ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka (ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept., 2017) and it's epilogue episodes 13/14 ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka - Regards (2020). anidb.net 6.91/10, MAL 7.67/10. |
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| Looking forward to this! Guessing we'll be starting up tomorrow? |
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| Episode One A nation of 13 seperate cultures brought together as one, with ACCA being an independant force and our main character being 2nd in command of the audit team. The first point in the story, the disbandment of the audit team due to the idea it is no longer needed due to peace and stability seems stupid to me. Independant oversight seems like a necessary function no matter the time. Not to mention it doesn't matter how peaceful nation is, there will always be people looking to bend the rules and profit, which is quickly show with the MC uncovering a branch allowing blackmarket cigs to continue for a cut. The second is the five heads of ACCA, it seems like they are suppose to be in charge equally, but it seems very unequal, with Mr Long White Hair's being the loudest voice and getting his way. Which is shown with him being the one who wants to shut down the audit team and everyone else being luke warm on the idea. An interesting start which brings up many questions, especially about the MC and his habits. The episode ends with a coup being mentioned, let's see where this goes. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 1. I instantly like the shows aesthetic and sound. Completely different from my morning Excel Saga diet of the past couple of weeks. So we have an independent department being shut down because it's too peaceful, hmmm, sounds like the kind of thing someone does when they're planning to take over power, get rid of any potential opposition or obstacle, which an independent audit body would no doubt be to any usurper. So we have 5 leaders of the government known as ACCA, and one of them seems shifty, Grossular. This was a pretty decent intriguing first episode, good suggestion @inim |
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| Episode 1 This was an intriguing start, not the least because there’s a lot of intrigue introduced very quickly, though thankfully not too haphazardly. Our main character Jean is a bit of a logic machine, largely muted in his feelings, though his choice to always have and smoke cigarettes (a luxury in this world) is an odd one. In general, though his actions on the job speak to his investigative skill, he isn’t one-note. He carries magazines around in a suitcase to give to colleagues in other branches, presumably as a way to connect with them. He has a sister (I think that’s what she is) that is doting and kind. He goes out drinking with friends. There’s more to this character than we’ve seen so far and I’m interested to see how it plays out. Most of what remains in this episode beyond his introduction regards what will happen with his department, which is a sort of audit branch for all branches of the ACCA13. Apparently, there was some belief that it had outlived its usefulness after some prior conflict. What’s interesting is that Jean actually agrees with this decision and does nothing to fight it, while the 5 officers in charge are some what enigmatic about it. Most of them don’t seem to care, largely just going along with their de-facto leader: Groshular. In a short span of time following successfully weeding out a case of corruption in the audit department, the decision to shut them down is reversed for no apparent reason, and everyone suddenly becomes interested in Jean, so much so that two of these higher officers go to meet him and feign support for him. It’s telling that his colleague is star-struck while he remains neutral throughout their conversation. He’s also being monitored closely in general, and with an individual from another branch apparently having personal beef with him, resulting in his stealing Jean’s lighter, it seems as though conflict within this series will play out in complex ways. Overall, I like this as a start. I imagine we’ll get a chance to explore the other branches of the ACCA while we work out what’s going on at the higher levels, with Jean eventually becoming important to their grasp on power in some way. Only time will tell. |
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| Episode 1 ACCA was created by Natsume Ono. I've watched her other two animated manga Ristorante Paradiso and House of Five Leaves and the similarities are there. Slow paced narration, interesting camera angles, mysterious atmosphere, borderline expressionist character designs, very mature personalities without being in your face adult. The story includes 13 trips in 12 episodes, with two of them already done this smells a bit like semi-episodic with overarching story, in this case political conspiracy thriller. There are many slice of life elements, like Jean's morning routine with his wife (?), mutual dissing between different police departments at the bakery, and no police thriller without doughnuts anyway. Looking at the recommendations in both anidb and MAL it's sold as a blend of Five Leaves and Kino's Journey. Given both both those shows rock, bring it on. A true highlight is the OST, finest unintrusive cool Jazz (with a small c in cool). It supports the (low amplitude) emotions and moods on display very well and contributes to the calm and mysterious feel. The whole show is "cool", like in the understatement of the "we are the secret police, but we are mostly harmless" setting. So the Gestapo closes shop at 4 pm in time for their afternoon tea. The blend is a mix of the Japanese (and maybe German) style authority and bureaucracy environment, populated by stiff upper lip British staff. Overall, this is very promising, very cool, very adult, very well produced and art-housy (the good kind). |
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| Episode 2 It seems that the reason for our dear Jean being followed is that there is strong evidence of his participation (or perhaps even engineering) of a coup d'état. You don't get the impression that that is something he would do, but we remain in the dark as to what that important piece of evidence is against him and why it is insufficient to bring him in. This evidence explains why the agency was kept open after nearly being shuttered, and a close eye is kept on Jean. However, he's very adept at spotting those eyes and managing to stay clean with them on him. This doesn't stop him from running into other inspectors who may or may not be playing a key role like Mauve, but even his long-time best friend, a blue haired man named Niino, seems to have been conscripted and is highly capable. Aside from this central plot, there are some cracks that form in Jean's armor. He catches the man who found him so distasteful in the last episode using his lighter and gathering contraband cigarettes dropped by a thief, with the apparent goal of framing Jean for arson. However, he doesn't try to turn him in, this being a crime on a different level from normal and, as he puts it, outside his jurisdiction. A bit of allowance for grift, or perhaps covering something up? The young man also becomes smitten with Jean's sister, though little comes of that so far. There's a lot going on just below the surface here that still remains to be explored. Did appreciate the levity of this town he visited with their giant foods (I NEED that strawberry in my life). I like the progression so far. |
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| Episode Two Did they just eat cucumber & mayonnaise on a single slice of bread for breakfast....... calling it, the siblings are the bad guys xD So we have the white uniformed cop who nabbed Jeans lighter trying to set him up for arson, turns out he's a bit bent and Jean knows it and sets him straight. White Uniform then sees Jean sister from a far and now seems to be stalking her. The Acca 5 meet again and this time Long White suspects Jean is involved with the coup and sets up an undercover agent to follow Jean. The other four really do seem like wall ornaments. Jean visits one of the thirteen and it's giant land with giant produce. It's revealed undercover agent is Jean's buddy and he's been watching him for years, that kinda sucks huh. It seems the sibling are connected to something or someone, the apartment, the 'free' cigarettes, its clear they're not normal, including their eating habits. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 2. So Jean is suspected of being involved in a coup attempt, I wonder, maybe with all his travel and those magazines/cigarettes he distributes he has wide contact with lots of people and places. It would make him the perfect go-between for a covert group. So Jean's buddy Nino is the undercover agent, does Jean know already? What's Mauve's role in all this, does she like Jean or is she after something? Like her english VA, deep and husky. In the english dub they refer to the girl who lives with Jean as his sister. On the tone of the show and the cool (with a small c as @inim said) vibe, this is what I imagined Baccano would be like before I saw it (and was disappointed). ACCA has a cool mystery vibe, but understated, i like it. Also quite surprised to see this show came out in 2017, I've never heard of it before and assumed, wrongly, it was an older mid or late 2000's show. |
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| Episode 2 The episode starts with exposition dump of Acca's history in the form of a primary school kid teaching event. While this setting is more creative than your average exposition dump, it still felt like one. This is one of those moments where one cour anime pay the price. Assume for a moment the same info had been dumped more casually, such as Jean and his sister discussing aspects of it after a visit to a history museum. Takes more time, takes more and smarter dialog, but isn't as "in your face" as a literal teaching event. The story then develops two characters, blue haired motorcyclist Nino (alias Agent Crow) and blonde local police cop Rail. Rail is established as corrupt, envious and scheming, albeit not very smart at it. He keeps confiscated goods, and tries to frame Jean for arson by placing his stolen lighter at the crime scene. Jean sees trough both and confronts Rail, demanding the lighter to be returned. He puts Rail into his debt by not reporting his corruption. Jean argues that Rail is a local cop and not under his jurisdiction. Rail explains his hatred to Jean, whom he assumes to be rich because of his luxury apartment and smoking habit. Jean replies the envy isn't justified, as he isn't privileged and rich, just has a 2nd job as the house's caretaker. Nino is Jean's friend since school, both are silent loners and thus birds of a feather. Nino officially is a traveling journalist, but works for ACCA on an even deeper secret level: he is a spy on staff of the supervisor department Jean is working for. He reports directly to the white haired Grossular of the ACCA 5 council. He follows Jean on his inspection tour into the land of agricultural giants, and takes care of another spy following Jean (probably kills him). This creates a perfect cover, spy vs. spy grade. With that dead rat being found soon, Jean's suspicion he's observed is dispersed. He has a beer with his real frenemy, nice twist. Given Jean and Nino are on the cover of the Japanese DVD edition, I feel a battle of wits between those two is coming. More side characters get their brief moments. Jean's sister (confirmed in the German dub) talks money with Nino. Blue haired boss lady Mauve invites Jean to a evening date. And Grossular discusses the coup with Mauve. Overall, a lot of social web is spun in very short time. One of those shows which feel slow, but are so densely packed with detail and subtle hints they actually are fast paced in terms of plot per minute. Which is something I really like. Writing and story style are indeed very similar to House of the Five Leaves, which spins a similar web for the members of a mysterious group of criminals during the Edo era. |
inimMar 31, 2022 1:50 AM
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| Episode 3 There is certainly a lot going on, particularly in elucidating the power structures of this world and what role the king can play in it, if he so chooses. The king himself seems rather kindly and willing to give up some control to ACCA and other elements of the country rather than taking it all himself, while the crown prince clearly supports taking more of that power for himself should he rise to the position. Too bad his grandfather decides to keep his role (I couldn't find an explanation for what happened to his parents), though it remains unclear in the end what his purpose was for calling pretty much every power in the country together in the same room. Apart from that, the main element that keeps getting harped on is Jean himself. There are clearly a lot of forces at play here: Mauve, who wants him on her side (and to whom he shows a rather embarrassed side that is a welcome change from his normally austere expression, even if it's unclear what brings it on); Lilium, one of the five heads of ACCA who tries to play him off against the central head, Grossular, who he claims is actually behind the coup d'état while informing Jean that he is the prime suspect; Nino, who keeps trying to get information out of him while playing the best friend; and, most mysteriously of all, Qvalum, a man behind the king who keeps his eye on Jean in particular. Jean clearly doesn't appreciate being the center of attention, but it's unclear whether he's just a pawn in the machinations of those around him, or someone who has his own in the works. Particularly relevant to that second possibility, he makes a point of smoking several times on the balcony despite apparently being aware of a taboo against doing so, largely the result of the king having to quit after smoking harmed his health, which in turn led to restrictions on them that yielded the high prices we keep hearing about. The intrigue keeps building, and I'm becoming less and less certain that Jean is just a smart but detached character who is aware but not participating in these events. |
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| Episode Three A lot going on indeed. The Prince is clearly an idiot and his eyes have fallen on sis, is she gonna have every grubby character after her. His coming of age is attented by every powerhouse in the country, seems like it would have been the perfect place to stage the coup if it was about getting rid of all the powers. Jean is being approached by Lady Blue for secret help and it seems like he likes her. His 'reporter' buddy seems to have more than one master. The Privy guy was the one behind the invites and many of them including him have their eyes on Jean. Jean is approached by one of the five who seems to think long white is behind the coup, as he thinks ACCA should have supreme power and is setting Jean up as a distraction. I think the best lies have some truth to them and I've been suspicious of the four wall plants of the five, something tells me theyre the ones behind the coup, or at least a few of them are, we shall see. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 3. So Mauve lays her cards on the table, not a date, poor Jean. I wonder whether Jean is a masterful player of people, acting up or drunk (to Nino/Crow), or feigning ignorance to give himself a few minutes to think, or whether he's just keeping afloat in a whirl of lies and the poise he exhibits to casual observer such as us, is only skin deep. The prince is an idiot and the cause of worry in the kingdom. Head privy minister seems to know the princes plans and is happy for him to cause an uproar. So we're getting some of the bigger picture as the guy explains to Jean during his last cigarette. Beautiful setting, like one of the fairy tale german castles of Ludwig. Loving this so far. @JokerVentura funny, i had the opposite thought, I wondered if Jean and Grossular are working together somehow but keeping their distance, with Jean working as the distraction. |
23feanorMar 31, 2022 2:57 AM
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| Episode 3 Jean's supposed date with Mauve turns out to be an offer to become part of her conspiracy rather than a date. I really liked the custom design, her dress was seriously upper class, sexy and elegant at the same time. She explains he is unimportant and harmless enough to act as her confident pawn in the game of coups, which he accepts. We get to know the royal castle and it's two leading males. The grandfatherly king sweet tooth ( real name: Falke 2-sei) and his bratty and arrogant only male heir Prince Schwann. Which is mangled German for "swan". He's coming of age and the S-tier representatives of all member states and offices are invited to a small ceremony, the country's elite is assembled. The nutty Prince dreams of taking over the throne that day, but much to his surprise his grandfather just says "happy birthday" and invites the guests to royal snacks, mainly sweets which is the royal schtick. Fun fact: the music in the background is Joseph Haydn's "Kaiserlied" from 1797, in the string quartet version. This melody is the German national anthem, and the particular arrangement is frequently used in "low-key" situation where a full military brass section would be too much. I loved the scene in the breakfast room, where the camera moves to make the many eye contacts visible. Everybody sees everybody, everybody has a hidden agenda and knows more than they admit. There were some servants in the room and I just thought "OK, whose spy are these guys". The story boarder of that scene deserves a promotion. Story wise, Mauve is shown to know about Nino's ACCA affiliation as spy. Cigarettes are banned and taxed to death because King Sweety quit smoking some time ago. We also learn from Prince Immature's rant that the country is a constitutional monarchy, as he wants to abolish parliament. Jean is approached by many players during his eyebrow raising cigarette breaks (approved by the Prince). Smoking even on the balcony of the palace is considered a sacrilege by basically everybody but Jean and the Prince. Jean is approached by people and invited into their faction of the conspiracy game, the longest scene is with Lillium. He's the ACCA 5 member with the earring, his brother a governor and another brother the boss of the state's ACCA authority. Lillium uses the same wording as Mauve did, so Jean assumes a connection. Overall, so far it got better by the episode. The atmosphere in the castle is gripping and kept me on the edge of the seat. Camera rocked, writing (they had better exposition dump now more casual) improved. Keep going. EDIT: Fun fact 2: The 2nd "n" in Prince Schwann actually is an English mangling, the Japanese シュヴァーン, Shuvān correctly spells with only one "n". In the dramatis prsonae all Dowa characters have German words as names, some of them seriously disfigured on the round-trip DE->JP->EN. There's Mond (moon) -> モーント, Mōnto -> Mohnt and Qualm (dense smoldering smoke, the kings top servant arranging he party) -> クヴァルム, Kuvarumu -> Qwalm (wiki) / Qvalum (MAL). The names of Falke II (falcon, the king) and Magie (magic) are proper German, MAL spells Magie as "Maggie". Bleh. Why can't they all use German word ? Somewhat lazy. |
inimMar 31, 2022 4:06 PM
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| Episode 4 This episode is really our first time engaging with the friction between individual states of Dowa and Dowa as a whole, though we don't get a lot of time to sit with that, as the focus of this episode is very much on a single state: namely, the Suitsu District. This district has an artificially enforced traditionalism to it, such that goods and ideas don't flow through this region evenly. Not everyone on the ground seems to agree with that, though the central plot thread that goes through this one only uses that as a backdrop. Though they are isolated, they are not independent, and from people on the ground to a small group of officials tasked with keeping the peace, they have a problem with that distinction. What's more, their elected leader whom they tasked with representing the region to Dowa is a scumbag who hasn't even been back since his election, living in luxury in the capitol. There were two really intriguing things about this episode. One was the leadership and stewardship of Suitsu. Wobular, the ACCA representative who has been in charge for 4 years, seems an apt replacement for Jean when he steps down at first, given how straight-laced and to the point he is. However, it becomes clear that he's not only working for the coup d'état (distinct from the wider plot for Dowa) to take back Suitu's leadership, but is doing so for the family he's begun to build here, explaining his long time in the district. Jean ends up leaving him in that position after learning the truth about him. Pastice is the member of the five heads of ACCA who hails from this area, and though he's been back several times, he shows little remorse for what's happened to its people or interest in resolving it. Finally, the ruler of the district, who orders Jean to not reveal anything he saw here (giant coup aside, this was actually pretty bloodless and could be swept under the rug without obvious signs), only to agree to Jean's demand that he release everyone who was a part of the coup, a strange move for someone who feels that order in their district must be maintained. He's awfully quick to agree to it as well. There's a sense that none of this represented even a slightly significant danger to him. The second, as usual, is Jean. There are a lot of little elements dropped in for him in this one, particularly in how he and others view his cigarette usage and obtainment, largely in the form of gifts. A sealed letter also indicates that someone is seeking to recruit him, as so many have already. The potential uses of that suitcase that his sister so meticulously packs are explored a bit as well, though I'd say that what's most interesting is his behavior. He's quick to accept that this won't be reported, even if he gets a demand met in return. He shows a bit of common humanity here, which isn't terribly surprising, but is contrary to his normal behavior when it comes to rooting out corruption. Perhaps his vision of corruption is distinct from behaviors such as those exhibited by Wobular. His general demeanor upon being kidnapped and his certainty of safety stood out as well. Perhaps he's just a good judge of their character? Hard to say. |
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| Episode Four So sis puts together a package for the building owner and it looks like said owner is Niino's other master, perhaps while he may be spying on Jean, it's actually to look out for him. Not to mention I'm pretty sure Niino was the one who saved Jean from being attacked by the two coup members. Speaking of the coup, lets talk about Suitsu an insular nation that has strict rules about outsiders, people and things. I'm not convinced on this one, in a bid to make the 13 all unique this place seems like an impossible fit for a place where the nations are all under one rule. The constant coups show instability, but they're nothing more than pantomime, everyone picks a role and it all comes across like an act. Jean is sent a cigarette and a note, it's clear he has connections and possibly built a network of information. I'm starting to wonder if Jean is secretly investigating the coup himself, it's possible his network could be to start the coup, but it's also just as possible he's out to stop it too, hmmmmmm, at this point though it's all just guess work. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 4. We're informed that that the owner of Jean's building, and his employer as caretaker of the building, is also using Nino as a covert agent. Is Nino a double agent and his comment about the employer 'being worried' is interesting, do they have a personal attachment to Jean and his sister? We learn about Suitsu and witness a failed internal coup. Wonder who these mysterious cigarettes are from? Looks like baby will be making an appearance later today or tonight so will miss a few posts. |
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| Episode 4 Jean's inspection is in backwards land, where nobility suppresses technological and social progress to maintain in power an control. Fittingly, uniforms and costumes loosely resemble late 18th century Europe. Let them eat cake. The setting reminded me of the early arcs of LotGH as well, with their mix of social injustice, outdated aristocracy and technology. This includes the subtext of corrupt democracy, in the form of their elected representative. Born a commoner, promoted to low nobility, sent to the capital where he instantly got corrupted by power. Another story element which could come straight from right-leaning LotGH. The story itself is predictable. A group of idealistic, freedom loving[tm] young men plans a (local) coup against the aristocrats, which fails. The local ACCA representative is involved. In a recurring element of this show, Jean is neutral. After the events, he decides to cover up the local ACCA guys involvement and create loyality and personal debt into himself. Three visits, three locals who owe him (computer repair, confiscated cigs corruption and now treason). Jean builds a shadow army. In the capital we learn that Lotte (Jean's sis) doesn't know whom she works for as a building manager. She sends a food packet each month. However, her frenemy Nino does know, as shown not told in a scene where he calls their shared boss on the phone. Last episode's assumption that Lilium backs Jean in the global coup mystery is made outspoken. We also meet his governor brother. Other than the 3rd repetition of "I create a new loyal follower in each province I travel" this was almost a filler episode. Worst one so far, which still is good by global anime standards though. |
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| Episode Five When douches become bros huh, bonding over toast and their love of stalking, lmfao. New episode and new region, with Jean dealing with the cold. Niino's spying is found out, he really is looking out for him, but he wont say who for and it's revealed it was him who saved Jean last episode as suspected. A second region is shown at the end of the episode and it's Long White's home nation and he happens to be there too. The episode ends with the two meeting, next episode should be interesting. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 5 Prince Schwan sends his blue haired officer Magie to research Lotte's background. She's the Prince's love interest since her castle visit in episode 3. Magie learns about toast and white bread, for ... plot reasons unbeknownst in Dowa. The slice of life moments are back in another bakery scene, featuring Lotte and Magie. Back to the royal castle, Magie introduces the Prince to toast as well, yet reports he was unable to find out much more about Lotte than that she's an orphan (smart exposition dump writing). Back in the capital, Jean reports to his superiors about the inspection of backwards land, as promised covering up the coup and protecting the local officer. Lilium picks up Jean in a luxury car and they discuss the latest coup rumors. He suggests that Jean still is spied on by somebody close to him. The next trip goes to CanadaBirra, a snowy and rough land with people able to support themselves with food, despite the climate. Well that, and they have oil. On another smoking break outside the hotel, Jean meets Agent Crow / Nino and confronts him with his suspicion he's working for ACCA and spying on him. Which Nino easily admits. He's confirmed as the person to have saved Jean's ass during the failed coup. I start to think he may be a lot more like a body guard than a spy. Jean doesn't seem to be bothered by the revelation, back in the capital again he asks Nino to have diner with Lotte each day which Nino commits to. The next trip goes to Chief Officer Grossular's (ACCA 5 white haired guy) home country, a blend of the Old West and Mexico. I start to like the parade of local ACCA officers whom Jean works with for the episode. This one is a relaxed class clown type, but also first in academic achievement of his year. Nice side characters, written with love. For the first time we get a cliffhanger, when Grossular and Jean meet in private. Overall, some Princely white bread comedic relief and SoL, two more countries visited, and Nino established as a friendly body guard frenemy. A rather technical episode to move the plot, without particularly amazing scenes or events. Average and setting up the next "big thing". |
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| Episode 5 This one's a little lighter than the last few episodes, partially because many of the disparate elements that seemed to be heightening tension are either partially resolved or end up getting a more lighthearted slant. The former case mainly has to do with Nino, who Jean becomes aware of via a hint from Lilium, though he seems to show little surprise at the revelation. In fact, his confrontation with Nino only reduces that tension, with him showing no obvious frustration toward Nino and Nino revealing that what he said to him while drunk was rather tame. There is still a sense that Nino is hiding something, perhaps something Jean had previously stated that incriminated him, though that remains to be seen. In general, this trip to Birra seems to have little tension, though it does include the giving of a cigarette to Jean (despite them only being imported) and access to beer and breads that aren't available in the district. A clear attempt to butter him up, but for what remains unclear. On the lighter side, Lotte is being tracked by Magie, who becomes more interested in soft sandwich breads than his target, but manages to obtain some information. It sets up a couple of cute little scenes. Really, the main tension in this episode comes at the very end, where Jean runs into Grossular in his home country. Why they're meeting in this particular location, which was clearly isolated, remains a mystery in the end. |
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| So baby arrived last night (April Fool's day baby) and doing fine. Visiting hours and access restricted due to covid so I have some free time for anime. Was expecting labour to last days and ended up all done within a few hectic hours. Episode 5. As you've all mentioned a slightly slower paced episode. Jean learns that Nino was the undercover agent but he doesn't disclose his true master. Jean doesn't visit Mauve but meets Grossular at the end in a remote location, coincidence, probably not. Jean seems a bit perplexed by the single cigarettes in a sealed letter he keeps getting delivered on his travels. Jean and his sister Lotte have a passing resemblance to the prince. I wonder if they are related to the royal family in some way, the prince seems to find the fact their parents are both dead noteworthy, maybe cluing him in on who they might be? Just a guess (unlimited cigarettes, nice flat and job security for them both, plus Jean's transfer requests never being processed speaks to an unknown actor looking out for them), but being unknown royalty seems a bit of an easy answer. |
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| Episode Six So Jean's parents were killed in a train crash 13 years ago and Long White was behind his nation taking the blame and sorting out nationwide reform for train safety. A new region is visited, the chief is pretty old at 91 and is trying to get coup info from Jean. The Prince hangs his own portrait, we see the bottom of a woman's portrait and a tragedy from 33 years ago is mentioned that stops him from travelling. So all the magazines are from the buildings tenants that he passes around as his visits the districts and gets them business, most of the cigarettes are probably from them as thanks. I'm beginning to wonder if the whole coup rumour is just that, a rumour. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| @23feanor Congrats! That's so exciting. I'm glad the labor was short-lived - I know a lot of women have to put up with that over a prolonged period. Episode 6 As this series continues on, I'm becoming less and less certain of what role Jean is actually playing in things and getting a clearer picture of what those around him want. Perhaps that's part of the point. In this episode, we get a clear bit of backstory on Jean: namely, that his parents died in a train crash 13 years ago, which explains his admiration of Grossular, the man who took control of the transportation network and brought an end to such accidents. I'm beginning to wonder, however, if that is the truth of it: if regulation and structure really led to a reduction in such accidents rather than simply affording ACCA control over the entire transportation network of a huge country and its various districts. The one thing about Jean I feel quite certain of, since he says it to himself, is that the acts of subterfuge he partakes in feel unnatural to him and he has a hard time committing to them. I wouldn't say that this is true across the board as we've seen him take actions that go against what might be considered basic regulation in order to pursue something before, but it's certainly true of his information gathering, a strange delineation given his role is literally to gather information. Meanwhile, those around him are playing him and others against one another. The meeting with Grossular set up at the beginning of the episode simultaneously lays out Grossular's path to power and his perception of Jean, who he sees as rather simple. In a sense, I'm sure he's right, though I think it's dismissive to set him up this way, especially as he's the subject of investigation over a potential coup. There's certainly more to Grossular in all this, though I don't think he's behind any coup attempts. Jean's visits to various districts now feature as a regular aspect the giving of a cigarette, beer, and an attempt to get him talking. He flips the script a bit, but it's unclear how much info he got out of them despite his belief that they are probing about a coup themselves. Meanwhile, Mauve is becoming a hub of information taken from subordinates both previous and current. What that information is specifically for remains uncertain, but she's certainly making use of her position. Lilium's gambit remains the most elusive, since he appears to be playing both Grossular and Jean simultaneously while being rather open about what he's said to each of them. |
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| Episode 6 On multiple levels the episode asks for Jean and Lotte's backstory, reveals some breadcrumbs and connects it to Mauve and Grossular's backstory. The episode starts with a TV report about a train accident 13 years ago, watched by a teenage Jean and his young sister. The names of his dead parents are shown: Karl and Schnee Otus. Schnee ... the German word for snow, and Karl a typical male first name (=Charles). So their mom certainly is from Dowa, following the "phonetically nice German words" naming policy. It also is revealed that Jean's parents were the first tenants of their luxury apartment, under the guise of working as house managers. At the New Year's party in the lobby Jean can't (or doesn't want to) answer questions about that "job". All he can say is that he hasn't any work. Another clue is the recessive blonde hair color he and Lotte have - both parents must have been blondes. And rich blondes from Dowa aren't a dime a dozen. Another clue is in the scene where Prince Douchebag has his portray hung in a private room of the king, next to the portray of a woman because "this is the portray the king looks at when he is alone". Obviously the king has a special relation to the lady in white. Another clue: Prince Douchebag mentions the royals are not allowed to travel. I tend to agree with @23Feanor that there is a link to Dowa nobility. Grossular was governor of Rokkuso at the time of the accident and heavily invested into coping and preventing. He visited all victim's relatives and met Jean on this tour. He also made a clear statement on TV that ACCA should be strengthened as a central authority. So in a way, ACCA competes with the royals of Dowa about the centralized power since. On the big head level: Lilium is criticized for debunking Agent Crow's identity, which is seen as "security risk" by Grossular. Mauve is concerned about Jean's loyalty of his cover up of the local coup attempt in backwards country. And Jean becomes frustrated because his investigation traveling yields less and less information (this time: geriatric country where 91 is young). He's increasingly seen as a messenger of news about the coup, not as a gatherer of them. Overall, good episode with a lot of breadcrumbs. There's not enough evidence yet to say that Jean's dead mother Schnee was Falke II's sister .. but it's plausible. |
inimApr 2, 2022 7:58 PM
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| Episode Seven So it's pretty much confirmed Jean and his sis are royality. His sis is the spitting image of the King's middle daughter, who 33 years ago was believed to have died at sea. The Prince never had a thing for sis, but already saw the connection and was worried, finding out she has a brother has made him even more worried, as it makes Jean next in line for the throne. So it makes me think the mystery boss of Niino is perhaps the King, who could know everything, though that could be too obvious. I kinda suspect Jean's Boss, it would explain why Jean can't get transfered, plus that mustache is mighty suspicious. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 7 This episode picks up the breadcrumbs of last episode and confirms Jean and Lotte's royal blood. In the epilogue Jean himself thinks about his role, and ends up with the insight he may not be a gatherer of coup related information but a messenger. Despite doubting his loyalty in last episode, Mauve approaches him and reveals his family background. Not everything fits together yet, though. 2nd Princess Schnee allegedly died 33 years ago, while the train accident happened only 13 years ago. A little math: 33 years ago Schnee was 16, so she would be 49 today. When the train accident happened she'd been 36. Jean was a teen back then, so she was about ~23 when he was born and in her late 20s when Lotte was born. There was a lot of foreshadowing regarding snow, the writers have fun. Jean and Nino order Snowballs in the bakery, also the favorite sweets of king Falke II. And when Lotte calls, it just starts to snow on her end. And like Prince Douchebag correctly notices, Lotte is the spitting image of Princess Schnee. Some parts of the puzzle are missing here. There's another mysterious player whose backstory gets spotlight: Nino. He says his boss was in the room and lauded him during the royal cake invitation. But it can't be Qualm, because in the nightly phone call scene with his boss at the episode end, he talks about Qualm in the 3rd person. Given Qualm is the chief of all the king's servants, only two options remain. Either the king himself or a yet unknown entity is his boss. Given we are 7 episodes in, I bet the farm on the king here. The third reveal is Schnee's backstory, she left with her loyal, ash-blonde bodyguard Abend (evening), a royal treasure and drowned when the ship sunk. That's what the eldest Princess tells Prince Douchebag. He is becoming increasingly nervous, because he too suspects royal blood in Lotte. But he's shocked to learn that Jean is her brother, which puts his heritage of the throne at severe risk. He'll certainly interfere far more actively soon, an pose a threat to Jean. he may be a Douchebag, but one with an attitude and strong desire to be king. Abend is a new character, and it seems he's key. Being blonde, he could just be Jean's dad. Overall, shit slowly starts to approach the fan. You got my interest, now you got my attention story. Please continue. |
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| Episode 7 I was honestly considering writing up a very short post about the intrigues of royalty, gaps to be filled in the past (particularly events of 33 years ago) and machinations of characters like Nino who are clearly playing multiple sides, but then 17:10 seconds happened, and all that stuff just kind of fled from my mind. Jean's apparently royalty, and first in line for the throne. Even he was unaware of this fact, though it makes some sense of both the current King's and Qualm's interests in him. It also begins to make sense of why the King called all the powerful people of the kingdom together to this place, and why a painting of his someone who looks a lot like Jean's sister is up on the wall. Schwan, the crown prince, has been asking questions that lead him to believe that she might be related to him, and therefore a problem to his ascendance. Of course, he's only half right, but close enough to be dangerous. That might still have not caused any problems if Magie didn't clarify about Jean, leading Schwan to suspect him. Appreciate your doing the math, @inim, since that gives some interesting insights into how all this could have worked out. Beyond this revelation, there's a lot of discussion of what the events up to now mean. Jean spends the beginning of the episode breaking down what's happened and why. Mauve meets him later in the episode and they discuss the basis for Jean's being used as an intermediary and she has basically discovered everything he's been up to, but doesn't find any of it incriminating. What's more, Nino seems ready to divulge a lot of other information that has been only hinted at through phone calls. Considering all the big steps this episode took, it's honestly just shocking that Jean's so blasé about it. Still, I'm excited. Show's really picking up steam fast at this stage. |
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| Episode 6. Good episode. I liked Jean's direct approach when talking to Grossular in his district. My initial guess is that the lady in white picture we see is Jean and Lotte's mum, she married a commoner and together they left Dowa, quitting the royal family and succession. Hence people's interest in Jean. |
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| Episode Eight So the past is reveal and the Princess was allowed to live in the real world after faking her death. Niino is older than expected and he lost his dad in the train accident too. The Long White that joined them is Niino's real boss and from the back looks like another Long White we've seen, which could explain his want to fix the railway after the accident. At this point I would say there are two options, Long White and Jean's mustached Boss. Dyeing his hair is possible and he seems to stay as close to little sis as Niino does. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episodes 7 & 8. So we learn that Jean is in fact a lost prince, unbeknownst to him or Lotte, and that Nino is his privy council appointed watcher reporting back to the king with updates and photos. So when Jean and Lotte visited the palace the king knew exactly who he was. The privy council guy, Qualm, manoeuvred princess Schnee out of the castle because of her radical tendencies so I wonder what Qualm makes of Jean turning up now and being a central figure in ACCA. Interesting developments. |
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| Episode 8 Tells the full story of Princess Schnee, mainly trough the eyes of Nino's dad - who happened to be her body guard. Schnee read too many smart books and had too many revolutionary ideas as a teen already. She wanted to see the world, and royal chief advisor Qualm supported this, for a different reason. He saw Schnee as a latent threat to the royal family because of her progressive ideas. So the two co-operated, albeit based on different motives. Qualm's plan was to fake her death on the high sea, and tasked agent Abend with the execution. Abend is from the "long white hair" tribe, and I wouldn't be completely surprised if he has a family relation to Chief Officer Grossular. On the foot soldier level, Abend contracted his own family servant (Nino's dad) with the the long term observation after her fake death. He took his young son with him, so Nino learned his job from the bottom up. It's no coincidence he became a photographer, King Falke II wanted to see his grandchildren grow up. The complete group (Schnee, Abend, Nino's dad, and young Nino) had to cut ties with Dowa and assume fake identities. Abend financed the construction of the luxury apartment house exclusively to create a caretaker job for Schnee's commoner (and poor) husband. Nino used glasses to hide the fact he was 25, just to be able to go to the same school Nino did. A weird construct of invisble help of which the Otus (neé Schnee) family hardly was aware. After this long flashback, we return to the present in which Nino just ends the narration by pointing out that Jean, despite royal blood, has no claim to the throne because of the hard cut his mom did. Overall, well prepared by 2-3 episodes the main secret of the show now is revealed. The one unclear facet is the fate of Abend, and his potential relation to Grossular. Which is technically also a German word, but one even I didn't know before asking Wikipedia. It's a chrystaline mineral. With Jean now in fully aware of his past and role, what future he'll pick? |
inimApr 5, 2022 12:19 PM
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| Episode Nine So the coup is about putting Jean on the throne to protect ACCA, Long White seemed to be in charge, but it's actually all seems to be down to Lillium who apparently has something over Long White. The Prince has used his Aunt to send assassins after the siblings with stalker protecting sis. Mustache Boss saves the day, way too well timed to be mere coincidence, almost like he was watching over them, pretty sure at this point that he's Abend. |
JokerVenturaApr 5, 2022 3:15 PM
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 9 On a low key level, the coup has begun as for the first time we see violent acts and the players reveal their goals and loyalties. The central figures are Jean, supported by ACCA and the majority of the provinces. He stands for the continuation of constitutional monarchy, federated self-rule of the provinces, and an increased federal bureaucracy lead by ACCA. On the other side is Prince Douchebag, who wants absolute monarchy, abolition of ACCA and parliamentary democracy. The Prince's side sends hit men to abduct Jean and Lotte, and they get hold of the latter an her guard, corrupt policeman Rail. The blonde mustache ACCA chief Owl accidentally saves the day and recognizes the insignia of the First Princess' guards on the now failed kidnappers. From Jean's faction we see the ACCA Five meeting. Grossular openly advertises his side of the coup, and Jean as the next king. We learn that the cigs given to Jean in each state were actually ballots, and his presence was more meant as a sales event than as an investigation. The majority of the states and all ACCA Five support Jean in this way. There's a coup within a coup, of sorts. After the meeting, Lilium and Grossular are bilaterally discussing Mauve's role. Given her deep admiration of Grossular, they agree she'll join their side if asked in the right way. Then all in a sudden Lilium turns to a dominant gesture (hair pulling, of all things) and puts himself above Grossular. And then ... cliffhanger. The cards are on the table, let the coup proper begin. |
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| Episode 8 I plan to catch up through Episode 10 tomorrow, but as I've fallen a bit behind and it's late on my end, I'll keep this brief. This episode is the first to almost fully take us back in time, explaining that Nino entered the story long before he met Jean and that even his role as Jean's friend was (at least initially) manufactured for the purpose of tracking a member of the royal family and taking pictures. I say initially because it does seem like Nino grew attached over time, that while he was dedicated to the task, it was more than that for him. Especially given that Jean now knows about this, it's surprising that his reaction was so tepid. There are also some important revelations for the rest of the timeframe leading up to this point. The princess having her death faked to become a commoner, meeting Jean and Lotte's father and building their family, being tracked by Nino and his father to attempt to keep them safe, only to lose both parents in the tragic train accident with Nino's father on board. Nino even goes to get the camera from the crash site, again showing scant little emotion in this moment. There's a sense of duty to it, as though he's just executing a task. In general, I've noted the lack of emotions on display by both Jean and Nino, with the former showing glimpses that he's capable of expressing them (at least embarrassment), and the latter showing a relatively chummy attitude or seriousness, but little else aside. Both of their muted emotional ranges may be shaped by their past tragedies, but at least Nino as a child appeared relatively sedate as well. Maybe I'm just looking too deep at this and they're just examples of personality quirks, but especially considering how animated many of those around them have been throughout the show, this kind of behavioral difference stands out to me. Maybe we'll make something of this. |
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| Episode Ten ACCA is ready to lead the coup. Jean visits a new interesting district of blazing sun filled desert and mines, who didn't take part in the original uprising but now support Jean to keep ACCA going. The King has fallen ill, it looks like its now or never for the coup. Royal Aunt is frantic that the siblings die, it seems like she might be trying to do the same to the Prince too. The final district is visited at the end and it's Lillium's home district. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 10 Jean's penultimate visit is to a piss poor desert state. People live underground to avoid the scorching sun and explore the depth for mineral, without any luck. It turns out that sharing wealth and natural resources is a major issue between the states. Reminds me of the wealth re-distribution between Germany's federal states or even the EU level. So this political issue is very realistic, very unspectacular, and very powerful. The desert people aren't really interested in the coup, they have nothing to win or lose in it. But they definitely prefer Jean over the Prince. Then King Falke is hospitalized, no more kicking the can down the road for the coup. Jean had brought home 13 cigarette ballots, all member states support the coup and his claim to the throne. Five Chief Officers move on from vague support to effective planning and timing the execution. The First princess intensifies her effort to murder Jean and Lotte, and includes her princely nephew now. Jean arrives in Lilium's home state, the final missing one. Overall, mostly set-up and introduction of the resource conflicts. A transitional episode mostly, without highlights. |
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| Episodes 9 and 10 I'll keep this brief, as going into detail with two episodes just seems like a lot of effort at the moment. There are a lot more active players in this coup than I'd imagined even a couple of episodes ago. Most of those sense an opportunity, which explains the buttering up of Jean on his trips. However, it's his trip to the final district that really stood out to me. No buttering up, not even a cigarette to give him, as they have to ask for one and then give it back to him to signify their support for the coup. There's a recognition here that, no matter what happens with the coup, they're still stuck in a rut hoping to strike it rich in mines that are consistently yielding nothing. They support the coup, but only out of some sense of stability, despite their current state being rather miserable. I think Jean really took this meeting to heart, and the end scene of episode 10 where he's meeting with the family of Lilium may be related to that. But there's a lot going on that has nothing to do with Jean directly. Lotte is followed and captured despite attempts to keep her safe, and is saved at the last second by Jean's superior, who probably knows more than he's letting on. There's a renewed attempt at the end of Episode 10 to have both Jean and Lotte eliminated, which will likely result in some dangerous circumstances for both of them, but that was a given. Grossular is apparently not the main power player here, with Lilium pulling most of the strings behind the scenes. It's unclear what the other 3 members of the Five Chief Officers see in this themselves and if they have their own machinations. Lastly, the King himself appears ill with poor timing, forcing the Officers to make their move much more quickly than they'd originally intended with regards to their coup. There is likely still quite a bit that we don't know at play here. The opportune timing of the King's illness doesn't sit well with me, and I suspect that Lilium is not as well-informed as he believes. We'll see how things wrap up in the next couple of episodes. |
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| Episodes 9 & 10. So Lotte has now been clued in on her royal identity and royal aunt/first princess is a bitch who wants to kill off Lotte and Jean, although it sounds like she has her own plans not connected to prince Schwann. This show just gets better and better. No clue what Jean is thinking as he makes his rounds. The Lillium family clearly wants the coup to succeed before they initiate their own takeover of ACCA. I'm guessing that Grossular is Abend, why he's in thrall to Lillium, does Lillium know his true identity? The first princess clearly doesn't want prince Schwann on the throne any more than ACCA does. Looking forward to seeing how this all plays out. Adjusting to a new routine with a newborn baby is taking time. I'm watching each episode every day but don't always have time to post each day. |
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| Episode Eleven Assassins try to take out Jean, but Niino takes the bullet. Understandably Jean is tired of Niino watching over them, he isn't their protector, he's their friend. Furawau is shown to be the Kingdom's main supplier of oil, a resource they don't chose to share, they are forced to. Lillium's role is clear now, he's not out to save ACCA, he's out to gain power for his nation and to make Jean a puppet King. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 11 Furawau, Jean's final round-trip destination, is blessed with natural resources (oil), fertile soils, and mild climate. It's modeled after feudal India and firmly in the hand of the Lilium family who run it like a royal dynasty in all but name. Most key public offices are controlled by family members and friends. The motive was given last episode by the poor desert people's governor: they are rich, and now want something for their money shared. They want Jean as puppet king, and ACCA as their enforcers. Then two assassins of the First Princess attempt to shoot Jean, and Nino catches the bullet for him (and lives). This is the final straw, Jean now supports the coup. Home at ACCA HQ the staff already haggles about career options and posts in the new order. There's a small opposition forming in ACCA, namely Warbler and Grossular who see through Lilum's play. Overall, I can't believe it's over in one episode. This could go on forever. I hope we agree to add the OVA, taking place 1 year after the events of episode 12. |
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| Episode 11 I'm of a similar mind to @inim. There's so much in play here that I'm kind of shocked that we only have a single episode left, and yes, I almost certainly going to watch the OVA regardless, so I'd be good with adding it. As for this episode, I'm getting the distinct impression that Jean has plans that either no one or scant few people are aware of. I'd be pretty shocked if he didn't know what Lilium was up to, at least to some extent. It's also doubtless to me that he sees the distinct differences between the desert district and Furawau, and in particular, what is the basis for their actions. I suspect, despite not showing it obviously, he sympathizes rather closely with the desert district, and that that will direct his decisions in the final episode. My guess is that he won't take the throne in the end. Nonetheless, he'll be given a huge opportunity to take power, and he'll use it in an unexpected way that will throw over the table on Lilium's plans. The fact that he chose to meet with Lilium specifically and spurn his other superiors stands out to me in that respect - he's trying to give Lilium every reason he'll fall in line. Anyway, excited to see how this ends. |
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Just found this and want to share: Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKJJX7n4BA |
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| @Inim The question is where do you hail from lmfao. I already know I'm from the ass-end, the land of Shounenguys! |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode Twelve The coup goes down, but not to Lillium's plan. Mauve and Jean set it up as a display to let the Prince know ACCA is there to stay and his power is what they allow him. The Prince keeps the throne, but childish displays of power will not be allowed and the Twin's royal lineage is kept from the public. The five step down and leave Mauve in charge...... a solo leader kinda feels like it goes against what ACCA is supposed to stand for. Furawau succeed from the Kingdom, which creates a problem with natural resources, but luck would have it the desert nation finally manages to find some. Even the isolated nation is opened up. I knew it, Boss Mustache was Niino's boss, which would make him the landlord. It's clear he is also Abend, he even made the hair dyeing comments. He's been tearing up the transfer requests and it also turns out he started the rumours. Also little Sis is getting close to the royal family, even forgiving the aunt who tried to have her killed. Overall a good show, but I feel like it could have been more than it was, a low seven from me. |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
| Episode 12 The day of the coronation ceremony for Prince Douchebag has arrived, and it's coup time. It's multi-layered, let's walk trough. Lilium's view: He thinks ACCA is behind him, and he leads the effort. Grossular was sidelined in time for "illness". In a last assembly of the ACCA staff, he approves a late change, which is that Jean won't be revealed as replacement and royal until the very last moment. Mauve, Grossular and Jean's view: They know Lilium's plans, and plan to derail them with a sleight of hand conducted by Mauve. Which succeeds. Abend's view: He was hiding as a fake persona Owl, Jean's mustached department boss in ACCA. Well guessed already in ep 9, @JokerVentura. He started the rumor of a coup long ago, and primordially set the events into motion. The coup attempt kicks off with ACCA troops armed with assault rifles surround the Prince and his weaker body guards on the coronation stage. But rather than now presenting Jean, Mauve steps in and rather diplomatically flatters and plays the (arguably pretty dumb) prince. She explains this was a rehearsal to make clear how loyal ACCA is, and how necessary for the Prince. He is tricked into pronouncing them to stay in power, and accepts a purely ceremonial role for himself. Bye bye autocratic plans. Jean's identity no longer needs to be revealed, ACCA continues to exist, Douchebag is curbed, and Lilium must stand and watch his plan for dominance among the states fall apart. In the aftermath, all supporting cast gets their happy end as well. Lotta becomes a frequent visitor of the Dowa castle, much to the enjoyment of King Falke. The Lilium's state of Furawau secedes, but just in time the poor desert folks find oil and can replace their natural resource. Mauve is promoted to head of ACCA and dispenses the ACCA 5 council. Owl resigns his fake identity, probably making room for Jean as successor. Show and Specials Overall: Show: Stylish political thriller about a multi-layered conspiracy for coup d'état in a nation of loosely federated states. Offers slow pacing, good suspense plot, and tight narration, yet many chars remain mere plot devices. Cool jazzy OST, good production. Agreed with the "weak 7" verdict, mainly because the chars are underdeveloped. (7/10). Specials: Six short extra episodes for ACCA, with (by show standards) comedic SoL scenes. Many characters felt like plot devices in the main show, and it's exactly this type of scene missing. The specials show they can flesh out chars, just lacked the runtime. (5/10) |
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| Episode 12 Since we've already gotten summaries of the final episodes, I'll just give my thoughts on the ending and wrap up with thoughts about the season as a whole. I'll admit, though I felt pretty certain that it would end in a manner similar to this, I was a bit underwhelmed by how it went down. Don't get me wrong - it paid off much of what led up to it, and I wasn't exactly expecting a bombastic finale. It just felt as though too much of this wrapped up rather simply. Despite Lilium having worked as hard as he did to set up a massive overthrow of the central government, he just sort of lets everything play out after he has failed and leaves the 13 countries (now districts with a bit more independence) to become independent. It's unclear precisely how that decision will impact the world, but it just felt oddly out of character for him to be so driven by this only to throw over the table when he lost. I also didn't really get why Jean's secret identity never came out after all these events, particularly as so much of ACCA knew about it. It generally felt as though Jean's and Lotte's aunt got off way too easy for trying to kill them, especially since there was no obvious scene of apology. Lastly, especially for the desert district of Pranetta, it just seemed a mite to perfect for them to discover a source of expensive minerals at this time. Felt like this would be an opportunity for the Prince, soon to be King, to show that he was more than just a pretty face. Anyway, despite all that, I did enjoy how this episode wrapped things up, even if it feels a bit rushed in places. The strategy that they used was a little blunter than I was hoping for, but it made sense for all the characters involved. I particularly liked how they wrapped up Mauve and Jean's relationship without having them get together in the end, felt like that shouldn't have happened, and having Nino come back to Jean when he was free to do as he pleased was a nice touch. The reveal of Abend wasn't too surprising, but still worked pretty well. Overall, it fits to have an ending that's more focused on the aftermath than what was easily the most consequential event in the show. It's a show about bureaucracy, no need to get bogged down in politics. Overall, I'd put this closer to a mid 7/10, though not quite at mid. 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. I agree that there's 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. I'll pick up the shorts after this. |
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| Episode 12. A decent ending although not exactly what I expected to happen, although as some of you have already mentioned, there wasn't enough time left in one episode to have a full coup and it's aftermath. In the OP we saw what looked like Jean and Mauve getting close, and their close talks insinuate something more, but they don't elaborate, maybe that's been left for the following special. I really liked the mystery and world building aspects of this show and gave it a very high 7/10. @inim @whiteflame55 @JokerVentura just checking, are we watching the 47 min special next set a year after these events? Also any thoughts on the next show, maybe Nadia Secret of Bluewater, Macross F or Master Keaton? |
23feanorApr 9, 2022 1:45 AM
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| @inim @whiteflame55 @23feanor Yeah I already watched it, will put my thoughts on it a bit later. By the way, how do you guys feel about putting this on the list for possible watches? One of the big seinin, historical series based on the Waring States of China. https://myanimelist.net/anime/12031/Kingdom?q=kingdom%20&cat=anime |
| “I just spent the last two years thinking that you guys knew more than me about life and I just found out that you guys are just as dumb as me.” “Duh-doy.” “Yeah, duh-doy.” |
JokerVentura said: @inim @whiteflame55 @23feanor Yeah I already watched it, will put my thoughts on it a bit later. By the way, how do you guys feel about putting this on the list for possible watches? One of the big seinin, historical series based on the Waring States of China. https://myanimelist.net/anime/12031/Kingdom?q=kingdom%20&cat=anime Funny you mention this series as @inim and I discussed it a few months back. Some people seem to love it and others not so much (like any show I guess), but most people agreed there are better shows on ancient China and the warring kingdoms era. I've just finished 12 Kingdoms, an isekai fantasy version of ancient China and loved it, i adore the ancient China setting (Koihime Musuo, Yona of the Dawn etc). The one show that @inim suggested instead of Kingdom was The Story of Saiunkoku and I have to agree that reviews and the story sound more interesting for me. The other one I have on my ptw list related to ancient China is Mysterious Play, a martial arts shoujo, which is on my high priority ptw list. If everyone else wants to pick Kingdom up I'd be in though. My preference for the next show would be Nadia, sounds different from what we've seen recently and fun. |
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