AKB0048 13 - See You Next Stage

The one week wait for each episode of this was always long, and the time spent watching it always flew by; it was no different for the finale. I actually picked up the show four weeks into its run via recommendation by Pearz. I ended up watching all four episodes in one sitting and never looked back; you never steer me wrong, do you Pearz? Coming into this final episode, I knew there were too many loose ends to be tied, but I still expected it to go out with a bang. For the most part, I was really satisfied with the ending given that the AKB0048 franchise will have more time to tell its tale.

After being routed by the DES forces, Tsubasa was forced to end the concert on Lancastar prematurely; after all, the safety of the girls come first. However, both understudies and successors alike wished continue the concert, and Acchan's guiding voice and light was able to convince Tsubasa to allow them to complete what they started. Even after this episode, we still know nothing concrete about the Center Novae or their disappearances. Here, the clue is that Acchan's voice seems to come from no direction in particular, but shining lights are present. This suggests that Acchan hasn't really disappeared, but merely transcended the normal world into space-time. The power that allows interstellar travel is the Kirara Drive, so maybe Acchan just got stuck in that fourth dimension when the Kirara shone brilliantly on that fateful day on Lancastar.

Hey, it might not have been a duet, but it'll have to pass. Taking us back to episode two, the clashing ideology between Chieri and Nagisa was obvious: Chieri saw the others as rivals, while Nagisa wanted to sing together with everyone. Here in the finale, Chieri moved over to Nagisa's camp, for the present moment at least, because the situation is much bigger than themselves. Competition against each other is an afterthought because the people of Lancastar needed their support, otherwise the entertainment ban would put a vice grip on the planet. Moreover, the issue of Nagisa's lost voice was quickly resolved: she only needed to see that her parents were safe and that her proud mom and tsundere dad were there watching her perform in her debut.

Well, that certainly solves Takamina's dilemma quite well. Ironically, it was because she already decided to let Kanata take over after this concert that she was able protect both the understudies and the concert above all else, and ultimately be chosen by the kirara of succession once again. Something the writers did not decide to touch upon was Yuuko's desire and ambition to be Center Nova. Despite all the grit she showed about not being upstaged by the understudies, she showed none of that in this final episode. Maybe she simply realized that this concert wasn't her time with all that was going on.

I thought it was awesome that both the OP and the ED were used as insert songs. So now each one of these girls have the possibility to be the next Center Nova? All the understudies that performed shone radiantly, which is consistent with the idea that they're all possible candidates to be the next Center Nova. Though for some reason, I felt like they were hinting at Kanata. After seeing the current Takamina's soul resonated with the original's, Tsubasa asked, "What of Kanata?" It immediately transitions to the deep booming voice chanting "Center Nova," whom I assume to be Sensei-sensei, but the issue was dropped as quickly as it was brought up. I guess will probably be one of the main plot points in AKB0048's future project.

Dualium is the other clue about the Center Novae's disappearances as well the mystery behind the kirara. The common thread between Acchan's final performance and the understudies' performance was that they were both on Lancastar. It was on this planet that we saw the spawning of the girls' personal kirara. Though still in trace amounts, it seems Lancastar just so happens to have a more readily available amount of dualium compared to other planets. It also falls in line with Suzuko's seemingly trivial fact about how most 00 members come from mining planets. Perhaps the presence of dualium amplifies the effect of the kirara on the radiance of the soul. This is just pure speculation on my part, but maybe Center Novae that came before Acchan also disappeared on dualium-rich planets. When all the girls were glowing, it looked like Mii-chan was afraid that they might disappear like all the previous Center Novae did. Perhaps they didn't disappear because the radiance was distributed among the understudies, and not concentrated on one Center Nova.

There are still many questions left unanswered, but fear not, more AKB0048 was announced for 2013 post-credits. Hopefully it'll be a full-fledged second season and not a movie or an OVA. Another point of interest that flashed across our screens was "Maeda Atsuko the 14th." This leads us to believe that one of our beloved understudies will succeed and become the next Acchan, and possibly the next Center Nova. It seems that the real life Maeda Atsuko is graduating this August, so maybe there will be a plot point similar to that in the 2013 project. As for the rest, all we can really do is speculate for the next year or so. Even though many loose ends remain untied, I really liked the finale because it was packed with a bunch of awesome moments with the singing, dancing, and fighting space idols that we grew to know and love. This was a show that I looked forward to every Sunday and it certainly leaves a void now that the cour is done. I'm sure we'll all be painstakingly awaiting what is hopefully the second season. See you next stage.

-Bern

AKB0048 12 - Kirara of Love

No OP this episode? Shit must be getting real then. Weeks flew by, and now we're at the penultimate episode of the series already. I expected them to do the daddy rescue this week, and finish off with the concert for the finale, but they ended up putting both in this episode. Nagisa's suffering was the main draw in this episode, but the show must go on, right?

As expected, the whole deal with Orine's Sakura machine was a non-issue. It was only for a second that she looked devastated, but Chieri comes to the rescue. She easily convinces Orine that it's not her fault and shows us more of her deft micsaber skills. If there somehow manages to be a second season, I wonder if they'll go the route of having to deal with Chieri's father. Here's to hoping that this show isn't just a giant commercial to promote the real AKB group! I'm sure the sales for this show isn't doing too shabby, though I have no citation at the moment.

Yes it is, and you should keep blaming yourself because that'll make it everything all better. Their decision to go help rescue Nagisa's dad bore no fruit, and even shot down (pun very much intended) Megu's chance to step on the same stage as Youko. In fact, Nagisa has so much angst built up that she even loses her voice and is unable to sing. My confidence in her being the next Center Nova dropped slightly, but not worries, there's still one more episode left for her to bounce back.

Meanwhile, Chieri has taken up Nagisa's role in the song Nagisa no Cherry. Taking us back to episode two, Chieri wants to prove that she is better than Nagisa, but in what respect? That she's a better singer and dancer? She already knows this. I think it proves that Chieri's determination to be an idol is a thousand times greater than Nagisa's. Maybe she did cause her dad to be detained. Maybe she is causing the other understudies trouble by losing her voice. But she is definitely thinking about this the wrong way. What ever happened to her dream of the four of them performing together on stage? Why not perform her heart out and once again convince Lancastar as well as other planets under the entertainment ban that bringing joy to people's hearts is not a crime? Maybe she'll come to realize this in the finale. I still believe!

So this will be Takamina's final concert? Though it might sound phony coming from real life politicians, I do think that true leadership means thinking about the next generation. And in Olympic fashion, Takamina is passing the torch to her successor. It looks like Takamina has finally come to terms with what's best for herself, Kanata, and the AKB group as a whole. This whole scene could be seen as a big death flag for Takamina; it all depends on whether or not Kawamori wants to add a bit more suffering to the ending. Yuuko, though with such little screen time this week, still seems very determined. With only one more episode left, we still know next to nothing about the Center Novae. I can't imagine them being able to pull it off well with only twenty minutes left.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that this is the first time that we see a concert get canceled on screen. It turns out that Mamoru and Yuuka's feelings are mutual, and thus a twintails kirara is born. Congratualtions on being a mom, Yuuka! Forget the idol radiance stuff, it looks like the kirara respond to their feelings when they are at a peak. Maybe all the characters will get their own kirara eventually. I'm sure they won't leave this concert unfinished for the finale. I'm expecting them to regroup, Nagisa to get her shit together, Chieri and Nagisa to sing Seaside Cherry as a duet, and ultimately find out about Acchan's disappearance. Is that too much to squeeze in for the finale? Let's hope Kawamori will pull through for us. Bracing myself for the final episode.

-Bern

AKB0048 11 - Full Circle

It has been ten episodes since our fledgling girls left Lancastar, but now they finally return to their home planet to make their debut. Home sweet home? Not quite. The girls have grown a lot during this journey, but time also flows on Lancastar; it's not the same as it used to be. Judging by the pacing and what they've covered during this episode, I'm sure the climax of the show will be the concert on Lancastar. Given that we only have two episodes left, it's hard to imagine that they'll tie up all the loose ends very well. I'm sure all of us are hoping for a second season; make it happen Japan!

Seaside Cherry. Nagisa no Cherri. Nagisa and Chieri. Very subtle there. Duet, maybe? Indeed, it looks like Tsubasa is finally making her move to find out more about the Center Novae's disappearances. Unsurprisingly, the girls are baffled that Nagisa is chosen to perform the song sung by Center Nova upon their promotion. But what does she have that the other girls don't? Not only the successors, but Kanata and Chieri are clearly more skilled than Nagisa is. As far we, the audience, know, the kirara arbitrarily glow for Nagisa is because she's the protagonist. This has clearly been affecting Chieri since the second episode of the show, but how will they resolve this? I don't think Nagisa will put on the performance of her life all of a sudden and prove that she's worthy of the Center Nova position.

The mysterious SSSS higher-up asshole is also causing conflict with successors as well. So why did he compose a new song exclusively for the understudies? Because he felt like it, that's why. Of course, these idols and idols-to-be are taught not to question the system, which interestingly mirrors how the common folk are told to unquestioningly follow the entertainment ban with vague bullshit like "entertainment leads the heart astray." Yuuko isn't going to take this sitting down; why should some upstart idol trainees get priority over the successors? The issue of blurred identity is again revisited: Is she Yuuko, or is she the person taking on the name of Yuuko? I think she's not speaking the whole truth here. She's definitely herself, much more so than she is Ooshima Yuuko; she prioritizes her dream of becoming Center Nova above all else. According to the BD booklet, her real name is Kimishima Hikaru.

This scene really gave me a good laugh. I think the majority opinion on Mamoru was that he was anti-entertainment because of the parting gift he gave Yuuka. Surprisingly, it turns out he's part of Lancastar's WOTA forces, and a Suzuko fan to boot! It's nice to see that he's worried about Yuuka's safety. Mamoru and Aoi are both pretty cool characters. More importantly, the anti-entertainment faction of the planet gained momentum since they left and Mamoru even reveals that Nagisa's dad has been arrested. Nagisa, of course, feels that she selfishly caused her dad to be arrested. With so much on her mind, how can she possibly succeed in her debut? Perhaps Acchan will return and guide her to victory. Apparently Acchan wasn't a very remarkable girl herself, but shone brilliantly once she got on stage. It's just my speculation though.

Cue dramatic sound effect. Indeed, the factory that Orine was working in back then produced DES machines. Orine seemed to like her job very much, so I'm sure this is an extremely devastating blow to her. Even worse, what if the machine she helped build actually kills her? Kawamori won't pull that shit on us now, right? Besides, Chieri is too awesome to let something like that happen. It's hard to imagine what they'll actually fit in with only two episodes left. Right now, it seems like Lancastar is swarming with DES forces, even more so than on Tundrastar. Before she was interrupted by the DES, Nagisa was rashly going to try to rescue her dad, so maybe that'll be in the next episode, leaving the debut concert for the finale. Personally, what I want to know most about is the mystery surrounding the Center Nova. Here's to hoping for two impossibly brilliant episodes to cap off this great run.

-Bern

AKB0048 10 - Gratuitous Gravure

This week's installment of futuristic space idols feature an obligatory beach episode with the fanservice in midseason form. Being an idol the show, there's no way they'd skip out on one of these; I mean what's a better way to promote your group than showing scantily clad girls on the beach? Though it definitely contained less plot than its predecessors, this week's episode reaffirms the issues at hand, provides a bit more insight into some of the characters, and certainly sets itself up nicely for the next episode. Bring on the suffering Kawamori; you don't scare me!

I don't even own a pair of yuri goggles, but I knew what they were nudging at here. It looks like we didn't get a resolution from Takamina's last line in the previous episode about how the name "Takamina" belongs to Kanata. In fact, I think this'll probably be the extent of this issue; Takamina, though with some doubt, will continue as a successor as long as she can; Kanata will continue to be an understudy despite having successor level skills. With only three episodes left, I hope we can soon see this system get turned on its head and finally find out what this shady Sensei-sensei is all about.

We were already given hints that Tsubasa was a former member, but some new knowledge that we get is that she performed side by side with the last Center Nova, Acchan. From her talk with Yuuko and Mii-chan, it appears she's still clueless about the disappearances of the Center Novae, yet is trying to bring back the position. It sort of leads me to question her character a bit: Acchan's disappearance on stage that day prompted her to join the support staff, yet after all these years she hasn't really found anything on it; she just seems to be blindly obeying the rules and eating up whatever Sensei-sensei tells her to do. What's more important though is what the Center Novae saw; if it caused Mii-chan to run away and quit, it's probably something dangerous right? 

I guess we'll finally see Tsubasa make her move because she's planning to make Chieri/Nagisa the next Center Nova; Mii-chan and Yuuko wouldn't be too pleased. Speaking of which, in the day-off episode, Yuuko said that Mii-chan was rumored to be spotted on Atamistar; I wonder if she recognized her and got in touch with her. Though even if she did, Mii-chan seems pretty adamant about preventing the position from resurrecting and wouldn't tell her anything. Looking at the preview next episode, the group is returning to Lancastar. Will Yuuka's (ex)boyfriend make a reappearance? Will Nagisa finally be able to get some legitmate screen-time now that we're back on her home-planet? Will Chieri's fixation on Nagisa's supposed "idol radiance" finally make her snap? Most importantly, what will we learn about Center Novae position? Sunday can't come soon enough.

-Bern

Episode 11 Preview

AKB0048 09 - Under Gray Skies

Yes, I realize that episode 10 already aired. So my laptop died on me a bit over a week ago, and combining that with being busier than usual and limited computer access, I was only able to watch this episode just now. Hopefully when my new hard drive gets here, I'll be able to get back on schedule, especially with a lot of the new shows this season starting to air. Content-wise, I thought it was a great episode: it revisted the Megu/Sae relationship; it tied in the dreams of the four young girls from the first gureilla concert that they saw; and of course, the main focus was definitely the Takamina/Kanata relationship.

As suspected, Megu and Sae's relationship runs much deeper than just being generation-mates. But now, their realtionship is rather strained, especially after that argument they had the previous episode. For now, it looks like Mimori is able to quell any angst she had and get her ready to help support the concert. However, this issue will continue to persist until either she is able to get promoted or Megu and Sae are able to work things out together. Again, I look to the arbitrary succession system as the source that causes the rift between girls.

The understudies meeting with the four young girls on Tundrastar really prompted a look at how far Nagisa, Chieri, Yuuka, and Orine have come since their first encounter with AKB0048. Though they're not full-fledged idols yet, they're well trained and this marks the first time they were able to perform together in front of fans. Will Kawamori allow all four to stand on stage as successors together by the end of all this? Only time will tell. Moreover, they, along with the rest of the understudies and successors, were able bring joy and hope to a full-entertainment banned planet. Another thing of note is that Chieri's Kirara seems to be shining more frequently for Nagisa recently. Maybe this hints at her role in the show taking center stage (pun very much intended) as this arc heads to a close. Though some may see Nagisa as a rather bland main character, I feel that the trait that separates her from the rest of the cast is that she isn't afraid to speak her mind and she takes the initiative at times of indecision.

Finally, the Takamina/Kanata relationship continues to be the main course. Takamina is extremely determined to remain part of the group and "retain" her identity as THE Takahashi Minami. It was quite heartbreaking to see the scene where she tells Kanata to take off her uniform. Though Kanata just missed her opportunity to perform in such a big role, she had nothing but sheer admiration for Takamina's grit to give it her best on stage. It looks like this arc will reach its conclusion in the coming episode; I'm looking forward to it.

-Bern

AKB0048 08 - Pretenders

After I dropped Tsuritama, Pearz convinced me to watch AKB0048, which is of a genre that I don't usually watch: all-girl cast and mecha. I gave it a go I really liked the show, so this will probably fill that Tsuritama void. Up until this episode, the previous installments really focused around the understudies and their journey to become full-fledged idols. This week's focus was largely around the captain of the captain of the current team 00 and the dynamic between successor and understudy.

Continuing from the previous episode, the stand-ins performed really well and the concert went without a hitch. The scene above shows a cute moments between Chieri and Nagisa that I really liked. It really highlights Chieri's progression from a super serious idol-to-be to a much more friendly individual. Now that Nagisa and the rest of the 77th generation will be able to participate in a concert for the first time, will she finally set herself apart from the rest? Due her being the protagonist, I really think that Nagisa is destined to be the next center and revive the position. However, the only evidence of that so far was way back in episode 2, where the kirara shone with radiance for Nagisa.

One thing I really like about this show is how the dynamics between all four groups (current successors, and the three generations) are quite different. Last week, we saw the jealousy of the 76th generation because someone from the 77th generation was selected before them. We see that again this week, but again, they were looked over because they wouldn't be able to perform the set list. Nonetheless, the tension is there, especially for Megumi. She's really vocal about her frustrations and isolates herself from the rest of the group. Moreover, we learn that the current Sae is the only one of the 76th generation who became a successor. It appears Megumi's relationship has greatly deteriorated since Youko became a successor. According to the translated glossary, there are many empty spots on the current 00 team that aren't filled because there is no understudy with a soul close to any of the originals. It is this rather arbitrary succession process by an external power that is really creating all the angst and drama. If not, I'm sure plenty of them have the dancing, singing, and combat skills necessary for promotion.

And probably none more worthy of succession is Kanata. This episode really hammered home her admiration of Takamina, which hurt Takamina all the more. Just like the Kirara of Succession showed, Kanata has the leadership and determination to make her the spitting image of the original Takamina. Perhaps more to be explored is her quest for revenge, which is indeed still part of her. She may have even destroyed a manned DES craft during this episode.

Surprisingly, Takamina was able to avoid her death flag triggered last week. Saving the suffering for later, eh Kawamori? Aside from what was obvious from the conversation about prioritizing one's dream over those of others, I think there was a focus on becoming someone you're not. Thinking back to the episode when they had their day off, Tomochin wondered what it would be like if they lived as someone other than name they inherited as successors. Takamina may try as hard as she can, but she'll never fully copy the original Takamina because they're not the same person. This is something I think they shouldn't worry about too much. They don't need to be the same person; they should just keep what the original members had in mind: to sing, dance, and perform their hearts out to give hope to those listening and watching, and to work towards fully lifting the entertainment ban put into place by the DGTO. Looking forward to next week's episode.

Episode 9 Preview

-Bern