I hate how a lot of really popular ace attorney ships are problematic. It bothers me how popular a lot of them are. Like.
Naru/mayo (I think that’s the name??? Phoenix and maya) is really creepy to me because phoenix was like. 22-24 when they met if I remember right. And Maya was a minor. She was 17. She wasn’t technically an adult until the second game.
Cykes/quill (I think that’s what it’s called? Athena and Blackquill) is really alarming to me. I don’t see it as much as naru/mayo but it is reaaally popular. And uh. You guys. Do remember. The earliest scene we see with them Simon is 21 and Athena is 10 fucking years old. TEN! That’s really really little! And that scene was when Mommy metis was killed- they had known each other much earlier! Athena didn’t turn 18 until spirit of justice. Yknow. The 6th game in the series.(granted she wasn’t introduced until the 5th game in the series, but it’s the same case as with maya. She wasn’t an adult until a whole game after the one she was introduced in.) It’s really really REALLY scary to me that people really ship Athena and Simon considering that they want a fully grown ass man to fall in love with a 10 year old.
Those two ships are the main ones that bug me (because they’re the most popular!) But they’re certainly not the only popular Lets-ship-an-adult-with-a-minor ship in ace attorney. Like, taking athena again- another popular ship is Athena and Apollo (not even gonna guess what this one’s called). Apollo was in his 20s when he met 17 year old athena. And people still ship them
Now, yall do NOT have to ship the same things I do or have the same headcannons I have. Like, all of the ships I mentioned I see as sibling relationships, though I know not everyone would look at Apollo and Athena and think “Hm! Siblings!” But. Can you at least refrain from shipping gross relationships and make sure your ships aren’t pedophilic. Please. It’s not that hard.
I know someone will probably cry out, “Casey, shut the fuck up, calm down, and stop calling my favorite ships out on being pedophilic, you bitch! Phoenix was a YOUNG adult when he met maya, and she was practically a grown up anyways!!! So it’s totally fine!!” ….. yeah well fuck that and fuck anyone who even thinks about commenting that. Even if they’re a young adult, they’re still an ADULT! 17 is one year away from being an adult, but they’re still a TEENAGER! And it’s still very creepy if a 40 year old wanted to date an 18 year old, yeah they’re both adults but one has much more experience than the other. (Age gaps CAN be ok if when the characters meet theyre both adults, but none of the ships i listed are like that.) I am 16, which is like. Almost mayas age in the first game. I know it would absolutely be sickening and disgusting if a 23 year old tried to date me. So why is it OK when your ace attorney ship does it.
(I am. Not even going to mention shitty incest ships like Apollo/Trucy and Miles/Franziska. I shouldn’t even have to explain why those are fucked up and gross. I have actually met someone at school who shipped franz and miles, but they were new to the series and didn’t know Manfred had adopted miles making them siblings, and they stopped shipping it when I told them. Just because they’re adopted, doesn’t mean you can ship them. Adopted families are REAL families. Stop pretending like they aren’t so you can feel better about yourself disgusting fucking incest shipper.)
All of what I said can apply to literally any fandom with bad ships btw