Message

"Message" is the first ending theme of the anime adaptation of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. It is used for the first half of the first season, corresponding to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and comprising the 13 episodes from "The First Turnabout" to "Turnabout Promise". The song is performed by Rei Yasuda.

The prevalence of sunflowers in the credits sequence comes from the design of the attorney's badges in both the Ace Attorney series and real-life Japan. The design is of a stylized sunflower with the scales of justice in the center; sunflowers are seen to symbolize freedom and justice owing to their habit of always facing the sun.

Synopsis

A scene from the ending sequence.

The credits sequence begins with the head of a sunflower slowly spinning counterclockwise toward the viewer, with two petals becoming dislodged in the process. As the sunflower comes to a stop, the petals come together near the center of the flower to form a shape reminiscent of a pair of lips, which then turn a pink color. As a grayscale image of an unhappy Maya Fey appears in the center of the flower, the "lips" are initially superimposed where her own lips are, but fade away as she appears. The only source of color in the image of Maya is a stick of lipstick in the same shade of pink as the now vanished petal "lips". Maya begins to apply the lipstick to her lower lip, only to accidentally slip up and leave a streak of pink across her lower face. A tear wells in her right eye, which falls down to a watercolor background of pinks and blues below.

Maya's tear then becomes a sunflower petal, which blows about in the air as a blue watercolor image of her being unhappy appears, while a white silhouette of Phoenix Wright with his back to her is visible behind. The petal moves to the right, revealing a blue watercolor silhouette of a dying sunflower. As the petal returns to the left, another blue image of an unhappy Maya appears, this time hunched over a white box-like object. The view switches to a closer image of Maya as the petal begins to move closer to her. Suddenly, the wilted head of a sunflower appears, which is glowing while Wright's hands hover on either side of it.

When the scene returns to Maya, a transparent, but fully-colored, version of her sits up from the hunched blue Maya like a spirit, and follows the sunflower petal with her head. After the view briefly returns to Wright cradling the wilted sunflower in his hands, the "spirit" Maya becomes opaque, stands up, and reaches out for the petal with her hand, only to just miss grabbing it.

A beam of light then splits the screen and gradually becomes wider as a kaleidoscopic Maya slowly falls from above while blue, yellow, and pink colored petals rise up around her from below. One yellow and one red Maya then appear while the light continues to shine, colorful petals whirl around them, and colorful sunflowers spin. Aside from their waist bows and magatamas, the two Mayas are naked and slowly move toward each other, with the view switching just before their lips meet.

Profile images of the two Mayas then merge together to create a fully-colored version, who turns just as the petal reappears, touches her lips, and disappears, leaving lipstick on her lips in the process. As the camera pulls back to reveal that she is in the middle of a sunflower surrounded by other colorful sunflowers, Maya wipes away the lipstick and smiles at the viewer.

Overall, the credits sequence is likely meant to symbolize Maya Fey's struggling, and eventually overcoming, her self-doubts over her spirit channeling abilities and usefulness to Wright, as well as dealing with the loss of her older sister, Mia.

Lyrics

Japanese	Romanization	English
悩みながら　つくった“message”　深夜に突然　あなた宛に送った 時々でもいい　私がいつも　側に居る事　思い出して、と やりきれなくても　後悔ばかりでも　ため息つきながら　でも進もうとする あなたがもしも　未来信じる　心無くしかけても　忘れないで 涙のあとには　笑顔がやってくるよ 迷い立ち止まった　はずの日々さえも 抱きしめたいくらいに　愛しく感じられる 明日がきっと待ってる　諦めないで 一秒、一秒　夢へと　近づく 光を　いっしょに見つめてる 二人で撮った　写真の私は　寄り添ってばかりで　少し頼りないけど いっしょに誓った　夢のために　何か失う　覚悟があるの 虚しさに似た　坂の途中でも　震える夜を笑い飛ばしてくれる あなたがもしも　描き続けた　希望が砕けそうでも　怯えないで 涙は乾くよ　わたしがいるから 消し去りたい過去も　いっしょに連れてゆこう ぜんぶに意味があって　今が、すべてがある そのキセキがずっと　途切れないように 一秒、一秒　夢へと　近づく 想いを　両手で抱きしめよう 握り締めた手　離せずにいた 滑り落ちて行く記憶の淵　辿って もう一度歩いてこう 涙の数だけ　やさしくなれるんだよ 迷い立ち止まった　はずの日々さえも 確かな足跡　色とりどりのsmiles 明日がきっと待ってる　諦めないで 一秒、一秒　夢へと　近づく 光を　いっしょに見つめてる 光を　いっしょに見つめてる	Nayami nagara tsukutta "message" shinya ni totsuzen anata ate ni okutta Tokidoki demo ii watashi ga itsumo soba ni iru koto omoidashite, to Yarikirenakute mo koukai bakari demo tameiki tsuki nagara demo susumou to suru Anata ga moshimo mirai shinjiru kokoro naku shikakete mo wasurenaide Namida no ato ni wa egao ga yatte kuru yo Mayoi tachidomatta hazu no hibi sae mo Dakishimetai kurai ni itoshiku kanjirareru Ashita ga kitto matteru akiramenaide Ichibyou, ichibyou yume he to chikadzuku Hikari wo issho ni mitsumeteru Futari de totta shashin no watashi wa yorisotte bakari de sukoshi tayorinai kedo Issho ni chikatta yume no tame ni nanika ushinau kakugo ga aru no Munashisa ni nita saka no tochuu demo furueru yoru wo warai tobashite kureru Anata ga moshimo egakitsudzuketa kibou ga kudake sou demo obienaide Namida wa kawaku yo watashi ga iru kara Keshi saritai kako mo issho ni tsurete yukou Zenbu ni imi ga atte ima ga, subete ga aru Sono kiseki ga zutto togirenai you ni Ichibyou, ichibyou yume he to chikadzuku Omoi wo ryoute de dakishimeyou Nigirishimeta te hanasezu ni ita Suberiochite yuku kioku no fuchi tadotte Mou ichido aruitekou Namida no kazu dake yasashiku nareru'n da yo Mayoi tachidomatta hazu no hibi sae mo Tashika na ashiato irotoridori no smiles Ashita ga kitto matteru akiramenaide Ichibyou, ichibyou yume he to chikadzuku Hikari wo issho ni mitsumeteru Hikari wo issho ni mitsumeteru	I agonizingly wrote a "message" - it was sudden, late at night, and addressed to you Asking you to remember, just every once in a while, how I was always by your side Even if you can't go on, even if you're full of regrets, move forward even as you're sighing If you happen to believe in the future, even if you lose heart, don't forget... After the tears, you will be able to smile Even on the days you are stuck standing still and hesitating You'll be able to feel how dear you are to me, so much that I want to embrace you I'm sure tomorrow is waiting, so don't give up One second, one second closer to your dream We'll gaze at the light together When we took that photo together, I wanted nothing more than to get close to you and felt a bit helpless about it But we swore together that we had the resolve to lose something for the sake of our dream Halfway up the slope it seemed futile, but the shivering, cold night makes us laugh If you could have continued to draw it, even if you feel like your hopes are crumbling, don't be afraid Your tears will dry, because I am here I'll even lead you through the past you want to erase There's entirely meaning to it, and now, all of it is here So that the miracle will never be interrupted One second, one second closer to your dream Let's embrace our feelings tightly with both hands I was there, grasping your hand tightly without letting go But it's slipping, deep into the abyss of my memory Let's follow it and walk once again Each of your tears will only make you kinder Even on the days you are stuck standing still and hesitating Your footprints are certain, and there will be multicolored smiles I'm sure tomorrow is waiting, so don't give up One second, one second closer to your dream We'll gaze at the light together We'll gaze at the light together