 When she was brought back for "Spirit of Justice", she was at first written the same way as in her first appearances, but was then changed to be more mature at some points, to show that she had grown during the nine years that had passed within the games' story.Critics praised her character and her interactions with Phoenix, and her return in "Spirit of Justice" was well received, but her portrayal in the "Ace Attorney" film was criticized as off compared to her video game appearances.Maya first appears in "", where she is introduced as defense attorney Mia Fey's younger sister and a member of the Fey clan, a family of spirit mediums living in the isolated mountain town of Kurain Village.