ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka

ACCA was an anime released last year, Winter season. When I first read the plot of the story, I was kinda hesitant. I find it quite boring and too ‘serious’ for my liking (at that time). I thought to myself that this anime would be better if I binge-watch it when I’m in a mood for a ‘relaxing’ and ‘lazy’ animes. Infairness, I was right.

This anime was indeed a surprise. I didn’t expect I would like this show. I enjoyed watching this anime without worries. Just sitting back, relaxing on my chair and eating snacks. It was that laid-back. The last time I watched an ... anime that gave me this kind of feels was flying witch anime. It’s been awhile. Everything about this anime was done right. From the story to the music, I have no complaints, only compliments. But I still try to find some faults, at least.

The story was solid from start to finish. Excellent writing. It felt like each conversation was really important, I can’t skip even one. At the same time, I’m not stressed thinking about the story. It was paced well, watching the series made me feel like I was watching a really really good old classic western movie. The ending satisfied my soul, it was executed really well. The world building of the story was also laid out in a way that its not drowning the viewers with too much information. I think one of the flaws of the story would be the slow and tone-down pacing in the first few episodes. It wasn’t for everyone, that’s why there were some people who dropped this series right off the bat. But still, the story and how it was build-up were definitely one of the strong factors of this series.

To be honest, I didn’t expect this series would have quite a lot of characters. Cuz they were too many of them, I couldn’t memorise all their names. I only recognise each of them by their distinct look. The character designer did really well in making sure each one of them are unique from each other. But even with this unique qualities, most of the characters suffered a lot in the character development area. I think only the ‘important’ characters got the right amount of character development, but the others…..nah. It was either not worthy of sharing or not relevant in the story. Still, each one of them were likeable at to some extent. And oh, Lotta is best little sister. I want a sister like her.

I already mentioned above about how well-drawn each character of the anime. Even though most of them looks like each other, they were still unique. The art style was really unique. It felt like I had seen them before but I can’t pinpoint what or when. The art definitely contribute in giving off the vibe of a western classic movie. Let us not forget the animation. It was really good. Like the art, the animation was done well. As expected from Madhouse studio. Even though they had been on decline lately, they still continue to blow my mind with a really really good release. The animation was like no other. It fitted well with the atmosphere and tone of the series. I have no complaints.

The music and sound were absolutely fantastic. I had heard quite a lot of praises with the OP song, after hearing it myself, Dang, it was good. It was so good, I even have the song right now on repeat on my phone. It was so catchy yet laidback. Very groovy but also smooth in the ears. I had eargasms every time I start a new episode. The ED was really good too, but it didn’t liven up to the standards of the OP. I wasn’t able to listen well to the sound in the background. I was too relax and focus on the story, I forgot to notice the music in the background. Dunno if what i did was a bad thing or a good thing. Lol.

Anyway.

Overall, this series was solid as rock. It was a really amazing experience, watching this series. Definitely a must binge-watch.

That is all.

Thanks for reading.

The story is okay.

Yet it feels so, so refreshing to watch this show.

The music is good; the art is wonderful; the ACCA uniform is good enough of a reason to work there; the breads look amazing.

Additionally, the intrigue is rarely seen for other 12-episode anime. The drama is jazzed down, even some dark matters are only artfully sorrowful, and not more than that. With a flow of plot points and interesting, varied settings, ACCA retained my attention like any good music would.

A relaxing, comfortable gem.

... 8/10, higher if I'm generous.

(I never knew there's a word minimum for these reviews. I tried my best to write a bit more, but writing this much is already enough for ACCA, a show that is the very definition of short and sweet. Hopefully this parenthesis bumps me up to the word limit)

Ok, so after a long bout of watching anime with the usual plot, this one has given us something of what can be called a breath of fresh air, and frankly it's not always that we get to see something out from the ordinary, so let's get it on with:

Good 7, Story

What we have in here is plot that is full of twist and turns, at first you might be tempt to drop this out, but, the real surprise is that plan coup de etat, where you might ask yourself as to how the main character Jean Otus is connect with it, which would glue ... you in to your seat in curiosity. Sure, it may take some time, but you'll get interested as the plot thickens because story itself was full of surprises. Still, I kinda hate that writer Tomohiro Suzuki can't seem to distinguish the difference between a coup de etat, and a revolution.

Decent 4, art

The illustration were ugly, but then again decent, so don't expect any panchira or any fanservices from , Lotta, Muave and other girls from this anime.


Good 7, Sound

I may not like both opening and closing themes, but then again, since the character's here weren't made to voiced youngsters with their grown up voices was good enough for me, regardless who voiced who.

Good 7, Characters

So, we have were a bunch of characters who really did portrayed as grown-ups, instead of the usual kids who does a man's job, but what really makes it good was how the characters where used, like Jean Otus, a diligent inspector of ACCA, whom at first we wonder as how , he's connected to a planned mutiny against the spoiled brat prince who is the heir to the throne of Dowa, there is also Glossnar whom at first would make us think that he is Abend, the loyal body guard of Jean's Mom, let's not forget Nino, whom at first would make us think that he's the bad guy, but turns out to be Jean's secret body gurad, also Lotta , who is Jean's imoto, the good thing here is that there is non of the brocon, that we usually find in any anime, but it still has that reverse harem element in it were the potential character in her life would be Rail, Maggie and her cousin Prince Schwan. But , I still hate the possibility that Jean maybe gay and he probably loves Nino. Thought the antagonist here is Lilum, 1st princess and Prince Schwan, their portrayal were more on a subtle note that a rough one, in fact you would feel any disgust against them, unlike the usual antagonist portrayal, were one would hate them to the bone, so nice work, writer Shingo Natsume.

Good 7, Enjoyment

TBH, it was only as good to be enjoyed, cu'z, really, it's not that very good, the only reason why one would watch this was thickening of the plot , and that's as good as it gets.

Good 7, Overall

Well true to it's title, this anime did deliver, and it's not bad. But I kinda hate that the main character Jean Otus, has that suggestive thing and it's called SMOKING, which is BAD for your health and DON"T EVEN THINK ABOUT PUFFING A CIGARETTE, PUTO!!!!!!!!!!!





Surgeon General recommends that "SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU."

ACCA 13... definitely a sleeper in a season that I personally felt disappointed by. There were hardly any anime that drew my attention at the time, but ACCA 13 drew me back every week.

Like many have said before me, this anime is EXTREMELY plot driven. The story is quite heavy and immersive. The audience is thrust head first into this fictional world such a warm and approachable manner that it's hard to complain over the pace of the anime as the story progresses through the 12 episodes.

At it's core, I think the anime is looking for the audience to reflect on themselves. The ... fact that there are 13 different districts that work in different ways, the idea of a royal family that exists as an entity outside of the established system, the plot by one family to attempt to overthrow the established system, it's all heavy stuff and calls into question what we think is the right way to live in our world.

There were quite a number of characters introduced to us over the season, however, we do get all the information we need from the main characters. We get to see the growth and backstory for a lot of the characters. The show makers really did find ways to weave in the backstory into the overall narrative in such a way that the characters are so connected to their place of origin that make them feel all the more real.

At it's best, ACCA 13 provides a fantasized version of our world and really helps us reflect on what it means to be from a certain place, what it means to live with your neighbors, and what it means to grow within a place.

The art and music for the series was great all the way through. It felt very nostalgic and took me back to a different era of anime. The whole package felt very clever and I have to say that I felt so much smarter after each episode. The show plays out in such a way that you feel immersed and are also a part of the larger narrative.

It was a great watch and I really do wish more people catch onto it. It's an enjoyable show to watch and one that is easy to watch as well. It's light enough for those that only so often watch anime and true enough to the form to satisfy even the most veteran of anime watchers.

ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka is a quirky political drama, which moves at a slow pace that may turn off the more action-oriented viewers. In the long-run, it's this same slow pacing that helps the show accomplish what it did. The setting is strange and it has a lot going on, so the calming atmosphere helps all of these details sink in gradually and easily. The dense, dialogue-heavy plot is also easier to digest with this measured method of storytelling.

The main protagonist, Jean Otus, is a likeable character right out of the gate. He is rather indifferent about most things and is content with his current life, ... including his tedious government job. Nontheless, he gets pulled into the coup d'etat scheme and he plays along with it, despite not really caring. Even with all of his neutrality and complacency, he somehow comes out the other end as a cool badass. He is quite confusing in this way: at times he seems like he knows more than he lets on, while other times you wonder if he's not just the most oblivious character in existence. Either way, he remains an endearing character who is easy to root for.

Jean's relationships with his younger sister Lotta and his best friend Nino are surprisingly real. There is an unspoken trust and loyalty between the three, with almost a "no questions asked" policy that they abide by without issue. This trust and friendship is portrayed in a very down-to-earth way, with very little cheesiness. They all act like the mature adults they are, which is refreshing after having watched so many anime about immature teenagers who don't know how to communicate.

Despite the quiet feeling of the anime, it has a few plot twists here and there and the reveals are still able to pack a punch, maybe even moreso than they would have if ACCA had been a dramatic adrenaline rush. One reveal in particular is played out in such a nonchalant way that it took a few minutes to realize the gravity of what had just been said, and when it hit, it hit hard. ACCA is able to accomplish this because it has mastered the method of telling the viewers just enough to understand what's going on, while also keeping you just enough in the dark. This creates a sense of intrigue without too much confusion, and makes the plot twists very understandable in hindsight.

The calm, mysterious ambience is aided by the jazzy soundtrack, the fluid animation, and the attractive character designs. The aesthetic ties everything together, solidifying ACCA as a mature, thoughtful, and delicately executed anime, the kind that only seems to appear every once and a while. The one disappointing thing about ACCA is the lackluster ending. Without giving away too much, the conclusion essentially makes it feel as if nothing has happened, an unfortunate note on which to end a pleasant experience. Still, I highly recommend this anime to anyone looking for a good slow-burn drama.

A Quick Review:

I thought this show was really good at portraying a rather realistic story about politics given its government setup and the development of the coup de ta.

Some might argue that the main character, Jean, is boring and has no development but I would argue that his apathetic nature leaves the viewer to come to their own conclusions and thoughts on the political actions, instead of trying to sway them.

While there is no action, its a great show to just listen to and follow while doing something mundane.

The intro song is a banger and the the OST is great ... at giving a sense of unease.

ACCA is the biggest surprise i've encountered this season. The only thing I knew about this show before watching it was the great OP and the amazing, slick-looking art and character designs. I could tell from the editing, style, and care put into the OP, as well as the song that it's paired with being so well-suited to the tone the sequence conveys that the show would be at least an 8/10 in my eyes, but I was THOROUGHLY impressed by this show, though i can't call it a masterpiece. I consider there to be a huge difference between the different numbers I rate shows ... by, so going up by an entire point is something I consider a significant feat.

Story: rule number 1: this is not like what you're used to watching. 8/10, enjoyable, intelligent, and surprising, but doesn't do anything absolutely amazing.

No matter what is happening in this story, the tone will always be chill and casual. The only time it gets anywhere more intense than that is when everything is keikaku doori. I think call ing ACCA a slice of life would be extremely appropriate, as there are no extended scenes of characters yelling or any entry-level drama like that. Even if the situation were to become dire, the tone will always feel like it's trying to say "dude, chill; It's just how life goes." The tone is also reflected in the structure of the story/ how it progresses through it's 12 episodes. Just like in life, things that you wouldn't ever expect will happen, and you'll be caught off guard because of how quietly things occur during the show. It is very subtle, and there are no plot holes or asspulls that I could see. It all made sense. But, this show isn't wrapped in symbolism at all. Any plot twists are simply due to how tight the writing is and how it's able to make you not question it initially, and still manage to make it seem like everything was actually being set up by someone in the first place upon looking back at the series after finishing it. everything related to pacing in this show is done on purpose and manages to work out, providing resolutions that only make sense because there was an extra 5 minutes spent in a few random districts.

Art: slick, stylish, and appropriately laid-back. 9/10 because the animation didn't have very many highlights (even if this show's general tone justifies it) and the direction/cinematography wasn't revolutionary.

Every named character in the show has a unique, striking, and appropriate design. Even if you couldn't remember all the names, the designs were cool enough to at least let you recognize them when they reoccured throughout the story. Same with the districts, each has a distinct design and air to it and the people reflect the state of the district and it's culture. The animation is not bad at all, it's just that this is a very laid back series with almost no action at all, and so doesn't require very much sakuga. Even so, the few instances are very well integrated and helped add to certain characters, especially the relationship between Magie and Prince Schwan. The backgrounds were typically beautiful if my memory is accurate, and the OP was one of my favorites this season, being one of the few that I could actually gain meaning from and thus estimate the quality this show had. It shows the appeal of the show perfectly, demonstrating some the visually striking cast and kicking up some intrigue with some shots, while maintaining a beautiful, soft artstyle throughout more than half of the OP, along with some slick editing, until a brief flyby shot of some stills with most characters being almost completely pitch black, until a last shot that made me think that the ending would be something that didn't end up being the case so it also played with my expectations throughout the show. I wasn't able to get any significant meaning out of the ED, but it was very soothing to watch and listen to, as the animation is quite good, sort of reminding me of Mob Psycho's ED, but not as impressive of meaningful.

Sound: conveyed the tone perfectly and was never out of place of straight up bad. That said, I can't remember any of the tracks, regardless of whether I believe it's worth downloading or not. 8/10

Like I said, it was usually perfect in the show itself, as well as in the OP and ED. However, I only remember the OP's song. Even if I absolutely love it, that's not what I would consider an impressive soundtrack, though it was perfectly used. No standout tracks in the show itself, and the ED song was just not to my liking. You might like it, who knows?

Characters: there are a few well established characters, but the others are not that special. Not bad, just not well developed. 9/10, regardless.

I'll list the standouts right now; Jean, Mauve, Nino, Groshular, Lilium, Prince Schwan, Lotta, and Magie. That was in order, by the way. Jean is head and shoulders above the rest though. The thing with most of these characters is that they're already adults. The only development they can have beyond who they've turned out as is in their backstory or how they interact with others. The one character with the most development is Schwan, though. It's just that he only has that, and no backstory or interesting actions in the story. He is more intelligent than he's initially portrayed to be by other characters, but he gets outdone in every situation because he's incompetent. It's no surprise, everybody knows it. Now, let's talk Jean Otus. He is the perfect protagonist for this story, and is built up early on to be intelligent and well-liked, despite his somewhat disconnected nature. He is put in some extreme situations and has several major revelations made to him, but he simply shrugs it off. Not because he doesn't care per se, it's just that he dislikes rushing things, and has the composure to think about things calmly and have some insight regarding people and situations with minor evidence, which makes his reaction to the one thing he would forever be oblivious of that much more... Heartwarming, almost. I feel like I've skipped a lot regarding his character, but it might be for the best. The other characters, specifically the ones in the districts that Jean visits are somewhat one dimensional, but seem to have history with Jean, which is very interesting because either they or Jean remarks how they've changed since they've moved to their new assigned district. This enhances the character and allows some insight into the district itself. IT'S MULTILAYERED OH MAI GAD. This is shown quite subtly in one of the last episodes when a character named Eider comes back to the Inspection Department HQ, when some of the female agents ask her about her relationship status. Here's the thing, only one of them is not from HQ. There were other female characters from other districts present, but they didn't take part in the conversation as their personalities weren't fit for office gossip. It really made me feel like even there minor characters were, in fact, people with their own history and lives. There was also another scene among most of the guys right after that one that was chill as hell.

Enjoyment: this almost immediately made me kick off another show fro my favorites and put this there. Yeah, it's a 10 in enjoyment.

Overall: not like most other things. 9/10 due to the surprise factor i got from it.

I've not much more to say. Watch it if you want something fresh, but not heavy. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is also fresh, but has a much heavier, emotional tone, regardless of whether it's better or not. ACCA looks great and is just a fun, lighthearted ride, that isn't too slow or distractingly fast, but is still methodical, subtle, smart and surprising.

If you have any suggestions on how to make my reviews better or just want to have a talk about anime or whatever, message me or invite me or however people communicate with each other on this website. Thanks for reading, and check out my other reviews if your like this one (I feel like a Youtuber). Have a nice day.

THE WAY I GASPED IN THE LAST EPISODE WHEN "THAT PERSON" WAS REVEALED. Yes, I'll start strongly from the very end of the show.

But let's get back to the review itself. Genre-wise it is a gem in the world of mystery and drama. There are a lot of questions that have to be talked about: starting from resource limitations and distribution, political games, ignorance, revolutions, and ending with trivial human relationship problems. Along with the complex issues we are given the riddles to solve and answers to find ourselves.

Characters are magnetic. Yes, at some point you can feel like they're flat and ... two-dimensional. But by the end of the show, you see how compounded they are. Niino is the best friend and just an ordinary human who is willing to share his life with the close ones. Mauve, the Queen with the greatest mind, shiny hair, and will so strong that any men could compare. 5 Chiefs with their deep love for the hometowns and nation itself. Lotta, who is too naive and kind for this world. And Jean, with his ignorant face I was screaming out loud seeing the flow of emotions just behind his gaze.

I might be (and I surely am) biased, but the art is superb I just love how sharp the people are, while the scenery and surroundings are kind of round-ish and tender. This contrast of colors and forms just made the whole feeling of the show kind of edgy (which suits mysteries and detective, ofc). Additionally, ost is alluring, Jazzy and bluesy notes were created for puzzles.

As a person who loves expressionism, jazz, and good psychology books, I would surely recommend watching ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka. This was a meditative yet tense experience.

ACCA is the thinking man's Natsume Yuujinchou. Both shows have a leisurely pace and EXTREMELY CALM main characters, along with a thoughtful tone and fairy tale-like mood. Both deal with the problem of companionship, and the complexity of identity. And neither is very flash-bang. I found ACCA to be a restful departure from the anime norm, and a great show to watch at the end of a hectic day.

I do wish that ACCA would take the themes it presents to a deeper emotional level, and that it would have a greater sense of what is at stake. None of the characters emote very much, which ... may be a Japanese thing but certainly prevented me from feeling more connection with them. That said, the character design is good (done by the same guy who did House of Five Leaves) and the animation is lovely. It's an unusually illustrative style for an anime, but is very refreshing because of that, and they pull it off well. Several scenes are very artfully put together. The music too is different from the average, very simple arrangements, for the most part led by acoustic guitar.

While ACCA presents itself as a kind of espionage thriller, it is intensely low-key, which while disappointing in some ways, is also very rewarding in others. It is an atypical show meant to be savored - the beautiful colors; the creative character designs; the playful motif of apple cake and toasting bread - and not devoured. Even if ACCA doesn't pass the three-episode test, it's a break from the routine that will cleanse your palate.

(Greetings from Portugal) (Spoiler-free) (7/10 overall)

If you’re that person, who likes slow burn narratives, with some thinking in it, well, ACCA 13 is for you. Jean (the MC) is quite interesting, he is very passive, very calm and introspective and he works as an inspector for ACCA, in a kingdom (yes there’s a 99 year old monarch). The story is not that special, but it keeps you guessing.

You’ll have to be an active viewer to enjoy ACCA 13 – forget multitasking! It’s not advisable to lose all the little details, because they are quite enjoyable and important to understand the story as well. Oh, ... and in ACCA 13, the 13 districts have different levels of progress and there’s bread…

I wish I had seen more character development… But the art is fine, the animation is very cinematic or photographic – Madhouse did a good job. The sound (very good opening) is great, very energetic when it wants to be.

Thank you for reading my review.

Sci-fi/fantasy is my favorite genre of anime (and my favorite genre for any media pretty much). But something any fantasy fan can tell you is that there’s no shortage of generic fantasy media out there. In fact, there’s heaps and heaps of it. But what keeps my love for the genre alive is the occasional unique gem of a world, and that’s exactly what ACCA delivers. Well thought out, nice to look at, fun and full of variety – that’s how I’d describe the world of ACCA.

Now, this show isn’t for everyone. I think a lot of people find it a bit boring, but it ... is a political intrigue drama about a government agency after all. You have to know what you’re getting into. The show takes its time setting everything up, and I’ve heard complaints about the pacing. However, I have none. I thoroughly enjoyed every episode of this show, never once feeling like it was wasting my time.

When not setting up crucial plot points early on, ACCA spends its time showing us the wonderful world it inhabits. Thanks to Jean’s job, we get to travel to each of the thirteen districts and explore them along with him, getting a brief but fulfilling taste of each place.

I’ve also heard complaints about the characters, but again – I have none. From Jean to Nino to Mauve to Lilium, it’s a fun cast that really helps to smooth the way through what might indeed have been a dull show without them. Jean’s deadpan voice and attitude might be a problem for some, but I actually found myself loving it. To me, he’s the perfect character for the narrative position he’s put in. And hopefully this isn’t considered a spoiler, but I found myself rooting for one of the show’s “villains” just because he’s so damn compelling.

Besides all of this, the show just looks good. The character designs are wonderful, the backgrounds are solid, and each district is a delight to be exposed to. Combine that with a catchy OP, and you’ve got one of the more stylish shows of the season.

I don’t consider this a ‘show for intellectuals’ or any of that, just because it starts slow and concerns politics. I think it’s a show anyone can enjoy. If I had to name a flaw, I wasn’t a huge fan of the end. I thought they wrapped everything up in a way that was a little too perfect to be believable. I’m rarely completely satisfied by an ending, though, so I may just be being picky here.

Boasting one of the more unique fantasy worlds I’ve seen in a while, and some interesting characters to populate and utilize that world, this show is definitely worth the time it takes to lay out its groundwork.

Nowadays most popular anime series are those with big fight scenes involving overpowered mc.

Hence, it’s nice to come across an anime series whereby the premise is mainly on dialogues. ACCA is a seinen anime series that will appeal to a more mature audience as it deals with political science, witty humour and to a certain extend office politics.

I will not give away any spoilers in this review but instead touch on my personal view of how I felt the recognition that this anime deserves.

If you are even reading this review, it would mean this anime has piped your interest. My advice is to watch the ... first two episodes and if it interests you than watch the whole series. If you find it boring than skip it as the rest of the anime will have the same tone.

I will expect that this anime will only appeal to a certain niche in the anime community as no offence but I doubt a young audience will appreciate this series.

No epic fights, no battles, no transporting to another world, no slice of life and no romance comedy.

Just a lot of smoking and political wheeling and dealing.

TL;DR – A not entirely un-enjoyable series, though one where much of what's funny seems unintentional, or at least it's hard to tell when other anime take the same things so seriously. How this one seems to be taken so seriously by some people, though, I cannot fathom.

On an island that looks like Japan if re-imagined by a second rate marketing agency, the peaceful kingdom of Dowa unknowingly stands on the brink of chaos. A royal succession crisis - with the only legitimate male heir to the aging emperor being a vein, prideful wastrel – is being exacerbated by persistent rumours that the kingdom's member ... states are plotting a coup. All that seems to stand in between peace & war is Jean Otus, deputy chief investigator of ACCA; the military/bureaucratic organisation that is responsible for running the kingdom.

Sporting a uniform straight out of a 1940s Hugo Boss catalogue, Otus' seemingly routine task of auditing the thirteen regional ACCA branches soon sees him caught up in a conspiracy that leads right to the top & involving him in ways he couldn't imagine. Everything looks set for ACCA to be a riveting conspiracy thriller, even with the slow, methodical pacing it begins with.

So why can it seem so boring?

If production issues were the only problem, it wouldn't matter so much. While no car crash, ACCA is one of the lowest effort Madhouse productions I've seen in some time. Not unpleasant to watch, none the less everything looks & moves stiffly & awkwardly, while backgrounds are static at best & at times are so basic they could almost pass as a Rothko painting. It gets worse as the series progresses, to the point where they simply stop giving unimportant or middle-distance characters eyes in a number of cuts.

Meanwhile the OST, while one wouldn't call any of it as bad, can often charitably be described as elevator music, particularly at more light hearted moments. In short, it's a fairly low effort production that appears to add nothing to the source material beyond colour. This isn't such a big issue, given the slow pace & dialogue driven nature of the ACCA. But it does mean that if the story fails to hold you, the production won't either.

Which wouldn't be as much of an issue if the story or characters could carry themselves. Jean is admittedly a pretty decent protagonist, at least at first when he's more of a means to take the audience to different locations rather than the focus of events. However, he's a pretty cliché-cool character, not one to mince words & smoking like a chimney – an image so old hat that Cowboy Bebop made a running joke out of it twenty years ago.

The rest of the cast, however, rarely contribute much beyond their increasingly limited roles in the shows ever expanding ensemble. Jean's friend Nino for instance, despite his cool hacker dude look, is pretty much just there so once an episode he can appear to say “I'm totally not following you” & then later “someone else is totally following you.” His sister Lotta is, despite the mangaka being a woman, best summed up as a middle aged man's image of an ideal young woman – pretty, polite, loves anything sweet & is so naïve that when assassins are trying to break in, her biggest concern is that they might damage the windows. I'd like to think it's meant as a joke, but you can never tell with anime.

The conspiracy that drives ACCA's plot could have been the shows saving grace, if they hadn't introduced it in the first episode. While not the focus of the first half, the writers none the less felt the need to spend a portion of each episode on the machinations going on behind the scenes, which becomes increasingly confused & convoluted as new twists & turns keep being added. It's only not more of an issue because the ending renders much of it irrelevant.

ACCA's world also starts losing its appeal pretty quickly. While more varied & globally minded than is typical for today's anime, it also quickly takes the form of a rather strangely laid out version of It's a Small World that doesn't really work as an actual nation. I'm not sure which “district” was my favourite, the Les Miserables world or the Viva Las Vegas one. It ultimately comes across as though the creators like the idea of an outside world, but have never visited it.

There's also clearly an attempt at social commentary going on, with a lot of attention being drawn to social & regional disparities. However, it goes about it in some odd ways; for instance with Jean's chain-smoking being made out to be a bourgeoisie luxury until he says “nuh-uh I'm actually totes poor” & everyone just goes with it. It seems doubly odd, given who it turns out Jean is, but it's there now so people can say “omg this show has so much to say about the world.” Or maybe it's also meant to be funny.

More negative - & this paragraph spoils parts of the ending so be warned – is that, while ACCA contains some of the whitest Native-Americans outside of a John Ford film, the Kingdom of Dowa has every shade of hair & eye colour represented, but next to no people of colour. Indeed, when it becomes clear (as if it wasn't obvious from the start) what role in the conspiracy the sole brown skinned people play, it starts to feel a tad racist. This isn't helped by how Jean is a jackbooted Aryan & the conspiracy is 'successfully' halted by ACCA becoming a de-facto military dictatorship (a Shogunate, if you will) while the brown people – scheming Arabs who control the oil supply, naturally – are kicked out the kingdom. The new dictator is a woman, though, so at least you could call it a progressive dictatorship.

A lot of this could be laughed off as a joke if it didn't fit in with an oddly right-wing, revisionist trend seen in recent anime like Kancolle, GATE & Joker Game. Speaking of JG, it's hard not to see that show's outsized success & loyal fanbase as at least somewhat responsible for ACCA being in the state that it is. A sloppy series that really could have used more production time & resources, it's easy to think that the production committee, dominated by merchandising companies, were pushing to get it released in time to cash in, apparently with some success.

I guess ladies love jackbooted gentlemen.

Warning possible Spoilers

This is definitely the most interesting anime I have seen from the 2017 winter season so far with it's nostalgic feel and well thought out story.

The story is set in the Kingdom of Dowa which is divided into 13 different states and are controlled by ACCA a peacekeeping division and Jean Otus has been assigned to inspect each ACCA agency in each state, but unbeknownst to him he's been dragged into one big situation that revolves entirely around him and his past.
I thought the story was actually pretty good it started off slow, but over time the show got more intense especially when ... you find out more about Jean and his families history, seeing each of the districts was also interesting since each district has something different and unique about them which kept the show fresh, I liked the conflict that was going on with the higher ups in ACCA and the mystery that was being unravelled when Jean was starting to take note of the situation going on around him, there actually was few plot twists here and there that actually did surprise me and it made me like the show even more and for a show that is only 12 episodes it actually ended well too so hopefully a season 2 is not needed.

Now the characters were decent I enjoyed the relationship with Jean and Niino they had good chemistry together and even when Jean found out that Niino was spying on him their relationship didn't change which was good to see since a lot of anime's always make the best friends fight each other so this was a nice change of pace too.
Jean was a very interesting character and even though he is a very monotone person he generally seems like a nice guy to hang around with plus he was a very intellectual person which meant he wasn't easily fooled by his enemies.
The supporting characters were ok it was interesting seeing how the ACCA officers were adapting to their posts in the districts and some supporting characters like Rail and Maggie actually got better over time by either helping out another character or by being more comedic.

I really liked the Artstyle it gave me a nostalgic feel of anime's from the early 2000's, but with a modern touch and the opening was also another reason for that feeling too with it's Jazz theme, the way the characters looked again reminded me of the early 2000's just that the eyes aren't as stupidly big hence the more modern touch added to it, for some reason food is a very big part of this show I feel like the show should have been called ACCA the 13 food districts like seriously almost every single scene has something to do with food it wasn't really a bad thing I was just asking myself a lot why food was such a big focus in this show.

If you're looking for a show that has a interesting story or is a Madhouse fan then this is definitely something you'll enjoy or if you're someone who really enjoys the site of food then this will also cover that area for you.

Since I have been learning about how animations are made I can tell from my kinda professional knowledge that this anime is REALLY GREAT.

If I had to rate it now it would be 9.5. but later even 10. I really don't like to rate stuff in numbers
Anyhow.

Story:
While you think that the story progresses quite slow it's actually testing viewers abilities to find what could be the main plot of the whole story. Before you even notice ,the main point is thrown stright into your face and you kinda feel dumb for not notiicing it (opening, and other small details).

Art:
While the style now is ... quite rare newdays , it has good feeling about it. Like a fresh breath of country air. You come to like it a lot.

Sounds:
The sounds compliment the whole plot but not overshadow it.

Characters:
I am amazed by how smart the author has made them. All their plot twisted characteristics and stuff. Not to mention relief characters that really complimented the main ones( Lotte, Magie etc.).

Enjoyment:
God. It was awesome. Maybe ,since I couldn't notice the main point only when it was thrown at me. I went into happy overdose. I COULDN'T predict many upcoming things and that was like fantastic and mind opening about how predictatable/clichē some other stories have become.


If I had a bit more time I would definitely watch all episode in one day.
I think that I kind of forgot some stuff overnight, but the main point was remembered.

This might have been long review but in order to review it best it was necessary.

P.S.
For those who still read this review- thanks and good job. At least some found it interesting.

This will be a short commentary, an impression. No spoilers.

I am so glad I gave this little show a chance!

I love the characters & got the impression that nothing was left to luck and chance, that everything the characters are and everything they embody is intentional = heavily pre-planned.
The protagonist is loveable. (And cute...)
The (many) characters we get to know, all of them come with a unique personality and by that I mean, every character on the show would make a great first protagonist.

The first episode wasn't much. However, before the 2nd episode was over I had found myself entertained and engaged, more ... than I had expected... I really had a great 3 months.
The story is well-drafted, the result being a detailed picture and an intriguing story that opens up slowly but steadily; it demands to be watched.

I had such an amazing time with ACCA, I am actually sad it's over.
It is really, really, really sad but it has gotten me (back) into the realm of intrigue, mystery, fun&chill time, and anticipation...
I want Madhouse to give me more. And I want more of that genre!
Good that The Americans (TV) are back with a new season. I can't wait for GoT and House of Cards, I want them to give me my shows right now... gotta hold my breath and hope for the best.

I am not sure if that's it for ACCA, if that's it for the franchise.
There's a lot of potential for fast/slow-pace side-stories. I wouldn't hold my breath though.
I hope we will get an OVA... something!
Is the story complete? IMO, definitely, yes!
Is the ending satisfying? Yes, but underwhelming.

It is a 9 out of 10, for what it is.
I'm giving it a 10, BECAUSE.

A political thriller that's long on glamor but short on substance.

STORY

ACCA-13 seems to have all the pieces of a good political thriller: a multitude of secretive factions, individuals with murky allegiances, back channel maneuvering, and high stakes. Except there's one critical problem, none of it adds up. They have all the game pieces but forgot to include the board. A good political thriller partly relies on the audience knowing how the political system works: 'House of Cards' depends on its audience having a basic understanding of how the US Congress operates, and 'Valkyrie' made sure to explain how the coup masterminds planned to kill Hitler ... and assume control of the German government. ACCA-13's chief weakness as a story is that the political system is a vague mess, at some points implying the country is a loose confederation with a figurehead monarch and high levels of regional autonomy, and at others acting as if the royal family has enough authority to restructure the entire civilian bureaucracy with a word. The word 'coup' is thrown around a lot, but it's never really clear what would be overthrown or how. Cracks start appearing the second you take a serious look at it.

ART & SOUND

Art is the high point of the series. The series has the glamorous 'Josei' look to it and some good backgrounds and character animation. It's easy on the eyes. Sound is also good with some solid voice acting from Funimation's experienced crew and a pretty decent OP. This series has some good production values, just not quite good enough to make something truly memorable out of fairly mediocre writing.

CHARACTERS

The large cast suffers from problems spilling over from the story writing. With the political system unclear it isn't to tell which character is responsible for what, how much power they are supposed to have, and which ones we're supposed to be paying the closest attention to. The big character reveal of the series suffers from this same issue, without going into spoiler territory we learn the backstory of a major character which revolves around a political plot that makes no blooming sense. Now strictly as characters, the individual cast members do well enough even if they don't break any new ground. The series toys with the idea of 'maybe Jean Otus is a mastermind, maybe he really is just a clueless pawn' but never does anything spectacular with it. The cast is OK, but I wouldn't go beyond that.

OVERALL

ACCA-13 looks different and sounds different, it's obvious nobody would confuse it for this season's generic otaku power fantasy/harem schlock. But it doesn't have enough 'meat on its bones', so to speak. If you want a new aesthetic experience and are willing to not look too closely at the internal workings, ACCA-13 is enjoyable enough.

Cake and cigarettes, your doctor will love this combination.

Story:
The federal kingdom of Dowa has 13 very independent states, that are rumored to plan a coup d’état for unknown reasons. ACCA, the organization that is trying to hold everything together is in an existential crisis and Jean Otus, member of the department for internal affairs is somehow playing a vital part in all of this, though he has no idea why that is. For the most part, we accompany Jean on his travels throughout the member states, which are all extremely different in culture, infrastructure and climatic conditions. We have one district that is de facto ... Las Vegas, another one looks like 19th century Europe and yet another looks like a South American settlement. If anything, ACCA 13 is very creative in building its world, obsessing over details and being quite imaginative in general. However, this is also the biggest weakness this show has: It is very slow paced. I mean, the plot doesn’t really start to develop untill two thirds of the episodes are already over. It somewhat fits this anime, as it is devoid of action for the most part and focuses on politics mainly. Still, it feels like too much time was wasted on the way. I think ACCA could have benefited from being a 2-cours series. Just go into even more detail and let the climax build up earlier and we would have had a fantastic thriller. As it stands, we have a show that is good, but one that really tests your patience.
7/10

Art:
The character design is a refreshing diversion from the roundish style employed by most anime, yet it isn’t as angular as serious works often look. It also appears that everybody (except Lotta) has a smug smile as their default facial expression. Due to the nature of the show (being mostly talking) there isn’t that much to animate, but the little there is looked fine to me. The backgrounds were nicely done and despite portraying a realistic scenery, ACCA was quite colorful, which is great, since real life is usually portrayed as very plain in fictional works, which is totally not true. For both opening and ending, the animators were allowed to run wild, both looking really good in their respective styles.
8/10

Sound:
Speaking of opening and ending, they didn’t only look really good, they are also both pretty good songs. The opening sounds kinda like that one Paula Abdul song, only better. The rest of the soundtrack didn’t really remain in my head, which in doubt is always a plus. The voice acting was solid. Kenjirou Tsuda is slowly starting to get on my radar, he has a very distinctive voice, though it will be interesting to see what he can do in roles that require him to vary it. Aoi Yuuki got a more soft-spoken role again, which I prefer over her bratty ones.
8/10

Characters:
Yes, ACCA 13 had characters. Lots of them. Let’s only focus on the more important ones here. The main character Jean is a very laid-back guy who seems to always keep his cool, no matter what (except that one time with Mauve at the restaurant). At first he doesn’t really understand what is going on, but he is not an idiot and figures out quite a lot after a while. It was kind of refreshing to have a main character being neither hot-blooded nor stupid nor emotionless, but a normal, intelligent guy. His buddy Nino is an interesting x-factor to the whole story. You can never be 100% sure where exactly his loyalty lies, but neither he nor Jean make a fuss about it. In general, most characters are very accepting of the circumstances, which was unusual but not uninteresting. Out of the ACCA staff, we have Mauve, the…eh, General-Director I think? Basically, she is the boss of ACCA, but she still has to report to the five guy-council. She has a strong, aggressive personality (as far as this goes in this anime) and can appear very strict. She also has no qualms to disregard advices from above if she thinks it’ll benefit the case. Still, she is not an unfriendly or brash person, which makes her pretty cool in my book. The council itself isn’t put much focus on in terms of members, only Groshular and Lilium stick out a bit. Even though one of them is involved in the finale, it still didn’t feel like they did much with him. That is a general problem of this show, because of the sheer amount of characters, most don’t get much development.
Outside of ACCA we have the prince, who is an arrogant manchild and the cause for the coup plans, since nobody wants him to ascend to the throne. Finally, we have Jeans little sister Lotta. She doesn’t move the story forward in any way, but she’s a happy little cutie and I’m a sucker for that.
7/10

Enjoyment:
ACCA 13 has one major problem that may affect your personal enjoyment and that is the pacing. I don’t mind that it takes it’s time to build up, but twelve episodes are not enough to flesh out the cast and shine a light on all the background and history in a satisfying amount. What they do is all fine and dandy and the whole plot gets more and more interesting, but I can’t help but feel that this show did not utilize its full potential. However, I never really had the feeling that this anime is getting nowhere or that the characters were bland or boring. If you don’t mind the almost complete lack of action and are interested in the politics of a fictional country, this may be something for you. I’d say, the lower your patience, the less fun you will have with this.
7/10

Overall:
7.4/10

This is a 9/10 for me. It's definitely a must watch.
1st, let's talk about the upsides. I gotta say how i adore the art, the music and overall, the atmosphere that these 2 factors create altogether. You gonna have to watch the anime to understand, but those who watched it should. The characters are original and well designed. And the story is some of the best i've ever seen for quite awhile, given the context of a 12-episodes anime.

However there are some downsides: There's one big gap of story in the episodes between episode 8 and episode 12, which is kinda unwell planned. The tempo ... of the anime was pushed up really high around episode 9 and suddenly got dramatically dropped almost to an idle level, with even less activities than the first few episodes. If you've learnt about presentation's 101s for awhile, you'd know that it is very ill-advised to leave the tempo comparatively low for a really long time (almost 2 episodes and a half). Some of you may have experienced that kind of the moment when you talked for too long with too much information on a certain points and the audiences start to look around and lose their focus/interest. That exact thing happened in the last few episodes of this anime: The tempo was killed brutally right after episode 9 and the events which were meant to bring back the tension were actually not every well exploited (They happened too quick and not dramatic enough. The response of characters to those events were also lukewarm). Thus, much less tension was felt in the final episode than there were supposed to be, and the ending, as good as it is, couldn't generate the full enjoyment burst that we expected.

I'd conclude this with another comment regarding the characters. Most of the characters are portrayed at the perfect depth, especially Nino. However, i still hoped that they have prioritize a bit more on the "Cigar Pededer" side - that perceptive, decisive and enigmatic side of Jean. It felt like that identity felt short quite a bit at the second half of the anime where Jean was almost led by the nose by multiple different characters. It's not like Jean's personality is not being logically portrayed, I gotta say l love that honest side of Jean and we love him for that character, but there's not enough spotlight for that Yami Yugi side at the 2nd half. It almost killed that identity and at the end of the day I felt Jean's a little bit inconsistent. These factors contributed to the limited enjoyment that the ending created.

When Acca came out it caused three types of reactions:

-Those who lost their shit because it was made by the same author that wrote House of Five Leaves.
-Those that lost their shit because it seemed similar to Joker Game.
-Those that didn’t watch any of those shows and thus didn’t care about it at all.

And I am one of those that didn’t watch it when it came out. So, I decided to check it out now and found it astronomically boring.

So, there’s a kingdom composed of thirteen states and a public service organization that maintains peace amongst all of them. Jean, the protagonist, ... is an inspector of said organization and is doing inspections in every state while rumors of a coup d'état have spreaded throughout the kingdom.

Starting with the strongest aspect of the show, the sound department; the sound effects are passable but the soundtrack is very good, sometimes calm, sometimes upbeat, but always classy. I’m not much of a fan of its opening and ending, but both were good, the former got a song with an original and interesting mix of different music genres and also great visuals, while the latter was simply beautiful. There is a second ending that was ok too. As for the voice acting, I think some of the choices in the casting weren’t accurate (Pastice), but everyone did a good job.

Following with the visual department, it looks weird mostly due to the color palette, it has some quality drops and since it’s not a series where the movement is important, that element is rather weak. Other than that, is a solid work mostly for the backgrounds and the character designs, which although having a generic look of a josei manga, they still manage to look different than most other series, again, mostly for the color palette. Although they have weird hair colors, most of the characters look as serious adults, with the obvious exception being the fat version of Tintin, seriously what’s up with that guy? Also, since every district that is part of the kingdom is evidently based on a real country, there’s a lot of variety amongst them in shapes, traits, skin, clothes and stuff. It fits the setting nicely, which, as I said, it is based on real countries from Europe, Asia and to a lesser extent, Africa; so there’s also a lot of variety in the series when it comes to backgrounds, and everything looks beautifully drawn.

Speaking about the setting, this is when the negatives start since it doesn’t make much sense, although the depiction of the countries the states were based on were mostly accurate, the whole setting looks like it’s based on the post-war era and yet there are satellite antennas and even modern day technologies such as cell phones and notebooks.

The plot feels slow, mostly due to the tone of the first episodes; where the protagonist, Jean, go to every state, sees the situation on everyone of them, takes little action on some small conflicts that happens there with a totally disinterested attitude, eats sweets and breads, buy some more sweets and breads for his sister (mostly sweets) and drinks lots of beer with his best friend; but midway on the series the story tries to convince the viewer that he was actually plotting the coup d'état all along. HOW? He was clueless about it until the Director of the organization told him. Also these first episodes have some silly moments like every scene with Lotta, the mc’s sister; and the prince, because, well, he is stupid, no, seriously, even the other characters point it out until the final episode.

Things get more interesting and serious on the middle episodes and onwards, there were still some comical moments, but from that point the series feels more focused on its plot and drama. The coup d’état was moving forward, slowly and completely by talking about it, but moving forward regardless; and there were some really touching moments regarding Jean and Jino’s past, where the show starts to present its characters as people instead of spies puppets. But when the series was going well, the finale came and it was a complete ass-pull. Turns out Jean had a master plan within his master plan all along; and what a plausible one, stop everything with two people, yeah, right; also, there was no foreshadowing about it, it was complete bullshit.

Jean is easily the most boring and uninteresting character in the whole show, although he has a great past, he doesn’t react to anything that is going on in an interesting way, not even the revelation of his real identity; I’m not saying that the series should have showed that in an overdramatic way but we got…almost nothing. Also he is labeled as some super genius by everyone else when he is otherwise clueless, disinterested and distant on the first episodes; but I will admit that he got slightly better on the middle when he starts having internal thoughts about how to proceed on the whole thing…until his stupid hidden master plan within a master plan ruined everything. Well, at least he is slightly better than most of the teenagers with first world problems modern anime is so full of; and most of Urobuchi’s passive mouthpieces. There was only a moment when Jean seemed a human, and that was only because he got turned on by Mauve.

Speaking about her, why wasn’t she the main character? Apart from being the definitive waifu from 2017 (with Angie Varley from Mahoutsukai no Yome being a close second), she is also constantly thinking and investigating about what’s going on, while also having strong ideals, she is the whole opposite of Jean, give her a past and make her the main protagonist, and this show is automatically better.

Jino was another decent character, although he is shown as only a typical cool mysterious protagonist’s best friend in the beginning, the revelation of his past, and his work as a double agent, as well as his actual thoughts and feelings about the whole situation, and being shown as someone with actual own will, made him a lot better.

That’s as far as the good goes with the characters; the others aren’t bad, but nothing more than passable, the antagonists are not psychotics PURE EVIL ones like lots of anime today like to portray theirs, but nonetheless; they still remained as typical mysterious master minds behind the whole thing with little to none information about them, and the secondary characters didn’t really matter, Lotta and the female subordinates of Jean were particularly annoying, what does sweets, breads, and girls talks have to do with a military setting where a coup d’état is taking place? They are useless and unnecessary but on the other hand at least they felt like people. Wobular could have been a good character if he had more presence, something that didn’t happen, but he was still ok; the exact same thing can be said about Oulu.

In the end, Acca wasn’t a bad series; it does have problems regarding its pacing, setting and closure, but the plot wasn’t awful thanks to its mid episodes, the cast was decent because it didn’t have teenagers with first world problems, moeblobs or psychotics villains, the production was good and the setting was realistic up to some point, and it didn’t ruined said realistic setting completely with a psychotic edgelord loli that blows up shit with magic like Youjo Senki did.