ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.

Episode 8

Episode 8 leaves me relieved for two reasons. Neither did Schnee fall in love and elope with her bodyguard to feed age-old clichés, nor is Nino the tragic victim of his father's undying loyalty to other people.

After spending some time in the kingdom's district of strong women, Schnee's alarming interest in the outside world and philosophy books led to an amicable agreement to set her free instead of clipping her wings. My theory of the king being in on all this turned out to be a grave understatement, as he and Qualm were actually the ones who instigated the whole thing, albeit for different reasons. Raising two adorable children and baking bread, Schnee seems to have been genuinely happy with Karl, living a very un-revolutionary inclined life.

"I shall learn, by my own experience, what is necessary for this nation to remain at peace in the future. Not as a member of the Dōwā family, but as a citizen. My hope is that I shall, one day, be of help to you, Father..."

For Schnee, all it took for peace was the freedom of a normal life as a commoner, if having the world work out in your favor behind the scenes can be considered truly "free" or "common". While Schnee didn't choose to run away of her own accord, her nonconformity nonetheless ended up having consequences for the people sworn to protect and serve her, who had to give up their previous lives so that she could be free, which doesn't seem like a fair exchange. But even where there's less freedom, happiness still comes from the most mundane things. There's a lot of talk about duty, but in the end, no one except for Qualm really does what they do out of loyalty for something so abstract as the monarchy, but for the obligation and love they feel for other people. I find it troubling that Nino's father would leave his son behind so easily or that he defines his own happiness through his master's. The clash between what looks like a fairly modern society and master-servant bonds creates a certain dissonance, but while the distribution of power and following obligations are immediately obvious to anyone involved, this doesn't necessarily equate blind and absolute sacrifice. The king grants his daughter the chance at a happier life even if it means losing her, Abend chooses to continue watching over Schnee from the shadows while fully aware of the cost, and Nino simply wants to stay with his dad.

I was very glad to see their decision not immediately turn into self-abandonment for Nino and his father, who apparently enjoyed their new life together, writing the story of their princess' life under fake names, sweetened by real pie and happiness. I was worried Nino might turn into a victim with his father as the bad guy, but seeing how much emphasis he places on having made up his own mind (and how he chooses to stop thinking about the Otus family as royals) puts things into a slightly more nuanced perspective. Even if Nino's existence isn't tragic per se, life's still full of smaller and greater tragedies, and the episode's undoubtedly saddest moment comes when Nino has to deal with his father's death in secret, comforting Jean without anyone there to comfort him in his dark, empty room no longer full of chocolates.

While Nino got to enjoy his childhood and later friendship with Jean (cue wonderfully cheesy pop song montage complete with dramatic wind), we are left to assume that Abend had none of these things. Contrary to Nino's dad, Abend seems to have given up a lot more when he left Dōwā for good, including his rank and family. Devoted to someone who already thought him to be out of her life, he could no longer approach Schnee. His inability to express gratitude and appreciation and his scolding of Nino for enjoying his time with Jean might be an indication of his own bitterness. Over time, this feeling might have given rise to doubts about the kingdom's current state of affairs, which brings us to the question: where is Abend now, what are his goals, and have we already re-met him? In the flashback, we mostly see him from behind, or with his face obscured by hats or shadows. His long, white hair hints at a Rokkusu origin, which coincidentally, is also close to the site of the train crash and home of a certain other white-haired schemer. Personally, I would love for Abend to simply manage a little cafe somewhere, providing Lotta with the constant flow of cake that seems to find its way into her life via Jean's always travel-sick boss at ACCA.

Apart from Abend's identity and motive, I wonder where the story will go from here? The flashback's pastel color palette and beautiful shot compositions, Schnee's graceful movement confirming her to be the dancing figure in the ED, and the emotionally charged culinary treats were all well and good, but with no cliffhanger ending and no indication of the story's direction in the preview, the dramatic tension has come to a (hopefully temporary) halt. Jean's experience would certainly help him understand the districts' needs and challenges, but between his temperament and (for now) nonexistent claim to the throne, it feels like the cat hasn't just left the bag, but actually curled up in front of a cozy wood stove after having too much food.

Rating: B

ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Anne is a translator and fiction addict who writes about anime at Floating Words.