ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka

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

Overall: 9 ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka is a show with incredible aesthetics that is presented with very little tension, but is nonetheless is an absolute joy to watch. Everything in this show feeds into its chill atmosphere, such that the entire presentation is very cohesive and pleasing. Story & Character: 8 The world of ACCA is interesting: in a kingdom called Dōwa, there are 13 districts, united by their celebration of each district's unique traditions. While there is a king, an organization called ACCA is in charge of running the nation. Of course, there is dissent; our protagonist, Jean Otus, is said to be a key figure in a coup. Unlike most anime that deal with politics, ACCA's world is populated by adults, and the characters all behave maturely (meaning there are no hot-blooded disputes). The show itself also does not hyper-dramaticize the events of the story, which is both a good and a bad point: the good is that the ACCA organization itself is life-like in its efficiency and, well, office politics, and the bad is that the show itself lacks tension on its surface. The plot holds itself together very well, and yet at the same time there isn't much drama to compel the viewer to keep watching the show. That does't mean ACCA is boring; rather, it is excellent but not absolutely riveting. Art: 10 THE ART OF THIS SHOW IS AMAZING. The colours work in harmony and the scenery, which is exquisitely detailed, exudes softness. The art of ACCA complements the cool tone of this series, and there is no better way to possibly make this show. The character design is different from the usual anime, forgoing the usual clinically thin lines and sparkly googly eyes for bold linework and simple features, and this sort of dressing down enhances the tone of simplicity in this show. Honestly, the aesthetics is simply incredible. Sound: 9 Characters are aptly voiced. Background music is playful or sinister at times, but never over the top. I love the opening theme of the show, but the ending theme doesn't do much for me. Enjoyment: 9 I absolutely loved this show. Nonetheless, though I recognize the importance of keeping the tone of the show cool, its lack of tension made it a tad less than perfect.

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.

Cigarette Man In The Midst Of Intrigue, Revolution And Food ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept Is a great show about conspiracy and monarchy and the separations of power. and one clueless man is in the middle of it all. It does mystery and conspiracy amazingly feel like every character has an angle. A conspiracy in the heart of the state it is so fun. Most of the anime is state work, but it's in the interesting way because we get to see all the different locals in the country and culture and sweets. But also there is tension because the new prince is not liked by the populace, and Worry about what will happen when he takes the throne. But luckily the anime and main character oosis style and just feels so nice to watch, the colors are pretty the character designs are distinct but also pretty and the main character is so relaxing that it's just enjoyable to watch. And the op is so amazing it has been stuck in my head all of these years the composition the storyboards. Just everything about it is amazing and the song is still stuck in my head. delicious food and conspiracy, it is a nice combination with little taste of cigarette. would highly recommend.

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.

Recommendation: A very strong mystery/political thriller that most should be able to enjoy. Not recommended for people that are bored by shows that are dialogue-heavy and have little action however. Story: The main story of ACCA is about the laconic, chain-smoking protagonist Jean Otus getting unwittingly caught up in a coup plot against the royal family. It's a fun mystery plot overall, it takes turns where you don't expect them and keeps you off balance, but still makes coherent sense and doesn't deliver twists just to shock the audience. The political thriller aspect of it is very strong as well. The royal family presides over a federation of 13 extremely different districts and has to maintain balance and autonomy for all of them to keep the nation from falling apart, and it's interesting and believable how they do that. It factors in each district's unique culture and resource access and gives them believable issues to deal with, such as Furawau's unhappiness over being forced to export their oil to other districts. Overall, the plot is highly engaging, fun to follow and speculate on, and never gets boring or feels like it's poorly paced. Audio/Visual: The voice acting and the music in this series are tremendous. Characters like Nino and Grossular have the gravitas in their voices that their roles demand, while Jean's flat, lazy line delivery (this is 100% not an insult) is a perfect match for his laid-back character. The jazzy background music and OP fit the conscientiously sophisticated tone of the series perfectly. Unfortunately, I am not nearly as positive on the visuals. The artwork and animation is low-quality and the character designs are on the mediocre side. It seems to be going for a particular visual presentation, rather than just being bad or low-budget, but it simply doesn't work. For lack of a better term, it looks cheap. Characters: The characters in this series are excellent and complex in good ways. Characters that are initially presented as either villains or allies are rarely so straightforward. Jean himself has a bit of a Columbo-like quality to him, where he sort of seems like a bum and that lulls people into underestimating him. Even the viewer, fully aware of this gimmick, will often fall for it and forget that Jean is actually a very savvy political operator in spite of how he often seems. Nino, Jean's friend/stalker/protector, is the highlight here, a mess of contradictory personas and goals that make him fascinating and unpredictable. If I have one complaint with the characters, it's that Director-General Mauve gets relatively little screentime and characterization given her importance to the endgame of the series. They should have given more lines and screentime to her and less to the annoying cop with a crush on Lotta. Overall, this is a very fun and entertaining political mystery thriller that's let down a bit by the poor animation, but has excellent writing and characters that make it worth watching for any fan of mysteries or "slow" dramas.

The anime if Sanji gave up cooking and kicking and became a quality inspection checker in the modern day world, was my first impression of Acca 13. This anime was recommended to me by a friend, and is very different from the type I’d usually watch. Enjoyment Initially I was bored with this anime. I wanted to see lots of action and fights of my beloved Shonen anime. However, I realized that was not the case for Acca 13. Even when there were tense moments, they seemed subdued to the thriller or action I came to expect from other anime. In addition, the theme of government, coup d’états, and bureaucracy departments wasn’t too appealing to me. However around episode 6 or 7, I started to accept the fact that this anime wasn’t going to have giant monsters and the conflict instead came from the tension between the Royal family and the individual countries, and I actually became invested(talk about expanding my boundaries huh). Story The story started off too slow for me, and due to the fact I was expecting some intense thriller/spy anime, I was disappointed in the beginning. As I progressed, I liked it more and more and became invested in what happened to the characters (wow!) Each episode left off with a new piece of information that was intriguing but not frustrating as some cliffhanger shows could be. The story switched between serious and casual beats, which was nice, but some of the casual parts seemed kinda dumb. Do we really have to hear over and over about how much food Lotta wants Jean to pick up? But the complexity between the different countries, organizations and motives was played out well, even to someone like me who likes simpler stories over ones that have a intelligent narrative. I feel like if I rewatched this or cared more about analyzing the underlying themes that the show presented, I would have enjoyed it more. So those that are into that sort of stuff might like this more. The ending was also pretty good, and while a keen viewer might be able to pick up the hints, I wasn’t prepared at all. Art/Animation I really enjoyed the almost graphic like art style of the characters. I don’t know how exactly to word it, but the style was very pleasing to me, not too realistic nor cartoony/moe. The background designs were also absolutely beautiful. I loved how each country’s culture, environment and lifestyle was drastically varied, with the art design reflecting that. The animation was a bit lazy, with lots of characters standing around and simple pan shots, but I still felt invested most of the time so it wasn’t too big a deal. The OP was also a total banger, with vivid colors and great flow. Music The music was fine. Jazzy tunes and piano tracks complemented the scenes they were played to. I watched the dub (I usually prefer dubs) and the voices were fine, I suppose. The only standout one for me was Lotta’s voice. Overall This show had a distinct style and impression on me, and it definitely broadened my horizons on the type of anime I could watch, but I can only call it good not great because of the lack of enjoyment for the first half. I’d check it out if you’re interested in shows about government and power, lots of subtext and a touch of intrigue.

ACCA-13 is without saying a very underrated series, more people know about its OP than the series itself, which is a shame. This series is one of a few anime series that quite possible to say is "mature". it has no ridiculous otaku-baiting cheap tricks, no outrageously stupid plots to accompany shut-down-brain animation-flexing, no excessive gorefest that just screams edgy, best of all? You won't have to suffer the usual obnoxious anime noises in the voice-acting. If any series deserves a Netflix adaptation, it's this one. But one must admit the series is a slow burn, despite its short duration concluded the story neatly, however, it has flaws as well, the story's stakes are quite too small even with the coup and the ending is too neatly goody happily-ever-after twist that made everything kinda went nowhere, that disappointed me greatly when I first watched it as well. But I must say, rarely a dragging slow drama can hold me interested on the edge of my seat this long. So: 8/10 - a hidden gem

This anime went beyond any of my expectations. The plot was pretty compelling, as well as the art, which I personally find brilliant and interesting. The music was also unique and was conveying to me the right vibes, so that I couldn't stop watching the show. The ending surprised me, a well-planned and unexpected turn of events, that I promise will keep you on your toes till the very last minute. I really enjoyed the settings and the characters, complex but each with their clear targets. Also, the opening theme is one of the best I've listened to so far, I swear it got me goose bumps every time. Really good, I definitely recommend you watch it.

In over a decade of watching anime, I’ve never seen anything quite like ACCA. On top of some of the best world-building I’ve come across, ACCA navigates a political drama through the eyes of a pretty low key, quirky police force. The intrigue comes from its ability to introduce the viewer to each of the 13 states & their unique cultures through a creative hybrid police-slice-of-life lense while leaving clues everywhere that a coup attempt is being organized. To my chagrin, our main character, Jean Otus, is swept up in all of this in an unoriginal way. While I understand how he and his sister have a key role in the bigger picture, I felt as though there was more of ACCA to explore, more of the local states to get to know, more of how the governing bodies work. Jean's backstory is interesting and may have tied him into the bigger picture, but ultimately it detracted from ACCA’s strongest points as it chewed into what little airtime the production crew had to work with. I get that something had to be a catalyst in all of this, and incorporating the main character into it in some way makes total sense, but his own personal back story didn’t need to consume the show. While the characters themselves were interesting enough and the music had an appropriate flair to it, the character design felt wonky and the animation was just above mediocre. As someone who would like to see more political drama in anime, it pains me to say that ACCA had quite a bit of promise, but it ultimately distracts itself along the way with a plot point that takes up too much of the viewers time for me to wholeheartedly recommend. I do still feel ACCA adds something of value, and despite all the criticism it was a fun quick show that anyone who appreciates political drama should find some charm in. 80% Seinen Jump approval. FFO: You’re Under Arrest, Baccano

ACCA is one of kind. While its topic would generally lend itself to excitement and suspense, it goes in a completely different direction and decides to be as smooth as silk with its delivery. This might be the most chill story about a government coup in the history of storytelling. The plot itself is not really all that deep: A monarch of a peaceful nation is getting old, and his heir is an arrogant brat, which scares the district leaders about the eventual succession, and a coup to replace the prince is hatched. In the midst of this, is one of the most laid back and coolest MC's you'll find in Jean Otus. An unflappable, chain-smoking, government inspector that gets drawn into the political intrigue and needs to find a way out. While coup animes are common, what sets ACCA apart is two things: 1. The chilled nature of the environment and characters. And what's so special about it, is that it's not trying hard to be cool, its just naturally cool. A lot of seinen anime trying to be cool, really just try to recapture the essence of anime like Cowboy Bebop. It's not genuine. They try too hard and end up being cheap "hard-boiled detective" animes. But, ACCA gives off of a vibe of just being natural. The characters are just naturally chill, and have realistic personalities (for the most part). There's nothing over the top or "try-hard" about the anime. 2. The swerves. ACCA is fantastic at telling the story in such a way that you really can't figure out what's going on until the very end. And that's the most important part of an intrigue-based anime, that you can't figure out what's going on, until they spring it on you. ACCA's best trait, is that it leads you one way, and then you think you've got it figured out, but then something new happens and it's like "Oh, didn't see that coming.". This anime is really good at that, but it's also good at not doing anything that doesn't make sense. The explanation of the swerve is always on point and sensible. They don't just swerve you for the sake of swerving you, or swerve the story so much that it no longer makes sense. Outside of these two things, there's hardly anything you could find at fault with the anime. The characters are well-defined, the dialogue is sharp, the pacing is great, and the world is interesting. I enjoyed the set up of the nation, how every district was distinct from the others. In that regard, the anime had a strong Kino's Journey kind of vibe. As Jean went from district to district inspecting things, the story and atmosphere in each location was unique. If I could find fault anywhere, it would only be with Jean's sister, Lotta. She was out of place in the anime, as a far too bubbly character. Even during extremely tense situations, this girl never changed her demeanor. She was skirting the line between "cheerful" and "ditsy". In an anime where the all the other characters are very intelligent, competent and thoughtful, she seemed like she stumbled in from another anime. Like she fell in from K-On, or something. It wasn't that distracting because nothing much was expected of her, but it's about the only flaw I can really find with the anime. That and the fact that Jean Otus kind of looks like an animated Dylann Roof. Oh, and before closing the review, I have to put some shine on the soundtrack for ACCA. It was just as smooth as the anime, and really helped to set the environment. The song that played at the end of the series was especially fantastic. All around, this was a fantastic anime. Give it a watch.

ACCA 13 is a series that came out in a winter 2017. ACCA is not very popular series. While it was airing and even after it aired not many people talks about it. Which is surprising since first this is a madhouse show. Second on a design and technical aspect alone it looks phenomonal and stands out among other shows it competed against. Now while saying that it's underrated I understand the rating. If you are interested in the show by the synopsis alone read this carefully. This show is not a political drama as it presents in the synopsis. While yes there is a political intrigue and a secret political plot going on, it is nothing but a backdrop of the series. This show is more in line with a slice of life wrap your blanket after a long day of work kinda show. Now if you decide to watch it make sure to give it 3-4 episodes since the plot doesn't really begin before episode 5. Thanks for reading.

Acca-13 is fairly slow anime and for most of it there's a sense of confusion as you're not sure exactly where the story is going. When you do eventually find out, it feels a bit out of nowhere but hits hard regardless. Afterwards, when you discover what's going on, it has a bit of a problem ending in a real satisfying way or keeping momentum, often using the exceptional art and music as a crutch. But Acca-13 still succeeds in creating a unique experience that I haven't seen replicated in any other anime which at the very least takes it away from mediocrity. If the pacing was a bit better, I feel this could've been a solid 8 or 9 but as it is now, there are too many pauses and side stories that feel unimportant and just drag out the story.

7.5/10 "ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka" had been on my planned to watch list for quite a while. I remember being really interested to watch it after reading the synopsis but didn't dive in immediately when I saw that this anime has only 12 episodes. With the expansive world already suggested by the synopsis, I was hesitant as to whether they would be able to explore enough of each of the 13 states; surprisingly, they were able to execute it very well for a 12 episodes series. I was really intrigued by the diversity and unique characteristics of the structures, citizens, and lifestyles from each district. In terms of each episode's pacing, I agree to both sides and think that the "slow" pacing is both efficient and deficient to the enjoyment of the show. The first few episodes the show focuses more on building and introducing the different states that forms the kingdom of Dowa. So compared to the later episodes, the first few episodes are considered to be more slow paced, however, I believe the content provided was essential to make the audience have a better understanding of the circumstances of the different states as well for the overall of the kingdom's. Without this preparation, the plot twists hidden in this show (which surprisingly has quite a lot) wouldn't have as much of a big impact to the audience. Additionally, I liked how there were scenes that was more "slice of life" and that every second of the show didn't have to always be about the main plot of coup d'état; I feel like I'm able to watch and consider this anime as "relaxing" despite the complex story line it has. I'm thankful that I've discovered this show after it has finished airing because honestly, had I discovered it since the beginning and had to wait week by week to watch an episode, I may have dropped it since the beginning as I tend to prefer more fast paced animes of the same genre. If you're reading this and haven't watched ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka yet, I really suggest you try watching it; I feel like I shouldn't say anything more or else I'll be spoiling the excitement ahaha

Story: The story starts slow. The anime takes it time to develop the character and world. Everything is done with care. By the end, each character is well developed and they all feel alive. It's a great mystery story about politics in a very different world. Very engaging. Art: At first, I didn't like the style of the drawing. It all felt a little disproportionate. Some characters are very small, others are overwhelmingly big. After a while, I just got used to it and everything felt great. The characters are all very different and the art and their style reflect their personality. I also loved the regions. They were all very different from each other and made the world feel very real. Sound The sound was good. The oppening song was amazing. The ending was also pretty good, but ended skipping it. Mostly because I wanted to see what happened next. Character: Character development and interaction were very nice. At first, the main character felt a little too introverted, but with time we get to know his personality. Enjoyment: Overall, I really liked it. I can recommend this anime to everyone that likes politics and some mystery in their stories.

The beginning of the story can be a little slow for most viewers, but once you start understanding what is going on there is no way back. The story is so engaging, you can't just leave one episode and go, its so interesting and made me elaborate theories that I thought were unbelievable but could turn to be true. The opening its just a masterpiece, from the beginning to the end. The mix of singing and rapping its just so pleasing to listen. Im in love with it and couldn't skip it. The characters, I just love most of them. Their personalities are so interesting and wished I knew more about them. ACCA has become one of my favorite animes EVER. And the opening has won a special place in my heart, I cannot take it out from my mind. 10/10

The visuals were a turn off from the start. Without reading other reviews, and being curious about the works of Madhouse, I wouldn't have looked beyond that. I'm glad I did, since I got a fancy tour with warm welcomes, visiting 13 distinct locales, with strong culture defined by economics, administration, history, and social conditions. I will admit that I highly value shows with such rich settings, that go so far that investigate the reasons why the settings ended up the way they are, and this 12 episode series did that to 13 different locales, and still brewed up an intriguing story to bind it together. Bravo. Perfect 10 rating from me. The visual quality went from questionable to fine. I saw Gonzo credited. Did these guys do the in-between animation? Not sure if it was my PC, but the frame rate seemed pretty bad at the beginning. I was suspecting that Madhouse purposely made it to pretty low standards, in consideration to budget allocated for staff or whatever. Whatever, it just proved that I can enjoy a show without pleasing eye-candy, not noticing it past the 2nd ep, though I did almost judge it by its cover... Subjectively, I'd rate this a 9 based on the impression it gave me subconsciously (enjoyment factor), which coincidentally caters to my likes, such as having witty bad-asses and camaraderie between misfits. Objectively, I had to factor in the poor visuals and fairly flat drama (better audio would've helped). Its story and its appeal to my personal tastes definitely carried this. I question the morality of acts such as smoking, getting drunk, gossiping, pigging out on food, gambling, politics, traveling, celebratory gatherings, etc. but I find that they're just liberties that people take part in, in such a free world. Overall, I'd only recommend this to a small minority of people who share such taste. I highly doubt it'd suit the tastes of typical mainstream anime fans. In fact, I think it's only animated since it's more cost effective than making it into a live drama. I wouldn't be surprised if it does turn into one.

ACCA 13 review Watching ACCA: 13 is a bit like riding on an old steam train. On the outside it looks utterly majestic as it awes you with its beauty. It has a great soundtrack too as it trundles through the scenic English countryside. The view outside your window is stunning as you can’t help but relax as the world passes you by. All is well, but there’s a slight hitch. You’re not a retired tourist; you’re actually a mere office clerk who’s running late for work. You yell at the driver to speed up, except he continues driving at a slow but steady pace. It’s only just before the train reaches your station decides to floor it, but by then it’s too late. As you step off the train you reflect on what was a bittersweet train ride; yes it was enjoyable but disappointed by the fact that you’ve now probably lost your job. This analogy may make no sense but I shall explain. ACCA: 13 takes place in the kingdom of Dowa which is divided into thirteen states, each with their own unique people and characteristics. Unity of each of the thirteen states is achieved by the ACCA organization who oversees each of them. Enter Jean Otus, our calm, collected, cigarette-smoking protagonist who works in ACCA’s inspection department whose role is to stamp out corruption and misdeeds. The series follows Jean as he goes about his job conducting audit’s for each of the thirteen states. For the most part all is well, or is it? Rumors are circulating within ACCA’s upper ranks that a coup d’état is brewing. The series mostly revolves around this threat as those in ACCA attempt to unravel the mystery. The plot is the series’ main weakness. Although the plot as a whole is well thought out, it’s very slow in terms of pacing. No spoilers intended but for the first six episodes, nothing significant in the overall plot actually happens. It’s not until the halfway point that the series shifts into gear and the pieces of the mystery start to fall into place. Such slow starts are very off-putting as you try to get into the series and decide if the show is worth watching. By the time I watched episode 5 I was starting to get frustrated as it felt like nothing was actually happening as Jean travels around the country inspecting each of the thirteen states. At times I couldn’t tell which direction the series was trying to go. I was beginning to deliberate as to whether the series was worth my time. However if you’re interested in a slow-paced series without any cliffhangers; something you can watch at night to relax without the risk of getting sucked in and binge-watching the whole thing while you should be doing something more important, then ACCA’s slow yet smart plotline is perfect for you. Despite the plot being shrouded in mystery, you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes in order to watch it as it’s a fairly laid back series. If I was to give it an analogy, it’s like lying down relaxing while smoking a cigarette (much like Jean’s in fact, minus the negative health impacts). If you’re willing to persevere some of the series’ finer points will keep you interested. This included the characters and their interactions. Each significant character has a unique and interesting personality, but through the dialogue you get the sense that each is hiding something. It’s hard to tell their true intentions until the gears fall into place, adding to the intriguing mystery of the series. Only Jean and Niino (Jean’s childhood friend) are given considerable character development or back story, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter considering the series’ short 12 episode length. The animation is also a highlight with nice painted backgrounds, simple colour pallets and attractive, yet proportioned character designs. ACCA: 13 definitely has a unique yet realistic style to it. The soundtrack is nice as well with a cool jazz & piano tone. The opening in particular is a highlight of the show with loud vivid contrasting colours and an upbeat trumpet and saxophone tune that really puts you in the right mood. Normally I skip the ending themes as I’d rather just start watching the next episode. However with a soft piano ballad, I honestly regret not listening to ACCA’s ending earlier as it’s a beautiful tune. Thanks to the animation and sound, I consider ACCA to be a series that oozes with style and cool! I have no complaints with the voice acting either; pretty much all the characters were on point. So I ask; was the train ride worth it? I hope it was. Overall ACCA 13 is an anime that oozes with cool that impresses with a smart well-thought-out plot and interesting characters. However the positive experience was almost completely spoiled by its slow start. Overall score: 7.5/10 Disclaimer: This is my first review.

I generally found this anime extremely refreshing. I can't deny that I love myself a very jazzy political anime. I love the stoic personality of the MC and the characters around him are refreshingly realistic. I believe every character had sufficient development throughout the short series. The plot was very well thought out, the soundtrack although a bit repetitive at times was undeniably enjoyable and the art was beautiful. I especially loved the character designs, I liked the thin tall characters that all looked way too attractive in their uniforms. I loved the characters facial expressions. Not trying to spoil but when Jean blushes it is so unexpected and the way the colour is distributed on his face, on his cheeks and the tips of his nose. I kinda just fell in love with the artist. And their outfits. I just love me some uniforms. Talking on the characters themselves I generally would just watch this anime for the MC. Jean is literally such a relaxing, 'I give zero shits' laid back character that is generally enjoyable to watch. Inside an anime that is stressing about a coup and civil uprisings, he's in his own little world, calmly taking everything in his stride. But lets forget about a serious review right now. The only thing I want to say is: NINO X JEAN.....IS CANON. I mean come on they are literally meant to be with each other. I don't want to give spoilers but the focal point about of this anime is definitely the relationship between Jean and Nino. It feels natural. I watched the sub and the dub and I have to say in both there is this undeniable chemistry between the characters, so firs kudos to the voice actors. The anime begins with Nino and Jean and ends with Nino and Jean, even without the mindset of a fujoshi fangirl such as myself you will find yourself falling in love with their relationship. Dub or sub this is a brilliant anime. I can't get the opening song out of my head now. Well there you have it. This is my haphazard review, and from it I'm sure you can easily tell that I freaking loved it!!! Peace! I'm out of here!!!

Acca 13 review The ending saved the whole anime. I like plot twists. Story 7/10 The story is set in a country which is divided in 13 districts. Acca a organization that was founded over 100 years ago controls and manages each division . Those districts we can call them small nations and each nation has his own unique characteristic that must be preserved. The anime abords the identity theme for each nation and shows how society is divided by different categories. We have also the different social status in a society portrayed by those districts. In some districts there is poverty and hunger were people barely can afford to eat , in other one the society is undeveloped for 100 years and closed off to the real world.In other districts their is wealth and people are wasting food. The anime also focuses on themes like politics , corruption and power abuse. The most evident is the corruption which is a allegory to our modern society where the people with power are easy influenced and start to abuse their power. Also it shows the difference between people with power and how helpless the one who are ruled can't do much about them. Coup de etat this one of the most interesting and strong concepts this anime abords. Is another allegory to our history were common people changed the course of it by being revolting againts tyranny . A good example is the French revolution from 19th century were the poor people rised againts the nobility and royal family for a better life and future. What is impressive in the anime is the fact that the coup de etat is started by the people who maintain the order a.k.a Acca 13. The anime uses a interesting plot twist scenario to do that and manages to execute it well. The worldbuilding is good in the beginning has a slow pace , our main characters interact with the people and we found out about their society.Also the anime uses cigarretes to symbolize the will and dreams of each district. Let me explain. The main character receives 13 cigarretes one from each district in different colors. Those colors have different meanings and colors from white,brown, to red. Usually red implies power and authority in the anime like the Acca 13 mark color. So color symbolism related to our modern society. Another thing that this anime portrays are the rules in each district used to maintain its unicity and order. Each district has his own way of handling things and our characters experience that. This is another reference to our world where each country is separated and has his own laws that rule and guide the population. In conclusion this anime manages to portray some of our modern world hierarchy and the different social status. From rich people to poor people, people with power who abuse it, corruption within the higher branches of society and the ones who suffer from incompentent rulers which is the population. Characters 4/10 A clusterfuck of characters that are a mess. Some of them are just useless and for the sake of the story and some are used as plot devices. Fortunately we have capable characters too that interact and influence each other in a well executed manner. Otus our main character which the story focuses on him. He is calm and likes to smoke alot. We have his friend which had a great influence in his character development and their interaction is well executed. The dialogue between characters helpes the progression of the story but sometimes it drags it. Lotta the main characters little sister, used as a comic relief character and a plot device for the story. What this show manages to shine is the plot twists executed well by the characters and the transition between the plot twits. Some characters are bland and used only as background characters with no connection or influence across the story. Fortunately this doesnt ruin the main focus of this anime which is a coup de etat. Animation 7/10 The animation is decent and fits the story and characters. Sound 8/10 The opening song is lit. Enjoyment 7/10 The story is told from a mature perspective and has politics,corruption and focuses on the levels of hierarchy from the human society so many won't find it enjoyable. For me it was enjoyable and interesting. It has his boring parts too but atleast its not cringy. Overall 7/10 It managed to portray and criticize how our society works despite his characters who some are poor written ,but like i said other characters filled some gaps and the transition between plot twists was well executed so the show managed to convey his message to the viewers.