Machi Tobaye (マキ・トバーユ (Maki Tobāyu) in Japan) is the defendant and a minor antagonist in "Turnabout Serenade," the third case of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. He is an accomplice of Daryan Crescend, assisting him in smuggling Borginian cocoons from Borginia to America. Prior to being exposed as a smuggler, he was Lamiroir's guide. In reality, he was pretending to be blind to cover up her own blindness.
History[]
Machi was the pianist for Lamiroir during her performances. He also secretly guided her around, as she was blind and unfamiliar with her surroundings. Lamiroir's bodyguard was murdered during one of the shows and Tobaye was accused of the crime. Seemingly blind and unable to speak English, Apollo took his case to give him some support, as the odds were seemingly against Tobaye.
However, during the trial, it turned out that Machi Tobaye's blindness was an act and that he could speak English, just not very well. This made his alibi fall apart, with the only factor supporting his innocence being the fact that the victim's body was moved after being shot with a gun that would incapacitate a man twice Tobaye's size. Lamiroir was revealed to be blind and had really hired Tobaye as a companion and a guide, coming to see the boy almost like a son.
Things only got worse when Tobaye was revealed to be a smuggler who was bringing Borginian cocoons to America. This crime was a capital offence in his home country, meaning he could be executed if he ever returned home. It then came to light that Daryan was the real killer, as he was blackmailing the boy into keeping quiet, otherwise he would have him returned home to be executed. However, Apollo revealed that if Tobaye testified against Daryan and confessed to smuggling, he would be charged for the crime in the United States, where his punishment would be in the form of a prison sentence. He agreed to do so, proving Daryan to be the murderer beyond a shadow of a doubt. Machi was arrested, though for a far less serious offense, meaning he'd almost certainly be out of juvenile detention by the time he was an adult. While the outcome was bittersweet, Apollo and Lamiroir were upset that Machi would still lose his freedom for the next few years.
Personality[]
Machi came across as terrified and highly-strung, due to being in a country he was entirely unfamiliar with and having few allies to support him. Once the language barrier was broken, Machi's personality didn't change much, due to his terror being genuine. Lamiroir and he got on well, with her even seeing him like a son, as the two of them travelled around the world to perform. She even trusted him with her secret that she was really blind, something she refused to admit until it became crucial to the trial. Tobaye came across as a fourteen year old far too deep in over his head, a realistic outcome for a young teenager involved in smuggling.
Appearance[]
Machi Tobaye is a young boy with neatly styled short blond hair. He wears a flowing white garment with blue accents, matching white pants with blue ribbons, and blue heeled shoes with silver buckles. Machi's clothing is adorned with lace and elegant detailing. When it is revealed that Machi lied about being blind, he removes his sunglasses - which expose his bright blue eyes. A silver pendant with a blue gem rests on his chest.
Trivia[]
- Machi Tobaye is the second youngest character in the series to intentionally commit a crime (as Pearl Fey had no idea of what she was really doing), being fourteen years old. He is also the youngest character (one of only two teenagers in the series) to be arrested.
- Machi is one of the least evil criminals in the series, being a smuggler rather than a murderer.
- Machi is a rare example of a villainous defendant in the Ace Attorney series, the only other ones being Terry Fawles, Matt Engarde, Ron DeLite, and Magnus McGilded. However, while Terry, Machi, and Ron are innocent of the crimes they were accused of, Matt and Magnus are not.
