What's the deal with Nazis?
I mean, why is Japan obsessed with them?
It's not like WWII's still going on.
On the outset A-C-C-A or “Akka” seems to come off as the show this season for
“The intellectual”
On one corner some will go: “aww it’s slow”, while the pseudo-intellectuals searching
for only the highest quality of Chinese cartoons might reply:
Well then you just aren’t watching it properly!
Not that I mean to insult, and if you are offended then I am
anaspeptic, phrasmotic,
even compunctious to have caused you such pericombobulation!
*INTELECT INTENSIFIES*
TL;DW ACCA is a series that takes itself very seriously, however so far that just means
it’s taking forever to set up it’s narrative without actually
giving us the audience much of a payoff.
Yet.
It takes place in a fictional country that for some reason is shaped like a bird taking
a shit divided into 13 states, and they all operate mostly independent of one another.
The difference being that there is some semblance of a federal government and even a monarchy
as an attempt to keep the peace, with ACCA being an agency that acts as an overseer.
But like all organizations, it has flaws, some trying to cheat the system or even break
it, which brings us to Jean.
Jean is a member of the Internal Affairs for ACCA, with his duties involving going around
to the different sections to make sure that everything is still running smoothly.
ARE YOU BORED YET?
IS THIS INTERESTING?
OH HEY IT’S THE AVERAGE EVERYDAY LIFE OF A CHAIN SMOKING GOVERNMENT WORKER DRESSED
SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE A NAZI SS OFFICER.
DID WE MENTION HE SMOKES ALL THE GODDAMN TIME?
HERE, LET US REMIND YOU FOR THE 4TH EPISODE IN A ROW.
Basically, ACCA is a show of ‘could bes’ and ‘maybes’, and depends entirely on
it’s narrative carrying its ambitions forward.
There are hints, like any good story, of an underlying sinister plot going on.
You have a counsel of higher-ups some of which seem to have their own ulterior motives, a
spoiled prince who is actually JJ from Yuri on Ice (Thank you Mamoru Miyano), and a female
general who is getting suspicious because she is blocked from investigating corruption.
But the hints haven’t led too much as of yet.
They might!
It would be so freaking depressing if they don’t, and I would love nothing more than
to talk about how awesome this show turns out come the end of the season.
But I can’t yet.
My main problem here apart from the pacing is that I’m getting the feeling that the
show doesn’t really know what it wants to be, so it spend its time picking and trying
out various genres like a magpie and taking its swell time with it.
Like, I know it’s going to be a grounded political drama, but can’t they do that
without making everyone sound like they’re bored out of their minds and reading out of
a script?
Like if there’s any major criticism I have for the show thus far, it’s the exposition.
As apart from our main character’s loving imouto almost everyone sounds like they’re
mind numbingly bored due to their drab and mundane lives.
And I think it’s even more frustrating with a show like ACCA because the staff is great
and the production value is definitely there with a lot of care put into it, and you can see
all of that with just a few select cuts like when Jean loses his lighter.
Did we mention he smokes?
But I can’t imagine having the patience nor faith to willingly sit through this waiting
for a miracle to happen.
Like a kid waiting for his dad to come back
from his trip from the corner store 20 years ago.
[Hello darkness, my old friend…]
If anything activates my trap card, it’s wasted time.
At the end of the day, ACCA has only been given 12 episodes, and they better use the
remaining hours to its maximum extent.
Now, I don’t care if the original source material’s good, that’s good for it, but
it’s the anime I’m interested in and so far, it’s not doing a very good job of grabbing
my attention.
Oh look, Jean smokes.
A lot.
Cigarettes are expensive and only rich people can smoke it.
Sure, that’s great information and all and it’ll probably will be a pivotal plot point
in the series, but is it really necessary where the show has to beat it over your head
with it every single time?
Seems like it.
But as of right now, there’s a lot with this show to be desired.
So what did you guys think?
Let me know down in the whatchamajig and as usual if you are further along in the
show or the manga, no spoilers please.
Thank you for joining me on this First Reaction.
If you like this sort of thing, hit the like button to let me know and if you have a suggestion
for what you think I should talk about next, let me know down in the comments, though chances
are I’m doing it anyways.
And until next time, ladies, gentlemen, and others, Stay Frosty.