Mahou Shoujo × Haiboku Saiban - Vol. 3 Ch. 14 - Case 05 Tatemaki Lemon Part 2

[MidnighTea]

While the punishments in this manga are heinous and extreme, I do think this manga is a valid criticism of a punitive justice system, particularly how much power district prosecutors have. In the real world they have the ability to call out for the arrest of almost anyone on even the most technical charges and from there throw the book at them. Arguably even worse, they have the ability to NOT charge people who need to be charged and they can pretty much do it for any reason they want. (yes, even along the lines of race, sex and religion)
Ethically they're not supposed to, but given how slow the system works and how many steps it'd take to stop a crooked prosecutor many can take advantage. Especially by toeing the line if they're starting to get public scrutiny. And of all this I'm still talking about the problems of the USA Justice System. I can't even speak to Japan's but it looks very similar from the outside at least.

And yeah, Lemon being completely out of touch with the humanity of the people she's convicted and their experiences after having been so? Just one more sign of a busted system. I don't want her to get convicted, even by this world's fucked up rules -- "defeat" in this context is even more BS than usual since she pretty much got assaulted out of nowhere without actually acting in the capacity of a magical girl or making the conscious decision to battle. A defense I'll be curious if they wind up using. But I will say that Lemon's karma is so bleak right now that she would deserve whatever was coming. Though like someone said, potentially having a prosecutor working on the inside towards reform is a big deal.

 

[Misticsan]

"I hold no grude against prosecutor Tatemaki."

Yeah, right. I don't buy it. Honestly, I don't blame her for having a grudge, but what if she's involved somehow in Lemon's woes? It feels too much of a coincidence that Lemon is now facing two people he wronged, one after the other, who are in a position to get some payback.

 

[runedKnight]

"I hold no grude against prosecutor Tatemaki."

Yeah, right. I don't buy it. Honestly, I don't blame her for having a grudge, but what if she's involved somehow in Lemon's woes? It feels too much of a coincidence that Lemon is now facing two people he wronged, one after the other, who are in a position to get some payback.

It is actually a complete lie. Yuuri's ability to detect falsehood is represented to the reader through the black speech bubbles. Both Mii and Shikimi told lies this chapter.

I’ve always wondered about that, if she can magically tell what is a lie and what isn’t, then why can’t she use that as a mark against the one on the stand? Is it because they aren’t under an oath or what? Last time she made the statement “If you lie before me three times you will forfeit your life”, and the dying part was a lie, but the detection isn’t. Can she not say “judge we cannot proceed until they say a statement that is true at least to their understanding”, to cover for people who are lying from ignorance not omission?

Generally the worst part of this system is that lies in the end make little difference in the testimony and final judgment. The defendants arrive at the court when their guilt / defeat is basically confirmed anyway.
The purpose of Yuuri's ability story wise is to mostly present to the reader who the main bad actor is for that case. In most of the cases so far we had a witness that came into the court with the end goal of obfuscating the true details only to end up being instrumental in revealing them (The Gyaru/Dark Harassment combatant) because Yuuri can see right through the lies and piece together what happened.

The same will probably happen this time as well, that is Tatemaki has an enemy in this court who wants her sentenced.

 

[UdenEmpati]

While the punishments in this manga are heinous and extreme, I do think this manga is a valid criticism of a punitive justice system, particularly how much power district prosecutors have. In the real world they have the ability to call out for the arrest of almost anyone on even the most technical charges and from there throw the book at them. Arguably even worse, they have the ability to NOT charge people who need to be charged and they can pretty much do it for any reason they want. (yes, even along the lines of race, sex and religion)
Ethically they're not supposed to, but given how slow the system works and how many steps it'd take to stop a crooked prosecutor many can take advantage. Especially by toeing the line if they're starting to get public scrutiny. And of all this I'm still talking about the problems of the USA Justice System. I can't even speak to Japan's but it looks very similar from the outside at least.

And yeah, Lemon being completely out of touch with the humanity of the people she's convicted and their experiences after having been so? Just one more sign of a busted system. I don't want her to get convicted, even by this world's fucked up rules -- "defeat" in this context is even more BS than usual since she pretty much got assaulted out of nowhere without actually acting in the capacity of a magical girl or making the conscious decision to battle. A defense I'll be curious if they wind up using. But I will say that Lemon's karma is so bleak right now that she would deserve whatever was coming. Though like someone said, potentially having a prosecutor working on the inside towards reform is a big deal.

You actually make an incredibly salient point about how Lemon was arguably not defeated even - which, I think there's an argument that her trial here is an example of real-world persecution of women who are blamed, even legally now in some places (looking at you USA) for things like rape and assault ("she shouldn't have been there alone" / "what was she wearing, though") - and I think there's a chance Yuuri leans into that direction.

But yeah - the weirdest part of this series for me is how prescient it is in critiquing a justice system that prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation or reform towards things like rates of recidivism. We have Magical Girls who are effectively judged on a singular, context-free basis of guilt, and the only reason we've seen any get absolved is because of the efforts of Yuuri. We have the Peanut Gallery making demeaning and lascivious remarks at every turn, always at the expense of the defendant, and it's treated as a matter of course - just like our real world media sensationalism around high profile cases, and the ways that social media and general "public gossip" twist narratives and perspectives and spread rumor and lie and general obfuscation of what's actually going on and at stake.

It's all couched in fantasy and perverse erotica, but that honestly highlights the dangers of real punitive-based justice, by exaggerating the "punishments" to such a degree that they become ludicrous - but that just exemplifies how problematic the system is in pursuing and enforcing these sentences, and how screwed up the people who work within and perpetuate the system are, when they suddenly become the target of the apparatus they uphold and maintain.

It makes me hope there's an actual intent toward Yuuri and Aoi and maybe a growing faction on their side taking on the system at large. The author's got their priority of "fetish-forward plot", but there's so much potential to this beyond that core facet, that I really want to see some sort of payoff in where this story's been heading.

 

[Misticsan]

Yuuri's ability to detect falsehood is represented to the reader through the black speech bubbles.

Can't believe I didn't realize it until now. Going back through previous chapters, I see it even applies to personal statements like Aoi's "I was weak" or Yuuri's own lies.

 

[dOmOlz]

Like from this chapter specifically? Yes, indeed.

But as far as the manga as a whole goes, Aoi-kun is a good kid.

Yeah, you're right, more like all the men that attend the court as witnesses(?) Public(?) {I dunno how it works in these United States of Japan ace attorney courtrooms}

 

[nisashi13]

oh woa, not that i like Lemon that much but to instantly lost her virginity like that is quite unexpected.
i was thinking she lost because she protect the girl but guess i'm too naiver for this series.

 

[CharAznable]

Not even disguising the fetishes anymore.

 

[xyzzy]

It makes me hope there's an actual intent toward Yuuri and Aoi and maybe a growing faction on their side taking on the system at large. The author's got their priority of "fetish-forward plot", but there's so much potential to this beyond that core facet, that I really want to see some sort of payoff in where this story's been heading.

Gotta love when you read a series for the porn and then get invested when realizing the socioeconomic ramifications of it

 

[MidnighTea]

Gotta love when you read a series for the porn and then get invested when realizing the socioeconomic ramifications of it

The very best porn gives your brain stuff to fixate on while the rest of you raids the now-unguarded cookie jar for every last crumb.

 

[TheMode]

I'm sad the punishment won't happen

 

[ZeroBADartS]

hot

 

[MrILLEGAL]

Has anyone bought and ripped 15th raw chapter?

 

[The_H_Guy]

Is Lemon gonna defecate her personality?

Chapter 14 is the last chapter that was serialized in Comic Valkyrie.

Chapter 15 came out early on KimiKomi a few days ago, however I'm not sure as to when the raw will be available for me to translate. The raws for Chapter 15 will probably be uploaded once it has passed into the free tier sometime in January.

If you want to support the series go to the KimiKomi page and give it a follow or buy the latest chapter > https://kimicomi.com/series/b65586cd40f98

Anyway, Happy Holidays.

When a manga change magazine it usually means that things are gonna get wilder.
And already this chapter feel like pushing boundaries.

 

[timur2345]

I assume there are also no raws of Volume 2 extra? (Assuming there is one)

 

[Jebsu]

Is Lemon gonna defecate her personality?


When a manga change magazine it usually means that things are gonna get wilder.
And already this chapter feel like pushing boundaries.

Pushing boundaries? We had full on shown dog oral and sex lmao. I know hentai gets way wilder but this probably was the chapter that broke the camel's back.

 

[Ashton_Art]

I don't even know why I keep reading this...

 

[runedKnight]

I assume there are also no raws of Volume 2 extra? (Assuming there is one)

Volume 2 has extras. Few pages of the liner notes explaining some stuff in regards to Miko's case as well as Yahiro's, some art of the girls and 2 Info pages for the magical girls in the volume. But, to my knowledge it hasn't been uploaded anywhere yet.

 

[Drakeon995]

God. The new prosecutor has a prosthetic. I hope se lost her hand in a fight, or accident, and not because off tge punishment.

 

[kuzunagi13]

I wonder why am I still reading this.. lol