AKB0048: Next Stage

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.

I watched this a while ago but I feel like this season had much more fan service (photo shoots) which I really hate. It prevents me from recommending shows to people that otherwise would enjoy them a lot. At any rate, the story is still as insane and fluffy as ever, the characters develop well and its highly satisfying to watch. I feel that the story gets particularly muddled when you have to remember several names of characters: who they represent, who they want to represent, who they should be representing, and ultimately their real name and nicknames. The story also takes some really bizarreand at other times serious and heartfelt turns making the second season both more intense and more fluffy that the first. The climb to the final climax had some of the most suspenseful moments I have yet to experience in anime and this show really took me on a emotional ride. I feel its worth mentioning that this anime was probably one of the most emotion-packed outside of the romance and slice of life genres that I have seen, borderlines a 9 for me. The ending was everything I could have hoped for, I enjoyed this season as much as the first and I highly recommend it.

I've never written a review so sorry if this comes out really crappy but I just need people to know the reasons of why this anime was so beautifully crafted, so lets begin. Also, reminder, this is the second series, it is crucial to watch the first series if you want the full experience. Story- A group of girls fighting the ban of entertainment across the galaxy. Sounds like a little girl shoujo-style anime right? Welp no. That is very far from what AKB0048 is actually about. Next Stage picks up right where First stage finished. The girls are back to Akibaster, and General Electionshave restarted. The girls are now competing with each other, and Nagisa doesn't know how to feel about this. The point is, General Elections were a super interesting way to start the second season, and after you finish the ending it just all ties together so beautifully and I believe it really masters the story telling process. Art- The art style is super similar to the first series, except slightly better in my opinion. The animation is cleaner through out, and the 3D scenes look more realistic and blend together better with the other animation, plus the effects look sooo awesome. My favorite part of the animation is the opening. After the 5th episode, you can really tell they put extra effort into polishing it up for us. Plus I'm just a huge sucker for this art style, so that maybe why I gave it such a high score, but the hearts everywhere are sooo cute~ Sound- Obviously an anime about idols needs to have good music. Personally, I enjoyed the songs much more this season than the last, the opening and the ending being my favorites. They also brought back some great songs from the first season, and incorporated new AKB songs as well. The OST is still sooo great, and I think it was the same one they used as first season. Character- My favorite part about this anime is the characters. They feel so real and genuine to me, its crazy. Again with the mastery of story telling, I believe they also captured the essence of their characters just as well, especially the 77th generation girls. Even though this anime has so many characters, you feel like you know them so well. I think it might have something to do with the idea of succession or something, but believe me, this anime does not lack in the character development area. Enjoyment/Overall- This anime is my favorite. The first series was soooo great, but if I had to pick between the two, it would be this one. This story is much greater in this one and I enjoyed it a lot more, so if you stopped after the first series, please continue and I don't think you will be disappointed. ' u ' sorry this review sucked;;;;

I'm not quite sure how to put into works exactly how much I LOVE this anime. Overall -- Just like the first season, AKB0048 Next Stage does an outstanding job of reaching their audience... and I don't mean their audience IN the anime... by audience, I mean "me". I find my heart racing throughout every performance and through the emotional ups and downs with the characters as I share in their joys and disappointments. Enjoyment -- 100%, Every moment is exciting! From the suspense of the elections and succession, to the emotional drama involving Chieri and her father, to the intensity of each and everybattle-concert... which gives other musical and action-mecha anime a run for their money... I can't get enough. Character -- I love them all. There isn't a single character I dislike... that isn't something that happens very often. Each of the girls have their own unique, yet relatable, personality making it possible for me to care about each and every one of them and how they feel. Sound -- I like jpop, so I love the soundtrack. Every episode has several performances of various AKB48 songs. They aren't used as insert-songs for the background... the girls actually sing them in the anime! The background soundtrack is a classical score of the AKB48 song's melodies, making the full AKB0048 soundtrack perfectly themed. Art -- Very cute with vibrant colors. The heart reflections on the hair and in the eyes of every 0048 member is an excellent touch. The visuals are sharp and the CG is excellent. Did I mention there are lasers? I didn't... yea... there are lasers too. The "idols in space" theme is wonderfully executed. Story -- This is the one weak point... there isn't really much of one to tell... and it doesn't matter. Every performance and every battle has a tremendous amount of excitement that is able to bring joy to me as I watch with a smile. This season has a lot more emotional drama than the first, and it is portrayed with excellence. I LOVE THIS ANIME SO MUCH!