Gyakuten Saiban, The Meaning of Design (2006)

Title: Gyakuten Saiban, The Meaning of Design / 「逆転裁判、デザインそのココロ」

Source: Gyakuten Saiban Official Fan Book

Summary: Gyakuten Saiban Official Fan Book  was released in 2006, in the period between the release of Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten (Ace Attorney 1 DS) and Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Ace Attorney 4 - Apollo Justice). As a book aimed at fans of the series in this interim period, the book contains an interview with series writer/director Takumi, in which he looks back at the six years in which he has worked on the series until now. He talks about working on the first game and the difficulties they experienced during its development, from him not knowing how to write characters to the composer having to leave the project mid-way. He also talks about how it's almost miraculous how the three games formed one cohesive story, as he was always more concerned about making the next deadline and thus could not actually plan forward.

Looking Back at 6 Years That Have Rushed By

Interviewer: When did the series start?

Takumi: I wrote my planning proposal titled “Attorney Game (Tentative)” in August 2000, so I guess it’s already been six full years. A child who entered elementary school would right about now start rebelling.

The story ended with Gyakuten Saiban 3 (Ace Attorney 3 – Trials & Tribulations). When the project was truly completely finished on January 2004, I was completely overwhelmed by emotions… but strangely enough, I am still doing Gyakuten Saiban-related work. Perhaps this series is also starting to rebel against its parent and go its own path. At one hand, I am grateful for that, though it’s a complicated feeling.

Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney 1 GBA)… Even if it didn’t turn out a big hit, I was absolutely sure it would become a one-of-a-kind game for those who resonated with it. To be honest, when the first game was released, I did feel it should’ve sold a bit better than it actually did. But having worked on the third game now, I do think it’s all thanks to the first game. Perhaps I’m starting to idealize my own memories, but that one year where we created Gyakuten Saiban out of nothing, that will remain a special memory.

Interviewer: Could you tell us about the development of that game then?

Takumi: Gyakuten Saiban started out as a project that was made with a low budget, few people, hidden somewhere out of sight and which would be launched quietly…. Something like that. At least, that’s how it appeared to me. Like a dandelion swaying in the shadow. Yes I know, dandelions don’t bloom in the shade. Ten months. Looking back, it was an impossibly short development period. But I was so excited because I was told I could make whatever I want, so I didn’t really saw reality as it was, I guess. And this I realize now, but the team had some very talented people at the right spots. I think the producer made sure I had good staff members, to compensate for the short time. If they hadn’t been there, Gyakuten Saiban couldn’t have been made… So in a way, it feels like it was destined to be so.

The Memories of the Team Members is the Greatest Treasure

Interviewer: Could you tell us about your memories with the other team members?

Takumi: We only had seven people on the first game. We were basically all rookies still, with most of them having little experience yet. I think that was exactly what made this team unique, in a good way. Like, we didn’t know our own limits yet. Perhaps I’m just imagining things though. The story, the characters, the graphics, the music… You can really tell the personalities and preferences of the team members shining through those parts. It shines through so obviously. Because everyone just did what they wanted, me included. That’s the strength of a small team. 

So I too learned a lot, thanks to them. I am especially thankful to the designer who created Naruhodo-kun (Phoenix Wright) and Mitsurugi Reiji (Miles Edgeworth). She was a woman. At the time, I was only focused on the story, and didn’t know an inkling about characters. To be honest, I’m not sure I do know. Anyway, she really gave me a hard time about that. She was someone who really cared about characterization. She was involved with the characterization of basically all characters in the first game. This is a story well-known among the fans, but she was also the one who decided that Mitsurugi should have the same age as Naruhodo-kun as his rival. The Mitsurugi Reiji I originally had in mind was 36, and was envisioned as a more monstrous prosecutor. She left the team after the first game, but if she had not been there, I doubt Karuma Mei (Franziska von Karma) and Godot could’ve been created. 

Now you might think, “Did such an amateur really write the scenario of these games!?” And the answer is yes.

The Many Great Tunes of the Gyakuten Saiban Series

Interviewer: The music of Gyakuten Saiban is quite alluring.

Takumi: It is. The music of the first game especially had such an impact, it would influence the style of the games that would follow. However, behind the scenes, it was quite a chaos. There’s not really a “good answer” when it comes to music. So I had a lot of discussions regarding the composer’s style and preferences, and then he’d write the music. But near the end of the project, right when we were still busy with the actual development of the game, the composer suddenly had to take a long leave. What was the reason again? I don’t remember. It was so busy for all of us, I forgot.

And all he left us, were the tracks he had just written in a flurry… Don’t tell anyone else, but this left us in quite a pickle. Anyway, so with the people who were left, we had to just try and see what tracks seemed to fit what scenes. It was rather thrilling. We quickly ran out of music, and even had to use tracks which had been rejected before.

The track that you hear at the very end of the first game, when the credits run…. That track was a work-in-progress. But we had nothing else left to us, so we had to bring it out. If you listen to the GameBoy Advance version one more time, you might notice it’s a bit simpler than the other tracks. Because it was still unfinished. At the time, I was not sure whether that was really okay, but I think it turned out right. But when we were able to remake the game for the DS, I had it re-arranged. By the way, after the game was finished, we had a tear-filled reunion at the party to celebrate we were done. He acted as nothing had happened.

Interviewer: Had the three games been planned from the start?

Takumi: Absolutely not. I had my hands full just with making the deadline of the game. But then the producer at the time was so happy with how the first game turned out, he ignored the people who advised against it and decided we’d make a sequel. But even though that decision didn’t go smoothly.

“Let’s at least make three games for now,” he told me. But again, each time, I really had my hands full with making the next deadline. The only thing I made absolutely sure of, was that both the first and second game felt like completely finished stories. The way the third game managed to tie up everything so nicely…. I think that was just a lot of coincidences coming together. That was not something that I alone created in my mind. The first game was created out of nothing, so that was of course very difficult… But I was working so hard on it, I don’t really remember. But I was able to use all my ideas, and there was no pressure at all, so I had a lot of fun working on the scenario. But by the time we did the second and third game, I knew more people would be watching my work, and that became a lot of pressure, and that was difficult to cope with. Every single idea I got in my head was immediately used, and near the end, it felt like I was choking. But that feeling when a story is created by pushing through, a story you would never even have thought of only a day before… That is really amazing. It’s that feeling that allowed me to somehow make it to the goal. The pressure was quite demanding, but that is what pushed the story out of my head, like paste out of a tube. Something like that.

Interviewer: Finally, what is the heart of Gyakuten Saiban?

Takumi: It’s…. to me, Gyakuten Saiban has to be a mystery story. The more people play the games, the more viewpoints on Gyakuten Saiban are born. Some might like the feeling of finding the culprit, others may enjoy the over-the-top characters, others like the story of friendship between the attorneys, and another says it’s fun finding the faults in testimonies and another likes finding faults in the scenario... Eh? Anyway, I, as the creator, hear these voices too of course, and it does influence me.

But there’s one thing I decided on when I first thought about making this game. “I want to explore the fun of the mystery fiction I love so much” I wrote the story, thinking I should never forget that thought.

I love most of all, the surprise mystery and detective fiction has offered me ever since I was young and I had always dreamed of someday, writing my own mystery fiction. 

“Attorney Game (Tentative)”…. It’s been six years since I wrote that proposal. And thanks to everyone I’ve met since, my dream has come true. In that sense, the three Gyakuten Saiban games are the treasure of my life.