Ace Attorney fans, let's talk about Turnabout Big Top!

[Queen Michael]

Turnabout Big Top! A case so unpopular that its mere mention almost requires a trigger warning! But why is it so loathed? Why do people react to it the way that they react to unfrosted pop-tarts? Why is it the Jar-Jar of AA cases?

Let me hear why you dislike it! And if you actually like it, then let me know why, too!

Below, I've typed down my thoughts about the case. I used a spoiler tag partly because there are spoilers (duh) and also because I don't want to color people's thoughts before they have a chance to make up their minds for themselves.

Spoiler

Whoa boy, was this case a stinker. I actually took a break from my Ace Attorney marathon for over a month just so I wouldn't have to go on playing it. Here are the things I didn't like about it:

1. The wooden personalities. Many of the characters felt like they only had one basic mood. Ben and Trilo are two (or maybe one?) especially egregious example of this.

2. The prosecution's case is ridiculous. They're pretty much basing their entire story on the idea that Max, the suspect, is an actual magician with real supernatural powers. I know that Ace Attorney has always had a strange attitude to burden of proof ("I don't care that your client is evidently innocent! Unless you find the real culprit, your client will go to prison anyway!) but this is a bit too far. You basically have to prove that Max didn't do something that it was obviously impossible for him to do.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

I just really didn't enjoy any of the characters (And our defendant is just plain dumb and not sympathetic or interesting at all), and the mystery was completely messed up and weird because of how much coincidences were involved in the murder.

That and yeah, the prosecution's case IS kinda horrendous.

Finally, I just don't like the circus. It does less than nothing for me as a setting or a spectacle or anything.

 

[Marik2]

I played the trilogy months ago and it burned me out quickly.

All of the cases had to have murder involved in some way. There needed to be a break from that and have some cases deal with blackmail, theft, false accusation, and contract disputes.

It had good scenarios and it's very memorable, but by the end it burned me out and I will have rto force myself to play the other titles.

 

[Spacewolf]

It's that fucking clown as well.

 

[Aerosteam]

I liked the murderer more than the defendant. In fact, I think Acro was my favourite character that episode; I wasn't satisfied by the end of it.

 

[Bedinsis]

It is definitely the weakest case of that game, but apart from one moment I never really thought it was that bad when I played it.

That moment was when Ben the ventriloquist refused to speak to me so I had to fetch his dummy, to let him speak through the dummy. At that moment I thought "Was this game made for five-year-olds?". Witnesses that refuse to speak until you've fetched an object are hardly rare in Ace Attorney, but normally there is some logical reasoning("I need the ID number to identify the cop, pal!") or the protagonist acknowledge the ridiculousness of situation("Why must we fetch the script."). In Ben's case they basically just go along with it.

 

[Bad Player]

"A case so unpopular," and yet Shu Takumi's favorite.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I played about half of Justice for All 10 years ago, so I don't remember a lot about it. I really hated the prosecution for that game, why is she being allowed to whip people in court? First game was pretty alright, though.

Anyway I just came to post some good old Phoenix Wrong:

 

[balladbird]

I liked the murderer more than the defendant. In fact, I think Acro was my favourite character that episode; I wasn't satisfied by the end of it.

My sentiments. In fact, Acro elevated the case for me, he was sympathetic, relateable, and clearly crestfallen at how the events played out.

I'm basically the opposite of what was said above: I've always loved the circus. I only went to one when I was a small child, but it must have left a hell of an impression on me, because many of my childhood dream occupations centered around circuses, from acrobat to lion tamer. that said, I wasn't super-crazy about this case, either... mostly for the reasons OP stated. the prosecution was battier than ever, and a lot of the supporting cast fell flat.

that said, I felt pretty genuinely emotional when the end of it rolled around, I feel like the conflict and the murder itself were well done, just everything surrounding it messed up.

 

[Queen Michael]

"A case so unpopular," and yet Shu Takumi's favorite.

You got a source on that, like an interview snippet or something? I wouldn't be surprised actually, you can tell that both Takumi and Yamazaki have fondness for it.

They also have fondness for Wendy Oldbag and Mike Meekins for some reason. I guess nobody's perfect.

Hey, Wendy's the funniest side character the series has ever had!

I liked the murderer more than the defendant. In fact, I think Acro was my favourite character that episode; I wasn't satisfied by the end of it.

My sentiments. In fact, Acro elevated the case for me, he was sympathetic, relateable, and clearly crestfallen at how the events played out.

Acro was the one good character in that game. I mean, Moe was okay by me because I love crummy jokes, but still...

 

[Lieju]

Eh, it's a forgettable filler case. Recipe for Turnabout is my least favourite case, even tho it has Maggey and I love her.
Big Top is fine with me, I'm not in love with any of the characters... I think the thing I mostly dislike is the love triangle (or square? pentagon? how many people were in love with her?) with Regina who is 17 at most and acts younger.

I liked the murderer more than the defendant. In fact, I think Acro was my favourite character that episode; I wasn't satisfied by the end of it.

That was one of the things I did like about it.

 

[Weresquirrel]

In that game, it was ironically the second case that caused me the most aggro in terms of leaps of logic.

Spoiler

The prosecution knows about and studies the channeling technique. They accept and acknowledge the fact that the chaneller involved essentially shapeshifts into someone else, is unconscious and not in control of their actions. Yet still somehow feel that Maya is to blame for murder.

Obviously it transpires that what happened was different. But the prosecution's case still hinges on the notion that someone was forced to do something without their knowledge, consent or intervention and yet was still somehow accountable?

 

[Igor-Rowan]

While I wouldn't call it the worst (Turnabout Corner, the one with the panties would take that cake), I would call it "the closest Ace Attorney ever came into writing a formula".

It basically went:

Spoiler

Murder mystery -> Weird Circumstances, that they tried to set up as a twist (the way the murdered left the scene) -> Witness that literally came out of nowhere with not mention or set up, that just so happens to line up with the entire case -> It was a series of accidents and circumstances, not a planned murder by some mastermind.

Ace Attorney 3 had no fillers, so going back to 1 and 2's cases that fit the bill was underwhelming.