Gyakuten Saiban 4 BGM: Horiyama (2007)

Title: Gyakuten Saiban 4 BGM: Horiyama / 『逆転裁判4 BGM: ホリヤマ』
Source: CAP’STONE (link not available anymore)

Summary: In a short 2007 piece on CAP’STONE, the official site for Capcom’s sound team, Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Ace Attorney 4 - Apollo Justice) composer Horiyama Toshihoko revealed the unlikely story of how he created the theme song for the prosecutor Garyū Kyōya (Klavier Gavin). The piece Love Love Guilty (Guilty Love) is quite unlike any of the music tracks heard in earlier games in this series, but Horiyama reveals there’s also a very odd story behind the creation of the song.

Love Love Guilty

Garyū Kyōya (Klavier Gavin). That’s the name of the new prosecutor who has joined the Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney) series. While he is a prodigy prosecutor, he has also managed to capture the hearts of women everywhere as the lead of the super popular, multiple million-selling hit band Garyū Wave.

And here I was, struggling with the composition of his theme song.

He was supposed to be in a popular band, so at first I figured the song had to sound like J-Pop. So I composed a catchy-sounding J-pop tune and presented it to TakuShū (Takumi Shū). His response was as follows.

“No, this is all wrong! Sounds just like J-Pop!”

The song was rejected without any hesitation.

It was at this time I had a curious dream…

In my dream, I was waiting for the bus at a bus stop I didn’t recognize. A woman arrived there. She was probably going to take the same bus. The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew it. She was exactly my type. Eventually, the bus arrived and both the woman and I got on. It happened there was a two-seater available, so the woman and I sat down next to each other. For some reason, I started a conversation with the woman. Perhaps I had an ulterior motive.

Horiyama: I wonder where this bus is headed.

Woman: You don’t know and still got on? This bus, you know, is heading towards a tonkatsu restaurant.

Horiyama: A tonkatsu restaurant? I am a big fan of tonkatsu!

Woman:  I am actually more in the mood for spaghetti carbonara.

This was a dream, so things got a bit random.

After a while, the bus stopped in front of the tonkatsu restaurant. It appeared this was the final stop. Everyone made their way out of the bus, into the restaurant. The woman and I entered the establishment too. We found ourselves sitting down at the exact same table, as if it had been the most natural thing to do.

Everyone around started making their orders, from loin tonkatsu sets or top-grade pork fillet tonkatsu sets. As this was a dream, I might as well have gone for the top-grade set, but for some reason I ordered a regular pork fillet tonkatsu set. The woman ordered a set of mixed fried food. While we waited for our food, the woman suddenly spoke up.

Woman: You are having trouble with composing the song for Garyū, right?

Horiyama: Ye-yeah! I can’t figure out how to capture the heart of TakuShū…

Woman: Let me show you.

As we were talking, a waiter arrived at our table. At first, I thought our food was ready, but the waiter did not place my pork fillet tonkatsu set on the table, but a computer and a MIDI sound source and other items.

This was a dream, so things got a bit nonsensical.

The woman started setting the equipment up in an accustomed manner. She then started to tinker with the equipment. She was apparently composing a song. As I stared at her, I felt I could really fall in love with her.

After a while, the woman spoke up again.

Woman: The song is ready. Give it a try.

I listed to the song the woman had composed. It was a hard rock piece, something I had not expected from the woman in front of me. The song had hardly stopped when the woman spoke up once more.

Woman: It’s about time for me to leave.

Horiyama: Where to?

Woman: My husband is waiting for me.

The woman was married… So it wasn’t a good idea of me to fall in love with her… But still…

I was overcome with a fluttery feeling as I woke up from my dream.

The following day, I started working Garyū’s theme song, the vague memories of my dream still in my head. I came up with a hard rock piece, exactly like the song the woman had composed. When I was done, I presented the song to TakuShū once again. His reaction was as follows.

"I think we can go with this."

And this is how the theme song of Garyū was created.

A few days later, TakuShū gave the song its official name. And that name was, believe it or not, Love Love Guilty (Guilty Love).