AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 13 (Completed)

What should have been a triumphant homecoming for AKB0048 has proved to be anything but, as their return to the planet sees them vilified as cowards and traitors rather than celebrated as the heroes of days past.

This certainly isn't the way things were supposed to go, in turn threatening to send their entire plan to take back Akibastar into turmoil.  Having witnessed their own fans turn against them, it takes all that they have for the girls to gather up their confidence and carry on regardless in the fact of this hostility, but in doing so their determination slowly but surely begins to win over the crowd.  It's Nagisa who finally makes the breakthrough however as the crowd's anger shows no sign of abating, with her own belief in the music and entertainment that she loves seeing her channel Acchan to such a great extent that it turns the crowd around almost instantly.

Of course, even with this sealed, and in spite of the return of Yuuko after her earlier disappearance, there's still the small matter of DES to deal with, and once Chieri goes Centre Nova their interest in proceedings becomes all the more intense.  Rather than weapons, it's with music that the girls look to drive their opponents away; something that proves to be highly successful at this new peak of their powers, meaning that Akibastar is saved and a new, most potent singing combination is born at the heart of AKB0048.

Come the end of the series, I think it's fair to say that AKB0048, and this second season in particular, have proved to be much better than they perhaps had any right to be - much if not all of its premise is daft, and it's clearly heavily driven as a marketing vehicle for AKB48, but at times it manages to transcend this to provide some really great material.  Certainly, this didn't happen week in and week out, but some of its strongest moments were downright magnificent within Next Stage especially, and the overall journey encompassed by the show proved to be a mostly satisfying one.  It's no Macross Frontier, but as a pretender to that throne (and let's not pretend that it isn't) it's still a pretty respectable effort.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 12

Having seen her father shot dead right in front of her, this isn't a particularly easy time for Chieri.  Neither, it seems, has this assassination had any impact upon DES' activities, as they continue to hold a tight grip over Akibastar.

With our without Chieri however, taking back Akibastar continues to be Tsubasa's primary concern, meaning that there's no let up in training for the other members as they can only hope that Chieri comes back on-board in time.  As Tsubasa's frustration at the abilities of her charges boils over, the collective memories of those involved regarding their journey so far seem to be just what is required for their Kirara to react with the Dualium crystals, taking them on a brief journey not entirely dissimilar to that experienced by the disappearing Centre Novae, it seems.

Indeed, in Nagisa and Chieri's cases their "trip" is virtually identical to those experienced by Yuuko and previous Centre Novae, albeit in a rather more brief form than the more permanent disappearance of their peers.  If nothing else, this proves that the plan to take back Akibastar can succeed, and thus off we head to see if AKB0048 can retake their home planet.  As their concert begins however, their welcome is entirely less warm than they might have been expecting...

When I start using phrases like "Kirara reacting with Dualium crystals", it makes me realise just how much nonsensical bullshit I've bought into over the course of this series, but regardless it seems as if the series has set itself up nicely for a finale that will (hopefully) explain everything and bring us one final epic concert/battle.  Having expected their concert at the tail end of this episode to be a triumphant return, I'm actually quite pleased to see the series proving itself happy to do something a little darker and perhaps more realistic, which in turn makes for what could be another interesting turning point for the show.  If nothing else, all of this certainly helps AKB0048 to feel more well-grounded and confident in the importance of its own universe than some of its stumbling earlier steps perhaps suggested at.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 11

Of all the reckless things that Chieri has done throughout the course of AKB0048, stowing away on a ship back to her home planet must surely be one of them, although arguably Nagisa's decision to go with her could be considered as even more so.

Still, once they actually arrive on that home planet of Sagittariustar, Chieri has contacts she can call upon to ensure a safe transit to her home for both herself and her friend, whereupon it;'s simply a case of waiting for her father to return.  This gives us an opportunity to fill in some gaps about Chieri's youth, namely how she became aware of AKB0048 on a planet where entertainment is completely banned, and her relationship with her father down the years all the way through to her running away from home.

While the rest of the AKB0048 crew are figuring out how to take back Akibastar via an audacious plan which involves every member becoming a Centre Nova to power a hyperspace jump into the depths of the planet's underground caverns, Chieri eventually receives a rather rude invitation to meet her father, involving armed security forces.  Although Nagisa has no intention of becoming a Centre Nova simply to be used as a weapon for her father, it seems that she has little choice when threatened with the prospect of DES forces acting against both the Flying Get and Nagisa.  Thus, it's time for her to show her radiance to her father (it sounds filthy when I put it like that, does it?) - but perhaps there are other forces at work that want to ensure that the Zodiac Corporation's grand plan failed.

After a reasonably good episode, this week's AKB0048 was really all about its shocking final scenes - I'm sure I wasn't the only one who didn't expect things to take quite that turn at this point in time, and it's piqued my curiosity as to where we're headed for these final two episodes as surely it isn't just going to be an easy, protracted victory for our heroines?  That aside, the filling in of Chieri's back story worked well enough, and there was something very Macross-esque about her performance for her father, so all in all this was a satisfying installment to lead us into the final couple of episodes.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 10

Stranded on an unknown planet with a damaged ship, things are looking a little tricky for the AKB0048 crew as this week's episode begins.  Still, it could be worse - they might have ended up on a junk planet having to sing along to Dare To Be Stupid.

Beyond that, it isn't all bad news, as the planet has a breathable atmosphere if nothing else, leaving the successors tasked with exploring and finding out what they can about the planet while repairs are on-going.  This brings them some interesting encounters with the land's flora and fauna, whether it's hallucinogenic mushrooms or Pokemon rejects.

Indeed, it's once such Pokemon-lite making friends with Orine that leads us to the real revelations about the planet, as an aggressive turn from the parents of Orine's cute new friend leads onwards to an attack from Zodiac Corporation forces, who it seems are using the planet to mine dualium.  When it comes to placating those angry beasts however, there's only one thing for it - to sing at them!  Between this and a little fighting action, the danger passes, although not before Chieri and Nagisa send themselves on a seemingly suicidal stowaway mission.

I suppose I have to give some credit to this week's AKB0048 Next Stage for turning what looked like it was about to become a throwaway episode into another opportunity to reveal some additional details about the show's wider world and pertinent plot points - admittedly this wasn't done in the most spectacular fashion, but it just about worked well enough to be passable before giving us a fascinating twist in its closing moments that could well make or break the series.  Needless to say, I'll be watching on to see where this show is ultimately headed.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 9

Things certainly took a dramatic turn in last week's AKB0048, with DES and the Zodiac Corporation laying waste to and ultimately taking control of Akibastar, while Yuuko's transcendence into the role of Centre Nova immediately resulted in her disappearance.

With the remaining members of AKB0048 either locked away in hiding in the temple within the depths of Akibastar or on the run from DES in their damaged spacecraft, it's hard to know where the group should turn next - for those who witnessed the entire thing however, the first question they want answering is regarding Mii's involvement in proceedings and why she "sold out" the group and their home planet.  The answer she gives isn't perhaps the most consistent or satisfying - it's hard to reconcile her desire to protect the group's members with her work with the Zodiac Corporation - but it does give us some more insight into the power of the Centre Nova set against Mii's tale of how she stepped back from the brink of disappearing like some of those who went before her.

There isn't all that much time for recriminations or finger-pointing however, as it isn't along before DES are back on the tail of the group's ship after their attempts to contact Akibastar are intercepted.  Low on energy and with some serious damage, it seems as if the craft is all-but a sitting duck - if only they had a top-notch mecha pilot that they could count on to oppose the DES forces....  Needless to say, Mii seeks to redeem herself and prove her willingness to protect the group with her actions, thus saving the day if only for now.  It seems as if our focus will now return to Nagisa, as she vows to become a Centre Nova to both stop the Zodiac Corporation's plans to weaponise the group's abilities and rescue the former missing Centre Novae.

The second half of last week's episode felt, to me, like absolute justification for sticking with this series through thick and thin as everything it had built up to came flooding out in a stupendous ten minutes or so - against that backdrop, this week's instalment has a lot to live up to and understandably doesn't hit quite the same high points, but it nonetheless proves to be a compelling and well-constructed progression of the story that once again cannily brought out its best material to close the episode in suitably spectacular fashion.  It's enough to leave me further pondering whether the series as a whole could have been better paced or whether it genuinely needed the length of build-up it received, but as of right now I don't care too much, as it feels like the show is perfectly placed to offer up a fantastic set of closing episodes if it manages to keep running along these lines.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 8

After a brief flashback that gives us some history on Akibastar's past and how it was rebuilt as a centre of hope and entertainment after being decimated by war, it's onwards to this week's AKB0048 Next Stage!

After bringing us into that flashback, it's Yuuko that dominates this episode - having seen her fellow understudy Mimori become the new Mariko, she seems more determined than ever to make the grade and thus spends every waking moment singing, dancing and practising as she strives to be the best that she can be, no matter what.  It's a determination that some of the others recognise as being redolent of the group's last Centre Nova, Acchan - and this, ladies and gentlemen, is what they call foreshadowing.

With Akibastar all set to host another AKB0048 concert, we finally get to the bottom of the Zodiac Corporation's ultimate goal - a goal that includes the resources squirrelled away beneath the surface of the planet, as well as the power of the Centre Nova, a power that the corporation want to bring forth and capture.  As it happens, the Zodiac Corporation knows exactly how to bring about the required environment to create a Centre Nova too - cue a massive assault on Akibastar which offers up some of the most spectacular fare that this series has yet delivered.

Having looked all set to be "just another episode" of AKB0048 (that being fun and steadily paced), the second half of this week's instalment was.... well, bloody fantastic actually.  And by fantastic, I mean "it felt kinda like Macross Frontier".  Blending its action and music against a dark and destructive backdrop worked wonders for the show, even when set up alongside its crazy weapons and ideas, and it was compelling stuff to watch as all of the parts of the show's puzzle came together in a visually engaging and gripping fashion.  I just hope this isn't the series peaking too early given that there are still a few episodes to go, but if ever I need to pick out a moment to document why I've stuck with watching this show through thick and thin, the second half of this week's instalment provides justification in spades.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 7

Mimori's succession has been decided by the powers that be, but who will she replace, and what will happen to the Mimori that her friends know and love?

It's this question that lingers throughout this week's AKB0048, as Mimori's colleagues happiness as they learn that Mimori is now a successor, and as a result is going to get a celebratory concert in her name, is offset by worries that the experience will somehow change her core personality.  On top of that, there is of course a little jealousy to add into the mix for those who are still understudies, not least Kanata as she finds herself the last of her generation yet to make it into the group proper.

Kanata's frustrations in turn bring concerns from Minami, who continues to fret that she's effectively stealing Kanata's time in the limelight as she seems like a cut and dried successor to herself - thus, a recurring theme this week is the assertion that Kanata needs to be more selfish in pursuing her own dream, words that potentially sink in when spoken by the new Mariko at the end of her celebratory concert.

All of this makes for another decent enough if unspectacular episode of AKB0048, punctuated by further progression of the deeper story surrounding the Zodiac Group and the fate of the Centre Novae - two plot threads which have now become irreconcilably tangled into a single major focus of the story at hand.  I really hope that this side of the show starts to get more play in the coming weeks, as I'm more than ready for its progression to stop being punctuation and start being the main course (to mix my metaphors).  I get the feeling that this probably won't happen until near the very end of the series, but a guy can dream can't he?

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 6

It's time for thoughts of succession to start forming in the minds of certain members of AKB0048's group of understudies, as rivalries intensify and some eyes turn towards the much-vaunted Centre Nova position.

Indeed, it's the rivalries within the group which occupies much of the early focus in this week's episode of Next Stage - Nagisa and Chieri's friendly but fierce rivalry is plain for all to see, while Yuuko looks on with burning ambition of her own.  However, it seems that the Chieri and Nagisa's rivalry is perhaps a little too powerful, overshadowing any radiance you might expect from them and the Kirara that gather around them.

While all of this is going on, the real news is perhaps that of Mimori's rise to prominence, as her hard work sees her struck down with a fever.  This is no ordinary illness however, but the pre-cursor to the Kirara choosing her as a successor.  But to who?  And can she make it through that night's performance in one piece?  The answer to that could also give a leg-up to Nagisa, who seems to be growing in terms of her belief in her own abilities...

If nothing else, things feel like they're moving on apace in AKB0048 of late - for a while it felt as though succession and the like had been pushed onto the back burner, but now it's very much at the centre of the show once again as Chieri and Nagia's rivalry takes (with all puns intended) centre stage.  The biggest question mark however continues to be the Zodiac Corporation's place in affairs - there are more vague hints as to their interest in what's going on but little more, and I can't help but feel that this is where the most interesting facets of the show's second half will come, entertaining though the more focused idol-based fare has been for the most part.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 5

The elections might be over, but there's no rest for the girls of AKB0048 as they swing straight back into action by shaving their heads and posting tearful YouTube videos at the behest of their management.  Wait a second, that isn't right, is it?

In fact, no sooner has election fever died down then it's straight back into the world of guerilla concerts, with the group sent off to the planet of Baltistar in the face of what is almost certain to be some tough resistance.  Rather than follow Chieri on her debut as a member of AKB0048 proper, we instead get to follow a group of the remaining understudies as they're sent to infiltrate a forced labour camp, going undercover for rather vague reasons by the powers than be.

In the midst of this group is Makoto, who seems to have taken her election "failure" harder than most, opining that she's never going to make it as an idol while the rest of her colleagues seem to have taken the results in their stride.  Of course, this means that Makoto is ultimately the focus of this episode, as the group come across an underground casino which serves as a group for the wealthy to place bets against AKB0048's successes and failures in combat.  Eventually, the interlopers are rumbled (although not on account of the frickin' huge hearts in their eyes, amazingly), and as things get a little challenging on the asteroid which is the home of the camp in question it's left to Makoto to save the day, thanks to some inspirational words from one of her fans.

Aside from the usual dose of mild craziness that this show's core plot always provides, this was another pretty run-of-the-mill episode - some of its revelations could be interesting moving forward (although I bet they won't make any more out of the underground casino in story-telling terms), but everything panned out across the episode just as you'd expect it to, thus offering few surprises beyond just how many plot holes managed to make it through onto our screens.  After the emotionally charged instalment provided last week, it simply doesn't cut it really despite being closer to the core of what this show is all about, leaving us waiting to be fed some more clues about what the Zodiac Group's ultimate goals are.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 4

It's election night, but can David Cameron win a second term in office?  Wait, sorry, wrong elections...

The introduction to the AKB0048 General Elections already threw up a major surprise in tenth place in the voting, but not to be cowed by that piece of drama this entire episode is dedicated to running down the rest of the rankings while doing its darnedest to depict the drama and tension as events unfold.  Of course, while all of this is going on much of the tension is actually swirling around in Chieri's head, as she tries to come to terms with her father's influence over the election and voting towards her and what she should do in its wake.  Should she quit the group?  Would that mean letting down her genuine fans?

Ultimately, this question seems to answer itself on her behalf as Chieri finds herself occupying the number six spot in the rankings - a moment which she's built up to such heights in her own mind that by the time her name is read out she's a hyperventilating semi-conscious mess who barely manages to stumble on stage.  Rather than quit however, it seems that the entire experience as merely strengthened her resolve to reach the top - and she isn't the only one either, as even the normally meek Nagisa seems to have gained a fierce competitive streak from watching events unfold during the course of the night.

While this week's episode of AKB0048 is largely as far removed from the show's "space opera" setting as it could possibly hope to be, it actually proves to be all the more fascinating for it, shining a light upon the General Elections partaken in by the real AKB48.  Looking at it as an outsider on this particular group and their world, the obvious initial reaction is "wow, this is fucking weird" - a crazy and intense scenario that somehow manages to mix together friendships and rivalries, selflessness and hard-nosed ambitious into a single, heaving madhouse that contains enough tears to fill the oceans a thousand times over.  Then again, is this really any different from any reality TV show?  No, it isn't, and although that kind of thing isn't for me you can't deny that it isn't a piece of hugely smart money-making without compare in its sphere.

Anyhow, all of that is by the by when it comes to discussion of this episode in its purest terms, but it does speak to how this series has managed to capture at least some of the essence of its inspiration, and I think that's an important (and positive) feather in its cap that also managed to wring some decent emotion and drama from the midst of its relative insanity.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 3

Chieri has done the seemingly impossible and made it into the top ten in the preliminary general election results for the group - so why does she look so miserable about the whole thing?

Given everyone's busy schedule there's little time to dwell on such things, as attention soon turns to a hand shaking event the next day which could well further influence results.  It seems that even this can't bring any cheer Chieri's way, as one of her fans regales her with praise about a recent noodle commerical she appeared in... except neither she nor the management sanctioned any such commercial, much to her irritation.

As the episode progresses we learn the real reason for Chieri's anger about this advertisement - not so much about the commercial itself but rather it's source, that being a company owned by none other than her father and the Zodiac Group, with footage compiled from that same group's coverage of her trial.  Indeed, Chieri learns that her father has seemingly had a change in heart about Chieri's career choice, and is now backing her to the hilt with all of the amassed resources at his disposal - of course, we know that there's more to this change in attitude than meets the eye, but that matters not to Chieri anyway as she sees all of her recent success as being nothing but underhanded and "cheating" compared to the hard work of her friends.  But is there really anything she can do about it as election night arrives?

Although I can't really fault this week's episode of AKB0048 in terms of progressing its story, it didn't really manage to run with the tension or nervous excitement that should have followed the whole general election plot point - don't get me wrong, it certainly tried to, but it fell rather flat for me in the end.  Still, the behaviour of Chieri's father and his organisation are still a major source of curiosity, and the whole Centre Nova thing keeps on trucking with some more little titbits here and there, so there's enough to keep me watching the series (and yes, the music is starting to grow on me as well, meaning that I've fallen into this series horrible, horrible trap) out of more than just doggedness.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 2

Things are looking rosy for Chieri as we hit the second episode of AKB0048 Next Stage, with her appearance at the anti-entertainment trial that was broadcast across the galaxy making her the girl of the moment and seeing her taking part in a blaze of publicity, photo shoots and the like.

There's little time to dwell upon this for the other understudies however, as they're quickly requested to take part in their very own TV variety show - a cavalcade of stunts, talk shows and various dumb games, the likes of which you'd only ever see on Japanese TV (or, it seems, TV across the galaxy in this entertainment starved future).  Given their inexperience in this particular form of media, trying to impress the viewers proves to be a decidedly tricky task for all and sundry, with initially disastrous results.

Eventually though, Nagisa and company find themselves spurred on and motivated to give it their all even if they'd rather be taking part in concerts, and ultimately it seems as though they get the hang of things, particularly once they learn that their variety show is likely to be broadcast in places where they couldn't even hold guerilla concerts.  Come the end of it all, the first wave of general election results are announced to add some further drama to proceedings - needless to say, Chieri features in the top ten; it seems as if this is exactly what the Zodiac Corporation run by her father wants too, intriguingly enough.

Considering how much fun other shows such as iDOLM@STER had with their variety show segments, AKB0048's efforts felt rather stale in comparison - sure, they were trying to make the point that our understudies sucked at doing it, but surely they couldn't have mined their inability to perform for more comedy potential?  Still, a decidedly mediocre episode was saved to some degree by the tension of those early general election results, and the whole story as it pertains to the Zodiac Corporation looks likely to be one of the more interesting things that this series has done, so perhaps more exciting times are right around the corner.

AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 1

It's back to a universe in which entertainment is banned this winter, as we check in once again on the girls of AKB0048, and in particular the group's set of understudies as they look to grow and move upwards in their chosen career path.

Indeed, we rejoin these understudies as they take part in and complete another successful understudies concert, which comes with not one but two important announcements to its excitable crowd.  Not only will the Centre Nova position be returning after a period of absence in light of the mysterious disappearances of previous girls who have taken up that role, but the concept of a General Election will also be reintroduced for the group's next single, allowing the fans to vote for who they most want to see perform.  An exciting but nerve-wracking time for all concerned, in other words.

Any consideration of the impact of these announcements soon needs to be put on the back burner however, as some downtime after the concert is used by DES forces to mount an attack on the girls bath (a cunning plan, I'm sure you'll agree) and kidnap a handful of AKB0048 members, including Chieri.  As they're whisked off to the high court for a public trial that is clearly more PR exercise than even-handed attempt at applying justice, it doesn't take the rest of the group long to give chase to perform a daring but spectacular concert-cum-rescue.  Was that exactly what the Zodiac Corporation was hoping for, though?

Having dallied with the idea of not watching this second season for a while, this first episode of Next Stage at least reminded me of why I did ultimately choose to watch it - its CG isn't the best but it does serve towards delivering some impressive set pieces when push comes to shove, and as many elements of the show are intriguing as others are downright dumb to produce a story that is at least worth following through to the bitter end.  With the Zodiac Corporation and Chieri's presence given a new importance, it feels as if Next Stage could go in some interesting new directions if nothing else, even though it's increasingly hard to take the show's core "entertainment ban" idea seriously.