and methods, Ryunosuke has fun with the process and often uses his own powers of observation to help Herlock correct course. Herlock also is a dear friend, offering up the attic of his Baker Street home to house Ryunosuke and Susato during their stay in London. Ultimately, Herlock takes their friendship and the trust he has in Ryunosuke (as well as his own expectations of a case's outcome) to the Queen herself to assist Ryunosuke in exposing the truth and depth of corruption in the British courts.

• Iris Wilson: Wise beyond her years, this ten-year-old girl becomes a close friend of Ryunosuke simply by being Herlock's adoptive daughter. She goes with him to investigate for evidence during the trial of Gina Lestrade and even goes so far as to help with both Herlock's inventions and her own. Ryunosuke often finds himself talking to her about cases he's working on and her insight helps keep his resolve to find the truth. She also writes the stories The Adventure of Herlock Sholmes for a magazine under the pseudonym Dr. John H. Wilson, whom she believes is her father and Herlocks' close partner and confidant. While this isn't true, for much of Ryunosuke's time he's afraid of telling Iris the truth of what happened to John H. Wilson, as Dr. Wilson was the victim in his first trial back in Japan. He doesn't want to break her heart because she longs to meet him and find her father to get to know him so he decides to keep this truth to himself.

• Gina Lestrade: Ryunosuke's initial encounter with Gina was likely the second worst thing that happened in his life. Her disturbance and subsequent tampering with evidence during Magnus McGilded's trial caused him to start to doubt himself and his ability to trust his clients. However, first impressions are not always correct. Two months later, Gina stood accused of murder and Ryunosuke takes up the case despite their past interactions. Regardless of his misgivings due to her participation in the McGilded trial, he relearns from her to trust his clients and in turn, Gina learns to trust him. Lestrade becomes a constant in his life as she turns a new leaf from thief to detective in training, aiding him in investigating crime scenes and going so far as to beg him to pursue the truth of what happened to her mentor Tobias Gregson after he was supposedly murdered by the Reaper of the Bailey.

Character Personality Through Key Moments

(2+) Positive Experiences: One key trait that Ryunosuke displays is his determination, particularly in the pursuit of the truth. Throughout his time in London, he is constantly seeking and uncovering the truth. Whether it's something as simple as finding the reason a wax figure exhibition is closed or uncovering the depths of corruption that has seeped into the British legal system, Ryunosuke's careful examination of evidence allows him to look at things from a different perspective in order to pursue the logic to its end until all that remains is the truth. This is evident in many, if not all of his trials, but it is especially present in the trial of Barok van Zeiks where, based on a hunch and a logical conclusion of information at hand, he manages to discover a key piece of evidence that had been hidden away in the hilt of the katana he carries for years. This discovery finally allowed the true identity of the serial killer The Professor to come to light and with it the extent of the corruption within London's own judicial system. With the help of Herlock, all of this was revealed for all, even the Queen herself, to see and led to the ousting of Mael Strongheart for his crimes and misdeeds.

Another key trait Ryunosuke display is that of keen observation. This is frequently on display during the "Dance of Deduction" with Shlomes wherein Ryunosuke is able to point out key flaws in Shlomes's logic and course-correct them to lead to the proper and correct deductive reasoning. However, this trait is most prominent and important in his observations about what people say and do during court proceedings. This becomes critical in the British summation examinations, where Ryunosuke can often use his observations to press for more information and point out contradictions in jurors' reasoning to move the trial back into his favor. He also makes critical use of this during witness testimony, one such instance being in the case of Gina Lestrade. While on the stand, Ryunosuke takes note of how Tobias Gregson and Ashley Graydon are speaking to one another in the middle of the testimony. He is quick to point out their conversation and, in the course of his reasoning, reveals that the two of them were trying to conspire with one another to conceal evidence.

While Ryunosuke's determination and observational skills make him a good lawyer, both would be rather meaningless without his loyalty to keep him on a path that seeks justice. His loyalty extends not only to his close friends and confidants but also to his clients. He is focused on not letting them down. In every trial Ryunosuke stands in, his trust in his clients and their innocence comes first--he is steadfast in believing they are innocent unless proven guilty. This is evident in Soseki Natsume's cases where, in both, he stands accused of attempted murder--it is difficult to believe in a man not only once, but twice. Additionally, despite Gina Lestrade's hand in throwing the McGilded case and her criminal past, Ryunosuke is stalwart in defending her innocence in her murder trial because of his belief in her innocence of that crime. His loyalty to his friends is evident in several cases but is most obvious in his friendship with Kazuma. With little more than a word and a request, Ryunosuke willingly agreed to go halfway around the world with him, even going so far as to stow away in Kazuma's luggage. It is a loyalty that extends beyond Kazuma's death, driving him to continue on to England to fulfill his friend's duty in his stead when he could have simply returned home to Japan.


(2+) Negative Experiences: Ryunosuke is, of course, human and thus has his share of flaws. First impressions of him would often lead one to believe him to be uptight with a strong desire to meet people's expectations. This is frequently shown in how he is highlighted as Kazuma's replacement following his friend's supposed death. While driven by his loyalty to Kazuma, Ryunosuke did take up the mantle of a defense attorney to not only fulfill Kazuma's "mission" abroad but to prove he could be the lawyer that Kazuma had believed he had the potential to be. He had his goals beholden to the expectations of a dead man. This only continues into his first case in London, where he is so determined to meet Kazuma's goals and aspirations that he continues to press on in a case that is a lost cause with a guilty client.

This need to meet the expectations and goals of others also colors his confidence early on. While he does eventually come into his own as a lawyer, his self-confidence is severely bruised and damaged by that first initial trial in London. During the course of the trial, Ryunosuke comes to the realization that his client may well be guilty of the murder of which he stands accused--and if he cannot trust his client, what good is he as a lawyer? To make matters worse, Magnus McGilded (with the help of Gina Lestrade) tampers with the evidence available to the court in order to cast doubt on the prosecution's case. Rather than let the case reach its inevitable conclusion with a Guilty verdict, Ryunosuke presents this manufactured evidence and wins the case by default of reasonable doubt. It is following this case that Ryunosuke initially decides to maybe better to quit trying at being a lawyer and not take on more cases.

Ryunosuke is, despite his ability to perceive things and make logical deductions, rather naive. This is especially true when it comes to the greater mechanizations of law and politics. When his lack of awareness is cited, he admits to the fact that he doesn't necessarily read the newspaper and thus has no idea of the potential level of corruption going on in the upper echelons of society. At one point, Ryunosuke admits that due to his own experiences of being falsely accused of murder, he doesn't have much faith in the judicial system, but he had previously held no opinion due to his own lack of awareness and experience. This naivete is frequently commented on by Van Zieks, often to the derision of Ryunosuke's character and ability to actually perform his duties as a lawyer

Ryunosuke's willingness to take risks can often be considered an admirable trait, but that willingness can bleed into recklessness. On more than one occasion, Ryunosuke has taken action without thinking of the consequences or only thinking of how the outcome may potentially meet goals in front of him. The most egregious example of this was during a case of a break-in at a local pawn broker's shop down the street from where he was staying. During the investigation, the still present thieves shot at both Ryunosuke and Shlomes, with Shlomes ending up shot. Rather than stay with the injured detective, Ryunosuke took off after the still armed criminals in the hopes of catching them for Scotland Yard. Not only were such actions reckless, but also dangerous as Ryunosuke could have easily been shot and injured--or, worse still, killed.

Deer Country Attributes

• Canon Powers: Ryunosuke does not have canon powers. While he has incredible skill with deduction and observation, and skills in archery, these skills aren't supernatural.
• Blood Type: Warm Blood
• Omen: Nowegian Forest cat
• Blessed Day: July 27th, the date the game was released in the West. It holds no special importance to Ryunosuke himself.
• Patron Pthumerian: The Reckoning. He'll have some qualms about his patron being particularly violent, but her strong sense of justice resonates with him considering he too has a strong sense of justice.
• Blood Power Manifestation: Ryunosuke is warm blooded and therefore won't have any powers to manifest.

Writing Samples

One: TDM with Manabu.
Two: TDM with Lysithea.

The Player

• Player Name: Keith
• Player Age: 34
• Player Contact: redfielding
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