Ranked #5706

AKB0048

I hate it when people write reviews for shows before a series ends as much as anyone (especially ones that dub a show godly after one episode), but the rating of this show in comparison to the ass-load of complete garbage airing right now (whose names I won't mention), combined with the average user's apparent misconceptions about it (comparing it to Symphogear? lolno), combined with its low popularity, made me decide that I have to say SOMETHING.

In short: I don't get it. I don't get why this is so lowly rated when, even after just the first episode, it's proven to be superior to the vast majority of the other shows airing this season. Maybe it's the idol/music genre? Maybe it's the atrocious CGI rendering of the idols during concert sequences? Maybe it's the character designs—with HEART outlines in the girls' eyes and, sometimes, hair?

Those are the only problems I can really think of.

I'll admit, none of those things thrilled me at first. But when you think about it, none of these complaints really hold water. First of all, the show may be centered around idols, but the show has SUBSTANCE to go with it (I'll talk more about this in a bit). Second, yeah, the CGI for the girls during concerts is bad, but you shouldn't let a simple fluke with visuals detract your experience of the rest of the show. And thirdly, I lol'd at the hearts at first, but then I used my brain, and considered the contrast between the characters and their surroundings.

It's obvious that the girls offer a massive contrast with the world around them: their bright, shiny, hopeful colors compared to the dull, dreary, depressing ones of the planets and interiors of ships. When you think about it, it's simple but brilliant: the hopes and dreams of naive, innocent girls thrown against the rocks of a cold, unforgiving universe where entertainment is banned on many planets.

The animation used to portray these differences is quite spectacular (sans the CGI idols, of course). There is a great level of detail in landscapes that creates a perfect atmosphere for the premise of the show to play on. Character motions are fluid, with a good number of frames. Facial expressions are done really well, too.

Characterization is surprisingly good—even in the first episode alone. Nagisa is, quite frankly, a great character: she has a level head on her shoulders; she isn't too idealistic, but not too down-to-earth either; she has spirit, but isn't too eager; she is hopeful, but not overly confident in her abilities. The dynamic between her and her father, who is an Entertainment Administration official on a planet where the entertainment ban is still in effect, paints the perfect picture of just how much the situation affects the lives of citizens. Conversely, her relationship with her mother shows how she still loves and cares for her parents, even though her desire to be in AKB0048 pits her against their authority from the get-go.

The show made me get all misty-eyed in the FIRST EPISODE—and so far, each one to follow. Do you know what's required for that to happen? A vested interest in the characters and their plights. If I don't care about the characters at all, I don't care period. I'm looking forward to seeing what becomes of Nagisa in future episodes.

Currently, the other girls mostly show their characterization in their actions, making it easy to figure out their basic personality traits. Some are getting developed and having back stories revealed bit by bit, with more undoubtedly on the way. It's cool easy to see how they're reacting to their situation in a variety of ways—having second thoughts, remaining hopeful, complaining, being afraid, showing resolve, etc. It's also interesting to see some varying reasons for wanting to take this path in the first place.

In the end, the great music is just icing, really.

This show is NOT Symphogear. (It also is NOT Macross Frontier, though it is more similar to AKB0048 than Symphogear is.) In this show, music is just music: something people listen to to help them get through life, to be entertained by, to be moved by. (That's what the premise of the show operates on.) It is NOT a plot device. It is not some super-mystical force that gives you superpowers or stops murderous aliens. There is no fanservice—no stupid, revealing outfits; no watermelon-sized tits, tasteless cleavage, or shameful pantsu shoved in your face. Nothing is contrived. And the characters are actually good.

After I got so into the first episode, I became kind of scared that the quality might change during future episodes, but I'm glad to report that my fear has been unfounded so far. The quality of episodes has remained constant, and I hope this will continue to be the case.

Many will look at my score and ask "You praise it so much, yet you only give it a 7?" Well, look at my mean score. 7 is great coming from me (especially so early on). I hope that it continues to deserve it; maybe it'll even get promoted in the future. Who can say? Let's watch and find out.

In short: Look past your trivial gripes and see that AKB0048 has heart (no pun intended), and it has *substance*—a crucial thing the current cesspool of shallow, soulless anime lacks. read more

I'm writing a review of the first ep for anyone interested but not sure if you should watch, or just completely doubting it can be good
Yes, I watched this because I'm an AKB48 fan..but I had my reservation about this anime. The design wasn't my style, I prefer less loli looking art. The storyline was just ridiculous with their premise of "moe space musical terrorists." However I decided to not judge the book by it's cover and watch this show, mostly because Shouji Kawamori of Macross and Mari Okada, who wrote Ano Hana, Toradora, Lupin the 3rd, all animes I enjoyed. There's also the amazing voice actresses cast that pulled me in.

Over all, I was pleasantly surprise. There were 9 main characters of the show but they only introduced small handful of them for the first episode. It make the pacing of the show much easier to digest. Each of the girls' lives were showcased and it revealed to us about their difficulties and their motivations to want to join AKB0048. The animation was good with 2.5D rendering for few part of the concert scene, it might not be everyone taste but it's expected from Satelight production. There's mecha elements in this show but it was only for a small part of the episode, and I was happy it wasn't piloted by the idol girls but by their support team which act as bodyguards.

The soundtrack were mainly AKB48's song, Aitakatta, Shoujotachi yo, and 2 original song that will be sung by the AKB48 members who are doing the voice acting. I was expecting some upbeat, happy filled song for the OP but it turned out to be more serious sounding, which was a pleasant surprise.

There's obviously some hilarious element in the plot that make you go WTF and this is not THE BEST anime...however, it's a nice and enjoyable anime that people should give it a chance instead of jumping to conclusion. I was skeptical but however, I think I will continue watching to see how the story of their struggle to become idols will pan out. read more