AKB0048: Next Stage

Is the disappearance of a Center Nova an analogy of them being in the real world to us?

AKB0048: Next Stage leaves us right where the first season left off with and ohh boy has this season given LA the missing plotlines and coverage of the character developments the first season was dangling at us.

AKB0048: Next Stage starts off with the Chieri being held for trial for being in 00, however after a breakout by 00 to save Chieri her popularity skyrockets, however a looming enemy has plans with Chieri. This season also deals with some of the characters that didn't get the development they ... needed in the first season, with the likes of Makoto, Mimori and Mikako Minamino ranging from plotlines concerning them or oneshot episodes focusing on them. Yes however LA's favourite character Suzuko was relegated to exposition fairy for this season, but nonetheless LA was surprised by the character development not only form the minor characters but from Chieri, Nagisa, Hikari and even Tsubasa and mostly given them resolutions to their plot points brought up in the first season.

This season does focus ALOT on Chieri and her daddy issues and it becomes a HUGE focus as the "looming enemy" having affiliation to Chieri so the focus DOES have sense.

LA's grievances with the first season was "a hodgepodge of bogged down ideas with the AKB48 brand implanted into it", this season rectified this with the aforementioned focus on the main characters but this also includes the world building that was left dangling from us the first season, namely the entire deal with Sensei-sensei, Center Nova and Chieri's dad especially. Sure the plotlines and never out rightly stated by the end of the anime, especially with the "Disappearance of Center Nova" being the biggest offender, but LA would like to think Shoji Kawamori wanted us to think for yourself (and even in a slightly meta way) to figure it out and considering the anime given off real life happenstances in to the real life AKB, LA thinks this might be a given. So for LA, LA thinks he entire disappearance of a Center Nova is an analogy of them being in the "real life AKB group" and them "making it, immortalized" as it were and what were given yeah LA is keeping to that.

Shoji Kawamori has a REAL knack to intertwine the plotlines he brings up and give them resolutions that also links to their characters and all the grievances LA put towards the first season was heavily remedied with this second season and LA quite enjoyed this season, surprisingly.

AKB0048: Next Stage's production value is pretty much the same as the first season, with some slight improvements in some regions, namely the choreography and atmosphere. The 3D CGI use is still used but sparingly (even though LA could easily tell when they switched between 3DCGI and traditional) but the "Lives" were the best use of the animation done by Satelight (expected from them) and for a music anime, this was expected and with Satelight use of bright colors in their animation it wasn't overpowered let alone implemented into the plots with the Kirara's made sense. The character designs still looked like something from Aikatsu but nonetheless, Satelight did a fine job,

In the voice cast department, well LA could tell the majority of the voice actors got used to their roles over this second season, Karen Iwata was still bit iffy with her almost monotone-ish delivery but nonetheless. The standout MVP's in this seocnd season however easily goes to Mayu Watanabe as Chieri, Akemi Kanda as Hikari and Sumire Sato as Mimori with her latter change.

LA takes back MOST of what LA said in LA's first season review, namely the bogged down ideas as they were flehsed out in this season that enriched the characters which helped immensely in this season in general, the premise of AKB0048 in general was incredibly hard to get into but with Shoji Kawamori's writing and vision, there was something there, that potential and he mostly delivered it here. LA was mostly impatient with the first season but more or less Next Stage delivered LA's expectations for it's overly alienating premise streamlined into an anime about the AKB in the future where entertainment is banned. Sure there are "some" off handed plot points that get handwaved away but LA presumes that "because plot" but it still works to AKB0048's favour......a bit.

AKB0048 is FOR the fans of AKB and what with the numerous real life nods to it and with the anime LITERALLY having AKB members as standins to these characters' voices, it's expected.

AKB0048 is the heart of Akibahar- *ahem* star idol culture...LA still prefers Idolmaster but nonetheless AKB0048: Next Stage was a valiant effort in making those hodgepodge of ideas into a cohesive story by the end of it, good job Shoji Kawamori you always SOMEHOW pull through in all your crazy convoluted plotlines glory.

This is a fun and bubbly show geared towards pre-teens and maybe teens. I like the music, its not really that bad. There are many characters and each and every single one seems to have a backstory that you get glimpses of. Character progression is pretty nicely done and it is nice to see how each one progresses from where they were to where they end up. The story is pretty far fetched but it keeps you intrigued with being more character based which isn't bad. For the adults, this show is not really for us, but it you have pre-teens and younger girls, I'm ... sure they would really dig this show and the music isn't bad to listen to so overall, for adults, its fine, for kids, its pretty good.

Unlike first season, it failed in the balance between silly magical logic / naive plot and amount of awesome needed to properly excuse it with rule of awesome. Amount of awesome is slightly less than first season, while amount of the former is considerably higher. The disparity is almost enough for the whole thing to fall apart.

So what this results in, is that one moment I'm like ''oh fml this is so retarded/naive I can't possibly recommend this to anyone'' and then next moment I'm like ''fuck me this is so fucking awesome everyone should see this''. First season had more of the latter, ... second season has more of the former. It could have also worked if it tried to be less dramatic, then it would genre shift into a silly moe comedy with awesome concert battles, and it would be excused one half with rule of funny and other half with rule of awesome.

Some scenes and episodes in second season are really good and really enjoyable to watch. If you're in it just for the moe, you'll have an easier time enjoying it. If you're in it for the story and original setting, you will probably have a hard time not quitting. If you're in it for the awesome and liked the first season, definitely give second season a shot.

Music wise, It's slightly disappointing that most songs are the same ones from first season, but if we count OP/ED, I think there are 4 new ones. OP is not as good as s1, but isn't bad I suppose. ED is quite close to being as good as s1. Other two songs seem okay, but all the really awesome ones are the same ones from s1.

What this show needs is less talk of succession, radiance, elections, competitive spirit, center nova, and the magic of their succession system... and more of political, psychological and social aspect of entertainment ban, and actual fight against it. Then it would have even been a masterpiece.