#and to freaking talk to his daughter (Flora) about their issues

[wordsofawanderingsoul]

This. And there’s also the fact that it doesn’t make sense for him to be missing THAT LONG. Like, dive into his issues definitely, but the fact that there’s NO ONE ELSE who goes looking for him? That’s the biggest issue with not referencing the games.

Randall Ascot would not have sat back and ignored that his best friend was missing.

Descole at the very least would become suspicious and some bit of morality would probably urge him to look.

Hell, Don Paolo would look because “I won’t tolerate someone killing Layton before me!”

The longest Hershel Layton should have been missing is a year. Not ten or whatever. You could still try to dig into the issues of it, you could still hold him accountable for his actions, but there is no way in hell that he’d be gone that long with the amount of mad geniuses he knows.

It just feels… lazy. Like they didn’t want to bother with actually exploring the characters.

If there were more substance to it I might actually LIKE Katrielle, but all it makes me think of is that Flora deserved a game where she got to prove herself and force Layton to face his issues. It makes me SAD!

The problem with Layton’s character in the anime

I don’t think the problem with the LMJ anime is that is portrays Layton as a less-than-perfect parent/guardian…

PL3 already showed that when he ditched Flora in his office after he promised not to leave her. Okay, there’s no confirmation Layton adopted Flora or that she’s even a child, but she’s still a young person in Layton’s care— someone who he knows hates being left alone— but he still left her behind for his investigation.

Layton leaving a child, even one he definitely adopted, behind while he investigates a case isn’t necessarily problem. It isn’t necessarily out of character.

With knowledge from previous games in the series, I can headcanon reasons for Layton’s behaviour. E.g., Flora might remind Layton of Aurora, who he couldn’t save. Layton chased after Descole and brought Aurora back to the sanctuary, putting her life in danger. So, he insists on leaving Flora behind now.

During Azran Legacy, Layton had a very nasty shock when he learned that, not only was he adopted, but the enemy he had been fighting for three years was in fact his long lost brother, who had been trying to beat their long lost FATHER— the head of an archaeology cult— to the Azran Legacy.

So if Layton wanted to confirm whether the birth father of the baby he’d adopted was alive? And whether that baby might be linked to an ancient civilisation? I wouldn’t blame Layton at all—

But that’s me trying to make excuses for Layton as a character. That’s me trying to make excuses for the nonsensical writing of the anime.

The anime doesn’t reference Azran Legacy. It doesn’t reference any game or character previously seen in the series— outside of Layton and Luke and Rosa I’m glad you’re here Rosa but where are Grandma and Grandpa Layton— because it doesn’t want to spoil newcomers to the series.

And that’s fine! It’s fine if LMJ wants to be a standalone anime about Layton’s daughter solving daily mysteries and eating sweets and buying clothes! Even the plot point about Layton going missing is fine— it could be intriguing!

But for such a superficial premise… why does Layton’s disappearance need to be so complicated?  Maybe Level 5 wanted to involve archaeology somehow so they just copy-pasted the Azran-looking stones and technology? 

But why have Rosa and Luke question Layton’s reasons for leaving Kat behind? Why bring up Kat’s birth father only to never mention him again? 

Why wasn’t Rufus Aldebaran Kat’s birth father? Say, if he imprisoned Layton because Layton refused to give up Kat’s location, then at least that would make Layton somewhat justified! (Not for leaving his kids behind, but the fact that Kat’s unknown birth father was indeed a threat.)

Why not just have Layton kidnapped off the street, rather than having him go on an investigation and keep investigating when he knew things were getting dangerous? Why bring up the point of Layton being a questionable parent, only to never unpack it?

Kat gets a nice hug with Layton when they reunite. (That scene actually does make me emotional!) But Kat forgives her dad immediately and the next thing you know, they’re taking down the villain together. And then the credits and the happy music roll.

Maybe a moment of anger from Kat towards her dad was too much to ask from the anime… 

But it’s not just the anime. In PL3, Layton leaving Flora behind is brushed off as a joke. (Outside of Chelmey calling Layton out one time…) We get their hug when Flora is rescued from the Mobile Fortress, but it’s not mentioned after that. Flora doesn’t get to say goodbye to Luke with Layton. Flora isn’t present in that last scene with Layton in his office.

Maybe Level 5 were worried about showing Layton as a bad parent— as a ‘bad’ character, even. But… compared to some of the other parents in the series? (Hi, Baron Reinhold, Bronev and Arthur!) Layton really isn’t that bad, even with the anime in mind! It’s okay if he’s not a perfect parent or gentleman 100% of the time! But if Level 5 wanted to give Layton these…conflicted moments as a character, then it would be better if they could actually unpacked them. Give him the angst, Level 5.