AKB0048
What’s not to love about the beautiful art of Japanese music? All anime fans have witnessed breathtaking music in the forms of Anime openings, endings, Original SoundTracks, and songs. They span across multiple music genres as well, the most common genre of Anime being J-pop. J-pop is its own unique culture and style, whether featured in an anime or not. For music lovers worldwide, there are Anime centering around the music genre.
AKB0048, also known as AKB0048: First Stage, is an Anime falling under the genres of Music and Sci-Fi. Season 1, First Stage is a 13 episode TV anime series that aired from April 29th to July 22nd as a Spring 2012 anime. It is produced by Starchild Records, Magic Capsule, and GANSIS. Studio Satelight brings this series to life, licensed by Sentai Filmworks.
This is an original anime, rated PG-13 for Teens 13 years or older. The sequel series is AKB0048: Next Stage, which is the official Season two of the series. This, too, is a 13 episode series that ran from January 6th to March 31st as a Winter 2013 anime. The sole producer was Starchild Records, licensed by Sentai Filmworks and done by Studio Satelight.
The story of AKB0048: First Stage is set after an Interplanetary War at the beginning of the 21st century. Planet Earth had suffered the full brunt of the war and left an utter ruin, most of its natural ecosystems destroyed beyond repair. Due to this state, Earth is no longer capable of supporting normal life. Residents of Earth are left with no choice but to move to other planets that can seemingly support life. They move with the hopes of living comfortably once more on an alien planet.
The Deep Galactic Trade Organization is a major totalitarian government that powerfully exerts influence over most newly inhabited planets. For whatever strange reason, they have concluded that music is a source of evil and bans it entirely, planning to destroy it once and for all.
This obviously did not sit well with music lovers, and the talent group AKB0048 was founded promptly. It is based on the original AKB48 members that once thrived with music on Earth. Even though music itself is considered illegal on a universal scale, it is the group’s mission and vision in life to rejuvenate music across space.
To this end, they travel from planet to planet, where they stage as many music concerts as they possibly can. This is no easy task, as they must undergo rigorous training and master a brand new set of methodology to become the very best musicians they can be. At the same time, they must make sure they avoid the constant danger of getting arrested because of propagating the now illegal art of music. These interplanetary popstars will not stop at anything to save their universe with the power of music and preserve the magnificence of Earth’s beloved art of rhythmic sound.
AKB0048: Next Stage focuses on the year since the 77th generation of Understudies joined AKB0048. While the popstar group has stepped up their game, so have the Deep Galactic Trade Organization [DGTO] and DES to attack and annihilate music and entertainment.
To counter their actions, AKB0048 resorts to bringing back the general elections and the Center Nova position. Despite still being understudies, they are now thrown right into the significant challenge of participating in a new competition directly competing against the successors. But as AKB0048 takes substantial steps to bring back policies not seen since Acchan's disappearance, a new and more powerful adversary starts to make moves within the shadows.
This series may seem a bit ridiculous and even dumb from the main plot outline and synopsis itself. Saving the universe through music via a group of Popstars sounds real out there. This premise even sounds similar to that of Macross. But it's so much more than it, directed by Kawamori Shouji and composed by Okada Mari, AKB0048 is a work of art made by an experienced and solid team. The main point is to give this series a chance and then watch it shine unexpectedly.
"Let's save the world through song" does sound pretty absurd and weird. Surprisingly enough, that's not precisely what AKB0048 is about. Space and intergalactic travel is a norm in their world, but instead, something very normal is considered illegal: music and entertainment. Entertainment in itself constitutes a wide range of modes, but here the entertainment in question mainly comprises singing, dancing, and performing arts in concerts. Fun fact is that back in 1948, Japan passed the Entertainment Business Control Law, which is pretty similar to this situation but less intrusive.
This scenario has been portrayed in multiple media modes, and it has indeed happened at some points in time in certain locations. The situation is an exaggerated form of certain media getting banned in the present day. The reason for this absurd law is not explained from the onset but is addressed in due time. Due to these bans, AKB0048 is a rogue idol group that just suddenly appears and holds illegal concerts on various planets where entertainment of that kind has been banned. They pull this off while fighting and fending off the DES (the anti-entertainment army).
The DES even resort to using live ammo, meaning these idols could get killed during the onslaught. Regardless, the AKB0048 fight back and defend themselves using non-lethal weaponry as a testament to the art of music they propagate. One such major concert in Lancaster leads four young girls, the main protagonists, to aspire to join the idol group when they're older. Their intergalactic adventure is the primary basis of the series, as they pass their auditions, joining the group and genuinely becoming part of their beloved Music group.
The plot of AKB0048 is pretty fast-paced. It takes a few episodes for the girls to reach the AKB0048 and then participate in their first event. During this period, these future idols must train themselves tirelessly in both entertainment and fighting. Director Kawamori Shouji, well known for being a Troll, even pulls some unexpected pranks on the viewers from the onset. The story is packed with high-speed battles, music, songs, and angst amidst all the mayhem. The trademark beach episode is also included in the holy name of “fanservice,” and it has been handled well enough to contain sufficient plot within it.
The characters are a solid point of the series. They are very entertaining to watch with vivid personalities ranging from determined and pacifist, extroverted and loving attention, introverted and timid, and of course cold, distant yet very competent. Every personality is backed by solid reasoning that gets revealed as the story progresses.
Besides these main four, there are many other characters with significant development and relevance to the story. There are a few that feel neglected, but it’s not an important issue. While the premise is out there, the characters are pretty realistic and relatable; added to this is the impressive dynamic between them. Each main character is paired with another in a significant way. Character development is done pretty well for such a vast array of characters and is top-notch for a few.
The art and animation are decent; sometimes it's terrific, sometimes it's just bad. The character designs, backgrounds, and environments are all pretty well done, but during concerts, the show switches to CG for some instances, hoping to portray the dancing better but only make it look off and weird. Jarring as the CG may be, it doesn't make the show a bad watch, and it improves slightly as the series progresses. The action and fighting scenes are done far better, probably the best highlight of this series in terms of animation.
When it comes to the sounds and music, the Voice Acting stands out. The actual members of AKB48 voice the main characters. They are not experienced voice actors, so the initial episodes seem a bit bumpy, but they are masters of their art, so it's easy to get used to. They portray the right emotions better and better as the series progresses.
The other voice actors are all very experienced and deliver an excellent performance. AKB0048 is a Pop idol group, so obviously, there are going to be many songs. The AKB48 songs are great, and the singing battles are unique and fantastic. The songs relay their respective emotions perfectly; despair, love, hope, and the spirit of teamwork. There are many songs, and all of them are pretty good.
The opening is "Kibou ni Tsuite" by NO NAME, and the Endings are “Kibou ni Tsuite" by NO NAME, "Yume wa Nandomo Umarekawaru" by NO NAME, "Sasae" by AKB48, and "Niji no Ressha" by NO NAME. These are great as well, with the last Ending being a plot point.
As a final verdict, AKB0048 is very entertaining and a great watch. If you’re a fan of the genres, each episode will leave you thirsting for the next and more seasons to come. Simply don’t look at it as a parody of AKB48; just give it a chance. For anyone who enjoyed Macross, this series is highly recommended. AKB0048 is a thrilling tale of music, battles, and friendship.
