#google translate can be shitty with romanizing names and I sure don't know

[rivalsforlife]

Upcoming Takarazuka/Great Ace Attorney Musical

Takarazuka Revue, a long-standing all-female theater troupe in Japan, was the first to do an adaptation of Ace Attorney in 2009, with their two musicals Ace Attorney: The Truth Reborn (a musical loosely based on Rise from the Ashes) and Ace Attorney 2: The Truth Reborn Again (a musical loosely based on Farewell my Turnabout). This was followed in 2013 by a Miles Edgeworth-centric musical involving time travel.

Now, ten years since Takarazuka’s last attempt to bring Ace Attorney to musical life, they’re returning with a fourth musical (link goes to official Capcom announcement in Japanese), this time based off of the Great Ace Attorney games.

Like the previous three musicals, this will be performed by Takarazuka’s Cosmos Troupe. It will also be directed by Suzuki Kei, who directed the other three Ace Attorney musicals. According to the official Takarazuka page, as of right now, they plan two runs in July and August 2023:

July 19th - July 26th 2023 at the Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka, Japan

August 1st - August 8th 2023 at the KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater in Yokohama, Japan

So far, cast lists have not been announced, except that the actress Rukaze Hikaru will be playing the lead role of Ryunosuke Naruhodo, and judging by the synopsis, Susato Mikotoba and Herlock Sholmes will also be present.

A (google translated) synopsis from the Takarazuka page (with minor modifications + square bracket notes for clarity):

A stage adaptation of the blockbuster "Great Gyakuten Saiban" [Great Ace Attorney] featuring Ryunosuke Naruhodo, the ancestor of Ryuichi Naruhodo [Phoenix Wright]! Set in a courtroom, the game "Gyakuten Saiban" is a popular series that has sold more than 9.8 million copies in total. The unique characters and intricately crafted storylines have garnered tremendous support, and have been mixed in media such as movies and TV animations, not limited to games. In the Takarazuka Revue, after its first performance in Sora [Cosmos] Troupe in 2009, "Ace Attorney 2" was performed in the same year, and "Ace Attorney 3" was performed in 2013, both of which were very popular works. Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a college student who aspires to become a lawyer, goes from the Empire of Japan in the Meiji era to study abroad in the British Empire with the World Exposition just around the corner, in order to learn about the latest judicial system. Ryunosuke, who is involved in one difficult case after another, stands up for his client with judicial assistant Susato, but the great detective of the century, Sherlock Holmes, appears... From the famous line "There is an objection!"

From this synopsis, there is little information on what specific cases may be loosely adapted, or what other similarities the musical may share with the games. 

To clarify for English-speaking AA fans, as I understand it, Takarazuka does not translate their plays, so any fans who are interested will have to either wait for fan subtitles or find a way to watch a recording (possibly dvd release, if they’ll do that for this one) without them.

I’ll try to update this post as new information is released. Please let me know if there is anything that I missed or is incorrect that you would like me to add.