Ace Attorney is one of Capcom's most beloved franchises, and the company has decided to celebrate 20 years of Ace Attorney by teaming up with the Japanese police force. Reportedly, Japan’s Osaka Prefectural Police is using some of the series' iconic characters in a campaign to address marijuana use among children.
Some fans may find this decision intriguing, as the Ace Attorney series began as a commentary on Japanese policing. Although recent titles like The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles took the franchise's trademark visual novel storytelling and puzzle-solving gameplay to other locales, the original games were set firmly in Japan. Overseas fans may have been confused by the court's bias against defense lawyer Phoenix Wright, but in Japanese courts, a case rarely goes to trial unless the prosecution--and the police--are sure of a conviction.
A recent press release from Capcom revealed that the company is working with Osaka police’s juvenile delinquency prevention awareness program to produce 6,000 posters and 4,000 flyers. These materials will feature characters from The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles games, including protagonist Ryunosuke Naruhodo, Kazuma Asogi, and Susato Mikotoba. The design features Kazuma Asogi striking the iconic Ace Attorney "Objection!" Pose, with a large "No!" Written in the easily recognizable red font the games use for mid-court interjections.
According to Capcom, the Osaka Prefectural Police reached out to the company to request the use of the characters as part of a new anti-weed campaign targeting a younger demographic. Apparently, the police force has noticed a "conspicuous shift" toward younger age groups being implicated in marijuana use cases. Although Ace Attorney generally deals with crimes either far more serious or far more absurd than drug use, the series' strong association with justice and the court of law could help convey a message to potential young offenders. Apparently, the flyers will be handed out with individually wrapped face masks at Osaka Prefectural educational institutions, police boxes, and train stations from December 9, though it's unclear if the face masks will also be themed after The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.
Although Ace Attorney is full of detectives, this is reportedly the first time that Ace Attorney's characters have been used in a real-life police campaign. Fans may find the decision to use The Great Ace Attorney's protagonists despite them having only appeared in two games notable. It's possible that The Great Ace Attorney's cast was used because the game is more focused on critiquing Victorian London's legal system than the Japanese one.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles was released on July 27, 2021, and is available on PC, PS4, and Switch.
Source: IGN