Today I was at Tekkoshocon with my girlfriend. We had a great time looking at the various booths and panels on the show floor. Lots of items were for sale, and I even found some things related to Ace Attorney. This question then popped into my head: Why is there no Ace Attorney anime?

For a series that's existed since the GBA days in 2001, the popularity its received in Japan and the rest of the world, plus the fact that the art style is basically 100% pure anime, why hasn't this happened yet? I honestly can't think of a good reason. Firstly, the Bones has proven with AA5 and PL.vs.AA that the series CAN work in animation since they handled the excellent cutscenes for those games. Secondly, detective shows like Case Closed and Kindaichi Case Files have proven that these types of anime can be successful.

I mention Tekkoshocon because I saw A LOT of Ace Attorney fan art for sale. And this is love for a series that's been confined mostly to handheld games. If they made an anime for Ace Attorney, it would only improve its popularity.

Does anyone agree? Does anyone have any idea why there's no Ace Attorney anime? Also, should it be an adaption of the games or original material?

I'm no expert, but I can share my opinion on it: It's Capcom. Even if there is high demand for such an anime, it can become stale or impractical beyond a few short episodes - and this is considering if it isn't a direct adaptation. The games already portray themselves like an anime anyway. Why invest in something else when the games themselves are sufficiently successful? Outside productions based on the games don't contribute to Capcom's sales (unless we include the "influence" they spread), so they don't count. Yes, there have been many games before that have earned anime adaptations. Not many of them are such big sellers that's it's much more profitable than otherwise.

Also, since it's not the first time Capcom has screwed up publicity regarding certain major titles, there's no real surprise that they wouldn't think another anime series under their belt is worth the trouble. Besides, the money gone into animation is present in the games. There's your anime right there.

---