OBJECTION! Didn’t we already get this album?
Yes, and no. “Gyakuten Meets Orchestra” happened two years ago, but that wasn’t a live performance. And this one is a live performance. And, more importantly, this album includes many tunes from Gyakuten Saiban 4 (known in America as “Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney”). They even have the vocal track, performed live and in full, from GS4. So it’s a whole new deal, other than some re-used arrangements from the last orchestra album.
In terms of the actual performance, there’s no question that this live album is superior to the first orchestral album. There’s also a greater diversity in song selection. Most of what comprised the first orchestra album is packed into a single medley (track 2). So, of all the other tracks, there’s a lot of new stuff. The “Villain Suite” is a whole new arrangement, and all of the tracks from Gyakuten Saiban 4 are new to the scene as well. So there’s a lot of good, new music here.
The performance itself is, generally, strong. I must call out the vocalist on “Loving Guitar’s Serenade” for some atrocious strings of Engrish run together. Fortunately, she sings the latter half of the song in Japanese, making the song much more tolerable.
I loved the ordering of this tracklist. The album starts strong with the new theme from Gyakuten Saiban 4, followed by an extremely nostalgic courtroom medley for GS1, 2, and 3. After some more character themes, we get the vocal track, then the classic “Gyakuten Sisters’ Theme.” Things get somber and, dare I use the buzz word “epic,” with the end credits music from G3. But a double-whammy leads us out: Oo-edo Soldier Tonosaman’s Song (the “Steel Samurai” theme), followed by the energetic and most-well-recognized theme from the series, “Objection!” How could anyone possibly object to this awesome ending?
The weakest tracks are probably the character themes. Though “Godot” is a great song, it is a much more fitting arrangement for the jazz album than orchestra. And “Swingin’ Zenitora” was just never a favorite of mine. I liked the addition of the Villain arrangements, but they are not memorable themes (compared to, say, the protagonists’ themes).
Whether you picked up the first “Gyakuten Meets Orchestra” album or not, this is a great album for fans of the “Ace Attorney” series to have. This, and the jazz album, are well worth their retail value.
