If there is a wordor rather a twoword phraseto describe AKB0048 it is probably simply a lot. Few series pack as many disparate elements into their runtime. Lets condense it this way an idol show in which the idol troupe our protagonists wish to join is also a paramilitary organization with its own planet that fights repressive governments and antimusic terrorists with the benefit of mecha and all other sorts of advanced weaponry. Also its a space opera. AKB regardless of its actual quality might just qualify as simply one of the conceptually silliest anime ever made. There is an almost gleeful commitment to piling ridiculoussometimes outright stupidconcepts and execution on top of each other. Theres gaudy CGI diehard otaku who fight with glowstick missiles light sabers that spring from microphone grips10 points if you correctly guessed that these are called mic saberscombat and idol training taking place side by side and being treated as equivalently difficult thats not even mentioning the antiart terrorist group DES whose missiles are as the camera reminds us every time they show up hilariously stamped with a massive logo reading NO IDOLS and a struckthrough silhouette of a performer. That I somehow managed to get a whole paragraph in without mentioning the dynasty of idols that one member of the titular space idol troupe belongs to or the shinto shrine inner sanctum hidden inside their starship says a lot about how truly cautiontothewind AKB0048 is. This is a show that genuinely truly through and through does not care if you think its ridiculous. 880https://i.ur.com/q8qRXku.jpg You can only get so far on sheer silliness though especially for something thats not actually a comedy anime indeed for being as funny as it sometimes is 00 is surprisingly bereft of many actual jokes and the ones that do get made tend to fall firmly in the so bad theyre funny again camp if they land at all. No 00 would be completely lost if not for the fact that the anime has a very very big heart and wears it on its sleeve. Its a classic love it or hate it type thing either youre a sap like yours truly and will find this immediately endearing or youre well not and will find it incredibly grating. Theres not a lot of wiggle room with 00 and I suspect that thats the reason the franchise doesnt seem to have had much of a longtail despite the realworld star power backing it up. The writing meanwhile has its ups and downs. Its impressive all on its own that the large cast largely manages to stay distinctive. The show ostensibly centers on the core trio were first introduced to three young girlsNagisa Suzuno and Yuukafrom a planet called Lancastar who along with a fourth Episode 2 inclusion Chieri witness a 00 concert as young girls and pursue their dreams to become idols within the troupe as proper successors to the current performers something the show does establish as being complete with a fullon name change. Secondstringer Shiori is introduced to us as Minami Takahashi V. The truth is though that the cast balloons quickly and some members get more screentime than others. Still as said they all manage to remain distinctive sans perhaps Qlister Megumi whose main trait seems to be vague jealousy which is impressive enough given the large size. Where this largely falters is when the show attempts to delve into a more serious / darker side of the galactic idol biz. Revue Starlight this is not and the shows attempts to handle these aspects are generally where it falls flat. Really if 00 has a major problem its that its not always aware of its own best quality which is being deliciously overthetop. Too often the series takes an unfortunate dip into either rote performance melodrama one could get in any idol series there are enough why does she get this position / I wanted that position scuffles in the series that listing them isnt meaningful or in one particularly illconceived instancethe entirety of episode 10hacky ecchi comedy. When 00 is aware of its own strengths though conversely it leads to moments that are genuinely affecting such as the Lancastar Quartet meeting their first group of fans on an entertainmentbanned world. Ultimately what sabotages 00 the most when it doesnt work is its own nature as an idol series and by necessity as a promotional vehicle for the very real AKB48. 00 cant be as idealistic as it would need to be to truly measure up to its own world. The universe that AKB0048 paints is one where pop groups genuinely have the power to save entire planets but unfortunately the kind of story that that calls fora very focused tightlypaced narrative that doubles down on its thematics first and foremost and is built around a strong central protagonistis not what we get. 00 is too scattered for that. Instead we have a flawed series with a big heart one that understandably chooses to go out like it beganwith the AKB0048 members now including the Lancastar Quartet kicking ass against DES while singing their hearts out and its moments like these when the series truly shines. 880https://i.ur.com/BotoQSi.png Sadly theyre probably too few to make the series a truly easy recommendation. 00 is premisewise certainly among the more outthere anime but that kind of novelty wears off and what youre left with is a show that shoots for the moon but misses. Its frustrating in a way because maybe if 00 wasnt shackled to a real idol franchise it couldve had more freedom to either subvert or double down on its theme of reaching for your dreams and been truly great instead of merely decent but one reviews the show they watch not the one they wish existed. Still if youre in the mood for idols and mecha painted with the same CGI brush and Idolmaster Xenoglossia just doesnt sound up your alley there are far worse ways to spend 6 hours than with AKB0048. Plus hey RIVER is a banger.