Source: Gyakuten Saiban 2 official site (down)
Summary: In the third column director Takumi wrote for the official site for the GameBoy Advance release of Gyakuten Saiban 2 (Ace Attorney - Justice for All), he explains how the project first started. As revealed in an earlier column, it was only decided after the team had finished the first game that this would become a series, and Takumi had nothing prepared when the producer (Inaba) gave the start sign for this second installment. In this column he explains how things got rolling. It is followed by a "backstage" segment, where Naruhodō (Phoenix Wright) and Mayoi (Maya Fey) comment on Takumi's column, this time talking about how forgetful Takumi can be.
Battlefield (1)
To tell you the truth, the development of Gyakuten Saiban 2 (Ace Attorney 2 - Justice For All) was quite difficult. I will tell you about it now. The development of 2… basically started with the climax.
It happened about one year ago. After finishing the development of the previous game, Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney GBA), I took a long period off. By the time that period ended, my mind and body were all mellowed out, and I had become a perfect specimen of someone totally unsuited for working society. I hadn’t shown my face at the company for a long time, but when I arrived there the producer called for me at once.
‘Morning, Takumi.’
…I’d call the couple of months that started from that day the biggest battlefield in the history of Gyakuten Saiban.
“I want you to write the whole scenario before we start with the actual development.”
This was my producer’s first-rate greeting to mellowed-out person totally unsuited for working society.
“The complete scenario? That’s impossible, I….”
“All of it.”
Last time, I came up with the story while we were building the game, but the circumstances were different now, so I had to prepare the scenario in advance.
“Uurgh…. I guess I have no choice….”
“That’s a good boy. Five episodes. You have three and a half months.’
“…What?!”
This was my producer’s first-rate finishing move on a mellowed-out person totally unsuited for working society.
….Three and a half months? And he even nonchalantly added one more episode compared to the last game….
Absolutely. Impossible.
I absolutely had to fight back here. Sometimes you need to fight against fate in love. But my protests were lightly and brilliantly evaded with a grin and fast footwork.
…So that meant I’d just to have to get to work….
At that very moment, the theme song of that movie Mission Impossible started to play in my head. I returned to my desk and first started with making a schedule. Writing one episode for the first game took me on average more than a month. That’d mean I wouldn’t have enough time. And this time I had no ideas for tricks, I didn’t even had an inkling of what the story would be. And even more importantly, at that moment I was nothing more than a poor person totally unsuited for working society, all mellowed out because of his time off. I first had work on returning to working society. It was truly a battlefield.
Three months later.
What happened to the scenario? I tell you the next time.
Battlefield (1) (Backstage)
Mayoi: Hi, everyone. Mackarel pikes are delicious this time of year, aren’t they?
Naruhodō: Nobody cares about that.
Mayoi: Uuurgh… I thought I’d start with some small talk….
Naruhodō: No time for that. Have you forgotten? Today is the release day of Gyakuten Saiban 2.
Mayoi: What! No way, today?
Naruhodō: I already bought it.
Mayoi: Wow, the silver package is so blinding! It looks so cool! Gimme gimme!
Naruhodō: No-no way! I haven’t played it myself yet.
Mayoi: I wanna play too, Naruhodo-kuuuuuuun!
Naruhodō: Buy it yourself.
Mayoi: Uuuurgh, I’m 600 yen short.
Naruhodō: Anyway, let’s start. Let’s get this over with quick. I’m going home early today.
Mayoi: Gimme 600 yen later.
After finishing the development of the previous game, Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney GBA), I took a long period off. By the time that period ended, my mind and body were all mellowed out, and I had become a perfect specimen of someone totally unsuited for working society.
Naruhodō: That description is uncalled for.
Mayoi: Really. “Someone totally unsuited for working society”?
Naruhodō: He makes it seems like he’s usually suited for working society.
Mayoi: Eh?
Naruhodō: So I heard director TakuShū is the same age as detective Itonoko (Dick Gumshoe).
Mayoi: TakuShū?
Naruhodō: His name is Takumi Shū, so TakuShū. I’ll be using that from now on.
Mayoi: Ah, I see. And, what’s up with TakuShū?
Naruhodō: TakuSū’s getting incredibly forgetful lately.
Mayoi: Forgetfulness? Itonoko often forgets stuff too….
Naruhodō: It’s a completely different scale. For example, there was this staff meeting.
Iwamoto: Mr. Takumi, you called for me? What’s the matter?
Takumi: Oh, yes, yes…. What’s your name again?
Iwamoto: It’s Iwamoto!
Takumi: Oh yeah, right, right. Yes, what do you need?
Iwamoto: It was you who called for me!
Takumi: What? Why?
Iwamoto: How should I know!
Naruhodō: This is normal it appears.
Mayoi: …How is he able to write the scenario like that?
Naruhodō: It’s pretty bad, I appears. For example, he was asked about Episode 2 while he was working on Episode 3…..
Iwamoto: Mr. Takumi, I have a question about this trick….
Takumi: …Hm? Oh, that old story, why dig up things from the past now?
Iwamoto: But I need to draw the crime scene photograph….
Takumi: Oh!
Iwamoto: Wha-what’s the matter?
Takumi: I forgot what I was working on because you suddenly talked to me.
Iwamoto: …Are you saying that’s my fault?
Takumi: Who the hell are you anyway?!
Iwamoto: It’s Iwamoto!
Naruhodō: They have scenes like this.
Mayoi: He needs some good face-slapping.
“I want you to write the whole scenario before we start with the actual development.”
This was my producer’s first-rate greeting to mellowed-out person totally unsuited for working society.
Mayoi: He sounds a bit sarcastic.
Naruhodō: Very.
Mayoii: Don’t they get along?
Naruhodō: Well, directors and producers are fated to fight.
Mayoi: This talk doesn’t make it seem like it was an even match.
Naruhodō: You know how lions throw their child off a cliff? The producer is the lion, and the director the child.
Mayoi: Right. And then the child climbs back up and finishes the game.
Naruhodō: I heard some of them ever make it back up.
Mayoi: …Some things go too far….
I returned to my desk and first started with making a schedule. Writing one episode for the first game took me on average more than a month.
Mayoi: If he can write one episode in a month, he can write twelve episodes in a year.
Naruhodō: That’s how it adds up.
Mayoi: But now he had to write five episodes in three and a half months?
Naruhodō: Yep. Less time than last time.
Mayoi: At this rate the director will ask for fifteen episodes by tomorrow by the time we get to Gyakuten Saiban 10.
Naruhodō: Probably.
Mayoi: Wow.
Naruhodō: I wonder what music will play in TakuShū’s head when he’s told that.
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