ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka Episode 2 Discussion

TrashDax said:
What the hell is everybodys problem with Jean? They all seem to hate him for no reason whatsoever.

Jack_Corvus96 said:
for today's episode, Tabaco simulator is still a bit interesting. Crow spying on him was predictable... as for the plot, i can't see where will this go from here...



when a plot twist happens we might know... I guess... I don't know either why do they hate him that much, but there is gonna be something that they'll show us... I Hope

Z_Tetriminos said:
You can't have a lot of talk if you can't make me care about what's happening and who's talking. This series is failing at it. Even Joker Game did it better

Zelev said:
1) To all the people saying Crow spying on him was predictable, it wasn't meant to be unpredictable in the first place. That wasn't the point/climax of the story. Like damn, do you all think you're Sherlock? Lol..

2) He was spying on him for 30 years? Wtf. They both look 30-ish at most! How old are they, exactly? Because 40 is kind of pushing it, and 50 is not even close.

3) I don't know, but there's something about this show that makes me think they keep giving out clues/hints to us. For example, the lighter. Also, the cigar he showed Crow at the restaurant. I feel like those were subtle cues/messages they were signaling to each other in case they were being watched, but I could be wrong. I theorize that Crow is actually on Jean's side and they both know it, it's all a part of the plan somehow.

Overall, I liked it. However, if my hunch was wrong I'll be kind of disappointed. If I'm wrong, I'm pretty sure Jean knows about his friend "spying" on him either way.

Fai said:
Whew, I fully expect more "boooooring" posts. I like that the show does not sacrifice coherence and proper pacing for sake of appeasing all the goldfishes.


The show continues to amaze me with deliberately methodical and even pacing and mature approach to storytelling.
The overall episode continues setting up plot threads for the ongoing political game the show hinted at in the first episode.

The starting segment essentially sets the tone and the theme of the episode up by bringing up the interesting idea that ACCA is less of a way to prevent bad things and more of a way to ensure the idea of "the country being peaceful". Essentially an organization that is far more important in as a way to keep up the citizen morale by creating the illusion of peace and safety, even if there is something bad going on behind the scenes. In a sense it segues nicely into the actual sequence of ongoing educational propaganda about ACCA after the OP too. The purpose of the ACCA that appears and the one that actually matters. A mask in a sense.

The episode is centered around the idea of dual purpose of things, of people. There's the appearance, and then there's what's behind it. Using that theme, the episode weaves sense of paranoia into everything it explores.

Its certainly interesting contradiction - ACCA is a symbol of peace, yet Jean's department exists for the reason of uncovering threats to that peace, which essentially creates a problem of sorts in terms of PR - how can you use ACCA as symbol of peace if one department exists specifically to bring to light things that threaten it?

The episode also establishes explanation on why cigarettes are luxury and as people already guessed it is due to high taxes placed upon it. That of course raises the question on WHY. Is there a deficit of tobacco overall in the country meaning government has to tax it as a luxury good to regulate? Or is the government just driving up their prices for whatever another ulterior motive to make it a luxury(like post-depression WW2 USA)? Yet again the theme of the meaning on the surface and deeper meaning.

There's also more details about Jean's character that deepens the mystery of what kind of ties he has. Getting cigarettes, a luxury good for free is weird in on itself, but then there's the way he so easily found out a huge amount of information about the stalker cop too and that he does seem to know know the right people for right things yet claims to have no connection. On the surface Jean looks like a privileged rich higher up government officer, but whats beyond that is a complete mystery. He claims he is not rich and just completely normal dude, but he is certainly efficient in dealing with threats targeting him.

Likewise his sister looks nice and cute, but the interactions with the reporter that she and Jean knows hint at far more pragmatic side behind that pokerface.

Likewise, the coup issue that Mauve brought up at the start of episode/end of previous one on the surface is made to be nothing but a rumor, but yet again there's something troubling deeper here as the executives admit in their talks.

The overall meeting between executives is also filled with theme of masks. There's ambiguity in what the goals are and whether they all play the same game. Are all five executives on the same side? Or is Grossular playing against the rest? Or is the rest of them playing against him?
The episode sufficiently and methodically builds up the mood of paranoia and ambiguity for everything that is going on so by the time the meeting happens and Grossular brings up the coup d'etat even the viewer is not exactly sure whether Jean is actually involved in something(due to mysteriousness of his character and Mauve's comment about Jean having smiled a the idea of her having to stop her audits) or whether Grossular is playing against Jean for whatever reason(most likely due to Jean possibly having stepped on his toes with his investigation last episode?).

To enhance the feeling of paranoia and ambiguity from the moment of introduction of Crow, the show makes sure to have an additional background person dressed in black in both scenes of Jean and his Sister

Likewise with what is said in the episode even Jean's reporter friend himself becomes untrustworthy and ambiguously suspicious. The phone business, the convenient disappearance of surveilance once Jean told him about it, etc. Everything makes him a suspect even before the eventual reveal of him being Crow.

By the end of this episode, with the convenience of Mauve's appearance and situation they met, there's essentially 0 people that can be trusted to truly be who they say they are.

Overall this continues to easily be THE best show of the season with Rakugo S2 coming close second.

Fai said:
Mauve's comment about Jean having smiled a the idea of her having to stop her audits

Fai said:
Overall this continues to easily be THE best show of the season with Rakugo S2 coming close second.

YabviMash said:


Thoroughly agreeing with you here. Point 2, the spying on him for 30 years, sounds like a bit of an exaggeration of Nino's part.

I do feel as if we're being dropped subtle clues and hints to what is going on here. Very miniscule things that probably come across as normal behaviour to us but different to the characters.

magical-penguin said:
Could somebody please please tell me who directed the opening?

Reverberate said:
This show still feels pretty slow. Not that I have a problem with it, but I do hope they will pick it up just a little bit.

Zelev said:
3) I don't know, but there's something about this show that makes me think they keep giving out clues/hints to us. For example, the lighter. Also, the cigar he showed Crow at the restaurant. I feel like those were subtle cues/messages they were signaling to each other in case they were being watched, but I could be wrong. I theorize that Crow is actually on Jean's side and they both know it, it's all a part of the plan somehow.