ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka - Regards

Of course nobody wrote a review on this! Which is great, since this is actually my favorite series. Finally, here's my first ever FIRST review for an anime. Also, SPOILER, et cetera.

As usual, like the series, everything in ACCA - Regards, is smooth, and I'm not even joking: no stiff animation, nice and gentle OST, authentic and crisp atmospehere showing in practically any located background, adjectively level-headed characters introductions and interactions, o hell even the plot is smooth. In fact, remarkably, the only thing that kept me from writing this is because my big empty head couldn't keep up with thinking about using any word ... that can replace "smooth" or "gently", but damn I’m gonna keep trying my best, and worst at the same time. Let me tell you why these are all as what I told you.

Right off the bat, we can see Madhouse just mad flexin' as usual. Good flex is when you know what you're doing is relatable to the target audience. Even if this is the same studio which helped the production of God-must-be-crazy anime such as Vampire Hunter and One Punch Man, they know exactly what ACCA is supposed to be. Not everything have to be mega-bombastic and ACCA is one of the anime which shows that. So to start off, we begin our pre-title sequence with a simplistic jazzy piano playing joyfully behind a crowd of fully-handed government civil workers preparing for the anniversary of ACCA, after a dramatic attempt of coup d’etat against Kingdom of Dowa viewed in front of the whole world. Quite a simple plot.

Basically, this OVA could pretty much be the only continuation following after events in previous season’s episodes. All I can say is, even if I’ll be told this wouldn’t get a second season, I’m glad that they’re making it not to be too looking like a try-hard effort, simply just showing what ACCA is in the first place in its essence: a simple drama anime, essentially.

All the key characters are still showing up, revealing what they have in mind even after the conflictious event in previous season. Obviously being the afterward of coup d'etat, suspicions arise here and there, and a slight hint of unsafeness could be seen in the form of whispering winds. The involved characters like Jean Otus might be very cool-headed, but for something grand to be revealed, even the higher-ups like The Five Chiefs would be very careful.

The ambitious youth would be the worst case, for they often fret over the future anxiously and might as well try to find out about any unseen zephyr. Who should worry and who shouldn’t, no one can guarantee the sure answer. Yet again, for those who are just living a life like Jean Otus, a slight breeze could still be enjoyed simply as nature at work. The peaceful daily lives of people still go on. Not just in Dowa, that applies for all, even The Five, Head of ACCA Director Mauve, and surprisingly the coup’s malefactor. Suspicion is merely an unrenewed piece of mind. Worry is a misuse of imagination. Quietly living life amongst the unnoticable is not an exaggeration. It’s just life as it is.

We can still talk about the animation. Some look like still images, others are fluidly well-done, but none of them seem remotely close to being stiff, because that’s just exactly what Madhouse is. As I said before, being ACCA, this is the only anime in which I can absoutely appreciate the very vibe I’ve always been digging in: a slow-but-surely, serene and soothing vibe at a steady pace that brings my relaxed self wonders. They gave good choice of soundtracks with good timing and nothing is off, because that’s just exactly what Madhouse is.

I’ve always wanted to come back to the series and write my review, but I really don’t know how to word out the anime as a whole. It’s a special guilty pleasure, but also memorable. It’s probably why I haven’t make a review about it yet. However, this isn’t something you should just pass. How boring it sound, give it a chance. Take a break from any anime mayhem that you’re not interested at the moment and spend just 48 minutes of them to watch this light entertainment. I guarantee you a nice experience from it.

It's pretty bold to make an OVA three years after the original airing and have it be the length of two episodes in one. I was really surprised at the 47 minute runtime and it really is perfect for what it is, it's not some epilogue or firm conclusion, even ending with a question, but continuing the basic story and exploring some new themes that follow after the events of the anime.

It's basically regarding Lotta and Parrot's new beginning into the working world and the anxieties and uncertainty that comes with it, for both the younger person and the older mentor. Lotta gets advice from ... her principal that used to teach Nino, who both he and Jean are concerned about her and what they should do. That's on Jean's domestic side, and on his work side he's with a rookie named Parrot who works hard and is dedicated to the job, is a product of the coup attempt and is rightly paranoid about the ex-Chief Officers and Furawau's own plans. And in the end despite, some very good editing and film techniques to make it seem sinister, nothing bad comes from it because in this world intelligence agencies and governments are more calm and rational.

I'm giving this an eight like the main series because I'm not so head over heels about it, but I think this OVA did a much better job taking everything that worked well in the main series and put it all together here. It's honestly not bad just by itself but if you liked the main anime at all I would really recommend watching this.

There's some light intrigue in here, but it ends up resolving with nothing in particular happening of note. This OVA really isn't here for the purpose of generating a narrative that keeps your attention, but rather for the character moments and to act as an epilogue. In the former case, I think it works just fine, giving a bit more insight into side characters and a new red-haired ACCA member through which to see the world that they created a year ago. I wish it gave more opportunity to see into side characters' lives, but I don't mind getting to sit more with the central ... cast, even if it just feels like they're going through the motions most of the time. I like where Nino's story went.

As an epilogue, it works a little less well. Lotte wants to move on and do something on her own, though she's not sure what, which works fine for me even if it's not a very intriguing answer to the concerns of her brother. Everything else just kind of settled into place and stayed there, with a couple of interesting little actions that largely get brushed off as unimportant in the end. I like where Nino's story went and his genuine love of photography, though with other characters like Owl, it's just unclear why he ended the series saying he was getting rid of the blonde, but still has it anyway. In general, this felt unnecessary, not really capping off any of the stories, but rather providing a bit more of an extension on the ending of the series. That's OK, it's just nothing special.