Common Name: ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka
Alternative Names: ACCA Jusanku Kansatsuka, ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Department
Score: 8/10, 5/5.
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Summary: The Kingdom of Dowa and its thirteen states have known peace for several generations now. Under the gentle but constant rule of their king, each state has grown in their own ways and formed their own unique identities, but still answer to the king and the civil organization known as ACCA. Now that the king is growing older and his grandson has shown no signs of being capable enough to ascend to the throne, unrest is spreading throughout the Federation of states and there are even whispers of a coup d'état gaining momentum. What really has everyone's attention though is the speculation that Jean Otus, the second-in-command of ACCA's internal investigations department, is somehow involved in this new attempt to shatter the long-standing peace in Dowa.
Review: While I understand that long, sweeping mysteries filled with subterfuge and political intrigue aren't for everyone, I find that they usually a unique brand of satisfaction when all is said and done and all the loose ends are tied up neatly. I also understand why a lot of people who watched ACCA-13 found it intolerably dull and slow because, in all honesty, it is slow and even a bit dull at times. That's kinda the point though. While most shows today are all about the quick gag or the instant satisfaction that comes with watching a youthful hero cleave his way to victory, ACCA-13 is more interested in the long con--the slow and patient build-up to the end game. So it seems appropriate that the central character of this political mystery isn't one of those strong, charismatic, or emotional leads that pull the audience into his story at the cost of his own well-being. Instead, Jean Otus can be described as calm, cautious, and quietly interested in the future of his beloved kingdom. He's the kind of hero figure that thinks, plans, and drags his feet at every opportunity so that the world is more inclined to react to him than the other way around. So, when the world drags him into a plot that could destroy the peace in Dowa, he'll tackle the problem one step at a time until he's certain he's got all the facts straight.
Which means he has plenty of time to enjoy the simpler things in life.
To be fair to the rest of the cast though, Jean is also a bit of an airhead and a generally indecisive person. While he may be strangely observant of the world around him, he doesn't tend add everything up or do anything about it until the threat is knocking at his door. For example, Jean sees nothing wrong with his orders to visit all 13 states within the Dowa Kingdom and audit each branch of the ACCA organization within six month's time. Instead, he simply does as he is told while he pieces together the reason for this strange order. As he does all this though, the audience is given a kind of "flavor of the day" when it comes to the Dowa Kingdom, since each of the 13 states is vastly different from their neighbors. In fact, it wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to consider each state a separate country due to their vastly different their cultures, people, and geographic biomes. The state of Fämasu, for example, seems to exist as a parody of the American Mid-West. Then there's the state of Suitsu which closely resembles Pre-Revolutionary France. Also, there's the state of Furawau which resembles something akin Modern-day India. Despite how different each of the states is though, they all adhere to the central guidance of the King in Dowa and the ACCA organization based in Bädon.
I don't know what's more contrived, that amount of diversity present or the shape it takes.
Like I said before, the story of ACCA-13 is a slow and purposeful one that works to make the existence of such a contrived nation not just believable, but engaging as well. So, it figures that while the show slowly builds up the political intrigue that will ultimately decide the nation's future, we should be given a crash course on what the Dowa Kingdom is and how it came to be. We learn about each state, the hopes and dreams of their citizens, and the royal family that has kept this bizarre nation together this long. We learn about the ACCA organization which exists to serve the people and maintain the peace within each state. More specifically, we learn about how necessary ACCA and all its facets are. ACCA is the military, police, and firemen. It is the home of parks and recreation, transit, and anything that is not tied to the actual governance of each state. ACCA is also a symbol of the freedom in Dowa since it isn't supposed to interfere with governance and will of the people in each state. Despite all this power though, or rather because of that single restriction, ACCA is incapable of protecting the people of Dowa from one thing in particular--their own kingdom.
Freedom and peace, while desirable, aren't always the same thing.
What is likely the most important thing we learn through Jean's adventures is how fragile the peace is in this country. After all, the mere rumor of a coup has put the entire nation on edge, fearing the worst but not preparing for it either since that reaction alone might trigger a return to the days before the Dowa Kingdom was a united nation. Add the dangerous incompetence of a prince who has no love for ACCA or any of the other states and the kingdom's 99-year-old king to that powder keg scenario, it's a wonder that the kingdom isn't already in ruins. So, with all that turmoil bubbling in the background, it seems even more appropriate that the show's central figure is as cautious as he is unambitious. Not only that, but it seems almost humorous that Jean was already renowned for being the "cigarette peddler" of ACCA before all this coup d'état business. With the rumors of the coup surrounding him and the eyes of the world on him at all times now, Jean is in a position to ignite something far more dangerous than one of his cigarettes.
Now, perhaps I'm just easily engaged when it comes to this stuff since I love the concept of world building, but I found myself hooked on this united nation of diverse peoples and explosive political climates once it was all said and done. I saw the logic of needing a ruling king that is both strong and caring in a nation that needs the cooperation of each state to survive as a whole. But I was also engaged by the populist movement that impressed the need for a coup d'état. More than all that though, I found myself enamored with the show's entire cast and their quiet tribulations and guarded secrets. In case my analysis of the politics wasn't hint enough, I had a lot of fun sleuthing out the nature of this world and its characters. Even now, I'm pretty sure I've missed the subtlety of a line here or statement of intention there, but that thought just makes the memory of this show all the more fun for me. Maybe in a few years time I'll come back to this show and see what I missed in the first run, but for now I'm content to talk about it and relax to the slow jazz that makes up the majority of this show's soundtrack.