AKB0048

This anime brand spanking new!! In fact as you read this, the 9th episode is being aired in Japan so think of this as your hip and trendy anime review!

The concept behind AKB0048 is worth more than the plot. If you know the group AKB48 then you can probably get the gist of things but for those of you who don't.... Well you have some catching up to do. Basically AKB48 is the biggest icon in thee Japanese organisation, they have 64 members split into four teams and hold the Guinness World record for that! They have their own theatre where AKB48 performances are held everyday. New members are admitted as 'trainees' to stand-in for busy members before becoming fully-fledged members and old members 'graduate'. Is an idol group unlike anything in Europe and are the basis for AKB0048, so I hope you understood all that!

AKB0048 is set in a world where interplanetary war has spread and the DES organisation has put a ban on entertainment as it 'disturbs the heart'. Despite this, AKB0048 spread their music across the galaxy labelled as terrorist and constantly having to battle with the DES. When Nagisa and her friends see AKB0048 performing they are filled with the desire to join so as soon as auditions are announced they make many sacrafices to join AKB0048. But when they arrive they soon find that things aren't as easy as they were expecting. And the big question that needs answering; who's in charge of AKB0048?
Isn't that lovely? A bunch of happy-go-lucky teens trying to achieve the title of one of the original members while building friendships. Wonderful, a completely cheesy plot.  They tried really hard to please every one in this anime.... maybe a bit too hard. Spiritual beings, mecha, dancing, singing, cute girls, hi-tech gadgets. Is it really necessary to include ALL of that? It makes things clash a bit...
The girl's themselves are very odd. Quite how somee of them managed to pass the auditions I don't know because some of them really don't seem fit for stardom. But I suppose that's just part of the plot; "watch the plain-looking pessimistic girl become a star bursting with confidence". But really, the variety included in the trainees is impressive, although all the successors are pretty boring. Watching the episodeon their day off, it was interesting to see how different every one is. But I suppose it fits the story, shining out as a star in your own way (yes, I'm already predicting this animes moral). Anyway, they are all so cute and energetic, lots of fun!
Now the art is something I've been looking forward to ranting about ever since the teaser trailer. Just there's so much wrong with it! It's not bad art as such, just a terrible style. I call it the "My-friend-stole-my-notebook-and-doodled-over-my-drawings", what else could explain those garish hearts? The highlights in their hair are hearts and the eye design is made with hearts! Really? And all those hair styles which can form a rainbow of people with bad hairdressers. It's not just the people either, random glowy blobs which are apperently really cool and horribly pink mecha robots.... I don't even know... But it gets worse! They combine this disgustingly 'cute' things with dreadful 3D model dancing. Sure if this 3D dancing was done well then it could give a really cool effect, but they look like sims, not even sims 2!!
Despite what any one may say, this is just AKB48's new way of promoting. More than an anime it's advertisement. They've even got AKB48 members to fill the main cast voice actors! Unfortunately, I cannot say that they've actually done this badly... However many flaws it has I just love the Asian idol concept, having an anime about it means that I'm impatiently waiting a whole week for each episode. Seeing all those girls having fun and fulfilling their dreams makes me want to fly out to Japan and audition for AKB48 myself! It should be bad, it really should.... But what can I say, I have unique tastes!

(Sorry, no English subs)

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