Takarazuka Kagekidan no Gyakuten Saiban GET.

So, yeah, Gyakuten Saiban a/k/a Ace Attorney. So popular it's become a cash cow franchise for Capcom - partly because for some reason it did appeal to a lot of Japanese women, who then became gamers going crazy over getting to shout "OBJECTION!" at their Nintendo handheld consoles.

In late 2008 Capcom made a startling announcement: they were commissioning the Soragumi, or Cosmos Troupe, of the Takarazuka Revue (previously mentioned on this blog) to put on an authorized theatrical adaptation of the games. As Takarazuka is known for musical performances - yes, the whole song-and-dance bit - that meant, of course, that Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth were going to get to strut their stuff, singing and dancing on stage.

And of course, there was the part where all the roles were going to be played by female actresses....

The first play, 逆転裁判 −蘇る真実− (Gyakuten Saiban −Yomigaeru Shinjitsu−, or Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney ~Truth Resurrected~) did SO DAMN WELL that now a SECOND show has been commissioned, with an all-new story that follows on from the conclusion of the first show. The first play hit the stage in February and March of 2009; the second will be staged in August and September.


This graphic puts together the two flyers, or chirashi, promoting the first and the second Phoenix Wright musicals. Otokoyaku Ranju Tomu will reprise the role of Phoenix Wright. In both plays the female leads are stage-only characters; the first had Miwa Asahi as Leona Clyde, and the second will have Mikaze Maira reprising her role as Lotta Hart.

And I'm posting about this because I went thirds with a couple of other Takarazuka Revue fan friends in buying an official copy of the first Phoenix Wright musical - and I got my copy today! Woot~ Review with screenshots to come very soon!

I'm so excited~