ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka

Ever feel like you just want to slouch on your couch and savor the taste of vintage fine wine? That's what the suave, stylistic ACCA feels like. It has a very sweet, but calming taste, it's never sharp, and is striking because of it. And on top of keeping such a presentation the show offers a perspective of many cultures and how they affect society. It's a road trip in aesthetic, but extremely political in essence. If raw exposition about political power moves and stances are not to you liking, then you won't like this show. To keep perspectives as they are, it is very ... impartial to all of them, and therefore very monotone. The most emotional engagement aside from a dry coup d'État intrigue plot, is the cute little sister with little screen time. And that's fine by me!


ACCA doesn't have an obvious selling point. It is what it says on the tin. Our protagonist goes to other districts to check up if they are doing everything within regulations. It's all about absorbing each district's unique flavor and atmosphere, how it has affected people's lifestyles and behaviours. How it softens them, how it hardens them with different resolves and different priorities.
The coup d'État plotline is merely used as an overarching subtext to have all these pieces come together into one who at the end. And it's all done through exposition dialogue that feels as natural as it can be. Everyone is an adult who is keenly aware of their situation, as much as the viewer at least, and slowly, people start revealing their hands and desires behind the masks of courtesy.

The characters are rather dry unfortunately. They are professionals and each one of them has a specific role to play.
Our protagonist, Jean embodies this as well. His seemingly apathetic attitude is to give a grounding for the viewer, so we can intimately share his perspective. He doesn't offer his opinions much, he asks for them instead. Just like the viewer, he's absorbing the culture he's visiting. He doesn't want to influence it in any way. He's given a few badass points for being damn good at his job and sharp on the clues that are given to us. We know how the state of things are as he does, along with the twists and turns.
Nino serves as a shadow of Jean, an old, reliable buddy he can always be comfortable with and share his worries and troubles without any reprehension. Nino also plays a big role in the story, but he's always a loyal friend to Jean first and foremost.
Lotte is the cute girl that fills any scene with happiness and fluffiness. She relieves whatever tension there is from the coup d'État plot and its developments.
All the other characters are very much background dressing, and they are so many. Showing the show's commitment to its own fiction, giving it a face, a grounding for us to see people as they are, not as just human resources on a paper.
At worst, Jean and a few other characters are impenetrable, meaning, they don't emote, they simply fulfil their roles with little qualms or reaction. Due to that monotony of exposition dumps with small emotional subtext, it gets frustrating that there's seemingly nothing happening to anyone, no one is troubled, no one seems overly concerned to build some kind of actual tension or a motive you can get behind. And all the revelations are reserved until the latter half of the show.


Presentation is what truly holds the show together. The chill atmosphere, the slender character designs animated in a softer fashion. The watercolor backgrounds giving a very surreal, yet enamouring aesthetic from the urban district to the desert district. Again, all to underline the show's confidence in its own setting and writing. The character animations give them quite a bit more life and personality than usual, everyone has a certain movement, a tell to who they are and what they represent, besides their looks, or their roles.

Audio directing is on point throughout the show. Music helps set the mood of each scene and district, while the sound effects still provide for an immersive setting. The voice acting is monotone on purpose, but for once it feels like actual adults just exchanging daily words, keeping things professional, if impartial. Oh and let's not forget the smokin' OP. The ED is a good relief for a chill show that just went by with no effort, yet all the cerebral engagement of how every piece fits in the jigsaw puzzle that is the coup.

At the end, ACCA is a pure cerebral experience, held by its chill attitude and suave aesthetic. It doesn't offer much in terms of emotional engagement, but it's not a bad price to pay for a show that is mentally engaging, yet weirdly comfy. It's very easy to appreciate its commitment to world building and an intrigue narrative. And I loved every second of this experience.

ACCA was a nice change of pace from the usual. It was slow, but interesting. You can chill and watch, but if you chill too much, you might miss out on all the little details.

7/10 story:
Story isn't complex or anything, but it still keeps you guessing. You at times wonder where the story is going and who to trust and who not to trust. What is this guy planning? What about that guy? As a viewer, I felt like Tony Soprano at the end of The Sopranos. Paranoid as fuck and kept yelling at the screen,"No, don't trust that guy!" and then when it ... turns out my guess was wrong, I'd turn to the next character and be like,"Oh, hell no! Definitely don't trust that guy!" This anime felt like something that could of happened irl and I enjoyed it.

8/10 art:
The animation is pretty consistently well done. I like the character designs and etc. Nothing else to really say, but if you're not convinced, it's animated by Madhouse.

9/10 sound:
There were quite a few good openings this season, but this one was just so damn catchy! The osts and everything. Even the ending song. Every sound this anime made got my ears attention. This anime had the best sound out of any anime I've heard this season. I put the volume way higher whenever I came back to this anime weekly.

6/10 character:
There's quite a few characters that were interesting. Like Jean, Niino.. Actually, there's quite a lot of characters that had interesting traits. Jean's not give a fuck attitude, Niino had the is he best friend or just a job thing going on, a lot of people were schemers, and a lot of people liked bread lol. But with such a huge cast of characters and the focus always shifting to Jean, I tend to forget some characters.

7/10 enjoyment:
It was slow, but the sound, guesses on what's what, relaxing type anime really made me enjoy this anime for what it was.

8/10 overall:
This is the type of anime where I probably wouldn't watch again because guessing what would happen is a huge chunk of the fun, but for a first watch it was pretty damn fun.

The concept of a coup de’tat, in which a plot is developed to overthrow a populace’s own government, has been around for centuries. In fact, the history goes back as far as 870 B.C. in which an Israeli commander Zimri killed his own king to commandeer the throne for himself (he later committed suicide due to talks of being overthrown by his own subordinate- karma’s a bitch, eh?). Most recently, our Lord and Savior, Studio Madhouse adapted a little known manga, ACCA, which primarily centers itself around this historical theme. With rather mixed impressions, ACCA attempts to overthrow anime stereotypes with its atypical approach while ... also looking to become a future cult classic.

The story follows Jean Otus, an inspector for ACCA, an organization created after an ugly coup de’tat dismantled the previous country Dowa’s authority. He's tasked with performing a short-cycled audit of each of the countries 13 regions, recognized for his supreme skill to uncover even the faintest trace of malpractice. Jean has to deal with the stress of auditing in addition to lofty rumors that he may be involved with some deep rooted plotting of his own. What follows is a slow burning story of politics, royalty, deception and secrecy. ACCA is most certainly an anime to be overlooked by the casual viewer, due to its passive nature. But underneath the political rhetoric and lack of action is a gripping plot to note. It has a marked plot twist, which caught me completely off guard without being unfounded. The characters have deeper agendas not worn on their sleeves, and nobody is who they appear to be. I thoroughly enjoyed dissecting the intricate details of each scene looking for clues to the next story turn.

Although I personally enjoyed the approach, many will be quick to disregard the series based on its slow, methodical episodes. Not a lot seems to be purposeful on the first pass through, but the copious amounts of foreshadowing and allusion to other events make it worthwhile in the end. It's an anime best watched in one big chunk like an extended film rather than week to week, one of its greatest downfalls. In addition to the pacing, if you're looking for action for this Winter season past a stern one way conversation… I'd advise you look to Youjo Senki or Kobayashi Dragon Maid to get your fix. ACCA, as previously mentioned, is a slow burning anime putting the cerebral first, while flashy, fast-paced scenes take a firm backseat.

The parallels to modern day government and royalty can be easily made, however the setting for ACCA appears to be entirely unique to our world. Some normal commodities in our countries (cigarettes, sweets) are quite rare in Jean’s world, and being deemed as “the cigarette pedeller”, he finds himself the topic of much scrutiny wherever he travels. Having previously served in the military myself, I could sympathize with a lot of the procedural and inspection-based lingo present within the more militant scenes. The writers also did a rather accurate job of emulating the true feel of exhaustion emoted by Jean as he traveled through the many regions to perform his duties. Often turning to drink despite his inability to hold his liquor, Jean’s languid nature is catalyzed when alcohol is involved. His best friend Niino, whose association is a mystery, often keeps Jean company amidst his various endeavors.

Jean Otus as a main protagonist is rather uninteresting. He doesn't get excited about much, his appearance is rather plain and he doesn't have many friends. He's your typical introvert, who would rather spend a weekend at home in tranquility than trek around bars with his coworkers (I can totally relate to this). His parents died in a tragic train accident several years ago, and was obligated to be the primary caretaker for his younger sister Lotto, due mostly to her much younger age and maturity level. Much like you would expect from a hermit like Jean, his feelings are shown rather than told to the viewers, resulting in a higher difficulty to relate on an emotional level to him throughout the anime. Although I won't give too much away, there may be a deeper reason the writers chose Lotto is flighty and carefree, often subdued by the appearance of a doughy pastry or cake, but she stands by Jean’s side despite their stark differences.

The side characters, though not fully explored due to a lack of air time, have their fair share of mysteries as well. Whether it's the secret meetings Jean undergoes with the Director-General or the convenient “business trips” Niino travels to, each episode unveils another small piece of the pie. I do wish some more time would've been spent on the side characters in order to fully understand the story, but I'm often overexpectant in 12 episode anime. Nothing new here.

I will say that I like the art style Madhouse had the freedom to use in ACCA. Though not “great” by modern anime standards, the animation is consistent, which is more than I can say for some other action oriented shows out there. And even though I normally despise this comment, “it stayed true to the manga”. The character designs, including the incorporation of the military uniforms were reminiscent of my younger years. Unique, but familiar enough to invoke some slight nostalgia.

The OP might be my favorite of the season. It incorporates a jazzy beat with a powerful and catchy chorus. The added collage of vivid images almost tells us a story of how the anime unfolds. I would imagine that Mother’s Basement guy from YouTube would get his jollies from interpreting this opening. The ED is pretty standard and delicate, and I often found found myself skipping it altogether. The background music had some serious Speed Grapher/Bebop vibes, and were certainly better placed than the first of those anime. Seiyus did a decent job providing some convincing in their portrayals, but really no breakout performances here.

I feel like I'm in the minority when it comes to my enjoyment of ACCA. Modern anime is laden with goofy, bombastic characters, glitzy action and panty shots galore. The best part? ACCA has none of these. So, if you're looking for a show that breaks the mold in almost every possible way, or are growing tired of the gimmicky cash grabs pilfered at anime fans, I'd recommend checking it out. It is a great candidate for a “hidden gem” if given the proper care while watching it, and a series I'm glad I picked up this season. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out my other Winter ‘17 reviews!

Story-7
Art-6
Sound-8
Character-6
Enjoyment-8
Overall-7.2

You never heard of a dark horse? The term comes from the dark horses in horse racing. They aren't the popular ones that most people will bet on, but they automatically catch at least a few eyes willing to give them a chance, and low and behold, they do surprisingly well in the race, sometimes even winning. Given how bleak this season has been for most people, this seemed like one of those surprising shows that could've been one of the best of the season, but, as the saying goes, "close but no cigar". Fitting, really.

*Paragraph 4 contains mild spoilers for ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka. Proceed ... with caution*

ACCA is an interesting show. Produced by Studio Madhouse, this is an adaptation from a manga. Ultimately, this show intrigued a lot of people, myself included. Some people will definitely see his as the dark horse of the season, but I don't entirely agree. There are strong cases to be made why this show was interesting and why it was boring, but we'll get to that. But why the polarization? Isn't this series slick as hell? Well...

To a decent extent, the story is meticulously written in terms of creating a mystery full of twists and turns. It all surrounds Jean Otus, a man working for ACCA that is currently doing audits while the prince of the nation is not only coming of age but is ready to succeed the throne. Problem number 1 is that the story really dead its feet with nothing to truly hook us for more aside from hoping that it will all explode into a chaotic and flavorful conclusion towards the final act; it doesn't. It's understandable why this turns people off, as the show feels uneventful. Two, some of these twists were both obvious and poor. The final antagonist was one of the royals whom we had never even heard of until 2/3 into the series, with two of the ACCA 5 Chief Officers being antagonists with their own separate plot. If you're anything like me, you suspected the two that turned out to be antagonists, and there was only 1 other person to remotely suspect, who isn't involved, but there could've been more flavor to the mystery by giving reason to suspect more people.

So, because Jean was suspected of being involved in an upcoming coup, his friend, Nino, is sent to spy on him, but then it's revealed that he is next in like to be king, which is why the rumor was created, in order to get the 13 districts on his side during his audits. Sounds fine and dandy, and for most part, it is, including the somewhat rushed backstory of Nino, Jean, and his sister, Lotta. It's thanks to that that the aunt of the family wants them dead, as well as the dickheaded prince himself. As for the finale, it was ok. It was interesting to see the whole coup resolve peacefully but with more twists, but there was no reason for the aunt to suddenly abandon her plan.

Tell me, who do you remember besides Jean and Nino? Probably nobody because these characters are mostly dull and one-note. Jean is pretty listless, by it is nice seeing him get flustered over his crush/superior Mauve, though that fades quickly. He also smokes...a lot. Just like on older times, in this anime, smoking is a sign of wealth and he gets misconstrued because of it, particularly when confronted by Rail, who acts like an ass around him and likes his sister. Nino is a slick guy, even in spy mode, but he's merely ok. Mauve, Lotta, and Gossular are merely ok, and most of the characters are boring, like prince Schwan, the aunt, the spoiler manipulator in the 5 Chief Officers, and each of Jean's subordinates and audit companions. We could've easily spent a bit more time about the characters but instead, we chose to do more audits and see the main 3 eat apple pie and drink alcohol. Like the plot, the interesting potential really fizzes out, which is a shame.

To this day, I'm not sure how to feel about the art-style. However, what is something I'm sure of is that the series is clearly not in 24FPS. The animation is rather choppy, making it feel like the series runs at only 16 frames per second instead of the minimum required 24 for everything to feel like they're in constant motion. I'm not sure if this is an artistic choice, but I don't think it works. I at least like the hair and food detail, as well as the detail in the casino lights in episode 8. The OP has amazing artistic flair to the way it looks, and the ED has another type of interesting art that is actually more fluid than the entirety of the actual series, which is kinda sad the more you think about it. After all, you'd probably expect better from Studio Madhouse since Studio DEEN did more fluid and striking animation with their also more methodical and realistic series, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. Thankfully the mediocre CGI is insanely minimal to the point where most people would find it nonexistent, even if some of the character faces are actually incomplete in the final episodes and the background characters often fit move in scenes.

The OST is pretty nice and fitting, especially the jingle at the beginning and middle of episode 1. It fits the calmer, more lax and methodical nature of the series perfectly, preventing me from really getting bored, but that didn't stop some people from boredom. The OP, "Shadow and Truth" by ONE III NOTES is pretty cool, with surprisingly good J-rap and a great female singer (even during autotune sections). There's a reason people say this is one of the best OPs of the season, it's pretty freakin' slick. As for the ED, "Pale Moon ga Yureteru (ペールムーンがゆれてる)" by Aira Yuuki, is a pretty alright theme meant for some bit of emotion after each episode. Not great but not bad.

As for the dub, it's rather good. J Michael Tatum was in charge of ADR direction and we get some rather fitting boxes for many of the characters, especially Jean and Nino. It's weird to hear someone sound like Steve Blum without being Steve Blum, but that's been an issue in the dubbing industry for a good year now (where new actors sound like old ones, and this was exposed to be a major problem in the acting industry in Japan). It feels like the character art-style lends itself to both the dub and the sub rather well, and the dub worked just as well as the sub, at least for me.

For the most part, I was pretty intrigued by the narrative, even if it did get a bit dull towards the end. The atmosphere was pretty enjoyable, and the OP was so damn good that I just wanna bob my head and snap to the beat every time. It was surprisingly enjoyable if a bit lacking in the satisfaction department. T'was a nice enough time, but there wasn't enough pizzazz to give real flavor to the experience, making it somewhat underwhelming. It's by no means a bad show, but there's no way in hell this'll be smoking the competition for any "best of winter 2017" lists, I'm sure. It didn't rise up high, but it was decent and slick while it lasted, so that's alright, I guess. With that said, I bid you adieu.

I've seen 4 episodes of ACCA and this review is based on that much only:

Reason why I'm writing the review?
To be honest do I need a reason?, well I don't appreciate the lack of viewership this show is getting and it's lack of popularity on MAL, not to mention it's relatively low rating.

So, this is an attempt to tell people of what potential this series holds(Unlike the other anime this season Eg- Masamune-kun no Revenge, kuzu no Honkai, Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Fujouou-hen) and what it's doing right.

Story:
I like the scale of the story. We are 4 episodes into it and the set ... up seems great. Also the setting was fairly unique(Not high school or Video game)
At this point anything could happen.

Characters:
This is where the show really got me. Seeing the same shit again and again had become boring. At first it doesn't seem that the characters are all that special(But their personality traits are reviled one by one subtly) and their variety was pleasing.

Soundtrack:
The soundtrack is not bad but nothing of incredible consequence

Art:
The animation style is unique. Personally I like the animation style. I'd say animation quality is constant unlike shows like Haikyuu!! or Yuri on Ice where it peaks and then drops.


I understand why some people might not like this show. Since it starts of slow, flashy stuff doesn't happen frequently and the mood is fairly calm.
But why does a show have to do flash stuff or bring eccentric or absolutely stupid characters.

I think as the show goes on people will start to appreciate the show because of how well the story will develop. I hope that the industries will produce more of such audio visual content in the future.

Ah ACCA, a title that took me by surprise as we witness this anime adaptation by Natsume Ono. I have to admit, the show is hard to accept at first. The premise sounds like something from 1984 and mixes in police drama with political affairs. First impressions of the show can really be a make or break for viewers to continue watching. As such, I suggest watching ACCA with an open mind because by doing that, you can enjoy the storytelling much easier.

I’ll be honest, the storytelling moves at a pretty slow pace. It takes patience to accept the story because the first few episodes ... decides to focus a lot more on building the world setting. In the Kingdom of Doma, there are 13 districts. ACCA is an organization that provides services to each of these distinct services. The show focuses on a man named Jean Otus, the second command of ACCA as he gets himself involved in a complex affair of events that may even include a coup d'état. As you can imagine, this builds up the story as each episode bring in together pieces and pieces like a puzzle. In the meantime, we can get to see the inner workings and affairs going on in Doma. To say the least, the world building of this show has a lot of interesting qualities. Each district has their own unique society that differs from each other. While the show doesn’t fully explore every district, it gets its point across that there are conflicting struggle between some sides.

For most parts, the characters in the show are fleshed out by their positions (often ranks) and their personality. Jean is the main guy we’ll get familiar with the most. He is enigmatic and difficult to read on the surface. He also loves to smoke and is often seen with a cigarette in his mouth. With such a mysterious character, you’ll definitely find him difficult to understand although his approach at dealing with certain situations is insightful. His sister, Lotta is just the opposite as she is often cheerful and has a big appetite for sweets. At times, it will feel like they are living in different worlds apart. As the show progresses, we also learn more about the other ACCA members. Characters such as Grossular will be a challenge for Jean to overcome as he suspects the latter of being involved in a coup to overthrow the king. Some of his character also suggests Grossular may be the one involved in the coup himself. Either way, the show does a decent job at making the audience anticipate what will happen next with these characters. On the opposite spectrum, there are guys like Lilium who dismisses Jean as being possibly involved in the coup. At the center of it, we also meet Mauve, the director general of ACCA. She is the one that actually believes a coup may end up happening and gets Jean involved in the investigation. A mysterious character like herself is quite admiring as she demonstrates leadership characteristics. Her role in the show can be determined easily although the audience will have to judge on whether her approach to certain situations as right or wrong. Finally, I have to admit that the Prince of Doma Kingdom is really hard for me to accept. We even learn a bit of background story about certain royalty and as interesting as it seems, it isn’t what I find too accepting.

Now I have to admit, ACCA’s storytelling is rather predictable. Certain revelations can be easily drawn from hints and speculations, some that can be easily recognized. While that’s not really impressive to go by, it does like to also take risks to flesh out certain characters’ motives. One of the more dynamic character relationships is between Jean and Nino. Now, Nino is a close friend of Jean’s and throughout the show, we find out that he appears to be a lot more than just being his friend. Certain episodes will reveal his true role as we see how his relationship with Jean develop from certain revelations. The key success though is the background story. Even as predictable as the show can be at times, we learn why characters’ roles are played out like the way they do. ACCA succeeds at pulling the trigger to executing characters’ roles while all the time getting viewers invested about their motivations. Whether you’ll enjoy this show with that aspect though is up to you.

Adapted by Madhouse studio, the show has a very distinctive feel at adapting the art style. The unique approach that director Seiko Yoshioka really is dynamic when you look at it carefully. Every district has their own style while the royal palace stands as the most noticeable structure. The character designs have a good degree of freedom. Characters such as Jean are given simple appearances to make them not stand out while others such as characters from royalty are given more flameboyant-like appearances. The designs aren’t entirely faithful to the manga though as it does look different. Also, I can’t say I’m impressed the momentum of the artwork. While character expressions are well delivered, the show feels very static at times that almost feels like a picture drama.

When it comes to music, ACCA excels at this field thanks to Ryo Takahashi’s talent. The directing of the soundtrack and music really brings this show to life. The piano-like rhythms and melody of each episode is dynamic while the theme songs are choreographed with a unique approach. Character voice mannerism isn’t to be underestimated either especially for characters like Mauve, Nino, and even Jean himself.

ACCA 13-ku Kansatsu-ka (ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.) is a difficult show to recommend to anyone. Any fan of police drama who is interested in world building may get a better experience than others. If you’re looking for action, then this is definitely the wrong show to invest time in. ACCA is much more about what is on the surface but rather the internal affairs that goes on behind the scenes. The complex characters offers a mature approach style of storytelling without going overboard. In the meantime, ACCA’s pacing will hinder some viewers into spending more time to watch the show. However, I would definitely put time into this series as it offers so much more than what it just looks like.

ACCA is a story that says to hell with expectations and preconceived notions on what makes anime good, throwing the staples of anime tradition to the wayside in favor of a more subtle, nuanced approach to storytelling.

As such, It should come to no surprise to know that this winter season’s ACCA has dissenting opinions among the anime community. Some people have cited it as ‘People talking, the anime.’

After all, the show doesn’t aim to dazzle us in the way we’ve come to expect from traditional series— there are no explosive visuals, no internal monologue, no signature moves or battles, nor is there any trademark fanservice ... to feast on— there’s just our protagonist Jean Otus and his day-to-day dialogues with people as he does his job. The show’s lowkey vibes will fool the more passive viewers – the ones used to anime that panders to their senses – into believing there’s nothing there. Much of the action and excitement of ACCA comes from deciphering the dialogue to find the hidden meanings behind character’s intents.

ACCA asks us to work for it — to think about what lies beneath the exterior — informing us that we need to tread carefully, lest we become victims to false expectations. This should be alarming to the army of anime viewers that have been spoiled with the rush of instant gratification and exposition. To fully enjoy ACCA, we need to drop all assertions of the medium and have patience. In a series subtlety unveiling key plot points through character interactions and nuance of expressions, the responsibility lies with us, the viewer, to avoid being entangled in the web of deceit woven by dialogue.

Our protagonist, Jean Otus, shows a carefulness about himself and how he approaches the world. He exudes a calm and collected demeanor that permeates the atmosphere of the narrative at surface level. Armed with astute observations and skepticism, he is aware that everyone is attempting to appeal to his simple pleasures. He plays characters attempts at manipulation with a cool, enigmatic indifference.

The thing is, we can’t really tell what anyone is thinking in the series — there’s no way to know because we can’t see into the character’s thoughts -- and that's where the appeal is. ACCA gradually and intricately weaves a plot entangled in mystery. We’re forced to follow the breadcrumbs given to us through exploring what is said and seen. ACCA’s allure thus, lies in its ability to engage the audience, telling you that truth is somewhere just beyond the lies. The series calls upon us to be active participants of the medium to get more out of it.

ACCA tells us that the very notion of expectations is the enemy. The scenes with food aren’t there as simple filler, as one may think, but rather to showcase the contradictory nature of people and the allure of simple delights.

Which comes back to why ACCA isn’t as popular as some of the other series of the winter. Those idly sitting by, waiting for their usual visual feasts simply won’t get it. They’re not accustomed to being active participants — to the intricacies and delights of subtle narration ACCA thrives under. The series is deceptively lowkey, and many have fallen prey to its subtleties. But if you take a closer look, approaching with an open mind, a rich and flavorful world is out there, ripe and ready, waiting to be sampled.

-- Palpable ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡

For the full review, visit my website at https://palpableemotion.com

ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka or ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. was similar to a single dry, crusty saltine. It's boring and forgettable with only a little bit of substance to abate your hunger.

• While, superficially, a stylized tango with political intrigue, ACCA falls short of any kind of tension or excitement that could be gainedーcontinuously killing moments with non-stop talk of food and delicatessens.

• Initially, I had a lot of hope for ACCA. I like series that are political and I was drawn to the art style. I had only been aquatinted briefly with Natsume Ono's work before. I watched all of the anime for Ristorante ... Paradiso, which was average but watchable, and the House of Leaves manga, which I had read four or five volumes of it AGES ago, I had no memory of what even happened in it except for vague details, if that tells you anything.

• Despite not being a huge fan of her other works, I'm not one to completely blacklist a creator due to that fact. Well, not if you're Masakazu Yamaguchi's Arm of Kannon, localized as Birth, it’s a different story. That's one of the worst things I've ever read in my entire life!

• Seriously, fuck you, Tokyopop! Ahem, back to ACCA, the pacing is REALLY bad. Madhouse has been going downhill for a few years now, being steadily replaced by the superior Studio MAPPA; and this series has made me painfully aware that there probably isn't going to be another Kaiji, unless it’s a sequel.

• The character development is non-existent. It's pretty much occupied with a bunch of shallow, food-obsessed talking heads. Between the eating of bread and constant yammering, it implied that there may be a build-up, tension, or even what most stories need to function: a climax.

• The ending is slightly refreshing and wraps up the points, but watching this is like watching a guy with a monotone voice give a lecture geography with small tidbits about the actual subject and the rest about how good a baguette would taste with melted butter. And for emphasis on how annoying the foodie crap was, I didn't want to eat bread while watching this show because it's constantly like, pan this, pan that, pan in my open butthole.

• My Japanese learning app even treats me with more respect on the subject of bread. The jazzy lounge music while characters babble to each other while doing mundane things is not my ideal show. I don't understand why there is such a following to this cardboard cut-out, let's-paste-a-story-together model. There is nothing inspiring or ambitious about this series; just a plain, null narrative.

• Listening or watching things about current affairs and politics is far more enjoyable than watching this series that is pretty much just a splash of colors with some pseudo-deep “intellectual” social commentary. I would not recommend ACCA to ANYONE, unless they enjoy pretentious blathering and random food porn that contributes nothing to the plot. I give ACCA a 2/10.

Spoiler Free Review
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ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. What an incredible piece of art. What seems like a simple story, a kingdom separated into 13 districts looked after by the organisation known as ACCA, manages to keep you guessing on how exactly everything is going to turn out. We follow Jean Otus, second-in-command of ACCA's inspection department, who travels to each and every district to make sure that any signs of corruption is discovered and prevented quickly. Starting off slow to introduce characters and some world building, the story steadily opens up to what can only be described, in the most non-spoiler ... way possible, as a quiet but planned out struggle for peace threatened by a higher power.

What seems predictable at first, (oh a plot twist happens, I can see where this is going) continues to surprise you as you can never guess what is actually happening until the very end. The calm and cool atmosphere that surrounds most of the series lulls you into a sense of knowing more than you actually do, allowing it's unpredictable nature to continuously keep the show interesting. Secrets are revealed, plans are put into motion, multiple opposing views wait their turn to make sure that events are headed towards their favour. It's a perfect example of the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover."

Jean Otus is a simple but slightly mysterious man. Known by others as the "Cigarette Peddler", he's often seen with a lighter in his hand a smoke in his mouth. Not much is really known about Jean at the start. His only real goal that is revealed to us is that he wants to get a transfer to a different department. What could be seen as a dull and boring personality, this character manages to give off a feeling that he's much more intelligent than he seems. We see glimpses of his unique mind at work as he deals with some problems he faces in a few districts, showing off that he's actually more than meets the eye.

Nino is also pretty mysterious. Reporter by day, he often joins Jean for a drink and a talk about their hard days at work. He could be seen as quite charismatic and a smooth talker, always hanging around our main and his sister Lotta. Not much is known about him at first, but slowly his secrets are also revealed to showcase a truly interesting character with a simple motive. Look out for the Otus family.

It's hard to talk about every character due to the large amount we are introduced to every episode, as Jean travels from district to district, and the fact that many of the main cast's characteristics may lead to accidental spoilers. While character development is usually focused on only a select few of frequently reoccurring faces, every person we meet along the journey is able to feel interesting. Although most fall into the background, each character has their own personality and goals for their own district and for ACCA as a whole. There enough development left over that is scattered to various members of the supporting cast that it feels like everyone Jean meets has a sense of realism that is hard to achieve in most animes.

The animation is oddly unique yet similar to other shows at the same time. With a slight sketchbook like appearance, the art style really matches its relaxing atmosphere. It's not anything eye-popping, but it really adds to the show's mood of peacefulness. Even the hairdo of each character is special, as most districts have their own distinct hair colour. It's a subtle clue as to some important parts of the story, hidden incredibly well so only people that already know how the story progressions will be able to spot it.

It's not often you find a show that has such an amazing story, drawing you in with each episode that passes. This show does take a bit of patience as it doesn't dive into the actual plot right away, but if you don't mind a slow but interesting series, then I highly recommend this.

ACCA is an anime in which nothing ever comes to fruition. Plot points are introduced and dissolved with no ripple effect whatsoever; all of the show's potential goes completely wasted on sandwich bread and cigarettes.

CHARACTERS: 3/10
While many of the characters are likeable, almost all of them are flat and uninteresting, including the protagonist, Jean.

The most interesting characters in the story are Jean's best friend Nino and one of the five chief officers of ACCA, Lilium. These are the two characters with the most thought put into their backstories and intentions.

Jean himself is the most boring character in the show. He doesn't seem to have any ... goals or ambitions. He doesn't seem to have any drive or emotion. He's completely deadpan the entire time, at most cracking a smirk or raising an eyebrow.

STORY: 6/10
Do not be fooled: this is not an anime filled with political intrigue like all of the descriptions say. This is an anime about baked goods and cigarettes and I can't explain that any further without veering into spoilers.

The first seven episodes each spend time setting up dominoes only to knock them down the very same episode and then never address them again. If you only watch the first three episodes of the series, I will tell you now that you will never again hear of the serial arson plotline even though it goes completely unresolved. The same happens for every single interesting plot point that gets put forward. You spend 18 minutes excited to see how things all come together, then in the last 3 minutes before the end credits, Jean stumbles through, everything falls apart, no consequences are felt, and nothing changes. This is the cycle until Episode 8, when things finally pick up.

The plot twist at the end of Episode 7 is where things get really interesting, even if you picked up on all the hints and saw it coming. Unfortunately, Episodes 8-11 are the only episodes worth watching, as Episode 12 completely shirks all of the buildup from the previous episodes and tries to tie everything up in a neat little bow. It's rushed. It makes no sense. Nothing gets resolved. Almost nothing is different from the beginning of the series from the end.

The score is 6/10 exclusively because Episodes 8-11 are excellent. Episodes 1-7 and 12 are a boring slog that focuses too much of their time in bakeries and not enough time addressing any of the actual issues Jean is meant to be investigating. If I were to give a score based on those episodes alone, I would give this section a 1/10.

SOUND: 7/10:
ACCA's soundtrack isn't bad. You get some funky beats here and there, which can be fun if you're listening for them; otherwise, the music seems to fade too far into the background to notice. The OP track is a blast, and the ED is very pretty. The voice acting in the series is good, but nothing particularly notable.

ART: 8/10
The only reason that I didn't score the art for ACCA a perfect 10 is because there are some clear corners that were cut in order to afford to make it as beautiful as it is. The show is almost like a painting come to life. The colours and linework are brilliant, and the lighting is always perfect. There are so many gorgeous shots littered throughout this anime, it's a wonder anyone manages to talk about anything else when it comes to this show. Annoyingly, most of the budget shows in the final episode, where every other shot shows characters without faces, even in close-up shots.

It pains me to score such a beautiful anime so low, but aesthetic is all ACCA brings to the table.

The atmosphere of this anime is cool, calm, collected, and captivating.. bundled with good OST, stunning colorful art-style and relevant animation delivered by madhouse.. This anime is quite great (with the exception of story)

Well, to be completely honest, I am watching it solely for the cool atmosphere and chill vibes.
The story itself is not all that interesting in my opinion but it's not boring either, I am just quite neutral to it.

The characters are very chill too, and all in all it's the kind of anime that you can chill to and simply enjoy..
Not to mention how fanservice in this anime is literally ... nonexistent which is a quite refreshing change in my opinion.

Some shows bore me to tears and feel like a chore to get through. ACCA however has the privilege of being a show that bored me into a strange cozy state of submission. It is a slice-of-life political thriller like no other.

It starts off with the art and music, which immerses you into the world with a colorful yet not overdone palette, accompanied by lounge-like piano music that doesn't dare to raise your heartbeat by even a smidgeon. This choice of tone manages to make the events on screen feel more grounded, but add to this some cinematography that's just kinda passable, and you also ... have a show that suffers from being very mundane in its execution.

The characters are in a similar situation. Despite having varied designs and backstories, somehow they all seem to blur together into the same intelligent, mysterious, and polite personality; exceptions being few and far between. Most striking of all is our protagonist Jean, whose ability to show emotions range from mildly amused, to mildly not-so-amused. In a story centered on political intrigue, one would hope for at least one transparent character for the audience to latch onto, but instead we're left with few clues as to what anyone is truly thinking. To be fair, sometimes this minimalist approach to character interactions does work. The subtle nods between Jean and his best friend Nino are examples of how you can create a real connection with this kinda script. Personally I just wish there had been more of that.

What elevates ACCA is its intrigue-driven plot and the world-building. As if watching old classic Soviet cinema, you get a sense that the true main character of the show is the country itself, rather than any single character. Many locations are explored, offering different political views and approaches to life, adding a multifaceted culture to it all. From that perspective, one could argue that the show did a gallant job in characterizing its setting.

Overall, ACCA comes recommended to those who are looking for a more light-hearted experience, one where they can dissect a fictional universe at their own pace.

Hello. My name is Joyce.

ACCA13, while claiming it as a masterpiece is far-fetched, is a story without unnecessary flash and barely any annoying, anime-common hamfisting and repetition.

Again, not a masterpiece. But god, this is a show anime needs really, really badly.

It respects its audience enough to put 2 and 2 together - and though not all too difficult to piece together, it is a story with a lot of nuance, and one I am eager to see progress.

Please watch this. The first episode is long-ish and boring, but if you don't have ADHD, I'm certain you'll enjoy it.

The art is amazing, the occasional symbolism ... makes you go "ooooh" not "I get it already", the color palettes make me swoon, the food looks great - the only "issue" with the art is that their noses are uber-pointy. Make of that what you will.

ACCA definitely feels like an unusual show in our current anime climate, with its leisurely pace and art style. It's populated by gaunt, bishounen-style male characters of the kind you thought went out of fashion in the early 2000s, which is refreshing to see. But the best thing about ACCA is how a deeply comfortable and alluring show manages to blindside you with an exciting story.

The first half of ACCA plays out like a combination of food porn and travelogue, as protagonist Jean travels to his country's various picturesque regions, meeting people and devouring sweet bread. Tidbits of plot are revealed, but everything bubbles in ... the background and the viewer is lead to believe that this will be a slice-of-life show, maybe with some shounen-ai queer-baiting. ACCA's episodic nature, beautiful art direction, and dreamy jazz soundtrack all contribute to crafting a show that's just nice to spend time with.

But surprisingly enough, the story takes form very quickly in the latter half of the show, without sacrificing its sense of pace or meandering nature. It's not a highly complicated story, but it heightens the viewer's awareness of what's going on in the background, and pieces fall into place at just the right time to have an impact. The final wallop of revelations at the very end only makes it feel more satisfying. Again, it's nothing mind-blowing, it's just told in a way that feels like it matters. I feel like it's mostly because ACCA is very character-centric, and the way in which characters react to events feels organic, but also reveals new depths to them.

In that sense, my major complaint with ACCA is that some supporting characters simply don't get enough screen time for us to get even mildly acquainted with them, when you can clearly tell that they are supposed to have some kind of background to them. I hate it when shows dangle characters in my face but then do absolutely nothing with them (see Durarara!!) because they ran out of time. It's just a "read the manga" kind of thing.

Still, I greatly enjoyed my time with ACCA and I'm pretty confident I'll be watching it again soon, because it's the kind of show that gets better with multiple viewings. It's probably not for everyone--aesthetically it's very out-of-pace with current anime trends--but it's just the kind of thing I love.

It's a slow burn of a show that did a good job building up its characters and reeling me in with its story, and even if I felt the finale was lackluster, it just kind of works. There are a lot of characters in here that should have gotten some more explication, especially given that three of the five heads of ACCA were basically just window dressing most of the time, but I can live with a story like this that focuses chiefly on its central cast, even if I would have liked more emotional depth from them. It's not a show that will stick ... with me too long, but I enjoyed the ride.

Decently build Fantasy world with political powerplay for the throne.

Story (8)

While the story moves very slowly, with slightly too much slice of live in the first third of the show, but still engaging. There isn't much action; if you are looking for gunfights, chase scenes or even stealthy action, this will dissapoint. It' dialolge driven. The- to me- best parts are the presentations of the different states, they not only help to expand the world and scale of the story, but also further and intensify the plot. The Royal Backstory we get was also quite enjoyable, interesting mostly due to the perspective it was told ... from, but a bit predictable. that sadly goes for the rest of the show too. Interesting, but kind of predictable. If you're familiar with the genre, non of it is really surprising. Still well executed tho.

Now, one big concern i still have, is weather this anime will go full facist or not. There have been very few indicators until now, exept for-you know- the ACTUAL SS UNIFORMS and the blond blue-eyed protagonist, + the choice of what appears to be the main villain. I really hope it wont go there, but with our MC having literally no opinion on anything, it's a bit hard to tell how well the show will fair in this regard.


Art (7)

Intersting style , with a good colour pallete, which both helps to connect the fantasy elemts to the modern ones. Funny enaugh, kind of similiar to Ouran high school host clubs style. Thou not in a bad way. The faces also don't look the same on every character, even the girls. That's nice. Not so nice is how stiff the movements seem. I suspect that they have a pretty tight budget; non detailed animation looks pretty bad, and they move very stiffly, if they move at all. They try to keep them as still aas possible. There are however no huge noticable quality drops. The style is still very refreching, managing to be dark and serious despite it's warm , nearly neon colours.

Sound (6)

The voice actors all do a pretty decent job, but the dialoge is often pretty slow with wierd pauses. Some Seem to also not fully mash with the characterdesign/ expression shown on screen. May seem like a nitpick, but i really couldn't get used to it , and i binged the 10 episodes currently out.

Character (4)

This shiw has many, though they are easy to categorize. Smart and serious persuing their goals (now in the flavours good and evil), dumb and/or naive while friendly and/or harmless (tend to be annoying, but generally ok) and quiet but competend.

The MC is one off the last group, though he is sadly the worst among them; he is just quiet and competend. No emotions whatsoever. Lukewarm on everything. Never angry or happy. Looks and acts as if he was about to fall asleep any second. I guess he's supposed to be cool. To me he only seems bored. It gets better as the show progresses, but it's still really off putting, and makes it difficult to get into the story. How is one supposed to connect to character, if they don't have any emotions.

Also many of the charcters are sterotypical for their role in the story, which in turn makes the story predictable. If they would have given some of them a better introduction or more actual character, it would have been more suspensefull.

Plus the german "names" are all exeptionally dumb. Nouns aren't names. But that's more of a nitpick.

Enjoyment (5)

Nice to look at, but the slow dialoge and sometimes obvious plot twists, combined with disconnect from the MC make it quit hard to chew.

Overall (6)

Slow with mediocre to boring charcters, but pretty neyt political worldbuilding. If that sounds good to you, it's worth a look. Still quite likely to turn into a facist propaganda thing sooooo.......yeah. have fun.

TL;DR: If you want a mistery / political drama anime, stop reading reviews and go watch the episodes!

ACCA 13 is one of those animes wich I recommend if you're tired of the usual moe-school animes, as a "political" drama , the anime is quite interesting.

Why do I like ACCA:13? Everything they show you has a secret. No-one is what they appear to be, have you ever wondered about your family past?, all those 'what if...?'... no, those are all things that just children have time to think about, you have to keep it up with your job, living your life day past day, giving your ... boss all those reports you were assigned, everything is normal until one day, everyone starts looking at you, talking in a quiet voice everytime they see you in their district. That's Jean for you. Just another worker in the organization who pleads for peace, with a quite expensive adicction, cigars. I find Jean the perfect reflection of the world they show us in ACCA:13, people who just mind the present, people who doesn't wonder about whats above simply because, they don't think thats their business, until they're dragged into something big.

In only 9 episodes they have woven a complicated web of deceptions and cover-ups, and when you think everything is starting to be more clean, they lead you to another mistery.


What did I find weak in this show? At first some of the plot twist start being "obvious" or "stupid" but after those; 'ACCA' started again.
Apart from that, I had quite a problem with some of the characters since they seem to have quite an interesting background but are left behind to keep focusing on the main character, but this is -somewhat- fixed in the last episodes giving the series more flow.

ACCA 13 is not the typical action anime, it's first episodes are quite slow but, in my opinion, they do their work to start the machine and make us try to figure how *this* world works and how important some of the corporations or political figures matter to the coexistence of all the different districts.

As much as I love anime for what it is, the shows that stick with me usually break the mold in some way. ACCA 13 is all that and a bag of chips- let's break it down:

Story:
This is basically the closest anime comes to John Le Carre-esque spy fiction despite not being an out and out spy show. At every turn, we are asked to guess at the motivations of a broad cast of characters. Miraculously, the show builds a dense and reasonable network of motivations in the span of 12 episodes. Reveals are doled at a pretty consistent pace instead ... of being bunched up at the end, but my interest was consistent. Not only that, there are some really surprising twists and turns- just really well thought-out.

Art: I'm can't speak on technical terms here, but I did find the show really attractive, crisp, and well-animated. The style, much like everything else in the show, is not the anime typical, with a stylized but mature feel. Character designs were distinctive and well-adapted to the characters themselves without relying overmuch on tropes. There's not much call for action, but the animation serves the story's needs exceptionally. The OP and ED are also really well done- I watched them most eps instead of skipping.

Sound: If the story is John Le Carre, the music accompanying it is closer to '60's style Ian Fleming (James Bond). The mood alternates between the intrigue at the heart of the story and lighter cues for more character development. It's not quite an OST I'm rushing out to listen to outside the context of the show, but it feels natural and inseparable in retrospect. And again, the OP and ED are top shelf.

Character: It doesn't make sense that a show with this many characters packed into 12 episodes can accomplish so much on the character front. Just about the entire cast is likable, and the story maximizes efficiency with a couple of subplots/motifs to create sympathy with some of the more important minor characters. And the fact that viewers care about the characters makes a few of the later twists really pop.

Who is this show for? I've seen others call the show a slow burn. It's hard for me to see that. I've seen plenty of slice of life shows that, yes, I struggle through over a longer period of time (even if I think they're quite good- like 3 gatsu no lion). But 13 ACCA doesn't really let go of the main plot and keeps you constantly guessing as to A) what's going on and B) how the characters will resolve the conflict once they figure things out. So I think if you're the type of person who like spy/mystery/heist type movies and books that play cat-and-mouse with your head, you're going to love this.
This one will stick with me and has no business being rated as low as it is here on MAL.

This anime starts off fantastic, but I found the plot going in an uninteresting direction as it went on. The animation style is unique and a bit jarring at first, but you get used to it, and the style seems to fit well with the low key tones of the story and characters.

There are some fantastic characters in this and it is a shame that they aren't explored properly. The last few episodes feel rushed and the ending fairly unsatisfying to me. The show has a different feel than most anime and I really wish that it had stuck with the tone ... of the early episodes and kept the plot on the same simmer it had been going on.

This is definitely worth a watch, but be prepared to get disappointed.

ACCA had potential, the first half (ep 1-6) is all world building with very minor hints about the full plot that comes in the second half (ep 7-12) and if you are able to pick up on these hints, you can figure out what is going on before the show tells you. The pace is slow at the start but it picks up and it was worth the wait until the ending. The last episode ruins it.

There are three twists in this show, the first one happens in episode 7, nobody who has seen episode 12 gives a shit about the second one, and the ... third happens in episode 12 (the entirety of episode 12 is a twist).

The show maintained a pace from episode 1 - 11 and it was wonderful, the supporting characters came and went, the main cast was kept below the main character in terms of focus, the story takes the time it needs, and the art is fantastic. The art bleeds style.

If this show only had 11 episodes, I would give it an 8/10. After watching the 12th episode, I have dropped my rating to a 7/10. The ending was rushed, it has twists simply for the sake of having twists, it is littered with plot convenience, and the "vibe" that was created in 11 episodes was completely ruined.

I don't normally say that the ending is everything, but ACCA was always working towards the end, the mystery and suspense, all wasted because apparently M. Night Shyamalan got his hands on the script.

If you don't mind having a relatively bad ending, this is an 8/10 worthy show.

For me, 7/10 but still worth checking it out. ACCA is slow, beautiful, many of the characters don't get the screen time they need, and the ending is disappointing.

I still liked it though, check it out if you enjoy chill shows but be wary of the end.